SUDAN/DARFUR: SECURITY ASSISTANCE FOR THE DARFUR

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 ADDIS ABAB 00001655 002 OF 002 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