SUDAN: LEVERAGING UN TROOP CONTRIBUTING COUNTRIES

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001341 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2016 TAGS: PREL SU KPKO AE SUBJECT: SUDAN: LEVERAGING UN TROOP CONTRIBUTING COUNTRIES TOWARDS DARFUR REF: STATE 51778 Classified By: AMBASSADOR MICHELE J. SISON, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) The Embassy delivered reftel points to the MFA as a diplomatic note April 3 and followed up with MFA Director for International Organizations Yacub al-Hosani April 5. Al-Hosani told Pol chief that he was not aware that the UN had approached the UAE to date with a request for assistance, and he was not aware that his government had taken any decision with respect to re-hatting of the African Union Mission in Sudan to a UN peacekeeping operation. This was a matter that would likely require extensive consultation both within the UAE, and possibly with other Arab states, al-Hosani said. ¶2. (C) In the Embassy's view, the UAE will quietly defer any decision on contributing troops (i.e. direct infantry support) to the Sudan as part of a UN peacekeeping operation. The Embassy doubts the UAE leadership would want to interfere in the sovereign affairs of another Arab state (Sudan). The Emiratis are more likely to offer financial or in-kind assistance (combat service support),including transportation units or a medical hospital, following the Iraq model. They may also offer military engineering support if there were a need to remove landmines. ¶3. (C) In the past, the UAE has shown its support for multilateral action by supporting peacekeeping operations, such as UNISOM II in Somalia and the NATO-led international force sent to protect the Muslims in Kosovo in the late 1990s, the UAE being the only Arab and Muslim country to take part in the latter. More recently, the UAE deployed a tactical field hospital to Iraq that handled approximately 1,000 patients a day during the early part of the war. The UAE has also deployed its special forces to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. ¶4. (C) We will continue to engage the UAEG on this issue, including possible gathering information on what the UAE is capable of providing and what trade-offs the UAE might be able to make in support of a UN operation in Darfur. SISON