Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09LONDON773
2009-03-27 18:50:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy London
Cable title:
SUDAN/UNMIS: UK THINKS MANDATE FUNDAMENTALLY
how-toVZCZCXRO2578 OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO DE RUEHLO #0773 0861850 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 271850Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY LONDON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1869 INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1415
UNCLAS LONDON 000773
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/PSC, AF/SPG
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPKO UNSC MASS SU UK
SUBJECT: SUDAN/UNMIS: UK THINKS MANDATE FUNDAMENTALLY
SOUND, BUT WANTS RE-NEWED FOCUS ON BORDER, ELECTIONS, DDR
AND JIU
UNCLAS LONDON 000773
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/PSC, AF/SPG
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPKO UNSC MASS SU UK
SUBJECT: SUDAN/UNMIS: UK THINKS MANDATE FUNDAMENTALLY
SOUND, BUT WANTS RE-NEWED FOCUS ON BORDER, ELECTIONS, DDR
AND JIU
1. (SBU) The mandate for the United Nations Mission in Sudan
(UNMIS) is "fundamentally sound," but should be revised to
focus on the border/disputed areas, elections, DDR, and the
Joint Integrated Units (JIUs),Foreign Office Peacekeeping
Officer Chris Hunter told poloff March 27. Given the current
UNSC atmospherics on Darfur, the UK does not think it would
be helpful to seek sweeping changes in the mandate.
2. (SBU) Hunter provided the following specific UK remarks on
the mandate:
- UNMIS should consider its organizational structure and
deployment of resources in light of the changed environment
and at this critical junction in the implementation of the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The recent force
capability review is welcome and the UNSC should call on
UNMIS to continue to review force deployment and to implement
its recommendations. The UK considers this issue
particularly important given the risk that localized fighting
has the potential to escalate and cause serious damage to the
CPA process.
- The JIUs remain a priority, both for the benefits they
offer where they work and for the risks to the CPA where they
do not work. The UK would like to see the JIU language in
the mandate remain, with modification to encourage UNMIS to
take more of a lead in reforming and developing JIUs. The UK
wants to see a support cell set up or at least a plan for how
to support the JIUs soon after the mandate renewal.
Benchmarks may be helpful.
- DDR has moved on since the strategic plan was mobilized,
but remains critical to the success of the CPA. The UK would
like to see the mandate renewal welcome the beginning of the
DDR pilot program and encourage on-going support to the DDR
process, particularly to assist in verifying destruction and
monitoring the process of reintegration. DDR would be well
served by a new set of benchmarks beyond those suggested by
the April SRSG report.
- The elections language in the current mandate is largely
acceptable, but it should underscored that UNMIS could play a
useful role in providing and supporting security in the run
up to and during the elections.
- The referendum should be mentioned in the mandate, as
getting things in order well in advance will be helpful down
the line.
- Language on the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is not a
priority for UNMIS in the UK's view. The UK does not support
asking UNMIS to undertake operations against the LRA, but
does favor increased cooperation between the UN missions.
The UK would welcome introduction of language that calls for
the appointment of liaison officers and calls on the UN
missions to continue to work closely on issues regarding the
LRA.
3. (SBU) In an effort to make the peacekeeping operations
more strategic and effective, the UK supports a set of
benchmarks by which UNMIS performance can be measured and
would help the UNSC assess progress over the coming year.
While the benchmarks will have to be synchronized with
strategies for each line of operation - particularly on DDR,
elections, and the JIUs - they would be a useful measurement
tool. The UK is pulling together some suggestions which
could either form part of the mandate renewal or as the basis
for a call for the SYG to develop benchmarks over the coming
year.
4. (SBU) Hunter provided some suggested language for changes
to the resolution text, forward to IO/PSC and AF/SPG.
Visit London's Classified Website:
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom
LEBARON
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/PSC, AF/SPG
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPKO UNSC MASS SU UK
SUBJECT: SUDAN/UNMIS: UK THINKS MANDATE FUNDAMENTALLY
SOUND, BUT WANTS RE-NEWED FOCUS ON BORDER, ELECTIONS, DDR
AND JIU
1. (SBU) The mandate for the United Nations Mission in Sudan
(UNMIS) is "fundamentally sound," but should be revised to
focus on the border/disputed areas, elections, DDR, and the
Joint Integrated Units (JIUs),Foreign Office Peacekeeping
Officer Chris Hunter told poloff March 27. Given the current
UNSC atmospherics on Darfur, the UK does not think it would
be helpful to seek sweeping changes in the mandate.
2. (SBU) Hunter provided the following specific UK remarks on
the mandate:
- UNMIS should consider its organizational structure and
deployment of resources in light of the changed environment
and at this critical junction in the implementation of the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The recent force
capability review is welcome and the UNSC should call on
UNMIS to continue to review force deployment and to implement
its recommendations. The UK considers this issue
particularly important given the risk that localized fighting
has the potential to escalate and cause serious damage to the
CPA process.
- The JIUs remain a priority, both for the benefits they
offer where they work and for the risks to the CPA where they
do not work. The UK would like to see the JIU language in
the mandate remain, with modification to encourage UNMIS to
take more of a lead in reforming and developing JIUs. The UK
wants to see a support cell set up or at least a plan for how
to support the JIUs soon after the mandate renewal.
Benchmarks may be helpful.
- DDR has moved on since the strategic plan was mobilized,
but remains critical to the success of the CPA. The UK would
like to see the mandate renewal welcome the beginning of the
DDR pilot program and encourage on-going support to the DDR
process, particularly to assist in verifying destruction and
monitoring the process of reintegration. DDR would be well
served by a new set of benchmarks beyond those suggested by
the April SRSG report.
- The elections language in the current mandate is largely
acceptable, but it should underscored that UNMIS could play a
useful role in providing and supporting security in the run
up to and during the elections.
- The referendum should be mentioned in the mandate, as
getting things in order well in advance will be helpful down
the line.
- Language on the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is not a
priority for UNMIS in the UK's view. The UK does not support
asking UNMIS to undertake operations against the LRA, but
does favor increased cooperation between the UN missions.
The UK would welcome introduction of language that calls for
the appointment of liaison officers and calls on the UN
missions to continue to work closely on issues regarding the
LRA.
3. (SBU) In an effort to make the peacekeeping operations
more strategic and effective, the UK supports a set of
benchmarks by which UNMIS performance can be measured and
would help the UNSC assess progress over the coming year.
While the benchmarks will have to be synchronized with
strategies for each line of operation - particularly on DDR,
elections, and the JIUs - they would be a useful measurement
tool. The UK is pulling together some suggestions which
could either form part of the mandate renewal or as the basis
for a call for the SYG to develop benchmarks over the coming
year.
4. (SBU) Hunter provided some suggested language for changes
to the resolution text, forward to IO/PSC and AF/SPG.
Visit London's Classified Website:
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom
LEBARON