NCP INTERVIEW SPARKS POLITICAL ROW

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 002433 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL SU SUBJECT: NCP INTERVIEW SPARKS POLITICAL ROW REF: KHARTOUM 2426 Classified By: DCM, R. Powers, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) On September 27, Arabic language daily newspaper Al-Intibaha published an account of a recent interview of National Congress Party (NCP) Vice President for Information and Public Affairs Ibrahim Ahmed Omer by London-based Al-Zaman newspaper. In the account, Ibrahim stated that the NCP would break the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) if the SPLM supported a UN peacekeeping operation conducted without the Government's permission. ¶2. (C) The September 28 edition of Arabic daily newspaper Al-Ayam featured an article titled, "SPLA Warns the NCP Not to Play with Fire." The article contained an SPLA condemnation of the statements made by Ibrahim, referring to them as destructive and a threat to an agreement protected by the Sudanese people. The SPLA noted it intends to demand the NCP clarify its stance and whether this represented the position of the party versus a personal statement of Ibrahim. ¶3. (C) On October 2, SPLM Deputy Secretary General for the North and National Assembly Minority Chair Yassir Arman told Pol/Econ Chief that Ibrahim had used the "language of war" in his remarks, and that the NCP was using the Darfur conflict as an "alibi" to "destroy" the CPA. HUME