VZCZCXRO4533
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #2911/01 3611152
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 271152Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5665
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 002911 
 
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 PMARCHAM, MMAGAN, AND TSHORTLEY 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
USUN FOR TMALY 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI UN SU
SUBJECT:  SUDAN: UNITED NATIONS LAUNCHES 2007 WORK PLAN 
 
REF:  A) Khartoum 02864, B) Khartoum 02875 
 
KHARTOUM 00002911  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
------------------- 
Summary and Comment 
------------------- 
 
¶1.  On December 19, 2006, Deputy Special Representative of the UN 
Secretary General (DSRSG) and UN Humanitarian Coordinator Manuel da 
 
SIPDIS 
Silva and representatives of the Government of National Unity (GNU) 
launched the 2007 Work Plan for Sudan, with a budget of USD 1.8 
billion.  The GNU and Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) will 
contribute USD 66 million to the Work Plan, which is the result of 
collaborative assessments and planning.  The GNU appealed for 
greater involvement of Sudanese non-governmental organizations 
(NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) in humanitarian and 
development work.  Da Silva committed to discussing mechanisms to 
build the capacity of local organizations, and assured the GNU that 
the UN will purchase cereal for food distributions locally as much 
as possible.  GNU Minister for Humanitarian Affairs Kosti Manibe 
announced the extension of the Moratorium on the Voluntary and 
Humanitarian Work Act of 2006 until January 31, 2008, for NGOs 
working in Darfur.  End summary. 
 
------------------ 
Views from the GNU 
------------------ 
 
¶2.  Manibe opened the Work Plan launch by emphasizing that the plan 
was a joint effort of the UN, GNU, and GOSS.  The GNU and GOSS plan 
to contribute USD 66 million in addition to unspecified material 
contributions.  He also announced that the "administrative 
moratorium" for NGOs working in Darfur had been extended for another 
year, until January 31, 2008.  Manibe admitted that the GNU still 
needed to resolve some administrative problems, and committed the 
GNU to institutional reform to streamline the issuance of long-term 
visas, travel permits, work permits, customs clearances, and other 
documentation that NGOs need. 
 
¶3.  Manibe stated that the humanitarian situation in Darfur is his 
highest priority.  His second priority is the return of internally 
displaced persons (IDPs), both from Northern Sudan to Southern Sudan 
and within Southern Sudan.  He emphasized the large numbers of 
expected returnees to Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states.  The 
Work Plan includes support for more than 500,000 IDPs and 102,000 
refugees expected to return to Southern Sudan and the Three Areas. 
He noted that some believe the planning figures are lower than the 
actual number of IDPs who will return home in 2007. 
 
¶4.  Manibe stressed that the government needed to be involved in all 
phases of project design and implementation, and that national NGOs 
and civil society organizations were important to achieve this.  He 
noted that of the entire Work Plan budget, only USD 2.8 million, or 
0.2 percent, was earmarked for Sudanese NGOs.  He described this as 
extremely depressing, and appealed to the UN to address the funding 
and capacity-building needs of local organizations.  He also urged 
national NGOs to improve their professionalism, become transparent, 
and develop systems that would encourage donors to trust them with 
funding.  He advised donors to invest in national NGOs, since these 
organizations will remain in Sudan for the long run. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
At Times, Peace Is More Difficult than War 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  The Minister for International Cooperation, Dr. El-Tigani Salih 
Fedail, noted that peace was a strategic goal for his government and 
that, at times, peace was more difficult than war.  He assured the 
audience that his government was making all efforts to reach a 
sustainable peace and was committed to working with the UN.  He 
stressed that Sudan was a member of the UN, and was not in an 
adversarial relationship with the organization.  He stated that 
Sudan needed a new kind of support to address humanitarian needs and 
begin recovery and development.  In this context, he recalled the 
concept of ownership and transparency formulated in the Paris 
Declaration. 
 
---------------------------- 
The 2007 Work Plan for Sudan 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6.  The Work Plan covers seven regions and 12 sectors.  It addresses 
 
KHARTOUM 00002911  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
humanitarian assistance, particularly in Darfur and the Three Areas, 
and the shift from recovery to development in other parts of Sudan. 
The design process increased participation from all stakeholders 
when compared to the process in previous years.  The total cost is 
estimated at USD 1.8 billion, of which USD 300 million has already 
been secured.  USD 560 million is requested for recovery and 
development, and USD 1.3 billion is requested for humanitarian 
assistance. 
 
¶7.  Southern Sudan (34 percent of funding request).  USD 626 million 
is proposed for Southern Sudan, with 56 percent of that amount 
allotted for recovery and development activities, such as 
rehabilitating physical infrastructure and improving basic social 
services.  The disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) 
of combatants forms an important element of the program in Southern 
Sudan, as does the return of more than 600,000 displaced persons, 
including 102,000 refugees.  Half of the returnees will participate 
in an organized program that the GNU, GOSS, and UN are jointly 
implementing and financing.  (Ref A) 
 
¶8.  Darfur (36 percent of funding request).  USD 653 million is 
requested for Darfur's complex emergency.  The plan calls for 
humanitarian assistance for 4 million people.  Food aid programs aim 
to reach 3 million people in Darfur.  The UN and partners plan to 
provide clean drinking water to 1.3 million and education to 50,000 
children. 
 
¶9.  Center, East, and Three Areas (18 percent of funding request). 
USD 248 million is planned for infrastructure rehabilitation and 
early recovery activities, with 38 percent of that funding 
designated for food security and livelihoods activities.  Assistance 
is planned for communities with the greatest need, rather than those 
with the largest number of returnees. 
 
¶10.  National Programs (12 percent of funding request).  USD 223 
million is requested for programs implemented throughout Sudan, such 
as cross-sector support for returnees, DDR, mine action, human 
rights, and the rule of law. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
Passionate Appeal from the Humanitarian Coordinator 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶11.  In his closing statement, da Silva compared the situation in 
Darfur with sailing in a storm, awaiting the last big "boom" marking 
the end of the storm and the beginning of calm.  He stated that 
Darfur is now at the end of the storm and that, "The ship is not 
sinking."  Da Silva pointed out that while the total appeal figure 
was high, this year's Work Plan requested USD 400 million less for 
humanitarian assistance than last year's plan.  He commended the GNU 
and GOSS on their USD 51 million contribution to assist 102,000 
returning refugees.  He also reported that donor commitments in 2006 
surpassed the overall pledged figures, and that Sudan received 32 
percent of humanitarian assistance worldwide in 2006.  He closed by 
saying, "We are moving forward in a difficult storm.  Don't give up, 
believe in achieving peace." 
 
---------------------------- 
The GNU's Closing Statements 
---------------------------- 
 
¶12.  Manibe acknowledged the daunting challenge ahead and the level 
of difficulty in the operating environment in Darfur.  He assured 
the audience that the GNU is contacting directly those who have not 
signed the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) to address of issues left 
unresolved in Abuja.  He further commented on the regional 
significance of the conflict, which has spread to Chad and the 
Central African Republic.  He ended with an appeal to include 
national organizations in the humanitarian assistance and recovery 
process, to build their capacity, and to encourage them to be more 
professional.  He pledged to ask other ministries to include 
Sudanese NGOs and CBOs in the recovery process, stating that local 
organizations could construct health centers and schools, or 
distribute books. 
 
¶13.  The Minister for International Cooperation, Dr. El-Tigani Salih 
Fedail, made a cryptic statement, saying that it was easy to blame 
the government for not providing security, but that in reality other 
elements were at play and providing support to the "wrongdoers."  He 
stressed the need to focus on the implementation of the DPA, disarm 
the various factions, secure the area, and provide humanitarian 
 
KHARTOUM 00002911  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
assistance.  He stated that no number of troops can solve the 
problem in Darfur, and that the government's partners needed to 
deliver on their promises.  He stated that the government had to do 
its best to help. 
 
¶14.  The Minister requested a predictable aid flow with consultation 
on all levels.  He wants to see a consolidation of government and 
Sudanese NGO capacity at the state level, and requested the 
cooperation of international NGOs to achieve this goal.  He stated 
that to achieve this, foreign assistance in the form of budgetary 
support is the only option.  (Comment:  This consolidation puts in 
question the independence of the national NGOs.  End comment.) 
 
¶15.  The Minister then requested a thorough market survey to 
determine what amount of food aid would be appropriate for Sudan, in 
order to avoid an oversupply of the market.  He expressed concern 
for the large volume of imported humanitarian food aid.  He noted 
that Sudan had two very good cereal harvests in 2005 and 2006, and 
that the cereals needed for food aid could be purchased in Sudan. 
 
¶16.  A representative of the Southern Sudan Relief and 
Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC) stressed that the south needed 
programs to support returns.  He noted that the Work Plan did not 
meet all of the South's needs.  He stated that while Southern Sudan 
appreciated the help the UN provided during the war, much support 
was still necessary. 
 
¶17.  The GNU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner, Hassabo Mohamed Abd 
Elrahman, attacked the humanitarian community with a tirade about 
lack of transparency, underutilization of funds, excessive 
administrative costs (60 to 65 percent, according to him), and the 
need to give a larger portion of the work to national NGOs and CBOs. 
 He stressed that Sudanese organizations know the environment and 
operate at a much lower cost than international organizations.  He 
pushed for an early return of the displaced people to settle and 
participate in the elections. 
 
¶18.  As reported Ref B, CDA Hume congratulated the UN on the Work 
Plan and stated that the USG support to these programs is 
unflagging.  He expressed appreciation for the extension of the 
moratorium, saying that it would assist partners, including the 
United States, in addressing the pressing humanitarian needs of 
Darfur.  CDA Hume noted his concerns about the deteriorating 
security situation in Darfur, which threatens the international 
community's ability to deliver assistance to the people of Darfur. 
Finally, he urged the GNU to continue to meet its promises to 
prepare for the census in 2007 and the elections by the end of 2009. 
 He urged the GNU to conduct the census without delay. 
 
¶19.  In a second round of concluding remarks, da Silva responded to 
the GNU's request for local cereal purchases with a confirmation 
that some donors and the UN were in the process of negotiating local 
purchase contracts, and that an amount not greater than one-third of 
the need would be purchased locally.  Da Silva also offered to meet 
with Sudanese NGOs to discuss mechanisms to improve their capacity. 
He ended the event by urging all to continue to believe in lasting 
peace. 
 
HUME