SUDAN - DEPLOYMENT OF NEPALESE FORCES TO UNAMID

UNCLAS STATE 106544 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL SU KPKO UNSC SUBJECT: SUDAN - DEPLOYMENT OF NEPALESE FORCES TO UNAMID REF: A. STATE 102405 ¶B. KATHMANDU 1068 ¶1. This is an action cable -see paragraph 4. ¶2. The Administration and the Department view the deployment of 4,000 additional peacekeeping troops from Egypt, Ethiopia, and Rwanda to Darfur as one of its highest priorities for the remainder of 2008 (ref A). The Ethiopians and Egyptians were originally scheduled to deploy to Darfur in the first quarter of 2008, but to date only small advance companies have been deployed. Ethiopia is ready to deploy, thanks in part to U.S. training and equipping, and the GoE sent an August 29, 2008 letter to the UN requesting approval to self-deploy to Darfur. The United States supports this effort. To date, however, no written response from the UN to this proposal has been received. ¶3. Nepal was on the list of original UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) troop-contributing countries (TCCs). Per ref B, the GoN maintains its interest in developments regarding UNAMID. The United States has sponsored training for 200 Nepal Police and Armed Police Force officers to deploy in Formed Police Units (FPUs) to UNAMID. However, perceived opposition by the Government of Sudan (GoS) to non-African TCCs may have forced the GoN to reconsider its UNAMID pledges. In the interest of meeting and/or exceeding our 4,000-troop goal by the end of December, we are seeking for the GoN to once again commit to deploying forces to UNAMID. ¶4. ACTION REQUEST: COM is requested to contact high-level host government counterparts to assess the readiness of the GoN to make good on its previous pledges to UNAMID. COM should urge counterparts to press forward with key steps in the deployment process. These steps most notably include preparing a Memorandum of Understanding with the UN and going forward with a Pre-Deployment Assessment Visit. Post is also requested to urge government officials to seriously consider self-deployment. Please find out what additional impediments remain to deployment and how the USG might be of help toward their removal. NOTE: The USG is not prepared to offer specific assistance to the GoN for deployment of its forces, but Post is encouraged to consider ways in which the USG might help resolve any obstacles to such deployment. ¶5. Please submit response to demarche request by Wednesday, October 8, 2008. For further information on this cable, please contact AF/SPG, Emily Bruno, 202-647-5066. ¶6. Minimize considered. RICE