UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 001655

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/SPG, AF/RSA, D:T.SMITH, EUR/RPM

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPKO MOPS PREL SU NATO AU
SUBJECT: SUDAN/DARFUR: SECURITY ASSISTANCE FOR THE DARFUR
PEACE AGREEMENT

REF: STATE 95225


1. (U) Per reftel, Post has actively engaged African Union
officials and Partner representatives on the U.S.
initiatives to support the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA).


2. (U) DPA VERIFICATION:
-- Prior to the June 9 departure of the joint UN-AU
technical assistance mission (TAM) to Sudan, Charge and DCM
briefed AU Peace and Security Commissioner Amb. Said
Djinnit and AU Special Representative Amb. Baba Gana
Kingibe on the three USG military personnel to support DPA
verification and monitoring in Darfur. At that meeting,
Djninnit and Kingibe briefed AMIS Force Commander Ikehire,
then recommended that the United States raise this
initiative through the Partner mechanism.
-- Poloff and AF-contracted Peace and Security Advisor to
the AU formally informed Partner representatives (including
the EU Military Staff, NATO SMLO, Canada, Japan, and
European allies) of the USG DPA verification team on June
13-14. Partners unanimously endorsed the proposal, and
have raised it in writing with the sole AU Darfur
Integrated Task Force official remaining in Addis Ababa,
POLAD Dr. Solomon Gomes. (NOTE: Peace and Security
Commissioner Djinnit has been leading the joint UN-AU TAM
in Sudan and was not expected to return to Addis Ababa
until the evening of June 16. The AU DITF?s Military
Component Head, Chief of Civilian Police, Joint Chiefs of
Staff, and Head of Administration Control and Management,
are also participating in the UN-AU technical assistance
mission, and have therefore been absent from Ethiopia. AU
Commission Chairperson Konare and other senior AU
Commission principals have also been traveling out of the
country. END NOTE.)
-- Post submitted a formal note verbale to the AU
Chairperson on June 15, reiterating the USG intention to
deploy such a DPA verification team, and requesting that
the AU designate a specific official to coordinate with the
USG on the team?s role, structure, and function, in either
Addis Ababa or Sudan.
-- Partner representatives have agreed to jointly raise the
USG DPA verification team with the AU DITF on June 19, and
have also requested that AU Commissioner Djinnit attend
this meeting.
-- Partner heads of mission are also scheduled to meet with
AU Commission Chairperson Konare on June 19; Charge will
use this opportunity to reaffirm AU cooperation with and
approval of the USG initiative.
-- Separately, Charge requested a meeting with Deputy
Commission Chairperson Patrick Mazimhaka, but the AU
informed Post he was not available due to being on mission.
(NOTE: On June 19, AU principals will be participating in
an Addis-based conference on Somalia, with IGAD, the League
of Arab States, the UN, and the EU. END NOTE.)


3. (U) AMIS FJMHQ: The AU?s formal request for 6 Partner
experts to fill advisory positions in the AMIS Forward
Joint Mission Headquarters (FJMHQ) has led to individual
responses, via formal note verbale, from several key
partners:
-- EU Brussels initially responded by offering candidates
for all positions. Subsequent consultations among Addis-
based Partner representatives, with poloff and USG Peace
and Security Advisor to the AU, resulted in consensus that
Partners should coordinate efforts, and would inform the AU
that there is no objection to the USG offer to fill two
specific positions (J-2 and J-9).
-- On behalf of AU Partners, EU Military Staff and EC POLAD
informed AU DITF POLAD of USG offer, and approval by all
Partners, on June 12.
-- On June 13, Post formally informed AU Commission
Chairperson and AU DITF, via note verbale, of USG offer to
fill the two AMIS FJMHQ positions named above.
-- On June 16, EU Military Staff and EC POLAD presented a
new note verbale from the EU summarizing offers from the
USG (J-2 and J-9), the UN (J-5), the EU, and NATO (i.e,
offer to provide staff capacity building), and reiterating
no objection among Partners to USG offer.
-- Partner representatives have agreed to reiterate the
coordinated Partner response to the AU request at a meeting
with AU DITF on June 19. As noted above, Partners have
requested that AU Peace and Security Commission Amb.
Djinnit attend this meeting.


4. (U) MILOBS: Post will seek further consultations with AU

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officials, on increasing the number of USG MILOBs serving
in AMIS, when the relevant AU DITF officials and AU
Commission principals return from traveling outside the
country.

HUDDLESTON