Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KHARTOUM506
2008-04-04 11:39:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Khartoum
Cable title:  

LITTLE PROGRESS ON DEMOBILIZATION AND DISARMAMENT

Tags:  PREL KPKO MARR AU UN SU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3469
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0506/01 0951139
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 041139Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0396
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000506 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/SPG
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2018
TAGS: PREL KPKO MARR AU UN SU
SUBJECT: LITTLE PROGRESS ON DEMOBILIZATION AND DISARMAMENT

Classified By: CDA Alberto M. Fernandez, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (
d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000506

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/SPG
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2018
TAGS: PREL KPKO MARR AU UN SU
SUBJECT: LITTLE PROGRESS ON DEMOBILIZATION AND DISARMAMENT

Classified By: CDA Alberto M. Fernandez, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (
d)


1. (C) Summary: State Minister of International Cooperation
(and SPLM member) Elias Wakoson told CDA Fernandez that
Demobilization, Disarmament and Reintegration (DDR) efforts
have fallen short due to the availability of arms and the
lack of dispute resolution alternatives. He said the lack of
DDR success leaves the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement
(SPLM) vulnerable politically. With regard to SPLM politics,
he said that SPLM would like to take advantage of NCP
failings in Darfur but SPLM leaders have not committed to
travel there. The SPLM plans to travel to neighboring
countries, particularly Chad and Libya, to shore up SPLM ties
in the region. End summary.

SCANT SUCCESS IN DEMOBILIZATION AND DISARMAMENT
-------------- -


2. (C) State Minister of International Cooperation Wakoson
told CDA Fernandez on April 1 that his ministry is
responsible for Demobilization, Disarmament and Reintegration
(DDR) progRams "ut las achyevee vdry`litt,e pzogreks t/ d!te>
!Hi ~oteelc il)wzx'{sepdetin$uIp PnMQ]Hl tmH!H}p=y`Hevh4uOcsDksxj$uQd}3Ccp6(Y}
Qytiujw`IK0gQdiQ {{zZQraphic area in which to operate, and the size the problem
-- there are simply too many weapons and not enough jobs. In
addition, he said that tribal politics in the South and
traditional methods of solving disputes work against
effective DDR programs. For example, he said Dinka tribesmen
dispense "instant" justice, using automatic weapons to kill
more people in retaliation than were killed in the inciting
act. Wakoson (who is not Dinka) claimed that minority tribes
practice restraint by not retaliating and work out disputes
through a third party.


3. (C) Wakoson said the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS)
is vulnerable politically for not having implemented DDR
programs. He said this year the Government of Sudan (GOS)
has provided $3 million in funding for the DDR, but all of it
went toward salaries. Wakoson predicted that without greater
GOSS funding for programs, the National Congress Party (NCP)

will use the lack of GOSS progress in program areas for
political advantage during the elections. Wakoson noted that
the GOS position is that the GOSS and GNU should fund DDR in
their respective areas. Generally there has been more
progress on DDR in North Sudan because there is a more
developed government and economy in the north.

CHALLENGES OF WORKING WITH WAR CRIMINAL HARUN
--------------


4. (C) Asked about challenges in administering the ministry,
Wakoson cited the complications of coordinating between so
many agencies, both international and domestic. One of the
domestic agencies that the MIC works with is the Ministry of
Humanitarian Assistance (MHA) whose State Minister is Ahmad
Mohamed Harun, who was indicted in 2007 by the International
Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in Darfur.
Wakoson said, "I call him our Janjaweed and we suspect that
the NCP appointed him on purpose to send a message to the
international community." He speculated that the NCP is
worried that if Harun is ever tried at the ICC, he will
certainly implicate others in the regime so they don't allow
Harun to travel.

BASHIR SUSPICIOUS OF FOREIGNERS
--------------


5. (C) Wakoson said his work is further complicated because
the Government of Sudan under President Bashir objects to the
presence of foreigners in Sudan believing all of them,
including the UN, to be agents of the CIA. Wakoson referred
to recent statements by National Intelligence Security
Services (NISS) Director Saleh Ghosh at a March 31 conference
on national security, where Ghosh pushed for strong laws to
contain "the growing foreign exploitation within Sudan."
Wakoson said the GOS has angered Norway by their refusal to
accept its offer of troops to the UN Darfur mission. Sudan's
aggressive statements on Denmark (because of the Danish
cartoon controversy) also hurt a relationship with a country
that has been helpful in South Sudan. Wakoson said he
thought the regime's attitude toward the West was
ill-conceived, because "you can't live without friends in
this world.".

KHARTOUM 00000506 002 OF 002



SPLM'S INABILITY TO DELEGATE
--------------


6. (C) CDA Fernandez pointed out that dissatisfaction in
Darfur particularly among IDPs is an opportunity for the SPLM
to make inroads politically. Wakoson said that while IDPs
appear to be listening to the SPLM, the problem is to get
high ranking SPLM officials to visit the region. Wakoson said
he urged Salva Kiir to visit Darfur to present the SPLM's
case, and the SPLM had gone as far as sending an advance
team, but he claimed Pagan Amun is reluctant to commit to a
high level SPLM visit. Wakoson noted there are a number of
capable people in the SPLM, but the top leadership is
hesitant to delegate responsibility to others, possibly due
to a lack of trust. CDA pointed out that in the past some
SPLM members, like former FM Lam Akol, have demonstrated that
they could not be trusted.


7. (SBU) Wakoson said the SPLM will likely send delegations
to neighboring countries such as Chad, Ethiopia, and Libya to
seek support. Wakoson said Chadian president Deby has
expressed on interest in meeting with the SPLM. Wakoson said
the SPLM is in contact with the Justice and Equality Movement
(JEM) and had advised them to exercise political and military
restraint and announce that JEM would not engage in any
further military confrontations with the GOS.


8. (C) Wakoson lamented the lack of progress by both the NCP
and the SPLM in implementing agreements made when the SPLM
agreed to rejoin the GNU in December.


9. (SBU) BIO NOTE -- Wakoson spent 22 years in the United
States and graduated from Texas A&M University. He taught
for two years at Bowling Green University in Ohio before
moving to Denison College. Wakoson lamented that he didn't
have time to apply for his social security benefits when he
hurriedly returned to Sudan to accept his posting as State
Minister for International Cooperation. CDA cautioned Wakoson
that while US sanctions would not affect his SSI benefits,
the sanctions regime might make it difficult to cash U.S.
checks at Sudanese banks. However, CDA noted the US is
seeking an exemption for SPLM ministers who work in the
Government of National Unit as a way of providing relief from
the sanctions.


10. (SBU) Comment: Wakoson highlighted familiar problems in
the NCP-SPLM relationship, with a highly organized but
paranoid NCP seeking to undermine the SPLM, and an indecisive
SPLM unable to take effective actions and exploit NCP
weaknesses. We encouraged Wakoson to coordinate with the
Embassy regarding his DDR efforts, to see where we could be
of assistance in moving the process forward with the UN and
among other donors.
FERNANDEZ