DARFUR: EU TO AUGMENT OBSERVERS, PROPOSES ASSESSMENT MISSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 003223

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2014
TAGS: EAID ET MARR PREL SU EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: DARFUR: EU TO AUGMENT OBSERVERS, PROPOSES
ASSESSMENT MISSION

REF: BUCKNEBERG (THE HAGUE)-BITTRICK E-MAIL OF 7/28/04

Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR KYLE SCOTT. REASON: 1.4(b/
d)


1. (C) Summary. Hirep Solana has proposed to African Union
(AU) an augmentation in EU representation on ceasefire
observers to allow a European representative on each team.
An officer has also been dispatched to backstop the AU in
Addis, but operational details remain unsettled. EU also
wants to send a small EU-AU "assessment team" to the region
to report on additional needs, if any. We were told if US
want to join mission, we should approach AU directly. EU
officials worry the UK idea floated over the weekend for more
robust intervention in Darfur could be counterproductive.
Commission officials confirm most of the 12m euro allocated
by Foreign Ministers July 26 is already en route to AU
account. End Summary.

Solana's Three Proposals to AU
--------------


2. (C) Following the July 26 meeting of the EU foreign
ministers, in which the EU stiffened its rhetoric toward the
GoS and threatened to impose UN sanctions, the EU's Political
and Security Committee (PSC) has met twice to discuss the
situation in Darfur. As a result of these meetings, Hirep
Solana was instructed to make further proposals to the AU on
steps to address the crisis. In a letter dated July 27 to AU
Commission President Konare, Solana made three proposals:

-- To put an EU officer at the disposal of the AU team
organizing the observer mission. Christian Manahl, Solana's
point man on Sudan, clarified that this military operations
liaison officer would backstop the AU-led monitoring mission
in Darfur. The EU is also discussing the option of having a
more permanent EU liaison officer to the AU put on the ground
to enhance cooperation between the AU and the EU in security
and conflict management matters. However, it is not clear,
at this stage, whether this person would be located in the EC
Delegation (the most likely option according to Manahl),or
set up an office of his own. The option of placing someone
into the AU Secretariat offices has been discarded, for
reasons of sensitivity and infrastructures. Manahl added
that the EU is thinking of an officer seconded by an EU
Member State, but who would spend some time at the EU
Military Staff to become familiar with the new institutions
in the military/security area at HQs before assignment to
Addis Ababa. He confirmed that the French have in fact
expressed interest in providing such an officer, but noted
that they will probably rely on their Military Attach
already posted in Addis Ababa.

-- To reinforce the number of EU participants in the
monitoring missions from nine (seven currently in place, with
two more expected to arrive before the end of July) to twelve
monitors in addition to the French vice president. According
to Manahl, this would allow the EU to deploy one EU monitor
with each of the twelve teams.

-- To send on an urgent basis a group of civilian and
military experts to the region to identify additional steps
the EU might need to take to reinforce the monitoring
missions (including the force protection effort). The EU
envisions this assessment team going to the region in
conjunction with the AU, and is awaiting an AU response to
this proposal before moving ahead. We were told the EU team
would likely be comprised of 5-6 individuals. It will most
likely be led by Peter Feith, Deputy Director General for
European Security and Defense Policy, and include
representatives from the EU Military Staff, EU Police
Mission, Solana's Policy Unit, and a representative of the
Commission. We were told the EU did not plan to invite the
US to join the assessment team, but had no objections if the
US joins in response to a request from the AU.


3. (C) Manahl told us that the EU continues to encounter
resistance from mid-level functionaries of the AU to outside
involvement, and expected that a political decision would be
required by Konare to accept the EU's proposals.
UK Has Not Pursued Proposal for Intervention
--------------


4. (C) Manahl said the UK idea floated over the weekend in
London for more robust intervention appeared to be a trial
balloon that enjoys no support elsewhere in the EU. He noted
that the UK did not even pursue the idea at the June 26
foreign ministers' meeting, nor mention it at either of this
week's PSC meetings on Sudan. What it had done, Manahl
contended, was trigger a mobilization by Arab militias in
Sudan. He noted that the current GoS enjoyed very little
popular support, but suggested that an outside intervention
would be manipulated by the government to increase domestic
support for the regime.


5. (C) Manahl said the EU was monitoring closely the
situation elsewhere in Sudan. He noted in particular
worrying rumors of a possible new rebellion in Eastern Sudan.

Commission Money Already En Route to AU
--------------


6. (C) Manahl confirmed that the Commission has committed to
transfer the 12m euros allocated by the foreign ministers on
July 26 to the AU's accounts (in Brussels) by the end of the
week, i.e. July 30. Commission official Theo Kaspers advised
that an 80 percent advance of the 12 million euros has
already left Commission bank account and is en route to the
AU's account in Brussels.

MINIMIZE CONSIDERED

SAMMIS

--