VZCZCXRO2887
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0021 0071158
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 071158Z JAN 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2656
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000021 
 
DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON, AF/SPG 
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: AEC PLENARY - ABYEI UPDATE FROM UNMIS FORCE COMMANDER 
 
¶1. (SBU) During the first Assessment and Evaluation Plenary session 
of 2009, UNMIS Force Commander Brigadier General Thapa provided an 
update on the situation in Abyei.  He said the ceasefire per the 
July Abyei Roadmap has held, with the exception of the December 12 
shooting incident in the Abyei market.  As a result of that 
incident, the Joint Integrated Units (JIUs) have now redeployed to 
their designated camps outside of Abyei town and off-duty JIU 
military and JIPU police have been "disarmed." 
 
¶2. (SBU) Thapa cited good progress in the deployment of the JIUs, 
with one company deployed at Manyam and another at "Balou," with 
additional companies set for deployment to Agok and Difra.  SPLA and 
SSDS police have now departed Agok, while 10 SSDS officers remain in 
Agok for inquiries only.  UNMIS remains concerned about the presence 
of oil police and 11 SAF soldiers at Difra; the Joint Defense Board 
is looking at this issue.  Thapa said that both the SAF and the SPLA 
had agreed to hold additional combined  Joint Defense Board (which 
UNMIS is not a member of) and Ceasefire Political Commission (which 
UNMIS is a member of) so that UNMIS may participate in sessions 
related to security issues to assist with implementation of 
decisions aken by the parties.  Thapa said there is still a grave 
lack of resources for the JIUs in terms of both transport and 
infrastructure.  UNMIS has provided some communications equipment to 
the JIUs and has offered to transport JIUs to their locations when 
appropriate, but cannot provide the JIUs with vehicles (that is the 
job of the SAF and the SPLA).  Thapa said that UNMIS has been 
working with the JDB and the CPC to urge the provision of additional 
resources to the JIUs. 
 
¶3. (SBU) AEC SPLM representative Angelina Teny, Dutch Ambassador 
Norbert Braakhuis (as head of the Power Sharing Working Group) and 
CDA Fernandez (as head of the Wealth Sharing Working Group) all 
noted that funds still have not been transferred to the Abyei 
Interim Administration, nor to the Dinka community, nor have 
projects begun under the Unity Fund.  Following the formal session, 
Dr. Mohammed Osman Ibrahim from the Fiscal and Financial Allocation 
and Monitoring Commission at the Sudanese Presidency told polchief 
that there has been a serious problem at the Ministry of Finance 
with fiscal liquidity, and that transfers have been delayed in many 
areas of the GNU.   Separately, Dutch Ambassador and CDA Fernandez 
agreed to work toward organizing a joint meeting of the Power 
Sharing and Wealth Sharing working groups within the next week or 
two at which GNU representatives such as Unity Fund director General 
Yehia Babiker Hussein could be called upon to explain when transfers 
will be made to Abyei so that the Interim Administration can 
function and development projects may proceed. 
 
FERNANDEZ