VZCZCXRO5009
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0740/01 1361038
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 151038Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0822
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000740 
 
DEPT A/S FRAZER, S/E WILLIAMSON, AF/SPG, AF/C, AF/E 
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS KDEM SU
SUBJECT: PAGAN AMUN THREATENS TO LEAVE GNU CABINET 
 
REF:  Khartoum 728 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  GNU Cabinet Affairs Minister and SPLM Secretary 
General Pagan Amun cited irreconcilable differences with SPLM 
Chairman and First Vice President of Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit as 
his justification for why he intends to leave the Government of 
National Unity (GNU) and join his wife in Colorado.  Kiir is 
reported to be comfortable with Amun's departure, and leading SPLM 
officials are not entirely sympathetic with the Minister's 
grievances.  Despite this, many in the SPLM continue to press Amun 
to reconsider a departure from the GNU before the 2009 elections. 
Although slated to meet with Kiir again before the start of the 
convention, Amun has also met with the divisive GOSS Vice President 
Machar on two separate occasions since his threat to depart the 
party - meetings which worry the SPLM leadership and international 
observers alike.  The SPLM convention begi.Q%Q#z\TPu) a public apology in front of the party" he would "never" 
work with First Vice President and GOSS President Salva Kiir 
Mayardit again.  Feeling that he is being forced out of a senior 
position in the party in an underhanded way, angry and humiliated as 
a result, Amun told Acting CG that he plans to leave Sudan to be 
with his family in Colorado.  Amun, long embattled as Secretary 
General of the SPLM due to his rocky relationship with party 
Chairman Kiir, cited irreconcilable differences exacerbated by 
"Salva's own demons and insecurities" as the primary motivation for 
his departure from Sudan.  "Kiir has said he cannot work with me, 
and I cannot continue to cover for him in Khartoum, nor serve the 
party, without his support." Amun said. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Although Amun stressed the importance of continuing 
American support for Kiir, he said he could no longer remain active 
in the GNU.  "Salva does not trust me - he believes I am favored by 
the party, favored by the Americans, favored by Bashir."  Amun 
described instances in which he claims he has "covered" for Salva in 
Khartoum:  spiriting sensitive files to Juba, carrying documents for 
the GOSS President's action, and making decisions in Khartoum in his 
stead.  "Salva is absent from Khartoum, absent from Juba, and 
intimidated by the same relationship I have with Bashir that I need 
to do my job," Amun claimed, before evisceraTing Kiir's(poorQ 
ldAderqHip anl maagemdnt{iQls&- aldeoiNo!He!`aS oeve~!ravQ-Q~ttdD$g Bvun)ndS("Y"tTe0CMCSJfg{fO(Nns|e.@uaQcbdaObQe IG5EqLi3*KuepQIQzJ StWkQWfQ,0g5Q-i(final) Interim National Council meeting, 
Amun reportedly took the floor to announce that he was not going to 
compete for the position of Secretary General.  Amun continued, 
noting "I have heard from (Jonglei Governor Manieng) Kuol and others 
that Salva has said he can't work with me, and that he has 
questioned my role in the oversight of the party's finances, and 
while I don't want to split the Movement, I believe the Chairman 
should have addressed these concerns to me directly before bringing 
them to this meeting."  He stated he had raised $32 million for the 
party and would not have his integrity questioned publicly.  Kiir 
responded from the podium "you wait, we must talk privately" but 
Amun rebuffed the request, demanding to depart the session owing to 
recent illness. (NOTE: Amun was hospitalized May 9 for bleeding 
ulcers. Doctors in Khartoum believed he was close to death. END 
NOTE).  Former Southern Sudan VP Joseph Lagu, GNU Minister for Trade 
and Investment James Kok, Unity Governor (and projected SPLM SG) 
Taban Deng Gai, and SPLM elder statesman Abel Alier followed Amun 
from the meeting to demand he reconsider.  Kok reportedly yelled at 
Amun at length, emphasizing that he risked the party's standing 
nationally and had abandoned the vision of John Garang. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Foreign Minister Deng Alor described for poloffs May 14 the 
intra-party pressure tactics SPLM members were employing on both 
Kiir and Amun, most heavily on the latter.  Alor appeared 
unsympathetic to Amun's demands to remain Secretary General and his 
ire over Kiir's preference for Taban.  "We are all for the Movement, 
and we should be expected to serve in any capacity," he said, "I 
asked Pagan today, 'are you really saying you only support the SPLM 
if you are SG?'"  Like others within the party approached by ConGen 
staff, Alor, Kok, GOSS Minister for Energy and Mines John Luk Jok 
all expressed concern that Amun's departure would deeply impact the 
SPLM in a manner that jeopardized the future status and 
implementation of the CPA. While acknowledging that Kiir and Amun 
have traded accusations against one another for years, no SPLM 
official we have spoken with has sided with Amun against Kiir. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Vanguard SPLM leaders continue to push for reconciliation 
between the two. Rebecca Garang, John Luk Jok, Taban Deng Gai, 
 
KHARTOUM 00000740  002 OF 002 
 
 
Abdelaziz El Helou, Yasir Arman and Michael Makuei have met with 
Pagan separately or in groups for the last eight hours. 
Simultaneously, James Kok and GOSS Representative to the U.S. 
Ezekiel Lol Gatkueth have met with Kiir.  Deng Alor told ConGen 
staff that the pair is due to meet the evening of May 14.  Noting 
Amun's tendency to "become overheated," Alor nonetheless believes 
Amun's demand for a public apology by Kiir is an impossible demand. 
Unable to reach a compromise through a stalemate of egos and short 
of securing the SG slot, it is unlikely that Amun will be persuaded 
to change his mind.  Equally disturbing, however, is news that Amun 
has met with GOSS VP (and soon-to-be ousted SPLM Vice Chairman) Riek 
Machar on two separate occasions since May 12.  Amun has not QQ6kU) Amun told Acting CG that he plans to fully participate in 
the SPLM National Convention and stand for election into the 
250-person member National Liberation Council (which will replace 
the Interim National Council).  "I will still be committed to the 
SPLM, as should the United States.  Personally, I cannot stay 
committed to Kiir."  Challenged that he appeared to placing his 
personal status above the party's welfare and the future of Sudan, 
Amun detailed for Acting CG his rapport with President Bashir.  "We 
sit shoulder-to-shoulder at meetings, and Bashir jokes with me about 
others in the room - he respects me and my word.  Salva does not 
have the psychological makeup to handle that closeness.  Taking away 
my status in the SPLM takes away my ability to be a threat to the 
NCP.  I am nothing then, I am just Pagan." 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment: It is possible that at some point during the 
convention the mercurial Amun may reconsider his decision to leave 
Sudan and join his wife in Colorado, but most observers in Juba seem 
to believe Kiir will stand by his decision to remove Amun as SPLM 
Secretary General, and that Amun may not be convinced to remain in 
his position as GNU Minister of Cabinet Affairs.  CG staff will 
continue to urge Amun to stay on in the interests of party unity. 
CDA Fernandez called Amun the evening of May 14 to urge that he 
remain in his position as GNU Cabinet Affairs Minister.  Pagan told 
CDA his decision is irreversible and he looks forward to spending 
time in the U.S. after a quarter century of struggle with the 
movement.  We anticipate additional developments and party shifts in 
what appears to be a highly fluid situation in Juba as the SPLM 
party convention is set to begin May 15. 
 
FERNANDEZ