PRESIDENT BASHIR ON HYBRID FORCE, CHAPTER SEVEN UN COMMAND

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001040 SIPDIS SENSITIVE, SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF S/E NATSIOS AND AF/SPG ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU NSC FOR PITTMAN AND SHORTLEY SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV AU UN SU SUBJECT: PRESIDENT BASHIR ON HYBRID FORCE, CHAPTER SEVEN UN COMMAND AND CONTROL REFTEL: KHARTOUM 00956 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: On June 30 at a press forum conducted by the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA),President Al-Bashir was reported to have "renewed Sudan's rejection to international forces in Darfur," while at the same time stating that Sudan had accepted the hybrid force. Al-Bashir remained vague about what he defined as UN command and control of the hybrid force, preferring to limit his characterization of the UN role as technical and administrative. While he emphasized Sudan's acceptance of the hybrid, he sharply rejected the idea of Chapter 7 authorization for a force and criticized U.S. sanctions as "repeating in Darfur the mistakes of Iraq and Afghanistan." End summary. ¶2. (SBU) In his wide-ranging speech at the SUNA-sponsored press forum, Al-Bashir discussed the recent tripartite agreement in Addis on the hybrid force. He said that agreement stipulated that troops on the ground would be African, and that the UN would extend logistical, technical, financial and administrative support. While not explicitly detailing the Sudanese government's position on UN command and control, Al-Bashir took care to point out that the AU/UN Joint Representative (Adada) was from the Congo, and the new AMIS force commander (Agwei) was a Nigerian. ¶3. (SBU) Al-Bashir further stated: "Regarding the forces on the ground, we have stated that is should be completely African. They have asked if Africa is not able to provide the necessary forces, should the UN bring forces from other nations with the consent of the Sudanese government? We have contacted all African nations who have affirmed to us that they are ready to provide troops if the UN provides the funding." Al-Bashir also called on the UN to submit a new resolution requesting funding for the hybrid force; if there was no funding, he continued, "they should not deploy any forces." A-Bashir added: "Concerning talk about converting the mission of the hybrid force so that it falls under UNSC supervision under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, as UNSCR 1706, this will not happen. I swear on this once, twice and a hundred times." ¶4. (SBU) Comment: Over the past several months, Al-Bashir has conveyed a consistent public message that all hybrid troops should be from African nations, and has also consistently avoided any public acknowledgement of UN command and control. His remarks at this press forum, sponsored by the official Sudanese news agency, followed this pattern. While not rejecting UN command and control of the hybrid, the president made clear his point that the decision-making echelons of the hybrid force should be comprised of Africans. When one looks closely at the rhetoric, one can see that nothing has changed as far Sudan's June 12 acceptance of the hybrid force, acceptance which was confirmed to the UNSC during their June 17 visit to the Sudan. The intemperate language on Chapter 7 is a very clear statement of the GoS's public stance on this issue. It seems Al-Bashir is finessing the command and control issue, but not Chapter 7. End comment.