VZCZCXRO5180
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1893 2211237
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091237Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4082
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001893 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON EPET SU
SUBJECT: CPA: Still No Way Forward on Abyei 
 
 
¶1.  One year after the Abyei Boundaries Commission (ABC) presented 
its report, the Abyei/Three Areas Working Group of the Assessment 
and Evaluation Commission (AEC) met on July 19 to try to discuss 
possible solutions to the deadlock on Abyei.  The impasse has 
prevented the appointment of an Interim Abyei Area Administration, 
leaving the people in the region without any form of government 
support or services.  Both the National Congress Party (NCP) 
representative and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) 
representative agreed that a pre-interim Abyei Area Administration 
should be appointed before the boundary dispute is resolved, a break 
from their previous position, but the nature and role of the 
administration remained in dispute.  Both sides feared that this 
interim administration would create a de facto Abyei solution 
against their interests. 
 
¶2.  The entire working group, including the representatives from the 
NCP and SPLM, agreed that the need to deliver services and 
humanitarian support outweighed any other political decisions. 
However, when the discussions turned to which areas where to be 
served, the NCP representative pulled back and became worried that a 
pre-interim administration would create working Abyei boundaries 
that may influence a final decision.  The SPLM representative 
demanded that any pre-interim administration have a fixed time limit 
and a schedule for a final resolution to prevent further stalling. 
 
¶3.  The working group discussed the possibility of having a 
pre-interim administration simply serve the people who are not 
currently being served, but the NCP representative felt this would 
establish de facto boundaries.  The British representative suggested 
that the administration begin by serving the residents of Abyei 
town, which would certainly be part of any Abyei area.  The SPLM 
representative objected to this approach, stressing the need to find 
a solution that helps all the people of Abyei and not just the urban 
dwellers.  At the end of the meeting, both the NCP and SPLM 
representatives agreed to hold a separate bilateral discussion on 
possibilities for a pre-interim administration and report back to 
the AEC Working Group before the next AEC Plenary.  The Working 
Group also decided to invite the UN, and perhaps the Multi-Donor 
Trust Fund, to brief the group on the humanitarian situation in 
Abyei and what needs to be done. 
 
¶4.  The Working Group also discussed the idea of inviting the 
technical experts from the Abyei Boundaries Commission to address 
the AEC and explain how it made its decisions in hope that this 
could shed light on a possible solution.  The NCP representative 
felt that the opinions of the experts are already present in their 
report-- which, he added, exceeded its mandate -- so they would have 
nothing further to add.  He also pointed out that the issue was sent 
to the Presidency after the NCP-SPLM meeting in May, with inviting 
the experts back as one possible option.  If the AEC invited the 
experts back, he explained, it would pre-empt the Presidency.  The 
NCP representative suggested that the AEC continue to pressure the 
Presidency for its decision on how to move forward.  Charge 
d'Affairs Steinfeld said he believed inviting the experts back was 
well within the investigatory mandate of the AEC, and that the 
commission could benefit from talking to them.  This issue will be 
discussed again at the next plenary in August. 
 
HUME