ADMINISTRATOR MAYOK DESCRIBES PROGRESS, PROBLEMS IN ABYEI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001767 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON, AF/SPG, PRM, INL NSC FOR HUDSON AND PITTMAN DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF EAID ECON ASEC KPKO UNSC SU SUBJECT: ADMINISTRATOR MAYOK DESCRIBES PROGRESS, PROBLEMS IN ABYEI REF: A. KHARTOUM 1758 ¶B. KHARTOUM 1714 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: During a December 6 meeting with CDA Fernandez, Abyei Administrator Arop Mayok described the situation there as "ok, generally." IDPs are returning only slowly, but his Administration is working to reduce Dinka-Misseriya tensions and planning is well underway for this year's migration of Misseriya herdsmen with their cattle to the south. He said that the Joint Integrated Police Unit (JIPU) is being replaced by a locally-recruited force, directly responsible to his Administration. However, he added the Administration has yet to receive any of the oil revenues promised under the Roadmap agreement, that an SAF unit remains in the Difra oil field, oil police are unregulated, and the SPLA is threatening to remain in Agok if the SAF does not withdraw. END SUMMARY Some IDPs Returning, But Very Cautiously - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (SBU) On December 6, CDA Fernandez met in Khartoum with Administrator Arop Mayok for an update on the progress of the Abyei Administration. The Charge remarked that he had met a few days earlier with Misseriya leader Sidig Babu Nimr (ref. A),who had nothing but praise for Mayok's work so far. Mayok described the situation in Abyei as "ok, generally." He estimated that only about 10,000 of the 50-60,000 people displaced by the May fighting have returned permanently, due to continued uncertainty about the security situation. He said that many IDPs commute daily from Agok, traveling to Abyei in the morning and returning before dark. Local residents do not want to rebuild yet because their claims for losses and compensation still have to be adjudicated. Working to Resolve Lingering Bitterness - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (SBU) Mayok said that the biggest problem is the bitter ethnic feelings that remain from May, especially on one side. The Dinka continue to be very angry over the looting carried out by Misseriya. According to Mayok, the SAF stripped the town of everything they wanted after the Dinka had fled, then they invited the Misseriya to take whatever was left, which they did with alacrity, carrying the loot to Muglad where a market for stolen �A;goods called the "Abyei Market" was set up. ¶4. (SBU) Mayok said that, if left unresolved, such bitterness could eventually erupt again into war. To try to reduce tensions, his Administration is organizing a series of meetings. First, a conference of traditional Ngok Dinka leaders was held in Agok the previous week to agree on a united Dinka position. Second, on December 5, Dinka and Misseriya leaders met to discuss arrangements for this year's annual Misseriya cattle migration. Finally, he plans to call a meeting of all of the states neighboring Abyei. Misseriya-Migration Security - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (SBU) At the December 5 meeting between Dinka and Misseriya leaders, Mayok said the first hour had been devoted to allowing the former to vent their anger at Misseriya actions in May. The Misseriya took the criticism and did not respond in kind. Then participants from both sides got down to the work of planning this year's Misseriya cattle migration. He said that the Misseriya had agreed to leave all their weapons (including automatic rifles) behind. The question now is how to provide security for the Misseriya herdsman and his animals? According to Mayok, the SAF and SPLA soldiers in the Abyei JIU are not, in fact, really integrated (although co-located,) and the Joint Integrated Unit (JIU) is liable to collapse in the face of a renewed Dinka-Misseriya clash, as happened in May. He added that the Abyei JIU should exclude local Dinka and Misseriya soldiers, and should instead be manned from elsewhere in Sudan. Therefore, the mission of providing security during the migration will be assigned to the Abyei police, reporting to Mayok. Their numbers need to be augmented and they need more equipment and vehicles. Still No Oil Revenues From Khartoum - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (SBU) Mayok confirmed that his Administration has drafted two budgets, an emergency 2008 budget and a 2009 budget, but that it still has not received from Khartoum any of the oil revenues to which it is entitled under the Roadmap agreement. The Charge commented that neither are the Misseriya receiving their share, according to Babu Nimr. Mayok's Administration is meeting its day-to-day expenses by borrowing money from the local traders in the Abyei-town market place, promising to repay when revenues finally begin to flow. ¶7. (SBU) CDA Fernandez remarked that the Embassy had been told by the government at different times that either the money was being KHARTOUM 00001767 002 OF 002 disbursed, or could not be disbursed because of the Abyei Administration's lack of capacity. He commented that this is a typical NCP strategy, the same as it is pursuing in regions not controlled by that party, to give the Administration the responsibility for governing Abyei, but deny it any resources. Mayok agreed that the NCP was forced to sign the Roadmap agreement, but now it is delaying full implementation. He said the Government of National Unity's Office of the President has told him it will respond to his requests within ten days. The GoS Ministry of Finance says it is unable to disburse money requested by the Administration absent direction from the Presidency in the form of a letter, which the latter promised to provide by December 7. The CDA asked Mayok to inform him whether or not the Presidency provided its approval on time. The CDA said he would follow-up with the GoS if it did not. (Note: On December 8, Mayok told USAIDoff that he would receive an update from the Presidency on December 17. It is not clear whether the original date was a miscommunication or if this is a further delay. Post will continue to follow-up. End note.) Local Police Replace JIPU - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶8. (SBU) Mayok reported that the Joint Integrated Police Unit (JIPU),recruited from both north and south Sudan under the Roadmap agreement, had been only an interim measure and now is being replaced by a local police unit, responsible to the Abyei Administration. It is this new Abyei police that is to provide security for the cattle migration. He said that the Administration is free to recruit its own personnel, but that the new force badly needs equipment and assistance in training. The CDA said that the USG is interested in assisting police in Abyei, but because it is prohibited from providing assistance to the North, the inclusion of northern police in the JIPU has presented a problem. Replacing the JIPU with a locally-recruited force could help to resolve this issue, and he promised to convey this new information to Washington. Mutual SAF-SPLA Withdrawal Remains Incomplete - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶9. (SBU) Mayok told the CDA that the SAF still has not withdrawn from the oilfield at Difra. There is still a platoon at Difra and there is the problem of the unregulated "oil police" guarding the Difra fields and thus outside the Roadmap commitment to withdraw all SAF and SPLA from the Abyei area. He said that his Administration is considering establishing a joint force under its control to provide oil-field security and remove this excuse. ¶10. (SBU) On the SPLA side, Mayok said the SPLA military police unit had left Agok, but that an SPLA logistical platoon remains to support the IDP population. The SPLA has pledged to leave Agok completely, he said, but states it will return if the SAF remains in Difra. The SPLA also threatens to block UNMIS monitors from Agok, if the SAF prohibits UNMIS from patrolling north of Difra. Comment - - - - ¶11. (SBU) Mayok confirmed what we had heard earlier from Abyei's UN Head of Office (ref. B) and Misseriya Deputy Nazir Babu Nimr, although his assessment of Dinka-Misseriya relations is somewhat less rosy than Nimr's. Under the Roadmap, the Administration is entitled to tens of millions in revenues from local oil fields, which are badly needed to fund long-delayed, critical development projects. Such economic development would go far to ease continuing resentment between Dinka and Misseriya. The NCP's continuing unwillingness to provide oil revenues to Mayok's Administration keeps low grade tensions simmering and contributes to Abyei's potential as a flashpoint for violence once again. If the Abyei police is now entirely under the local administrator and no longer "joint," there should be no legal restrictions to American assistance for this unit. FERNANDEZ