DEMARCHE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN ON FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000849 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF SE WILLIAMSON, AF/SPG/JDRAKE, IO/PSC/GKANG, S/CRS ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPKO UNSC SU SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN ON FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT FOR UNAMID AND UNMIS REF: A. STATE 58704 ¶B. KHARTOUM 722 ¶1. (SBU) During his May 28 - June 4 visit to Sudan (septels), Presidential Special Envoy Richard Williamson and embassy officers repeatedly and forcefully raised the need for unfettered freedom of movement for both UNAMID and UNMIS in their discussions with high-level officials of the GoS (ref a). SE Williamson also raised the urgent need for UNMIS' mandate to be strengthened to allow it to better protect civilians, in light of the recent events in Abyei. ¶2. (SBU) During the opening Plenary of negotiations with the GoS on June 1, Special Envoy Williamson and his delegation pushed the GoS on its performance since the Rome Talks in April, during which the GoS promised to respect "in word and in spirit" the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with UNAMID. During the June 1 session, National Intelligence and Security Services chief Salah Ghosh tried to gloss over this item, saying that the GoS "agrees in spirit" with this obligation. The Williamson delegation and embassy staff pressed Ghosh on this responsibility, particularly with regard to the issuance of visas for U.S. liaison officers and permission to carry their sidearms for deployment to UNAMID. Ghosh agreed to issue the five outstanding visas for these officers no later than June 9. ¶3. (SBU) In the same Plenary session, Williamson's delegation raised the examples of Shegeg Karo and Ein Bisharo, two towns in North Darfur that were targets of GoS bombing in early May. At that time the GoS had refused access to UNAMID to conduct medical evacuations in these areas, refusals which constituted violations of the SOFA (ref b). Ghosh and other GoS officials present at the Plenary became defensive when this topic was raised, saying that at the time the GoS had deemed those areas too insecure for UNAMID to visit, since the GoS was actively involved in rooting out Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) elements from those towns at the time. DATTA