VZCZCXRO6645
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1166 1361719
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161719Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2854
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001166 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON ECPS PINR SU
SUBJECT: MUSINGS OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS MINISTER 
 
REF: Khartoum 986 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  CG met with Minister of 
Telecommunications and Postal Services Gier Chuang Aluong 
on May 9 to discuss telephone service - or the lack 
thereof - in Juba and the South.  Aluong described what 
he saw as a systematic plot by Khartoum to prevent the 
South from establishing reliable communications within 
the South and to the outside.  He said that the GoSS is 
preparing to set up its own competing systems to link 
Southern Sudan to itself and the larger world.  End 
Summary. 
 
-------------------- 
GoSS Taking the Heat 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Aluong apologized for his long absence from Juba 
- he was the only GoSS minister the CG had not yet met - 
and explained that he had frequently been abroad, mostly 
in Uganda, as part of the commission preparing the report 
on the death of John Garang.  He noted that in some ways 
his time abroad had been a blessing - he was probably the 
most embattled minister of government because of popular 
dissatisfaction with the dysfunctional internal telephone 
systems. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Aluong said that the South was the victim of 
authorities in Khartoum who had refused to provide 
reliable service to the South.  He said that he had 
repeatedly raised this with his counterpart in the 
Government of National Unity, who had responded in a 
testy letter declaring that telecommunications was a 
sovereign power and that the GoSS had no authority to 
establish any telecommunications links whatsoever. 
Aluong remarked that Khartoum feared losing its access to 
the on/off switch, as well as its ability to monitor 
calls.  He noted that the Mobitel cellular system had 
functioned in a satisfactory manner until shortly after 
the GoSS established itself in Juba, at which time the 
system ceased functioning altogether. 
 
--------------------------- 
The South to Go its Own Way 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) CG noted that for the first time since his 
arrival in January, the Mobitel system had started to 
work normally again.  Aluong replied that Khartoum had 
done upgrades and switched it back on when they learned 
that the South was preparing to install a competing 
system of its own constructed by a South African firm. 
He added that the CPA granted the GoSS concurrent powers 
in this domain.  Aluong said that he had installed a GSM 
switch in Yei that was currently undergoing testing.  CG 
asked how the GoSS would deal with Khartoum in the use of 
Sudan's international country code. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Aluong cited the cellular system installed in 
Rumbek shortly after the temporary establishment of the 
GoSS there.  It had used the Canadian country code.  He 
said that he had asked Uganda for permission to use its 
code, but had thus far received no reply.  He added that 
he intended to obtain access to a country code from 
somewhere, possibly by paying a rental fee.  He hoped to 
travel to Washington within a month to discuss with the 
Federal Communications Commission the ramifications of 
this approach.  He also planned to meet with the 
International Telecommunications Union.  Aluong said that 
he expected Khartoum to showcase the recently restored 
Mobitel system as an example of GoSS disrespect for the 
CPA, but continued that he no longer cared.  He had seen 
enough bad faith on the part of the North, which seemed 
intent on making unity as unattractive as possible. 
Given the record, it was intolerable that the North 
should maintain control over the ability of southerners 
to communicate. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment:  It is not certain that Aluong's 
interpretation of concurrent telecommunications authority 
is supported by the text of the CPA, but it is very 
refreshing, after several months, to have a telephone 
that actually works, whatever the gamesmanship might be. 
Aluong numbers among the former Garang acolytes who now 
increasingly express doubt about Garang's vision of a 
unitary Sudan.  There has been some speculation regarding 
Aluong's links to the new phone company, but nothing has 
been confirmed.  End comment. 
 
HUME