VZCZCXRO9358
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1462 2601347
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171347Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8548
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001462 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM US SU
 
SUBJECT: MINISTER KOSTI: HUMANITARIAN ACCESS IMPROVING 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: (SBU) In a September 15 courtesy call with CDA 
Fernandez, Minister for Humanitarian Affairs Kosti Manibe reported 
that humanitarian access inside Sudan was improving, and that no 
travel permits for NGO workers were required outside of Darfur. The 
case of the CARE country director was still being reviewed, he said. 
CDA urged Kosti in his role as an SPLM minister to protect the CPA, 
which was still vulnerable to outside attacks like those printed in 
the sensationalist newspaper Al-Intibaha. End summary. 
 
---------------------- 
CARE CASE UNDER REVIEW 
---------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On expelled CARE country director Paul Barker, Kosti said 
that the ministry was conducting internal consultations and would be 
communicating with the regional director of CARE shortly. CDA 
welcomed this, noting that it would serve the government well to be 
as transparent as possible. Without dialogue and clear explanations, 
the international community was prone to think the worst of the 
Sudanese government in such matters. "International NGOs can be 
partners with the government," CDA pointed out, since they were able 
to judge and report on progress on the ground. 
 
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NO PERMITS REQUIRED FOR TRAVEL OUTSIDE DARFUR 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Despite administrative hitches, Kosti said that he thought 
the humanitarian access situation in Sudan was improving. He cited 
substantial progress in areas outside of Darfur, claiming some 
reduction in the restriction of movement for humanitarian workers. 
Kosti also said that Darfur was the only region requiring a special 
travel permit; INGOs were authorized to freely travel throughout all 
other parts of the country. That national security officers had 
recently been demanding to see permits for travel to Juba was a 
mistake, he said; not even NISS Director General Salah Ghosh knew 
what was going on. When CDA asked whether this was also true for 
diplomats, Kosti hesitated. "Sometimes it's a security matter," he 
said. 
 
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PROGRESS IN SOME AREAS, BUT CPA STILL VULNERABLE 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶4. (SBU) CDA called the resolution of the travel permit issue a 
positive step, as was the recent transfer of Suleiman Jamous to a 
medical facility in Chad. While there was also forward movement on 
implementing UNSCR 1769, much more progress needed to made on CPA 
issues like Abyei SAF redeployment and border delineation; these 
needed to be negotiated to the satisfaction of both the NCP and the 
SPLM. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The atmosphere surrounding the CPA was poisoned, CDA said, 
and alleged NCP tools like daily newspaper Al-Intibaha only added 
fuel to the fire. Kosti said that the SPLM had recently been 
discussing that particular paper, and planned to raise their 
concerns with the NCP. (Note: Last fall the SPLM sued the newspaper 
for promoting religious and racial hatred. End note.) The 
newspaper's management acted outside "all bounds of responsibility," 
he said. Kosti also mentioned that a new press law would soon be 
introduced, and hoped that the press council would be able to set 
reasonable limits on incitement in reporting. "We want freedom with 
responsibility," he said. CDA agreed and hope that "whoever is 
really behind such a publication" would realize that such poison is 
dangerous for Sudan's future and stability. 
 
FERNANDEZ