VZCZCXRO5856
PP RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1825 2121431
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311431Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3958
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001825
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPKO PREF SOCI UN AU SU
SUBJECT: SUDAN/DARFUR: CFC Meeting in El Fasher
1. (SBU) Summary: On July 26, the Darfur Ceasefire Commission (CFC)
met in El Fasher, Darfur. Para 2 presents the notes of the U.S. CFC
Representative. Noteworthy is the announcement by SLM/Minawi that
they are now boycotting CFC meetings due to lack of support from the
AU -- see septel for litany of SLA/Minnawi complaints. End summary.
2. (SBU) The U.S. Representative's notes are as follows:
The Ceasefire Commission held a regularly scheduled meeting on
Wednesday, July 26 at AMIS FHQ in El Fasher. The meeting was
attended by all parties, except for the noticeable absence of a
representative of SLA/Minawi. The Force Commander (FC) notified the
assembled Commission that SLM/Minawi had phoned the CFC before the
meeting to say that they were boycotting CFC meetings. According to
the CFC Secretary, who took the call, SLM/Minawi is dissatisfied
with a lack of response from AMIS to their letter requesting
additional funding and provisioning for SLM/Minawi members involved
in the peace process.
This is the second CFC meeting in a row that SLM/Minawi has not
attended. The FC ended the Monday, July 24 meeting without
discussion of violations due to the absence of an SLM/Minawi rep.
At the Wednesday meeting both the U.S. and UN Observers urged the FC
to continue the meeting, which the FC did.
The CFC listened to a series of complaints of armed individuals,
identified as SLM/Minawi soldiers, who have been entering the Zam
Zam IDP camp during the past couple of weeks. These complaints were
filed by AMIS CIVPOL at Zam Zam. The soldiers, who say they are
visiting relatives in the camp, have been disregarding DPA
protocols, which do not permit arms in the IDP camps. The CFC
agreed that the entrance of any party into an IDP camp is a
violation of the DPA, and condemned the actions of the soldiers at
Zam Zam. The CFC reiterated that the proper procedure for armed
individuals to enter a camp requires them to contact the nearest
AMIS MGS, leave their weapons behind and receive an escort into the
camp.
The FC solicited comments from the CFC concerning the Draft
Janjaweed Disarmament Plan that the CFC was given at the Monday
meeting. At the Monday, July 24 meeting the U.S. Representative
noted that giving the CFC members only two days to review the plan
gave little or no time for members to properly consult with their
headquarters or capitals -- a comment that fell on deaf ears. In
any event, the members were polled for comments. The U.S. and UN
Representatives provided the bulk of comments on the plan. The FC
indicated that there will be ample time for comments/modifications
as the plan moves forward.
The U.S. and UN Representatives requested that in future meetings
members be provided advance copies of alleged violations that will
be discussed at CFC meetings. The FC agreed to the request.
The next meeting of the Darfur CFC is scheduled for Monday, July 31
at 1030 in the CFC Conference Room at Force HQ in El Fasher.
STEINFELD