US embassy cable - 05ABUJA2339

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002339 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/SPG, D, DRL, INR, PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PREF, SU, NI, DARFUR 
SUBJECT: DARFUR PEACE TALKS: "FINAL, DECISIVE ROUND" OPENS 
 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary.  The seventh round of the Inter-Sudanese 
Peace Talks on the conflict in Darfur opened on November 29 
with all speakers emphasizing the importance of reaching a 
comprehensive agreement in this round.  SLM leaders avoided 
an early setback by compromising on a single speaker for the 
opening ceremony, naming a joint negotiating team, and 
selecting a chief negotiator.  A more-unified JEM continues 
to assume a disproportionate role because of SLM's divisions 
and is working to minimize the effect of SLM's leadership 
problems on a common negotiating strategy.  The Government 
of Sudan asserts its commitment to reaching a comprehensive 
agreement can be reached by the end of the year.  End 
Summary. 
 
2.  (U)  African Union Special Envoy Salim Salim and 
Nigerian Foreign Minister Olu Adeniji opened the seventh 
round of negotiations on Darfur in Abuja on November 29. 
Salim, Adeniji, and other opening speakers, which included 
the Chad Mediation, Government of Sudan, one speaker for the 
Sudan Liberation Movement and Justice and Equality Movement, 
Libya, United Nations, international community, and the Arab 
League, emphasized that this round of talks must be the 
final round and continue until a comprehensive agreement on 
power-sharing, wealth-sharing, and security arrangements is 
reached.  Adeniji relayed Nigerian President Olusegun 
Obasanjo's message that the parties must reach an agreement 
this round as he did not wish to or intend to invite the 
parties back to Abuja for an eighth round.  Ambassador Pekka 
Haavisto, the European Union's Special Envoy, delivered 
remarks on behalf of the international community.  Most of 
the speakers recognized the SLM reconciliation efforts 
carried out by Deputy Secretary Zoellick and A/S Frazer at 
Nairobi and El Fasher as well as the follow-on efforts of 
Chad, Eritrea, and Libya. 
 
3.  (SBU)  The opening ceremony speeches were largely 
unexceptional in content except for the rebel movements' 
rejection of the Government of Sudan's plan to hold an "all 
inclusive conference".  In delivering the opening remarks on 
behalf of both movements, Justice and Equality Movement's 
Ahmed Lissan Tugod stated clearly that the conference cannot 
be a substitute for the ongoing Darfur talks. 
 
4.  (SBU)  The rebel movements were able to overcome 
significant disagreement within SLM and present a unified, 
public front for the ceremony.  The compromise selection of 
JEM's Tugod to speak on behalf of both rebel movements came 
as the result of two days of discussion and was reached only 
an hour prior to the meeting.  The Eritreans, Chadians, and 
Libyans and members of the international community moved 
between the SLM factions represented by Abdelwahid Nur and 
Mini Minawi, and to a lesser extent, JEM, to convince the 
movements to decide on a single speaker.  Initially, Mini 
Minawi insisted that SLM, which controls more territory in 
Darfur, should speak and that as the newly elected 
President, he would deliver the remarks.   Abdelwahid and 
his followers, of course, rejected this idea and supported 
the option of allowing JEM to speak rather than either Mini 
or Abdelwahid.  Mini agreed to this after insisting that he 
be able to name the chief negotiator, Abduljabar Dosa. 
Abdelwahid was not entirely happy with this development, but 
concurred. 
 
5.  (U)  The Government of Sudan's delegation made its 
appearance only minutes before the opening.  The delegation 
included four members of the Sudan People's Liberation 
Movement (SPLM): Minister of State for Industry Thomas 
Tootshok, southern parliamentary leader Yasser Armand, Sudan 
Council of Churches leader Baba Clement, and SPLM economic 
advisor Louk, who will work on wealth-sharing issues. 
 
6.  (U)  Salim's workplan for the negotiations includes 
running two track negotiating sessions concurrently, 
starting with power-sharing on November 30.  The power- 
sharing session will begin with "Article 4" of the agenda 
adopted during the sixth round in Abuja which looks at the 
federal system and other levels of governance.  Initial 
consultations on security arrangements led by Nigerian 
General Joe Garba will also begin this week.  Salim had 
hoped to start with wealth-sharing negotiations but the 
resource persons and experts will not arrive until next 
week.  Many had hoped for three concurrent sessions, but the 
facilities at the Chida Hotel can only accommodate two at a 
time.  It will be difficult for the rebel movements to 
handle two simultaneous sessions as it is. 
 
- - - - 
COMMENT 
- - - - 
 
7.  (SBU)  The seventh round opened without any major 
controversies.  The SLM, although still divided, is saying 
all the right things about a joint negotiating position. 
Both Abdelwahid and Mini have promised not to bring their 
leadership issues to the table.  So far, we appear to be off 
to a good start on that score although there are continuing 
rumblings of SLM internal armed conflict on the ground in 
Darfur. 
 
FUREY