WILL UNAMID REACH SIXTY-PERCENT BY DECEMBER 31?

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001818 DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON, AF/SPG NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: WILL UNAMID REACH SIXTY-PERCENT BY DECEMBER 31? REF: A) KHARTOUM 1726 B) KHARTOUM 1626 C) KHARTOUM 1694 D) KHARTOUM 1670 ¶1. (SBU) An Reuters article picked up by international media on December 17 reported that UNAMID will fail to meet its target deployment goal of sixty-percent by the end of 2008. UNAMID refuted this and told Embassy Khartoum on December 18 that UNAMID fully anticipates meeting or surpassing the 60 percent target by December ¶31. UNAMID currently has 10,937 troops on the ground and anticipates receiving 1144 additional troops from Ethiopia and Pakistan before December 31, which will bring total troop strength to over 61 percent. ¶2. (SBU) On December 18 Poloff contacted Wolfgang Weiszegger, UNAMID Deputy Head of Administration, Lt Col Andrew Moeti, Staff Officer of J5 Military Plans, and Noureddine Mezni, Spokesperson for UNAMID, to follow-up on the Reuters piece and verify whether UNAMID anticipates meeting its 60 percent year-end target. Weiszegger was surprised to hear about the Reuters' report and maintained that "UNAMID is on target" to meet the 60 percent goal. Weiszegger pointed out that UNAMID's mandate is for a total of 19,555 military personnel, per United Nations Security Resolution 1769 dated July 31, 2007. Moeti reported that the total figure of UNAMID TCC troops on the ground in Darfur as of December 18 is 10,937, or 55.93 percent of the authorized total. Moeti expects another 1144 troops to be deployed before the end of the year, which will bring total UNAMID troop strength to 61.8 percent by December 31. Moeti provided the following break-down on troop deployments expected before the end of the year: Ethiopian Battalion: Date of arrival Number of troops December 19 206 December 20 206 December 22 206 December 24 173 Total: 791 Pakistani Battalion and Hospital Date of arrival Number of troops December 19 333 December 21 19 Total: 352 ¶3. (SBU) Comment: It is not clear what Reuters' sources used in preparing this story. Although Moeti was categorical in disputing the Reuters' report, post notes that despite his confidence that UNAMID will surpass 60 percent deployment by December 31, it is also possible that, due to unforeseen obstacles, UNAMID may fall slightly short of this goal. However, whether or not UNAMID reaches 60 percent deployment by December 31 or a few days later is immaterial. The more important issue is whether the battalions scheduled for deployment early in 2009 actually arrive on time (before the next rainy season that begins in the summer,) and whether UNAMID will take advantage of these additional troops to improve its operational effectiveness and provide security to Darfurians. UNAMID needs load lists immediately for the battalions deploying in early 2009: Burkina Faso, Tanzania, and the second Senegalese, Egyptian and Ethiopian battalions. Post will, of course, keep the Department apprised of UNAMID's progress on reaching its deployment goal. End comment. ASQUINO