VZCZCXRO9889
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #1031/01 2501535
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 071535Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4384
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001031 
 
NSC FOR MGAVIN AND LETIM 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SU
SUBJECT: SPLM SIGNS MOU WITH UMMA PARTY AND PREPARES FOR  TRILATERAL 
TALKS AND POLITICAL PARTY CONFERENCE 
 
REF: STATE 87508 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  On September 5, the Southern People's Liberation 
Movement (SPLM) and Umma parties signed a Memorandum of 
Understanding (MOU) pledging Umma's support for free and fair 
elections and for a referendum that allows the South to choose unity 
with or separation from the North.  Umma Party President Sadiq 
al-Mahdi's visit to Juba comes a week before the SPLM's planned 
conference at which all major political parties will discuss 
upcoming elections, referenda, and democratic transition in Sudan. 
Deputy SPLM Secretary General Anne Itto told Poloff that al-Mahdi's 
visit and the MOU constituted a pledge of Umma support for the SPLM. 
 The SPLM Secretariat will meet on September 9 in Juba in advance of 
the U.S.-led trilateral meetings.  End Summary. 
 
 
--------------------------- 
SPLM and UMMA Party Sign MOU 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) SPLM Deputy Secretary General Anne Itto told Poloff on 
September 4 that the visit of Sadiq al-Mahdi, head of the Umma 
Party, represents support for and an endorsement of the SPLM.  Itto 
explained that al-Mahdi had expressed his party's commitment to free 
and fair elections, supported a referendum that allowed for 
voluntary unity or separation and a democratic transition that would 
lead to a truly "new" Sudan.  In public statements, Itto said, 
al-Mahdi declared that it was still possible to maintain Sudan's 
unity, but "for unity to be attractive, it must be on the basis of 
justice and equality for all" in a new Sudan that accommodates all 
citizens.  In private, however, he was clear that he was in favor of 
making self-determination "easier, simpler and more 
straightforward," according to Itto. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Itto explained that the Umma Party recognized the 
importance of maintaining good relations with their "brothers in the 
South" regardless of the outcome of a referendum on 
self-determination.  On September 5, after three days of talks, the 
two parties signed the MOU, which, Itto said, would be an important 
framework for the upcoming Political Parties Conference to be held 
in Juba during September 11-15. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
SPLM To Host Political Parties Conference 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The upcoming conference has been in the works for three 
months, Itto said.  She noted that the SPLM has been  transparent in 
planning the conference, and has made clear that it is open to all 
registered political parties.  The purpose of the conference is to 
bring together most major Sudanese political parties to discuss key 
issues facing Sudan, including elections, referendum preparedness 
and a democratic transition.  Itto hopes that the parties will be 
able to agree to a statement of principles at the conclusion of the 
conference. 
 
¶5. (SBU) While the SPLM wants all parties to take part, the National 
Congress Party (NCP) set "too many" precondition on its 
participation, Itto said.  The NCP leadership insisted on the 
inclusion of Lam Akol's SPLM-DC, which SPLM leadership refused to 
accept.  Itto and others in the SPLM believe the NCP is requesting 
SPLM-DC attendance to create divisions in the SPLM.  "Everyone knows 
the NCP is supporting Lam," and that SPLM-DC would be a proxy for 
Khartoum at the conference, she stated. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Machar-Taha Agree in Advance of Trilaterals Talks 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Riek 
Machar, returned to Juba on September 3 following direct talks with 
Second Vice President of the Government of National Unity Ali Osman 
Taha, Itto told Poloff.  While a press release was issued from 
Khartoum on September 2 laying out a number of agreed upon issues 
regarding the referendum, Itto and other members of the SPLM 
Secretariat were unaware of what had been agreed to in Khartoum. 
Machar had neither informally briefed members of the SPLM 
Secretariat nor briefed the GoSS Council of Ministers during the 
Friday September 4 Cabinet meeting.  Itto stated that the SPLM 
Secretariat was meeting the evening of September 4, and that she 
would question Machar on what had occurred and been agreed to in 
Khartoum. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Itto explained that of the three remaining issues, the 
issue of what constitutes a quorum of voters in the elections and 
 
KHARTOUM 00001031  002 OF 002 
 
 
how to draw constituency boundaries would be the most difficult to 
resolve.  She did not see a lot of room for compromise, at this 
stage, in the SPLM's position.  Regarding the referendum commission, 
Itto said she believes the national referendum committee seated in 
Khartoum should retain the final say over the referendum, as 
provided for in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment: With the next round of trilateral talks set to 
commence in the coming days, Machar's failure to brief the 
Secretariat and Cabinet of Ministers in a timely manner is of 
concern.   We understand Machar plans to return to Khartoum to meet 
with Ali Osman Taha sometime during the week of September 7 to 
continue discussions on the three remaining issues.  Without 
consultation with others in the SPLM, it is unclear under whose 
guidance he is negotiating.  End Comment. 
WHITEHEAD