MINURCAT SOLICITS FUNDING FOR CONTINUED CHADIAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000057 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF UN CT CD SUBJECT: MINURCAT SOLICITS FUNDING FOR CONTINUED CHADIAN POLICE TRAINING AND RULE OF LAW ACTIVITIES IN EASTERN CHAD -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Summary: MINURCAT officials, UN Police (UNPOL) Chief Major General Chaumont and SRSG Assistant Gerard Gerrold, met with the DCM February 24 to discuss continued funding for MINURCAT activities in eastern Chad targeting police capacity-building and improvements in the Rule of Law sector. Chaumont and Gerrold said these activities would continue to be financed through a Trust Fund begun in 2008 to support training for a special police/gendarme force (the DIS) deployed in and around refugee and IDP camps. According to MINURCAT calculations, the Trust Fund requires replenishing in order to cover the projected cost of supporting the DIS through 2009 and 2010. In addition, as part of its mandate, MINURCAT proposes to implement complementary activities in the corrections and justice sectors which will require increased funding. Gerrold told the DCM that the SRSG will either launch a public appeal for additional Trust Fund financing or make a more discreet request to previous donors for continued support. In preliminary discussions with the SRSG the European Union Delegation pledged between seven and eight million euros to the Trust Fund and said it would prefer that MINURCAT pursue the second, more discreet option, in soliciting further donations. The DCM requested and received detailed information on the proposed 2009-2010 budget and promised to convey MINURCAT's appeal to Washington. The DCM also noted concerns shared by other donors regarding past difficulties in properly vetting Chadian participants for police and military training programs. Chaumont explained UNPOL's rigorous process for screening DIS candidates. All agreed that international support for the DIS and other Rule of Law programs cannot continue indefinitely and that the GoC should be encouraged to take ownership of these programs. End Summary ¶2. (SBU) MINURCAT officials, UNPOL Chief Major General Chaumont and SRSG Assistant Gerard Gerrold, met with the DCM February 24 to discuss continued funding for MINURCAT activities in eastern Chad targeting police capacity-building and improvements in the Rule of Law sector. Chaumont began the discussion by reporting on the successful completion of UNPOL's mission in training and deploying 850 DIS police officers to eastern Chad. The final training session ended February 7 and all officers have now been deployed to their assigned positions in one of 6 police stations or 12 police posts located in and around refugee camps and IDP sites. UNPOL officers will continue to monitor performance and provide daily support to DIS detachments in the field and will do a comprehensive formal evaluation in the next few months. Chaumont noted the need for this type of evaluation before considering any expansion of the training program and/or increase in the number of DIS officers. The DCM asked whether they shared concerns expressed by the French that in the past, properly vetting Chadian candidates for various training programs had been difficult and as a result some programs had inadvertently included human rights offenders and criminals. Chaumont said all DIS candidates had been thoroughly identified and vetted through UN and partner human rights organizations prior to inclusion in the program. ¶3. (SBU) SRSG Assistant Gerrold provided details on the Trust Fund budget and explained the need for additional funding to cover projected costs in 2009 and 2010. The Trust Fund began in 2008 with an initial sum of $21 million to support DIS training and other costs associated with their deployment. Approximately nine million dollars was dispensed from this original amount in 2008. According to MINURCAT, the remaining $16 million in the Trust Fund will not be sufficient to cover DIS costs through the end of 2009. Total support for DIS in the field, which includes incentive pay, costs between $500- $600,000 per month. Including the cost of lodging construction for the detachments, Gerrold estimated they would need an additional three million dollars in 2009. The projected cost of supporting the DIS in 2010 is $17 million for a total of $20 million over the next two years. ¶4. (SBU) Gerrold described MINURCAT's plan to implement complementary programs in the Rule of Law sector which will also require funding through the Trust Fund. As he noted, improved police performance must be accompanied by construction and rehabilitation of prisons and increased capacity in the justice system in order to have a measurable impact on security in the region. MINURCAT Rule of Law NDJAMENA 00000057 002 OF 002 programs in 2009 and 2010 will cost an estimated $10 million including six million dollars for the correctional system and four million dollars for the justice sector. In total, the SRSG is likely to appeal for $30 - $31 million in donations to the Trust Fund over the next two years. ¶5. (SBU) The SRSG will either launch a public appeal for Trust Fund financing or make a discreet, more targeted, request to prior donors for continued support. In their discussions with the SRSG on this topic, the EU Delegation said they would prefer that MINURCAT pursue the second option in soliciting donations. Gerrold described this as potentially a "Friends of Chad" donor group effort. In response to the DCM's request for more details, he said they would request at least the equivalent of previously donated amounts from each past donor. (This list includes: Japan, Norway, Ireland, Luxembourg, the EU, the Netherlands, and Belgium in addition to the U.S., all of whom are giving or are expected to give in the two to three million dollar range.) Gerrold reported that the EU Delegation had already pledged between seven and eight million euros in preliminary discussions with the SRSG. The DCM acknowledged the merit of MINURCAT's programs and promised to convey its request to Washington. All agreed that international support for the DIS and other Rule of Law programs cannot continue indefinitely and that the GoC should be encouraged to take ownership of these programs if they are to become sustainable. NIGRO