Impact of Sudanese Travel Restriction on USG

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 002382

SIPDIS


STATE PASS TO USAID

STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/EX, AF/SPG

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS OTRA EAID ADPM US SU
SUBJECT: Impact of Sudanese Travel Restriction on USG
Operations in Sudan


1. SUMMARY: The September 24 decision of President Bashir to
restrict all travel by official visitors to 25 kilometers from
Khartoum will have a severe impact on USG operations. The impact
will be immediate. Should this restriction be continued, Embassy
Khartoum will have to adjust staffing patterns and consider
curtailing some programs and operations. END SUMMARY.


2. The U.S. mission in Khartoum operates with 43 U.S. resident
staff and approximately 40 TDY personnel at any given time. The
travel restriction does not apply to resident staff, but it does
apply to all TDY personnel, including those who fill permanent
positions on a rotational basis. While this restriction will have
only a marginal impact on operations in Khartoum, it will hamper
operations in Juba and cripple operations in Darfur.


3. USAID will be the agency that will feel the greatest negative
impact. USAID currently has only three resident staff in country,
but often as many as 20 TDY personnel. There are now five TDY staff
assigned to USAID operations in Darfur, nine assigned to support
USAID in Khartoum, and ten in Juba. If these restrictions continue,
no departing TDY personnel in either Darfur or Juba could be
replaced by TDY personnel. At risk is USAID's ability to monitor
humanitarian and development programs currently funded at
approximately $800 million.


4. The restrictions would prevent further support by DOD personnel
for the peacekeeping operation in Darfur. Currently three officers
are in Darfur in TDY status, and their scheduled replacements have
neither visas nor travel permits for Darfur.


5. During the last three months, S/CRS has staffed mission
operations in El Fasher with three TDY personnel, who have regularly
traveled between Khartoum and El Fasher. These restrictions will
prohibit any travel to Darfur by the two officers assigned to
replace them.


6. Most State Department operations outside of Khartoum are
conducted by resident staff, but some functions are performed by TDY
personnel. For example, the Refugee Affairs Coordinator from
Embassy Addis Ababa travels to several locations in Sudan. Also,
post receives regional assistance from Cairo and Nairobi for medical
services and facilities management.


7. Embassy Khartoum is preparing a response plan that will result
in an increase in resident staff in Khartoum and in some shifting of
responsibilities. First, several of the functions now performed by
USAID TDY personnel will be shifted to newly created NSDD-38
positions, but implementing this change will require personnel to be
assigned to Khartoum. Second, to a limited extent we can shift work
by changing assignments internally; for example, using S/CRS TDY
staff in Khartoum and deploying a political officer assigned to
Khartoum to work in Darfur. In the event these restrictions
continue for a lengthy period, we will have to review our ability to
manage programs within these restrictions and perhaps recommend
curtailing some programs and operations.


8. On September 27 MFA Under Secretary Mutriff Siddig told Charge
Hume that although he appreciated the Embassy's related diplomatic
note, he could not take immediate action to drop this restriction.


9. Furthermore, in granting country clearance requests Embassy
Khartoum will explicitly inform all official travelers of this new
restriction, which may in some cases nullify the purpose for the
official travel.
HUME