VZCZCXRO8778
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0094 0231019
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231019Z JAN 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9762
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000094 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, AF SE WILLIAMSON 
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: GNU STATE MINISTER DECLARES RE-ESTABLISHED SPLM-NCP 
RELATIONSHIP A "NEW PAGE" 
 
REF: (A) KHARTOUM 075 
 
(B) KHARTOUM 027 
(C) KHARTOUM 015 
 
¶1. (SBU) On 22 January, CDA Fernandez called on newly appointed 
Minister of State for the Presidency, Joseph Lual.  Minister Lual, 
an SPLM member from the Dinka tribe and former state administrator 
for Bahr el Ghazal, was brought into the government when the SPLM 
ended its boycott of the GNU earlier this month.  Describing the 
re-established SPLM-NCP cooperation as the opening of a "new page" 
for the two parties, he explained that the parties are jointly 
working to resolve critical issues such as the Abyei border dispute. 
Lual also worked for many years with ICRC and WFP in the South and 
in Sudanese refugee camps and was resident in Liberia during some of 
the worst years of the violence there. 
 
¶2. (SBU) After congratulating the new minister on his appointment 
and asking him about the renewed SPLM-NCP cooperation, the CDA 
raised the issue of Misseriya-SPLM skirmishes in Southern Kordofan 
(refs B and C).  Lual commended the leadership of President 
Al-Bashir in guiding the Joint Defense Board (JDB) to resolve the 
skirmishes, which he said "are being taken care of." 
 
¶3. (SBU) The CDA asked Lual about a USD 11 million shortfall in 
census funding that the GNU verbally promised to release in 2008. 
Lual defended the government by saying that the 2008 budget was 
approved late last month and that the Minister of Finance is working 
on the details of financial disbursement.  Lual admitted that if the 
GNU does not release the remaining census funds, it could be a 
"major stumbling block" to the census process but expected the 
shortfall would be met.  [NOTE: The national census is set to take 
place April 15-30. END NOTE.] 
 
¶4. (SBU) Lual declined to comment on the rumor that the British 
UNAMID Chief of Staff would be dismissed by the GNU.  When asked by 
the CDA if the two parties consulted on such matters, Lual said that 
consultation "may be" taking place. CDA Fernandez warned that such a 
step would be very unfortunate.  On the US-Sudanese relationship, 
Lual stated that the GNU partners agreed that the relationship 
should be improved, but he had no answer for how long it would take. 
The CDA responded by stating that newly appointed US Special Envoy 
to Sudan, Ambassador Richard Williamson, will likely make his first 
visit to Sudan in his official position in February and will be 
looking to hear the GNU's views on ways to improve the 
relationship. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Lual concluded by asserting that the NCP-SPLM will not 
return to war, but rather will fight their battles through verbal 
negotiation.  He likened the CPA to the Ten Commandments, as far as 
South Sudanese are concerned, and asked the CDA for the USG's help 
in safeguarding and implementing the agreement.  The CDA assured 
Lual that the USG is always willing to listen and to help with such 
issues and highlighted the USG's ongoing commitment to Sudan by 
pointing out that the USG is the largest bilateral donor in the 
country. 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: Lual spoke broadly and cautiously in his 
discussions and lent little valuable insight on critical issues. 
Although he claimed that the NCP-SPLM relationship has gotten off to 
solid "new" start, we have seen signs that grave mistrust between 
the two parties still exists, especially on issues such as Abyei, 
the census, and the 2009 national elections (ref A). Lual's 
discretion may be laudable but he faces tremendous challenges. The 
Minister of State for the Presidency is in a key position to 
implement policies decided by Sudan's three-man presidency 
(Al-Bashir, FVP Kiir, VP Taha) but will have to be an 
extraordinarily subtle and dogged bureaucratic player not to be 
deceived by experienced NCP insiders.  END COMMENT. 
 
FERNANDEZ