VZCZCXRO3561
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1877 2200730
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 080730Z AUG 06 ZEL ZEL ZEL
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4050
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001877 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR D AND AF/SPG 
PLEASE PASS TO USAID/W 
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AF/EA 
NSC FOR JMELINE, TSHORTLEY 
TREASURY FOR OFAC 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y (PARA ONE ONLY) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PGOV PREF SU
SUBJECT: CENSUS ON TRACK BUT SANCTIONS COULD CAUSE PROBLEMS 
 
REF: 06 KHARTOUM 00304 
 
 ¶1. Summary: The technical preparations for a national census 
are moving forward on schedule.  The Director of the UNFPA 
office reports that UN agencies have raised the idea of a 
delay of one year  to allow more southerners to return home 
(we argued against such a delay). The assistance 
provided by the U.S. Census Bureau receives 
praise from both northerners and southerners.  Sanctions 
could potentially cause problems with completion of census 
and Embassy recommends that the Department act to assure that 
a waiver of sanctions be arranged for equipment and software 
needed for the census and for the subsequent preparations for 
elections. Action requested in para 6. End summary. 
 
¶2.  On July 26 and 27, Pol/Econ officer and FSN met with 
Prof. Awad Hag Ali Ahmed, Head of the Central Bureau of 
Statistics, and with Omer Ertur, Representative of the UNFPA 
country office to discuss progress on the census.  The census 
is required under the CPA and is a necessary precursor to 
elections.  UNFPA is the coordinator for the census, working 
with the Central Bureau of Statistics in the north and with 
the Bureau of the Census in the south. Current plan is for 
the census to be conducted from November 15-30, 2007 and 
basic results from the short form to be available about six 
weeks later. 
 
Preparations on Track, but Idea of Delay being Raised 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶3. Both Awad and Ertur confirmed that preparations for the 
census are proceeding apace. Staff is being trained in all 
areas of the country, equipment is being set up, vehicles are 
being delivered (50 cars were delivered last week to the 
south), and publicity campaigns organized. Both had praise 
for the work the U.S. Census Bureau has been doing. 
Cooperation between the Khartoum government and the 
Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) has been surprisingly 
positive; probably the best example of cooperation in any CPA 
mandated activity.  Both men agree that it will be 
technically possible to conduct the census in November 2007. 
However, Ertur stated that there has been some discussion 
among UN agencies of a delay of one year, from November 2007 
until November 2008 in order to allow more southerners to 
return home to be counted in the south. 
 
¶4.  According to Ertur, the expectation of the GOSS is that 
the population of the south should be 6 to 8 million. He 
estimates that there are currently only about 5 million. 
Ertur expects that authorities in both the north and the 
south will attempt to boost the population totals for their 
respective areas. He speculated that the GOSS will find it 
advantageous to delay the census to allow resettlement to 
progress. Ertur asked what the U.S. reaction to a one-year 
delay would be. Poloff replied that is important to maintain 
the original schedule as set out in the CPA. (Comment: Poloff 
followed up with an email to reiterate this point.) 
 
Sanctions, Census and Elections 
------------------------------- 
 
¶5. Both Awad and Ertur mentioned the possible impact of U.S. 
sanctions on the census.  Software for the GIS database and 
mapping system is of U.S. origin and covered under sanctions. 
Ertur said the plan is for UNFPA to administer the software. 
However, he believes that at the conclusion of the census, 
UNFPA would presumably have to withdraw the database, 
complicating preparations for elections. It would be 
desirable for the GNU to acquire the database so that it 
could be used for election purposes. 
 
¶6. Action request. Embassy recommends that, in order to avoid 
potential problems with sanction issues for the census and 
elections, Washington agencies establish a specific exemption 
of sanctions.  We understand that the executive order 13067, 
establishing sanctions, is renewed annually in November. The 
renewal may be an opportunity to insert a specific paragraph 
allowing equipment and software for use in the census and 
elections. Language similar to that contained in 31 CFR 
chapter V part 528.523, which exempts food and medicine may 
be useful as a model. 
HUME