Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USUNNEWYORK649
2009-07-02 21:43:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
USUN New York
Cable title:  

UN SECRETARIAT TELLS THE SECURITY COUNCIL TO "STAY

Tags:  PGOV PREL UNSC XY LI IV 
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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 022143Z JUL 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6841
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAB/AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN PRIORITY 1566
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA PRIORITY 1496
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6842
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000649 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC XY LI IV
SUBJECT: UN SECRETARIAT TELLS THE SECURITY COUNCIL TO "STAY
THE COURSE" IN LIBERIA

USUN NEW Y 00000649 001.3 OF 002


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000649

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC XY LI IV
SUBJECT: UN SECRETARIAT TELLS THE SECURITY COUNCIL TO "STAY
THE COURSE" IN LIBERIA

USUN NEW Y 00000649 001.3 OF 002



1. (SBU) SUMMARY. UN DPKO U/SYG Le Roy told the Security
Council on June 25 that UN troops in Liberia should not be
withdrawn too quickly, and that 8,000 should remain through
the 2011 national elections. He said training for the
Liberian National Police needed to be brought back on track,
and recommended against changing the UN police presence in
Liberia. Among Council members, only France overtly opposed
Le Roy's troop-level recommendation, which was supported by a
recent review of a technical assessment mission. The UK
suggested that the UN start planning now for an integrated
mission "like in Sierra Leone" for Liberia after its
election. On Cote d'Ivoire, Le Roy said elections by
November 29 were "possible, but not certain," and confirmed
that both the President and Prime Minister had committed to
him to respect the current electoral timeline. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations Under
Secretary General Alain Le Roy briefed the Security Council
on June 25 on the Secretary-General's special report on the
UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and on his recent trip to
Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire. Le Roy noted the fragile state of
peace in Liberia and called on the Council to "stay the
course, "not to draw down troop levels precipitously. He
supported the technical assessment mission's (TAM) suggestion
for the "phase three" drawdown to be completed in May instead
of December, 2010, which will reduce troop levels from 10,000
to 8,000 in country. Le Roy agreed with the special report,
which calls for maintaining troops at the 8,000 level through
the 2011 elections, as well as its suggestion to then send a
TAM to consider next steps in the drawdown based largely on
the level of progress in security sector capacity-building.


3. (SBU) Le Roy concurred with the TAM in holding UNMIL's
police contingents at current levels of 1,375, saying the
Liberian National Police force was neither credible,
professional, nor effective. He stressed training of the
police must be gotten back on track. Le Roy also described
systemic problems within Liberia's justice and corrections
systems, and cited mass jailbreaks as a recurrent phenomenon.

Le Roy said the holding of free, fair, transparent, and open
elections should be a core benchmark for UNMIL.


4. (SBU) Ambassador DiCarlo welcomed the Secretary-General's
report and its suggestions to increase UNMIL's efficiency and
effectiveness. She said the drawdown plan as envisioned will
result in a fifty percent reduction of UNMIL's forces over
three years. DiCarlo called Liberia a success story, but a
fragile one, and said that its hard-won peace should not be
jeopardized by having the UN depart too hastily. She also
said the 2011 Liberian elections will be a crucial milestone
that will test the sustainability of peace. Uganda, Mexico,
Japan, Viet Nam, Burkina Faso, China, Russia, Croatia, Libya,
Turkey, Costa Rica, and Austria all agreed with Ambassador
DiCarlo in calling for no precipitous drawdown for UNMIL.


5. (SBU) UK PermRep Sawers said he hoped to see the UN
instill an integrated peacebuilding mission "like in Sierra
Leone" following the 2011 national elections. He requested
the UN not wait until after the elections to plan for this
mission. Sawers said Liberia needs a self-sustained security
sector before the UN could withdraw, and he expressed
disappointment that the Liberian police force remains
unreliable, corrupt, and is not trusted. He said reforming
and rebuilding the police should be the "highest priority."
Sawers also repeated the question he posed to Liberian
President Johnson-Sirleaf during the Council visit in May, by
asking if the $660 million the UN spends on UNMIL (especially
in light of Liberia's $280 million national budget) is the
best use of UN resources. (On rebuttal, Le Roy said the UK
figures would be compelling only if UNMIL and Liberian
budgets were somehow commingled.)


6. (SBU) Japan also said the efforts to create a viable
police force were not succeeding, and suggested more
attention be paid to creating economic opportunities within
Liberia.


7. (SBU) French PermRep Ripert said UNMIL could afford to be
more ambitious in its drawdown plan, and suggested the
African Union could potentially take the place of UN troops.
Ripert said there was no justification for a military
presence in Liberia, commenting the army is doing police
work, which "no UN country would allow its military to do."
On the plans for UNMIL to offer emergency support to UNOCI,
Ripert said French troops would intervene if necessary, and
if French troops were not up to the task, UNMIL would not be
able to help either.

USUN NEW Y 00000649 002.2 OF 002



COTE D'IVOIRE
--------------


8. (SBU) On Cote d'Ivoire, Le Roy said both Prime Minister
Soro and President Gbagbo confirmed to him their commitment
to the November 29 election date. He said elections were
technically feasible by that date, but thought personally
elections were "possible, but not certain" to be held as
scheduled. Le Roy said authorities must now ensure that
there are no non-Ivoirians on the electoral list. He was
encouraged that the three main political parties had started
their electoral campaigns.


9. (SBU) Ripert was pleased with the prospects for elections,
but remained cautious. Burkina Faso requested UNOCI SRSG
Choi brief the Council in July on the level of preparations
in place for the election. (NOTE: UNOCI comes before the
Security Council on July 23. Its mandate expires July 31.
END NOTE).

RICE