TANZANIA ON SUDAN AMIS TO UNMIS TRANSITION TIMING

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 001320 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSC FOR TSHORTLEY; IO/UNP FOR BHARRIS AND DBRENNAN; USUN FOR EBRUNO; AF/E FOR BYODER, DMALAC AND EREDDICK E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2016 TAGS: PREL KPKO SU TZ SUBJECT: TANZANIA ON SUDAN AMIS TO UNMIS TRANSITION TIMING AND CONSENT REF: STATE 123408 Classified By: DCM D. Purnell Delly for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Tanzania is in full agreement with the need to transform AMIS to UNMIS and sees the period of October through December 2006 as a time of transition, Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MFA) Multilateral Division, told Poloff on August ¶2. Mulamula asked why October 1 is proposed for the transition when the African Union (AU) extended the mandate for AMIS to the end of the calendar year when it met in Banjul in July. Poloff replied that the funding for AMIS ends September 30 and inquired how the AU would fulfill an unfunded mandate. Mulamula said from October 1 through December 31 the following should occur: prepare the UN force; strengthen AMIS to sustain it until the UN force is deployed; and continue efforts to convince Sudan to accept the transition. Mulamula also commented that, political considerations aside, October 1 may be optimistic due simply to time constraints. ¶2. (C) When asked how Sudan may be persuaded to accept the transition, Mulamula recommended that the international community call on countries with direct influence on Sudan to convince it that the UN is incorporating AMIS and is not an occupying force. Mulamula also suggested stressing that the transition is in the interest of stabilizing the Darfur region and ending the humanitarian crisis there. Mulamula said that Government of Tanzania (GOT) officials talk with Sudanese officials and that deadlines "scare them off." Instead, Mulamula suggested fostering confidence in the international community and the UN force. When asked about the timing of the transition should Sudan give its consent between September 30 and December 31, Mulamula said the transition should happen immediately upon consent by Sudan and not wait for December 31. In a July 31 meeting, Vitus Njiku, head of the MFA's Security Council Unit suggested to Poloff that if Bashir sees that something is at stake, he may be more likely to consent to the transition. ¶3. (C) Mulamula was exceedingly clear that the GOT supports the transition. Mulamula said that AMIS is not capable of doing what it is asked to do and described it as ineffective, thin on the ground, ill-equipped and having low morale because people are not being paid. RETZER