99 Brasilia 04208: Sudan/54 UNGA: Human Rights Resolution

Sudan: Final Words

The break-up of Sudan, aided and abetted by the United States, can be seen as another example of ill-conceived outside interference in an internal conflict in the name of democracy and human rights. The record for holding together the multi-ethnic states left behind by Western colonialism and former empires, without autocratic and often brutal centralized rule, is slim. This is a hard truth. And once such states are broken, they do not heal themselves. 

The full piece on my final thoughts on the string of Sudan entries may be found on TransConflict: http://www.transconflict.com/2016/05/what-lesson-from-sudan-035/

Final Journal Entries in Khartoum. August 2004

Aug 7:  Now that Sudan is a hot issue, all sorts of actors are in the policy-making mix.  And they know nothing so drift quickly into group think.  The group think -- even within US government -- is informed very much by the media and the perceived need to respond to it.  Washington does not do policy anymore.  It reacts to the day's press.  Very dysfunctional.

In the case of Sudan, policy was already in the hands of a small group of pols in USAID that saw the regime here in the same way that their counterparts in DOD saw Saddam.  ([They] have a long history of support for the "Christians" in the south.)  The regime is bad but we cannot simply push it over....  [N]ow that a USAID person has become AF Assistant Secretary, their capture is complete except....  (USAID already runs its own policy with the Darfur rebels.)  Add the USAID angle to the group think and we are heading for a policy calling for things the GOS cannot do -- like disarm the jinjaweed -- that will lead to a confrontation that may turn Sudan into another Somalia. (The EU and Egyptians are quite serious about Darfur and are already afraid we will blow it.)  Sent a cable on this yesterday but doubt anyone is listening.  (Powell gets it but relies far too much on his "battalion commanders" like the new A/S.) 

August 19: Just back from a three-hour GOS/UN meeting that started at 7:30pm. The goverment started its behavior in Darfur to try to ensure it did not become "internationalized." So they end up talking about how they will investigate rape cases to a room full of foreigners.

August 26:  Yesterday I sent in a cable that suggests a course of action for the next step that puts off sanctions. I have found out that my efforts led the Secretary to beat back the recent USAID effort to piss on the UN efforts here to find a peaceful way forward. One week to go.

August 27: Well, my tour is complete. Went and briefed Rev. Jackson this afternoon. Looked a little older than I last saw him but still sharp. Pointed him in a few directions. Meanwhile, a hijacked Libyan plane sits on the local runway.

August 30: Spent part of the day with Senator Corzine and Dick Holbrooke. Worked well. Corzine is a regular guy, as perhaps only a self-made millionaire elected senator can be. ...

Holbrooke has a big ego but seemed also to be able to figure out quickly if someone knows his shit. I was frank in explaining why I am leaving this week, in the middle of things.

Spoke to Treasury Secretary Snow this evening too. Corzine's banker friend Collins (whose private plane he came in on) called Snow about the Sudan embassy's banking problem and then handed the phone to me. I briefed him on the Sudanese Embassy's banking problem.

Note:  I departed Khartoum for home  on September 2.  Coming soon, Brasila cables.

More Journal Entries for July: The Secretary Calls and Darfur Events

July 18: Had a busy day with a cable to write and some meetings.  Was driving ... when I got a call from State Ops.  The Secretary wanted to speak with me.  That was a first.  He was going to make some calls and wanted to check in with me.  Said he was reading my cables closely.  Talked maybe 4-5 minutes.  Sudan is hot.
Tonight off to the British Ambassador's for dinner.  I'm not complaining.

July 20: I had some 25 Darfurians over tonight for a reception/meeting.  I wanted to give them a space to start the reconciliation process free of government interference.  We were also "consulting" them about a further US role.  Went well.  Had Arabs and Africans, nomads and farmers and some jinjaweed.  Told them we may be able to help but they must solve their own problems.  Felt strange to be hosting such a group all in their turbans on my front lawn in Khartoum, me a [guy] from Jersey.  What a long strange trip its been. 

Darfur leaders with Charge & poloff

July 26: Last nite I went to meet a group of Arabs from Darfur who wanted their side of the story heard.  Reality is always more complicated up close.  There are no good guys involved in the Darfur story and everyone is at least partially right.  They were concerned that the outside world sees all Arabs as "jinjaweed."  This is a danger.  But at the end of the discussion, one little guy accused the U.S. of being anti- Arab everywhere, Iraq etc..  I had had enough by then of self-serving bullshit -- including one guy asking how we knew the women really had been raped -- so I asked if they knew how many atom bombs we had left and that if we were anti-Arab, there would be no more of them left. They sobered up quickly and I bet they gave the little guy a tough time after I left.  Which I did not do right away since at 10pm, I was informed we were going to eat dinner.  Got home at 11 and of course this morning I got up tired.

 
 

Journal Entries for July 11-15, 2004: The Life of a Diplomat

July 11: Just back from UK poolside party.  Took NYRB and New Yorker writer Samantha Power there.  Spend a few hours chatting with her during the day.  Hopefully won't actually see my name in print. Spent two hours also with Mubarak [Al Mahdi] and [Foreign Minister] Mustapha.

July 12: Went on Hash today.  It was a very pleasant walk through rural Khartoum to the Blue Nile.  I promised the UK ambassador's two sons that I'd do it.  Two bright lads, 13 and almost 17.  Was otherwise busy with meeting another tribal chief, etc.  Spoke to the Minister this evening about freeing political detainees.

July 15: Just attended the first “JIM” (Joint Information Meeting). Four hours (8pm-midnight) that was mostly surreal. The only new GOS information was unbelievable -- about 100,000 voluntary refugee returnees and another 158,000 IDP returnees. Otherwise, challenges to us to present specific info on what we said about continued insecurity, continued jinjaweed activity and government attacks. As far as GOS sees it, they are taking actions -- more police, arrests -- and Darfur is getting more secure. Says can't disarm all jinjaweed right away while rebels are still attacking.

Journal Entry for July 9, 2004: Some Personal Reflections on Doing US Diplomacy

Saw a sight today that hit me in my stomach.  On the side of a road, a women -- she would have been tall if the could stand upright -- walking on her feet and hands.  I see such people every few days, walking through the city on their hands and knees or feet.  It was as if she was a four-legged animal loping along.  She appeared young and two small children were following her.  Her children?  My god, what a story she lives everyday, a story so different from ours, a story of love no doubt, a human story, but one full of things I can only imagine, so many common indignities. 

Last night at bowling, the guy who works there, who's job it is to smile and hover over the patrons, especially the foreigners, approached me.  The sort of person you learn to accept, expect in the Third World.  He had asked me before if he could give me his papers.  Last night he had them, he'd been holding them for me.  I accepted.  Turns out this smiling, inconsequential person was a rebel in Ethiopia for years.  His side won but the faction he was in lost favor.  He was arrested and imprisoned various times and finally had to flee to Sudan.  Lt. Solomon, formerly a major in the new Ethiopian army, demoted before his last arrest.  He has applied for asylum in Sudan and exists with a series of three month passes from the UN while it considers his case.  Been living that way for the last few years.  Now he wants my help.

We are trying to help these people help themselves.  Yet we are dancing with real devils, smiling, courteous killers.  I have gone out on various limbs, am standing on some thin ice.  Sometimes I feel that I've lost my way.

I feel so far from home.  And I worry sometimes that I'll never find it again.  Where can you ever be at home when you see what we have done to ourselves?  But when I do get there, I think I'll stay.  I have asked to stay here, will feel dissed if they don't want me.  But I think I need to get out of here.  If they don't want me, I'll serve it out and leave without regrets. 

 

Journal Entries for June 28 & 31: Codels and the Secretay

My son visited me for a few weeks in June, including spending time with the CPMT in southern Sudan. 

 That's him in the south.

Then came visits by a congressional delegations (a "codel") and Secretary Powell to visit Darfur.

 

June 28: Well, I am living proof of the literal veracity of the old saying that it is an ill wind that blows no one any good. Right now I should have been in the middle of staying up till 1:30am with my visiting Senator while he was awaiting his plane out of here at the ungodly hour of 2:45. However, a haboob -- a big wind for sure -- kept his plane from leaving Geneina. He'll come though now at a more reasonable hour tomorrow with the Congressman. And I'll be with the Secretary so will delegate out their departure. Now I can go to sleep in my own bed at a reasonable time. He gets to sleep in the desert. No ill wind as far as I am concerned.

Got over a 100 people from outside working on the visit. My part really starts tomorrow when I need to be able to respond to whatever the Secretary asks and seem to know what I am doing. In this sort of visit, protocol is him and COM, all others follow. Show time.

June 31: Back from the airport and "wheels-up." The trip went very well. The Embassy -- strengthened by some 100 additional people from all over -- did an excellent job and everything went smoothly. We eventually even got some potential progress from the government. Things went quickly from the time I met the Secretary at the airport.
 

Meeting with the Foreign Minister and then the President. At midnight, we were in the Secretary's suite in the Hilton "brainstorming." During the rides, I was in the limo with him and briefed him and answered questions. This morning, he met the Embassy staff and had another meeting before going on the plane at noon to go to Darfur. On the plane, we brainstormed some more. Met the African Union ceasefire monitors in El Fasher and then NGO workers. Quickly toured a camp for the displaced and then back to Khartoum. Total trip took less than five hours in the big 757. At the airport, we met with the UN Secretary General and then the Sudanese Vice President. After a press conference, he said goodbye and left.

Powell is smart, considerate and patient. Spent a fair amount of time with him and it was a pleasure. Got on pretty good terms. He took on board my ideas, asked my questions and drifted toward my perspectives. I took the opportunity to ask if might put in a word in support of my staying. He said he hadn't yet spoken to new A/S since she was sworn in. He didn't say he would or would not. But he didn't seem bothered that I asked. All in all, a few intense days (with a US Senator and Congressman also visiting) and I feel up. 

 

Journal Entries for May 25-28, 2004 on signing the Protocols between the Sudanese Government and the SPLM

May 25: It appears that "peace" is at hand, or to be more exact, that the final three pieces of the "general framework agreement" will be signed tomorrow morning in Kenya. The honchos told Powell this on Sunday when he called and the gang is gathering in Kenya. This is actually still a step or two from the final peace agreement & comprehensive ceasefire but it is a big hurdle passed, provided it happens. With Darfur still a problem, we won't do much in response....

Been taking it easy the last few days, even sunning myself in my garden. Following closely the government's new and improved approach to Darfur. Will have lunch here at home with the security/intell chief [note: Salah Gosh*] on Thursday. But then plan on smoking a peace cigar (in lieu of pipe) Friday on the shore of the Blue Nile and then cruising into our version of the Memorial Day weekend.

May 27: Yesterday, the Sudan government and the SPLM finally signed agreements on the last part of the framework for peace. It took a long time and there are still a few steps to go before a final agreement. In fact, I spent the day thinking about the remaining steps and also about the conflict still going on in Darfur. Didn't think to celebrate or anything. (Though I did tell the staff today -- it happened to be the day of our Embassy awards ceremony** -- that they could be proud of their efforts that contributed to peace for their country.)

On the way home, I passed a large gathering in the center of town. Stopped to take a look. It was an SPLM rally of celebration for peace. When they realized the American Charge was there, they invited me up to speak to the crowd and started chanting pro-USA slogans. The crowd was mostly southerners, a couple of hundred, and mostly students. The rally was organized by the SPLM Youth. The group had been underground until recently. I met the leaders when they declared their group openly several weeks ago. The leaders were earnest young men with Western suits. We all were sweating. I spoke briefly about the US support for southerners to be treated justly and equally and about continuing to work for a peaceful, democratic and united Sudan. They cheered. It only hit me then that for many people, the signing yesterday means peace. They want peace. They want to live normally and many just want to go home.

I had forgotten that all this diplomacy -- words, threats, promises, lies, truths, half-truths, hypocrisies, feints, etc -- was about something very real to lots of people, peace.

May 28: Sometime this afternoon while I was working in the office, a haboob came in. The skies are cloudy and the city is covered in a dust cloud. From inside my air conditioned house, it almost seems like dusk on a fall day. Except that it's well over a 100 outside and the weak light coming in through the windows casts a strange orange glow on everything. Not unpleasant as long as the sand doesn't clog the AC.

Off soon to have drinks with the Norwegian Charge and the guy who got us the pig. Imagine me sitting somewhere in an orange glow drinking something stiff and chatting about pork. When I've sunk deep enough into that reality, I'll go to the home of the assistant president for in-depth political analysis of post-peace agreement. He always has tasty sweets and good coffee to make up for the lack of booze. Finally, it'll be the Ethiopian Embassy to celebrate the 13th anniversary of the overthrow of the previous government. Probably no booze there either but by then I won't need any. Reality here is heady enough.

Spoke thrice with the Foreign Minister in the last 20 hours. On Darfur. Our relations may spike upwards with the peace signing.

Note: * The first time I met one-on-one with Gosh, he put his hand on my knee and informed me that he could have me killed and get away with it.  Indeed, in 1973 the US Ambassador and his deputy were assassinated by Black September folks never caught.

 ** A photo from our awards ceremony:

 

04 Khartoum 0550: GOS Announces Suspension of Permits for Darfur & Other Meansures

Per the previous entry (also see note below):

Note:  Behind this cable and the Embassy effort to bring the Sudanese government into a peace process on Darfur was also my effort to convince Washington to agree to providing support from the US military (in the form of logistics) for the African Union (AU) monitoring effort to be put together.  The US regional command in Djibouti (the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, CJTF-HOA) was eager.  But in Washington, the Departments of State and Defense plus the NSC were opposed.  They didn't want to see any US boots on the ground in Sudan.  I argued that the investment could be modest but the impact great.  The Sudanese government would take the AU effort much more seriously if the US were supporting it and the AU certainly needed logistic support to be at all effective.  The difference of opinion over Darfur (plus the enmity of USAID political appointees who saw Darfur as a side issue or one to use against the government) played a large part in Washington's decision not to allow me to extend for a second year.

Journal Entries for May 17 & 20: Working on Darfur

May 17: Went to a UK reception this evening. Was outdoors. French reception this past weekend was indoors. It is hottest time of year here, though I've only seen temperature go as high as 118. Not 120 yet. I've gotten used to it and as long as one dresses reasonably it's not bad. Was 109 as I made my way home at 9:30. Sat outside for a few moments here. The breeze was hot. The ground was hot.

Darfur has now overtaken the peace process as our highest priority. Too late and now we may lose both. I'm trying to get to government to help them find way out. Spoke to Sadiq El Mahdi, Dr. Ghazi and others at reception. Probably hopeless.

May 20:  Today is a big day perhaps. Have floated proposal to GOS on Darfur that I made up. Passed to DC few days ago. [The acting A/S] said I should do it even though he hadn't read it..... I'm not sanguine but I think the guys here are getting worried enough. My big plan basically is a number of steps to make the GOS clearly part of the solution rather than the problem.

 

04 Khartoum 0536: Sudan-Darfur-DART Sitrep #5 (The humanitarian situation during a ceaseifre

Journal Entry for May 19, 2004: An Evening with Another El Madhi

Attended a speech by Sadiq El Mahdi this evening. It was part of a regular Wednesday evening gathering of the Umma Party faithful at the party HQ in Omdurman. It was really hot and I hunkered down for two hours of Arabic. Desert cooling once again put to the test. Crowd numbered maybe two thousand on the veranda and lawn of the building. Some guy kept popping up from the side singing praise. At one point he seemed to get very agitated and appeared to be pointing to me, the only gringo on the scene. He may have been singing my praise or calling down the wrath of God or neither.

Until Sadiq showed up, Mr. Kalifa sat next to me and we chatted in English. Kalifa is the grandson of the Kalifa, the follower of The Mahdi who took over at his death and ruled Sudan until the British defeated him. Kalifa the Younger is now #3 in the Umma Party.

Sadiq -- the former Prime Minister overthrown in 1989 -- arrived to great ovation and sat next to me. He asked me how much of the speeches I was following. I said "none at all" although I think I did hear an occasional salaam (peace) and Ameriki. He got his niece to translate for me during his speech. (He spoke about Darfur and peace.) When he was done, and after two hours of sweating steadily but gently and watching little tiny moths land on my white shirt, I took my leave. Another wonderful night in Sudan.

Note:  Previous El Mahdi encounter here.

04 Khartoum 0528: Mudawi Trial Drags On*

* The case against Mudawi Adam was dropped later in the year but he faced continual harassment and imprisonment by the Sudan government.  He remains active and appears to be on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mudawi.adam.54

Journal Entry for May 14, 2004: Darfur, Khartoum night life and local traffic

Spent this evening chatting and having a few beers with the African Union team that has just been to the west (Darfur) to arrange the logistics for a peace monitoring effort. We sat on the roof of my political officer, also part of the team. It cooled down rapidly tonight. Fell to 98 degrees by 7:30. But it was still 98 at 10pm. There were lots of people out at clubs, restaurants and on the street. On the way back, passed one well-lit place with two people in full body costumes out in front. They were waving and looking jolly. The costumes were furry and, I am quite sure, like a sauna inside. One was a rabbit. The ears drooped and the arms were too long for the person, so they drooped too. I hope it is shift work.

As usual, drove through the new phase of road construction. Lots of it going on. Roads are being broadened and extended. This is very necessary because of the burgeoning traffic congestion. But roads are built or rebuilt without any discernible attention to alternate traffic routes. Sometimes, you'll come to a street that used to go somewhere but now ends in a ditch or pile of dirt. Sometimes, you'll be riding on an old road when it stops. You can see the new road ahead or to the side but you'll need to go over some rough ground to get there. Everybody going both ways faces the same challenge. So the traffic backs up and everyone runs for whatever space they can get. Soon, everyone is lost in the dust, especially at night. The same thing happens in reverse. You'll be zooming down a nice new paved road until suddenly it stops. There may or may not be another road in sight. My driver always seems to know where to go and eventually we get there.

My favorite example of road work is a large exchange near the embassy. Four lanes of traffic meet at a major intersection. The old intersection: a couple of dirt roads plus a paved one. They are building a new exchange which is sorely needed. Only problem is that while they are building it, where the old one used to be, there is now no official intersection at all. Instead, the two roads pass close enough together that traffic "leaks" from one to the other over maybe 20 feet of construction area. Here traffic congeals and cars pass each other every which way and up. I like to think of it as a macro example of the physics phenomenon of "quantum tunneling." Particles from two different realms get so close they just sort of "pass through" barriers to magically reach the other side. Who needs an actual intersection. That is so old physics!

04 Khartoum 0490: Dinner with the Grandson of the Mahdi*

* Note:  The State Department archives did not contain the full text of this cable so part between paras 4 & 5 is missing.  But here follows the entry for my journal for May 13:

"Last night I spent three hours dining with the grandson of The Mahdi. (If you don't know who that is, rent the DVD of the movie Khartoum starring Charleton Heston & Laurence Oivilier.)

We dined on the veranda of the Imam El Mahdi's palace overlooking the Nile River. It was grand. There was just enough breeze for desert cooling (evaporating sweat). The Imam told me the story of his father, the only one of The Mahdi's ten sons to survive the war with the British. Abdel-Rahman was 13 when he was wounded in a battle that killed two of his brothers. By the time he died in 1959, he had helped his country reach independence from the British and had met Winston Churchill, who had fought with the British in the 1890s. Just the two of us talking under the stars about The Mahdi's effort to reform Islam and the sect's continued efforts to do the same without violence. The Imam is head of the Ansar, the descendants of the warriors – who the British called the Dervishes – of The Mahdi. A high point. The West has much to learn about Islam and they of us. Most want to have this exchange. The common enemy is the terrorists.

Most Sudanese are too polite to mention their outrage over the treatment of Iraqi prisoners by American forces. (The Imam didn’t.) But it is a real black mark against us."

From a visit to Malakal in early May 2004

From the visit to Malakal on May 8th with the CPMT:

Malakal

 Burned Tukels

Popwojo

Nyilwk

From the Embassy Arabic Press Review for 05/13/2004

AL SAHAFA:


GALLUCCI: WE DO NOT LINK DARFUR TO IGAD AND WE FAVOR UNITED SUDAN

While the favor of speculations are rising on date of signing the peace agreement between the government and the SPLM, Dr. Gerard Gallucci, US Charge asserted this week will witness the signing of the agreement on the three conflict areas and the power sharing issues.

Gallucci was addressing a small group of press corps at the American Embassy premises yesterday. He added mid June will witness the signing ceremony in Nairobi.

Gallucci, who was talking confidently about the future of the peaceful process between the government and the SPLM, seemed committed to continue on line of constructive dealing with the “fundamentalists at the Republican Palace”. He said they have started since a time ago to enter into work relationship with them.

He added the US Administration will start complete normalization of relations with the Government of Sudan as soon as a peace agreement is reached and the phase of arranging for final comprehensive cease-fire. He was reserved at linking the IGAD-sponsored peace process to Darfur.
He affirmed the vision of the EU and the US Administration is identical in this regard.

Gallucci linked lift of the US sanctions from the Sudanese government to three issues: cooperation in the so-called international counter terrorism issue, reaching a peace agreement through IGAD and achieving more comprehensive progress in the human rights issue.

While he noticed that the government is achieving progress in human rights issue, he added his Administration is waiting for lift of the state of emergency upon signing the peace agreement- according to President El Bashir’s promise.

Gallucci affirmed that most of the American aid will go to south Sudan after peace. He affirmed his government’s sympathy with south Sudan because the Americans sympathize with the weak!!
He was keen to affirm the challenges to maintain unity of Sudan- the United States and Egypt’s option. The Charge held the north Sudan the major responsibility in maintaining it.

The US Charge admitted that going far in sanctions against the government of Sudan would turn them into sanctions against the Sudanese people. He added if the peace agreement was signed next month, lift of sanctions will be before this year.

He revealed that his discussed with Sudanese businessmen resumption of commercial relations with his country and establishing Sudanese-US business council.

Gallucci seemed pragmatic toward dealing with the current situation data; he called for review of the total positive achievements realized through policy of constructive dealing with the Sudanese government; he committed that both, the government and the SPLM, will choose their allies to participate in the rule structure. He said that he encourages the Umma and DUP to work to speak through one voice. He blamed them for talking about figures and more disconnected.

Moreover, Petterson, USAID Administrative Assistance for Health declared a five-year plan- worth $5 millions US Dollars- to improve the health situation in south Sudan.
The State Department Population Refugees and Immigration Office allocated an additional $433 thousand US Dollar to International Rescue Committee to meet the Sudanese refugees needs in Chad.

Last week, the USAID started the first air relief dropping in Darfur within the context of four airdropping operations program.

WASHINGTON SEEKS TO PULL OUT MILLINGTON FROM NAIVASHA

Close sources to the ongoing negotiations in Kenya declared that Washington decided to withdraw its official of the Sudanese peace negotiations in Nairobi, Jeff Millington due to the wrong reports he has been sending to the US Administration in Washington.

The sources added that the IGAD Secretariat and the two negotiations parties- the SPLM in particular- have been resentful toward Millington’s inaccurate performance.
They added that Washington has depended in many of its resolutions regarding the peace negotiations on these inaccurate reports- including President Bush’s report before the Congress on April 21.

“Al Sahafa” learned that Michael Ranneberger, US officer for the peace issue in the State Department arrived in Naivasha yesterday.
Kalinzo Masioka, Kenyan Foreign Minister and Charles Snyder are currently visiting the negotiations venue to be acquainted with the obstacles impeding the two negotiation parties.

04 Khartoum 0477: Sudan - South Darfur Field Report*

*Note:  Copying of cable was inconsistent so some pages have duplicate paragraphs.

From My Journal for May 9, 2004: Visit to Malakal

Went to Malakal yesterday to look into GOS-militia violence against civilians there. One day, there and back with CPMT. Also checked out where [my son] will be for a week of his internship.

Tonight, went to the EU national day reception. It was 107o at 9:00pm. I had on my guayabera and was sweating profusely. My EU colleagues were all in their suits and long sleeves. The Brit looked like we was standing under an invisible shower. I stayed 107 minutes and gave up. I had done enough business and drank two beers.

04 Khartoum 0468: Visit to Malakal, Upper Nile