745W.00/10–3052: Telegram

No. 1021
The Ambassador in Egypt (Caffery) to the Department of State1

restricted

1078. Following is summary of agreement signed yesterday between GOE and Mahdi’s reps and furnished us by Maj. Salah Salem. (Embassy understands detailed Arabic text released last night exclusively to Arab News Agency):

  • “1. Egyptian Govt firmly believes in right of Sudanese to self-determination and effective exercise thereof in the proper time and with necessary safeguards.
  • “2. To attain the above aim there should arise forthwith a transitional period envisaging two objectives:
    (a)
    To secure full self-govt for Sudanese.
    (b)
    To provide requisite free and neutral atmosphere to exercise self-determination.
  • “3. Transitional period, being a preparation for effective termination of dual admins, shall be considered as a liquidation of that administration. Egyptian Govt declares that sovereignty of Sudan shall be reserved for Sudanese, during transition period, until self-determination is achieved.

    System of govt during transitional.

  • “4. Supreme constitutional auth in Sudan shall be vested in body composed of:
    (a)
    Present GovGen (or chief commissioner proposed by British Govt and appointed by Egyptian Govt).
    (b)
    A commission consisting of five members, two Sudanese designated by Parliament, one Egyptian, one British, and one Pakistani or Indian, each respectively proposed by his own govt and appointed by Egyptian Govt.
  • “5. GovGen shall exercise his powers in manner set out in statute save as regards the discretional powers delineated in appended amendments which shall be either exercised by him with aid of Comm or delegated to Sudan Cabinet as case may be.
  • “6. GovGen shall remain responsible to two liquidating govts as regards:
    (a)
    All except purely internal affairs.
    (b)
    Any change requested by parliament as regards any part of this statute.
    (c)
    Any resolution passed by five member Commission which he might regard as inconsistent with his responsibility. Two govts must give their answer within one month of time of notice. Comm’s resolution shall stand unless two govts agree in objecting to it.
  • “7. There shall be constituted an international comite of seven members: three Sudanese, one Egyptian, one British, one American, designated by respective govts and an Indian or Pakistani designated by his own govt, who shall be chairman of comite. Duties of which Comm shall be to appoint sub-comites for each electoral constituency and to decide its own rules of procedure and methods of work in order that it effectively observe the reparations for elections and conduct of elections and insure integrity of results.
  • “8. Direct election constituencies shall be increased according to appended amendments.
  • “9. As final aim is to provide free and neutral atmosphere requisite for self-determination, a Sudanization comite shall be established (as proposed in appended amendments), the function of which shall be to complete within three years a Sudanization of all such posts as are deemed imperative to insure integrity of self-determination.
  • “10. Duration of transition period shall not exceed three years.”

In giving foregoing to Embassy off Col. Zulficar Sabri and Maj. Salah Salem said that pro-unity Ashigga parties have agreed participate in elections. Egyptian negotiators confident unity politicians will shortly give formal assent to points outlined above. Salem also said Socialist rep leader Ibrahim Badri has agreed make public statement accepting Egypt-Sudanese agreement.

GOE and Mahdi agree elections should begin before end 1952 but want wide extension direct suffrage and envisage staging elections over three or four months to permit proper supervision by international electoral comite.

Re para 4(b) Egypts, with Mahdi’s verbal agreement, will propose interim appointment by two govts of Sudan members to permit immediate establishment this commission. Sudan Parliament once convened would have power confirm or change Sudan membership.

Egyptian officers stressed desire reach amicable settlement with British along foregoing lines. Naguib will probably see Stevenson Nov. 1.2

Caffery
  1. Repeated to London as telegram 357 and sent unnumbered to Paris, Ankara, the Arab capitals, Tehran, Tripoli, Tel Aviv, and Khartoum.
  2. Ambassador Caffery reported in telegram 1086, Oct. 31, not printed, as follows:

    “The Mahdi saw Stevenson yesterday afternoon and expressed his profound satis at agrmt reached with Egypt Govt over Sudan. He said significantly Egypt had agreed that Sudanese shld be sovereign in their own country and had concurred with his view that direct elections be held in North Sudan. He felt elections cld be spread over period of three to four months and that self government cld be reality early next year. He said unity parties wld do what Egypt told them and that his own and social republican parties were in complete accord with principles set forth as outlined Embtel 1078 Oct 30, rptd London 357. Mahdi concluded by expressing hope that Brit Govt wld agree with these principles.” (641.74/10–3152)