(C) DFA OFFICIAL SUGGESTS SUDAN UNLIKELY TO AGREE

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 003952 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2016 TAGS: PREL EAID MOPS KPKO KDEM SU SF SUBJECT: (C) DFA OFFICIAL SUGGESTS SUDAN UNLIKELY TO AGREE TO UN FORCE; DISCUSSES ENHANCED AMIS REF: 05 PRETORIA 3007 Classified By: Political Counselor Raymond Brown. Reasons 1.4(b) and ( d) ¶1. (C) Sudan is unlikely to agree to a UN force in Darfur, suggested Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Horn of Africa Director Graham Maitland (protect). Maitland told PolOff September 21 that the working levels of DFA are discussing the possibility of a "greatly enhanced" AMIS operation if Khartoum does not accept the UN force. Maitland emphasized that President Mbeki strongly supports the transition to the UN force, but that one had to be "realistic." ¶2. (C) South Africa has not made a political decision as to whether South Africa would be willing to contribute additional troops to either an enhanced AMIS or a UN force in Darfur. (NOTE: South Africa currently has approximately 400 troops and 100 police serving in AMIS. The South African military remains stretched thin with over 2,000 troops deployed in Burundi and the DRC. South Africa has not been able to meet its April 2005 AU commitment to deploy significant new forces to the AU mission in Darfur, and it would be difficult for them to supply large numbers of additional troops at this time. END NOTE.) ¶3. (C) Maitland, who traveled to Sudan the week of September 11 with DFA Chief Director Kingsley Makhubela, also expressed concern that the international community was neglecting the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement. South Africa is continuing their active SPLM/GOSS training program (reftel). The next phase of the program will focus on the judiciary, with South Africa bringing a group of southern Sudanese judges to South Africa for training. Maitland said that they believe the SPLM/GOSS training program has worked relatively well, but it has put a significant strain on the South African budget. To date, no donor has agreed to fund the program. (NOTE: The U.S. Embassy supported the DFA program by hosting a group of SPLM diplomats-in-training in July 2005 for session on embassy operations (reftel). END NOTE.) ¶4. (C) Maitland confirmed that South Africa still plans to open a Consulate in Juba. The GOSS has identified land and a building, but officials there are unable to provide South Africa with a title to the land. The DFA administrative staff will not release funds for the rehabilitation of the potential consulate without the title. Bost