VZCZCXRO1197
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHNJ #0054 0251232
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251232Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6029
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000054
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL SU CD
SUBJECT: DARFUR REBEL BAKHIT PREVIEWS NEW REBEL UNIFICATION
1. (SBU) Summary: Sudanese rebel Adam Bakhit informed
N'Djamena Emboffs January 18 that he and his associates were
forming a "united front" encompassing five rebel factions,
with participants from SLM/Unity; SLM (Khamis Abdullah); JEM
(Bahr Idriss); NMRD (Abdel-Karim) and URFF. Bakhit
criticized Sudan rebel groups which have accepted Chadian
support in exchange for assistance against Chadian rebels,
which most likely reflects his negative view of past JEM
assistance to Chad government operations against Chadian
rebel groups. End Summary
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Rebel Unification
-----------------
2. (SBU) SLM/Unity will join five other groups to form a
"united front" group to achieve the goals of the Darfur
people, Adam Bakhit told DCM and poloff during a meeting on
January 18 to discuss Sudanese rebel unification efforts. The
"united front' will include five rebel factions, with
participants from SLM/Unity; SLM (Khamis Abdullah); JEM (Bahr
Idriss); NMRD (Abdel-Karim) and URFF. Bakhit said that when
various rebel leaders were in Libya for the Tripoli talks,
they decided that there was a need for a new group to unite
the various rebel factions under one council. This group
would then negotiate with the government on a peace
agreement, which would tie the situation in Darfur to the
situation in southern Sudan. According to Bakhit, the new
"unity group" is scheduled to be in N'djamena the week of
January 22 and is scheduled come to an agreement on when and
where to announce the new unified coalition.
3. (SBU) According to Bakhit, the "united front" group shares
his goals for Darfur, namely autonomy within a federal
system, as in Southern Sudan. "While its not easy to work
with the government of Sudan.... we do not want to be
separate -- particularly because Arab countries will support
Sudan against us." He added that "our future is tied with
the situation of the south," implying that if South Sudan
votes for independence Darfur would seek the same. Bakhit
also acknowledged that one of the failures of the various
rebel groups has been that they have not "created a good
leader like John Garang" and asked for international
community support of the new group's efforts to find a new
leader. In explanation as to why he was in N'djamena, Bakhit
said that he was on "sick leave" due to a back injury and
needed to visit the US to receive medical care. Bakhit
requested help obtaining US visas for himself and his family.
He explained that financial support for treatment would be
provided by Sudanese philanthropists.
-------------------------------
Relations between Chad andPQy7W*$tA& aerial bombardments, no
political or diplomatic process has begun between the two
countries, he said. Bakhit believes that "the problem is not
the Chadians supporting the Sudanese rebels with weapons" but
using those rebels to attack Chadian rebels. Bakhit commented
that if he were to accept Chadian backing and arms to use
against Chadian rebels the situation at the border would
become much worse. Such a
situation would not be good for him and would not end the
conflict between Chad and Sudan.
--------
Comment:
---------
5. Bakhit's rejection of Chadian manipulation of Sudanese
rebel groups most likely reflects his views on the JEM which
has assisted the Government of Chad to push back Chadian
rebels in the past.
NIGRO