VZCZCXRO1503
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0048 0141524
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141524Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9696
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000048 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, AF SE WILLIAMSON, ECA 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: SOUTHERN SUDANESE CONCERNED ABOUT CHINESE BUSINESS 
INTERESTS 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On Friday, January 11, CG Datta paid a courtesy 
call on George Justin Achor, Undersecretary in the Ministry of 
Presidential Affairs.  Their one-hour discussion covered a wide 
range of topics, including the upcoming CPA celebrations in Wau, the 
LRA, the state of the CPA, the need for American business to come to 
Juba, and the threat that Chinese business interests present to 
Africa. End summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Achor is a busy man these days, having been tasked by the 
GoSS with the organization of the CPA celebrations the GoSS is 
holding in Wau starting on January 13 and running for four days. 
Festivities include, among other things, sporting events, theater 
presentations, dancers and a host of speeches to include a major 
address by Vice President Kiir and nearly everyone else of 
importance in the GoSS.  Although CPA celebrations were held in 
Khartoum on the ninth, the GoSS obviously intends for this to be 
their major event to recognize the anniversary of the signing.  Most 
officials in Juba will empty out on the 14th to be in Wau for Kiir's 
speech, including most of the diplomatic community, which is being 
flown to Wau by the GoSS for the occasion. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Achor went on to describe his recent work on the LRA peace 
talks, which he described as "going well."  When the CG asked Achor 
if he thought Kone had killed his deputy Vincent Otti, he answered 
in the affirmative.  The reason, he believed, was that Otti wanted 
peace at any price, and was even willing to stand trial later if 
that is what it took to make peace.  Kone would have none of it, 
Achor thought, and was paranoid enough about Otti's intentions to 
murder him.  Asked if he though Kone was insane, Achor allowed that 
on the occasions when he has met him, sometimes he's logical, and 
sometimes he is just "different."  Asked if Kone could be trusted to 
keep the peace if one is made, Achor said only if the LRA forces are 
integrated into the Ugandan army.  That would take his men away from 
his control, and Kone would then have no choice in the matter. 
Asked about holding Kone accountable for his crimes, Achor responded 
that this issue is best left to determine at a later time. 
Discussions on this issue now would only serve to harden Kone 
against peace and prolong the suffering of the people in the 
region. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Asked about the status of the CPA, Achor responded that it 
is in a fragile state, especially with the fighting around the Kiir 
river.  He speculated, however, that Bashir might not be behind the 
trouble.  In his view, Bashir is not in total control of his 
intelligence service.  There are, he thought, Islamic hardliners in 
that organization who are running rogue operations without 
authorization, and that includes supplying arms to border groups to 
stir up trouble.  However, he was not particularly worried by the 
violence because he believed the SPLA was more than a match for the 
attacking forces. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Achor then went on to make an appeal for American business 
investment in the south.  He said he had been to Germany and India 
to warm receptions, and that in return both German and Indian 
businessmen had come to Juba.  He would, he said, like to send a 
delegation of GoSS leaders to the US on a trip to explore developing 
new business contacts and relationships. 
 
¶6. (SBU) At this point Achor became very serious, and said to the CG 
that he wanted American businessmen in Juba because he was very 
worried about the Chinese.  "They come to Africa and they take but 
they don't give anything back.  I don't trust them, and I don't want 
them here.  What they want is to turn Africa into a new Chinese 
colony."  Bring in American businessmen, he said, so we have an 
alternative.  He was especially emphatic that he wanted American 
business interests to develop any new oil fields in the south of 
Sudan, not Chinese. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Comment: As we find with nearly all our southern Sudanese 
contacts, Americans are viewed with great hope and anticipation in 
the South.  We will pursue an International Visitor Leadership 
Program (IVLP) for GoSS and local business interests to tour the 
United States for two to three weeks to open the door to new 
business linkages and to begin a dialogue.  The south is crying out 
for a partnership with American businessmen, and this is a win/win 
opportunity we should not miss. 
 
FERNANDEZ