VZCZCXRO6865
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0569 1050751
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 140751Z APR 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0549
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000569 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SE WILLIAMSON AND AF/SPG 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI KCRM KPKO SU
SUBJECT: NCP ACCUSES SOUTH OF VIOLENCE AGAINST NORTHERNERS 
 
Ref:  Khartoum 536 
 
¶1. (U) On April 8, several newspapers in Northern Sudan published 
stories highlighting supposed escalating violence against Muslim 
Northerners living in the South.  GNU Vice President Taha's public 
remarks about the same issue several days earlier were also widely 
featured in both the local Northern press and on pan-Arab satellite 
station Al-Jazeera. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Michael Makuei, the GoSS Minister for Legal Affairs and 
Constitutional Development, told Congen Poloff that President Bashir 
also raised this specific subject with Vice President Kiir during 
their Khartoum-based meetings the week of April 1 (also reported in 
reftel).  In particular, Bashir cited the death of a Northern 
merchant during a recent robbery in Juba.  According to the 
Minister, Bashir told Kiir "if you can't protect Northerners in the 
South, I will pull them all out myself."  Kiir reportedly responded 
that if that was how the President felt, they should announce 
separation now.  Makuei said Bashir then back-pedaled from his 
statement, while Kiir committed to do more in Juba to protect 
Northerners.  Upon Kiir's return to Juba, he convened an 
extraordiary session of the Southern Sudan Security Council in 
which he reportedly briefed relevant officials on Bashir's remarks 
and demanded immediate action. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Congen DLO subsequently spoke to several 
third-country-national security officials in Juba regarding 
increased violence against Northern Sudanese in the South.  Other 
than this killing of the one Northern merchant in an armed robbery, 
none of them was aware of any specific acts of violence against 
Northerners in the last few months. 
 
¶4. (SBU) During a meeting, however, one local security official did 
mention that many the of Northern Sudanese in Juba are merchants and 
that some Southerners resent what they suspect is 'some sort of 
plan' involving these Northern merchants.  According to this 
official, it is widely believed that most of the merchants are 
employed by the Northern government as spies and that their 
merchandise is supplied to sell as a cover.  The Northern merchants 
reportedly are all provided with goods from the North via ABABEEL 
airlines and the 'proof' is that all their shops carry identical 
goods.  (Note: There has been violence, including murder, against 
these northern merchants in the past, most notably after the death 
of former GOSS President and SPLM leader John Garang in July 2005 
when southerners heard about the violence in Khartoum following his 
death. End note.) 
 
¶5. (SBU) One UN official told Congen that he did not have specific 
numbers, but  believed there has indeed been an increase in violence 
in the last month or two against Northerners in Bentiu, Bor and Yei, 
although there had been no killings. Again, he could provide no 
definite numbers or incidents, but stated that in his opinion the 
public mood lately is more negative toward Northerners. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment:  Juba recently has seen a sharp increase in armed 
robberies, primarily directed against foreigners who are known to 
carry large sums of money due to the lack of banking facilities in 
the South and the resulting need to pay for everything in cash. 
These robberies have resulted in only one murder, however, that of 
the Northern merchant.  It is conceivable that he was murdered 
because of where he was from, while foreigners are left largely 
unharmed in these incidents.  The GoSS has treated the situation 
seriously, and in the last week we have seen a dramatic decline in 
armed robberies.  We know of no other incidents in which a 
Northerner was attacked in Juba, but cannot rule out there may be 
others.  However there does not appear to be evidence of a pattern 
of violence specifically aimed at Northerners at this time that we 
have been able to detect, although there is deep resentment in the 
South against the North, and, should there be a sudden and dramatic 
deterioration of relations with the North or the threat of renewed 
warfare, violence could become a distinct possibility.  Northern 
accusations in this regard at this time, however, strike us more as 
an NCP ploy to cast the South in a harsher light than the facts 
would demand. 
 
FERNANDEZ