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).

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Addis/Abuja Update
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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

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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.

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Clarity Needed on All
Phases of Addis/Abuja
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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

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607 Agreement,
PAE Contracts
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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