VZCZCXRO0974
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0573/01 1181355
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281355Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3655
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 000573 
 
DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A A/S CARTER, AF/E 
NSC FOR MGAVIN AND CHUDSON 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM EAID KPKO SOCI ASEC AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: ABDEL AZIZ HELOU ON SPLM DARFUR INITIATIVE AND NCP 
OBSTRUCTION OF CPA IMPLEMENTATION 
 
REF:  KHARTOUM 571 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  High-ranking SPLM official Abdel Helou Helou told 
CDA Fernandez that the SPLM is seeking to unite the Darfur rebel 
factions, because as long as they remain weak and divided, the NCP 
will be able to avoid serious peace negotiations.  He named security 
as his chief priority in his new post as Deputy Governor of Southern 
Kordofan, followed by the return of expelled NGOs, education, and 
roads.  END SUMMARY. 
 
"Critical Time" in the Nuba Mountains 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶2. (SBU) On April 27, CDA Fernandez met with Northern SPLM leader 
and recently-appointed Southern Kordofan state Deputy Governor Abdel 
Helou Helou.  Helou was accompanied by SPLM Southern Kordofan 
Assessment and Evaluation Commission official Neroun Phillips.  The 
CDA noted that Helou has been "wearing three hats" in the SPLM: 
elections, Darfur and South Kordofan's Nuba Mountains region. 
Charge Fernandez said he was glad that Helou will now be 
concentrating his attention on Southern Kordofan because, while 
there are others in the SPLM who can work on elections and Darfur, 
there is no one else to deal with the Nuba Mountains.   Helou said 
that this is a "critical time" to make progress on CPA 
implementation in the Nuba Mountains, otherwise there could be a 
return to war.  There are only eight months to prepare for credible 
elections that are a necessary precondition to the popular 
consultations in Southern Kordofan promised in the CPA. 
 
Darfur:  Bringing the Rebel Groups Together 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶3. (SBU) CDA Fernandez asked about Helou's Darfur portfolio.  Helou 
said that the SPLM strategy is to unify the fractured Darfur rebel 
groups.  As long as the factions remain divided and weak, the NCP 
feels comfortable and confident and will not negotiate seriously. 
The NCP understands that if it agrees to a power-sharing formula 
with the rebels, it will lose its mechanical parliamentary majority. 
 That is why in the Doha process they chose to negotiate only with 
JEM, Helou said.  The NCP is only interested in achieving a 
ceasefire.  Once they have that, they will stop participating 
seriously in further negotiations.  The CDA observed that the rebels 
do not control any territory that would threaten the regime.  The 
only advantage they have is being able to launch attacks and cause 
trouble.  Once they give up that, they lose any leverage they have 
over the regime.  Helou added that the NCP is trying to divide the 
rebels along tribal lines. 
 
¶4. (SBU) According to Helou, the SPLM has invited seven rebel 
groups, including JEM and SLM-Abdul Wahid, to confer in Juba on May 
5 and seek a common position.  Helou said he had met with the 
stubborn and confused SLM leader Abdul Wahid Al Nur in Paris for six 
hours (Abdul Wahid refused to accept the presence of SPLM official 
Yasser Arman in the room).  In the end, Abdul Wahid reluctantly 
agreed to send an SLM delegation to Juba, although he would not 
attend himself.  Asked whether the NCP is aware of the Juba 
conference, Helou said that the NCP knows and approves of the 
gathering. 
 
Nuba Mountains: Security is Foremost Concern 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶5. (SBU) Turning to his new position as Deputy Governor of South 
Kordofan, Helou said he would be departing soon to take up his post. 
 He noted there are many problems, security foremost among them. 
Phillips stated that the NCP is creating these security problems by 
arming the Arab tribes like the Misseriya and Hawazma that migrate 
annually through the Nuba Mountains.  The heavily armed tribesmen 
clash with local farmers over access to water.  Phillips argued that 
the problem is "worse" in Nuba than elsewhere, because there are 
more clashes and more deaths.  Phillips added that while the 
Southern Kordofan state authorities could take proactive measures to 
avert problems, but instead they wait for conflicts to break out, 
then they react.  The Charge commented that there had been plans for 
conflict mediation to be carried out by some of the NGOs that have 
since been expelled by the Khartoum government. 
 
¶6. (SBU) CDA said he had heard that people in the Nuba Mountains 
were outspoken when they met with the joint UN-GOS mission to assess 
humanitarian needs following the GoS order expelling INGOs after the 
indictment of President Bashir by the International Criminal Court. 
Phillips stated that the Nuba Mountains receive no services from the 
state government, only from the NGOs.  Helou ticked off a list of 
unfulfilled NCP commitments under the CPA:  Popular Defense Force 
militias have not disbanded or disarmed as promised, nor has DDR 
started.  (Note:  A UN small pilot DDR program is scheduled to kick 
off in Southern Kordofan soon, but this program does not include 
 
KHARTOUM 00000573  002 OF 003 
 
 
disarmament of militias.  End note.)  He also charged that the SAF 
has not reduced its forces in the region.  The CDA noted that the 
NCP accuses the SPLA of not having withdrawn its forces from the 
Nuba Mountains, south of the 1956 border.  Phillips denied there are 
SPLA fighters in the Nuba Mountains.  He said that the SPLA has 
withdrawn south of the border to Lake Abyad.  CDA asked whether it 
still is true that the SPLA soldiers at Lake Abyad lack basic 
services.  Phillips agreed that this continues to be a major 
problem, especially the lack of potable water. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Helou said he had met already with Southern Kordofan's 
NCP-appointed Governor and it is clear that he is not serious about 
tackling these issues.  Rather than take real action, the Governor 
said will appoint an advisor on security issues. 
 
Returning Expelled NGOs 
- - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶8. (SBU) Helou said the second critical issue is the return of the 
NGOs that were expelled.  The Charge noted that Presidential Special 
Envoy Gration pressed Khartoum to allow the return of the NGOs. 
Most likely, the NGO programs that are now operating in the Nuba 
Mountains would return but as different organizations, thus allowing 
the NCP not to have to admit it had made a mistake in expelling the 
NGOs. 
 
NCP and Umma No Different 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶9. (SBU) Asked who he thinks will be the SPLM's chief rival in 
Southern Kordofan in next year's elections, Helou said that he 
expects it to be the Umma Party.  The NCP, the Sudan National Party, 
and the Democratic Unionist Party also will compete, he said. 
"There is no difference between Umma and the NCP," he said, when 
asked about the potential for an SPLM-Umma coalition in the state. 
Both represent the same Arab, tribal, and religious interests, said 
Helou. 
 
Education, Roads, and IDP Returns 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶10. (SBU) Helou urged that the U.S. assist with education in the 
Nuba Mountains region.  Helou said he would like help in sustaining 
the three institutes to train local teachers established by the SPLM 
during the war years.  He also said there are an adequate number of 
primary schools, but there are no secondary schools.  CDA noted that 
the U.S. had been working on a plan to assist the three areas, but 
that this has been set back by the order to expel USAID's NGO 
partners.  He said he would ask USAID to look at education in the 
Nuba Mountains again. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Helou and Phillips said that the Nuba Mountains badly need 
roads.  CDA noted that roads are a USAID priority and that an 
assessment team has traveled to the Nuba Mountains.  Work on the 
road connecting Kadugli and Kauda is planned, paid for with 
Multi-Donor Trust Fund money.  Phillips said there also is a need 
for a road connecting Kauda and Rahad (which sits on the 
Obeid-Khartoum highway), so that the Nuba Mountains region could 
link into markets in the North. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Finally, Helou raised the issue of Nuban IDPs in the North 
who wish to return to their home region.  He said there are 
currently 100,000 Nuban IDPs (including 65,000 in Khartoum) who 
would like to return to their homes before elections and requested 
assistance finding funds to allow this to happen.  Helou noted that 
the GOSS returns program has thus far refused to fund returns to the 
Nuba Mountains.  (Comment:  It is true that the GOSS has focused 
heavily on returns to areas south of the 1-1-56 border, and it was 
clear from our discussion that Helou would like to encourage returns 
to his home area before voter registration occurs to increase his 
chances of winning an election. End comment.) 
 
Comment 
- - - - 
¶13. (SBU) The Nuba Mountains continues to be one of the most 
sensitive flashpoints along the north-south border.  Until now, the 
SPLM there has lacked effective leadership and peace dividends for 
the people have suffered as a result.  In Kadugli, Helou will have 
to contend with an uncooperative, NCP-controlled state government. 
Helou will be a big improvement over his ill and alcoholic 
predecessor Daniel Koti, but he will have his work cut out for him. 
Post strongly supports the proposal for additional schools as well 
as the construction of a road between Kauda and Rahad if funds can 
be identified for these costly projects.  This would be one of the 
most important ways of showing a peace dividend to the region, as 
well as showing a tangible benefit to being part of the North. 
 
 
KHARTOUM 00000573  003 OF 003 
 
 
FERNANDEZ