VZCZCXRO6776
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #1105/01 2720948
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 290948Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4489
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001105 
 
NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: MARR PREF SENV SU
 
SUBJECT: BEYOND THE TRILATERALS: RETURNEES, UNMIS, AND WILDLIFE 
CONSERVATION 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  Special Envoy (SE) General Scott Gration 
facilitated the fourth round of trilateral talks with the Sudan 
People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and National Congress Party 
(NCP) in Juba, Southern Sudan from September 9-10.  Recently 
returned members of the Southern Sudanese diaspora told the Special 
Envoy on September 10 that they and others like them want to 
contribute to Sudan's development, and recommended the formation of 
a permanent panel of returnees to advise the Special Envoy.  UN 
Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande told the Special Envoy that 
over 300,000 people in Southern Sudan currently eat only one meal 
every three days.  She also said that troop contributing countries 
must tell the United Nations in New York that they want to see UN 
peacekeepers shift to a dynamic deployment model to better protect 
civilians.  On September 11, SE visited the Wildlife Conservation 
Society (WCS) project in Boma National Park, which is protecting one 
of the largest wildlife migrations in the world. Project officials 
told him that effective control and monitoring of the park would 
require the creation of 1,000 new park ranger positions.  End 
Summary. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Humanitarian Situation Worsening 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On September 10, SE Gration met with Lise Grande, 
Humanitarian Coordinator for the United Nations (UN) Mission in 
Sudan (UNMIS), to discuss increasing food insecurity in Southern 
Sudan, civilian protection, and increasing the capacity of UNMIS. 
Grande expressed serious concern over food insecurity, saying that 
due to late rains and failure of the first harvest, nearly 300,000 
people are at risk, eating only one meal every three days.  She 
anticipated food shortages would carry through at least another 
year, to 2010.  She appealed to the USG and others to assist with 
funding and emergency food assistance. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Grande also raised concerns over civilian protection for 
the populations caught in the midst of tribal fighting in Jonglei 
and Upper Nile states as well as those caught in the midst of Lord's 
Republican Army (LRA) attacks in Western Equatoria.  She emphasized 
that the USG, as well as other member states, must raise the 
question of adequacy of UNMIS' civilian protection in Southern Sudan 
directly with UN headquarters in New York.  She requested that the 
SE and USUN put pressure on the UN to change the UNMIS deployment 
model from a static model, where 8 of 9 troops look after the team 
and only one is deployable, to a dynamic deployment model, where all 
troops can moved and conduct long-range patrols.  Lastly, she 
praised the Special Envoy's role in the trilateral talks, but 
emphasized the need to keep pressure on the parties. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Returnees Looking for Opportunities 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Gration met with former members of the Sudanese diaspora who 
have returned to Southern Sudan to help rebuild their communities on 
September 10.  The interlocutors included a medical doctor, an 
education specialist, and a former "lost boy" (Note:  Male children 
separated from their families in the course of the North-South civil 
war who left Sudan after traveling long distances on foot to escape 
the fighting were called "lost boys". End Note.) now working as an 
economist for World Bank. Qration heard personal accounts of the 
special challenges each participant faced in returning to Sudan to 
work; the participants noted that the inadequate educational 
opportunities for school-aged children were particularly difficult 
to overcome.  Insecurity and violence remain enormous disincentives 
as well.  Lack of suitably well-paying employment is also an issue, 
especially because many members of the diaspora have a large network 
of Sudanese relatives that depend heavily on their remittances, 
creating pressure to stay abroad. 
 
¶5. (U) However, the returnees told the Special Envoy, they feel 
forever connected to Southern Sudan, and that with the right 
incentive programs a significant number of others in the diaspora 
might also return.  They said that to make such returns possible, 
student loan forgiveness, scholarships tied to serving in an agreed 
upon position in Southern Sudan (much like an ROTC program), USG 
contributions toward suitable housing and educational allowances, or 
wage supplements all might be considered.  Alternatively, the 
participants discussed how the diaspora might contribute without 
returning full-time, including through diaspora-supported exchange 
programs and by financing micro-credit lending programs.  To 
continue this useful exchange of ideas, the parties will explore 
creating a permanent advisory panel of returnees. 
 
KHARTOUM 00001105  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
------------------------------ 
Boma: Sustainable Conservation 
------------------------------ 
 
¶6. (U) On September 11, Gration and delegation traveled with the 
Wildlife Conservation Service (WCS) and the Government of Southern 
Sudan (GOSS) Ministry of Wildlife to Boma National Park in Jonglei 
State.  Boma National Park, a 28,000 square mile protected area 
close to the Ethiopian border, is the site of some of the largest 
wildlife migrations on earth.  WCS in conjunction with the GOSS is 
working to develop a sustainable strategy for managing natural 
resources, wildlife conservation and management of protected areas. 
 
 
¶7. (U) Local park wardens told the delegation that poaching, tribal 
fighting and lack of resources continue to impede their ability to 
protect and monitor the wildlife in Boma.  There are currently 150 
park wardens, all of whom are former Sudan People's Liberation Army 
(SPLA) troops.  These wardens have only two vehicles at their 
disposal with which to monitor the 28,000 square miles of the park. 
When asked, park wardens explained that in order to effectively 
control and monitor the park, they would need at least 1,000 park 
wardens and significantly more mobility. 
 
¶8. (U) This cable was cleared by the Office of the Special Envoy. 
 
WHITEHEAD