VZCZCXRO8553
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0036 0100946
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100946Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9682
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000036 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KSCA OTRA EAID CDC SU
SUBJECT: FIRST AEC PLENARY OF 2008 UPBEAT 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY: A briefing by the NCP and the SPLM on their recent 
political deal drew a large turnout to the first AEC Plenary session 
of 2008 on January 8.  However the parties provided only vague 
details of their agreement.  The international coordinators and 
other observers will have to wait until the release of the official 
implementation "matrix," promised in a day or two, to study the 
agreement in detail.  One detail to emerge is that the SPLM will 
name an administrator to govern the disputed Abyei region.  The NCP 
will appoint the assistant administrator.  Both sides highlighted 
the fact that they had forged new lines of communication and reached 
the agreement without outside intervention.  END SUMMARY 
 
Wait for the Matrix 
------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) With many participants and observers eager to know the 
details of the deal that ended the ten-week political crisis, the 
AEC plenary was much better attended than normal.  They were 
disappointed when both sides said they would not go into details, 
but instead promised that the "matrix" containing all the details of 
the agreement soon would be handed over to the AEC chairman for 
distribution to the Coordinators and other international observers. 
 
 
¶3.  (U) Both sides stressed that the big news to come out of the 
agreement was that the two parties had achieved it without outside 
intervention.  The NCP in particular stressed that they remain 
committed to the AEC as "the most important institution" established 
by the CPA, and urged the international coordinators to remain 
engaged.  The SPLM delegates stressed that, but for a few small 
incidents, the two parties had maintained their "strategic 
ceasefire" throughout the crisis. 
 
Joint administration in Abyei 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) NCP negotiator and Presidential Adviser Sayed el Khatib 
announced that the CPA partners had agreed to place the disputed 
Abyei region under an administration to be led by an appointee of 
the SPLM, with the assistant to be appointed by the NCP.  This is a 
temporary arrangement until a final agreement can be worked out. 
Both sides confirmed that the Abyei portfolio now lies with the GNU 
presidency. 
 
Presidential committee to tackle contentious issues 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶5.  (U) An NCP representative told the session that one provision of 
the political agreement calls for a standing committee under the 
Presidency, with representatives of the two parties.  The committee 
is to meet "continually" on the more contentious issues still 
outstanding on CPA implementation. 
 
Mid-Term review to stress "unity" 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) Norwegian Ambassador Fridtjov Thorkildsen, as acting AEC 
chairman, noted that the next big challenge for the AEC is to draft 
a mid-term review on implementation of the CPA.  He said that under 
the terms of the presidential decree establishing the CPA, this 
report "is to focus on the unity arrangements."  He suggested that 
he appoint an ad hoc committee, with a representative from each 
party, to work out the "terms of reference" for the review.  This 
committee will aim to present a draft at the next AEC plenary, which 
should be February 26.  (Note: The AEC plans to revert to plenary 
sessions held on the last Tuesday of each month). 
 
¶7.  (U) Ambassador Thorkildsen, coordinators, and the international 
observers congratulated the two parties on working out a solution to 
end their standoff.  He concluded the session saying "this meeting 
has confirmed my impression that this marks a new spirit of 
cooperation between the two CPA parties."  He encouraged the two 
sides to continue with the series of "formal and informal" 
communications they forged during the crisis to avoid future 
crises. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The spirit of good-will and cooperation on 
display at plenary was refreshing, particularly to those who had 
grown exasperated by the foot-dragging, mutual recriminations, and 
nitpicking that had characterized most AEC meetings in 2007 but this 
will be difficult to sustain given underlying tensions.  Along with 
the other observers, we look forward to release of the promised 
"matrix" of the agreement to assist us in planning for upcoming 
Working Group meetings.  We will all be working to sustain the 
feel-good atmosphere, even as we push to wring as much progress as 
possible from the two sides in the months ahead.  Post will forward 
a copy of the matrix as soon as we receive it. 
 
FERNANDEZ