CG Juba Roundup - March 6

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000588 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR MOPS SOCI SU SUBJECT: CG Juba Roundup - March 6 REF: Khartoum 00513 ¶1. (U) Disease Spreads: While the cholera epidemic seems to have peaked in Juba on February 19th, and run its course in Yei, it continues to spread to other parts of the south up the Nile river. Cases have been reported in Pibor, Bor, Torit, Numile, Terekeka, and Lafon. The Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) continues to call it watery diarrhea, despite the fact that it has been confirmed as a single strain of cholera. Over 100 cases of hepatitis A have also been identified in Malakal, along with one case of yellow fever. Organizations from USAID to Medecins Sans Frontiers have deployed throughout the region to help address these growing health risks. ¶2. (U) Sanitation Day: To respond to the spread of disease in Juba, all government offices and most markets and private businesses were closed on Friday, March 3, for a mandatory day of cleaning. The smoke from the burning garbage was so thick by late morning that visibility was limited throughout the city. While Juba was noticeably cleaner at the end of the day, children could still be seen playing by the garbage piles in the old cemetery and relieving themselves by the side of the road. ¶3. (SBU) GoSS Lending a Hand: Dr. Justin Yac Arop, Minister for Cabinet Affairs, gave USD 1 million to Kenyan President Kibaki to help alleviate starvation. The gift was a gesture of friendship and a thank you for the support given to the south throughout their civil war, which included leading the peace negotiations and allowing the SPLM to use Nairobi as a de facto headquarters for their international efforts. Several Southern Sudanese have privately told CG Juba officials that many southerners do not understand how the GoSS can give such a large gift when it cannot even pay its own workers, build its cities, or feed its citizens. For its part, the GoSS no longer claims it has no money, only that logistical and other technical barriers are currently slowing it down. ¶4. (SBU) Trying to Please Everyone: CG Juba officials have also heard complaints about the new SPLM leadership list put out by Salva Kiir (reftel). Kiir greatly expanded the list of leadership positions in an effort to please all factions. However, this effort to please everyone may end up pleasing no one, as no group came out a clear winner and can point to disappointments in the rankings. ¶5. (U) High Profile Religious Visits: Southern Sudan has recently hosted two high-ranking church visits, one by the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams and the other by Catholic Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe from Rome. Both religious leaders met with GoSS President Salva Kiir, toured several southern cities, and spoke on the need to support the peace, contribute to humanitarian relief, and encourage the development and growth of Christianity in the South. WHITEHEAD