VZCZCXRO9233
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #1197/01 2981553
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 251553Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4619
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001197 
 
NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SU
SUBJECT: SUDAN PEOPLE'S LIBERATION MOVEMENT (SPLM) LAUNCHES 
CAMPAIGN 
 
Ref:  Khartoum 905 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPM) 
launched its campaign for the 2010 elections on October 12.  SPLM's 
National Elections Strategic Committee (NESC) Chairman and Speaker 
of the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) Chairman, James 
Wani Igga and SPLM Deputy Secretary General for the Northern Sector 
Yassir Arman set out the party's main themes, telling the crowd that 
the National Congress Party (NCP) had delayed implementation of the 
Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), and failed to build a nation 
for all Sudanese peoples regardless of skin color, religion, or 
gender.  They said the SPLM requires demarcation of the north-south 
and Abyei borders, and passage of nine laws required by the CPA, 
including on the referenda, popular consultations, and national 
security by November 30 as preconditions for SPLM participation in 
the elections.  These themes were repeated on October 15, at the 
SPLM's first campaign rally, attended by an estimated 2,000 of the 
party faithful, in Omdurman.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPM) launched its 
campaign for the 2010 elections on October 12.  SPLM's National 
Elections Strategic Committee (NESC) Chairman and Speaker of the 
Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) Chairman, James Wani 
Igga, SPLM Deputy Secretary General for the Northern Sector Yassir 
Seid Arman, and SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum addressed the 
crowd gathered at SPLM headquarters in Khartoum.  Also in attendance 
were Presidential Advisor Dr. Monsour Khalid, Federal Cabinet 
Minister Kosti Manibe; the International Criminal Court 
(ICC)-indicted Governor of Southern Kordofan State, Ahmed Haroun 
(NCP); the Chair of the Renewal and Reform wing of the Umma Party, 
Mubarak al Fadil. 
 
¶3.  (U)  Keynote speaker Wani Igga told the crowd  that the SPLM has 
consistently, since its founding in 1983, stood for the unity of 
Sudan, and for a "new Sudan" characterized by equality of all 
citizens regardless of ethnicity, religion, culture, language or 
gender; and on justice, human rights, freedom, and democratic 
transformation of the country.  In contrast, Igga, said, the NCP has 
delayed implementation of the CPA, hindered the transformation to 
democracy via free, fair and credible elections and referenda for 
South Sudan and Abyei and via popular consultations for Blue Nile 
and South Kordofan.  He added that the NCP has also failed to build 
a nation state for Sudanese people of all skin colors, religions, 
cultures, languages and genders.  Instead, the NCP and all post- 
independence governments have implemented policies that Igga said 
encouraged marginalization, racial segregation, religious 
discrimination, nepotism, and corruption.  He urged all Sudanese 
political parties to come together to reconcile the nation, to build 
confidence and to work to alleviate the unnecessary suffering of the 
Sudanese people.  Igga made note of the British Non Governmental 
Organization Global Witness' recent report on what it described as 
inequitable oil revenue distribution by the north to the south.  He 
urged that any discrepancies between what the South is owed and what 
has been paid be rectified.  He acknowledged that corruption exists 
in both the south and the north, but said that corruption in the 
south is discussed openly and transparently, and that corrective 
measures have been developed to remedy it. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
SPLM Sets Deadline for CPA Implementation 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) Igga reminded the group that the SPLM has put the NCP, its 
CPA partner, on notice that a number of conditions must be met 
before November 30.  These include demarcation of the AByei 
boundaries pursuant to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) 
decision, demarcation of the north-south border, and passage of the 
nine laws that must be brought into conformity with the CPA, 
including the Referendum, Popular Consultations and National 
Security laws and criminal law and procedures acts. 
 
------------------------------------ 
SPLM Only Party With Popular Support 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  (U) Igga maintained that the SPLM is the only party with popular 
support, and the only one that will fight for the rights of 
marginalized peoples, including women.  He said that the SPLM is the 
only party that grants women a 25 percent share and youth a ten 
percent share in all levels of government.  He also stated that the 
SPLM is determined to achieve the vision of a New Sudan based on all 
citizens being regarded as equal regardless of their religion, skin 
color, culture, language or gender. 
 
--------------------------- 
Amum Touts Juba Declaration 
 
KHARTOUM 00001197  002 OF 002 
 
 
--------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) SPLM Secretary General Amum assured the crowd of the SPLM's 
readiness to participate fully in fair and free elections as set 
forth in the CPA.  He said this would  assure that citizens are able 
democratically to elect leaders.  He reiterated the SPLM's 
invitation to the NCP and other parties to join in the Juba 
Declaration for National Dialogue and Consensus resulting from the 
Juba All-Political Parties Conference (APCC).  He told the group 
that the SPLM rejects any return to war between north and south, and 
is fully committed to the CPA as a way forward.  He stressed that 
the CPA and the constitution guarantee the right to a referendum, 
whereby the people of South Sudan may freely choose unity or 
secession.  Should South Sudan opt for secession, it will not be a 
disaster, but rather the exercise of a right.  Amun echoed Igga's 
support for full rights for women, and noted that the party supports 
both Lubna Hussein's right to privacy and to choose which type of 
garment to wear (see reftel).  The party plans to raise and debate 
during the campaign issues such as the future of Sudan, investment 
policies, land rights, basic infrastructure, human rights, 
democratic transformation, Darfur peace, and the domestic economic 
crisis. 
 
--------------------------------- 
SPLM Rallies Faithful in Omdurman 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) On October 17, the SPLM held its first campaign rally at 
Omdurman Stadium, Khartoum.  The rally was attended by approximately 
2,000 people from Omdurman, Khartoum and the surrounding areas, and 
included religious as well as political leaders.  Campaign materials 
prominently displayed had a decidedly derivative quality:  "For New 
Sudan --  Yes We Can" was prominently displayed around the stadium. 
 
 
¶8.  (U) Igga emphasized that the party would only participate in the 
elections if the NCP complies with the preconditions that have been 
set, including implementation of the CPA, the Darfur Peace Agreement 
(DPA), Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement (ESPA), as well as the Cairo 
Agreement and Asmara Agreement.  He stressed the importance of 
assuring that the nine pending laws are compatible with the CPA and 
Interim National Constitution (INC), and criticized the NCP for 
failing to provide basic services to the Sudanese people such as 
roads and other infrastructure, clean water, sanitation, health 
services and education. He pointed criticized  the NCP's policies of 
investment target areas inhabited by indigenous people in   Khartoum 
(the east side of the new Omdurman bridge), internally displaced 
persons camps (Soba Aradi and Jebel Aulia on the outskirts of 
Khartoum), historic areas (the confluence of the White and Blue 
Niles) and agricultural areas (Tuti Island). 
 
¶9. (U) Yassir Arman told the group that the decision to hold the 
SPLM's first rally at Omdurman Stadium, opposite the Omdurman 
Women's Prison, was to show solidarity and support for women 
imprisoned unjustly pursuant to the NCP's conception of "public 
order."  He asked the audience to stand for a minute to express 
support for the several hundred women and mothers, who with their 
babies and other small children, have been imprisoned for brewing 
beer (Note:  A traditional form of employment for women from the 
south, where it is legal, but  criminalized under sharia law in the 
north.  End Note) or indiscriminately arrested.  He noted that the 
same ruling party that arrests women in Khartoum for brewing 
alcohol, benefits from taxes collected in Juba and the rest of 
southern Sudan on the sale of alcohol. 
 
¶10. (U) Arman noted that some progress had been made by the NCP and 
SPLM on the referendum law.  This positive progress on the draft 
does not change SPLM preconditions for the upcoming general 
elections, he warned.  The SPLM will hold to its ultimatum until the 
NCP complies with all required conditions. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Arman:  Join Juba Declaration to Save Sudan 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (U) Arman called on the NCP and other political parties to join 
the dialogue and reconciliation resulting from the Juba Declaration 
for All Political Parties and Civil Society Organizations (DAPPC) as 
a way to save Sudan from disintegration. 
 
WHITEHEAD