SRSG QAZI BRIEFS COUNCIL ON UNMIS REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000481

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO SU AF
SUBJECT: SRSG QAZI BRIEFS COUNCIL ON UNMIS REPORT


1. Summary: On April 23, the Security Council held
consultations on the Secretary General's quarterly report on
the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS). SRSG Ashraf
Qazi stressed that key Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)
issues -- elections, border demarcation, the two referenda
(South Sudan and Abyei),and ensuring peace dividends to the
Three Areas-- must be addressed or the CPA would unravel.
Qazi asserted that progress on these and other issues had
been curtailed in the aftermath of the International Criminal
Court (ICC) indictment. He encouraged the Council to
consider the challenges presented by the Darfur conflict and
the humanitarian expulsions within the context of CPA
implementation. Council members discussed the deteriorating
security situation in Southern Sudan; the Government of
Sudan's (GOS) March 4 and 5 expulsions of non-governmental
organizations; the impact of the ICC indictment; Joint
Integrated Units (JIUs),elections and disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration of soldiers (DDR). End
Summary.

Qazi Briefs the Council
--------------


2. The Special Representative of the Secretary General
(SRSG) to UNMIS, Asharaf Qazi, briefed the Council in closed
consultations on the Secretary General's April 17 UNMIS
report. Qazi said that a UN assessment mission would travel
to Sudan to determine needs for elections support and would
submit a supplemental budget request. He stressed that
border demarcation remained outstanding and critical to the
CPA's success because elections, the redeployment of forces
and the referenda could not take place until border issues
were resolved.


3. Qazi said that the lack of funding for the Abyei Interim
Administration impeded its progress and contributed to
uncertainty about Abyei's future, preventing returns. He
indicated that both the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Sudan
People's Liberation Army (SPLA) had withdrawn from the Abyei
roadmap area, and the Joint Integrated Units (JIU) were the
only military forces remaining. The Permanent Court of
Arbitration should issue its demarcation decision in July,
and Qazi said that if the decision were contested, this would
destabilize the area.


4. Qazi addressed the ICC indictment and the GOS expulsion
of humanitarian organizations by stating that both issues had
preoccupied the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan
People's Liberation Movement (SPLM). Qazi said that a joint
UN/Government of National Unity (GNU) assessment of the
impact of the expulsions on the Three Areas was currently
being conducted. He stated that health and sanitation were
major concerns immediately, but that the loss of capacity in
the medium and long term would affect peace dividends to the
Three Areas and adversely impact CPA implementation. He
expressed support for the UN's three-track approach to
resolving the expulsions.


5. Turning to security, Qazi detailed intertribal conflicts
in the south, incidents involving the JIUs, particularly the
conflict in Malakal on February 24 that resulted in 62 dead
and 94 wounded, and Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) incursions
into Western and Central Equatoria. Qazi expressed concern
with the JIUs ability to maintain command and control and
said that UNMIS would continue to liaise with the JIUs to
train them and enhance their efficiency. Qazi noted that the
GOSS had requested additional UN Police support during
elections but the GNU had not yet made a request. Qazi said
UNMIS' current mandate included 715 police personnel, but an
additional 600 could be required.


6. On DDR, Qazi praised the initiation of the DDR process
and initial support provided by donors. However, he said
that funding for reintegration must be forthcoming -- with
35,000 SPLA members part of expedited demobilization efforts,
unmet expectations could become a security threat. Qazi
observed that diminishing oil revenues could affect the
GOSS's ability to deliver on DDR promises, as well as
elections and referenda issues.

The Council Reacts
--------------


7. Ambassador Rice said that the United States continued to
be troubled by the delays and obstacles preventing full
implementation of the CPA, and she listed several critical
issues that remained unresolved, including the release of
census results, lack of funding for the Abyei Interim
Administration, the unresolved border demarcation, and
increasing violence in southern Sudan. Rice also urged the
UN, through its needs assessment mission, to quickly identify
the support necessary to conduct national elections,

USUN NEW Y 00000481 002 OF 002


including the amount of security assistance UNMIS could
provide. Rice said that the United States remained deeply
concerned about the GOS expulsion of international aid
organizations, and she emphasized the effect of these
expulsions on the Three Areas. Rice likewise expressed deep
concern with the increasing violence linked to inter-ethnic
disputes and LRA incursions in southern Sudan.


8. Russia agreed that publishing the census results,
enacting needed legislation to permit elections to take
place, and improving the command and control of the JIU,
especially in light of security sector problems in the south,
would be critical. Russia noted that the expulsions had
complicated relief efforts but also stated that the ICC
indictment had negative repercussions on the peace process.
China agreed with the negative impact of the ICC warrant and
urged the Council to make peace a priority. The UK focused
on UNMIS' need to develop the JIUs, stressing their important
role in border areas, and asked how UNMIS could assist with
countering tribal violence. The UK stated that the expulsion
of NGOs was more critical to the south than Darfur, as the
NGOS provided the bulk of humanitarian assistance to the
border areas. France also stated that tribal conflict was
destabilizing the south and that NGO expulsions had affected
the Three Areas even more than Darfur.


9. Burkina Faso encouraged the UN assessment mission to
develop an electoral calendar to assist parties in preparing
for 2010 elections and indicated that normalization of
relations between Chad and Sudan would improve peace
prospects in the region. Vietnam also expressed concern at
the deterioration in relations between Chad and Sudan.
Turkey encouraged the Council to develop a pragmatic, forward
looking approach to CPA implementation and warned against the
Council being seen as pursuing a "selective" approach to
implementation. Uganda stressed positive developments,
including the return of two million displaced people to
southern Sudan. Uganda stated that this important
development was indeed fragile, but a sign of progress that
the Council should assist in consolidating.


10. Libya also pointed to positive developments-- such as
establishing a timetable for elections, taking steps to
implement the Abyei Roadmap agreement, and beginning the DDR
process -- but acknowledged negative developments, including
the increase in violence, which Libya attributed to the ICC
arrest warrant. Libya stated that humanitarian organizations
had been expelled for engaging in activities contrary to
their areas of responsibility and asserted that the GOS
decision would not be reversible. Libya repeated requests
for the Council to respond to regional organizations' request
for Article 16 deferral of the indictment.
Rice