UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 002506

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/SPG

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPKO UNSC SU ET
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON UN PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN DARFUR

REF: STATE 151212


1. (U) Poloff delivered reftel points on September 13 to Head
of the MFA's UN Directorate, Counsellor Abdulkadir Risku, and
to UN Directorate officer Eyob Tekalegn.


2. (SBU) Citing the binding nature of UN Security Council
resolutions on UN member states, Risku said that Sudan would
not be able to argue successfully to African Union member
states that they should ignore UNSCR 1706. Risku said he
expected Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin to represent Ethiopia
at the UNGA; Prime Minister Meles Zenawi would represent
Ethiopia at the NAM Summit.


3. (SBU) COMMENT: We expect Ethiopia to support AMIS
transition to a UN peacekeeping operation, as one of 15
members of the African Union's Peace and Security Council
(PSC), as well as host to both the African Union Commission
and the UN's regional economic commission for Africa. On the
other hand, it will likely not seek to antagonize Sudan, its
neighbor with whom it has growing economic ties. In a
separate briefing to AU partners on September 14, AU Darfur
Integrated Task Force officials noted that among African
states, Libya and Egypt opposed transition to the UN, but
others supported PSC communiques reaffirming transition. END
COMMENT.
WILGUS