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)

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Summary
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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.

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UNAMID "Progressing"
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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."

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Strategy: Proactivity
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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).

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Updates on Land, Water, Runways
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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.

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Vague on International Role
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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.

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Comment
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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