SRSG ANGELO ON U.S. SUPPORT FOR MINURCAT, CHAD-SUDAN

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000336 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF PHUM SU LY FR UN CD SUBJECT: SRSG ANGELO ON U.S. SUPPORT FOR MINURCAT, CHAD-SUDAN ISSUES, INCLUDING "VERIFICATION" REF: (A) STATE 82506, (B) NDJAMENA 305 ¶1. (SBU) AMBASSADOR NIGRO MET WITH MINURCAT SRSG VICTOR ANGELO ON AUGUST 7. ¶2. (SBU) THE KEY POINTS OF OUR DISCUSSION WERE: -- ANGELO WAS EFFUSIVELY APPRECIATIVE OF THE RECEPTION AND COMPREHENSION HE RECEIVED DURING HIS RECENT VISIT TO WASHINGTON, PARTICULARLY IN THE DEPARTMENT. -- ANGELO SAID THAT HE HOPED TALK THAT HE HAD HEARD OF ANOTHER SUBSTANTIAL USG CONTRIBUTION TO THE MINURCAT TRUST FUND WOULD COME TRUE; AND THAT HE APPRECIATED THE USG OFFER TO INCREASE ITS MILITARY ADVISORS FROM TWO TO EIGHT. -- ANGELO SAID THAT MINURCAT COULD SUPPORT A "VERIFICATION TEAM" TO INSPECT AREAS OF EASTERN CHAD BY PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION AND SECURITY. -- ANGELO SAID HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE EXISTENCE OF ANY SUBSTANTIAL "JEM LOGISTICAL FACILITY" IN EASTERN CHAD; ANGELO THOUGHT THAT IF SUCH A FACILITY EXISTED, HIS GUYS WOULD KNOW OF IT AND IT WOULD BE A VERY SIMPLE, PERHAPS TEMPORARY AFFAIR. (COMMENT: THE SRSG WILL ONLY CLAIM THAT WHICH MINURCAT FORCES PERSONALLY WITNESS. GIVEN MINURCAT'S THIN SPREAD, IT IS LIKELY THAT THE FORCES HAVE YET TO HAPPEN ACROSS ANY FACILITY, WHETHER OR NOT IT LIES WITHIN MINURCAT'S AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY. END COMMENT.) -- ANGELO SAID THAT HE DISCOUNTED RECENT SUDANESE GOVERNMENT ALLEGATIONS OF SERIOUS INCURSIONS INTO SUDAN BY CHADIAN ARMY UNITS NORTH OF EL GENEINA; ADDED THAT THERE WAS ALWAYS A GOOD CHANCE OF CHAD MILITARY STRAYING ACROSS THE UNMARKED BORDER; AND OBSERVED THAT SUCH INCURSIONS AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR WERE ASYMPTOMATIC OF CHAD MILITARY PRACTICE. NIGRO