EU DEMARCHE RESPONSE ON SUDAN JOINT MILITARY UNITS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000039 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR AF/SPG FIERST AND SESHADRI E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2018 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SU EUN SUBJECT: EU DEMARCHE RESPONSE ON SUDAN JOINT MILITARY UNITS REF: STATE 01335 Classified By: Deputy Pol MinCouns Alyce Tidball for reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (SBU) Contacts at the European Commission and Council Secretariat were receptive in principle to requests to help SIPDIS Sudan establish military Joint Integrated Units (JIU),but said no internal EU discussions have yet taken place on the issue. Poloff delivered reftel points Jan. 10 to Andreas Fischer-Barnicol of the Council Secretariat's Africa Unit, and Gavin Evans, Sudan Desk Officer at the European Commission. ¶2. (C) Fischer-Barnicol said it is unlikely the EU would launch a formal European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) mission for southern Sudan given existing commitments in Chad, Central African Republic, and elsewhere. Both he and Evans, however, said the African Peace Facility funding instrument might be a viable avenue through which the EU could support the JIUs. The African Peace Facility is limited to providing non-lethal equipment (i.e. radios, medical supplies, etc., but no weapons) and it generally releases money through the African Union. ¶3. (C) On the request for military trainers, Fischer-Barnicol suggested Sweden and Norway as potential sources. Both countries had offered trainers for UNAMID that were rejected by the Sudanese government, but they still stand ready to assist. ¶4. (C) In terms of moving the USG request forward, Fischer-Barnicol said he believed there would be political support for the JIUs from the EU and its member states if UNMIS produced a paper outlining specific needs for Sudan. Evans said he would raise our request within the European Commission and explore possible funding through the African Peace Initiative. MURRAY .