GOSS POLICE CONCEDE PROBLEMS, RESOLVE TO IMPROVE POLICING

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000419 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, INL FOR PERRINE/SINGH/BURNETT ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KCRM PREL KPKO SOCI UNSC SU SUBJECT: GOSS POLICE CONCEDE PROBLEMS, RESOLVE TO IMPROVE POLICING AND JUSTICE REF: KHARTOUM 217 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) held a Southern Sudan Police Service (SSPS) Leadership Council Conference in Juba on March 11 to 14 to discuss police, security and justice issues. UN agencies, State Police Commissioners from ten States of Southern Sudan, and Directors of the SSPS delivered their assessments of policing in the South. The conference ended with a number of recommendations aimed at improving security and justice in Southern Sudan. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Conference attendees noted the need to provide improved security to the growing numbers of citizens of Southern Sudan and called for increased security during the census which is scheduled to start April 15. They candidly noted the growing corruption of GOSS leaders and stated the need to clean-up both the GOSS government and the SSPS. They called on the UN and other stakeholders to assist the GOSS in assessing and meeting requirements for reforming and reorganizing the SSPS. ¶3. (SBU) To address the need to improve security, the conference participants developed a number of recommendations. These included improved police administration by rightsizing the number of police officers, developing a code of conducts for officers, improving communication between (and among) the ten State headquarters and the SSPS headquarters in Juba, and creating a SSPS desk at the GOSS Presidency to improve coordination of police and security matters. ¶4. (SBU) Training recommendations included the creation of a SSPS training academy, the development of a unified training curriculum, and the creation of cadre of 120 officers specially trained in non-lethal means of restoring public order. Other recommendations included the establishment of an Interpol office in Southern Sudan as well as Gender and Child Protection Units, and the development of specialized sections including: a Crime Statistics Office, a Crime Database Office, a Crime Prevention Office, and a forensics laboratory. Finally, the conference recommended the development of a uniform code of traffic laws, special traffic courts for prompt adjudication of traffic violations, and the creation of a Traffic Directorate to improve patrol of the South's highways. ¶5. (SBU) UNMIS Justice Advisor Tim Ecklund told poloff that he was impressed by the candid acknowledgement of problems such as official corruption, lack of communication between jurisdictions, the need for police to be responsive to the public's complaints on police, and the need to right-size the police force which is bloated by former soldiers. He said the SSPS could have ignored these basic problems and only addressed the need to increase the numbers of police rather than seek to improve the quality of the police force. ¶6. (SBU) Comment: INL is about to engage in a $32 million two-year program in Southern Sudan to improve and reform the police, court and penal systems. This positive USG engagement should have an impact on the many problems outlined here, and can help the SSPS develop into an effective and trusted police force. It is encouraging that the GOSS and the SSPS have acknowledged the need to address fundamental problems such as corruption and poor training. The UN is doing its part as well; UNMIS tells us it has an initiative to eventually more than double the number of CIVPOL officers from 615 to 1500, which should have a dramatic impact since these officers will be involved in training to build the capacity of the SSPS. FERNANDEZ