UN BEGINS TRAINING ABYEI JOINT POLICE OFFICERS

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001237 DEPT FOR AF/SPG, A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON NSC FOR BPITTMAN AND CHUDSON ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI UNSC SU SUBJECT: UN BEGINS TRAINING ABYEI JOINT POLICE OFFICERS REF: A) KHARTOUM 1121 B) KHARTOUM 1103 C) KHARTOUM 904 ¶1. (U) On August 11, UNMIS police started training the first of the Abyei Joint Integrated Police Units (JIPU) officers under a Rapid Deployment Package (RDP) approved by GONU Police General Al-A'del Ajab Yagob and GOSS South Sudan Police Service Inspector General of Police Lt. General Makuei Deng Majuc (ref B). The UN said they plan to conduct a ten-day basic training module, held in Abyei town, to be followed by a 45-day crises response training segment. ¶2. (U) UNMIS police, with the assistance of UNDP, developed the ten-project 1.8 million USD RDP immediately after the Abyei Roadmap Agreement was signed on June 8. As of August 11, the UK has committed to funding the first five projects, including basic police orientation for the Abyei JIPU; post conflict trauma sensitivity; conflict resolution methods; office equipment; uniforms and personal equipment for 600 JIPU officers at a cost of USD 526,000. Germany has committed to funding USD 122,000 worth of basic communications equipment. Donors have not agreed to fund 1.2 million USD to support JIPU transportation needs, a women's and children's aid post, temporary accommodation for 600 JIPU personnel, or training and equipment to support a 120-troop crisis response unit. ¶3. (SBU) On August 4, UNMIS Police Commissioner Kai Vittrup told potential donor nation poloffs and development officers that the idea of a joint police unit is new to UN peacekeeping and to the CPA. He said that a number of practical issues have yet to be worked out, but that JIU commander Brigadier Valentino Tokmac and JIPU Commander Col. Luka Deng Kual have agreed not to arm the JIPU officers. (Comment: UNMIS DPKO operations staff told us that they want to avoid the significant potential "blue-on-blue" risk posed by police carrying weapons in close proximity to JIU forces. It is not clear to us how realistic this approach will be in the long run in a region like Abyei, which needs law and order. End comment.) Asked whether gun-toting civilians would represent a problem for the unarmed police, Vittrup said that for the long-term he plans to work with UN IDDR to develop a disarmament program. In the short term he will propose a firearms ban in Abyei city, along with combined JIU and JIPU patrols. Vittrup said the issue of ID cards also appears to be resolved with the GNU agreeing to issue ID cards to the JIPU (ref A). ¶4. (SBU) Obstacles remain, Vittrup said, including the high level of mistrust between northern and southern police officers and a wide disparity in materiel resources from each side. "The southern police officers have nothing; no communication gear and no vehicles." UN Abyei Head of Office Chris Johnson expressed concern to poloff about the long-term challenge of maintaining a civilian police force, noting that meeting transportation and communication requirements is vital if the police are to patrol all of Abyei's surrounding areas where Dinka-Misseriya ethnic clashes are most likely to flare up. She said that with Abyei's infrastructure largely destroyed, maintaining a police force will require significant support from the UN. This echoes remarks from UNMIS Senior Operations Officer Major Mark Hainsworth who said that the "life support" for the military JIUs is already problematic with many JIUs already complaining about short rations. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: Continued progress on implementation of the Abyei roadmap is a good thing, but the lack of resources will become a significant problem over time and will affect morale and unity in both JIU and JIPU ranks. The international community and especially the UN need to move quickly and aggressively to address these gaps and not let them fester, as has been the case previously at the JDB regarding JIU support. Embassy will be reaching out to both the GNU and GOSS Interior Ministries to, at the very least, encourage full funding and support for the JIPU in Abyei. An effective JIPU and JIU are absolutely essential in preventing new pressures from building up in this unstable region. A report on international support to the JIU in Abyei will be transmitted septel. FERNANDEZ