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Cablegate: Southern Sudanese Parliamentary Delegation Visits Cda With

VZCZCXRO3179
RR RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1913/01 3381432
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041432Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9433
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 001913

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/SPG, NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KSCA OTRA EAID CDC SU
SUBJECT: SOUTHERN SUDANESE PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS CDA WITH
LETTER TO POTUS URGING INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE ON PARTIES TO
IMPLEMENT CPA


1. A multi-party parliamentary delegation from the Southern Sudan
(GOSS) Legislative Assembly called on CDA Fernandez December 3 as
part of their visit to Khartoum. The Delegation is in town
appealing to GNU officials for an end to the current SPLM-NCP
stalemate over implementation of the CPA with the message that the
people of Southern Sudan "are tired of war." The delegation is also
urging international observers to bring pressure to bear on both
parties. They presented CDA with a letter from the Speaker of the
Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly Hon. Lt. Gen. James Wani Igga to
President Bush (full text of letter below).

2. The eight-member delegation, headed by Gabriel Matur Malek,
included representatives from a variety of parties in the Assembly,
including from the NCP. In his remarks to the CDA, NCP
representative Hon. Caesar Baya Loyilala noted that among meetings
in Khartoum, delegation head Malek had appealed to the "people of
Sudan" in a speech before the National Assembly. Malek said the
delegation wanted to thank the people of the U.S. for its support,
and for its leadership in concluding the CPA. Loyilala said the
Legislative Assembly is concerned at the current lack of momentum in
implementation of the CPA, but especially that a miscalculation or
accident could spark a renewal of war. Pointing out the variety of
tribes represented on the delegation, he also said that the leaders
and people of Southern Sudan are working hard to overcome the
limitations of tribalism.

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3. In response, CDA thanked the delegation for their visit and said
the USG is urging CPA implementation and is also working to help in
the South, even though the task is so much larger that what we are
able to provide, particularly after the destruction of the war and
chronic neglect by Khartoum. He assured the delegation that he
would see that the Speaker's letter was passed to the President.

4. The letter, dated November 7, 2007 is entitled "Pushing Forward
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in the Sudan." After
reviewing the main areas of non-implementation, the letter calls for
all international friends and observers to press both SPLM and NCP
to abide by terms of the CPA.

5. COMMENT: We were impressed by the cross-party and cross-tribal
unity displayed by the legislative assembly delegation in addressing
its various interlocutors, both Sudanese and international, in
Khartoum. The delegation's stress on ongoing efforts to overcome
the divisions of tribalism in Southern society was particularly
welcome, as this is a problem the South wrestles with daily. As a
cross-party message, the Speaker's letter stresses the need to press
both parties over the source of the current political impasse.
However, the list of particulars contained in the letter leaves no
doubt that the NCP in particular is being called to account.

6. Below is the text of the letter from the Speaker of the
Legislative Assembly to the POTUS.

BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER:

GOVERNMENT OF SOUTHERN SUDAN
(GOSS)

Southern Sudan Assembly
Date: 7 th Nov 2007


H.E. GEORGE W. BUSH,
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
WASHINGTON D.C. USA.

Dear Your Excellency

RE. PUSHING FORWAD THE COMPREHENSIVE PEACE AGREEMENT (CPA) IN THE
SUDAN


On 11th October 2007 the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement Interim
Political Bureau (SPLMIIPB) met in Juba for eight days to review the
progress on the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
(CPA) and especially the problems affecting the success thereof.
That meeting resulted in the SPLM recalling its Presidential
Advisors, Ministers and State Ministers in the Government of
National Unity (GoNU) in Khartoum back to Southern Sudan. The
decision was based on the lack of political will on the part of the
NCP to implement the CPA. Thus the essential political partnership
between the SPLM and NCP for upholding peace in the Sudan became at
risk.

In the light of this political development, the Southern Sudan
Legislative Assembly (Parliament) resolved unanimously to:

-- Support the decision of the SPLMIIPB in recalling its

KHARTOUM 00001913 002 OF 003


Presidential Advisors, Ministers and State Ministers in the
Government of National Unity.

-- Represent its views and concerns regarding the political impasse
between the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan Peoples
Liberation Movement (SPLM) over the implementation of the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) to the Presidency of the
Republic; Heads of IGAD Member States; Friends of IGAD; the AU and
all other Political Parties in the Sudan.
(SSLA Resolution No: 5/2007 dated 23/10/2007)

The said resolution was unprecedented because all the eight
political parties representing the people of Southern Sudan
including the NCP supported it. The decision was also a significant
political development, which emanated from the stalled
implementation of the CPA, that could plunge the country back to
war.

The reasons which precipitated the decision of the SPLM/IPB can be
summarized as follows:

-- Non-implementation of the Abyei Protocol:
--------------------------------------------

According to the protocol, Abyei was to assume a special
administrative status so that it could administer itself and prepare
its people for a referendum to be held simultaneously with the
referendum in Southern Sudan in 2011. The outcome of that referendum
would determine whether Abyei would become part of Southern Sudan or
retain its special status in Northern Sudan. Hitherto no single part
of this protocol has been implemented. Furthermore the
recommendations of the Abyei Border Commission have been entirely
rejected.

-- The Demarcation of the geographical and Political borders between
Southern Sudan and Northern Sudan:
--------------------------------------------- -------

The demarcation of the borders between Southern Sudan and Northern
Sudan is very crucial in several ways:

-- The borders will clearly demarcate which part of the country is
Southern Sudan and which other part is Northern Sudan.

-- Clarity of the borders will assist in the process of carrying out
the impending population census in Southern Sudan

--Both the mid-term elections during the interim period and the
referendum after the interim period will be determined through the
demarcation of clear borders and the carrying out of the census.
Unfortunately work on the border demarcation and census has been too
slow considering the fact that we are already completing the third
year of the interim period.


-- The Formation of the Joint integrated Units (JIUs):
--------------------------------------------- -

The formation of the Joint Integrated Units (JIUs) comprising the
Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army
(SPLA) during the interim period was to serve as a symbol of
national unity and national sovereignty. The JIUs was to be based
upon a common doctrine. It was almost impossible for the two parties
to agree on a common doctrine. The JIU s could also provide a
nucleus for the post interim period Army should the Referendum
confirm unity.

-- The Redeployment of forces:
------------------------------

It was also agreed that after the formation of the JIUs the rest of
SAF Forces already deployed in Southern Sudan were to be redeployed
North of South/North border of 1/1/1956 while those of SPLA deployed
in Nuba Mountains and Southern Blue Nile be redeployed south of the
same borders. The time frame fixed for troops movements was to be
two and half years. This period is already over and the withdrawals
have not been completed. Therefore the result of all this is an
ongoing unwarranted clashes between SAF and SPLA forces in Northern
Baher EI Ghazal (Rum-Aker, War -Awar and Meiram) and Northern and
Western Upper Nile, leading to many losses of lives.

-- The disbanding of other Armed Groups:
----------------------------------------

No armed group allied to either party shall be allowed to operate
outside the two forces" (s.7 (a) of the Security Arrangements in the
(CPA). Unfortunately SAF deliberately continues to support the Other
Armed Groups (OAG) which are destabilizing the Southern Sudan as

KHARTOUM 00001913 003 OF 003


evidenced by a shoot out between SAF and SPLA Forces from 26th to
28th November 2006 in Malakal.

-- Wealth sharing Agreement:
----------------------------

As an attempt to equitably redistribute the resources of the
country, it was agreed that Southern Sudan should get 50% of the oil
revenue emanating from the Southern Sudan and 42% of the oil
resources found in Abyei Area. To date the Government of Southern
Sudan (GOSS) has never received any single dollar from the oil
revenues from Abyei. Furthermore there has been no transparency over
the amount of oil resources and the cash value of the oil got and
sold from Southern Sudan. Financial remittances to the GOSS have
always been on the decline from $100 million per month to $60
million per month and finally to $40 million per month. How will
GOSS sustain its administration in the face of this sharp financial
decline?

-- The integration of Southern Sudanese Civil Servants into the
Government of National Unity:
--------------------------------------------- --

The building of one nation requires the integration of the workforce
from the Southern and Northern parts of the country into one Civil
service to run the Government of National Unity (GONU). Surprisingly
the 20-30% of administrative posts supposed to be filled by
qualified cadres from Southern Sudan has not been made available.

Considering the above mentioned bottlenecks in the implementation of
the CPA our parliament feels that it is the responsibility of all
stakeholders to ensure that war is averted by appealing to both NCP
and SPLM to abide by the provisions of the CPA. The Assembly is
hereby urging IGAD, IPF, AU, UN, League of Arab States to bring
pressure to bear on the implementers of CPA to adhere on the same
and work hard to keep to the implementation schedule.

We appreciate the recent steps taken to resolve some of the
outstanding issues mentioned in foregoing paragraphs. urge both
sides not to renegotiate the CPA, but to implement all its protocols
according to the their schedules. We are also deeply concerned about
the deplorable conditions affecting the people of Darfur and the
ongoing civil war in that region. We urge all stakeholders to the
peace in the Sudan to quickly find a peaceful means to redress this
conflict.

Please accept assurances of our highest regards,


Hon. Lt.Gen. James Wani Igga
Speaker - Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly
Juba.

Cc: H. E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit
First Vice President of the Republic of Sudan and President of the
Government of Southern Sudan.


END TEXT OF LETTER TO POTUS

FERNANDEZ

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