SPLM MEDIC LAYS OUT NORTHERN STATE CONCERNS IN A

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 001677 SIPDIS DEPT FOR A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON, AF/SPG, DRL - RSPRING NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2018 TAGS: ASEC KDEM PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI SU SUBJECT: SPLM MEDIC LAYS OUT NORTHERN STATE CONCERNS IN A FREER ENVIRONMENT REF: KHARTOUM 1618 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Alberto M. Fernandez, reasons 1.4(b) a nd (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Northern State SPLM member and medic, Dr. Ahmed Ali, visited Embassy officials (Emboffs) in Khartoum on 6 November and described harassment he faced by NISS (National Intelligence and Security Service) officials after meeting with Emboffs during their October 20-22 visit to the Northern State. He explained the tactics used by the National Congress Party (NCP) to weaken the SPLM and other opposition forces in the Northern State and to prohibit them from speaking publicly about the state's problems. Furthermore, he spoke freely about the desperate situation of those in the Northern and River Nile States that have been affected by the flooding of Merowe Dam and requested USG assistance for medical and educational supplies to support these communities, particularly residents in Shiri and Old Amri. End Summary. - - - - - - - - NISS HARASSMENT - - - - - - - - ¶2. (C) Following significant harassment and threats to his life by Northern State National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) officials after meeting with Embassy officials in Dongola on October 20-21, SPLM Medic Ahmed Ali phoned poloff on 5 November to say that he was alive and well (ref A). Dr. Ali traveled to Khartoum on 5-6 November for personal business and met with Emboffs on 6 November. According to Ali, after he met with Emboff officials in Dongola on 20 October, the Northern State government commanded that he go on an "official mission" to Abu Regig Locality on 21 October to "observe the planting of wheat." "The trip was of no value to me as a medic," said Ali. When Ali arrived in Abu Regig, state agriculturists tried to feed him, but Ali turned down the offer of food for fear of intentional poisoning. After two days in Abu Regig, Ali was permitted to return to his home clinic in Merowe. Since Emboffs' visit to Dongola and their first meeting with Dr. Ali, he claims that NISS has closely monitored his phone conversations and harassed him by calling and threatening his life, as well as the lives of his family. Dr. Ali has switched his SIM card and phone number four times in an attempt to avoid the harassment since late October. ¶3. (C) Dr. Ali explained that the NCP has succeeded in significantly weakening opposition political forces in the Northern State. Opposition parties manage to cooperate on some issues, said Ali, but are not able to affect change in Northern state politics due to the NCP's strong political and security hold on the state and its citizens. Ali claimed that although the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)-Mirghani was traditionally the strongest party in the Northern State, it has been weakened over the last 19 years. The same goes for Sadiq Al-Mahdi's National Umma Party. The Communist Party works underground in the Northern State, said Ali. The NCP uses its classic divide-and-conquer strategy among various political forces in order to weaken them in the Northern State, according to Ali. The state government sends NISS officials to political party meetings to spy on them, then the NISS agents accuse one opposition party of disparaging another party, cleverly pitting one party against another both privately and publicly. Dr. Ali said that the SPLM has held meetings with other parties to discuss the CPA. Afterwards, NCP state government officials have questioned the SPLM on why it would talk about the CPA with other parties when there are only two political party signatories to the agreement: the SPLM and the NCP. Dr. Ali explained to Emboffs that`the Donggla Student Union, whach theNoRtepn W4ite(GoveznMeot"5sgd tg&hcsd&}cbs'akjvi v/oku~98metYl