UNSC/SUDAN: CHAD INSTABILITY IS REGIONAL THREAT

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SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CD CT PGOV PREL SU UNSC
SUBJECT: UNSC/SUDAN: CHAD INSTABILITY IS REGIONAL THREAT


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1. (SBU) SUMMARY. At April 13 consultations, United Nations
Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) Africa Director
Titov gave the Security Council an overview of the current
situation in Chad and its potential consequences for regional
stability, calling for a strengthening of the African Union
Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to enhance its capacity to address
this threat. Congolese PermRep Ikouebe, speaking on behalf
of the African Union (AU),set the stage for a U.S. amendment
to his delegation's proposed Press Statement (text in
Paragraph 8) by linking Chad/Sudan instability to uncertainty
at the Abuja Talks. He further urged that the SC focus not
on accusations and denials of responsibility exchanged
between the Chadian Government (GOC) and the Sudanese
Government of National Unity (GNU),but rather on condemning
any attempt to seize power by force, which could imperil the
Darfur peace process underway in Abuja. Ikouebe went on to
say that AMIS transition by September 30 could be threatened
if Chad-Sudan tensions were left unaddressed. Not entirely
heeding Ikouebe's admonition to ignore accusations between
the sides, French PR de La Sabliere gave a lengthy and
hard-hitting exposition on the close links between the
Janjaweed and the Chadian Zaghawa rebels, charging that Chad
was 'a victim of the conflict in Darfur.' END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) At April 13 consultations, UN DPKO Africa Director
Dmitry Titov gave the UNSC an overview of the current
situation in Chad and its potential consequences for regional
stability. He reported the situation in N'Djamena as
'fluid,' as of 05:00A.M. local time, with shelling and
machine gun fire audible but with President Deby's forces in
control of the city. Titov noted that GOC forces had
repelled the advancing rebel column as it neared the National
Assembly and that some rebels had been taken prisoner. Titov
also mentioned that France was enforcing its national
contingency in country.


3. (SBU) Titov gave a general description of the situation on
the Chad/Sudan border, noting that 'armed nomad militias'
from Sudan and burgeoning rebel movements from Chad had been
clashing there for the past year, culminating in the GOC's
declaring a 'state of belligerence' with the GNU after
charging Sudan with aiding and abetting Tama-led rebels in
the 18 December 2005 attack on the town of Adre. Despite the
confidence-building measures under the February 8 Tripoli
Accord to which both the GOC and the GNU had agreed, both
countries continued to exchange accusations, Chadian forces
continued to defect to rebel movements and rebels continued
to fortify strongholds in Darfur. Titov said that dialogue
and a renunciation of violence by both sides would be
necessary.


4. (SBU) Titov noted the negative effect Chad/Sudan tensions
could have on IDPs and refugees, with camps in southern Chad
already exposed to rebel attacks and raids, the possibility
of targeting civilians and potential refugee flows as far as
Cameroon. Humanitarian staff remained in place in N'Djamena
and Abeche, but Titov said an aircraft from the UN
Organization Mission in the DRC (MONUC) was on standby in the
event NGO and UN staff evacuation became necessary. Titov
said DPKO was liaising with AMIS, which should be
strengthened as much as possible to enhance its capacity to
address the Chad/Sudan issue. Titov appealed for the
international community - namely the SC, the AU and the SYG -
to remain engaged and acknowledged that the proposed SC Press
Statement offered by the Congolese was a step in the right
direction.


5. (SBU) Congolese PermRep Ikouebe, speaking on behalf of the
AU Presidency, was quick to highlight what the AU saw a the
inextricable link between Chad-Sudan tensions and the future
of the Abuja Talks: 'Destabilization in one means
destabilization in the other.' Ikouebe acknowledged Chad's
predicament of being party to negotiations in which it
accuses one of the sides of equipping rebels in Chadian
territory. Ikouebe urged that the SC focus not on

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accusations and denials of responsibility exchanged between
the GOC and the GNU, but rather on condemning any attempt to
seize power by force (a major priority for the AU),an action
which could imperil the Darfur peace process underway in
Abuja. Further, Ikouebe stated, there was now hope that an
agreement would be reached on AMIS transition, progress that
could be threatened if Chad-Sudan tensions were left
unaddressed.


6. (SBU) French PermRep de La Sabliere French PR de La
Sabliere gave a lengthy and hard-hitting exposition on the
close links between the Janjaweed and the Chadian Zaghawa
rebels, charging that Chad was 'a victim of the conflict in
Darfur.' He was explicit in referring to both the rebels who
orchestrated the 18 December 2005 Adre attack and the column
of 800 who penetrated Chad via Central African Republic (CAR)
as 'Arabs' including Sudanese Janjaweed. De La Sabliere
noted the rebels were heavily armed, with 60 vehicles and new
equipment, a product of the continued arms trafficking in
Sudan that was further contributing to Chadian
destabilization. He cited Chadian President Deby's decision
to forgo solidarity with his own Zaghawa tribe in concluding
the 8 April 2004 N'Djamena Ceasefire Agreement as the reason
behind the tribe's uniting with Darfur fighters against him
to weaken his position. Zaghawa rebels, de La Sabliere
continued, could see a further opportunity for
destabilization in the Abuja process, thus jeopardizing the
international community's political efforts to solve the
Darfur crisis. De La Sabliere also expressed considerable
concern for the security of CAR.


7. (SBU) In the wake of these interventions, Ambassador
Bolton proposed adding language to the Congolese draft Press
Statement urging the parties in Abuja to conclude an
agreement by April 30 for the sake of regional stability;
this amendment was unanimously endorsed. Both the Ghanaian
and the Tanzanian representatives recommended inclusion of
language encouraging Chadian parties to subscribe to the
electoral process underway. Peruvian PR de Rivero requested
adding a line condemning attacks on refugee camps. Congolese
PR Ikouebe was amenable to all suggestions and noted that the
AU Peace and Security Council would convene imminently to
endorse the resultant statement from the SC. He went on to
say that future AU action on the matter should be in concert
with the SYG.


8. (U) Begin Press Statement text:

The situation in Darfur and the mounting tension at the
border between Sudan and Chad was under consideration by the
members of the Security Council.

The members of the Security Council express their deep
concern regarding the deteriorating situation in Darfur and
recent attacks by armed groups in Chad.

The members of the Security Council condemn attacks on the
refugee camps.

The members of the Security Council condemn any attempt to
seize power by force, pursuant to the resolution of Algiers
adopted in 1999 by the African Union Organization and call on
the rebels to put an end to violence and to participate in
the democratic process.

The members of the Security Council urge the Governments of
Sudan and Chad to respect the Tripoli Declaration and
Agreement of 8 February 2006 endorsed on 10 March 2006 by the
46th meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the African
Union and to fully implement the commitments made and to
facilitate the work of the relevant follow-up mechanisms that
have been agreed upon in the Tripoli Declaration and
Agreement.

The members of the Security Council express support for the

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efforts of the African Union and invite the Secretary-General
and the African Union to make available their good offices to
address this crisis.

The members of the Security Council also urge the parties to
the Abuja peace talks to conclude a peace agreement by April
30, as called for by the African Union's Peace and Security
Council, in order to contribute to the peace and stability of
the entire region.


9. (U) End Press Statement text.
BOLTON