VZCZCXRO9434
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1135/01 2040548
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 230548Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7952
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001135 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W 
DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AFR/SP, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS, 
NAIROBI FOR SFO, 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU AND FOR REFCOORD 
USUN FOR TMALY 
 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: EAID PGOV SOCI SU KPKO
 
SUBJECT: SPLM Diaspora Conference in Juba 
 
 
KHARTOUM 00001135  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Summary: Over 100 Sudanese Diaspora SPLM members participated in 
the First Sudan People's Liberation Movement Chapters' Conference. 
The purpose of the conference was to familiarize Sudanese Diaspora 
members with the reality in Southern Sudan, to mobilize resources 
and, if possible, to draw upon them to support reconstruction and 
development activities.  The Opening Session of the Conference was 
attended by Senior SPLM/GOSS Leadership, who strongly encouraged the 
return of Diaspora to Southern Sudan.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. USAID and State provided support to facilitate the travel of 
members of the SPLM Diaspora to attend the First SPLM Chapters' 
Conference that took place in Juba from July 11-July 16, 2007. 
Participants from SPLM Chapters in Australia, Canada, the United 
States, Europe, the Middle East and other African countries arrived 
in Juba to join the conference.  For many, this was the first 
opportunity to return to Southern Sudan in as much as twenty five 
years. Conference participants are actively engaged in their current 
home countries in supporting the cause and message of the SPLM and 
Southern Sudan to their membership. 
¶3. Minister for Labor, Public Service and Human Resource 
Development, Awut Deng Acuil, who also serves as the SPLM External 
Relations Secretary, was the central organizer of the conference. 
She and other speakers emphasized during the opening sessions of the 
conference that the Diaspora must play a key role in the development 
of South Sudan. Speakers, among them Rebecca Garang de Mabior, now 
the Presidential Advisor for Gender and Human Rights; the Deputy 
Governor of Central Equatoria; newly named Deputy Commander in Chief 
of the SPLA, Major General Paulino Matip; Pagan Amum Okiech, 
Secretary-General of the SPLM and First Vice President Salva Kiir 
 
SIPDIS 
Mayardit, challenged Diaspora members to lend not only financial, 
cultural and advocacy support but also to consider returning to 
South Sudan so that the professional skills they gained in other 
countries could contribute towards development efforts in South 
Sudan and to the transformation of SPLM from a guerilla movement to 
a national peace-building political party. 
 
¶4. USAID Southern Sudan Director Allan Reed also provided remarks in 
which he noted the positive experience of the recently completed 
USAID-funded Diaspora Skills Transfer Program (DSTP.) Through this 
program, 100 members of the Diaspora volunteered their skills in 
education and health. Nearly half of the DSTP volunteers have 
remained after their voluntary service to continue rebuilding 
Southern Sudan, demonstrating the commitment and the potential of 
the Diaspora to be involved in reconstruction. Reed also emphasized 
the important of increasing the participation of (Diaspora) women as 
agents of change. 
 
¶5. Plenary session speakers covered a range of topics. Key among 
them were Professor Peter Anyang' Nyong'o, who noted that recovery 
in post-conflict countries often focuses more on physical 
infrastructure than on developing institutions needed to sustain 
recovery.  SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum acknowledged the 
challenge faced by the SPLM, which is trying to help change Sudan 
from a failed stated to one that embraces a multi-party political 
system.  Amum warned the SPLM against becoming too comfortable and 
relaxed in the Government. Amum stressed the important of the SPML's 
vision, mission, and core values and noted the threat posed by 
corruption which could corrode the party's foundations. 
Representatives of the Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front and the 
African National Congress shared relevant experiences from their 
movement's transitions from rebellion to legitimate political 
parties and governments.  Both emphasized the important contribution 
of the Diaspora to those efforts. 
 
¶6. Additional themes raised by participants included the need to 
explore ways to provide economic incentives for returning Diaspora, 
possibly through salary subsidies or business loans; 2) the need to 
accelerate women's participation in all levels of government and 
development in Southern Sudan, as 25 percent was "the least" but not 
the maximum ceiling for their engagement; and 3) the importance of 
addressing tribalism in party politics. 
 
6.In follow-up discussions with the Conference facilitator and 
Diaspora participants, ConGen staff was told that the Diaspora 
members intend to set up a SPLM website to address the lack of 
accurate information on party activities. The party leadership will 
determine the website content which will be maintained by Diaspora 
members. Diaspora participants complained that they did not have 
sufficient opportunity to speak on the key issues of concern to 
them, as the program was weighted heavily towards GOSS/SPLM 
presentations. Overall, however, there was great excitement and 
satisfaction with the conference.  Diaspora participants expect to 
hold follow up sessions in which their concerns will be addressed. 
 
 
KHARTOUM 00001135  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
FERNANDEZ