SE NATSIOS' MEETING WITH UN DPKO GUEHENNO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000006 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF S/E NATSIOS, IO A/S SILVERBERG, NSC FOR PITTMAN AND SHORTLEY E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER UNSC SU KPKO SUBJECT: SE NATSIOS' MEETING WITH UN DPKO GUEHENNO Classified By: Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff, per 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: During a January 5 meeting with Special Envoy Andrew Natsios, UN DPKO U/SYG Jean Marie Guehenno said the UN is making progress in implementing phases one and two of the Addis/Abuja framework. Full implementation, however, will require greater clarity on the UN/AU hybrid command phase of the mission and further support from member states. Planning for the UN/AU hybrid phase has yet to begin pending UN/AU agreement on the heavy assistance package. Guehenno reported difficulty in convincing member states to contribute key enabling functions, such as engineering, medical and logistics capacity. In light of unresolved issues concerning UN control of Darfur peacekeeping, A/SYG Jane Holl Lute highlighted the importance of finalizing the 607 Agreement between the USG and the UN for the light assistance package. ¶2. (U) UN Participants: DPKO U/SYG Jean Marie Guehenno, DPKO Deputy Hedi Annabi, A/SYG Jane Holl Lute, DPKO Africa Director Dimitri Titov, UN notetaker. USG Participants: Special Envoy Andrew Natsios, Chief of Staff Envoy Andrew Steinfeld, AF/SPG Lauren Landis, USUN MSC LTC Patrick Murray, USUN Poloff (notetaker). -------------- Addis/Abuja Update -------------- ¶3. (C) Natsios urged UN DPKO to move forward as rapidly as possible with implementation of the Addis/Abuja framework and asked how the U.S. could help expedite this process. Guehenno responded that DPKO has made substantial progress with the phase one light assistance package. According to Guehenno as of January 5, 36 officers are deployed in Darfur (14 military advisors, 25 police advisors),67 additional military and police personnel are waiting in Khartoum pending completion of their barracks in Darfur, and the UN is seeking 77 additional staff officers to fulfill the remaining positions. Guehenno said barracks for 190 UN personnel should be completed by January 22, allowing phase one deployment to Darfur to proceed as troops become available. Recruitment of the remaining staff officers continues. Guehenno asked about the status of the two requested U.S. staff officers. (NOTE: DOD is reviewing this request. END NOTE). So far, he said UN DPKO has funded the light assistance package from the UNMIS budget, but will be required to go to the General Assembly to ask for reimbursement for this phase of the operation before it can seek funding for phase two. ¶4. (C) In regard to the phase two heavy support package, Guehenno reported difficulty in convincing TCCs to contribute technical and enabling functions. While the Addis/Abuja framework mandates that the bulk of troops come from AU member states, Guehenno noted that the heavy support package will require types of support that only western TCCs can provide -- medical, logistics, and engineering functions. Likewise, Guehenno commented that the UN would prefer formed police units rather than individual advisors. To date few countries have been forthcoming with offers of this type of support due to security concerns as well as a lack of assurances that the troops will be under UN command and control. ¶5. (C) Annabi interjected that Egypt has not yet delivered on a promise to provide 36 armored personnel carriers. Guehenno opined that finding these sorts of specialized units will take time as there is limited availability given the number of peacekeeping operations underway. He worried that President Bashir will resist non-African units, which would slow progress further. In regard to financial needs, Guehenno estimated that the UN would need $174.8 million to support the first six months of UN support to AMIS. To draw on UN assessed contributions, this funding request will require the approval of member states and the Fifth committee which would also take time. ¶6. (C) Lute and Guehenno admitted that barracks for phase two will also be a problem but agreed to look into ideas proposed by Natsios and Landis. They admitted that "sponsor-a-camp" programs had worked in other situations but were reluctant to use this approach in Darfur. ¶7. (C) Guehenno added that, in the short term, the AU is posing the largest delay for the heavy support package. The AU is rejecting a number of key components of the package, and if they are not sorted out by the tripartite meeting scheduled for January 10, UN DPKO may seek U.S. assistance to pressure the AU. The points of contention include Force USUN NEW Y 00000006 002 OF 002 Protection Units, Human Rights Monitors and attack helicopters. Once the AU agrees fully to the heavy assistance package, the UN will send a letter to Bashir with the details of the package and ask for his agreement in writing. -------------- Clarity Needed on All Phases of Addis/Abuja -------------- ¶8. (C) Repeating concerns DPKO raised previously on the importance of political clarity on all three phases of the Addis/Abuja framework, Guehenno said the mission will need a clear reporting relationship with the UN and unambiguous Sudanese acceptance of all three phases of the Addis/Abuja framework. Guehenno commented, "No serious country will contribute troops without clarity of command and the guarantee of UN funding and protection." Without clarity on these issues, Guehenno predicted that it would be difficult to get TCCs with quality troops to contribute. Guehenno said he hoped to include a full brigade from India, or possibly Pakistan, but forces from either country would not accept anything other than a clear command relationship with the UN. Given the lack of political clarity on these issues, Guehenno predicted that implementation of heavy support package and the transition to a AU/UN hybrid mission could take &several months.8 -------------- 607 Agreement, PAE Contracts -------------- ¶9. (C) Natsios noted that the U.S. is supporting the UN light assistance to AMIS through its contractor PAE on a reimbursable basis, stressing the need for rapid conclusion of U.S.-UN negotiation of a 607 reimbursable agreement. Lute agreed on the importance of finalizing these arrangements but added her frustration about the limited scope and timeframe of U.S. assistance. She admitted that the UN is under enormous pressure from member states to ensure full financial accountability for all expenditures and therefore it would be as difficult for DPKO to execute its own contract in four months as for the U.S. Likewise, the rapidly expanding number of global peacekeeping commitments is stretching the UN's administrative capacity to the "breaking point." ¶10. (C) AF/SPG Lauren Landis responded that the U.S. appreciated these pressures and hoped to conclude 607 Agreement arrangements during a planned January 9 meeting in New York. Lute commented that both bureaucracies would have to work together to find a "creative solution" to support the deployment of UN peacekeepers to Darfur. ¶11. (U) AF/SPG Lauren Landis cleared this message. WOLFF