Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NEWDELHI1764
2006-03-14 11:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
INDIA PONDERING A POSSIBLE EXPANDED ROLE IN SUDAN
how-toVZCZCXRO7910 PP RUEHBI RUEHCI DE RUEHNE #1764 0731105 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 141105Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1261 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0887 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 4077 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 4099 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6990 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 2469 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 4746 RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0007 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 8847 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 7300 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0821 RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA 2395 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 2247 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 1476 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 9649 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1873 RHHJJPI/PACOM IDHS HONOLULU HI RHMFISS/HQ USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 001764
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SA/RA (F MILLER),PM/PPA (R FEATHERSTONE),IO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/13/2016
TAGS: PREL KPKO MOPS PHUM IN
SUBJECT: INDIA PONDERING A POSSIBLE EXPANDED ROLE IN SUDAN
PEACEKEEPING
Classified By: Polcouns Geoff Pyatt for reasons 1.4 (b, d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 001764
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SA/RA (F MILLER),PM/PPA (R FEATHERSTONE),IO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/13/2016
TAGS: PREL KPKO MOPS PHUM IN
SUBJECT: INDIA PONDERING A POSSIBLE EXPANDED ROLE IN SUDAN
PEACEKEEPING
Classified By: Polcouns Geoff Pyatt for reasons 1.4 (b, d)
1. (C) MEA Joint Secretary (UN Political) Sanjiv Arora told
PolCouns and Poloff on March 13 that UN representatives had
informally approached him to ask about India's willingness to
help with any UN peacekeeping operation in the Darfur region
of Sudan, drawing on India's presence as the major force
contributor to UNMIS in southern Sudan (where India's full
contingent of 2,400 troops has recently arrived, led by
Indian Lt. Gen. Jasbir Singh Lidder). During a January visit
to Khartoum, where Arora was India's observer to the African
Union summit, UNSYG Special Representative for Sudan Jan
Pronk sounded Arora out on India's views on contributing to a
mission in Darfur. Later, during a visit to New York,
Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Hedi
Annabi raised the same topic, Arora reported. The UN
representatives gave the impression that, for operational
simplicity, both the Darfur and the southern Sudan missions
might be under one command, Arora added.
2. (C) The UN's Annabi suggested to the Indians that any
potential mission to Darfur could take 9 to 10 months to set
up, and that in any case the Government of Sudan must be on
board. Arora said he told both Pronk and Annabi that India
was still watching the situation, and would respond to the
"informal soundings" at an "appropriate time." India would
need to weigh other interests, including its bilateral
relationship with Sudan (an important oil supplier),and
strong links to the African Union, Arora told us, before
deciding whether to undertake this expanded mission. He
implied that Sudanese government support would be key to any
GOI decision.
COMMENT: DOMESTIC FACTORS AGAIN AT PLAY
--------------
3. (C) India may also factor the sensitivities of its 150
million Muslim citizens in its calculations if and when the
UN makes a formal request for an expanded deployment to
Sudan. We anticipate some segments of the Indian political
spectrum would attempt to use the Iran playbook, and object
to GOI participation in a "Western" action against the
interests of a friendly Muslim nation that happens to be an
important energy supplier. However, given Sudan's lower
profile in Indian eyes (and a diplomatic presence here that
is not as meddlesome as Iran's),this criticism is unlikely
to resonate with the Indian public as much as the Iran
controversy.
4. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/)
BLAKE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SA/RA (F MILLER),PM/PPA (R FEATHERSTONE),IO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/13/2016
TAGS: PREL KPKO MOPS PHUM IN
SUBJECT: INDIA PONDERING A POSSIBLE EXPANDED ROLE IN SUDAN
PEACEKEEPING
Classified By: Polcouns Geoff Pyatt for reasons 1.4 (b, d)
1. (C) MEA Joint Secretary (UN Political) Sanjiv Arora told
PolCouns and Poloff on March 13 that UN representatives had
informally approached him to ask about India's willingness to
help with any UN peacekeeping operation in the Darfur region
of Sudan, drawing on India's presence as the major force
contributor to UNMIS in southern Sudan (where India's full
contingent of 2,400 troops has recently arrived, led by
Indian Lt. Gen. Jasbir Singh Lidder). During a January visit
to Khartoum, where Arora was India's observer to the African
Union summit, UNSYG Special Representative for Sudan Jan
Pronk sounded Arora out on India's views on contributing to a
mission in Darfur. Later, during a visit to New York,
Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Hedi
Annabi raised the same topic, Arora reported. The UN
representatives gave the impression that, for operational
simplicity, both the Darfur and the southern Sudan missions
might be under one command, Arora added.
2. (C) The UN's Annabi suggested to the Indians that any
potential mission to Darfur could take 9 to 10 months to set
up, and that in any case the Government of Sudan must be on
board. Arora said he told both Pronk and Annabi that India
was still watching the situation, and would respond to the
"informal soundings" at an "appropriate time." India would
need to weigh other interests, including its bilateral
relationship with Sudan (an important oil supplier),and
strong links to the African Union, Arora told us, before
deciding whether to undertake this expanded mission. He
implied that Sudanese government support would be key to any
GOI decision.
COMMENT: DOMESTIC FACTORS AGAIN AT PLAY
--------------
3. (C) India may also factor the sensitivities of its 150
million Muslim citizens in its calculations if and when the
UN makes a formal request for an expanded deployment to
Sudan. We anticipate some segments of the Indian political
spectrum would attempt to use the Iran playbook, and object
to GOI participation in a "Western" action against the
interests of a friendly Muslim nation that happens to be an
important energy supplier. However, given Sudan's lower
profile in Indian eyes (and a diplomatic presence here that
is not as meddlesome as Iran's),this criticism is unlikely
to resonate with the Indian public as much as the Iran
controversy.
4. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/)
BLAKE