Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07USUNNEWYORK374
2007-05-14 22:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
USUN New York
Cable title:  

IN MEETING WITH P3 SYG BAN STILL CAUTIOUS ON

Tags:  CD PGOV PREL SU UNSC KPKO YI UNMIK 
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DE RUCNDT #0374/01 1342239
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 142239Z MAY 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1870
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 0716
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 000374 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CD PGOV PREL SU UNSC KPKO YI UNMIK
SUBJECT: IN MEETING WITH P3 SYG BAN STILL CAUTIOUS ON
DARFUR ACTION

REF: USUN NEW YORK 00368

USUN NEW Y 00000374 001.2 OF 003


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 000374

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CD PGOV PREL SU UNSC KPKO YI UNMIK
SUBJECT: IN MEETING WITH P3 SYG BAN STILL CAUTIOUS ON
DARFUR ACTION

REF: USUN NEW YORK 00368

USUN NEW Y 00000374 001.2 OF 003



1. (SBU) SUMMARY. In a May 11 meeting with Permanent Three
Security Council Members, United Nations Secretary-General
(SYG) Ban Ki-moon seemed defensive about his emphasis on the
political process as the appropriate way to proceed on
Darfur. While SYG Ban agreed joint and/or individual
pressure on Khartoum might be necessary to spark Darfur
progress, he would not commit to dates for coordinated
demarches with the P5 (reftel) to apply such pressure. He
did, however, stress the need for P3 assistance to secure
Sudanese cooperation on land acquisition and water drilling
rights for camp construction in Darfur under the Heavy
Support Package (HSP),as well as to drum up African HSP
troop commitments. Ban reiterated his stance that imposition
of sanctions would not be as strategically effective with the
Sudanese Government as the mere threat of them. Ban said
candidates, including European candidates, were being
interviewed for Special Representative for the UN Mission in
the Sudan (UNMIS). Ban sought P5 assistance with normalizing
relations between Chad and Sudan and with convincing Chadian
President Deby on the need for a UN peacekeeping presence in
eastern Chad. French Permanent Representative (PR) de La
Sabliere pushed for SYG intervention with Russian FM Lavrov
and/or President Putin to convince Moscow to endorse the
Ahtisaari plan for Kosovo. The SYG raised Lebanon, to be
reported septel. Finally, the SYG requested P3 support for
the process of restructuring the Department of Peacekeeping
Operations (DPKO). END SUMMARY.

BAN UPDATES ON MODEST DARFUR PROGRESS
--------------


2. (SBU) Ambassador Khalilzad, UK PR Jones Parry and French
PR de La Sabliere all expressed appreciation for the SYG's
efforts on Darfur but expressed their shared concern that
progress on the political, security and humanitarian fronts
needed to be accelerated, offering their assistance to
increase momentum. Updating the P3 on the political process,

Ban reported that Special Envoy Eliasson would be in New York
May 17-18 to discuss his "roadmap" on Darfur political
reconciliation, which, according to Eliasson's staff,
outlined preparations for negotiations between the Sudanese
Government of National Unity (GNU) and rebels; Eliasson is
expected to brief the SC on this timeline in early June.
According to DPKO Assistant-SYG Annabi, Eliasson sought to
consolidate regional diplomatic initiatives, including those
of Egypt, Eritrea, Libya and the Sudan People's Liberation
Movement, whose plans to host a conference in Juba of
non-signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement were supported
by the GNU. Ban wanted to emphasize the political process to
avoid creating a "negative" situation on the ground in
Darfur, which could lead to further instability. He
reiterated his stance that imposition of sanctions would not
be as strategically effective with the GNU as the mere threat
of them. Ban made a point of defending his request for
political space on Darfur, refuting the "negative perception"
that in doing so, he showed himself sympathetic to the GNU.


3. (SBU) On the hybrid, Ban said the AU had reverted to the
UN on May 9 with "numerous comments" to the UN draft hybrid
plan, amendments nevertheless deemed "workable" by DPKO
Under-SYG Guehenno and currently under consideration by DPKO
technical experts. Ban expected the hybrid details to be
finalized with AU by May 18, after which they would be
presented to the UNSC and discussed under the Tripartite
Mechanism with the GNU. Ban assured that hybrid command and
control would be based on standard UN principles and
practices. The Joint Special Representative (JSR) and Deputy
JSR appointments were intended to be a package; although
Khartoum had endorsed Mr. Rodolphe Adada as JSR, it had yet
to say yes to MAJ GEN Henry Anyidoho as Deputy, but the SYG

USUN NEW Y 00000374 002.2 OF 003


did not expect opposition. Annabi explained that since the
appointment of hybrid Force Commander (FC) and Deputy FC were
to be made by the AU, only the AU could announce them, an
announcement delayed by AU Commission Chairperson Konare's
indecision on the Rwandan Deputy FC candidate but expected in
the coming days. The hybrid FC, GEN Agwai, would be in New
York May 16 after a May 14 stop in Addis Ababa before
assuming his duties in Darfur on June 1.

HOW THE P3 COULD HELP
--------------


4. (SBU) Ban appealed for P3 assistance to secure Sudanese
cooperation on land acquisition and water drilling rights for
camp construction in Darfur under the HSP, as well as to drum
up African HSP troop commitments. He noted that there were
currently only two viable African TCCs (Egypt and Nigeria),
not enough to stave off GNU attempts to get the UN to put off
final TCC decisions until more African commitments were made.
Ban noted that P3 pressure might be needed while the GNU
deliberated on the UN-AU hybrid plan but vowed to expedite
the GNU acceptance process as much as possible through
"face-to-face" contact so as to avoid a repeat of the two
months Khartoum took to endorse the HSP. Acknowledging the
SYG's request that any P5 outreach on Darfur take into
account parallel UN efforts, P3 Ambassadors agreed that
individual or joint demarches calling for action on key
benchmarks along a timeline would be coordinated with the
SYG.

STILL NO NAMES FOR SRSG
--------------

5. (SBU) UK PR Jones Parry pressed Ban on the need to name a
replacement for UNMIS SRSG. Ban reported that there were
"European" candidates on the shortlist being considered and
that interviews were being conducted. He mentioned the
possibility that "an experienced European negotiator" would
be appointed to a non-permanent position as political advisor
to Adada as a follow-on to Eliasson's role.

P3 IMPATIENCE ON CHAD
--------------

6. (SBU) All P3 Ambassadors stressed the need for a UN
mission to deploy to N'Djamena to follow up with President
Deby on plans for securing the refugee camps in eastern Chad.
Ban and Annabi confirmed that this mission would be
dispatched in the near future, and Ban sought P5 assistance
with convincing a reticent Deby on the modalities of UN
peacekeeping in eastern Chad and with normalizing relations
between Chad and Sudan in the face of Libyan indignation. UK
PR Jones Parry pushed the SYG to commit to a date for the
mission to Chad to depart, but the SYG resisted.

FRENCH SOUGHT SYG INTERVENTION WITH RUSSIA ON KOSOVO
-------------- --------------

7. (SBU) French PR de La Sabliere told the SYG there was a
"clear majority" among UNSC Members in support of the
Ahtisaari plan, with the only wild card being Russia. De La
Sabliere emphasized the need to engage with the Russians,
both in New York and in capitals, to convince them there was
no alternative to the Ahtisaari plan, with the upcoming G-8
and EU-Russia Summits as good opportunities to send this
message. The SYG took note of de La Sabliere's suggestion
that he speak with Russian President Putin and/or FM Lavrov
on this point.

SYG SOUGHT P3 INDULGENCE ON DPKO RESTRUCTURING
-------------- -

8. (SBU) The SYG urged P3 consideration of his plan to
restructure DPKO, given that "time was of the essence" to
present the plan to the Fifth Committee and the ACABQ by May

26. He stressed that this restructuring was necessary to

USUN NEW Y 00000374 003.2 OF 003


preserve DPKO integrity and was "resource-free" but would
require a $65 million increase over a two-month period in FY
2007-2008 to keep up with the surge in peacekeeping demands.
Ambassador Khalilzad and UK PR Jones Parry requested clarity
on the number and duration of new appointments, and UK PR
Jones Parry cautioned that unless DPKO and the SYG undertook
intensive lobbying efforts in support of the plan, it would
not get through Fifth Committee.
KHALILZAD