UNAMID DEPLOYMENT ROUNDUP

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001844 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, AF SE NATSIOS ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: UNAMID DEPLOYMENT ROUNDUP REFERENCE: (A) KHARTOUM 1764 (B) KHARTOUM 1735 ¶1. Summary: The Jordanian Embassy in Khartoum reports that the GOS has not approved its offer of a Multi-Role Logistics Company, while the Chinese Embassy confirms the arrival of Chinese UN blue-helmeted peacekeepers. End Summary. TROOP CONTRIBUTING COUNTRIES LAST TO KNOW -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Jordanian emboff Walid Alqazaz told poloff on November 24 that Jordan has not received a formal approval from GOS on Jordan's offer of an unspecified number of transport helicopters comprising the Multi-Role Logistics Company (MRLC),to be deployed at El-Geneina. He added that GOS also has not approved Jordan's offer of two contingents of 120 anti-riot police and 100 police monitors. ¶3. (SBU) According to UN deployment information dated November 14, the main body of Jordan's MRLC is scheduled to arrive in mid-February and conduct a Pre-Deployment Visit (PDV) for the Multi-role Logistics Company starting December 1 to 6. Alqazaz was unable to confirm the start date of the PDV. ¶4. (SBU) Alqazaz was unable to state the number of helicopters comprising the Multi-role Logistics Company. Alqazaz added that he was surprised at Assistant Secretary-General for Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) Edmond Mulet's recent public statements (ref A) that no country has offered helicopters that met the UN standards. He said the Jordanian mission to the UN plans to confirm whether DPKO meant that Jordan's offer of helicopter was unsatisfactory. CHINESE PEACEKEEPERS ARRIVE WITH BLUE HELMETS -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Despite President Bashir's prominent statements in the media insisting that incoming UNAMID peacekeepers should not wear blue helmets, but rather should have an AU helmet, the Chinese engineering company was shown prominently on the cover of Sudanese dailies arriving in Darfur with blue head gear. Chinese Embassy political officer Shen Ang confirmed to poloff November 25 that the first tranche (ref B) of 135 Chinese peacekeepers arrived on November 24 wearing blue scarves and headgear. FERNANDEZ