COMMUNIST PARTY SUSPENDS TALKS WITH NCP

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000202 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/SPG, AF A/S FRAZER, AF S/E WILLIAMSON ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO KDEM SU SUBJECT: COMMUNIST PARTY SUSPENDS TALKS WITH NCP ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) announced January 14 the suspension of its coalition-building talks with the National Congress Party (NCP) following the murder of a student at Al-Gazeera University. The SCP claims that radical Islamist students associated with the ruling NCP were involved in the murder. The communist party said it would not resume talks with NCP until the perpetrators are brought to justice. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) In a meeting with POLOFF on January 22, Elshafei Khidir, an SCP political officer, claimed that SCP eyewitnesses at Al-Gazeera University saw students associated with NCP attack students associated with the Democratic Front(DF). Elshafei claimed several cars blocked an exit while students who are NCP members attacked the DF students with knives, killing one of them. (Note: The DF is a political front led by the SCP and composed of leftists who are sympathetic to the SCP, but not formally organized within the party. They often serve as a tool of the SCP in the syndicates, trade unions and students unions, where SCP once had a very strong hold. End note.) ¶3. (SBU) The communist Party is taking the alleged incident seriously enough to call off talks with the NCP. (Note: The talks had been initiated by NCP during the crisis between the two partners of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA),when both the NCP and the SPLM began a series of consultations with other parties in a bid to gain leverage. End note.) Khidir said his party's meetings had been positive; they agreed on the need for reconciliation as well as a road map to lead the country to peace and stability. His party's agenda during the consultation with the NCP included: the implementation of all signed agreements; reaching a democratic peaceful solution to Darfur problem; finalizing the elections laws; realizing the democratic transformation; and ending the hardships of the Sudanese people. ¶4. (SBU) The NCP agreed to this agenda and the now-familiar six-member committee format - three from each side - was used to schedule future meetings and organize efforts to implement the agenda. The committee's first meeting was to occur Monday January ¶14. However, following the murder of the student on Sunday, January 13, the SCP suspended its participation. ¶5. (SBU) Background: The Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) was founded in 1946. It was a significant force in Sudanese politics and one of the most influential communist parties in the Arab World until 1971, when an abortive coup-d'etat by pro-communist officers prompted military ruler Jaafar Nimeiry to launch a crackdown against the party. The SCP is led now by the elderly Mohammad Ibrahim Nugud and plays only a marginal role. It advocates a return to democratic rule and opposes the possible secession of the Southern Sudan. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: It is not clear precisely what happened at the university, and reportedly the murder is still under investigation. Although it seems possible this may have been a feud between students, the communist party is convinced the attack was politically motivated. The NCP is continuing its consultations with most northern parties in the lead-up to elections, and will likely reach out again to the Communist Party at some point to resolve this issue. Political activity on university campuses is especially sensitive, given that two previous regimes were toppled by movements begun on university campuses. Post will seek additional meetings at the university to follow up on this particular event but also other trends, which may foreshadow broader national political trends. POWERS