SYG BAN: UN NEEDS HELP WITH BASHIR, UNAMID

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000927 SIPDIS SIPDIS IO AND AF FOR FRONT OFFICE; PLEASE PASS TO SE NATSIOS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2017 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SU MOPS SUBJECT: SYG BAN: UN NEEDS HELP WITH BASHIR, UNAMID SHORTFALLS REF: STATE 147667 Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for Reasons 1.4 B/D. ¶1. (C) SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST: SYG Ban Ki-Moon told AMB Khalilzad in a October 25 meeting that the UN needs assistance in convincing Sudanese President Bashir to cooperate with UNAMID deployment and to convince troop contributing countries to provide additional aviation and transport capabilities. USUN requests the Department approach the Government of Egypt at the highest level to intervene with President Bashir. USUN also requests that the Department develop a strategy to help Ban secure the needed aviation and transport capabilities for UNAMID deployment. A first step in that regard may be to follow up reftel demarche at higher levels supplemented by 7th floor and NSC calls. Ban himself has approached India, Italy, South Africa, Egypt, South Korea and China. After months of efforts to forge agreement among the UN, AU and the Sudan, it is untenable that these efforts should stall over a lack of resources from the international community. END SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST. -------------- BAN: BASHIR AGAIN EMPLOYING DELAY TACTICS -------------- ¶2. (C) During a meeting with AMB Khalilzad on October 25, SYG Ban Ki-Moon said Sudanese President Bashir is once again employing "delay tactics" to obstruct UNAMID deployment. Ban conceded that diplomatic pressure on President Bashir to facilitate UNAMID deployment had not produced improvements on the ground and the international community needed to begin thinking about "new tactics." ¶3. (C) Ban said he had approached Libyan President Muamar Qaddafi and Egyptian President Husni Mubarak to ask for their assistance in convincing President Bashir to cooperate with UNAMID deployment. Qaddafi reportedly responded that UN involvement in the Darfur conflict is a "mistake" and questioned the wisdom of international intervention in a "tribal conflict" that centered on competition for water and other resources. Mubarak responded in a more helpful manner and promised to weigh in with Bashir on UNAMID deployment. Ban asked the U.S. to approach Mubarak about following up on this request -------------- UN NEEDS HELP FINDING AVIATION, TRANSPORT UNITS -------------- ¶4. (C) Ban also raised the issue of the UNAMID aviation and transport capability shortfalls. (NOTE: DPKO still needs one section of attack helicopters (6 helicopters to a section), three sections of medium lift utility helicopters (6 to a section) two transport companies. END NOTE.) Ban said that he had approached India, Italy, South Africa, Egypt, South Korea and China to request additional aviation and transport units. Ban said that the request had so far failed to yield any additional military assets and asked the U.S. to encourage these countries to contribute. Khalilzad