UPDATE ON DARFUR PEACEKEEPING DEPLOYMENT FOR 29

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001092 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2017 TAGS: AF PGOV PREL SU UNC UN KPKO SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DARFUR PEACEKEEPING DEPLOYMENT FOR 29 NOVEMBER 2007 Classified By: Ambassador A. Wolff for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Key Points: --Deployment Update: China has deployed the 135 engineers first elements of its engineer company that is 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 Operational and Technical Advisory Team (HROTAT) visits are ongoing in selected countries and will conclude 6 December. See ACTION REQUEST in paragraph four. --TCC Update: Still no pledge of helicopters or transport units. --Command and Personnel: The UN has requested that the US provide 8 military officers to deploy to Darfur in support of UNAMID. --Contracting Issues: UN Integrated Operational Team (IOT) for UNAMID met with Sudan Programs Group (SPG) personnel 26 November to conclude contracting issues. End SUMMARY ¶2. (C) Deployment Update. --- HSP --- --Chinese engineers: The first element of 135 Chinese engineers arrived in Nyala 24 November. DPKO Force Generation Services (FGS) states 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. FGS added that China has contracted its own air movement. FGS believes China is experiencing equipment shortfalls and shipment delays but insists all is in order. (COMMENT: USUN recommends that Department request that Embassies Beijing and Khartoum approach the appropriate Chinese officials to obtain timeline for deployment of remaining engineers and solicit information about possible obstacles. END COMMENT). --Bangladesh Formed Police Unit: arrived in Nyala 21 November (per DPKO). --Bangladesh Logistic Company Pre Deployment Visit (PDV) is taking place November 28-30 (per DPKO). DPKO FGS tells USUN it will take 60-75 days to contract air once the load lists are provided. --Pakistani units: According to DPKO FGS, the Pakistanis have responded and scheduled a PDV for December 13-17. Load lists for movements must be submitted by Pakistan once the PDV is complete. Again, it will take 60-75 days to contract air once 
the load lists are provided. -- Nigerian Level II Hospital: No load list provided by Nigeria to UN. Again, it will take 60-75 days to contract air once the load lists are provided. -- Egypt: Egypt has yet to provide the UN with load lists for their three units (signal engineer and transport units). Again, it will take 60-75 days to contract air once the load lists are provided. -------------- UNAMID -------------- --Nepal and The Netherlands: have conducted their in-country reconnaissance. Both countries must now negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the UN. --Egypt: Conducting MOU negotiations with UN. --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. Both countries will conduct their in-country reconnaissance 1-6 USUN NEW Y 00001092 002 OF 002 December. However, Norwegian Deputy MilAd has stated to USUN MSC that if GoS approval of Nordic engineers is not received they will withdraw their pledge. (COMMENT: USUN recommends Department request Embassies Stockholm and Oslo approach host nations to determine the status of the deployment and of the alleged withdrawal of pledge deadline. END COMMENT). --Thailand: Will negotiate their MOU with the UN December 11-14. FGS advises us that Thailand cannot advance on its deployment timeline beyond the MOU negotiation without GoS approval. -- The High Ranking Operational and Technical Advisory Team (HROTAT) are concluding 6 December with visits to Burkina Faso, Ghana and Cameroon. ¶3. (C) TCC Update. Still no commitments of helicopters or transportation units for UNAMID. ¶4. (C) Command and Personnel: On Monday 26 November USUN MSC received a UN request for 8 US military officers in support of UNAMID. The UN requests 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. Separate requests have been made for a Logistics (O-4/O-3) and Intelligence (O-4) Officers. These US military officers will fill positions on the UNAMID staff in the logistics, operations, assessment and information departments (COMMENT: USUN recommends a favorable response in keeping with the priority USG attaches to an effective UN/AU force in Darfur. ACTION REQUEST: Accordingly USUN requests that Department evaluate the request and coordinate a response with DoD or as soon as possible. END COMMENT). ¶5. (C) Contracting Issues. The Sudan Programs Group (SPG) met on Monday November 26th with their UN counterparts and USUN representatives to resolve the transfer of camp Operations and Maintenance contracts from the USG responsibility to the UN. It will occur as scheduled, on January 1, 2008. SPG raised concern that deploying elements arrive either self-sufficient in accommodation and provisions or have non-USG contracts in place. ¶6. (C) The 21 November P5 discussion on Sudan will be reported Septel. Khalilzad