VZCZCXRO0270
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0152/01 0281148
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 281145Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0071
INFO IGAD COLLECTIVE
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA FWD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000152 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM MCAP SU
SUBJECT: SPLM SHAKE-UP IN SOUTHERN KORDOFAN 
 
REF: KHARTOUM 944 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On January 24 Poloff met with Sadiq Mansour, 
Deputy Speaker of the Southern Kordofan Legislative Assembly, who 
stated that he and 31 other members of the Sudan People's 
Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Southern Kordofan had recently been 
dismissed from the party by Abdel Azziz (SPLM), Southern Kordofan's 
Deputy Governor.  Mansour said that he and the others were 
dismissed for criticizing Azziz, who they see as too close to 
Southern Kordofan's governor, Ahmed Haroun (NCP), and too far from 
the SPLM party-line.  Mansour said that the discord created by the 
dismissals has resulted in other SPLM defections, and that he will 
run for the legislative assembly in the April elections as an 
independent candidate representing Nuba interests.  Mansour 
acknowledged that some economic development had taken place in 
Southern Kordofan but said that it is not significant and will be 
terminated by the central government if Haroun is not elected in 
April.  Fragmentation of the SPLM in Southern Kordofan in the run 
up to elections is a gift to the NCP and bodes ill for the SPLM's 
ability to maintain cohesion across tribal lines. End Summary. 
 
 
 
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SPLM Leaders Dismissed for Criticism 
 
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¶2. (SBU) On January 24 Poloff met with Sadiq Mansour, Deputy 
Speaker of the Southern Kordofan Legislative Assembly, who stated 
that he and 31 other members of the SPLM in Southern Kordofan had 
recently been dismissed from the party by Abdel Azziz (SPLM), 
Southern Kordofan's Deputy Governor.  The dismissed include the 
Minister of Education, the Minister of Rural Development, and the 
Commissioners of Kadugli and Talodi Counties.  Mansour stated that 
the dismissals stemmed from statements he and others in the party 
made to SPLM leadership expressing discontent with the leadership 
of Azziz. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Specifically, Mansour said that the partnership that Azziz 
has with Southern Kordofan's governor, Ahmed Haroun (NCP) is too 
one-sided, that Azziz does not challenge Haroun enough, that, in 
effect, Azziz has slipped from the SPLM party-line and is acting as 
a member of the National Congress Party (NCP).  (Note: The 
Haroun/Azziz partnership, which has received wide-spread praise in 
the international community (Ref A), does appear one-sided, in the 
sense that Haroun and Azziz always appear together and Azziz almost 
never speaks.  End Note.)  Mansour said that the dismissals have 
taken place over a period of weeks, starting in late December, and 
that he had been dismissed on January 1.  Mansour said that he and 
other dismissed members of the SPLM are appealing their dismissal 
to SPLM leadership in Juba and that Azziz has been called to Juba 
to explain his decision. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) On January 26, Emboff spoke to Arno Antilo, Secretary 
General of the SPLM in Southern Kordofan, who stated that the 
dismissed party members were dismissed for "insulting our 
leadership and instigating their tribes against the party." 
According to Antilo, the SPLM conducted a periodic review of the 
performance of its members serving in the Government of National 
Unity and decided to replace some of those serving, including 
Mansour, with new members.  Antilo did not indicate that Mansour or 
anyone else had been selected for replacement based on corruption 
or poor performance.  Antilo stated that the members selected for 
replacement refused to accept the decision, and it was at this 
point that the insults and tribal instigation occurred, for which 
these members were dismissed from the SPLM. 
 
 
 
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Deputy Speaker Will Run as an Independent, for the Nuba 
 
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KHARTOUM 00000152  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Mansour stated that he will run for the Southern Kordofan 
Legislative Assembly as an independent candidate.  When asked who 
his election supporters will be, Mansour, a Nuba, said he would not 
run for election on a tribal basis, as politics based on tribal 
affiliation is senseless.  Mansour claimed that he has supporters 
throughout the state, including among the Arabs of Southern 
Kordofan.  This was somewhat contradicted, however, when Mansour 
stated that the Nuba will support him because the Nuba want a Nuba 
leader, who is dedicated to Nuba interests.  He added, "Azziz can 
dismiss me from the SPLM, but not from my tribe."  (Note: Azziz is 
from the Masalit tribe of western Darfur, though he has married 
into the Ajang, the largest Nuba sub-tribe.  End Note.) 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Mansour stated that these dismissals are creating 
confusion in the SPLM in Southern Kordofan.  He said that a number 
of people have left the party in anger, with some of those joining 
SPLM-Democratic Change (SPLM-DC), the party of SPLM "turn-coat" Lam 
Akol.  Mansour said that he has also been heavily recruited by 
SPLM-DC, but that he will not join a party that he sees as an agent 
of the NCP.  He added that he still supports the SPLM and hopes to 
return to the party sooner or later as it is the only viable party 
for the Nuba. 
 
 
 
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Development Progress in Southern Kordofan Down-played 
 
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¶7. (SBU) Mansour down-played the performance of Haroun and Azziz 
and said they are outsiders lacking significant support in the 
state.  He acknowledged that Haroun has brought some economic 
development to Southern Kordofan, but said that it was mostly 
window dressing in an effort to get elected, and that the central 
government will end funding for development initiatives if Haroun 
in not elected in April.  He noted that Haroun has formed many 
committees, councils and commissions, but stated that their primary 
purpose was finding a role for people who might otherwise make 
trouble for Haroun.  Mansour added that Haroun has not implemented 
the security arrangements of the CPA, that Popular Defense Forces 
(PDFs) in the state are increasing, and that the state appears to 
be preparing for war.  (Note: PDF, (militia forces supported by the 
Sudan Armed Forces (SAF)), which pursuant to the CPA should have 
been disbanded or integrated into the SAF, were readily visible in 
Southern Kordofan's capital Kadugli on a December visit by Poloff. 
End Note.) 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment: Fragmentation of the SPLM in Southern Kordofan in 
the run up to elections is a gift to the NCP.  Southern Kordofan is 
likely to be highly contested in the elections and Mansour is a 
significant figure there.  His dismissal, along with the other 
dismissals, will weaken the SPLM's election performance.  Azziz's 
hidebound response to criticism may have been an over-reaction.  It 
also demonstrates that the command structure of the SPLM retains 
significant vestiges of its origins as a military entity. 
Mansour's tendency to fall back on politics by tribal affiliation, 
after acknowledging the flaws in this approach, is also 
unfortunate.  End Comment. 
WHITEHEAD