VZCZCXRO1142
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0419 0810831
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 210831Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0266
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000419 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, INL FOR PERRINE/SINGH/BURNETT 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KCRM PREL KPKO SOCI UNSC SU
SUBJECT: GOSS POLICE CONCEDE PROBLEMS, RESOLVE TO IMPROVE POLICING 
AND JUSTICE 
 
REF: KHARTOUM 217 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) held a 
Southern Sudan Police Service (SSPS) Leadership Council Conference 
in Juba on March 11 to 14 to discuss police, security and justice 
issues. UN agencies, State Police Commissioners from ten States of 
Southern Sudan, and Directors of the SSPS delivered their 
assessments of policing in the South. The conference ended with a 
number of recommendations aimed at improving security and justice in 
Southern Sudan. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Conference attendees noted the need to provide improved 
security to the growing numbers of citizens of Southern Sudan and 
called for increased security during the census which is scheduled 
to start April 15.  They candidly noted the growing corruption of 
GOSS leaders and stated the need to clean-up both the GOSS 
government and the SSPS. They called on the UN and other 
stakeholders to assist the GOSS in assessing and meeting 
requirements for reforming and reorganizing the SSPS. 
 
¶3. (SBU) To address the need to improve security, the conference 
participants developed a number of recommendations. These included 
improved police administration by rightsizing the number of police 
officers, developing a code of conducts for officers, improving 
communication between (and among) the ten State headquarters and the 
SSPS headquarters in Juba, and creating a SSPS desk at the GOSS 
Presidency to improve coordination of police and security matters. 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Training recommendations included the creation of a SSPS 
training academy, the development of a unified training curriculum, 
and the creation of cadre of 120 officers specially trained in 
non-lethal means of restoring public order.  Other recommendations 
included the establishment of an Interpol office in Southern Sudan 
as well as Gender and Child Protection Units, and the development of 
specialized sections including: a Crime Statistics Office, a Crime 
Database Office, a Crime Prevention Office, and a forensics 
laboratory.  Finally, the conference recommended the development of 
a uniform code of traffic laws, special traffic courts for prompt 
adjudication of traffic violations, and the creation of a Traffic 
Directorate to improve patrol of the South's highways. 
 
¶5. (SBU) UNMIS Justice Advisor Tim Ecklund told poloff that he was 
impressed by the candid acknowledgement of problems such as official 
corruption, lack of communication between jurisdictions, the need 
for police to be responsive to the public's complaints on police, 
and the need to right-size the police force which is bloated by 
former soldiers.  He said the SSPS could have ignored these basic 
problems and only addressed the need to increase the numbers of 
police rather than seek to improve the quality of the police force. 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment: INL is about to engage in a $32 million two-year 
program in Southern Sudan to improve and reform the police, court 
and penal systems.  This positive USG engagement should have an 
impact on the many problems outlined here, and can help the SSPS 
develop into an effective and trusted police force.  It is 
encouraging that the GOSS and the SSPS have acknowledged the need to 
address fundamental problems such as corruption and poor training. 
The UN is doing its part as well; UNMIS tells us it has an 
initiative to eventually more than double the number of CIVPOL 
officers from 615 to 1500, which should have a dramatic impact since 
these officers will be involved in training to build the capacity of 
the SSPS. 
 
FERNANDEZ