VZCZCXRO4396
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0509 0970513
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060513Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0404
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0307

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000509 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI SU
SUBJECT: DUP NEGOTIATES ALLIANCE WITH NCP 
 
REF: KHARTOUM 325 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: Poloffs spoke April 3 with Tag El-Sir Mohammed 
Salih, Deputy Secretary General of the Democratic Unionist Party'S 
(DUP) Mirghani faction.  Salih confirmed that elderly DUP leader 
Mohammed Osman Al-Mirghani will soon return to Khartoum from Cairo 
despite alleged threats against him by members of some armed groups. 
 The party realizes it cannot compete in elections on its own, so it 
is negotiating an alliance with the ruling National Congress Party 
(NCP).   Salih claimed that democratization under the Cairo 
Agreement of June 18, 2005 had achieved progress in the country, 
pointing out that freedom of speech and assembly are now a fact of 
life. End Summary. 
 
Al-Mirghani to return soon despite threats 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Speaking to Poloffs in his downtown Khartoum offices, 
Salih said that DUP party leader Al-Mirghani would soon be returning 
to Khartoum.  (Note: The DUP's original Mirghani faction, one of 
five factions due to splintering, has been saying that Al-Mirghani 
would be returning "soon" for the last six months. End note.)  Salih 
said the only impediment to Al-Mirghani's return is rehabilitation 
of his residence and offices, which had been confiscated by "the 
regime" and turned into a hospital.  Asked to comment on news 
reports that elements of Al-Fatah Forces, an armed movement 
associated with the DUP, had threatened al-Mirghani should he return 
(charging that the leader had "sold out" to the NCP), Salih 
confirmed that threats had been made, but described them as a 
"propaganda bubble" and told poloffs the party will take legal 
action against those making the threats. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) While the party is concerned about their leader's safety, 
Salih said the DUP had arranged Al-Mirghani's return with the NCP 
regime.  He said Al-Mirghani's son just returned to Khartoum last 
week without any problems. 
 
Election Strategy: Alliance with ruling NCP 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) When asked what the DUP's election strategy would be, and 
whether there was truth to reports that the party wants an alliance 
with the NCP, Salih said his party realizes it could not hope to 
compete on its own since the NCP controls all the resources.  For 
that reason, the party is negotiating with the NCP regarding the 
terms of an alliance in preparation for the 2009 elections.  (NOTE: 
In an earlier meeting, Salih told Poloff that the party tries to 
keep talks going with all the major political parties. End note.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU) On a related issue, we asked Salih about the recent 
defection from the party and to the NCP of several wealthy backers 
(reported in REFTEL).  He replied that it is understandable that 
business leaders need access to the halls of power to protect their 
own interests, such as helping with customs problems.  However, he 
denied that the departure of the backers had caused any further 
financial hardship for the DUP.  The party was in tight financial 
straits before the defections, so the situation had not improved and 
is not any worse as a result. 
 
Democratization is here now 
--------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Salih claimed proudly that the provisions of the Cairo 
Agreement signed between the NCP and the DUP on June 18, 2005 - with 
provisions relating to democratization and political freedoms - had 
born fruit for all of Sudan's people.  He said the Sudanese people 
and the media are now free to criticize the government, even to the 
point of calling for the end of the regime.  Political parties are 
free to meet, and do so regularly, in cities and towns throughout 
the country. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The picture of the DUP (Al-Mirghani faction) 
conveyed by Salih is of a political force unsure of its own 
continued reason for being, a party that no longer plays a 
significant role as political opposition.  One faction of the party 
currently participates in the Government of National Unity.  The 
original DUP faction is slowly being weakened by defections to the 
ruling NCP (to say nothing of party schisms) even as the party 
negotiates an election alliance with the NCP - because that's where 
the money is.  To a great extent, this lack of vigor and leadership 
is the result of Al-Mirghani waiting endlessly in the wings in 
Cairo.  The DUP is essentially a spent force at this point, only 
worth watching in the context of pre-election alliances. 
 
FERNANDEZ