KHARTOUM NEC - STATUS OF CONTAINERS

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 002794

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

FOR OBO - GEN WILLIAMS FROM CHARGE HUME

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ABLD AMGT ASEC PREL US SU
SUBJECT: KHARTOUM NEC - STATUS OF CONTAINERS

REF: State 193481


1. (SBU) On December 4, CDA Hume met with the Deputy Director for
the Americas at the MFA to raise the need for action by the Sudanese
government to release construction materials for the New Embassy
Compound (NEC) from customs at Port Sudan. OBO Project Executive
Albertson and Management Counselor Whitaker accompanied. Embassy
Khartoum had previously raised this issue through established MFA
channels, but the Ministry of Finance recently had returned the
documentation to employees of the contractor's customs facilitator
since the signature was no longer valid. The previous director of
customs and shipping had been re-assigned, invalidating his
signature on the form. Hume emphasized the importance of this
project and the need for importation of materials for it to proceed
smoothly. He further stated that if this continued to be a problem,
the project might be cancelled.


2. (SBU) In response, Deputy Director of the Americas desk said he
would provide assistance to resolve the issue. Upon receipt of
another set of the required documentation, he would personally get
the needed signatures from MFA officials, and was of the view that
in that case, action by the Ministry of Finance would be routine.
However, he noted that there were some special procedures for the
importation of steel re-bar, cement, and ceramic tiles, which did
not appear to be involved in this case. The approval by the MFA
will release the containers to the contractor as diplomatic cargo.
In the event his own efforts did not resolve the matter, he said he
would bring it to the attention of Under Secretary Mutriff Saddiq,
who would return to the office in two days.


3. (SBU) Although this may pave the way for the release of the 10
containers now at stake; Embassy Khartoum will stay involved with
this matter.


4. (SBU) Comment: Although the odds are in our favor to resolve
this matter and eventually to achieve timely clearance of other
shipments, bilateral relations are under stress, and lower-level
officials often make simple transactions difficult. In this case,
the exclusion from the United States of a senior level official who
normally deals with bilateral matters (State Minister Ali Karti) has
complicated our ability to navigate the shoals of the MFA
bureaucracy. End comment.
HUME