SUDAN: ITALY SUPPORTS UNSC RESOLUTION DRAFT AND

UNCLAS ROME 002874 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM SU IT EUN SUBJECT: SUDAN: ITALY SUPPORTS UNSC RESOLUTION DRAFT AND WILL URGE GAERC AND SOLANA TO DEPLOY RESOURCES ASAP REF: STATE 159301 ¶1. (SBU) MFA East Africa Office Director Stefano Dejak told poloff that Italy appreciated the strong US interest in the Darfur crisis and was looking forward to continued and enhanced cooperation bilaterally and through the EU. He had reviewed the UNSC resolution draft and confirmed that Italy will support the text as written. Dejak's office is currently exploring methods to assist the AU mission logistically, incl uding airlift. The specifics will be discussed in Brussels. The AU mission "is not functioning properly" continued Dejak, and the situation is "deteriorating," given the onset of the rainy season and the lack of security. ¶2. (SBU) Dejak stressed that Italy will press hard at the July 26 GAERC and with HiRep Solana during his Rome visit next week for "the fastest possible release" of EU resources, given the "humanitarian disaster" already underway in Darfur. Director for EU CFSP Luigi Mattiolo, who was in the process of preparing FM Frattini's briefing material and will attend the GAERC, concurred with our view that the EU funds should be made available as soon as possible. According to Mattiolo, the bulk of the funds would have been disbursed already had the Commission not had to amend EU embargo legislation related to Sudan. Those amendments have been completed, so funds will be disbursed prior to the EU's August break, promised Mattiolo. He also noted that the total amount allocated was 12 million, not 14.5 million euro as indicated reftel. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. Visit Rome's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/rome/index.cf m SEMBLER NNNN 2004ROME02874 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED