Cablegate: Darfur: Nrf Press Release Claims Gov't has Transferred

VZCZCXRO0746
PP RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #2625 3101517
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 061517Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5145
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 002625

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM MCAP PGOV PHUM SU
SUBJECT: Darfur: NRF Press Release Claims Gov't has Transferred
Chemical Weapons

1. (SBU) On November 1, Sudan Tribune, an online news service,
posted a press release dated October 1, purportedly from the
National Redemption Front, a grouping of Darfurian rebels that have
not signed the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), claiming that the
Sudanese Government had transferred chemical weapons to Darfur.

2. (U) The text of the press release is as follows:
(Begin text)
Khartoum Moves New Chemical Weapons into Darfur
OCTOBER 31, 2006 - The National Redemption Front (NRF) confirms that
GoS has airlifted new weapons into Darfur. The airlift that took
place a week ago during the festival of the holy month of Ramadan
included banned chemical weapons and lethal bombs, described as
entirely new to Darfur battlefields.
Rather than seeing this as a new twist, the NRF takes it as
perfectly in line with Albashir's genocidal policy and war of
annihilation in Darfur. Impervious to all International Conventions
of Engagement, Albashir once publicly ordered his troops "not to
bring him back any war prisoners or injured enemies" in their
battles in Darfur. Khartoum's renegotiation maneuvers are nothing
but a public relations exercise and a cover up for insidious
military tactics. Only a few weeks ago Khartoum's Minister for
Defense was in Russia procuring new arms for millions of Dollars to
boost their military adventures in Darfur.
The NRF assures its constituency that it is monitoring Albashir's
gamble in Darfur and is ready to teach him, yet, another lesson,
just as it did in Umsidra and Kari Kari of North Darfur.
Despite, the NRF affirms to the UN, and the international community
that Darfur problem is political and that it has no military
solution as Albashir still foolishly thinks.
(End text)
3. (SBU) Comment: Embassy Khartoum Defense Liaison Office has no
information regarding this claim, and does not regard it as
credible; it more likely appears an effort by the NRF to call
attention to continued military build-ups by the Sudanese Government
in Darfur.

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