Donors, UN, Reject Funding Request for DDR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001087 NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO MOPS AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: Donors, UN, Reject Funding Request for DDR ¶1. (SBU) Summary. At a September 10 meeting, donors rejected a written request for operations funding from the Chairperson of the Southern Sudan Demobilization, Disarmament and Reintegration Commission (SSDDRC),William Deng Deng. The meeting was chaired by Adriaan Verheul, Chief of the Integrated United Nations Demobilization, Disarmament and Reintegration (DDR) Unit, who stated that he agreed with the donors' concerns with, and rejection of, the funding request. He noted, however, that under current funding, the SSDDRC is operating at only about one third of its planned capacity. Mr. Verheul also updated donors on budget plans for 2010 and 2011 and on a DDR Roundtable planned for October in Kadugli. End Summary. -------------- Request For Operational Funding Rejected -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On August 28, Mr. Deng Deng sent an open letter to donors and the UN seeking US$808,800 to fund operational costs of the SSDDRC for six months. The letter states that violence by the SSDDRC's clients could result from lack of funding, halting the program and jeopardizing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA),of which DDR is an integral part. ¶3. (SBU) Speaking on behalf of donors in attendance, Eva de Ritter, Poloff of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, acknowledged the importance of DDR under the CPA, but stated that the donors were in agreement that the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) must cover the SSDDRC's operational costs. (Note: Pursuant to the agreements governing DDR entered into by the GoSS and the UN, the GoSS is obligated to pay the operational costs of the SSDDRC, while the UN and donors fund the program benefits given to DDR participants. End Note.) Ms. Ritter said that, while in one sense the donors would like to fund the SSDDRC's operational funding shortfall in order to keep DDR moving forward, it is critical that the GoSS show its commitment to DDR through funding. She noted that spending by the GoSS on DDR is quickly recouped by removing soldiers from the GoSS's payroll. ¶4. (SBU) Mr. Verheul agreed with the donors' stance. He stated that while the GoSS's failure to adequately fund its DDR commitments reduced the SSDDRC's capacity to approximately thirty percent of its planned strength, the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) will not take the place of the SSDDRC's staff, and cannot do so under its current UN mandate or the National DDR Strategic Plan entered into by the UN and the GoNU. He added that both the integrity of the program and the security of UN staff and participants required SSDDRC participation, and that the UN will halt the program if SSDDRC participation is insufficient. -------------- UN Considering New Groups For DDR -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Mr. Verheul went on to brief donors on budget planning for 2010 and 2011. He noted that while the proportional downsizing called for by the CPA probably will not occur, given that the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) do not trust each other enough to report the true size of their forces, downsizing of each side's forces will occur anyway due to financial constraints. He stated that the UN was also considering forces outside of the SAF and SPLA for DDR, such as the South's police force, which has been used as a dumping ground by the GoSS for surplus soldiers, and other armed groups (OAGs). He added that these were currently just ideas, and that OAGs would probably not receive a full DDR package, but instead an armed community might be given a development project or other community benefits if the group as a whole disarmed. Mr. Verheul readily agreed that there are significant political and security risks to providing DDR for OAGs. He noted that the Northern Sudan DDR Commission had requested that the UN conduct DDR among the Misseriya in Al Fula, and speculated that Khartoum may want the Misseriya disarmed because Misseriya loyalties are shifting toward groups opposed to the central government. -------------- DDR Roundtable Planned In Kadugli -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Mr. Verheul also updated donors on plans for a DDR Roundtable scheduled for October. He said that the National DDR Coordinating Council plans to host the meeting in Kadugli at the request of South Kordofan's ICC-indicted Governor (NCP),Ahmed Mohamed Haroun, and his SPLM deputy Abdel Aziz Al Helou. Mr. Verheul said he supports this approach despite political sensitivities surrounding Governor Haroun due to the importance of KHARTOUM 00001087 002 OF 002 DDR in South Kordofan and the symbolic partnership forged there between the Governor and Deputy Governor. ¶7. (SBU) Comment. While the efficiency of spending on DDR can be debated, DDR is a stated goal of the CPA. Reducing the size of the SAF and SPLA is also crucial both to minimizing the chance of future conflict and downsizing government budget obligations. DDR also provides tangible peace dividends to participants. The GoSS's inability or unwillingness to fund its DDR commitments puts at risk effective progress in this area of CPA implementation. End Comment. WHITEHEAD