UPDATE ON DARFUR PEACEKEEPING DEPLOYMENT FOR 21

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000243

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

IO AND AF FOR FRONT OFFICE; PLEASE PASS TO SE WILLIAMSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2018
TAGS: AF PGOV PREL SU NSC UNSC KPKO MOPS
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DARFUR PEACEKEEPING DEPLOYMENT FOR 21
MARCH 2008

Classified By: Pol Min Counselor Jeff DeLaurentis for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: USUN and the Canadian Permanent Mission
co-chaired the first working-level meeting of the "Friends of
UNAMID" on March 13. Discussion focused on how members of
the group can work in partnership with the UN to help
identify and remove impediments to UNAMID deployment. On the
margins of the meeting, UN DPKO Force Generation Services
reported to USUN that the deployment of the Egyptians,
Ethiopians, and the rotation of the former AMIS battalions
into Darfur are significantly behind schedule. END SUMMARY.

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UNAMID Friends Meeting
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2. (C) The focus of the "Friends" meeting, launched March 6
by Presidential Special Envoy to Sudan, Ambassador Richard
Williamson, is to bring together partner countries to help
facilitate the rapid deployment of UNAMID. At this first
meeting, S/E Williamson emphasized the importance of donor
nations joining together to ensure the deployment of 3,600
peacekeepers by June of 2008. Milads and Poloffs from
France, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, UK, Canada,
Denmark, Germany, Italy, and Japan attended. The members will
consult their capitals and bring to the next meeting
proposals for assistance to UNAMID. DPKO IOT Director Michael
Gaouette, as well as UN personnel from Force Generation
Services (FGS),Military Planning, and the UN Logistical
Support Division also attended.

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Deployment Timeline
Falling Behind Schedule
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3. (C) According to FGS, the Egyptian heavy transport and
signals units will not/not deploy as scheduled on March 16.
The Egyptian are entertaining UNAMID Force Commander Agwai's
request to locate their units in Sector North vice Sector
South. The Egyptians conducted a recce of the northern
sector this week 8-10 March and are considering whether to
agree to General Agwai's request. Additionally the equipment
for the Egyptian units has arrived in Nyala (Sector South).
If the Egyptians agree to move north they must wait for their
equipment to shift from the south before they deploy.


4. (C) According to FGS the Ethiopian infantry battalion,
recce company, multi-role logistical unit and medium
transport company are still planned to deploy in May. Note:
The US is procuring equipment to ready the infantry battalion
in order to bring them up to UN standards. With out this
equipment it is likely the infantry battalion will not/not
deploy.


5. (C) FGS also informed USUN that the former AU Mission in
Sudan battalions (now part of UNAMID) are well behind their
rotation dates. These battalions -- a total of 2,500 new
troops -- were scheduled to rotate between April and June.
The UN and Force Commander General Agwai had intended to
rotate these battalions during this timeframe at UN manning
and equipment levels. None of the TCCs (Rwanda, Nigeria,
Senegal, and South Africa) have finalized their Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) discussions. These contingents must
discuss with the UN their equipment and readiness levels in
order for the UN to schedule a pre-deployment visit to
inspect the deploying unit and its equipment. A draft MOU
draft must be in place for Rwanda, Nigeria, South Africa, and
Senegal to define what the UN will reimburse TCCs for their
Contingency Owned Equipment (COE). FGS said these TCCs do
not have the UN required equipment. Due to the lack of
equipment, these TCCs have not been available to enter into
MOU discussions with the UN. FGS will not contract air
transportation to move the TCCs until it has a load list of
what each TCC will bring to UNAMID. FGS said it will take 90
days from receipt of the load list to contract air for
movement.

KHALILZAD