Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06USUNNEWYORK1945
2006-10-12 00:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
USUN New York
Cable title:  

SE NATSIOS' MEETING WITH DPKO U/SYG GUEHENNO

Tags:  PREL PGOV PTER UNSC SU KPKO 
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PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUCNDT #1945/01 2850000
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 120000Z OCT 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0420
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0740
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 0423
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA PRIORITY 0206
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001945 

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IO, PRM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER UNSC SU KPKO
SUBJECT: SE NATSIOS' MEETING WITH DPKO U/SYG GUEHENNO

REF: USUN NEW YORK 01911

Classified By: Ambassador John R. Bolton for reasons 1.4 (b,d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001945

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IO, PRM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER UNSC SU KPKO
SUBJECT: SE NATSIOS' MEETING WITH DPKO U/SYG GUEHENNO

REF: USUN NEW YORK 01911

Classified By: Ambassador John R. Bolton for reasons 1.4 (b,d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: During an October 5 meeting with UN DPKO
U/SYG Jean Marie Guehenno, Special Presidential Envoy for the
Sudan Andrew Natsios pushed DPKO to move quickly on
implementing the UN support package for AMIS. Guehenno
voiced cautious optimism regarding recent developments
related to Darfur, citing Sudanese President Bashir's
acceptance of the UN assistance package. Guehenno urged
haste on diplomatic efforts to obtain Bashir's acceptance of
a UN peacekeeping force for Darfur, noting that the UN would
need the consent of the GOS by the end of October or early
November to deploy before AMIS, mandate expires on December

31. Guehenno said the a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur will
require "quality troops" and welcomed the USG emphasis
outlined by Natsios on underlying development issues and
regional inequities. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) UN Participants: DPKO U/SYG Jean Marie Guehenno, DPKO
Deputy Hedi Annabi, UN Notetaker. USG Participants: Special
Envoy Andrew Natsios, Chief of Staff Andrew Steinfeld, USUN
MSC LTC Patrick Murray, USUN Poloff (notetaker).

--------------
Guehenno: Moment May Be Auspicious
For New Political Effort
--------------


3. (C) Guehenno voiced cautious optimism regarding recent
developments related to Darfur. The recent battle for
al-Fashir demonstrated to the Government of Sudan (GOS) that
they will not be able to meet their objective of destroying
non-signatory rebel groups before the UN peacekeeping force
moves into Sudan. Likewise, Bashir's positive written
response to UN SYG Annan and pledge of "personal support" for
the UN assistance package for AMIS is a "highly significant
development." Guehenno acknowledged that Bashir could still
attempt to delay the assistance package by holding equipment
up at Port Sudan, or seek to delay deployment of the 200 UN

logistics and command and control experts by refusing to
grant them visas. So far, however, the UN had seen no
indications that Bashir plans to set up "unnecessary
roadblocks."

--------------
October, Early November
Is &Go-Date8 for UN
Peacekeeping Force
--------------


4. (C) Guehenno urged haste on diplomatic efforts to obtain
Bashir's acceptance of a UN peacekeeping force for Darfur,
noting that the UN would need the consent of the GOS by the
end of October or early November in order to deploy before
AMIS, mandate expires on December 31. Guehenno said UN DPKO
will need more time to deploy to Sudan because it is "the
most landlocked place in Africa" and lacks roads and basic
infrastructure. Guehenno expressed pessimism that more
countries would agree to commit troops to UNMIS in the
absence of "political clarity on the peacekeeping mission."
So far, only three nations have pledged troops for a UN
peacekeeping force in Darfur -) Norway, Tanzania, and
Bangladesh. In addition to the increased security risk to UN
troops if Bashir refuses to comply with UNSCR 1706, Guehenno
said logistics for the peacekeeping mission would be
significantly more complicated if the UN force could not use
Port Sudan. For these reasons, Guehenno commented, "The
peacekeeping force is no substitute for progress on the
diplomatic front."


5. (C) Natsios responded by acknowledging the need for
progress on diplomacy with the Sudan. In the meantime,
Natsios urged DPKO to move forward on the assistance package
for AMIS as soon as possible. He noted that the US has
placed significant diplomatic pressure on the GOS already,
and will continue working to obtain Sudanese consent for a UN
peacekeeping deployment. Foreshadowing a point made in a
subsequent meeting with SYG Annan (reftel),Guehenno pointed
to the Egyptians and the Arab League as especially useful
interlocutors with the Sudanese.

--------------

USUN NEW Y 00001945 002 OF 002


UN Assistance is
Critical First Step
--------------


6. (C) Guehenno described the UN assistance package for AMIS
agreed by Bashir as a "modest contribution and a critical
first step." The 200 UN experts include logisticians,
command and control experts, political and police advisers,
and a few public outreach officials. Guehenno said he hoped
the UN advisers would be able to help rationalize AMIS'
logistics structures and put in place the groundwork for the
eventual UN deployment.

--------------
Darfur Needs Quality
Troops, Equipment
--------------


7. (C) Guehenno confided that while he preferred non-NATO
troop contributors for the Darfur mission for political
reasons, the most likely contributors from Muslim countries
-) Jordan, Egypt, and Indonesia -) had proven "uneven in
past peacekeeping missions." Guehenno added that all troops
serving in the UN force would need quality equipment and air
support to operate effectively in Darfur.

--------------
Development, Regional Inequities
Key to Resolving Darfur Conflict
--------------


8. (C) Natsios explained that, in addition to pushing the
Sudanese to accept a UN deployment in Darfur, he planned to
look for ways to address the underlying development problems
and regional inequities that fuel the Darfur conflict.
Guehenno welcomed this approach, pointing out that the
failure of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) to tackle
the lack of development had contributed to a further
deterioration of the security situation. Likewise, the
Darfur refugees will want compensation and development
assistance if they are ever to accept the DPA.


9. (U) Special Envoy Andrew Natsios' staff cleared this
message.

BOLTON