Cablegate: Spla Cash-Strapped, Pound Foolish

VZCZCXRO5487
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0926/02 1750744
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 230744Z JUN 08 ZDK CTG RUEHZC 2919 2200727
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1121
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000926

DEPT FOR AF/SPG, A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON, NSC FOR BPITTMAN AND
CHUDSON
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: SPLA CASH-STRAPPED, POUND FOOLISH

***********************
* Missing Section 001 *
***********************

KHARTOUM 00000926 002 OF 002

exposed following his death. While recent events in Abyei have
served to solidify unity within the ranks of the SPLA and may make
soldiers more tolerant of late pay, the SPLA has burned through
nearly $400 million in just six months, an alarming rate by any
measure. Much of this is for pay, but it is also possible that the
SPLA is arming itself as much as possible while oil revenues
continue to flow from the North, in preparation for the day when
conflict may resume and oil transfers may stop. That may not be a
bad idea at all on the face of it, but there is an efficient way to
do this and an ill-disciplined, sloppy way and the SPLA seems to
have followed the latter.

FERNANDEZ

© Scoop Media