Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KHARTOUM1123
2006-05-14 03:59:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Khartoum
Cable title:  

Sudan and Its Nine Neighbors: Part 2 of 4; The

Tags:  PREL SOCI SCUL ECON ETRD ER ET SU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3735
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1123/01 1340359
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 140359Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2753
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 001123 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

STATE FOR AF/SPG
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SOCI SCUL ECON ETRD ER ET SU
SUBJECT: Sudan and Its Nine Neighbors: Part 2 of 4; The
Highland States - Ethiopia and Eritrea


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 001123

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

STATE FOR AF/SPG
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SOCI SCUL ECON ETRD ER ET SU
SUBJECT: Sudan and Its Nine Neighbors: Part 2 of 4; The
Highland States - Ethiopia and Eritrea



1. (SBU) Introduction: Sudan, the largest and arguably
the most complex country ethnically in Africa, has nine
neighbors. This cable, the second of a series of four,
seeks to depict the bilateral relationship between Sudan
and each of its adjacent states in terms of history,
social and cultural ties, migration patterns, economic
bonds and political relations. The series is running as
follows:

-- Sudan and the Anglophones - Uganda and Kenya (Khartoum
00861);
-- Sudan and the Highland States - Ethiopia and Eritrea;
-- Sudan and the Arab States - Egypt and Libya; and
-- Sudan and the Francophones - Chad, CAR, and DROC.

--------------
Summary
--------------


2. (SBU) Sudan's relationship with Ethiopia and Eritrea
is one of changing loyalties and sheltering each other's
opposition groups. There is strong border trade between
Sudan and its two eastern neighbors; however, official
trade levels fall short of expectations. Sudan enjoys a
positive political relationship with Ethiopia, in part
due to the Ethiopia-Sudan Transmission Interconnection
Project, although observers note that Sudan is
squandering its opportunity for even stronger relations
because of its tendency to turn towards its Arab
neighbors. The disputed Fashaga region is an area of
concern between Ethiopia and Sudan; however, there is
currently a demarcation committee working to determine
mutually agreeable borders. The relationship between the
two states centers on both harboring each other's
opposition groups. Despite this, in April 2006 Sudan and
Eritrea agreed to upgrade diplomatic relations to the
ambassadorial level. There is no official trade between
Eritrea and Sudan. Vibrant cross-border trade by the
informal sector takes place nonetheless, despite the
closure of the border. End Summary.

--------------
History
--------------

3. (SBU) Historically, relations between Ethiopia and
Sudan are generally good, with Ethiopia mediating the
1972 Addis Ababa Agreement between the Sudanese

government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement
(SPLM),which produced eleven years of peace. The
relations became strained in 1977 when Khartoum supported
Somalia during the Ogden War against Ethiopia and
supported Eritrean liberation movements against Ethiopia.
In 1981, the tripartite agreement between Libya,
Ethiopia, and Yemen worsened the relationship, because
Sudanese President Jaffer Nimeiri believed that Libya was
trying to overthrow him and Ethiopia had served an
accomplice. The relations further deteriorated in the
mid-1980s, when Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie
believed that Sudan allowed Eritrean rebel groups to
operate within its territory. In retaliation, Ethiopia
began to support the SPLM.

4. (SBU) The relations between the two countries began to
improve in 1991, and then declined again in 1995 because
of the attempted assassination of Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak during the 1995 Organization of African
Unity summit in Addis Ababa. Khartoum was implicated in
aiding the would-be assassins in Ethiopia. During this
time of strained relations, the lines of communication
remained opened and Sudan supported Ethiopia during its
border war with Eritrea in 1998. The relationship began
to steadily improve in 2000 and has remained favorable
since then.

5. (SBU) Sudan once had a strong relationship with
Eritrea, and supported the Eritrean People's Liberation
Front (SPLF) during its 30-year war for independence from
Ethiopia. The EPLF is now the ruling party of Eritrea,
more recently known as the People's Front for Democracy
and Justice (PFDJ). Relations soured between Sudan and
Eritrea in 1993 when Eritrea accused Sudan of projecting
an Islamic agenda by aiding and training the Eritrean
Islamic Jihad Movement to overthrow the Eritrean
government. In return, Eritrea has supported and hosted
Sudanese opposition groups, including the Sudan People's
Liberation Movement (SPLM),the National Democratic
Alliance (NDA),and the Eastern Front, which has many of
its principal officials there at present. In 1994,
Eritrea severed bilateral relations with Sudan due to its
support of Eritrean opposition groups. During the 1998
Eritrean-Ethiopian border war, Khartoum supported
Ethiopia, further cementing the poor relations between

KHARTOUM 00001123 002 OF 003


Sudan and Eritrea. In 2000, diplomatic relations
improved briefly, although it proved to be a short-lived
improvement.

--------------
Cultural and Social Ties, Migratory Patterns
--------------


6. (SBU) There are at least twenty shared tribes between
Ethiopia and Sudan, including the Dinka, Anuak, and Anjuk
tribes of Southern Sudan. There are an estimated 79,000
South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopian refugee camps and
14,800 Ethiopian refugees in Sudanese refugee camps.


7. (SBU) There are an estimated 116,000 Eritrean refugees
in Sudan, mainly in refugee camps in Eastern Sudan. The
refugees have lived in Sudan for over twenty years, and
most have no plans to return to what is now Eritrea.
Culturally, Eritrea and Sudan share Beja and Rashaida
tribes. One indication of these close ties is that the
Governor of Kassala State allegedly was born in Eritrea
and is of Eritrean descent.

--------------
Economic and Trade Ties
--------------


8. (SBU) In 2002, Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Taha
summed up the economic relationship between Ethiopia and
Sudan as "very nominal." The highest period of trade
between the two countries was in 1994, with not more than
4 million USD in total bilateral trade. In May 2006, the
Sudanese Ambassador to Ethiopia stated that, "Ethiopia
and Sudan are making lots of efforts in connecting roads,
electrification, and fiber optics." Sudan and Ethiopia
are exploring the potential to use Port Sudan as an
export base for Northern Ethiopia. Sudan and Ethiopia
are also working together on the Ethiopia-Sudan
Transmission Interconnection Project, a high-voltage
transmission line connecting the two countries, which
would be the first step in realizing an integrated power
system in the Eastern Nile region.


9. (U) The Ethiopian government is currently importing
oil from Sudan by road, which has enabled Ethiopia to
reduce the cost of oil imports. Sudan currently provides
about eighty percent of Ethiopia's oil needs. At
present, coffee has become Sudan's primary commodity
import from Ethiopia, and Sudanese investors import ready-
made shoes and other leather and cement products. There
is vibrant border trade in gum Arabic, sorghum, coffee,
honey, and beans.


10. (U) The trade relationship between Eritrea and Sudan
is based on informal border trade. There is no formal
trade agreement between Eritrea and Sudan; however,
border trade between East Sudan and Eritrea occurs with
food and gum Arabic from Sudan entering Eritrea.

--------------
Political Relations
--------------

11. (SBU) Sudan shares its longest border with Ethiopia
and receives the majority of its water from it.
Currently, the two nations enjoy a positive relationship;
however, critics cite the Sudanese government with
failing to pay attention to strengthening the
relationship. Others add that the overarching problem is
that Sudan consistently looks to Arab, not African,
neighbors in developing its bilateral relationships.
Sudan participates in regional discussions and meetings
on addressing use of the waters of the Nile. In 2002,
Sudan joined Yemen and Ethiopia in the Sana'a Axis to
"fight against extremists in the Horn of Africa." In
April 2004, a joint ministerial committee was created to
further improve relations between the two countries; in
December 2005, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi visited
Khartoum.

12. (SBU) Sudan and Ethiopia dispute the Fashaga region
of Eastern Sudan, as Ethiopia claims the fertile region,
which stands in contrast to its own largely rocky and
mountainous landscape. Over the past three years, a
demarcation committee has worked to determine the proper
ownership of the land; however, Ethiopians continue to
settle in large numbers in the disputed area.


13. (SBU) After the signing of Sudan's North-South
Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in January 2005,
Eritrea approached the SPLM members of the Government of
National Unity (GNU),including First Vice President

KHARTOUM 00001123 003 OF 003


Salva Kiir and Minister of Foreign Affairs Lam Akol, to
improve bilateral relations. In the later part of 2005,
Salva Kiir led a delegation to Asmara; some observers
believe that Asmara's approach to Khartoum was an effort
to solidify Khartoum's neutrality in another border war
between Eritrea and Ethiopia. In January 2006, President
Bashir sent Presidential Advisor Ghazi Salahuddin to
Asmara to invite personally President Isaias Afewerki to
the African Union (AU) Summit held in Khartoum. However,
Asmara sent a low-level delegation, underscoring the
strained relationship. A series of diplomatic exchanges
followed, beginning in March 2006. In April 2006,
Khartoum agreed to upgrade diplomatic relations, exchange
ambassadors with Eritrea, and allow Eritrea to host and
mediate the anticipated GNU-Eastern Front negotiations.

HUME