SOUTH AFRICAN ASSISTANCE TO SUDAN

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000248

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR D, AF/SPG AND INL/CIV

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID MOPS PGOV PHUM PREL AU SU SA
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICAN ASSISTANCE TO SUDAN



1. (U) In a meeting January 30, Counselor of South African
Embassy Ebrahim Edries provided Pol/Econ officer with an
overview of South African assistance programs in Sudan. The
main focus of the programs is on capacity building,
especially on Southern Sudan. Edries said within the next
few weeks, 120 Sudanese will be sent to South Africa for a
three-month training course with the expectation that they
will return to take up government positions. Edries said
that a group of 30 Sudanese had already received training at
the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare them
to work as diplomats. He said the total value of the program
is about USD 3 million.


2. (U) Edries said that South Africa, through its AMIS
contingent, is also providing assistance in Darfur to
strengthen the police force. South Africans are assigned as
CIVPOL officers under the AU mission. Police stations have
been set up in the IDP camps in Darfur, and South African
police, in a program Edries described as a bilateral effort,
are training Sudanese in police procedures. Edries said that
the South African commander in Darfur will complete his tour
soon and the intention is to rotate him to Southern Sudan to
initiate a similar effort to bolster police capacity there.


3. (U) Edries expressed some disappointment with the pace of
implementation of the CPA. He commented that in recent
meetings, South African officials have urged the SPLM
leadership to be more proactive in taking up positions within
the Government of National Unity. Edris noted that while the
CPA gives the SPLM 28 percent of key positions, many remain
unfilled. He said that he has encountered some of the first
30 trainees, now returned from training in South Africa,
unemployed in Khartoum.


4. (U) Edries will return to South Africa in about two months
to take up an assignment as Deputy Chief of Staff to Minister
Zuma.
HUME