CHAD'S POSITION ON A UN BORDER FORCE HARDENING

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000189

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPKO PGOV PHUM PREL UNSC CD
SUBJECT: CHAD'S POSITION ON A UN BORDER FORCE HARDENING
FURTHER

REF: NDJAMENA 176


1. (U) On February 28 the Ambassador was called to the
Foreign Ministry to receive a statement from Acting Foreign
Minister Djidda Moussa Outman clarifying Chad's reservations
on proposals by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations
(UNDPKO) to the UN Security Council (UNSC) for a peacekeeping
operation in eastern Chad. Djidda said he was presenting the
same statement to other UNSC members represented in Ndjamena
(i.e., France, China, Russia).


2. (SBU) Recalling discussions with the UNDPKO Technical
Assistance Mission during its recent visit, Djidda said Chad
had proposed a force of police and gendarmes units with a
mandate to protect refugees and humanitarian workers. He
noted disagreement with the UNDPKO's proposals for a force
with as many 11,000 personnel, a broader mandate, and
significant military elements. He added that it is
unacceptable to have the 12 Sudanese refugee camps so close
to the border with Sudan. He referred to studies underway
with UNHCR on proposals to shift the camps further into Chad.
He said the UNSC should take note of these discussions and
asked the Ambassador to draw Washington's attention to Chad's
concerns.


3. (SBU) Probed further on Chad's views, Djidda expressed
hope that the mandate for a force would include protection of
Chadian IDP's. He rejected consideration of any military
elements, claiming that a civilian force of police and
gendarmes would be sufficient. He noted Chad's support for a
force with aerial surveillance capabilities, but did not see
the possibility of establishing observation posts along the
border. He said a Sudanese military delegation is in
Ndjamena now for technical discussions on implementing the
Tripoli agreement of February 2006, which was reaffirmed at
the meetings in Tripoli last week and which includes plans
for a joint Chado-Sudanese border force. Chad, Djidda noted,
is ready to contribute to this force, but the "other party"
has been the obstacle.


4. (SBU) The Ambassador told Djidda the United States
shared Chad's concerns with insecurity on its border and
violence against civilian populations. He said the United
States supports an international force on the border as a way
of addressing this problem. He described U.S. efforts for
peace in Darfur, including support for a hybrid force. He
urged Chad to work with the United States and its
international partners on plans for an effective and
acceptable force in eastern Chad.


5. (SBU) Comment: As noted in ref and previous messages,
Chad's reservations about a UN force on its border are
becoming more entrenched. Discussions in New York need to
take note of its concerns and consider steps to assuage them.
We have also been hearing frustrations voiced with
increasing frequency over the continuing presence of the
camps for Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad. Two of them --
Ore Cassoni near Bahai and Am Nabak near Tine -- are indeed
unacceptably close to the border, and UNHCR has been working
to identify suitable sites for their relocation, so far
without success. Moving the other camps would pose even more
daunting challenges. End Comment
WALL