VZCZCXRO9897
PP RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #2507/01 2890750
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 160750Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4945
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 002507 
 
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/REDSO, AND FAS 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NAIROBI FOR SFO 
NSC FOR JBRAUSE, NSC/AFRICA FOR TSHORTLEY 
USUN FOR TMALY 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM KDEM SOCI SU
SUBJECT:  SUDAN - BLUE NILE STATE SITUATION REPORT 
 
REF: KHARTOUM 1369 
 
KHARTOUM 00002507  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. On July 20, USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) 
staff traveled through southern Blue Nile State.  The team assessed 
the progress of the USAID-funded Farmer-Nomad Peace Conference, the 
status of local government capacity, transfer of authority to local 
levels, and potential areas of conflict within governance 
structures.  USAID reported progress in adapting local governance 
procedures in accordance with the stipulations of the Comprehensive 
Peace Agreement (CPA).  However, ambiguities in the Blue Nile State 
constitution, administrative policies and procedures, as well as a 
lack of sufficient capacity among the local government threaten to 
slow this progress.  After the rainy season ending in October, 
thousands of returnees are expected to arrive in Keili, Yaboos, and 
other areas.  Currently, USAID is planning projects to provide basic 
services for returnees in these areas.  End summary. 
 
----------------------------- 
Farmer-Nomad Peace Conference 
----------------------------- 
 
¶2. Per reftel, the Farmer-Nomad Peace Conference has produced 
agreement between traditional leaders and county and payam 
government officials on policies to open key migration routes for 
nomadic groups.  In recent months, conflict has emerged over 
seasonal migration routes in Blue Nile State. 
 
¶3. According to the Commissioner of Kurmuk County, traditional 
leaders in the conference agreed to five prerequisites on the 
opening of migration routes: 1) the integration of the Sudan 
People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF); 
2) the integration of Sudanese government and Sudan People's 
Liberation Movement (SPLM) police units; 3) disarmament of 
individual nomads and farmers, who do not belong to the integrated 
army or police forces; 4) demining of southern Blue Nile State; 5) 
return and resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs). 
These agreements mark notable progress in resolving the core issues 
between farmers and nomads. 
 
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Returnees 
--------- 
 
¶4. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees 
(UNHCR) Protection Officer in Kurmuk, most of the returnees in Blue 
Nile State have resettled around Yaboos and Keili towns. 
 
¶5. According to the umda (traditional leader), 8,400 refugees from 
Keili fled to Ethiopia during the civil war, of which approximately 
2,400 spontaneously returned in May, June, and July 2006.  According 
to a report by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), this return 
was prompted by a fire that broke out in Sherkole camp, located in 
Ethiopia near the border with Blue Nile State. 
 
¶6. After arriving in the Keili area, many returnees from Sherkole 
camp find themselves without access to safe drinking water, 
education, or healthcare.  Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) 
report that most returnees are currently living in relatives' homes. 
 The umda reported that Turnase, Mayas, and Balaro towns may 
experience a strain on resources as returnees have begun to settle 
there.  Reportedly, returnees need food, bedding, and cooking 
utensils.  USAID forwarded this information to the UN World Food 
Program (WFP) and UNHCR for appropriate action. 
 
¶7. According to local NGOs and UNHCR, returnees from Bonga camp, 
located in Ethiopia across the border from Upper Nile State, arrived 
in Chali town near Yaboos in Blue Nile State, where limited basic 
services had been set up.  However, the villages surrounding Chali 
have even less services than those in the town due to a slow start 
to demining the area.  Therefore, many returnees remain in Chali 
waiting for conditions to improve before proceeding to their final 
settlement communities in the villages. 
 
¶8. Returnees from the Bonga and Sherkole camps are accustomed to 
standard basic services.  According to IRC and UNHCR reports in 2003 
and 2005 respectively, families in Sherkole camp lived in tukuls 
(traditional housing) and received monthly food rations. 
Additionally, the reports show that 69 percent of school-age 
 
KHARTOUM 00002507  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
refugees attended school in 2005, four out of seven families had pit 
latrines, and the camps had more than one waste disposal drop hole 
for every 20 people.  Preschools, primary schools, teacher training, 
and adult literacy and numeracy programs were available to the 
refugees. 
 
¶9. According to returnees and traditional leaders, both returnees 
and the local populations expect basic services from the government 
as peace dividends and have expressed that continued delays could 
undermine the legitimacy of the government in the eyes of its 
citizens.  Residents of Blue Nile State commented that people are 
frustrated at the lack of visible results of peace, especially 
following the signing of the CPA.  (Comment: As a result of the 
state's location at the dividing line of the civil war and its 
current integrated government status, the state is considered a 
testing ground for the success of the CPA. End Comment.) 
 
----------------------- 
Local Governance Issues 
----------------------- 
 
¶10. The concept of "popular consultation" (Article 3 of the Protocol 
on the Resolution of Conflict in Southern Kordofan and the Blue Nile 
States) is not well defined. Reportedly, most people still believe 
that the CPA includes a referendum for them to decide if they remain 
part of the north or are integrated into Southern Sudan in the event 
that the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) becomes independent. 
While a referendum is a direct vote by the population, popular 
consultation will only allow the public to express their opinions on 
the protocol and is not intended to decide on possible independence. 
 Clarification of this process for the local population is essential 
and the timing of this information must be carefully considered. 
 
¶11. The issue of whether Arabic, English, or a combination of both 
languages will be taught in public schools remains unresolved. 
According to the Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SRRC) 
and local NGOs, the local population in former SPLA-controlled areas 
prefers to be educated in English.  However, since Blue Nile State 
is administratively part of the Government of National Unity (GNU), 
the Sudanese government is proceeding with the standardization of 
the entire state to the national educational curriculum, which is 
taught in Arabic. This issue is expected to be an ongoing source of 
tension. 
 
¶12. The Chief Judge for Kurmuk County, payam administrators, and 
traditional leaders reported that traditional and official local 
leaders have distinct roles in settling local disputes.  Traditional 
leaders act as judges and administrators handle interactions between 
the community and the county government.  In 1997, the umdas elected 
a representative to serve as the Chief Judge for Kurmuk County.  The 
representative explained to USAID that in the future a Sudanese 
government judge will assume the position of Chief Judge, at which 
time the umda will resume his traditional role. 
 
¶13. Progress has been made in integrating the local government in 
Kurmuk in accordance with the guidelines of the CPA.  Article 11 
Section 1.1 of the Protocol on the Resolution of Conflict in 
Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States specifies 45/55 power-sharing 
percentages for government staff.  The Executive Director of Kurmuk 
County, a member of the National Congress Party (NCP), arrived from 
the formerly SAF-controlled state capital, Ed Damazin, the week of 
July 10.  The Executive Director will work under the Kurmuk County 
Commissioner, a member of the SPLM, as part of the power-sharing 
agreement.  Representatives of the state line ministries in Ed 
Damazin are also expected to arrive after the rainy season. 
 
¶14. Ambiguities in local government administration threaten to 
disrupt future progress of CPA implementation.  Officials 
interviewed by USAID expressed uncertainty about whether the 
power-sharing arrangements applied to lower levels of administration 
or not.  The new Executive Director commented that his support staff 
are SPLM-affiliated and do not respect his authority, "severely 
limiting" the ability of the office to function.  He believes that 
without proper administrative policies of authority in place, 
disciplinary action against SPLM staff, would lead to conflict.  He 
expressed reluctance to bring NCP-affiliated staff from Ed Damazin 
to Kurmuk because without clarity of the power-sharing arrangements, 
the SPLM might view this movement as a "takeover".  He also felt 
that the SPLM staff lacked the capacity to effectively perform their 
duties and needed training. 
 
----------- 
 
KHARTOUM 00002507  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
Conclusions 
----------- 
 
¶15. Based on this assessment trip to southern Blue Nile State USAID 
concludes that: 
 
A) Further support for peace dividends is needed. Activities to 
increase access to clean water, health care, and education, are 
needed especially around Yaboos and Keili.  An assessment to verify 
the umdas estimations of returnees and needs in Keili and Yaboos is 
also recommended.  USAID plans to support GOAL, an international NGO 
operating in Sudan, to implement water and health sector projects in 
these areas. 
 
B) The county and payam governments need additional support in 
providing basic services, training on how to more effectively 
allocate resources, and office management skills.  USAID/OTI is 
considering the provision of a borehole drilling rig, which will be 
the only one in the area after January 2007. 
 
C) Although USAID is disseminating the CPA in Sudan, a more 
widespread and thorough effort is needed, especially in the Three 
Areas. 
 
D) State parliamentarians need support in drafting and passing laws 
that better define and resolve major issues and ambiguities in 
existing legislation. 
 
HUME