US embassy cable - 92KHARTOUM8257

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 08257 
 
 
S/CT FOR REAP 
 
E.O. 12356: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, SU 
SUBJECT: SUDAN: '92 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF: STATE 338430 
 
1. FOLLOWING IRANIAN PRESIDENT RAFSANJANI'S 
VISIT TO KHARTOUM IN DECEMBER, 1991, THE 
GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN HAS ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE 
ITS POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC TIES WITH IRAN, A 
PROMINENT MEMBER OF THE USG LIST OF STATE 
SPONSORS OF TERRORISM. 
 
-  CONCURRENTLY, THE INVASIVE AND DOMINEERING 
ROLE OF THE NATIONAL ISLAMIC FRONT OVER THE 
SUDANESE GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY IN GENERAL HAS 
PRODUCED AN ENVIRONMENT WITHIN SUDAN THAT IS 
INCREASINGLY TOLERANT OF, AND ATTRACTIVE TO, 
BOTH RADICAL, REJECTIONIST ARABS AND 
TERRORISTS. 
 
-  THE ABSENCE OF VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR ANY 
ETHNIC ARAB DESIRING ENTRY INTO SUDAN HAS 
RESULTED IN THE PRESENCE OF A MYRIAD COLLECTION 
OF FUNDAMENTALIST ZEALOTS AND TERRORIST 
ORGANISATION AFFILIATES THAT CHALLENGE 
MONITORING EFFORTS. 
 
2  THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT DID NOT EXTRADITE OR 
REQUEST THE EXTRADITION OF ANY SUSPECTED 
TERRORISTS IN 1992. 
 
3.  THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN UNDERTOOK NO 
COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORTS IN 1992. 
 
4. IN ADDITION TO ITS CLOSER RELATIONS WITH 
IRAN, THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN MAINTAINED STRONG 
RELATIONS WITH OTHER USG DEFINED SPONSORS OF 
STATE TERRORISM SUCH AS IRAQ AND LIBYA. 
CONSISTENT WITH ITS SUPPORT FOR IRAQ DURING THE 
GULF WAR, SUDAN HAS CONTINUED ITS ACTIVE SUPPORT 
OF IRAQ IN THAT COUNTRY'S CURRENT DEFIANCE OF 
UNITED NATIONS MEASURES AND THE POLICIES OF THE 
COALITION POWERS. 
 
5.  DURING 1992, SUDAN'S SELF-ISOLATION BOTH 
FROM THE WESTERN COUNTRIES AND FROM ITS MODERATE 
ARAB NEIGHBORS HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY.  SAUDI 
ARABIA, ALGERIA AND EGYPT HAVE EXPERIENCED 
STRAINS IN THEIR RELATIONS WITH THE KHARTOUM 
GOVERNMENT.  FOLLOWING NUMEROUS ACCUSATIONS OF 
SUDANESE INVOLVMENT IN TUNISIAN INTERNAL 
AFFAIRS, THE SUDANESE EMBASSY IN TUNIS, AND THE 
TUNISIAN EMBASSY IN KHARTOUM, WERE CLOSED. 
 
6. THE PALESTINIAN LIBERATION ORGANISATION HAS 
MAINTAINED A PROMINENT AND OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED 
PRESENCE IN SUDAN SINCE ITS 1982 REMOVAL FROM 
BEIRUT.  THIS HAS IN TURN FOSTERED THE PRESENCE 
IN SUDAN OF NUMEROUS SPLINTER GROUPS AND 
FACTIONS OF THIS ORGANISATION.  ADDITIONALLY, 
PLO CHAIRMAN YASSIR ARAFAT TRAVELLED TO SUDAN 
SEVERAL TIMES DURING 1992.  THERE ARE REPORTS OF 
MEMBERS OF OTHER TERRORIST GROUP ENJOYING 
SAFEHAVEN IN SUDAN AS WELL. 
 
7.  ALTHOUGH THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT HAS 
COMPLIED IN GENERAL WITH THE U.N. SECURITY 
COUNCIL'S MANDATORY SANCTIONS RESOLUTIONS ON 
LIBYA, THERE HAS BEEN NO INDICATION OF ANY 
SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF THE OFFICIAL LIBYAN 
PRESENCE IN SUDAN. 
 
PETTERSON