ADADA CITES "PROGRESS" IN UNAMID DEPLOYMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001770 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF S/E NATSIOS, AND AF/SPG NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2012 TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO UN AU SU SUBJECT: ADADA CITES "PROGRESS" IN UNAMID DEPLOYMENT REF: USUN 01911 Classified By: DCM Roberto Powers, Reason: Sections 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Encouraged by his meeting with MFA State Minister Al Wasila earlier in the day, Joint Special Representative Adada told Western governments on November 13 that UNAMID deployment is "progressing" and that Sudan has re-affirmed its commitment to facilitate the force's deployment through the establishment of a high-level commission. He estimated that 10,000 UNAMID soldiers and 30 percent of the civilian staff will be in Darfur by January 1, 2007. While providing updates on land acquisition, access to water, and air clearances, Adada was not prepared to comment on "discrete" discussions with Khartoum regarding troop composition for the force. When pressed to outline UNAMID's priorities for the next month and specify what messages the international community should underscore with Khartoum, Adada demurred, preferring to consult with the Force Commander and to allow UN/AU-Sudan discussions to run their course. End summary. -------------- UNAMID "Progressing" -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Following a meeting with State Minister of Foreign Affairs Samani Al Wasila earlier in the day, Joint Special Representative Rudolphe Adada told Western governments on November 13 that deployment of the UN-AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) is "progressing." Al Wasila had reaffirmed Sudan's commitment to Resolution 1769 and had "made a promise" to facilitate the transition to the UN/AU hybrid peace-keeping force through the establishment of a high-level commission appointed by President Bashir, according to Adada. The commission will consist of three tiers led by Vice President Ali Osman Taha, Presidential Assistant Nafie Ali Nafie, and a technical head based in El Fasher, respectively. Wasila promised to provide Adada with a copy of the presidential decree creating the commission. ¶3. (SBU) Adada and the UNAMID Director of Logistics and Administration were confident that the most pressing issue--equipment that had cleared customs but had not been released in Darfur--would be resolved "within days." While both were pleased that the current customs impasse is resolved, they remained concerned that the Government has not eliminated--at the policy level--the cumbersome procedure of clearing equipment both at the port and in Darfur. ¶4. (SBU) By augmenting the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS) through the completion of the UN Heavy Support Package, Adada estimated that approximately 10,000 UNAMID soldiers and 30 percent of the civilian staff will be deployed in Darfur by January 1, 2007. "Discrete discussions" to resolve the impasse on the composition of the troop contributions were ongoing, said Adada, though he explained he was not in a position to answer specific questions on that issue "from Khartoum." -------------- Strategy: Proactivity -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Asked to characterize Sudan's overall approach to UNAMID deployment, Adada said, "of course, they're not proactive. But we must be pro-active, and they will respond to our proactivity." He added that Sudan was "an African country" and that many of the difficulties facing UNAMID's deployment were caused by an inefficient bureaucracy. Adada noted that the Sudanese Government had brought in experts to examine the model Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that he had provided the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; he anticipated no problems with securing Sudan's acceptance based on these experts' knowledge of the SOFA defining the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS). -------------- Updates on Land, Water, Runways -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Land acquisitions in El Fasher, Nyala, and Zalingei are now complete, according to Adada; the new provisional facilities in El Fasher opened November 1, and construction on the headquarters in Nyala is beginning. While the UN and KHARTOUM 00001770 002 OF 002 the Sudanese Government have agreed on a plot in El Geneina, the purchase is still pending. UNAMID leadership has begun discussions with Sudan on land for the additional 24 planned sites in Darfur. Despite initial concerns on access to water, both UNAMID officials said that planned infrastructure improvement projects--including drilling, laying of pipes, and construction of purification and recycling systems--have alleviated this concern. They cited no significant obstacles from the Sudanese Government to these projects ¶7. (SBU) The Director of Administration stated that the runways in El Fasher and El Geneina could not support landing of large aircraft, such as the Antonov 124. In many cases, night flights are limited by inadequate facilities, he said, while negotiations continue between UN air operations and Sudan's civil aviation authority on air clearance procedures. A team from the UN Department of Peace-keeping Operations (UN DPKO) would soon arrive in Sudan to identify the necessary upgrades. -------------- Vague on International Role -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Pressed by the Dutch Ambassador to identify the most critical issues facing UNAMID deployment in the next three to four weeks, Adada said that he preferred to consult with Force Commander Martin Luther Agwai before he provided a response. Poloff emphasized that the international community wanted to support the expeditious deployment of an effective force and asked what messages would be most helpful for Western governments to convey to Khartoum. Adada demurred, indicating that UN/AU discussions with the Government should run their course. The German Ambassador proposed that a monitoring group, consisting of Western governments, China, and India, be established in Khartoum to support UNAMID's deployment based on information from the ground. Adada welcomed the suggestion and said that he would take it under consideration. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) While influential, State Minister Al Wasila is not part of Khartoum's inner circle. His pledges to facilitate UNAMID deployment may be sincere but may not be as solid as Adada states. Adada's assessment that the issues of land and water rights have largely been resolved seem to contradict recent reports from UN DPKO (reftel). In the absence of a specific request from Adada for international engagement with Khartoum, Post will continue to intercede with the Government regarding the composition of forces for UNAMID. End comment. FERNANDEZ