SUDAN: Response to Egypt's Proposal on the AU/UN

UNCLAS STATE 084918 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPKO AU UN SU EG OPDC SUBJECT: SUDAN: Response to Egypt's Proposal on the AU/UN Political Process ¶1. Egyptian FM Aboul Gheit sent a verbal message to Secretary Rice on May 10 proposing ideas on how to SIPDIS reinvigorate the Darfur peace process. Please deliver the following letter from Secretary Rice. No signed original will follow. ¶2. BEGIN TEXT: Dear Mr. Minister: Please accept my sincere condolences on the death of UN peacekeeper Lieutenant Colonel Ehab Nazih in Darfur. His sacrifice and the hard work of all Egyptians contributing to the international community's mission will be remembered and are greatly appreciated. Thank you as well for your letter regarding ideas for reinvigorating the peace process in Darfur. United States thinking closely follows your proposals on the political process. We welcom your support of the UN/AU-led mediation process as agreed on April 29th in Tripoli and your assistance in holding the Government of Sudan to the commitments it made in Abuja and Addis Ababa. I look forward to working with you, the UN Security Council, and the international community to advance a roadmap to bring non-signatory rebel movements into the Darfur Peace Agreement. While international involvement will be key to monitoring the political process, we are concerned that an international conference to endorse a roadmap could delay progress and be seen by Sudan as an opportunity to try to further stall, and dilute its commitments and the AU/UN hybrid force. We should move forward now with the AU/UN hybrid force in parallel with the political process as called for by the November 2006 Addis Ababa agreement. I appreciate Egypt's offer of troops to the UN Heavy Support package and Armored Personnel Carriers to the Light Support Package. Given the urgency of the issue and the possibility of increased instability in Darfur, I ask that Egypt provide the troops and equipment the UN has requested as soon as possible, without pre-conditions. Any delay in the deployment would contribute to more instability in Darfur. Again, thank you for your efforts to resolve this crisis and achieve peace in Darfur. Sincerely, Condoleezza Rice END TEXT. RICE