DPKO U/SYG GUEHENNO TRAVELING TO ADDIS FOR MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000964 SIPDIS SIPDIS IO AND AF FOR FRONT OFFICE; PLEASE PASS TO SE NATSIOS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2017 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SU SUBJECT: DPKO U/SYG GUEHENNO TRAVELING TO ADDIS FOR MEETING ON UNAMID DEPLOYMENT Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for Reasons 1.4 B/D. ¶1. (C) UN SYG Ban informed Amb Khalilzad Nov 6 that U/SYG for Peacekeeping Guehenno is traveling shortly to Addis Ababa to meet with Sudanese Major General Maghzoub to discuss technical issues related to the implementation of UNAMID. Ban and Guehenno are cautiously optimistic that this meeting could enable the UN to resolve outstanding issues that are currently delaying UNAMID deployment. ¶2. (C) Ban praised South African President Mbeki for his assistance in facilitating the meeting. Ban relayed that Mbeki phoned him following a meeting with Sudanese President Bashir, who is visiting Pretoria. Mbeki said that Bashir, a former military officer, had raised "very detailed technical issues" related to UNAMID deployment. Mbeki admitted that he was not qualified to respond to these questions. Ban and Mbeki then arranged for Guehenno to phone MG Maghzoub, who is accompanying Bashir on his visit to South Africa and was present in the meeting. Following the phone call, Ban agreed to dispatch Guehenno to Addis Ababa to meet with MG Maghzoub to discuss the outstanding issues. ¶3. (C) NOTE: Subsequent to AMB Khalilzad's meeting with Ban, DPKO contacts told USUN poloffs that they believe the technical meeting is part of yet another delay strategy by President Bashir and they had urged that Guehenno not be dispatched. END NOTE. Khalilzad