MFA UPDATE ON DELAYED NEC CONTAINERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 000134

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT OBO - GENERAL WILLIAMS FROM CHARGE POWERS
DEPT ALSO FOR AF/EX, AF/SPG, AND AF/RSA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2017
TAGS: PREL OFDP ABLD AMGT ASEC US SU
SUBJECT: MFA UPDATE ON DELAYED NEC CONTAINERS

REF: A. STATE 08210

B. KHARTOUM 00072

C. 06 KHARTOUM 02924

D. 06 KHARTOUM 02794

Classified By: P/E Chief E. Whitaker, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) During a January 29 meeting with MFA Director of
Americas Badawi al-Sanosi and Deputy Director Abdel Rahman
Sharfi, Charge Powers again raised the issue of the Embassy's
detained containers at the Port of Sudan (Refs B, C, and D).
Noting that next week would represent a delay in their
clearance by four months, Charge Powers pointed out that
Washington had recently sent post formal notification that a
limited period of time remained before Washington would be
forced to terminate the project if shipments of building
materials could not proceed. He also reminded al-Sanosi and
Sharfi that the detainment involved non-compliance with the
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and went against
the Ministry's previously expressed support for the project,
which was seen by both parties as a commitment to a long-term
bilateral partnership.


2. (C) Al-Sanosi said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not
given up on the project, despite a "negative reply" received
from the Ministry of Finance. He added that both MFA State
Ministers Ali Karti and Al-Wasila al-Samani had also
attempted to resolve the situation.


3. (C) Al-Sanosi noted that the "political context" of the
U.S.-Sudan relationship did not help the situation, and that
"complications in relations" constrained the MFA's ability to
resolve the matter in coordinating with others in the
government. He also mentioned the recent opening of the
Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) liaison office in
Washington as an irritant, despite our previous clarification
(Ref B) that the USG did not regard it as a diplomatic
mission and that no privileges or immunities were accorded to
the staff of the office.
POWERS