SUDAN/DARFUR: MILITARY SUPPORT FOR THE DARFUR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ADDIS ABABA 001549 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/SPG, AF/RSA, PM/PPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2016 TAGS: KPKO PREL PGOV MOPS MARR SUBJECT: SUDAN/DARFUR: MILITARY SUPPORT FOR THE DARFUR PEACE AGREEMENT REF: KHARTOUM 1285 Classified By: Charge d'affaires Vicki Huddleston. Reason 1.5 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Post is seeking clarity with CJTF-HOA and the AU re the eight additional military personnel to be deployed to support the DPA (reftel, para 2D). On June 6, Charge, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) Commander Rear Admiral Hunt and DCM met with African Union (AU) Special Representative Ambassador Kingibe and AU Peace and Security Commissioner Said Djinnit. Earlier the same day Charge, RADM Hunt, DCM, DATT and poloffs met with TDY USEUCOM military planners and Embassy Abuja USEUCOM Liaison Officer to ECOWAS LTC Pond to discuss the same issue--mission clarity for U.S. military support for the DPA. ¶2. (C) While the AU is aware of the U.S. offer to support the DPA, Commissioner Djinnit was not informed of the specifics of any additional personnel. Ambassador Kingibe called AMIS force commander MG Ihekire during the meeting and reported that the force commander also was not aware of additional U.S. military personnel. Nevertheless Kingibe stated that additional personnel are needed, once their mission is clarified and the AU is appropriately notified; alternately, the AU could request U.S. assistance for the type of personnel offered, once the mission is clarified. ¶3. (C) Per reftel, AMIS force commander stated that AMIS could not issue letters requesting additional U.S. support in advance of AU approval of the revised concept of operations (CONOPS) for an enhanced AMIS. According to Darfur Integrated Task Force (DITF) officials, steps for the adoption of the revised CONOPS are: (1) force commander completes review/amendments of draft; (2) AU DITF logisticians provide input; (3) AU military staff committee review CONOPS; (4) 15-member AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) convenes and formally adopts it. ¶4. (C) Amb. Kingibe also stated that: -- the ceasefire commission has not yet met as AMIS has yet to work out the differences between the Ndjamena ceasefire agreement and the DPA ceasefire agreement; -- the meeting of the Joint Commission, to be held in early June, has not yet been scheduled; (Note: According to DITF political advisor Dr. Solomon Gomez, the meeting could be held the week of June 11; Egypt will represented by ex-OAU SYG Ambassador Ahmed Hagag; the UN representative will the DSRSG for political affairs, MG Henry Anyidoho, currently double-hatted as DITF Chief of Staff and head of the UN Assistance Cell to AMIS. End note.) ¶5. (C) Per reftel para 2A, four USEUCOM planners are now in Addis "to refine AMIS contingency operations to support the DPA." ¶6. (C) Re the AMIS Joint Operations Center to be set up under the Forward Joint Mission Headquarters in El Fasher, Charge informed Djinnit and Kingibe of the U.S. desire to provide staffing for one or two of the six slots currently requested from AU partners. Djinnit stated that additional support would undoubtedly be needed, that AU planners agreed to request only six initially. HUDDLESTON