(C) DARFUR: UK MULLING TOUGHER MEASURES

C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 000438 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/SPG, AF/SE, AF/RSA, IO/UNP, EUR/UBI E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2017 TAGS: PREL MARR UNSC SU UK SUBJECT: (C) DARFUR: UK MULLING TOUGHER MEASURES Classified By: PolMinCouns Maura Connelly; reason 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (U) Action Request - please see paragraph 4. ¶2. (C) FCO is drafting a strategy for Darfur that will probably go to ministers next week. HMG continues to support the Addis Ababa and Abuja agreements but "patience is running out" over their non-implementation, according to Paul Norris of the FCO Sudan Unit. Possible next steps HMG is considering advocating include: - Extending the UNSC's targeted sanctions to additional individuals, probably below Cabinet level at this stage (e.g., the commander of the Sudanese air force); - Extending the UN arms embargo to all of Sudan, with an exemption for the SPLM in Southern Sudan; and - A UNSCR imposing a total flight ban and withdrawal of all Sudanese air force craft from Darfur, or perhaps just those with offensive capability. ¶3. (C) Minister for Africa Lord Triesman believes the international community should already be talking publicly about a possible No-Fly Zone, Norris said. MOD is working on an analysis that will probably take another two to three weeks to finalize, looking at various options for a NFZ (e.g.: just surveillance; surveillance and retaliation). Norris commented that Chad would be the only land-based option from which to enforce a NFZ, but that would worsen Sudanese-Chadian relations and Libyan leader Qadhafi has expressed his opposition to the idea. As Norris understood current thinking, the only alternative to Chad would be an aircraft carrier. ¶4. (C) Action Requested: We would be grateful for the Department's reaction to the above that we can pass to FCO, in particular any additional names for targeted sanctions that the USG would be prepared to take forward to the UNSC in the near term. Visit London's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm Johnson