SYG BAN MAKES FURTHER CONCESSIONS TO BASHIR ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000244

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SU MOPS UNSC SO
SUBJECT: SYG BAN MAKES FURTHER CONCESSIONS TO BASHIR ON
FORCE COMPOSITION

REF: DAKAR 323

Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for Reasons 1.4 B/D.


1. (C) SUMMARY: During the March 17 monthly luncheon of
Security Council PermReps, SYG Ban Ki-Moon reported on his
meeting with Sudanese President Hassan al-Bashir on the
margins of the Organization of the Islamic Conference meeting
hosted in Dakar. According to Ban, Bashir continues to push
back on the inclusion of Thai and Nepalese units. To attain
Bashir's acceptance of the non-African units, Ban said he
agreed to accept an additional battalion each from Ethiopia
and Egypt. On Somalia, Ban said Somali Prime Minister Nur
Hassan Hussein's outreach to opposition forces was creating a
"moment of opportunity" that the international community
should support. END SUMMARY.

--------------
Sudan/Darfur
--------------


2. (C) SYG Ban told the Security Council PermReps that
President Bashir continues to push back on UNAMID force
composition, but had agreed to accept the Thai and Nepalese
units in exchange for including an additional battalion from
Egypt and Ethiopia respectively. According to Ban, Bashir
opened his meeting with the SYG by reiterating his opposition
to the inclusion of the Thai and Nepalese units. Ban said
Bashir refused to budge on the issue until Ban offered to
deploy additional battalions from Ethiopia and Egypt
respectively. Ban said this change in the deployment
timeline will give UNAMID a total force strength of
approximately 3900 by mid-May. (NOTE: USUN understands from
separate conversations with DPKO that this concession was
opposed by DPKO. DPKO A/SYG Mulet, who was present in Dakar,
reportedly argued against making any further concessions to
Bashir. DPKO believes the inclusion of so many Egyptian
forces, who are close to the Khartoum regime, will heighten
the risk of rebel attacks on UNAMID. END NOTE.) Ban reported
that Bashir said he is eager for a "strategic dialogue with
the West" and specifics on incentives the Government of the
Sudan (GOS) can expect in exchange for facilitating the
deployment of the UN-AU peacekeeping force. AMB Khalilzad
responded that the GOS is "trying to sell the same thing over
and over again" and the UN, not the GOS, should make the
final decision on force composition.


3. (C) Libyan PermRep Ettalhi reported that the Justice and
Equality Movement (JEM) had approached his government and
offered to begin unconditional talks with the Government of
the Sudan, if the UN appointed former-SYG Kofi Annan as the
lead negotiator. Ettalhi reported that the JEM leadership is
unhappy with the efforts of the UN and AU Special Envoys, Jan
Eliasson and Ahmed Salim Salim. Ban responded that he had no
plans to replace the negotiation team, but is moving forward
with appointing a chief negotiator to be based in Khartoum.
Ban said his priority for the moment is deploying a
peacekeeping force capable of providing security improvements
as quickly as possible, so that peace talks can move forward.


--------------
Chad/Sudan Accord
--------------


4. (C) Ban voiced support for the Dakar Accord, signed
between Chad and Sudan, on March 13 on the margins of the OIC
meeting. Ban reported tense discussions between Bashir and
Chadian President Deby (reftel). According to Ban, Bashir
refused to show up to the first scheduled negotiation session
and remained combative throughout the negotiations. Ban
expressed optimism that the signing of the accord would help
to defuse lingering regional tensions.

--------------
Somalia
--------------


5. (C) On Somalia, Ban reported that the UN is in the midst
of a serious policy review regarding what the United Nations
can do to support the Transitional Federal Government (TFG)
and improve security and humanitarian conditions in Somalia.
Ban admitted that the current situation in Somalia was bleak,
but pointed to recent developments as signs of political
progress. Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein had met with
some success in his efforts to reach out to Somali opposition

USUN NEW Y 00000244 002 OF 002


groups by inviting them to participate in talks with the
government. Ban said that some of the opposition groups had
agreed to drop their preconditions that the Ethiopian forces
first withdraw from Somalia before talks can begin. Ban said
these developments were creating a "moment of opportunity"
that the international community should support.

KHALILZAD