UPDATE ON DARFUR PEACEKEEPING DEPLOYMENT FOR 31

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000092 SIPDIS SIPDIS IO AND AF FOR FRONT OFFICE; PLEASE PASS TO SE WILLIAMSON E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2018 TAGS: AF PGOV PREL SU NSC UNSC KPKO MOPS SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DARFUR PEACEKEEPING DEPLOYMENT FOR 31 JANUARY 2008 REF: KHARTOUM 138 Classified By: Ambassador Alejandro Wolff for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 3, 6, and 9. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: UN Integrated Operational Team (IOT) updated USUN MSC on UNAMID deployments, SOFA negotiations, UK Chief of Staff (COS) Persona Non Grata situation, Canadian APCs, and Government of Sudan (GOS) attempt to deny US contractors access to Darfur. The second UKUN-hosted donors meeting on helicopters was disappointing and suggests that the interagency process could usefully consider direct USG support. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (C) UNAMID Deployment. - According to the IOT, UNAMID is ready to absorb the advance parties of the Egyptian engineers. The signal unit and heavy transport company now scheduled to begin arriving in February. Main bodies are scheduled to deploy mid-March. The Egyptian infantry battalion is still on track to deploy advance elements in March and complete deployment in April. (NOTE: This information at least partially conflicts with Ref A's report that UN officials in Sudan do not believe UNAMID is fully prepared to accept the battalions. END NOTE) - The IOT noted that the Ethiopian Pre-Deployment Visit (PDV) is scheduled for 10-15 February. At a meeting last week in Washington with DPKO Force Generation Services (FGS) and Department of Field Support (DFS) reps, and U.S. State and DOD personnel, the UN reps stressed that it would be useful if the U.S. had representatives present for the PDVs to ensure the U.S. was procuring the correct equipment. (ACTION REQUEST: USUN recommends the Department request proper procurement personnel accompany the UN on the PDV. END ACTION REQUEST) ¶4. (C) Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). - The IOT informed USUN that the SOFA was close to being agreed upon. The UN Secretary General was to speak to President Bashir at the AU Summit in Addid Ababa concerning outstanding SOFA issues. The IOT reports that main issues still pending in the SOFA are land grants and accoutrements for UNAMID forces. IOT believes these issues will be cleared up in Addis Ababa. (NOTE: Ref A includes a less optimistic assessment of prospects for concluding SOFA negotiations. 
END NOTE.). ¶5. (C) UK Chief of Staff (COS) Persona Non Grata. -- The IOT informed USUN that the GOS sent a Note Verbal to UNAMID Headquarters asking for UNAMID COS Brigadier General Houston, a UK national, be removed from the country immediately. The IOT said the Secretary General will discuss this with President Bashir on the margins of the AU summit. UKUN MilAd stressed that the UK prefers to keep this low key and an issue between the UN and GOS for the time being. The UN was pushing back on the GOS, claiming Gen Houston is part of the UNAMID staff and was posted properly. ¶6. (C) Canadian APCS. -- The IOT informed USUN the Canadian APC contract will run out at the end of June 2008. IOT reported to us this week that Senegal and South Africa will be able to provide their own APCs after June 2008, a reversal of last week's IOT report that Senegal and South Africa would continue to need beyond June the Canadian APC's they are now using. IOT adds this week that the three Rwandan battalions now utilizing Canadian APCs would like to take over in June the Canadian APC's now being used by Senegal and South Africa. UN suggested Rwanda contact Canada bi-laterally to work on a way to acquire the additional APCs. (ACTION REQUEST: USUN recommends the Department request USUN NEW Y 00000092 002 OF 002 Embassy Ottawa approach the GOC to thank Canada for their support and encourage Canada work with Rwanda to continue APC support. END ACTION REQUEST.) ¶7. (C) Government of Sudan Wants US Contractors Out of Darfur. --The IOT informed USUN that while Jane Holl-Lute was in Darfur, Sudanese officials told her that they want all US contractors out of Darfur. The UN did not receive this in writing. UN IOT told USUN Military Staff Committee (MSC) that the contracts and contractors from the U.S. companies must stay in place until at least September 2008. In September 2008 the UN hopes to put in place a multi-functional logistics contract that will replace current contracts and contractors. Max Kerley , Director of the Logistics Support Division for UN/DFS told USUN MSC he fears the GoS will continue to hinder the UNAMID effort through the denial of visas and import licenses. ¶8. Follow Up UK Helicopter Meeting. --On 30 January 2008 USUN MSC and USUN Washington representatives attended the follow up meeting to the 16 January 2008 meeting. The intent of the follow up was to bring all offers of helicopters back from country capitals regardless of capabilities. The only offer that materialized was an Ethiopian offer of 4 attack helicopters and two utility helicopters. The Ethiopians conditioned this offer by noting these helicopters are to be used only in the sector where Ethiopian ground forces are deployed. Ethiopia also indicated that their pilots would require some additional training and the aircraft require some additional equipment. The Thai representative attending the meeting indicated that Thailand might be able to provide pilots for the mission, but did not offer helicopters. 9.(C ) DPKO next steps on helicopters. -- On 31 January, General Per Arne Five, acting UN Military Adviser, told USUN MSC that his office is reviewing all helicopter offers with a view to possibly redefining the type of air frames acceptable for this mission. In particular, he mentioned UH-1 Huey aircraft. His concern is that a TCC might offer such aircraft and the UN might turn down the offer because they do not meet the current UN requirements for this mission. Should the internal review change current requirements for helicopters, DPKO would then send out a new request to potential TCCs for aircraft based on the revised standards. General Five stated that no request would be sent to the U.S. unless it was certain the U.S. could provide something. (ACTION REQUEST: Due to the failure of the UK sponsored helicopter meeting to generate necessary airframes and the possibility that DPKO could send out a new request for helicopters to potential TCCs, USUN requests that Department coordinate interagency discussion of whether the U.S. would entertain a helicopter request from DPKO. This discussion should include how any U.S. offer could impact on the likelihood of other TCCs making offers, the public relations aspect of U.S. non-response to the expected UN solicitation, or even the UN saying no to a U.S. offer of obsolete airframes. END ACTION REQUEST.) KHALILZAD