VZCZCXRO6425
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0393/01 0770512
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 170512Z MAR 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0229
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000393 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KSCA OTRA EAID CDC SU
SUBJECT: AEC CHAIRMAN REQUESTS U.S. ASSISTANCE WITH STAFFING FOR 
JUBA OFFICE 
 
REFS: A) KHARTOUM 258, B) KHARTOUM 352 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY: The Steering Committee of the Assessment and 
Evaluation Commission (AEC) met March 16 to review a draft outline 
for the Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) of the CPA.  The MTE is due to be 
delivered to the Sudanese Presidency by July 9, requiring a robust 
series of meetings by the AEC's four working groups.  At the 
meeting, the SPLM was represented by a low-ranking member who was 
not authorized to engage in substantive discussions.  Prior to the 
meeting, AEC Chairman Ambassador Plumbly informed us of his letter 
to A/S Frazer requesting that the U.S. provide a senior staffer to 
head up the AEC's office in Juba.  END SUMMARY 
 
AEC REQUESTS AMERICAN TO HEAD JUBA OFFICE 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Prior to the meeting, Sir Derek huddled with U.S. Embassy 
reps to discuss his intended letter to AF A/S Frazer.  We received a 
copy of the letter later in the day, which Plumbly emailed directly 
to A/S Frazer, in which he thanks the USG for its material support 
to the AEC, and then requests that the Department provide an officer 
to head the AEC office in Juba.  Plumbly envisions a first secretary 
Foreign Service Officer, though we informed him that a contractor 
would be more likely (given the difficulty of assigning an FSO) if 
this proposal is accepted.  (Comment: The proposal has merit as it 
would help the AEC to engage with the SPLM, which has had difficulty 
focusing on the AEC. End comment.) 
 
YET AGAIN: WHERE'S THE SPLM? 
----------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) The March 15 Steering Committee meeting was led by Chairman 
(Amb. Derek Plumbly), the Vice Chairman (Kenyan Ambassador Robert 
Ngesu), the four working group coordinators, and the two CPA 
parties.  The meeting was delayed half an hour as other delegates 
waited for the SPLM representative to arrive.  The representative 
turned out to be Khalid Mohamed A. Jadain, head of the SPLM Caucus 
in the Khartoum State Legislative Council, who had to be summoned 
from his Khartoum hospital bed whereQ+QMFQ CPA envoy.  Plumbly 
said the delegation underscores the AU's renewed commitment to the 
CPA process. 
 
DRAFT OUTLINE FOR MTE 
--------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) Most of the meeting was spent reviewing a draft outline for 
the MTE; members stressed that the MTE should cover successes as 
well as shortcomings.  Plumbly said the Steering Committee would 
meet again soon with the participation of SPLM Minister Kosti Manibe 
to approve the draft. 
 
OTHER ITEMS 
----------- 
 
¶7.  (U) Among other news from the March 16 meeting: 
 
-- Plumbly said he is still working on recruiting a "primary 
drafter" to write the MTE.  He said he has received an offer from 
Canada to fill one of the positions on the AEC staff. 
 
-- The UK Ambassador reported that the Security Working Group 
completed its field trip to the Joint Integrated Units (JIUs) in the 
South. 
 
-- The Italian Ambassador noted that the Power Sharing WG expects to 
hold an event in Juba by the end of March related to the national 
census. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) COMMENT: As WSWG Coordinator, post will begin work on a 
 
KHARTOUM 00000393  002 OF 002 
 
 
first draft of its section of the midterm evaluation, with final 
language to be approved by consensus between the two parties before 
it goes to the AEC Secretariat's primary drafter.  We will continue 
to urge the SPLM to devote more support and attention to the 
process. 
 
¶9. (SBU) COMMENT CONT: If SPG can fund it, the request for US 
staffing of the AEC office in Juba deserves consideration.  This 
would enable the AEC to communicate more regularly with the SPLM and 
to encourage greater SPLM participation in the AEC process. 
 
FERNANDEZ