VZCZCXRO4679
PP RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1369/01 1620956
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 110956Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3151
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001369 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W 
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AFR/SP 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/SFO, USAID/REDSO, FAS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI KAWC SU
SUBJECT:  SUDAN - USAID VISIT TO BLUE NILE STATE 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  USAID/Sudan representatives from the Office of U.S. 
Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), Office of Food for 
Peace (FFP), and Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) 
visited Damazin, Kurmuk, and Bukori in Blue Nile State 
from April 19 to 24, 2006.  Factors affecting stability 
in Blue Nile State are control of land use, formation of 
a joint Blue Nile State government by the majority 
National Congress Party (NCP) and minority Sudan People's 
Liberation Movement (SPLM), and the high number of 
internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees 
returning to war-affected communities lacking adequate 
public services and infrastructure.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
Slow Progress Towards North-South Integration 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  The differences between northern and southern Blue 
Nile State mirror Sudan's North-South conflict.  Damazin 
is a thriving town with bustling markets, government 
services, and infrastructure, including a paved road to 
Khartoum, whereas southern Blue Nile and its major town, 
Kurmuk, exhibit the general state of underdevelopment 
that characterizes southern Sudan.  While the NCP and 
SPLM have started to share power in Blue Nile State in 
the formula established by the Comprehensive Peace 
Agreement (CPA), the state civil service has not yet been 
integrated. 
 
------------------------------------- 
View from the State Capital - Damazin 
------------------------------------- 
¶3.  In Damazin, USAID/OTI staff met with the Blue Nile 
State governor to discuss the possibility of providing 
state institutions with "ministry-in-a-box" kits, 
packages consisting of office furniture, essential 
equipment and supplies, and a generator.  (Note: 
USAID/OTI is providing similar kits to South Kordofan 
State and seven state governments in southern Sudan.  End 
note.)  The Governor welcomed the offer and said that 
Blue Nile State is "far ahead" of South Kordofan in 
integrating NCP and SPLM administrative structures.  The 
Humanitarian Affairs Commission (HAC) and Sudan Relief 
and Rehabilitation Commission (SRRC), government 
humanitarian offices respectively controlled by the NCP 
and SPLM, have merged into a single humanitarian office. 
The office is directed by an SPLM appointee, with the NCP 
controlling the deputy position. 
-------------------- 
Challenges in Kurmuk 
-------------------- 
 
¶4.  Government control of land and nomadic incursions 
into cultivated areas remain the greatest threats to 
peace in southern Blue Nile.  Since 1970, the central 
government in Khartoum has controlled land use in 
southern Blue Nile, ceding the best agricultural lands to 
outsiders who have poorly managed natural resources. 
Nomadic herders traveling through southern Blue Nile have 
also caused damage to local crops.  In addition, armed 
nomads who are widely believed to be politically linked 
to Damazin and Khartoum have moved into the area, 
increasing competition for limited water resources. 
These nomadic groups are believed to receive support from 
the Sudanese government as part of its "national defense 
system." 
 
¶5.  A second major difficulty is the integration of the 
joint state civil service.  A wide disparity in skills 
and capacity exists between NCP officials in Damazin and 
SPLM officials in southern Blue Nile.  While many NCP 
authorities worked in offices during the civil war, most 
SPLM officials are unaccustomed to working in an office 
environment and have received no salaries or training 
since joining the local government.  The Kurmuk County 
Commissioner requested USAID support for building SPLM 
management and administration capacity.  He stated that 
this would put SPLM officials on more equal terms with 
NCP colleagues and result in a smoother transition to a 
joint system of government. 
 
¶6.  A third major problem in Blue Nile State is lack of 
infrastructure and health, water, and education services 
required to support the large number of returning 
 
KHARTOUM 00001369  002 OF 002 
 
 
refugees and IDPs.  Approximately 70,000 refugees 
currently live in three camps across the Ethiopian 
border.  The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for 
Refugees (UNHCR) is assisting 6,000 Sudanese refugees to 
return to southern Blue Nile before seasonal rains begin 
in June.  UNHCR plans to organize additional returns 
later in the year.  In addition, many IDPs are returning 
to southern Blue Nile from northern areas of the state. 
 
¶7.  The U.N. recently de-mined the road connecting 
Damazin to Kurmuk, boosting the local economy and 
facilitating the provision of humanitarian assistance. 
As a result, NGOs and U.N. agencies are increasing 
programs in health, education, water, and food security. 
Many NGOs operating in Kurmuk continue to coordinate 
operations from Nairobi and Juba rather than Damazin or 
Khartoum.  A representative from the U.N. Mission in 
Sudan (UNMIS) stated that agencies need to adjust 
coordination mechanisms to comply with the CPA. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
USAID Efforts to Provide a Peace Dividend 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  USAID supports three large NGO humanitarian programs 
in Blue Nile State.  The Irish NGO GOAL established 13 
primary health care clinics.  U.S.-based Samaritan's 
Purse established a hospital in Kurmuk, constructed six 
primary schools, and maintains ongoing food security 
programs.  Norwegian People's Aid manages food aid and 
agricultural recovery projects. 
 
¶9.  USAID is the major donor supporting the U.N. World 
Food Program (WFP) in Blue Nile State.  WFP has pre- 
positioned more than 2,000 metric tons of food aid in 
southern Blue Nile and plans to distribute it during the 
upcoming hunger season. 
 
¶10.  USAID is also implementing a project that aims to 
mitigate conflict over land use.  The project maps local 
administrative boundaries, "bomas" and "payams", to 
delineate residential and commercial areas, public 
buildings, community farms and forests, and reserve land. 
The project has only been implemented in SPLM-controlled 
areas thus far, as NCP authorities in Damazin do not yet 
approve of communities reestablishing traditional 
authority over land use.  In March, the project 
facilitated discussions between farmers and nomads about 
land use rights, access to water, and ways to resolve 
disputes.  Nomad representatives at the conference agreed 
to disarm, but several other groups have refused to lay 
down arms.  Follow-up discussions are needed to advance 
the process. 
 
STEINFELD