UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002083

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO PK SU
SUBJECT: DARFUR MISSION DEMARCHE: PAKISTAN WOULD NEED TO
ASSESS SITUATION BEFORE COMMITTING TROOPS

REF: STATE 51828


1. (SBU) On May 7, Charge d'Affaires delivered reftel
demarche to Foreign Secretary Riaz Khan, urging Pakistan to
make a public commitment of troops and police for the future
UN/AU hybrid operation. In response, Khan referred to
Pakistan's clear, longstanding policy regarding its
peacekeeping operations -- it will only commit forces if
there is consensus in the destination country to receive the
deployment.


2. (SBU) Khan mentioned the example of Sierra Leone, where
Pakistan first sent an advance mission to assess the
situation on the ground. This mission consulted with both
the government and opposition before deciding that an
agreement between the two was tenable. Only then did
Pakistan commit several thousand peacekeeping troops to
Sierra Leone. Khan said that Pakistan would first have to
send a mission to Darfur before committing to participate in
a peacekeeping operation there.

BODDE