VZCZCXRO7239
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0713/01 1521040
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 011040Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3895
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000713 
 
DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A/S CARSON, AF/C 
NSC FOR MGAVIN 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: CODEL ISKASON MEETINGS WITH PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR GHAZI 
SALAHUDIN AND FOREIGN MINISTER DENG ALOR 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Senators Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Bob Corker 
(R-TN) of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, accompanied by CDA 
a.i. Asquino and emboffs, met with Presidential Advisor Dr. Ghazi 
Salahudin at the Ministry of Federal Rule in Khartoum on May 25. 
Later that afternoon, they met with Foreign Minister  Deng Alor. 
Dr. Ghazi pushed for full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace 
Agreement (CPA) and urged that the international community advocate 
for the unity of Sudan.  However, Alor, who belongs to the 
Government of National Unity (GNU) as a member of the south's 
Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), questioned how unity 
would be possible when the NCP, in his view, is such an unreliable 
partner.  Senators Isakson and Corker urged full implementation of 
the agreement, as well as urgent discussions on what will happen 
after the CPA period to ensure a peaceful transition regardless of 
the outcome of the referendum. End summary. 
 
DR. GHAZI: HELP US ADVOCATE FOR UNITY 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Dr. Ghazi told the Senators that the top bilateral priority 
for the Government of Sudan (GOS) is the removal of his country from 
the State Sponsors of Terrorism List, something that he said had 
been promised by U.S. officials many times in the past. Ghazi 
complained that previous U.S. administrations have gone back on 
promises to normalize relations with Sudan, which has led to the 
Sudanese people feeling that they are being treated unfairly. 
Senator Isakson responded that the U.S. is eager to see full CPA 
implementation as well as a resolution of the Darfur conflict, which 
will help the U.S. and Sudan normalize relations.  To ensure that 
there is not a return to war, Senator Isakson urged that the CPA 
parties also focus on planning for the post-2011 period, regardless 
of what happens in the referendum. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Dr. Ghazi described the referendum as "complicated," 
particularly the procedural aspects of the vote.  He said the debate 
on the referendum by the two parties is over who will be allowed to 
cast their votes - all southerners or just those residing in the 
south.  Dr. Ghazi observed that there is an internal dispute within 
the SPLM, with some of its members opposed to giving voting 
eligibility to southerners who reside in the north.  He 
characterized this as an embarrassing situation for the SPLM, and 
added the latter will not likely want to be seen as denying voting 
privileges to southerners in the north.  Dr. Ghazi noted that the 
GOS does not want to do anything that would encourage a unilateral 
secession, and that the international community should work toward 
focusing the south's attention on unity.  However, he said the GOS 
will abide by the south's right to self-determination.  Ghazi opined 
that the United States has the capacity to influence the south to 
remain part of Sudan, and that it would be a shame to allow the 
south to secede because its citizens are "angry."  He declared that 
all who support the CPA must push for unity because if the south 
secedes, it would become a land-locked and potentially unstable 
nation. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Regarding the GoS's March 4-5 expulsion of 13 international 
NGOs, Dr. Ghazi assured the Senators that NGOs are coming back to 
Sudan.  He praised U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan General Scott 
Gration's leadership on this issue.  Ghazi noted that while 13 
organizations were expelled, there are still nearly 70 other NGOs 
operating in Sudan.  He said the GOS has implemented measures to 
facilitate the work of the NGOs, and that assets confiscated from 
the expelled NGOs will be transferred to the new NGOs.  Senator 
Corker asked what made the GOS perceive the NGOs as a threat.  Ghazi 
said that some of the NGOs - such as the International Rescue 
Committee (IRC) - had a political agenda.  He alleged IRC had made 
it clear that it  supported the International Criminal Court (ICC). 
He added  that ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo had said on several 
occasions that he received information from the NGOs that was used 
in the March 4 indictment of President Beshir.  Without providing 
any details to support his claim, Ghazi said the government had 
information that some of the NGOs were even involved in transporting 
witnesses to the ICC in The Hague.    Ghazi concluded that such 
actions violated the principles of the country agreements that the 
organizations had signed in order to work in Sudan. 
 
ALOR: HOW CAN WE TRUST THE NCP? 
------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Foreign Minister and SPLM member Deng Alor discussed 
roadblocks to implementation of the CPA and the long-term prospects 
for peace in Sudan.  Alor told the Senators that CPA implementation 
had come a long way, but there were still critical road blocks, most 
notably the fact that the referendum, security, and media laws had 
not been passed, and that the census issue (how the data will be 
 
KHARTOUM 00000713  002 OF 002 
 
 
utilized, if at all) had not been resolved.  Alor asked the U.S. to 
play a more active role in CPA implementation as there is little 
time (20 months) before the referendum.  Barely hiding his disdain 
for the National Congress Party (NCP), which is the senior partner 
in the NCP-SPLM GNU, Alor said the NCP continues to use its superior 
resources to pay off SPLM members to disagree on policy and weaken 
the party.  Alor said that active U.S. engagement would be helpful 
in moving the CPA forward and preventing crises.  Senator Isakson 
observed that the U.S. and Sudan must establish a roadmap to 
improving the bilateral relationship, but should take small steps 
first.  Isakson repeated his earlier statement to Dr. Ghazi that 
ensuring a peaceful referendum as well as an agreement for what will 
happen after the referendum will be critical. 
 
¶6. (SBU) With regard to the Darfur peace process, Alor said that 
rebels need additional pressure to negotiate.  He noted that many of 
the demands of the people of Darfur are well-known and easy for the 
government to accommodate.  These include the proposal for one 
Darfur region with several states, a vice presidential position for 
a Darfuri in the GNU, and compensation for war victims and 
internally displaced people (IDPs).  Alor said the SPLM has been 
discussing these issues with the NCP to try and reach a common 
position.  Alor cautioned that if a solution to Darfur is not found 
soon, the IDP camps will become a breeding ground for continued 
violence, noting that the camps have become overly politicized. 
Alor said that the UN-African Union Hybrid Mission to Darfur 
(UNAMID) could use its forces to  contribute to improving security. 
However, this would be possible t only if the rules of engagement 
change so that UNAMID is more aggressive in protecting IDPs and 
other civilians. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Comment: The views of these two senior GNU officials -one 
from the NCP and the other from the SPLM --illustrate  clearly the 
divide between the two CPA partners.  Both parties are looking 
forward to the June 23 CPA conference in Washington hosted by 
Special Envoy Gration as a way to demonstrate progress on 
implementation of the agreement.  Neither side, though, has recently 
shown  itself to be particularly creative in finding solutions on 
the intractable issues - such as border demarcation and the 
referendum law.  Deeper discussions with both parties on the margins 
of the Washington conference might produce some results, as both the 
NCP and the SPLM are eager for deeper engagement by the U.S. 
Election planning will be complicated by the fact that the NCP is 
not entirely confident it can win and fears a coalition against it. 
The SPLM has thus far been unable to agree  on a strategy for the 
national elections.  For that matter, it has  still decided if it 
wants to run a candidate for the GNU presidency.  SPLM head Salva 
Kiir cannot run for re-election as President of the Government of 
Southern Sudan and also be a candidate for the national presidency. 
However,  having an SPLM candidate other than Kiir run for the 
national presidency (presumably one who lacks Kiir's prominence,) 
would be viewed as a sign of weakness  by SPLM unionists (i.e. 
former followers of SPLM founder John Garang.)  The issue could 
become divisive for the SPLM over time, unless it settles on a 
strategy soon.  End comment. 
 
WHITEHEAD