VZCZCXRO9120
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1018/01 1200856
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 300856Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2555
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001018 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ER SU
SUBJECT: POLITICAL DIMENSIONS OF EAST SUDAN: VISIT TO 
KASSALA 
 
Classified By: P/E CHIEF E. WHITAKER, REASON: SECTION 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  From April 11-13, Poloff and AF/SPG 
DeskOff met with government officials, opposition parties, 
tribal leaders, NGOs, and UNMIS to discuss the political 
and humanitarian situation in Eastern Sudan.  This is the 
first of two cables to discuss the political and tribal 
dimensions of Eastern Sudan.  Politically, the Government 
continues to deny the seriousness of conditions in the 
East; however, its heavy-handed approach to the opposition 
and NGOs demonstrates that it is indeed worried. 
Militarily, questions arose whether the SPLA would remain 
on course with its scheduled withdrawal from Hamesh 
Koreib.  Most contacts believe that once the SPLA withdrew, 
there would be conflict between the Eastern Front and Sheik 
Suleiman BetaiQs militia. Betai, however, expressed his 
confidence that there would be no violence following the 
SPLA withdrawal.  End Summary. 
 
UNMIS Kassala Views 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) The SRSG UNMIS representative in Eastern Sudan, 
Abdel Dayem Mubarak, outlined that the government, despite 
its rhetoric, recognizes the seriousness of the East 
situation, as reflected by its heavy-handed approach to the 
Eastern Front.  Over the past month, Mubarak said, the 
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have substantially increased 
military intelligence presence, increased the number of 
military aircraft in Kassala, imported fifty Land Cruisers, 
and reinforced positions around Hamesh Koreib and in 
Southern Kassala.  Furthermore, he highlighted that the GNU 
had restricted NGO movement within Kassala.  In MubarakQs 
assessment, the GNU continues to speak with confidence 
because it has bribed tribal leaders for support and 
improved relations with Eritrea.  Mubarak said that Eritrea 
has improved relations with Sudan to counter its 
deteriorating relationship with Ethiopia and to control the 
Eritrean Democratic Alliance, an opposition group based in 
Eastern Sudan.  To emphasize the broader context of the 
East, Mubarak quoted Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Kosti 
Manibi as saying, "the East was politically and 
strategically important; however, there are active actors 
outside any control and not bound by the 
CPA." 
 
SPLM Withdrawal Plans 
---------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) In an April 11 meeting, UN Sector Commander for 
Kassala Prem Thapa said that the SAF claimed that it was 
prepared to enter Hamesh Koreib as soon as the SPLM 
withdraw.  Thapa estimated that there were about 168 
Popular Defense Forces (PDF/militia) fighters two 
kilometers outside of Hamesh Koreib.  According to Thapa, 
the SPLA has developed a three-step withdrawal plan: the 
SPLM will begin withdrawing between the first and third 
weeks of April, the second withdrawal will occur in the 
last week of April through the third week of May, and the 
final withdrawal will take place during the last week of 
May through the third week of June.  Thapa speculated that 
there would be some "slippage" in the withdrawal schedule, 
perhaps due to political factors.  Another complicating 
factor is the recent return of Democratic Unionist Party 
(DUP) troops to the area (Note:  The estimated 333 DUP 
troops are SAF who are former DUP soldiers for the National 
Democratic Alliance (NDA) returning from Eritrea after the 
NDA-GNU signed an agreement in June 2005.  End note.) 
 
Courtesy Call on Governor: "We Can Solve the East" 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶4. (C) In a courtesy call on the Governor of Kassala State, 
Ibrahim Hamid, he stated that "if the international 
community were not involved, it would be easier for the 
Eastern Front and the Government to negotiate.  The 
international community should instead focus on development 
and rehabilitation projects in the East."  Furthermore, he 
added that the Eastern Front does not represent the East, 
because the East people are more interested in development 
than in wealth sharing. 
 
NGO Roundtable 
--------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Poloff and DeskOff met with international NGOs 
operating in Kassala, who raised the issue of increasingly 
restricted access for UN humanitarian agencies despite the 
Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).  The SOFA is a bilateral 
agreement between the Sudanese government and UNMIS that 
 
KHARTOUM 00001018  002 OF 002 
 
 
allows access for all UN agencies to provide humanitarian 
assistance without obstruction or impediments.  As a result 
of the confusion, only UNMIS personnel can move freely in 
the area; all other UN agencies are required to submit 
extensive paperwork before traveling.  The representatives 
added that over the past month there had been an increased 
presence of military intelligence under the guise of the 
"anti-smuggling police" in the area. 
 
Suleiman Betai:  "No Violence Expected in Hamesh Koreib" 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶6. (C) Suleiman Betai, the Hamesh Koreib tribal leader, 
asserted that there were no Eastern Front troops currently 
in the town.  He denied that his militia was the 
government-supported Popular Defense Forces (PDF), and 
instead called them the "youths of Hamesh Koreib."  These 
"youths" respected the CPA, he said; however, when the SPLM 
failed to withdraw from Hamesh Koreib on January 9, the 
militia entered the town on January 11.  Betai revealed 
that he had signed a secret agreement with the Beja 
Congress for its withdrawal from Hamesh Koreib; therefore, 
he was surprised when the Beja Congress fought against the 
"youths" on January 11.  In his opinion, "the time had 
arrived for him to provide goods for his people, since the 
Beja Congress had not provided any goods." 
 
¶7. (SBU) Betai asserted that the youths of the East follow 
their tribal leaders, not the Eastern Front, asserting that 
the Eastern Front did not represent the citizens of Hamesh 
Koreib, since its leaders were not from that area.  Betai 
said confidently that the Beja Congress would not fight for 
Hamesh Koreib after the SPLA withdrawal.  He called for the 
UN and NGOs to provide for his citizens, and also invited 
senior USG officials to visit Hamesh Koreib. 
 
Hamesh Koreib Commissioner: "The Beja Congress Should Not 
be Here" 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
------ 
 
¶8. (C) The Commissioner for Hamesh Koreib, Ahmed Betai, 
younger brother of Sheik Suleiman Betai, said that the 
leaders of the Eastern Front do not represent Hamesh 
Koreib.  Therefore, they should not occupy that area.  He 
added that there were rumors that after the SPLA withdrew, 
the Beja Congress would enter Hamesh Koreib with Eritrean 
assistance.  Betai appealed to the international community 
to urge the Beja Congress and the Governors to solve this 
impasse peacefully. 
STEINFELD