DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH SUDANESE FOREIGN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000575 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF/SE NATSIOS AND IO A/S SILVERBERG, NSC FOR PITTMAN AND SHORTLEY E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2017 TAGS: OVIP NEGROPONTE JOHN PREL EAID MOPS PINR PREF PHUM, KPKO, UN, AU-1, SU SUBJECT: DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH SUDANESE FOREIGN MINISTER AKOL REF: KHARTOUM 574 KHARTOUM 00000575 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: CDA C. Hume, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: During an 13 April meeting with Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol, the Deputy Secretary underlined that the AU/UN hybrid force must be accepted immediately and under complete UN command and control. Akol responded that the GoS has accepted a hybrid force in principal, and the UN is causing the delay by not defining the force. Akol emphasized the importance of getting rebel groups to accept peace, and asked the USG to pressure the rebel groups. On the humanitarian front, the Deputy Secretary emphasized that the recent agreement to ease restrictions on NGOs must be respected. End summary. -------------- What is UN Command and Control? -------------- ¶2. (C) Deputy Secretary Negroponte underscored that the GoS must explicitly accept a hybrid force with UN command and control, as agreed in Addis Ababa last November. The GoS has accepted the hybrid force, Akol said, but the UN must now set force composition and size, and pass a new resolution to fund it. Akol explained the details of the Heavy Support Package have been accepted, although discussions are ongoing on the role of attack helicopters. ¶3. (C) The GoS also accepts an African Force Commander, appointed by the AU with the UN, for the hybrid mission that reports to a Joint Special Representative (JSR) under both the UN Secretary General and the AU Commissioner. He said that the entire support staff and the administrative structures for this force commander could be UN. ¶4. (C) When Akol blamed delays in the deployment of the first phase on the UN, the Deputy Secretary pointed out that the GoS has not issued visas to many UN support staff. Akol said the GoS became aware of this only recently and they have instructed posts to immediately issue visas to all UN advisors. -------------- Political Process Should Come First -------------- ¶5. (C) Akol stressed that the priority is to get all the rebel groups to accept peace, and asked the United States to use its influence to pressure the rebels. The Deputy Secretary agreed that it is important to broaden support for SIPDIS the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) through the AU/UN mediation efforts. The GoS could help by disarming the Janjaweed, as stipulated by the DPA. Akol said that the GoS will only disarm the militias after all rebel groups have accepted peace and are not a threat. The Deputy Secretary pointed out that an effective peacekeeping operation would help by creating the space for peace. -------------- Implement the Humanitarian Agreement -------------- ¶6. (C) The Deputy Secretary then underlined that we will be watching to make sure the GoS ends harassment of the humanitarian community, as mandated in its recent agreement with the UN. Akol said that the agreement will work because it includes specific mechanisms in both Khartoum and Darfur to address problems. -------------- Donors Should Do More for the South -------------- ¶7. (C) On implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA),Akol said that the biggest problem is that donors have not lived up to their pledges in Oslo. The Deputy Secretary asked about security arrangements and the establishment of Joint Integrated Units (JIUs),and Akol admitted this was proceeding slowly, especially in Upper Nile State, which led to the incident at Malakal. Other than Malakal, Akol explained, the CPA ceasefire has held on its KHARTOUM 00000575 002.2 OF 002 own, making UNMIS almost redundant. -------------- Bilateral Relations a Two-Way Street -------------- ¶8. (C) Akol pointed out that the USG did not fulfill its promise of a "new era" following the CPA and that Sudan remains on the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism despite its cooperation on counterterrorism. The Deputy Secretary explained that sanctions will remain in place until the Darfur crisis is resolved and more sanctions will likely follow, either unilaterally or through the UN, if the situation does not improve. He asked Akol to consider carefully the benefits of an improved bilateral relationship. ¶9. (U) Participants: U.S. The Deputy Secretary Jendayi E. Frazer, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Cameron Hume, Charge d,Affairs Bobby Pittman, Senior Director for Africa, National Security Council Gustavo Delgado, D staff Michael Honigstein (Embassy Notetaker) Government of Sudan Lam Akol, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Abdel Basit Badawi al Sanousi, Director, Americas Division Abdel Rahman Sharfi, Minister Plenipotentiary HUME