UNAMID DEPLOYMENT UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001622 DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON, AF/SPG, IO/PSC NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: UNAMID DEPLOYMENT UPDATE REF: A) KHARTOUM 1524 B) KHARTOUM 1507 C) KHARTOUM 1468 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: On November 5-6, Commander Victor Luis Hernandez, FPU Advisor/Coordinator for UNAMID, Hugo Wyers, FPU coordinator, Sector North, and Ian Divers, UNAMID Logistics Officer told Poloff that UNAMID is optimistic it will make its desired goal of 60 percent boots-on-the-ground by December, with 80 percent by March. Equipment is moving from El Obeid and Port Sudan to Darfur faster than previously; but the lack of airlift into El Geneina, in West Darfur, continues to be the weakest link. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Poloff spoke with Commander Victor Luis Hernandez, FPU Advisor/Coordinator for UNAMID, Hugo Wyers, FPU coordinator, Sector North, and Ian Divers, UNAMID Logistics Officer during November 5-6 to review UNAMID deployment issues. Divers told Poloff that UNAMID now stands at 9,063 military boots-on-the-ground or 46 percent of its end of December goal. There are now three of nineteen Formed Police Units (FPU),which is 16 per cent of the needed FPUs. Divers is optimistic the desired 60 percent FPU goal by the end of December will be met and the 80 percent goal by March should be well within reach. FPUs in Darfur -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Hernandez said three 140-strong FPUs are currently in Darfur. The Bangladeshi unit has been on the ground for almost a year at volatile Kalma IDP camp outside Nyala. It will transfer out in late November to be replaced by another FPU from Bangladesh. This unit is considered successful in its ability to be self-sustaining, provide protection for UN property and staff, and implement community policing centers in Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps. It began to provide a 24/7 police presence inside sprawling Kalma in early September. The Nepalese unit is at the Nyala super camp, and is starting police operations in the nearby IDP camps. ¶4. The Indonesian contingent arrived in El Fasher, Northern Darfur on October 12, and is currently in the El Fasher transit camp while its constructs its own camp. Wyers stated the Indonesians are already patrolling successfully through Abu Shook and Al Salaam IDP camps despite being short six armored land cruisers and three containers that remain in Port Sudan. Notwithstanding the equipment setback, the group is considered very professional and effective by Commissioner of UNAMID Police Mike Fryer. The Indonesians trained for three years to prepare for this mission, and this investment appears to be paying off. ¶5. (SBU) Other anticipated FPU arrivals include a Nigerian contingent that has postponed its arrival date from the end of December to June 2009. A second Indonesian FPU, originally scheduled to arrive in December, will now not be on the ground until November 2009, The arrival of another FPU from has slipped from December to February. And Senegal has changed the date of arrival of its FPU from December to June of next year. The Egyptian FPU and a second Bangladeshi unit are expected shot arrive in February 2009. FPUs from Burkina Faso and Senegal are expected to be on the ground next June. Equipment Movement -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Equipment movement is progressing well, but is still dependent on road conditions and contractor motivation. The six contractors hired by the UN are finally all at work, and UNAMID continues a daily push to ensure equipment continues to move. Divers noted most high-priority equipment currently in El Obeid and Port Sudan is either being loaded onto convoy transport or already is moving to Darfur. Roads are dry enough to permit convoys to start for El Geneina. The Ethiopian battalion split between Western and Northern Darfur along the Sudan-Chad border is expecting their gear to arrive by December 15. Airlift a Constraint -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The biggest hold-up continues to be lack of air transport to El Geneina. Dangerous and high-priory equipment, including ammunition and hospital equipment, requires being airlifted. A large amount of Ethiopian and Pakistani cargo is critically needed to sustain operations. The possible U.S. contribution of a C-130 air bridge is anticipated to make a huge contribution to the amount of cargo that can be brought into El Geneina. Currently UNAMID is "de-stuffing containers and throwing gear into helicopters to get capability on the ground." Divers is apprehensive about running out of air assets before the new year, but he emphasized that pre-planning going on now should alleviate any problems in making KHARTOUM 00001622 002 OF 002 the 60 per cent goal. ¶8. The IL-76 currently in maintenance is still anticipated to be back in operation on November 10, with air operations from Port Sudan and El Obeid going to El Fasher and Nyala commencing one week later. Some equipment will still require transportation to El Geneina, and Divers sees the lack of airlift capability as UNAMID's "critical weakness." GoS Cooperation Improved -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Divers stated that GoS cooperation is much improved. Despite some visas not being issued and problems with officials demanding to open containers, he said that the overall relationship between UNAMID and GoS is "better than I have ever seen it". The Sudanese Civil Aviation provided much-needed support, and the immovable PAE equipment and critical supplies were released. Divers stressed the relationship is not perfect, but he saw "a great deal of positive effort on both sides." Customs problems remain, but he conceded the problems are predominantly on UNAMID's side as documents required by the Sudanese government continue to be lacking when UNAMID tries to process containers. Death Knell for PAE -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Pacific Architects & Engineers Inc. (PAE) demobilized almost all operations by the end of October. Sixty to seventy of its workers will depart this week. Those remaining will be consolidated in El Fasher. PAE is completing electrical work and fencing in the transit super camps, and UNAMID is conducting final inspections. To compensate for the loss, UNAMID is developing "field teams" comprised of most of the skilled and semi-skilled local staff left behind by PAE. The teams will complete any leftover work, and expand and create camps for the Troop Contributing Companies (TCCs). Chinese and Egyptian engineers have also been working to ease the interruption, and UNAMID sees other support in engineering companies coming from Egypt, Senegal, and Ethiopia. Divers said these teams plus TCC engineers provide solutions for Northern and Southern Darfur, but he had no acceptable proposals for Western Darfur. Comment: -------------- ¶11. UNAMID is backing its optimism with an active push to ensure contractors are doing their job, and equipment doesn't stall. The planning involved and active participation should have the desired positive results in meeting UNAMID deployment goals. Pressure must be maintained to ensure that the arrival of the very valuable FPUs, which provide improved security in Darfur's miserable and volatile IDP camps, does not slip further. FERNANDEZ