US embassy cable - 05PARIS6434

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 006434 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PINR, EAID, PREF, SU, FR, UNSC 
SUBJECT: FRENCH EFFORTS TO BOLSTER ABUJA TALKS ON DARFUR 
 
REF: A. STATE 168722 B. STATE 172323 C. PARIS 5713 
 
1.  (C) Like the USG, France took steps to dissuade Sudan 
Liberation Movement (SLM) leader Menes Menawi from staging a 
rival conference in Darfur during the Abuja round of talks 
that began September 15, Sudan deskoff Jeremie Robert told 
Africa Watcher in a September 20 meeting (ref A).  The Quai 
applied direct and indirect pressure, first by mobilizing 
former French Abuja representative Andre Janier, now 
ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire, who retains contacts within the 
SLM.  Second, the Quai relayed a stern message to and through 
the government of Chad for SLM consumption. 
 
2.  (C) Robert noted with irony that Janier had had to break 
off from a visit to Bouake, the rebel stronghold in Cote 
d'Ivoire, in order to deal with the rebels in Darfur.  Janier 
telephoned SLM leader Mini Menawi to emphasize in no 
uncertain terms the need to go forward with the Abuja program 
and timetable.  Janier, he said, was dismissive when Menawi 
rehearsed the familiar complaint that since the African Union 
had not extended to him -- but only to SLM "President" 
Abdelwahid Nour -- a  personal invitation, Menawi felt no 
obligation to support this round of the Abuja talks.  Robert 
added that the French had subsequently notified AU official 
Sam Ibok about the supposed oversight. 
 
3.  (C) Robert said France conveyed a similar message to the 
Government of Chad on the need for Menawi's wing of the SLM 
to postpone its Darfur conference and rally behind the Abuja 
talks.  Chad needed to demonstrate to international critics 
that it could be an "honest broker" on Darfur, the French 
told the MFA and the Ministry of Interior, contacting Al-Hami 
and Mahamet Ali respectively (Note: phonetic spellings), both 
former mediators at the 2004 N'djamena conference, Robert 
said.  Moreover, the French asked Chad to relay through its 
own rebel contacts an admonishment that any disruption of the 
Abuja peace process, e.g. by contemporaneously staging a 
rival conference, could leave the SLM open to sanctions under 
UNSC 1591. 
 
4.  (U) Africa Watcher also shared points regarding U.S. 
efforts to combat violence against women and girls in Darfur 
and our interest in greater international assistance and 
coordination toward that end (ref B).  Stating that France 
shared U.S. concerns, Robert pledged to forward the non-paper 
internally. 
 
5.  (C) Comment:  Robert continues to underscore French 
support for USG initiatives on Sudan and interest in close 
collaboration on Darfur (ref C), a position echoed in 
separate conversations with AF/E Director equivalent Le Gal. 
Embassies Khartoum and N'djamena and the U.S. observer team 
in Abuja are best positioned to validate how Parisian 
intentions are translating into action on the ground.  From 
post perspective, the Quai d'Orsay would appear open to 
appeals for targeted coordination, for instance, on 
manifestly shared goals such as sustaining the Abuja peace 
process and countering sexual violence in Darfur. 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
STAPLETON