UPDATE ON DARFUR PEACEKEEPING DEPLOYMENT FOR 11

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000337 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2018 TAGS: AF PGOV PREL SU NSC UNSC KPKO MOPS SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DARFUR PEACEKEEPING DEPLOYMENT FOR 11 APRIL 2008 Classified By: Counselor Jeff DeLaurentis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. At a 3 April Friends of UNAMID meeting, Max Kerley, Director of Logistics for Force Generation Service, addressed self-sustainment issues previously raised by Special Envoy Williamson. Kerley outlined a plan that would allow for TCCs to deploy without achieving the level of self-sufficiency the UN generally prefers. On 7 April the Military Advisors from the US, UK, France and Canada met to discuss the deployment readiness of the TCCs. Force Commander Martin Agwai's decision to relocate units from their assigned sector has caused a delay in deployments. Former AMIS battalions remain under-strength. END SUMMARY ¶2. (C) At a 3 April Friends of UNAMID meeting in the Canadian mission, Max Kerley, Director of Logistics for Force Generation Service, expressed a willingness to allow TCCs to deploy under a dry lease, instead of the wet lease on which the UN had previously insisted. "Wet leases" are those in which the TCC deploys with the capacity to perform maintenance on their own equipment, and under which they generally receive higher compensation. "Dry leases" are those in which the TCC deploys without the capacity to maintain their own equipment and has that maintenance performed by a UN funded contractor. Some of the TCC's destined for UNAMID will not have the capacity to deploy under a wet lease but could deploy under a dry lease. This change would permit TCC's to consider deploying once they receive the UN mandated equipment instead of waiting to also acquire the self-sustainment capacity. ¶3. (C) MSC personnel met with MilAds from France, UK, and Canada on 7 April to discuss TCC deployment readiness. These countries represent donor nations with significant monetary contributions towards equipping TCCs whose units are not up to UN standards. It was recommended that each MilAd meet with TCCs individually to confirm progress towards equipment and deployment readiness. For those TCCs deploying in the first half of 2008, France will follow up with Senegal; U.S. will follow up with Rwanda; U.K. will follow up with Nigeria; and Canada will follow up with South Africa. For those TCCs deploying in the second half of 2008, U.K. expressed an interest in following up with Tanzania, and France with Senegal. U.K. also expressed an interest in ensuring that Tanzania deploy to UNAMID and not be dropped from the TCCs roster, notwithstanding the availability of additional Ethiopian and Egyptian battalions. The U.K. also asked that any funds provided by the U.K. be used to ensure that Tanzania is equipped and ready to deploy to UNAMID as early as possible. Likewise the Canadian MilAd urged the U.S. to ensure that Rwanda has all the Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) they would need by 31 December 2008. Canada will not be able to extend the contract or the life of their APCs currently in UNAMID beyond that date. Canadian MilAd asked the U.S. to use any money Canada had donated to ensure that Rwanda has their required APCs. ¶4. (C) Due to Force Commander Agwai's decision to re-locate Egyptian and Ethiopian units from their assigned sectors, their deployments have been delayed. Egyptian equipment had been deployed to Sector South and now must be moved to Sector North. The Government of Ethiopia must approve the prospective change before their deployment can occur. Currently, there is no deployment date for either of these TCC's units. ¶5. (C) Of the ten infantry battalions on the ground at the Transition of Authority (TOA) , 31 December, only two had the equipment and troop strength required by the UN. The eight others, (three from Rwanda, three from Nigeria and one each from South Africa and Senegal) need to be brought up to UN standards. Of these, only Rwanda has asked for assistance. The US and other donors are working with Rwanda to acquire the equipment they need. The other TCC's have not indicated they need assistance. However, there is no timeline for when they will be properly manned and equipped or when they will deploy. USUN NEW Y 00000337 002 OF 002 Khalilzad