VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #1012/01 1541047
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 031047Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2779
INFO RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 1308

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001012 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, AF/SPG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2019 
TAGS: PREL PREF SU EG
SUBJECT: SPLM'S CAIRO OFFICE HEAD ADDRESSES ISSUES IN EGYPT 
AND SUDAN 
 
Classified By: Minister Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs William R. Stewart for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1.(C) Key Points: -- The head of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) office in Cairo said that lack of progress on the CPA was "dangerous." He feels USG efforts to convene a conference of CPA signatories and witnesses is a good idea. The Government of Egypt (GOE) can play a positive role to support the CPA because it has good relations with the Government of Sudan (GOS) and the Government of South Sudan (GOSS). -- The biggest complaint of Sudanese refugees in Cairo is the lack of educational opportunities. The SPLM worked with the South Sudan Teachers Union and Sacred Heart Church to offer the Sudanese curriculum in Cairo. -- SPLM refuses to accept the Sudanese national census because it would become the basis for inequality and injustice. The movement has formed a committee to review the issue and present a plan of action to SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum. -- SPLM supports efforts to achieve peace in Darfur. It sent SPLM commanders, Abd Al Aziz Hilwa and Yasser Said, to participate in the Doha talks, and is working to unify the Darfuri groups in order to facilitate the peace process.

2.(C) Comment: The effort to implement the Sudanese curriculum in Cairo is of utmost importance because Egyptian and private school diplomas are not recognized in Sudan. This program allows Sudanese refugees in Cairo to take Sudanese state education exams and receive Sudanese diplomas. As a result, when Sudanese refugees return to Sudan they will be able to pursue college degrees or obtain work because they can document their educational levels. Kosheib was excited about USG efforts to host the CPA conference. He was also very downcast about the recent census and did not even want to talk about the elections and referendum. End Comment. --------------------------------------------- ----- U.S. and Egypt Should Encourage CPA Implementation --------------------------------------------- -----

3.(C) The Head of the SPLM's Cairo office, Nasr Al Din Moussa Kosheib, told us on May 19 that the lack of progress on CPA implementation was becoming "dangerous." Kosheib stated that the NCP deployment of militias to the Nuba Mountains, and Upper Nile and the failure to promulgate democracy laws and press freedom showed that the NCP is "not serious about the CPA." He said that the SPLM is committed to the CPA and will honor the decision of the ICJ on Abyei. However, he expressed fears that the NCP will refuse to allow Abyei to be considered part of South Sudan even if it needs to send in militias to change the situation in its favor.

4.(C) Therefore, Kosheib stated that the USG's proposed conference on CPA implementation was a "good idea" because the international community witnesses to the agreement need to put pressure on the NCP to implement it. He also feels that the GOE could play a positive role to support of the CPA because it has good relations with both the GOS and GOSS. Kosheib said that Cairo should use its position with Khartoum to stress the importance of CPA implementation. --------------------------------------------- -- SPLM Office Working with GOE, Sudanese Refugees --------------------------------------------- --

5.(C) Kosheib told us that Cairo SPLM office used to be responsible for diplomatic relations with Egypt and Sudanese refugees. However, since the signing of the CPA, the GOSS Liaison office handles these files and the SPLM office is now a "political party office." Still, Kosheib pointed out that 70 percent of the GOSS office are SPLM members. He said that his office works with the GOE and the Sudanese Embassy on matters of intelligence, security and with those refugees who violate Egyptian laws.

6.(C) Kosheib told us that the SPLM offices assists South Sudanese refugees that documentation and services problems with UNHCR and the Sudanese Embassy. He stated that the biggest complaint that his office receives is UNHCR's failure to provide education to the Sudanese refugee population. Kosheib said that the SPLM office does not have the budget to solve the education problems, but it works with local charities to help provide education for Sudanese refugees. He told us that South Sudanese refugees have a difficult time going to Egyptian schools because they are already filled, and Egyptian diplomas are not recognized in Sudan. Since many South Sudanese will eventually return to their homeland, the SPLM worked with the South Sudan Teachers Union and Sacred Heart Church to bring the Sudanese curriculum to Cairo last year. He hopes that the introduction of curriculum will reduce the number of youth involved in gangs and "save the younger generation Sudanese in Egypt." He stated that Sudanese in their 20's and 30's need formal vocational training and the SPLM is looking to find solutions to this dilemma. ---------------------- Sudanese Census Flawed ----------------------

7.(C) Kosheib told us that the SPLM refuses to accept the Sudanese national census because it would become the basis for inequality and injustice. He stated that the census undercounts the number of people in South Sudan and the number of South Sudanese living in the north. Accepting the census would result in discrimination against the south during the upcoming elections and in oil wealth distribution. Kosheib said that the SPLM has formed a committee to review the issue and present a plan of action to SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum. He told us that SPLM is getting ready for elections, but if the census issues are not resolved the election would not be valid. ------------------------------------- SPLM Working to Resolve Darfur Crisis -------------------------------------

8.(C) Kosheib told us that the SPLM supports efforts to achieve peace in Darfur. SPLM commanders, Abd Al Aziz Hilwa and Yasser Said, traveled to Qatar to participate in the Doha talks. He stated that the SPLM is working to unify the Darfuri groups in order to facilitate the peace process, and it encouraged neighboring countries of Egypt, Chad, Eritrea, and Libya to participate in the process. Kosheib said that the international community must increase the pressure on the GOS and Darfuri groups to get them to agree to a peace deal that reclassifies Darfur as one region, gives Darfur high-level representation in the presidency, and allows the region to share in the national wealth. He told us that U.S. efforts to bring JEM and SLA-Abdel Wahid al-Nur into the process gave these groups too much power. Kosheib opined that only 2-3 groups that represent the major ethnic groups in Darfur are needed for a peace deal. If the peace deal is fair, the people will "force" the leaders to support it. SCOBEY