AMB. RICE,S MEETING WITH FRANCIS DENG, FEBRUARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000085 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2020 TAGS: AF PGOV PREL SU SUBJECT: AMB. RICE,S MEETING WITH FRANCIS DENG, FEBRUARY 3,2010 ¶1. (C) Summary: Francis Deng, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide met with Amb. Rice to give his personal assessment on the situation in Sudan in the run-up to the 2011 referendum and provide an update on the creation of a joint office that will house the UN's prevention of genocide and responsibility to protect portfolios. Deng sounded a pessimistic note on the matter of Sudan's unity. He told Amb. Rice that it was too late to make unity attractive to the people of Southern Sudan in the year before the referendum. Deng asserted that efforts must focus on the harmonious division of the country. Deng hinted at the possibility of a trusteeship role for the UN should Southern Sudan become independent. Amb. Rice answered that the international community could support Southern Sudan without resorting to a trusteeship situation. On the creation of a joint UN office to house the prevention of genocide and responsibility to protect portfolios, Deng remarked that the Secretary-General had decided to move forward on the creation of a joint office. Strategic and operational issues linked to the merger will be detailed in a document due to be released in March. Deng hopes to brainstorm with the US and other key countries on the upcoming merger. End Summary. Deng's Views on Sudan -------------- ¶2. (C) Amb. Rice met with Francis Deng, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, on February 3, 2010 to give his views on the situation in Sudan and outline the evolution of his office at the UN in New York. On Sudan, Deng explained that the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) invited him to serve as the keynote speaker for a symposium on Unity and Self-Determination held in Khartoum on November 2, 2009. Deng, who addressed the symposium in a personal capacity, noted that he was reluctant to speak at this event as he felt that it is too late to make unity with the North an attractive option for the people of Southern Sudan. Deng told Rice that efforts should now focus on preparations for a harmonious division of Sudan rather than continued unity between the North and South. ¶3. (C) Deng noted that the National Congress Party (NCP) has employed scare tactics with Sudan's neighbors to convince them that the independence of southern Sudan will not be in the best interests of the region. The NCP paints a picture of Southern Sudan as a failed state that will fall prey to internal battles and become a source of instability and violence. ¶4. (C) Deng inquired about the feasibility of a UN resolution to provide support to the South should the referendum lead to independence. In Deng's mind, the UN resolution would authorize a trusteeship for the South to aid in the process of independence after the referendum. He claimed that John Garang had talked of the prospect of having foreign experts advise an independent Southern Sudan on key issues of policy and governance. Deng stated that he could see a call for some form of UN trusteeship for Southern Sudan after the 2011 referendum, especially if this request came from the leaders of Southern Sudan with the backing of the countries of the region. Amb. Rice remarked that Garang's talk of technical assistance was a far cry from an indefinite trusteeship and noted that support to Southern Sudan did not have to come in the form of a trusteeship. ¶5. (C) Amb. Rice told Deng that the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) must do more immediately to invite support for the South from neighboring countries whether the future is unity or independence. Amb. Rice argued that the leaders of Southern Sudan have not focused on the complexities of the challenges that they face in the coming year. She told Deng that she constantly reminds the SPLM leadership of their need to face the realities of southern independence and develop a set of requirements for assistance in order to attract the support they will soon need. ¶6. (C) Deng lamented Garang's failure to establish institution-based governance in the South rather than personality-based governance. The South needs strong governance as well as a strong SPLM and army. He said that the current president of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir, is not the modern leader that John Garang was and he suffers from a lack of strategic vision. Genocide and R2P -------------- ¶7. (U) Deng updated Amb. Rice on recent developments linked to the merging of the Prevention of Genocide and Responsibility to Protect (R2P) portfolios into one office. Based on recommendations from the UN Policy Committee, the Secretary-General has decided to merge the offices of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect in New York. The UN is now preparing a document (due out in March 2010) to work out the details of the merger and the operations of the joint office. ¶8. (U) The Fifth Committee will have to consider the budgetary implications for a merged office. It is too late in the UN's budget cycle to create new positions this year. Deng stated that for now his staff could cover the functions of the joint office should the two portfolios be merged this year. ¶9. (U) Deng stated that the French want to have a meeting to brainstorm on the way forward for the joint office. Amb. Rice replied that any discussion should focus on key matters including the mandate of the joint office, its objectives and goals as well as budget and staffing matters. Deng and Luck are preparing a paper outlining the concept and operations of the joint office. They will share this document with key member states including the US, France, Russia and Canada. RICE