DARFUR: EU HEARING DIFFERENT STORY ON AU CASH FLOW

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 003116

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/FO, AF/E AND AF/RSA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2014
TAGS: PREL MARR EAID USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: DARFUR: EU HEARING DIFFERENT STORY ON AU CASH FLOW

REF: ADDIS ABAB 2288

Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR KYLE SCOTT. REASON: 1.4(B)(D)


1. (C) Mission spoke briefly to Friedrich Hamburger, Chef de
Cabinet to Development Commissioner Nielsen, for a readout on
where things stand on supporting deployment of the African
Union (AU) protection element. We relayed in general terms
information in Addis Ababa 2288 on the AU's cash flow and
logistics problems, and asked if it coincided with Commission
understanding of the situation. Hamburger said it did not.
In the Commission's last contacts with the AU (last Friday
according to Hamburger's information),the EC had been told
the AU did not have a cash flow problem and did not expect
one.


2. (C) The EC still has not signed the AU-EU agreement
because it is precluded from doing so by legal hurdles
involving the EU's arms embargo on Sudan. The embargo is
expected to be officially lifted by the Council in its
meeting next Monday, which will free the Commission to sign
the agreement and release the funds. For technical reasons,
however, it could take up to ten days for the money to make
it to the AU's accounts. Although the funds are available
retroactively (back to June 1),Hamburger conceded this will
not help in the interim if the AU has serious cash flow
problems. If this is in fact the case (and he emphasized
this is not now the Commission's understanding),Hamburger
suggested another donor might have to fund the immediate cash
shortfalls until the Commission's funds kick in.

MINIMIZE CONSIDERED

McKinley