VZCZCXRO0403
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1040 1821347
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 011347Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7764
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001040 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE, SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF S/E NATSIOS AND AF/SPG 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND SHORTLEY 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV AU UN SU
 
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT BASHIR ON HYBRID FORCE, CHAPTER SEVEN UN COMMAND 
AND CONTROL 
 
REFTEL: KHARTOUM 00956 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On June 30 at a press forum conducted by the 
official Sudan News Agency (SUNA), President Al-Bashir was reported 
to have "renewed Sudan's rejection to international forces in 
Darfur," while at the same time stating that Sudan had accepted the 
hybrid force. Al-Bashir remained vague about what he defined as UN 
command and control of the hybrid force, preferring to limit his 
characterization of the UN role as technical and administrative. 
While he emphasized Sudan's acceptance of the hybrid, he sharply 
rejected the idea of Chapter 7 authorization for a force and 
criticized U.S. sanctions as "repeating in Darfur the mistakes of 
Iraq and Afghanistan." End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) In his wide-ranging speech at the SUNA-sponsored press 
forum, Al-Bashir discussed the recent tripartite agreement in Addis 
on the hybrid force. He said that agreement stipulated that troops 
on the ground would be African, and that the UN would extend 
logistical, technical, financial and administrative support. While 
not explicitly detailing the Sudanese government's position on UN 
command and control, Al-Bashir took care to point out that the AU/UN 
Joint Representative (Adada) was from the Congo, and the new AMIS 
force commander (Agwei) was a Nigerian. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Al-Bashir further stated: "Regarding the forces on the 
ground, we have stated that is should be completely African.  They 
have asked if Africa is not able to provide the necessary forces, 
should the UN bring forces from other nations with the consent of 
the Sudanese government?  We have contacted all African nations who 
have affirmed to us that they are ready to provide troops if the UN 
provides the funding."  Al-Bashir also called on the UN to submit a 
new resolution requesting funding for the hybrid force; if there was 
no funding, he continued, "they should not deploy any forces." 
A-Bashir added: "Concerning talk about converting the mission of the 
hybrid force so that it falls under UNSC supervision under Chapter 7 
of the UN Charter, as UNSCR 1706, this will not happen. I swear on 
this once, twice and a hundred times." 
 
¶4. (SBU) Comment: Over the past several months, Al-Bashir has 
conveyed a consistent public message that all hybrid troops should 
be from African nations, and has also consistently avoided any 
public acknowledgement of UN command and control. His remarks at 
this press forum, sponsored by the official Sudanese news agency, 
followed this pattern. While not rejecting UN command and control of 
the hybrid, the president made clear his point that the 
decision-making echelons of the hybrid force should be comprised of 
Africans.  When one looks closely at the rhetoric, one can see that 
nothing has changed as far Sudan's June 12 acceptance of the hybrid 
force, acceptance which was confirmed to the UNSC during their June 
17 visit to the Sudan. The intemperate language on Chapter 7 is a 
very clear statement of the GoS's public stance on this issue. It 
seems Al-Bashir is finessing the command and control issue, but not 
Chapter 7.  End comment.