AEC PLENARY - ABYEI UPDATE FROM UNMIS FORCE COMMANDER

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000021 DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON, AF/SPG NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: AEC PLENARY - ABYEI UPDATE FROM UNMIS FORCE COMMANDER ¶1. (SBU) During the first Assessment and Evaluation Plenary session of 2009, UNMIS Force Commander Brigadier General Thapa provided an update on the situation in Abyei. He said the ceasefire per the July Abyei Roadmap has held, with the exception of the December 12 shooting incident in the Abyei market. As a result of that incident, the Joint Integrated Units (JIUs) have now redeployed to their designated camps outside of Abyei town and off-duty JIU military and JIPU police have been "disarmed." ¶2. (SBU) Thapa cited good progress in the deployment of the JIUs, with one company deployed at Manyam and another at "Balou," with additional companies set for deployment to Agok and Difra. SPLA and SSDS police have now departed Agok, while 10 SSDS officers remain in Agok for inquiries only. UNMIS remains concerned about the presence of oil police and 11 SAF soldiers at Difra; the Joint Defense Board is looking at this issue. Thapa said that both the SAF and the SPLA had agreed to hold additional combined Joint Defense Board (which UNMIS is not a member of) and Ceasefire Political Commission (which UNMIS is a member of) so that UNMIS may participate in sessions related to security issues to assist with implementation of decisions aken by the parties. Thapa said there is still a grave lack of resources for the JIUs in terms of both transport and infrastructure. UNMIS has provided some communications equipment to the JIUs and has offered to transport JIUs to their locations when appropriate, but cannot provide the JIUs with vehicles (that is the job of the SAF and the SPLA). Thapa said that UNMIS has been working with the JDB and the CPC to urge the provision of additional resources to the JIUs. ¶3. (SBU) AEC SPLM representative Angelina Teny, Dutch Ambassador Norbert Braakhuis (as head of the Power Sharing Working Group) and CDA Fernandez (as head of the Wealth Sharing Working Group) all noted that funds still have not been transferred to the Abyei Interim Administration, nor to the Dinka community, nor have projects begun under the Unity Fund. Following the formal session, Dr. Mohammed Osman Ibrahim from the Fiscal and Financial Allocation and Monitoring Commission at the Sudanese Presidency told polchief that there has been a serious problem at the Ministry of Finance with fiscal liquidity, and that transfers have been delayed in many areas of the GNU. Separately, Dutch Ambassador and CDA Fernandez agreed to work toward organizing a joint meeting of the Power Sharing and Wealth Sharing working groups within the next week or two at which GNU representatives such as Unity Fund director General Yehia Babiker Hussein could be called upon to explain when transfers will be made to Abyei so that the Interim Administration can function and development projects may proceed. FERNANDEZ