FEBRUARY 18 UNAMID-AU-GOS TRIPARTITE MEETING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000246 DEPT FOR AF A A/S CARTER, AF/SPG, AF/C, IO DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: FEBRUARY 18 UNAMID-AU-GOS TRIPARTITE MEETING REF: KHARTOUM 236 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The African Union, United Nations, and the GoS discussed deployment of the UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) at a February 18 tripartite meeting in Khartoum. The parties discussed visa delays, railroad and police vehicle maintenance, and made oblique but reassuring references to the impending ICC indictment of President Bashir, promising "continued positive cooperation in light of a possible external affair." A follow-on meeting was announced for the end of March in El Fasher. Following the meeting, on February 22 CDA Fernandez was informed that the GoS will not issue visas to U.S. military officers assigned to UNAMID (reftel). End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) On February 18, the African Union, United Nations and the GoS held a "tripartite" meeting in Khartoum to discuss deployment of the UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID). The Sudanese delegation was headed by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Mutrif Siddiq; the AU delegation was led by Commissioner for Peace and Security Ramtane Lamamra; the UN delegation was headed by Under Secretary General for Field Support Susana Malcorra; the UNAMID delegation was headed by Joint Special Representative Rodolphe Adada. Col Noddy Stafford, Chief J5 Military Plans and Col James Davey, Deputy Logistics Unit briefed Poloff on the meeting. The ICC and Visa Delays -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Stafford called the ICC indictement the "elephant in the room," as the issue was addressed only obliquely throughout the meeting. Siddiq promised "business continuity and mutual liaison into the future regardless of what might happen in the short term," and brought a message from President Bashir promising "continuing commitment to UNAMID." Davey said the indictment initially was referred to only as "the external affair" and that this language was used throughout the meeting. ¶4. (SBU) Siddiq promised "to look into" the ongoing visa delays experienced by the U.S., United Kingdom, France, Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands, but made no promises of change. Davey felt as long as these governments support the ICC, they will continue to have difficulty obtaining visas. (Note: On February 22, CDA Fernandez raised the issue of visas for U.S. military officers assigned to UNAMID with Siddiq, who informed him that the Gos has decided definitively not to approve the visas per reftel.) End note.) Siddiq said he had spoken with customs officials to release the containers of generators and spare parts from Denmark that have been sitting in Port Sudan for over eight months, and that the GoS also released a radio frequency for UNAMID use. ¶5. (SBU) On reports that SAF military aircraft still are being painted white, Siddiq asserted the order to repaint aircraft had been briefed to all concerned parties, and he promised to "firmly follow-up." He insisted that the bellies of all non-humanitarian aircraft would be painted a different color, but could not guarantee that the entire aircraft would be repainted. Railroad and Police Vehicle Maintenance -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Siddiq requested that the UN upgrade Sudan's railroad facilities for UNAMID's and Sudan's mutual benefit. Siddiq was interested in a major overhaul of the system while UNAMID reported they could help in a minimal capacity. (Note: UNAMID experts have inspected the rail system and are putting together a limited list of small upgrades that will be necessary to keep the rail system in operation. Poloff will follow-up on this topic. End note.) Siddiq also requested UNAMID provide maintenance for the fleet of police vehicles that are currently escorting UNAMID convoys or "provide a fleet of new ones." UN/DFS Malcorra said UNAMID could provide some support as the vehicles are used to provide security to UNAMID equipment convoys, but the UN could not provide new cars. ¶7. (SBU) Malcorra reported that she hoped to achieve 100 percent UNAMID deployment by the end of the year. Following the meeting, the AU, UN and UNAMID representatives met with Sudan's Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha and Presidential Assistant Nafie Ali Nafie. Malcorra's Presence Lauded -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Stafford and Davey both lauded Malcorra for her personal efforts to keep the meeting amicable. Stafford characterized her participation as "very constructive and affirmative," and noted she had expended quite a bit of personal effort as she was in Khartoum for less than 30 hours and was almost continuously in meetings. He claimed the meeting would not have been as successful without Malcorra or Siddiq who both "benefit the UNAMID mission." KHARTOUM 00000246 002 OF 002 Attack Helicopter Deployment -------------- ¶9. (SBU) On February 23, DJSR Hocine Medilli told poloff that the issue of the Ethiopian attack helicopters was only discussed "in general" during the tripartite discussions, and that was "due partially to us in UNAMID." According to Medilli, UNAMID has not yet determined exactly where it will station the Ethiopian helicopter unit. (Note: This conflicts with UNAMID's earlier reports to us that Nyala was the logical location for the helicopters, and that approval from the GOS for the required airport expansion had essentially been granted already. This is not the first time that information from UNAMID is contradictory from week to week. End note.) The Ethiopian advance team only arrived on February 15 in Darfur and has not yet made its own recommendations to UNAMID leadership. Although preliminary, Medilli stated that UNAMID will likely choose to base the unit in Nyala, with refueling and support bases in El-Geneina and El-Fasher. He stated that UANMID has not started on construction of airport upgrades (additional parking and runway, hangers, etc.) needed by the Ethiopian helicopter unit in any of Darfur's airports. Press Reaction -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Local press ran small front-page articles announcing that the Tripartite meeting had occurred as "a mechanism to monitor the progress made in deployment of the operation in Darfur" (SUNA news). Al Sahafa news announced that UNAMID force deployment will most likely be extended to next November instead of holding to the June goal. Al Sahafa also expressed disappointment at the international community's failure thus far to provide helicopters to UNAMID. FERNANDEZ