BEYOND THE TRILATERALS: RETURNEES, UNMIS, AND WILDLIFE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001105 NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR PREF SENV SU SUBJECT: BEYOND THE TRILATERALS: RETURNEES, UNMIS, AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ¶1. (U) Summary: Special Envoy (SE) General Scott Gration facilitated the fourth round of trilateral talks with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and National Congress Party (NCP) in Juba, Southern Sudan from September 9-10. Recently returned members of the Southern Sudanese diaspora told the Special Envoy on September 10 that they and others like them want to contribute to Sudan's development, and recommended the formation of a permanent panel of returnees to advise the Special Envoy. UN Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande told the Special Envoy that over 300,000 people in Southern Sudan currently eat only one meal every three days. She also said that troop contributing countries must tell the United Nations in New York that they want to see UN peacekeepers shift to a dynamic deployment model to better protect civilians. On September 11, SE visited the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) project in Boma National Park, which is protecting one of the largest wildlife migrations in the world. Project officials told him that effective control and monitoring of the park would require the creation of 1,000 new park ranger positions. End Summary. -------------- Humanitarian Situation Worsening -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On September 10, SE Gration met with Lise Grande, Humanitarian Coordinator for the United Nations (UN) Mission in Sudan (UNMIS),to discuss increasing food insecurity in Southern Sudan, civilian protection, and increasing the capacity of UNMIS. Grande expressed serious concern over food insecurity, saying that due to late rains and failure of the first harvest, nearly 300,000 people are at risk, eating only one meal every three days. She anticipated food shortages would carry through at least another year, to 2010. She appealed to the USG and others to assist with funding and emergency food assistance. ¶3. (SBU) Grande also raised concerns over civilian protection for the populations caught in the midst of tribal fighting in Jonglei and Upper Nile states as well as those caught in the midst of Lord's Republican Army (LRA) attacks in Western Equatoria. She emphasized that the USG, as well as other member states, must raise the question of adequacy of UNMIS' civilian protection in Southern Sudan directly with UN headquarters in New York. She requested that the SE and USUN put pressure on the UN to change the UNMIS deployment model from a static model, where 8 of 9 troops look after the team and only one is deployable, to a dynamic deployment model, where all troops can moved and conduct long-range patrols. Lastly, she praised the Special Envoy's role in the trilateral talks, but emphasized the need to keep pressure on the parties. -------------- Returnees Looking for Opportunities -------------- ¶4. (U) Gration met with former members of the Sudanese diaspora who have returned to Southern Sudan to help rebuild their communities on September 10. The interlocutors included a medical doctor, an education specialist, and a former "lost boy" (Note: Male children separated from their families in the course of the North-South civil war who left Sudan after traveling long distances on foot to escape the fighting were called "lost boys". End Note.) now working as an economist for World Bank. Qration heard personal accounts of the special challenges each participant faced in returning to Sudan to work; the participants noted that the inadequate educational opportunities for school-aged children were particularly difficult to overcome. Insecurity and violence remain enormous disincentives as well. Lack of suitably well-paying employment is also an issue, especially because many members of the diaspora have a large network of Sudanese relatives that depend heavily on their remittances, creating pressure to stay abroad. ¶5. (U) However, the returnees told the Special Envoy, they feel forever connected to Southern Sudan, and that with the right incentive programs a significant number of others in the diaspora might also return. They said that to make such returns possible, student loan forgiveness, scholarships tied to serving in an agreed upon position in Southern Sudan (much like an ROTC program),USG contributions toward suitable housing and educational allowances, or wage supplements all might be considered. Alternatively, the participants discussed how the diaspora might contribute without returning full-time, including through diaspora-supported exchange programs and by financing micro-credit lending programs. To continue this useful exchange of ideas, the parties will explore creating a permanent advisory panel of returnees. KHARTOUM 00001105 002 OF 002 -------------- Boma: Sustainable Conservation -------------- ¶6. (U) On September 11, Gration and delegation traveled with the Wildlife Conservation Service (WCS) and the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) Ministry of Wildlife to Boma National Park in Jonglei State. Boma National Park, a 28,000 square mile protected area close to the Ethiopian border, is the site of some of the largest wildlife migrations on earth. WCS in conjunction with the GOSS is working to develop a sustainable strategy for managing natural resources, wildlife conservation and management of protected areas. ¶7. (U) Local park wardens told the delegation that poaching, tribal fighting and lack of resources continue to impede their ability to protect and monitor the wildlife in Boma. There are currently 150 park wardens, all of whom are former Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) troops. These wardens have only two vehicles at their disposal with which to monitor the 28,000 square miles of the park. When asked, park wardens explained that in order to effectively control and monitor the park, they would need at least 1,000 park wardens and significantly more mobility. ¶8. (U) This cable was cleared by the Office of the Special Envoy. WHITEHEAD