Cablegate: Sudan: '92 Annual Terrorism Report

R 160903Z NOV 92
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0599

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

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