CANADA EXPRESSES CONCERNS, ANNOUNCES AID TO SUDAN AND CHAD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 000429



SIPDIS



SIPDIS



E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PREL, PREF, EAID, CA, CD, SU

SUBJ: CANADA EXPRESSES CONCERNS, ANNOUNCES AID TO SUDAN AND CHAD





1. (SBU) Summary: Foreign Affairs Minister Bernier used his visit to

Sudan from March 25 to 27 to tie Canada's relationship with Sudan to

the situation in Darfur and to express at the highest levels of the

Sudanese government Canada's concern over the violence and

humanitarian crisis in the region, as well as its support for the

Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Bernier announced a package of up to

C$275 million in 2008-2009 for security, diplomacy and aid to Sudan.

He termed the initiative a "major Canadian engagement for peace in

Sudan." Separately, the Canadian International Development Agency

(CIDA) announced C$6 million in aid to UNHCR, ICRC, OCHA, Medecins

Sans Frontieres, and other humanitarian organizations to help those

affected by the ongoing conflicts in Sudan and Chad. End summary.



Foreign Minister Brings Carrots and Concerns

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2. (U) On March 25, Minister Bernier held what he publicly described

as "productive and frank" discussions with Sudanese Foreign Minister

Deng Alor Kuol and presidential adviser Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismail in

Khartoum, during which he conveyed Canada's concern about human

rights and the violence and humanitarian crisis in Darfur and urged

the Sudanese government fully to implement the Comprehensive Peace

Agreement in Southern Sudan. He underlined the need for swift and

full deployment of UNAMID. Minister Bernier traveled to El Fasher

in Darfur on March 26, where he met Canadian peacekeeping troops

with UNAMID and visited an internally displaced persons camp. On

March 27, he went Juba in Southern Sudan to meet officials of the

government of Southern Sudan in order to demonstrate Canada's

support for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.



3. (U) As part of its continuing peace and aid commitment to Sudan,

Bernier announced that Canada will shift its focus from peacekeeping

to a broad whole-of-government, country-wide strategy by investing

about C$275 million in Sudan in 2008-2009 in three areas: C$155

million for security; C$20 million for diplomacy; and, C100 million

for other aid. The figure includes Canada's assessed contributions

for UN peacekeeping missions in Sudan and builds upon the C$388

million in voluntary contributions that Canada has made since

January 2006.



4. (U) Canada will also allocate up to C$71 million in voluntary

support for the UNAMID and UNMIS peacekeeping missions. The funds

include up to C$40 million to provide equipment, training, and

logistical support to UNAMID, and up to C$26 million to deploy as

many as 50 Canadian Forces personnel to UNAMID and UNMIS, to

increase the professional expertise of UN peacekeeping troops, and

to continue the loan of over 100 armored personnel carriers to

UNAMID troop-contributing countries. Canada will allocate a further

C$5 million to deploy up to 25 civilian police to the two

peacekeeping missions, making Canada the second-largest voluntary

financial supporter of UNAMID after the United States.



5. (U) At the same time, Canada will provide C$20 million to support

peace building and diplomatic activities, including C$17 million to

support the negotiation and implementation of peace agreements,

justice and security sector reform, disarmament, demobilization, and

reintegration. There will also be C$100 million in humanitarian

assistance, early recovery, and governance programs to address the

needs of people affected by conflict, up from the C$71 million that

Canada provided for this purpose in 2007-2008.

Q

6. (U) Minister Bernier admittedly publicly that he could not

predict how Khartoum would react to Canada's concerns and declined

to comment on what Canada would do if the Sudanese government

refuses to act to end the conflict in Darfur. He underscored that

it is up to Khartoum to improve the Canada-Sudan relationship and

that "they must show their willingness." He suggested that one

option would be for Canada to send a message by supporting the

Official Opposition Liberal Party's motion calling for disinvestment

in Sudan, which is currently awaiting debate in the Canadian House

of Commons.



Other aid in the region on the way

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7. (U) On March 12, International development Minister Beverley

Oda announced more than C$6 million in additional humanitarian

assistance for Sudan and Chat, noting that "the support to

humanitarian organizations that we are providing will help meet the

basic needs of populations affected by ongoing conflicts. Canada

stands ready to react quickly in the face of humanitarian

emergencies - when lives are threatened and time counts."



8. (U) Canada plans to allocate these additional funds as follow:



a). C$3.25 million to the United Nations High Commission for

Refugees (UNHCR) for operations to assist and protect internally

displaced persons in Chad and Chadian refugees in the region. The

funding will also facilitate the voluntary return of Sudanese

refugees to southern Sudan, and will meet the basic needs of



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internally displaced persons and Sudanese refugees in Darfur and

Chad;



b). C$1.5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross

and Red Crescent Societies (ICRC) for operations to assist

internally displaced persons and refugees in Sudan and Chad. This

money will aid the provision of water and sanitation services,

emergency health care, food, shelter, and protection;



c). Over C$400,000 to the Office for the Coordination of

Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to coordinate emergency services across

Sudan;





d). C$500,000 to Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) for operations that

will provide medical assistance and other humanitarian services to

internally displaced persons in eastern Chad;



e). C$350,000 to help international humanitarian and NGOs to meet

the urgent needs of the people affected by the crisis in Chad;



9. (U) Since 2006, CIDA has provided more than C$102 million in

humanitarian assistance to Sudan, representing Canada's largest

humanitarian commitment to country (although its overall aid to

Afghanistan will overtake this level by 2011). Canada also made a

recent contribution to the World Food Program that included C$44.7

million to provide food for internally displaced persons, refugees,

and returnees in Sudan and Chad.



10. (U) Note: as of March 27, C$1 equals 98 U.S. cents.



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