Cablegate: Darfur Civil Society Conference Concludes in Dar Es Salaam

VZCZCXRO6301
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1167/01 2161340
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031340Z AUG 08 ZDK CTG NUMEROUS SERVICES
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1498
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KHARTOUM 001167

DEPT FOR AF/SPG, A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SU
SUBJECT: DARFUR CIVIL SOCIETY CONFERENCE CONCLUDES IN DAR ES SALAAM

KHARTOUM 00001167 001.3 OF 004

1. (U) SUMMARY: On July 30, the Darfur Relief and Documentation
Centre (DRDC) concluded a three-day conference for Darfuri civil
society leaders in Dar Es Salaam. Thirty-five Darfuri leaders
participated in the conference entitled "Reenergizing the Peace
Process in Darfur." The conference produced the Dar Es Salaam
Declaration (attached below along with a list of participants,)
which offers recommendations on power sharing, wealth sharing, land
issues, restitution, and the role of civil society in the peace
process. END SUMMARY.

2. (U) The Darfur Relief and Documentation Centre (DRDC) was the
primary organizer of the conference. (Note: According to its
website the DRDC is an independent and apolitical NGO based in
Geneva established in May 2004, "to inject an independent and
impartial civil society perspective for a peaceful resolution of
armed conflicts in Darfur" See www.darfurcentre.ch End Note.) Two
other organizations, the Darfur Consortium
(www.darfurconsortium.org) and the East Africa Lawyers association
also helped fund the conference.

3. (SBU) According to conference participant and Embassy Political
Assistant, the conference reaffirmed the need to include civil
society leaders in the Darfur peace process. He stated that
participants hope that their efforts will result in one civil
society organization that can be the voice for the ordinary people
of Darfur. PolAssistant stated that the participants represented an
inclusive spectrum of different tribes, political parties, and
geographic areas. He added that the conference intentionally
excluded participation from the rebel movements and government
participants. (See para 9 for a list and brief description of each
participant.)

4. (SBU) PolAssistant stated that Salim Ahmed Salim, former AU
Special Envoy and a native of Tanzania, gave a two-hour presentation
to the group. Salim stated that civil society leaders should have
been given a larger role in the negotiations and the peace process.
Salim praised the work of the conference and encouraged participants
to assert themselves and make their voices heard as debate about
Darfur's future intensifies.

5. (SBU) Conference participants spent much time discussing and
deliberating on the final conference declaration (see para 8 for
full text). The document calls for power sharing and wealth sharing
based on the population of Darfur, using the 1993 census as a basis.
These figures show that Darfur comprises approximately 20% of the
national population. Conference participants may hold another
meeting before the end of 2008, which may include representatives
from rebel movements.

6. COMMENT: The conference's "Dar es Salaam Declaration" is an
interesting document, especially as it returns to 1993 census data
(before the current cycle of violence) as the basis for power and
wealth sharing. The GoS waF|arfur Dialogue and
Consultation (DDDC,) the work of UNAMID civil affairs, and other
local initiatives remains to be seen but it is timely given the
GOS's recent decision to expand the dialogue on Darfur beyond the
NCP and the rebel movements. END COMMENT.

7. (Note: Conference photographs and the DRDC's description of the
objective and purpose of this conference have been delivered to
AF/SPG and the Office of the Special Envoy. End Note.)

Conference's Concluding Declaration
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8. (U) BEGIN TEXT:

"Dar Es Salaam Declaration on Reenergizing the Peace Process in
Darfur

We the undersigned representatives of civil society organizations,
communities, intellectuals and opinion leaders from Darfur met at
the Workshop on Reenergizing the Peace Process in Darfur: Civil
Society Voice organized by the Darfur Relief and Documentation
Centre in cooperation with the East Africa Law Society and the
Darfur Consortium,

Aware that our country, the Sudan, is facing a difficult and
complicated phase in its history characterized by civil strife and
violence which caused immense suffering and destruction of lives and
livelihoods in addition to massive displacement of people
especially in the Darfur region;

Recognizing that resolution of the political crisis in Sudan and

KHARTOUM 00001167 002.2 OF 004

ending the armed conflict in Darfur can only be achieved with
courage and determination through political negotiations in a
genuine process based on basic principles that uphold the values of
the inherent rights of the people of Darfur to live in peace and
dignity in a united Sudan

Recognizing further that maintaining peace and stability in Sudan
and Darfur requires additional efforts to uphold the rule of law,
good governance, democracy, justice and accountability;

Mindful that the root causes of the armed conflict in Darfur and the
obstacles to the realization of peace in the region are rooted in
the historical marginalization and discrepancy in power and wealth
sharing;

Deeply concerned that the human rights and humanitarian situation in
Darfur is very acute and dangerous and that millions of people in
the region live in miserable situation and that there is a serious
threat of killer famine which necessitates urgent measures to put an
end to the suffering of the war affected communities;

Deeply concerned that the peace process in Darfur is currently at a
deadlock and that additional efforts are required from all stake
holders including the conflicting parties, war victims, civil
society and intellectuals from Darfur to reenergize the peace
process in the region;

Recognizing the past and ongoing efforts of civil society groups
inside Sudan and in the Diaspora in particular efforts of the
Heidelberg Group, Concordis Group, the Jeddah Group and the Khartoum
Darfur Intellectual Group in advocating a negotiated peaceful
resolution of the armed conflict in Darfur;

We hereby decided to:

1. Commit ourselves to work diligently for the attainment of just
peace in Darfur and declare the launching of the People Diplomatic
Campaign for peace in Darfur;
2. Intensify our contacts with the parties to the conflict in Darfur
and other stakeholders as well as the regional and international
community in a sustained effort towards peace and security in
Darfur;
3. Once again call upon the government of Sudan to demonstrate a
strong political will in resolving the armed conflict in Darfur
through political negotiations
4. Urge the armed movements in Darfur to unite their vision and
position and to organize and engage in immediate political
negotiations.
5. Call upon all the parties to the conflict in Darfur to reaffirm
their commitment and full respect of the existing ceasefire
agreements as agreed upon in the N'djamena Humanitarian Ceasefire
Agreement and the Abuja Protocol on the Enhancement of the Security
Situation in Darfur.
6. Call upon the international community, international and national
humanitarian organizations to continue providing the necessary
life-saving aid to the war affected communities in Darfur and avert
the imminent famine in the region.
7. Urge all the parties to the conflict in Darfur as well as the
African Union and United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID)
to secure the delivery of humanitarian material to the needy people
and to protect aid workers.
8. We further call on all the parties to the armed conflict in
Darfur, the mediation team and all those concerned to make
additional efforts to achieve the following objectives:

Power Sharing

a) Darfur should have its share in all organs of the national
government, the executive, judiciary and the legislative, including
the presidential institution, consistent with its population
percentage. This should be applicable to all other regions and
states
b) Darfur should be one region with its 1956 borders within a
federal republic of Sudan having several states to be determined by
the people of Darfur.
c) Any future peace agreement in Darfur should be part of the
national constitution and that all relevant executive and other
organs and institutions for its implementation should be established
by law to be enacted by legislative bodies.
d) The overwhelming majority of the people of Darfur do not
recognize the 2008 population census because large parts of the
region were not covered during this exercise. Demarcation of all
electoral districts and constituencies in the region should,
therefore, be based on the 1993 census and its projected growth
rates.

Wealth Sharing

KHARTOUM 00001167 003.2 OF 004

e) Distribution of national revenues and allocation of resources
should be on the basis of population percentage of all the states.
All national projects in Darfur, such as national highways,
railways, dams, electricity generation, agricultural projects, etc.,
should be the responsibility of national government.
f) To reduce the gap in development an affirmative action programme
should be applied to Darfur in all fields and that such a programme
should include accelerated training and education to enable the
victims of the conflict in Darfur, especially women, to take up
responsibilities in the post-conflict reconstruction and
development.
g) Darfur should have an Economic Development Agency empowered to
undertake and implement investment and development policies to
accelerate economic development in the region .

Land Issues

h) Land rights, use and control should be restored in accordance
with the pre-independence historic Hakura system and that a land
Conference should be convened to promote understanding of the Hakura
system.
i) Regulation of land ownership and usage should be the exclusive
responsibility of the regional government, while the national
government should retain the right to regulate mineral and oil
exploration activities in accordance with an agreed upon formula.
j) Land currently occupied by foreign new comers should be
resituated to its original owners and that land allocated by the
Government of Sudan for mechanised farming and large commercial and
business enterprises, should be revised.

Restitution

k) Restitution, including reparations and compensation to groups and
individuals and their dependents and descendants, within the
framework of transitional justice is an inalienable right of the
victims of the armed conflict in Darfur.
l) All the parties to the conflict in Darfur should reaffirm their
commitment to the principle of restitution to the victims of the
conflict and that such commitment should be translated into a
restitution scheme to the full satisfaction of the victims and that
the responsibility of restitution falls on the Government of Sudan.
m) Special affirmative action programme should be introduced as a
complementary measure to cater to the needs of groups of victims of
special needs including women victims of sexual violence and their
children, orphans, the handicapped and the elderly.

We express our thanks and gratitude to the Government and people of
the United Republic of Tanzania, the organizers as well as to the
Tanzanian civil society for hosting this Workshop.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Wednesday 30 July 2008."

END TEXT.

CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS
- - - - - - - - - - - -
9. (SBU) Note: Only biographic descriptions should be treated as
SBU. End Note.

1. General (Rtd) Siddiq Mohamed Ismail - Retired General in the
Sudanese police. Secretary General of Darfur Forum for Dialogue and
Peaceful Coexistence. Umma party. Beni Halba (Arab) of South
Darfur.

2. Mr. Salih Mahmoud M. Osman - Famous human rights activist. Fur
tribe. Deputy Chairman of Darfur Bar Association. Member of the
National Assembly representing the Communist Party.

3. Mr. Adam Mohamed Hamid Elnahla - Northern Rizegat- Mahamid Arab.
Never actively involved, but known as a supporter and representative
of janjaweed. Very strong personality in Mahamid, who may influence
Musa Hilal.

4. Mr. Ismail Kitir - Lawyer. Zaghawa from El-Fasher.
Representative of Darfur Forum for Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence
(DFDPC). Chairman of Umma party in North Darfur.

5. Dr. Idris Yousif Ahmed - Secretary General for Shura Council.
Ex-Minister in West Darfur. Ex- member of Parliament for NCP. Not
currently active in NCP. Fur tribe from West Darfur.

6. Mr. Mohamed Abdalla AL Doma - Chairman of Darfur Bar Association.
Human Rights activist. Member of DFDPC. Member of politburo of
the Umma party.

7. Mr. Zeidan Abdelrahim Yousif - Leader and founder of DFDPC.

KHARTOUM 00001167 004.2 OF 004

Activist. Member of politburo of DUP, in charge of the Darfur file.

8. Dr. Al-Waleed Adam Musa Madibo - Chairman of Governance Bureau, a
civil society organization. Organized Ad-Daien festival. South
Rizegat, Baggara Arab.

9. Mr. Mohamed Eisa Alieu - Darfur Activist. Deputy chairman of
DFDPC. Member of National Reconciliation and Chairman of Rizegat
Arab Shura Council. Member of Umma party politburo.

10. Prof. Abdelrahman Bushara Dousa - Member of DFDPC. Member of
politburo of the Umma party. From chieftain family of Zaghawa.
Professor of University of Juba, Khartoum.

11. Dr. Mohamed Ahmed - Physician from Fur Tribe, Niyala.
Originally from Jebel Marra. Activist.

12. Dr. Abdelgabar Abdalla Fadul Ahmed - Academic and active Darfur
researcher from El Fasher University. Fur tribe.

13. Mr. Khalil Mohamed Bakhiet Tukras - Meidob tribe, North Darfur.
Lawyer and activist. Worked in Sudan Development Organization
(Sudo).

14. Mr. Abdelrahman Mohamed El Gasim - Lawyer and Human Rights
Activist. Member of Darfur Bar Association.

15. Mr. Hamid Ali Mohammed Nour - Activist and Embassy Locally
Engaged Staff. Founding member of DFDPC.

16. Mr. Faroug Adam Abakar - Lawyer. Secretary General of Masalit
Shura Council. Prominent member of Darfur Forum. Activist.

17. Prof. Abulgasim Seif Eldin Sameen - Member of National Assembly
for SPLM. Based in Khartoum. Fur Tribe from Jebel Marra.

18. Mr. Al Amin Mahmoud M. Osman - Fur Tribe and Deputy Secretary of
Fur Shura Council. Active member of Popular Congress Party.
Brother of Salih Mahmoud M. Osman.

19. Ms. Nawal Hassan Osman Haroun - Activist and employee of USAID
Mission in Sudan.

20. Ms. Fatima Mohamed Elhassan - Founder of NGO working in Darfur
among the IDPs.

21. Ms. Salwa Adam Beniya - Member of Parliament for SPLM.
Masalit/Arab (father Masalit, mother Arab). Deputy Chairman of
DFDPC.

22. Ms. Zahara Abdeln'im - From El-Fasher. Founder of NGO working
in Darfur among the IDPs. Fur.

23. Ms. Mariyam Eissa Ahmed - Activist. Insisted on speaking Fur
language in the conference.

24. Ms. Safa Al Agib Adam - Chairperson of NGO focusing on women.
Gender activist.

25. Dr. Firdous Abdurhaman - Activist.

26. Ms. Samia Ahmed Nihar - Activist. Zaghawa.

27. Ms. Azza Mohamed Ahmed - Peace and Studies Center, University of
Khartoum. Activist.

28. Dr. El-Tigani El-Sesei - Ex-Governor of Greater Darfur.
Chieftain of Fur of Zalingei. Brother is chieftain of fur in West
Darfur. Works for Economic Commission for Africa. President of
Darfur Relief and Documentation Centre and organizer of the
conference.

29. Mr. Omer Gamar Eldin Ismael - From El-Fasher, working in Geneva.
Berti tribe.

30. Mr. Mustafa Abdelkarim Mustafa - Based in Saudi Arabia. Fur
tribe.

31. Dr. Adam Abdelmoula - Coordinator, Middle East and North Africa
Unit, Officer of the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights.
Based in Geneva. Fur from a famous family in Zalingei.

32. Mr. Abdelbagi Abdalla Mohamed Jibril - Executive Director,
Darfur Relief and Documentation Centre. Based in Geneva.

FERNANDEZ

© Scoop Media