MINURCAT - SRSG SEEKS USG SUPPORT TO KEEP IT IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L NDJAMENA 000299 SIPDIS PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS DEPT FOR AF/C AND IO/UNP E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2018 TAGS: PREL PREF MARR KPKO UN EU FR SU CD SUBJECT: MINURCAT - SRSG SEEKS USG SUPPORT TO KEEP IT IN CAR AS WELL AS CHAD, GET ROUGH DRAFT READY BEFORE SEPTMBER REF: A. A) NDJAMENA 292 ¶B. NDJAMENA 276 Classified By: Ambassador Louis J. Nigro, Jr. for reasons 1.4 (B) and ( D). ¶1. (U) This is an Action Message: See Para 6. ¶2. (C) SRSG Victor Angelo (PROTECT) asked me yesterday in confidence yesterday for USG assistance regarding the renewal of MINURCAT,s mandate, required before 25 September. Angelo asked for USG help (A) in overcoming reticence within the UN bureaucracy to keeping MINURCAT fully involved in the Central African Republic, and (B) in getting at least the elements of a draft resolution, which the French would draft, on paper before 2 September. Angelo said he was making this demarche only to us and to the French. ¶3. (C) On the first point, Angelo said that there was a view within the UN that MINURCAT should be confined to Chad. Angelo said he was adamantly opposed to divorcing the CAR from a renewed MINURCAT mandate, for several reasons. First, the CAR was an integral part of the crisis that MINURCAT was created to address. If left unattended, the CAR,s vast northwest could become a completely ungoverned zone (it was already pretty much so) easily exploitable by terrorists or other non-state actors, such as the Lord,s Resistance Army. Second, if that occurred, the petroleum pipeline project in southern Chad and Cameroon could be threatened from CAR by non-state actors based there. Third, Chad President Deby was very keen that MINURCAT continue to address CAR as well as Chad and this issue could influence Chad,s acceptance of MINURCAT as a follow-on force to EUFOR. ¶4. (C) On the second point, Angelo said that the August slack season could affect the timetable for the drafting of a new resolution. Angelo said he would appreciate USG support in his effort to urge the French to get a rough draft ready for 2 September. ¶5. (C) We believe that the USG should support as fully as possible SRSG,s plan to expand strengthen MINURCAT renewed mandate (REF B) and we think that the momentum he has developed for acceptance by the GOC of a renewed MINURCAT to assume the role of follow-on force to EUFOR (REF A) should be seconded by the USG as far as possible. ¶6. (C) Action Request: That the USG weigh in to overcome reticence within the UN bureaucracy to keeping MINURCAT fully involved in the Central African Republic, and to assist the French to getting at least the elements of a draft resolution on paper before 02 September. NIGRO