GOSS MINISTER SAYS SSDF CLASHES VIOLATE CPA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000990 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2016 TAGS: PGOV MOPS SOCI KPKO SU SUBJECT: GOSS MINISTER SAYS SSDF CLASHES VIOLATE CPA Classified By: P/E Chief E. Whitaker, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports John Luk Jok told the Acting Consul General (A/CG) that he believes the recent South Sudan Defense Force (SSDF) clashes in the Upper Nile state are a violation of the CPA. While the situation in the Upper Nile is now calm, the past two weeks have seen a series of battles outside of Nasser and north of Malakal between SSDF forces that have joined the SPLA and SSDF forces that have declared for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The minister thinks that any troops getting both financial and materiel support from Khartoum should be integrated into the SAF, barracked, and transferred north under the CPA security agreement. He said that this issue will be a major agenda item at the upcoming SPLM/NCP conference to be held in Khartoum in the beginning of May. End Summary. -------------- Matip Handling SSDF -------------- ¶2. (C) Minister Jok and GoSS Secretary General Abdom Igua (equivalent of Under Secretary for Cabinet Affairs),have both indicated that former SSDF leader and now Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the SPLA Paulino Matip will be responsible for resolving the problem of instability caused by SAF-supported SSDF forces. ¶3. (C) Matip has apparently responded by both opening a dialogue with his former troops and by positioning SPLA-backed SSDF troops in or near areas controlled by the SAF-backed SSDF. Matip has also reportedly told Kong to leave the south with the regular SAF troops or be treated as bandits. This threat apparently sparked the attack on SPLA-backed SSDF troops outside of Nasser, Kong,s hometown. ¶4. (C) According to Jok, Matip had convinced Gordon Kong to join the SPLA in early January, but then the SAF bought Kong a car and a large house in Khartoum to seal his loyalty. Both Jok and Member of Parliament (MP) Gatkouh Kuich, a Sudanese-American Nuer representing Waat, have indicated that for his part, Matip was well-paid by the GoSS to offset his losses for leaving the north. Kuich said that Oyai Deng, SPLA Chief of Staff, told him the Juba Declaration was &pricey,8 while in a different meeting, Jok commented that &Matip cannot support 70 wives on a regular SPLA salary.8 -------------- Mutinies over Juba Declaration Continue -------------- ¶5. (C) The other SSDF fighting, in an area about 150 km north of Malakal, was between an SSDF commander who joined the SPLA and some of his officers who wanted to remain with the SAF. These mutinies over the decision to join the SPLA are now common because switching sides means significant financial losses. ¶6. (C) Low-intensity fighting reportedly continued in both incidents for several days, but figures on the number of casualties are unavailable. Minister Jok said that at least one high-ranking officer in the SPLA was killed, but did not say who it was. ¶7. (C) The SPLA-proper has largely stayed out of these battles to avoid any sort of escalation. Also, according to MP Kuich, the SSDF troops in the Upper Nile were well equipped and well trained by the SAF, and the SPLA troops stationed there would be no match. -------------- Two Significant Hold-Outs Remain -------------- ¶8. (C) Many high-ranking officials in the SPLA and GoSS feel that the two biggest hold-outs, Gordon Kong and self-declared Commissioner of Fangak Gabriel Tang, are a significant threat to peace. In March, several sources in the GoSS and SPLA confirmed that Gabriel Tang was close to accepting a deal. Jok, who was involved in the negotiations led by GoSS Vice President Riek Machar, said that Tang was offered the commissionership, but Tang refused to stop support from the SAF. Machar told him that he could not have it both ways. ¶9. (C) Jok told A/CG that because Kong and Tang are backed by the SAF, they should be treated as SAF troops. This means relocating these troops to SAF barracks before redeploying them north in accordance with the CPA. The minister also believes that these SSDF troops should be included in the SAF troop counts, which would put the SAF well behind its redeployment targets. Jok said that the SPLM plans on raising this issue, which they consider a CPA violation, at KHARTOUM 00000990 002 OF 002 the joint SPLM/NCP conference to be held in Khartoum on May 1-2. -------------- SAF-Backed SSDF Numbers Swell -------------- ¶10. (C) Both Jok and Kuich, as well as the Executive Director of Twic East County in Jonglei, have complained individually to USG officials that many of the cattle herders and raiders in the state are joining the SAF-backed SSDF in response to SPLA attempts at disarmament. According to these sources, the cattlemen do not want to disarm, and do not trust the SPLA, so they have been traveling to Malakal, declaring for the SAF, and picking up extra weapons and ammunition shipped down from Khartoum to fortify themselves against the SPLA. Several groups that were previously disarmed have also reportedly rearmed themselves in this manner. STEINFELD