DARFUR: AU SAYS NEW PLEDGES ALLOW AMIS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ADDIS ABABA 002130

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/SPG AND AF/RSA
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER
CJTF-HOA FOR POLAD F.COOK

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MOPS KPKO EAID SU AU
SUBJECT: DARFUR: AU SAYS NEW PLEDGES ALLOW AMIS
ENHANCEMENT BUT NOT EXTENSION

REF: A. ADDIS ABABA 1961

B. STATE 123408 (NOTAL)


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: At his first briefing for donors
and other partners since the July 18 pledging
conference for the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS),the
head of the African Union's Darfur Integrated Task
Force (DITF) said that the conference's main outcome
was the acknowledgement that partners seek transition
from an AU to a UN-led peacekeeping operation as soon
as possible. He also stated that pledges received by
donors are sufficient to allow AMIS to add two more
battalions, although not the six requested by the
Force Commander. Donors pledged nearly USD 193
million at the conference, but the total is half what
the AU had requested for strengthening AMIS and
extending it to the end of the year. The UK asserted
that cash contributions by the UK and Netherlands
might allow AMIS to continue beyond October. The head
of DITF recognized the importance of improving AMIS
command and control, rather than just adding troops
and police forces. AU officials' observations on
implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement and the
current security situation in Darfur will be reported
septel. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) Poloffs and DAO TDYer attended a two-hour
briefing on July 27 by the African Union Commission's
Darfur Integrated Task Force for the AU Partners
Liaison Group (chaired by the EU, and comprised of
Canada, the U.S., UK, UN, and NATO).

--------------
JULY 18 AMIS PLEDGING CONFERENCE
--------------


3. (SBU) Boubou Niang, Political Advisor to the AU
Special Envoy for Darfur, said the July 18 AMIS
pledging conference in Brussels had been well
organized, with prior consultations on the
implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA): a
restricted meeting on security had included "a frank
exchange" on impediments to DPA implementation.
Conference participants had urged that the Darfur-
Darfur Dialogue and Consultation (DDDC) be organized
as soon as possible, including the appointment of a
preparatory committee head. The contact group on
Sudan had also held a closed meeting. AU Commission
Chairperson Konare and UNSYG Annan had co-chaired the
conference; European Commissioner for Development and
Humanitarian Aid Louis Michel and EU High
Representative Javier Solana had also attended.


4. (SBU) DITF Head Ambassador Corentin Ki Doulaye said
that the main outcome of the conference was that
partners sought transition from AMIS to the UN as soon
as possible, i.e., in October, as the contact group on
Sudan had stated and as currently mandated by the AU
Peace and Security Council (PSC). On the other hand,
the UN had stated transition would be difficult in
October; "so this is a problem we have to manage."
DITF Chief of Staff Major General Henry Anyidoho noted
that the UN SYG was to report to the UN Security
Council by the end of the week. Ki Doulaye did not
expect the PSC to meet on AMIS or Darfur until late
August or early September, explaining that the PSC was
waiting to see what pledges were delivered. The Force
Commander wanted to reorganize AMIS forces into 3
sectors, which did not require new PSC authorization,
Ki Doulaye said.


5. (SBU) Commodore Binega Mesfin, AU DITF
Administration Control and Management Center Chief,
reported on U.S. and UK views at the conference.
Participants had called for an increase of no more
than 2 battalions; the U.S. pledge of $116 million
would be used primarily for improving current
infrastructure, he said. Mesfin asserted that the
U.S. had stated that bilateral assistance would be
under NATO. (NOTE: NATO Senior Military Liaison
Officer questioned whether this was accurate, given

ADDIS ABAB 00002130 002 OF 004


recent consultations by NATO DASG Jochems that
suggested the need to minimize the profile of NATO
involvement. END NOTE.) The UK had noted that the
next few weeks would be critical: emphasis needed to
be placed on training, establishment of the AMIS Joint
Operations Center (JOC),improving police capability,
and convening a second meeting of the DPA's Joint
Commission.

-------------- --
FUNDS ONLY SUFFICIENT FOR THE END OF SEPTEMBER?
-------------- --


6. (SBU) Niang said pledges "fell short" of the AU
budget: contrary to assertions by UN SRSG Jan Pronk,
funds would only allow AMIS to function through
September--not the end of December. The AU would
therefore need to look at other means of financing,
were it to extend to the end of December as requested
by the UN. Apart from a 50 million CFA pledge from
Congo, AU members themselves had not pledged
significant amounts, he said.


7. (SBU) According to Amb. Ki Doulaye, USD 80-85
million were needed just to continue AMIS (at its
current strength) to the end of September. A USD 170
million budget for transition had been sent to
partners; of which the AU had received pledges for
only half, including pledges for in-kind assistance
rather than cash. He explained that while a total of
USD 181 million had been pledged at Brussels, only a
portion of that was cash.


8. (SBU) Commodore Mesfin attempted to clarify that in
addition to a shortfall of USD 76 million needed to
continue operations to the end of September, another
USD 270 million was needed for September to December.
Thus, a total of USD 346 million was needed, but the
AU had only received USD 170 million. The USD 116
million in in-kind assistance from the United States
would be used for upgrading capacity, not for
transport; little funding would be available for
operational expenses, Mesfin said. Partners noted the
need for a written summary of pledges to avoid
confusion.

-------------- --------------
AMIS ENHANCEMENT, BUT ONLY BY TWO MORE BATTALIONS
-------------- --------------


9. (SBU) Asked whether AMIS would maintain its current
strength or reinforce, Amb. Ki Doulaye affirmed that,
as A/S Frazer had stated at the pledging conference,
AMIS would be enhanced, but by no more than two
additional battalions. He noted that on May 15, the
AU Peace and Security Council had authorized AMIS to
be reinforced. "We are able to do it," he said,
asserting that the U.S. pledge should cover
accommodations and other necessary expenses. DITF
Military Component chief Colonel Mayell Mbaye noted
two additional battalions, rather than the six more
originally sought, totaled only 1,000 troops.


10. (SBU) Mesfin, AU DITF's chief logistician, said
the AU needed to present viable options to the PSC.
He expressed concern that PAE required 42 days to
mobilize to construct new camps. Moreover, he said,
USD 9.1 million were required to construct 35-36
additional police posts (requiring 3 months lead
time). UK poloff noted that unearmarked pledges that
were restricted to non-military purposes might be used
for police posts.

-------------- --------------
U.S. CONTRIBUTES NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF NEW PLEDGES
-------------- --------------


11. (U) AU Finance Officer Biscut Tessema said total
contributions of USD 312 million (in cash and in kind)
had been made recently, approximately half of which
had been pledged at the July 18 conference. She said

ADDIS ABAB 00002130 003 OF 004


that USD 181 million in new partner pledges (of which
approximately USD 78 million are cash contributions)
had been made July 18:

U.S.USD 116 million(in-kind)
d)
EUUSD 39 million(30 mn from APF)
NetherlandsUSD 26 million(may be in-kind)
QatarUSD 6.7 million(non-earmarked)
IrelandUSD 1.9 million(non-earmarked)
BelgiumUSD 1.3 million(non-earmarked)
SwedenUSD 1.3 million(non-earmarked)
ChinaUSD 1 million (non-earmarked)
CongoUSD 98,000(non-earmarked)

(NOTE: The sum of these pledges is actually USD 193
million. END NOTE.)


12. (U) According to Biscut, an additional USD 131
million had been pledged prior to the July 18
conference:

EUUSD 60.2 million
-- personnel costs up to July 2006

UKUSD 36 million
-- 6 million for ground fuel; remainder for airlift of
Rwandans and other purposes

Netherlands20 million Euros
-- aircraft lease and communications equipment

CanadaUSD 18 million
-- aircraft, aviation fuel, DPA implementation

JapanUSD 8.6 million
-- public information, humanitarian assistance, DITF

FranceUSD 2.6 million(non-earmarked)

USUSD 1 million
-- Abuja peace talks (April 2006)

ItalyUSD 320,500
talks (April 2006)

ItalyQQUSD 320,500
-- Darfur-Darfur Dialogue

Germanystrategic airlift; 2 CIVPOL; cash TBD

(NOTE: AU DITF obviously has not taken into account
previous U.S. in-kind contributions related to camp
construction and strategic airlift, etc. END NOTE.)

-------------- -
UK: CASH WILL LET AMIS CONTINUE BEYOND OCTOBER
-------------- -


13. (SBU) UK poloff declared the UK's intent that the
majority of both its 20 million pound pledge and of a
pledge from the Netherlands would be given as cash, to
sustain AMIS beyond October. EU POLAD noted that 30
million Euros newly pledged by the EU for AMIS would
be taken from the African Peace Facility (APF) from
funds previously earmarked for potential AU operations
in the DRC or Somalia.

--------------
400-500 AWAIT BACK PAY DESPITE END OF TOUR
--------------


14. (SBU) Biscut said the new pledges allowed AMIS to
be sustained through September. If pledges from the
e
Netherlands and the UK were made in cash, AMIS could
be sustained to October, she added. She said that
funds from the EU had not been received on time; the
first tranche had only been transferred the previous
week. Major General Anyidoho observed that June
allowances had not yet been paid to AMIS peacekeepers.

ADDIS ABAB 00002130 004 OF 004


Col. Mbaye reported that 400-500 peacekeepers awaiting
back pay had not yet rotated out of Darfur, even
though their tours of duty had ended.

-------------- -
ROTATION STILL NEEDED REGARDLESS OF TRANSITION
-------------- -


15. (SBU) Asked whether AMIS would proceed with
contingency plans to continue to the end of December
2006, Ki Doulaye said that, on the one hand, the PSC
would ask if resources were sufficient; if lacking,
the PSC would say "let the UN come." On the other
hand, the UN stated transition could not occur until
January, and the Government of Sudan had still not
approved transition. Ki Doulaye tasked Mbaye with
preparing contingency plans for:
-- reinforcing AMIS by two additional battalions;
-- re-hatting forces already on the ground; and
-- the possible withdrawal of AMIS.


16. (SBU) Ki Doulaye observed that whether a
transition occurred or not, the protection force would
still rotate in the fall. Asked whether the U.S.
offer to provide strategic airlift for two Rwandan
battalions referred to additional battalions, Ki
Doulaye responded that the offer was for routine
rotation. Troop contributing countries (TCCs) needed
a training program to ensure that troops rotating in
met UN standards, he added. He noted that the United
States had stated that the UN could start with those
personnel already on the ground in Darfur; force
generation would not be needed. Col. Mbaye said the
AU had distributed guidelines to TCCs; some had agreed
to conduct pre-deployment training. Mbaye noted that
UN U/SYG Guehenno had said there was no way to
transition before January.

-------------- ---
ENHANCING COMMAND AND CONTROL, NOT JUST STRENGTH
-------------- ---


17. (SBU) Karl Mario Nobin, DITF Head of Police,
observed that the number of civilian police (CIVPOL)
in AMIS remained at 1,425 rather than the 1,560
authorized, and far below the 2,200 called for by the
new concept of operations (CONOPS) for AMIS. In
response, Ki Doulaye underscored that the CONOPS had
not been approved; furthermore, the organization and
structure of AMIS was important, not just a focus on
numbers, he said. Ki Doulaye said that AU leadership
had not been keen on solely increasing AMIS force
strength by a multiple of two or three: AMIS would
experience the same problems with 15,000 troops as it
currently did with 7,000 troops. While adding two
battalions was acceptable, the AU was "not in the
mood" for adding six battalions; partners had also
emphasized the need to "organize better," he said.


18. (SBU) COMMENT: Amb. Ki Doulaye's references to
U.S. statements at the AMIS pledging conference, his
acknowledgement that modest enhancement (by two
battalions, not six) of AMIS can be achieved with the
resources pledged, and his recognition that partners
seek transition in October, underscore that active
engagement with AU officials has succeeded in
conveying USG policy priorities. In the absence of
any PSC meeting on Darfur planned in the near future,
the AU's official position continues to be that the
mandate of AMIS expires at the end of September. On
the other hand, the UK's assertion that its cash
contribution is intended to allow AMIS to continue
beyond October, shows that even our closest partners
may think otherwise. END COMMENT.

HUDDLESTON