UN Special Envoy Announces UN/AU Joint

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001258 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KPKO UN AU SU SUBJECT: UN Special Envoy Announces UN/AU Joint Assessment ¶1. SUMMARY. On May 25, UN Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi held a briefing with the diplomatic corps on his recent mission to discuss the UN's role in supporting the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA). He said that Government of National Unity (GNU) President Omar Bashir is agreeable to a Joint Assessment Mission led by the UN and the African Union (AU) within the next few days. This mission will look at the current needs of the AU (AMIS) in supporting the DPA in addition to planning the UN's future role. Brahimi asked the international community to support the agreement and keep it moving forward, and said that the upcoming UN Security Council visit would be a good opportunity to do that. The European Commission delegate also announced that the AMIS pledging conference in Brussels would be held on June 20. End Summary. ¶2. During their meeting, Brahimi said that President Bashir had agreed to an assessment mission as long as it was a joint assessment mission and included the AU as well as the UN. The president had stressed the importance of first determining what AMIS' needs for immediately fulfilling its responsibilities under the DPA. Brahimi explained to Bashir that the recent UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR 1679) would not be the mandate for a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur. That mandate would be determined by the Security Council after the Secretary General presents his report of the assessment mission. He said that the future mission would be an expansion of UNMIS, and he pointed out that even the current mission in the south has some Chapter 7 elements. ¶3. Brahimi explained that everyone he spoke with in the government was shaken by the UNSCR 1679 because of references to Chapter 7. He said that the GNU expected to be rewarded, not punished, for making the requested concessions in Abuja and signing the peace agreement. They felt that the resolution was a punishment, even though they continue to move forward on implementing the agreement. ¶4. It is a fragile peace, Brahimi explained, and not everyone in the government is happy with the DPA-- some felt it gave too much. Those voices are in the minority now, and Brahimi asked the international community to help keep the naysayers in the minority. He said that the upcoming visit by the Security Council would be a good opportunity to do this, and he requested all representatives from Security Council countries to work with their membership to help make this visit constructive and forward-looking. ¶5. Brahimi also encouraged the international community to help get wider support for the agreement, especially from Abdel Wahid al Nur. Brahimi believes outside forces are influencing the rebels. There are indications that some enemies of the GNU were emboldened by the harsh language in UNSCR 1679 and would like to prolong the conflict in order to keep international pressure focused on the government. WHITEHEAD