SOUTHERN SUDAN: SOLDIER KILLED IN ATTACK ON SPLA

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 002682 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/SPG E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2016 TAGS: PGOV CASC MARR SU SUBJECT: SOUTHERN SUDAN: SOLDIER KILLED IN ATTACK ON SPLA BARRACKS; PRESIDENT BASHIR TO VISIT JUBA NOV. 18 REF: A. KHARTOUM 0266 ¶B. KHARTOUM 02572 Classified By: P/E Chief E. Whitaker, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) A Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) soldier died November 12 in an attack on SPLA barracks at a village just east of Juba, according to the head of SPLA military intelligence. Brig. Gen. Malual Majok told PolOff another soldier and three civilians were injured in the incident. Malual said the SPLA has not identified who carried out the attack. ¶2. (U) Fighting began shortly before midnight on November 12 and lasted for two or three hours, according to various accounts. The SPLA unit that came under attack was attached to the Joint Integrated Unit (JIU) based in Juba, and had been deployed to the village of Gumba (aka Gumbo) in response to insecurity in the area. There were no known casualties among the attackers, and no attacker was captured in the incident. ¶3. (SBU) Gumba is about two kilometers east of Juba, across the River Nile. The village has been the site of at least three incidents of insecurity since mid-October (reftels). After attacks on October 18 and 19, the SPLA arrested 15 persons in Gumba, all members of Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) units attached to the JIUs. The 15 have not been charged, though SPLA sources claim a joint SAF/SPLA investigation will be carried out through the JIUs. The SPLA also arrested another suspected SAF member in connection with attacks north of Juba, according to SPLA Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations) Maj. Gen. Bior Ajang. ¶4. (C) Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) Minister of Interior Paul Mayom told ConGen November 14 that a brigade of SPLA forces from the JIUs "and elsewhere" had been deployed east of the Nile to protect major transportation routes. Some of these units, he said, were positioned "behind Gumba." Meanwhile, General Malual said the SPLA had received an official complaint from the SAF for deploying unauthorized units at locations east of Juba. Under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA),the SPLA is only permitted to operate in certain areas through the JIUs. SPLA Maj. Gen. Thomas Cirillo, deputy commander of the JIUs, recently told ConGen Juba officers that the JIUs have no capacity to respond to current insecurity. ¶5. (SBU) Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is planning to visit Juba on November 18 to discuss the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and recent insecurity, according to Mayom. If it occurs, this would be his second visit since the signing of the CPA. GoSS President Salva Kiir is scheduled to return to Juba November 15 and will be on hand to welcome Bashir. HUME