Sudan Watch (to July 2012)

[negotiator6]

Many of the readers know of Sudan as primarily the ongoing crisis in Darfur.Between 1983 and January of 2005, Sudan experienced the longest continuous civil war in Africa.* The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed on January 9, 2005 between the then National Islamic Front (NIF)-now termed the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), the political component of the Sudan People's Liberation Army/SPLA.* John Garang, the infamous bush fighter turned leader of the SPLA headed up essentially both the SPLA and the SPLM.* Garang was killed in a helicopter "accident" after returning with a meeting in Uganda with its president in July of 2005.

I deployed under a DOD advisory contract in March of 2002 in support of cease fire agreement in Nuba Mountains-Nuba was a five mountain chain adjacent to the oil pipeline from Unity State..just south of Nuba Mts (South Kordafan).* Parties agreed to the following: The SPLA would cease cutting the oil pipeline, while the north (NIF) would allow humanitarian relief into Nuba Mts. which had been essentially cut of from all aid for many years.The cease fire in Nuba Mts was the first step in bring the parties together which culiminated in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed on January 9, 2005.

The US along with Britain have been supporters of the SPLA in part due to the radical Islamic government headed by the current President Bashir in Khartoum.* You may recall UBL headquartered for a time in Sudan in the mid=1990's before being pushed out moving to the border areas of Afghanistan-Pakistan.OK, movin fast forward..in comes the UN and as part of the planning post was southern Sudan, the mission to "transform" the SPLA into a professional military organization.* The USG government contract was awarded to Dyncorp.* I joined the advisory mission to the SPLA in November of 2007.

Lessons Learned:

(1) Dyncorp was wholly un-prepared for the mission-

(2) The Program Manager was former military who worked as liaison officer with State and essentially built the advisory program, and in doing so worked his way into the contract for $240,000 per year.* The result was a person totally unqualified to lead a mission of this importance in Sudan..and perhaps anyplace.

(3) Relationships within the government continually give rise to intra-personal situations not for the purpose of the mission, but to "buy" a job post retirement from government service or the military.

(4) Outsourcing critical training components of the US foreign policy to companies who really do not care about the mission, but rather are concerned about profits.

(5) Visited several times by former US Army generals (retired) who meant well in their collective presence, but everyone knew they "sold" their connections for income opportunities-this fact seems so apparent.

(6) The recruitment of "advisors" included several with severe health issues; one fellow on Prozac, while others were totally un-qualified for the positions.* At issue..the company just could not find as required in the USG Statement of Work (SOW) qualified people when considering the competition from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.So, you say..why did you stay...well, I didn't.*

In short, the US is thin on fulfilling its worldwide mission.* We need to re-think our committments and provide the resources neccesary, otherwise, more harm than good will result as in the case of providing competent military advisors... called the Training & Advisory Team (TAT) mission to Southern Sudan in support of the Sudan People's LIberation Army/SPLA.