UNCLASSIFIED ORIGIN RELEASED IN FULL INFO LOG-00 NP-OO A-OO CIAE-OO INL-OO DODE-OO WHA-OO DS-OO EAP-OO vc oo H oo IO-OO ss-oo TEST-00 077443 SOURCE CBLEXCLS 009654 DRAFTED BY 04 07 2004 202-647 6724 APPROVED BY 0717462 38 0717442 APR 04 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO ALL AFRICAN DIPLOMATIC POSTS PRIORITY AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY 0000 USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY UNCLAS STATE 077443 E O 12958 TAGS OIIP OPRC PREL US XA SUBJECT AFRICA PRESS GUIDANCE APRIL 7 2004 AF PRESS GUIDANCE SUDAN TALKS MOVING AHEAD APRIL 7 2004 KEY POINTS ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY SNYDER MET TODAY IN NAIVASHA KENYA WITH THE HEADS OF DELEGATION AT THE SUDAN PEACE VICE PRESIDENT TAHA AND SUDAN PEOPLES LIBERATION MOVEMENT CHAIRMAN GARANG AS WELL AS GENERAL SUMBEIYWO WHO IS MEDIATING THE TALKS ON BEHALF OF THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY ON DEVELOPMENT THE ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY PUSHED THE PARTIES TO FINALIZE THE AGREEMENT ON THE REMAINING OUTSTANDING ISSUES THE TWO SIDES ASSURED SNYDER THAT THEY ARE COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING AN AGREEMENT WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR DAYS GENERAL SUMBEIYWO HAS UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY HARRY MELONE ID 09 AUG 2006 200502212 UNCLASSIFIED - UNCLASSIFIED EXTENDED THE TALKS UNTIL APRIL 11 THE TWO SIDES INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE REACHED IN PRINCIPAL ON FOUR OF THE SIX MAJOR POWER ISSUES SECURITY ORGANS THE PRESIDENCY ABYEI AND PERCENTAGES THEY ARE INTENSIVELY DISCUSSING THE ISSUE OF THE CAPITAL AND CONFLICT AREAS OF SOUTHERN BLUE NILE AND NUBA MOUNTAINS SNYDER EMPHASIZED TO BOTH SIDES OUR STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY MEDIATION EFFORT AND FOR EFFORTS THAT THE GROUP IS MAKING TO ENCOURAGE RESOLUTION OF THESE ISSUES THE ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY ALSO INDICATED TO BOTH SIDES THAT THE UNITED STATE WOULD REMAIN PRESENT AT THE TALKS NEXT FOUR DAYS GIVEN THE ASSURANCES PROVIDED BY THE TWO SIDES WHILE WE WERE ENCOURAGED BY THE COMMITMENT TO ACHIEVE PEACE EXPRESSED BY BOTH SIDES IT IS CLEAR THAT SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES REMAIN AND THAT THE PARTIES WILL NEED TO SHOW GOOD FAITH IN ORDER TO REACH COMPROMISES ON THE REMAINING ISSUES SNYDER UNDERSCORED THE UNITED INTEREST TO ACHIEVE A PEACE ACCORD BUT ALSO SAID THAT WE ARE NOT PREPARED TO REMAIN ENGAGED INDEFINITELY SNYDER EXPRESSED TO SUDANESE VICE PRESIDENT TAHA OUR GRAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE SITUATION IN DARFUR AND STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GOVERNMENT COOPERATING IN THE DISCUSSIONS UNDERWAY IN CHAD TO NEGOTIATE A HUMANITARIAN CEASEFIRE THAT WOULD INCLUDE OUTSIDE MONITORING SNYDER EMPHASIZED THE URGENCY OF THE SUDANESE fi 7 IN DARFUR AF PRESS GUIDANCE SUDAN DEVELOPS APRIL 7 2004 KEY POINTS THE UNITED STATES CONTINUES TO BE-GRAVELY CONCERNED UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED WITH THE DETERIORATION OF THE SITUATION IN DARFUR WE ARE DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THE TALKS IN CHAD BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN AND THE ARMED OPPOSITION GROUPS HAVE NOT MADE MORE PROGRESS HOWEVER WE HEARD LAST NIGHT THAT THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION GROUPS FINALLY BEGAN DIRECT TALKS FOCUSED 0N ACHIEVING AN HUMANITARIAN CEASEFIRE WITH OUTSIDE MONITORING WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE TALKS ARE CONTINUING - DURING HIS VISIT TO LAKE NAIVASHSA KENYA TODAY ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY SNYDER DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH SUDANESE VICE PRESIDENT TAHA HE EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF DARFUR ISSUE TO THE UNITED STATES AND STRESSED THE NECESSITY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN TO COOPERATE IN THE CHAD TALKS AND TO ACHIEVE A HUMANITARIAN CEASEFIRE THE VICE PRESIDENT ASSURED THE ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN WILL COOPERATE IN THE DISCUSSIONS IN CHAD THE UNITED STATES IS CONTINUING TO PRESS THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN To STOP THE ATTACKS AND ATROCITIES BEING COMMITTED BY GOVERNMENT-SUPPORTED MILITIAS IN DARFUR THESE STEPS INCLUDE SUPPORT FOR LAST BRIEFING IN UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL AND THE PRESS STATEMENT AND SUPPORT FOR THE ADOPTION OF A STRONG ITEM 9 RESOLUTION AT THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS WHICH SHOULD PROVIDE FOR A SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR WE HAVE SEEN THE COMMENTS AND FULLY SHARE HIS CONCERNS THE KEY ISSUE NOW IS STOPPING THE VIOLENCE IN DARFUR WE HOPE THAT OTHERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL SUPPORT OUR DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO SECURE AN IMMEDIATE CEASE-FIRE WE INTEND TO KEEP THE SITUATION IN DARFUR UNDER INTENSE REVIEW AND INTEND TO USE ALL APPROPRIATE MEANS AND TO COOPERATE FULLY WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO OBTAIN MORE PRECISE INFORMATION REGARDING WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND BASED MULTIPLE SOURCES ON INFORMATION IT IS CLEAR THAT THE MILITIAS ARE CONTINUING TO ATTACK CIVILIANS AND COMMIT ATROCITIES GIVEN THIS VERY GRAVE SITUATION IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE UNCLASSIFIED - UNCLASSIFIED THE FULLEST POSSIBLE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND IF IS THIS THAT WHAT IS TAKING PLACE IS ETHNIC CLEANSING BY THAT WE MEAN WHAT IS OCCURRING HAS INVOLVED ATTACKS AND ATROCITIES AGAINST AFRICAN CIVILIANS BY THE GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED ARAB MILITIAS WE KNOW HOWEVER THAT THE ATTACKS AND ATROCITIES ARE APPARENTLY WIDE SPREAD AND APPEAR IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY TO BE ETHNICALLY BASED WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN MUST TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO STOP THE ATTACKS AGAINST CIVILIANS IF ASKED ABOUT COMMENT ON MILITARY ACTION UNDERSTAND THE SECRETARY-GENERAL WAS SPEAKING OF A CONTINUUM OF STEPS WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE MILITARY ACTION AS AN EXTREME MEASURE WE UNDERSTAND HIS CONCERN THE FOCUS NOW IS ON ROBUST DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO BRING A CEASEFIRE AND STOP THE BLOODSHED WE BELIEVE THESE EFFORTS CAN SUCCEED WE URGE THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN TO SUPPORT THIS EFFORT IF ASKED ABOUT NUMBER OF PERSONS KILLED DISPLACED ETC USAID IS REPORTING THAT 750 000 PERSONS HAVE BEEN DISPLACED AND AN ADDITIONAL 110 000 HAVE SOUGHT REFUGE IN CHAD AS A RESULT OF THE CONFLICT WE CANNOT SPECULATE THE NUMBER OF DEATHS CAUSED BY THE CONFLICT - 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