SUDAN/AMIS: FRENCH SHARE U.S. VIEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001431 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR AF/SPG AND IO/PSC E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2016 TAGS: NATO PREL SU KPKO FR SUBJECT: SUDAN/AMIS: FRENCH SHARE U.S. VIEW REF: STATE 36548 Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) MFA Sudan deskoff Jerome Robert on March 7 confirmed that France shared the U.S. position on transforming the African Union's Mission in Sudan (AMIS) into a UN operation. "We agree with you 100 percent on the need to turn AMIS into a UN mission," Robert stated in response to reftel demarche. ¶2. (C) Unlike the U.S., however, Robert said that France was not carrying out a comprehensive series of demarches on this subject. That said, he assured us that French officials were stressing the importance of the transformation in their meetings with Africans and others involved in the issue. He cited, for example, the recent visit to France of AU Chairman and Republic of the Congo President Sassou-Nguesso, during which the French emphasized to him directly the importance of replacing AMIS with a UN mission. Robert said that France had conveyed a similar message in Addis Ababa to AU Commission Chairman Konare. French officials had also raised the issue and stressed its importance in recent discussions in Tripoli and Cairo with, respectively, Libyan and Egyptian officials. Robert said that France had urged Libya and Egypt to avoid causing problems by not raising "unnecessary complications." ¶3. (C) Robert said that France was following the AMIS issue closely and would take every opportunity between now and March 10 to reinforce with its interlocutors the need to effect a speedy transformation of AMIS into a UN operation. He said the GOF appreciated the strong leadership role the U.S. was displaying to achieve this shared objective. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Stapleton