SPECIAL ENVOY WILLIAMSON'S MEETING WITH SPLA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000317 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SE WILLIAMSON AND AF/SPG NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS KDEM EAID MARR SU SUBJECT: SPECIAL ENVOY WILLIAMSON'S MEETING WITH SPLA ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: SENIOR SPLA LEADERSHIP GREATLY APPRECIATES USG SUPPORT IN BOTH HELPING TO BUILD MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE AND IN MILITARY TRAINING, AND THEY EXPRESSED THE DESIRE FOR A CONTINUED CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP. BOTH LT. GENERAL DOMINIC DIM DENG, THE MINISTER FOR SPLA AFFAIRS, AND LT. GENERAL OYAY DENG AJAK, CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE SPLA, ALSO EXPRESSED THEIR RISING FRUSTRATION AT THE SLOW PACE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CPA. THE SPLA LEADERSHIP HAS FUNDAMENTAL DOUBTS ABOUT THE INTENTIONS OF THE NCP ON THE NORTH-SOUTH BORDER, EXACERBATED BY THE CONTINUING FAILURE TO PROPERLY SEPARATE FORCES, AND BY THE EFFORTS OF THE NCP TO DESTABILIZE THE BORDER AREA TO ENABLE IT TO SUCCEED IN CLAIMING MORE TERRITORY IN THIS MINERAL RICH REGION. THE SPLA WARNED THAT IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, EVEN A SMALL SPARK COULD LEAD TO WIDESPREAD FIGHTING. FINALLY, THE GENERALS COMMITTED TO THE QUICK COMPLETION OF THE SPLA DEFENSE WHITE PAPER. END SUMMARY. -------------- SPLA PLEASED WITH U.S. SUPPORT -------------- ¶2. (SBU) DENG AND AJAK, ALONG WITH OTHER SENIOR COMMANDERS OF THE SPLA, MET WITH THE SPECIAL ENVOY ON FEBRUARY 28 IN JUBA AT THE NEW SPLA HEADQUARTERS RECENTLY BUILT FOR THEM BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT. THEY EXPRESSED THEIR GRATITUDE FOR THE NEW FACILITY, NOTING THAT IT ALLOWED THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME TO HOUSE THE ENTIRE SENIOR LEADERSHIP OF THE SPLA IN ONE SPACIOUS LOCATION. IT WAS, THEY SAID, AN IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SPLA FROM A GUERRILLA BUSH ARMY INTO A MODERN, PROFESSIONAL MILITARY. THEY WERE ALSO GRATEFUL FOR THE ONGOING MILITARY TRAINING THAT THE USG IS PROVIDING, AND EXPRESSED THEIR STRONG DESIRE FOR MORE SUCH SUPPORT. -------------- GIVE US THE WHITE PAPER -------------- ¶3. (SBU) THE SPECIAL ENVOY STRONGLY URGED THE SPLA TO FINISH THE DEFENSE WHITE PAPER IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, HIGHLIGHTING THAT WITHOUT IT THE USG WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT TO THE SPLA THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE. THE GENERALS RESPONDED THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROJECT AND WOULD ACT QUICKLY TO GET A FINAL DRAFT TO PRESIDENT KIIR, WHOM THEY WOULD ENCOURAGE TO ISSUE IT BY PRESIDENTIAL DECREE RATHER THAN WAIT UNTIL THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MET AGAIN IN APRIL. THEY PROMISED TO DO THEIR BEST TO HAVE IT INTO AMERICAN HANDS IN THE TIME FRAME URGED BY THE SPECIAL ENVOY. -------------- SKEPTICAL OF NCP INTENTIONS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) ON DARFUR THE SPLA HAS HELPED THE REBELS POLITICALLY BUT NOT MATERIALLY. THEY BROUGHT 19 REBEL GROUPS TO JUBA AND SUCCEEDED IN CONSOLIDATING THEM INTO 4 TO HELP WITH THE PEACE PROCESS, BUT THEY WERE NOT OPTIMISTIC THAT THEIR EFFORTS WOULD COME TO MUCH BECAUSE IN THEIR OPINION THE NCP WAS NOT SERIOUS OR COMMITTED TO THE PEACE PROCESS. KHARTOUM'S GOAL WAS TO TOPPLE THE GOVERNMENT IN CHAD. IF THEY SUCCEEDED, KHARTOUM WOULD NEXT SEEK TO PUSH FOR A MILITARY VICTORY OVER THE REBELS, AND THE FIGHTING WOULD CONTINUE INDEFINITELY. THE GENERALS ADVISED THAT THE SITUATION IN DARFUR AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CPA WERE CLOSELY TIED, AND THAT IF THE CPA FAILED, THERE WOULD BE NO SOLUTION OF THE FIGHTING IN DARFUR, EITHER. -------------- CPA IMPLEMENTATION TOO SLOW -------------- ¶5. (SBU) THE GENERALS WORRIED THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CPA WAS MOVING MUCH TOO SLOWLY, ESPECIALLY ON THE POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE ISSUE OF THE BORDER DEMARCATION. ONCE AGAIN, THE NCP LACKED TRUE COMMITMENT TO MAKING THE PEACE PROCESS WORK. THEIR REAL INTEREST WAS IN GRABBING AS MUCH SOUTHERN LAND AND MINERAL WEALTH AS THEY COULD, AND THAT WAS WHY THE SAF HAD NOT FULLY FROM OIL-RICH PARTS OF THE BORDER (THE SPLA HAS ALSO NOT FULLY WITHDRAWN). WHAT WAS NEEDED, THEY SAID, WAS A TRUE BUFFER ZONE, TO PREVENT CLASHES NOT ONLY WITH THE SAF, BUT WITH THE LOCAL MILITIAS THAT THE SAF WAS ARMING AND SUPPORTING WITH THE GOAL OF CREATING INSTABILITY THAT WORKED TO THEIR FAVOR. THE GENERALS WARNED THAT IF FIGHTING STARTED IT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO SPREAD ALONG THE ENTIRE BORDER AND ERUPT INTO ANOTHER FULL SCALE WAR. THE SPLA WAS PATIENT, BUT IT STOOD READY TO REPLY TO NCP PROVOCATIONS IF REQUIRED. A BUFFER ZONE ALONG THE BORDER WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO PREVENTING THAT FROM HAPPENING. FERNANDEZ