VZCZCXRO2019
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0262/01 0561243
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 251243Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3086
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 000262 
 
DEPT FOR AF A A/S CARTER, AF/SPG, AF/E 
NSC FOR MGAVIN AND CHUDSON 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS KPKO UNSC ASEC MARR MOPS SU
SUBJECT: MALAKAL TENSIONS PERSIST AFTER TANGINIYA DEPARTS 
 
REF: KHARTOUM 250 
 
¶1.  (U) This is an action request - see para. 13. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  Erstwhile SSDF Commander and current SAF Major 
General Gabriel Tanginiya returned to Khartoum February 24 following 
his evacuation from Malakal via a chartered Antanov flight.  GOSS 
Vice President Riek Machar, who arrived in Malakal that same evening 
in defiance of GOSS President Salva Kiir Mayardit's explicit 
directive to the contrary, facilitated the SAF commander's 
departure.  Tanginiya's exit from Upper Nile State occurred despite 
the NCP Governor's endorsement of his arrest. The Government of 
Southern Sudan asserted that petroleum police at Paloich attacked 
the village's civilian population hours after the attack. 
UNMIS/Juba confirmed that fighting along the fringes of the Western 
Upper Nile oil fields was still occurring by 6:30PM that same day. 
Tensions remain high along the Renk-Malakal corridor today, and the 
cash-strapped Government of Southern Sudan has asked for 
international assistance in attending to the displaced.  Tanginiya's 
departure has refocused the GOSS's attention on Machar's actions. 
Interlocutors predict Kiir-Machar "fireworks" at this weekend's 
Southern Sudan Defense Council Meeting. END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
TANGINIYA DEPARTS, AND MARCHAR ALIENATES KIIR 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) SPLA sources confirmed that an uninjured Tanginiya departed 
Malakal at 9PM on February 24 via a chartered Antanov flight.  (SPLA 
Affairs Minister Nhial Deng Nhial corrected earlier erroneous 
reports that the pro-Khartoum Nuer commander has been wounded during 
the fighting.)  ConGen Juba contacts in Malakal and Juba note that 
GOSS Vice President Riek Machar (also a Nuer) apparently facilitated 
Tanginiya's departure. UNMIS Chief David Gressly (strictly protect) 
told ConGen PolOff on February 24 that an exasperated GOSS President 
Kiir told him that Machar had violated his explicit instructions not 
to travel to Malakal, but that UNMIS should afford him "all 
diplomatic courtesy" and that Kiir would "handle him when he returns 
to Juba." (NOTE: Machar had been in Khartoum for another session of 
the joint NCP/SPLM Executive Committee talks on CPA implementation, 
and he remains in Malakal as of February 25. END NOTE.) 
 
¶4. (SBU) Undersecretary for Regional Cooperation Cirinio Hiteng 
Ofuho opined to CG Juba on February 25 that Machar's arrival amidst 
the fighting made "absolutely no sense."  Machar has no authority 
over the SPLA, and none of what was unfolding in Malakal fell under 
the purview of his community security duties (although Machar 
doubtless believes anything involving the Nuer has to do with him). 
The Undersecretary forecast Machar was due for a rocky reception 
upon his return to Juba at week's end, and likely would be the focus 
of debate during this week's GOSS Council of Ministers meeting and 
the Southern Sudan Defense Council (which he generally chairs).  A 
one-on-one meeting between Kiir and Machar has already been arranged 
for Saturday. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Hiteng also noted that Machar arrived in Malakal with GNU 
State Minister for Humanitarian Affairs (and ICC-indictee) Ahmed 
Haroun.  While Machar could conceivably have traveled with Haroun to 
guarantee the latter's security (an already provoked SPLA might have 
welcomed the opportunity to arrest Haroun in lieu of Tanginya), 
Haroun's travel southward reinforces GOSS/SPLM suspicions that the 
SAF/NCP was involved in Tanginiya's travel.  SPLA sources, 
UNMIS/Malakal civil affairs staff, and members of the Sector Three 
Area Joint Military Committee continue to deny that Tanginiya was 
given "permission" to return to the South as previously reported in 
reftel.  (Note:  On the other hand, senior SPLM figures such as Deng 
Alor and Pagan Amun have always acknowledged that they appreciate 
working with Haroun, who they say is direct and reliable in 
negotiations and delivers on his promises more than some other 
members of the NCP. End note.) 
 
¶6. (SBU) NCP negotiator Yehia Babiker told polchief February 25 the 
incident was a big disappointment for him and some others in the 
NCP, because the flight Tang took was the inaugural flight of the 
new Sudan Airways link between Khartoum, Malakal, and Juba.  Now 
this incident has tarnished the image of the new flight, he said. 
Babiker did not deny that there were elements in the SAF that would 
like to provoke incidets such as the one in Malakal, and 
acknowledged the dangers of working with tenebrous figures such as 
General Tanginiya.  However Babiker deniedthere was some sort of 
"conspiracy from the top" to attempt to destabilize the South so 
that the SAF would have to intervene.  "You give us too much credit 
sometimes," claimed Babiker.  Babiker participated in the 
Bashir-Taha-Kiir meetings in Juba February 24 nd said the GNU 
President and Vice Presidents were still able to make some progress 
 
KHARTOUM 00000262  002 OF 003 
 
 
during discussions about a common ICC response, elections, and the 
Unity fund, but the meeting wound up being overtaken by events in 
Malakal.  Babiker thought it was useful for Bashir to be in Juba 
during this incident, though, as Bashir demanded a response from the 
SAF/MOD, and the MOD arrived in Malakal on February 25 to assist in 
resolving the situation.  Always the optimist, Babiker said it is 
unfortunate that incidents such as this one get in the way of 
progress in the SPLM-NCP relationship, and confirmed earlier 
reporting of ongoing SPLM-NCP negotiations on elections and the 
referendum law (septel). 
 
------------------------------------------- 
UNMIS VIEWS SAF AS THE CULPRIT, GOSS AGREES 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) On February 24, UNMIS/Juba Civil Affairs Deputy Director 
Diane De Guzman emphasized po ConGen PoLoff 4hat$Talginiy remaYn `- 
SAQ Mqfr GmoEral- amd$.owuhtl` EHLYQ mQv{jDefm yxEn