VZCZCXRO2318
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0298/01 0620516
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 020516Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0072
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000298 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF/SPG 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU SU
SUBJECT: Abyei Conflict Contained for Now, But Problem Unresolved 
 
Ref:  Khartoum 256 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  SPLM-appointed Abyei administrator Edward Lino 
says that conflict in Abyei has been "contained," in what he calls a 
defeat for NCP hardliners.  The NCP and SPLM, however, appear to 
have been unable to conclude an agreement on joint administration. 
According to Foreign Minister Deng Alor, the main obstacle is the 
dispute over Abyei's northern boundary.  Meanwhile, self-appointed 
Misseriya Abyei Governor al-Ansari has dissolved his administration 
under pressure from the Misseriya High Council.  End Summary. 
 
Edward Lino:  Conflict Contained 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶2.  (SBU) On February 21 USAIDoff met with Edward Lino, the Sudan 
Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM) appointed Governor of Abyei and 
Choul Arop, his newly appointed Minister of Agriculture and Natural 
Resources.  According to Lino, the Deputy-Governor position will be 
NCP-appointed.  Lino was in Khartoum to meet with both SPLM and NCP 
leadership.  Lino asserted that the National Congress Party (NCP) is 
divided on the Abyei issue.  He termed one group the "hawks", 
including Presidential Advisor Nafie Ali Nafie, who are pushing for 
war with the intent to derail the CPA and create a separate Northern 
government in Abyei.  The other group, including President Bashir, 
wants to contain the Abyei situation.  Lino said that a high-ranking 
NCP official, when hearing that President Bashir was considering 
accepting a reconciliation on the Abyei administration issue asked: 
"Why are you reconciling the Misseriya and Dinka; don't you know 
that they (the Misseriya) are my reserve forces to fight the SPLA?" 
 
 
A Sincere Promise of Peace? 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶3.  (SBU) Lino had just come from a meeting with the head of Sudan's 
Military Intelligence, who promised to open the road leading to 
Abyei and who indicated that a national resolution on Abyei looks 
likely.  Lino said that he told the Military Intelligence head that 
although opening the road would signal good intentions, the road 
opening was not the SPLM's priority.  The SPLM are concerned about 
bringing peace to the area.  (Note: To date the road remains closed. 
 End Note.)  Lino said that a resolution to the Abyei administration 
dispute is possible (but not guaranteed) because of mounting 
pressure on the Presidency, including from Misseriya leaders. 
 
Al-Ansari a Non-Concern 
- - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶4.  (SBU) Lino dismissed self-appointed Misseriya Abyei "Governor" 
Muhammed Umar al-Ansari as a non-concern.  He described Al-Ansari's 
actions as politically reckless.  The Higher Council of the 
Misseriya, including Abdal Rasool al Nor, Ahmed Salih Saluba, Adam 
Sabir, Abdal Rahman Al Hassan, Mahdi Babu Nimir and Al Heir Al 
Fahim, publicly issued a decree renouncing Al-Ansari's actions and 
stating that he does not represent the Misseriya.  Al-Ansari 
subsequently dissolved his government. 
 
Conflict within the SPLM 
- - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶5.  (SBU) On February 23, Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed, an NCP member of 
Parliament and member of the six-man committee dealing with Abyei, 
told Poloff that on February 21, the NCP and the SPLM reached 
agreement in principle on the joint administration of Abyei.  Under 
the agreement, Dirdeiry said that the SPLM will nominate a Chief 
Administrator and the NCP will nominate the Deputy Administrator. 
(Note:  This agrees with what Lino told USAIDoff.  End Note.) 
Dirdeiry said that the NCP will accept any person the SPLM names as 
Chief Administrator, including Edward Lino. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) According to Dirdeiry, the NCP has "remained engaged on 
Abyei" since February 21 and has met with the SPLM several times on 
the issue at different levels.  In their February 21 meeting, 
President Bashir and First VP Kiir agreed on the need for the two 
parties to draft a written agreement on the interim administration 
in Abyei, which Bashir and Kiir would sign. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Later on February 21, the SPLM and the NCP discussed this 
draft agreement.  According to Dirdeiry, while SPLM Secretary 
General Pagan Amum and others accepted the text, the SPLM's Deng 
Alor rejected it.  (Deng is Foreign Minister in the Government of 
National Unity (GNU) and an Abyei native.)  Deng believes that 
several issues in the draft agreement need to be "revisited," 
according to Dirdeiry.  Dirdeiry said that "Deng and Pagan are not 
seeing eye to eye on several issues with regard to Abyei." (Note: 
Dirdeiry refused to be drawn out on Deng's objections, but on 
February 25, Deng told SE Williamson that Abyei's northern border is 
the primary difficulty -  see para. 9.  End note.) 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Dirdeiry said that the NCP needs to have Deng "on board" 
 
KHARTOUM 00000298  002 OF 002 
 
 
with the agreement.  Several NCPers met with Deng in his home 
February 22 in an attempt to win his support for the draft 
agreement.  Dirdeiry said that, despite progress, Deng became 
"furious" when he was unable to persuade Pagan and the NCP to make 
changes to the draft text.  Pagan and the NCP told Deng that the two 
parties must move forward immediately with some kind of solution. 
 
Deng Alor:  Abyei Unresolved 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶9. (SBU) On February 25, Deng Alor himself confirmed to Special 
Envoy Williamson that the SPLM and NCP have been unable to resolve 
the Abyei dispute.  He indicated that the Abyei Boundary Commission 
(ABC) report and the location of Abyei's northern border are the 
main obstacle.  Deng said that, as a prominent SPLMer from the 
region, he hears from Abyei residents when things are going wrong. 
Presumably referring to the meetings described by Dirdeiry, Deng 
said that a joint NCP-SPLA committee has been working on the issue, 
but without success so far.  A delegation led by Pagan and including 
SAF and SPLA officers was to travel to Abyei that same morning to 
hold talks with Ngok Dinka and Misseriya.  Deng said that Vice 
President Kiir and Pagan would be able to shed more light on the 
issue when they meet SE Williamson. 
 
Comment 
- - - - 
¶10.  (SBU) The NCP and SPLM appear to have come close to an 
agreement on Abyei administration following the February 21 
Bashir-Kiir meeting, but then came to grief when trying to work out 
specifics.  The location of Abyei's Northern boundary is one fraught 
with emotion for Southerners and is unlikely to be resolved as long 
as the NCP rejects the ABC report.  Edward Lino's confidence and 
al-Ansari's stepping down, apparently under pressure from fellow 
Misseriya, indicate that the two sides have stepped back from the 
brink of conflict, at least for now. 
 
FERNANDEZ