UN ON SUDAN: 'PLEASE GIVE US MONEY'

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000944 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: NI PGOV PREL SU UNSC SUBJECT: UN ON SUDAN: 'PLEASE GIVE US MONEY' REF: 05/04/2006 BRUNO-DEPARTMENT E-MAIL ON SUDAN WORK PLAN USUN NEW Y 00000944 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND GUIDANCE REQUEST. Secretary-General (SYG) Annan hosted a May 4 meeting of the Group of Friends of Darfur to drum financial support for the humanitarian assistance program in Darfur, which, according OCHA U/SYG Egeland, is facing a $500 million funding shortfall. DPKO A/SYG Annabi announced plans for a pledging conference between June 6-8 in Brussels, and the UN is actively seeking U.S. reaction to this proposal. Tanzanian PermRep Mahiga made a convincing argument for securing Government of National Unity (GNU) support for a UN technical assessment mission to Darfur by couching it in terms of implementing an expected Abuja agreement and of strengthening African Union Mission (AMIS) forces on the ground. USUN seeks guidance on how to respond to DPKO's proposed dates for a pledging conference. END SUMMARY AND GUIDANCE REQUEST. ¶2. (SBU) SYG Annan opened a May 4 meeting of the Group of Friends of Darfur (an organization 'founded' by the UK) with a plea for immediate pledges to support the complicated situation in Sudan, including concluding and implementing an Abuja accord; strengthening AMIS; and proceeding with planning for an eventual UN mission in Darfur. On this score, Annan noted continued GNU intransigence and reported he was writing to Sudanese President al-Bashir for his support. Annan encouraged other partners to do the same. ¶3. (SBU) Most delegations who responded treated AMIS transition as a done deal, speaking to the need for DPKO to forge ahead on contingency planning and for the GNU to desist from its opposition to a UN force. The UK and Portugal spoke to the importance of having a 'Plan B' in the event that Abuja did not prove successful, citing 'Responsibility to Protect' obligations. The Egyptian delegate spoke to the need for a sustainable peace in order to ensure smooth transition and receptivity of potential troop contributors. Germany vowed to continue air transport and logistical support to AMIS during the transition and noted NATO's willingness to do the same. French PR de La Sabliere urged the UN to accelerate preparations for deployment of its forces to Darfur since an Abuja agreement was on the horizon. The Arab League representative, however, made no mention of 
transition, suggesting instead that the GNU be commended for its 'flexibility' in supporting the initial peace proposal in Abuja. ¶4. (SBU) The most eloquent plea for the need for transition planning to proceed came from Tanzanian PR Mahiga, who argued that the GNU would be helping to implement the expected Abuja agreement by allowing the UN assessment mission to take place. While the AU needed to inform the UN of what the requirements were for it to remain on the ground until the UN could take over, a team on the ground would be needed to confirm this request, making an immediate assessment mission an integral past of enhancing AMIS. The Nigerian representative endorsed this stance, as did Ambassador Bolton. ¶5. (SBU) SYG Annan also noted that the humanitarian program in Sudan was 'losing ground every day,' citing limited access by humanitarian organizations to affected populations, funding shortfalls, spillover of the Darfur conflict to Chad and GNU restrictions as obstacles. OCHA U/SYG Egeland elaborated on these points (drawing from his April 20 Council briefing),warning that in the face of a $500 million funding shortfall, UN agencies would effectively run out of money 'in the coming weeks.' Egeland acknowledged U.S. contributions but said that more donors were needed, distributing a comparative analysis of funding for the Work Plan for Sudan USUN NEW Y 00000944 002.2 OF 002 between 2005 and 2006 (refmail). ¶6. (SBU) Egeland appealed to donors to encourage their respective Parliaments to dedicate funds (after German PR Pleuger blamed his country's '$0' entry for 2006 commitments on lack of a budget). Egeland also solicited donors' assistance in convincing the GNU to lift restrictions against NGOs, especially the need to reinstitute the Norwegian Refugee Council in the Kalma camp. He encouraged non-Western powers (i.e., Arab countries) to be more pro-active with the GNU in this regard, proposing a joint meeting with Gulf countries. Egeland made a point of welcoming Libya as a donor. ¶7. (SBU) DPKO A/SYG Annabi declared that despite the UN's own promise of assistance to the AU (beginning with establishment of a Joint Operations Center for AMIS operations),a pledging conference was a necessity, especially given the complexity of the security arrangements that would be involved in any Abuja agreement. He noted he had spoken with AU Peace and Security Council Ambassador Djinnit about a possible June 6/7/8 date for such a conference, to be held in Brussels, pending EU agreement. Annabi had also proposed to Djinnit that the conference be preceded by an 'Abuja Implementation Planning Meeting' in Addis Ababa under AU auspices to determine additional requirements (such as troop-to-task and cost) an accord could produce. The conclusions of this meeting, Annabi offered, could form the basis of the subsequent Brussels conference. ¶8. (SBU) Some donors relayed their forthcoming offers of support. UK PermRep Jones Parry said that the UK had recently promised 20 million pounds in AMIS support but cautioned that AMIS would require more sustained support from all donors, since, in his estimation, it would not be able to hand over to the UN until at least January 2007. Norwegian PR Lovald indicated his government was prepared to offer additional funding, and the Netherlands representative noted his country had just committed 10 million euros. The EC said that while it had already met its Oslo pledges, it would consider further funding. The Italian PermRep announced GOI plans to contribute $300,000. BOLTON