VZCZCXRO1525
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #1037 2521349
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 091349Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4394
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001037 
 
NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV EAID PREL PHUM KDEM AU SU
 
SUBJECT: AECOM RECEIVES RETURNED ASSETS 
 
REF: A) KHARTOUM 535 B) KHARTOUM 781 C) KHARTOUM 210 
D) KHARTOUM 225 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: AECOM International Sudan (AIS), implementing 
partner for USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), has 
received most of the assets taken by the Government of Sudan's (GOS) 
Humanitarian Affairs Commission (HAC) from PADCO in March.  Overall, 
the asset handover went smoothly, with only a few items not 
returned, such as bookshelves and barrels of fuel.  The asset return 
was stipulated in negotiations between the U.S. Special Envoy for 
Sudan and the GOS to address the expulsion of 13 international 
non-government organizations (NGOs), including a number of USAID 
implementing partners,  following the International Criminal Court 
indictment of Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir in March 2009 (Ref 
A).  Although AIS has signed an implementing protocol with the 
Ministry of International Cooperation (MIC) (Ref A), the handover 
process showed the continued involvement of HAC in all 
assistance-related activities in northern Sudan.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---------------------- 
SEIZED ASSETS RETURNED 
---------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) For over four months, the Department of State, USAID, and 
USAID implementing partners have been pressing  the GOS to return 
assets the latter  seized from expelled organizations in March. 
After AECOM raised this issue in a July 26 meeting with MIC 
Undersecretary El Fatih Al Sadig, Mr. El Fatih coordinated with HAC 
Commissioner Hasabo Mohamed Abdelrahman to form a committee to 
oversee the handover process.  The committee consists of six 
representatives from HAC, MIC, AIS, and the Joint Procedures Center, 
a GOS office charged with ensuring NGO compliance with Sudanese 
bureaucratic requirements.  Dr. Mohammed Fadlallah from HAC is the 
chairperson.  Once the committee was established in early August, 
the handover process moved quickly, with return of assets in all 
five offices in Khartoum and the Three Areas completed in two weeks. 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Handover of confiscated assets from PADCO's Khartoum office 
was completed on August 6. From August 11-17, the joint committee 
traveled to PADCO's offices in Damazin, Kurmuk, Kadugli, and Fula to 
complete handover in those locations. During the committee's visit 
to Damazin and Kurmuk, HAC/SSRRC (South Sudan Relief and 
Rehabilitation Commission) representatives expressed concerns about 
the composition of the state-level subcommittee that was set up 
under the MIC Implementation Protocol to oversee AIS activities. 
They also resisted the role of MIC in granting travel permits to AIS 
staff, maintaining that only HAC/SSRRC can perform this function. In 
Kadugli, the local HAC Commissioner resisted the return of any 
seized assets, claiming that they were in use by HAC/SSRRC for their 
activities.  Eventually Dr. Fadlallah persuaded the Commissioner to 
return the assets.  HAC/SSRRC also expressed the desire to be 
involved in the hiring of AIS local staff, which under the 
Implementing Protocol with MIC is not required, although it was 
previously the practice when PADCO was registered through HAC. 
 
¶4. (SBU) COMMENT.  The return of confiscated assets is a significant 
step forward in the implementation of the US Special Envoy's 
agreement with the GOS regarding the expulsion of USAID partners. 
Now that AECOM has these assets, it will be able to proceed with 
program activities more quickly.  The return also reduces the cost 
of the expulsions to USAID, which might otherwise have had to fund 
replacement of the seized items.  However, the role of the HAC in 
each step of the handover process is worrisome.  Despite AIS's 
registration with the MIC, HAC officials raised bureaucratic 
obstacles during the handover process and attempted to assert their 
authority over issues such as travel permits and recruiting.  HAC 
and National Security continue to insist on "vetting" all proposed 
AIS expatriate staff, including staff who have never worked in Sudan 
and were not previously employed by PADCO.  HAC's involvement on 
such issues could hinder USAID partner activities despite GOS 
assurances of cooperation.    END COMMENT. 
 
 WHITEHEAD