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