Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07USUNNEWYORK1061
2007-11-21 21:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USUN New York
Cable title:  

UPDATE ON DARFUR PEACEKEEPING DEPLOYMENT FOR 21

Tags:  AF PGOV PREL SU UNC UNAUS KPKO 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RUEHSR RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #1061/01 3252106
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 212106Z NOV 07 ZFF4
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3167
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY 0569
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1014
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0889
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 1708
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 0967
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 6269
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0804
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 0955
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 0528
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001061 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2017
TAGS: AF PGOV PREL SU UNC UNAUS KPKO
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DARFUR PEACEKEEPING DEPLOYMENT FOR 21
NOVEMBER 2007

REF: A. USUN 1052

B. KHARTOUM 1804

C. BEIJING 7175

Classified By: Ambassador J. Wolcott for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001061

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2017
TAGS: AF PGOV PREL SU UNC UNAUS KPKO
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DARFUR PEACEKEEPING DEPLOYMENT FOR 21
NOVEMBER 2007

REF: A. USUN 1052

B. KHARTOUM 1804

C. BEIJING 7175

Classified By: Ambassador J. Wolcott for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY. Key Points:

--Deployment Update: Chinese officials informed UN Under
Secretary General Guehenno that the first elements of 135

SIPDIS
engineers would deploy on or about 24 November as part of the
Heavy Support Package (HSP). DPKO Force Generation Services
(FGS) expects that with the exception of the Bangladeshi
Formed Police Unit (FPU),this will be the only unit of the
HSP arriving in Calendar Year 2007. UN High Ranking Officer
Technical Assessment Team (HROTAT) visits are ongoing in
selected countries.

--TCC Update: SYG Ban Ki-Moon told Ambassador Khalilzad that
Brazil, Spain and possibly Italy were considering the request
for helicopters for UNAMID.

--Command and Personnel: The UN is prepared to request that
the US provide a number of military officers to deploy to
Darfur in support of UNAMID.

--Contracting Issues: UN Integrated Operational Team (IOT)
for UNAMID will meet with Sudan Programs Group (SPG)
personnel 26 November to work out contracting issues.

End SUMMARY


2. (C) Deployment Update.

---
HSP
---

--Chinese engineers: After a number of conflicting reports
and statements emanating from Chinese officials in Beijing
(REF C),New York and on the ground in Sudan, the first
element of 135 Chinese engineers are scheduled to deploy on
or about November 24th. This is based on statements made to
USG Guehenno on 18 November in Beijing. (COMMENT: USUN
recommends that Department request that Embassies Beijing and
Khartoum approach the appropriate Chinese officials to
confirm this information. END COMMENT).

--Bangladesh Formed Police Unit: Not delayed as previously
reported (REF B),scheduled to arrive in Nyala on 21 Nov (per
DPKO).

--Bangladesh Logistic Company deployment reportedly pushed

back from December 07 to Jan 08 owing to a delay in the Pre
Deployment Visit (PDV) now scheduled for November 28-30 (per
DPKO).

--Pakistani units: According to DPKO FGS, the Pakistanis are
not being responsive to repeated DPKO requests to schedule a
PDV. The longer this is put off, the longer their deployment
will be delayed (COMMENT: Despite statements to the contrary,
this delay is likely due to the current unrest. If
appropriate, USUN recommends Department request Embassy
Islamabad approach host nation to urge moving forward with
the PDV. END COMMENT).

--------------
UNAMID
--------------

--Nepal and The Netherlands: currently in Darfur conducting
their reconnaissance.

--Egypt: Darfur reconnaissance moved up; was scheduled for
December 8-13 and is now scheduled for November 28-30.

--Nordic (Sweden and Norway): GoS has granted visas to
Swedish and Norwegian Military Officers to conduct an
in-country reconnaissance of their Area of Operations.

USUN NEW Y 00001061 002 OF 002


Concurrently, UN A/SYG Mulet recently commented that the
Nordic unit would ultimately not deploy due to ongoing
negative comments made by President Bashir (REF B). However
Sweden and Norway have supposedly agreed to have a
"face-saving" meeting with the GoS that would be facilitated
by the UN, although USUN is unable to confirm if and when
this will happen (COMMENT: USUN recommends Department request
Embassies Stockholm and Oslo approach host nations to
determine the status of the deployment and of the alleged
meeting with the GoS. END COMMENT).

--Thailand: In a reversal from earlier statements, as
reported by USUN during the November 16th SVTC, Thai MilRep
Colonel Mungkalaton in New York told USUN MSC on November
21st that the Thai infantry battalion would only deploy if
explicit GoS approval was granted. Earlier Mungkalaton had
indicated to USUN MSC and acting UN MilAd General Five that
the Thais would deploy if "told to do so" by the UN.


3. (C) TCC Update. During a November 19 meeting with
Ambassador Khalilzad, SYG Ban Ki-Moon reported that Brazil
and Spain had expressed their willingness to "consider"
providing helicopters for the UN mission, while Italy had
indicated that it is ready to provide "aviation support" to
UNAMID (REF A). (COMMENT: USUN recommends Department provide
talking points to Embassies Brasilia, Madrid and Rome to
underscore the importance of providing helicopters in support
of UNAMID. END COMMENT).


4. (C) Command and Personnel: On Tuesday 20 November USUN
MSC met with military representatives from the UN Darfur
Integrated Operational Team (IOT) to discuss the impending UN
request for US military officers in support of UNAMID. The
UN intends to request two officers per sector in support of
Force Commander General Agwai's wishes. These officers, one
O-4 and one O-5 per sector, will occupy Liaison Officer
billets. A separate request will be made for additional US
military officers to fill positions on the UNAMID staff in
the logistics, operations, assessment and information
departments (COMMENT: the IOTs are new planning groups in the
UN. Organized with representatives from political, military,
police and logistics representatives they will be assigned to
specific issues or missions in order to provide an
interdisciplinary approach to
issues and produce results that have buy-in from their
respective directorates upon completion of the task. END
COMMENT).


5. (SBU) Contracting Issues. The Sudan Programs Group (SPG)
will send their appropriate experts to New York on Monday 26
Nov to meet with their UN counterparts and USUN reps in order
to discuss ongoing UN contracting problems.


6. (SBU) The 21 Nov P5 discussion on Sudan will be reported
Septel.
Khalilzad