VZCZCXRO0994
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0796 1431425
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221425Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0903
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000796 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, SE WILLIAMSON 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID KPKO SU
SUBJECT: MAY 21 ABYEI TIDBITS 
 
REF: Yesterday's Abyei Cable 
 
Abyei Quiet, Kiir River Bridge Intact 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶1.  (SBU) With the exception of sporadic, possibly random, firing, 
Abyei is reported to have been quiet for the previous 24 hours as of 
early May 24.  Contrary to previous reports (reftel), according to 
the SPLA the bridge over the Kiir River remains intact, although 
supposedly two aerial bombs fell nearby on May 20.  The Abyei Area 
Joint Military Commission (AJMC) was unable to meet because the SAF 
(a full colonel) reported that their representative had been killed 
in the May 20 fighting. 
 
SPLM Adopts Resolution on Abyei 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶2.  (U) On its closing day (May 21), the SPLM National Convention 
condemned the "atrocities" against and displacement of civilians and 
called upon the SPLM Political Bureau to take action via the 
following resolutions: 
 
O Called for charges of crimes against humanity to be leveled 
against the SAF 31st Brigade, 
O Reasserted that the JIU should be the only armed force in Abyei, 
 
O Condemned restrictions on UNMIS freedom of movement. 
O Called on IGAD and friends of IGAD to press the NCP to implement 
the ABC Report and Abyei Protocol generally, 
O Noted with "utter dismay" the failure to implement the Abyei 
Protocol and called for increased pressure on the NCP. 
 
President Kiir promised in his closing remarks to personally 
supervise the implementation of the resolution but he also expressed 
regret for the loss of life of SAF soldiers (killed in an SPLA 
attack although the obvious connection was not stated). 
 
AEC Meeting Rescheduled for May 25 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶3.  (SBU) The Assessment and Evaluation Commission (AEC) emergency 
meeting to discuss Abyei planned for May 22 in Juba was postponed at 
the last minute after the NCP announced that they were unable to 
send a representative because they anticipated a possible conflict 
with a meeting of the Ceasefire Political Commission or with the 
daylong NCP Consultative (Shura) Council meeting scheduled for May 
22). The Shura Council will discussed the NCP's policies on Darfur, 
Chad and the confrontation over Abyei. The AEC meeting has been 
rescheduled for Sunday, May 25 in Khartoum. 
 
¶4. (SBU) UN SRSG Ashraf Qazi told CDA Fernandez late on May 21 that 
the efforts of multiple players in the international community seem 
to have encouraged some self-restraint from both sides at the 11th 
hour but he is concerned that, absent a definitive compromise in the 
near future, further violence is guaranteed and "each time it 
becomes harder to return to the status quo." 
 
FERNANDEZ