VZCZCXRO4313
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1764/01 3170513
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 130513Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9143
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001764 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, AF SE NATSIOS, 
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV DPKO UN AU SU
SUBJECT: ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR PEACEKEEPING TO PRESS SUDAN 
ON UNAMID TROOPS 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On November 11, visiting UN Assistant 
Secretary-General (A/SYG) for Peacekeeping Operations Edmond Mulet 
 
SIPDIS 
briefed Ambassadors in Khartoum on UNAMID deployment issues.  While 
in Sudan, Mulet will seek Sudanese commitment on outstanding issues 
including approved composition of UN-African Union Mission in Darfur 
(UNAMID) troops. End summary. 
 
NO GOS AGREEMENT ON TROOPS 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Mulet said that the UN and African Union (AU) have agreed 
on the composition of the UNAMID deployment, but the Government of 
Sudan (GOS) has not responded formally to the UN's offer of troops. 
He said he is in Sudan to press the Government of Sudan (GOS) on 
this issue. He said the UN believes the African character of UNAMID 
has been respected in its proposal to the GOS, with 75 percent 
African troops and only specific technical capabilities provided by 
non-African troops. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Mulet said that by mid-week he hoped to resolve the issue 
of composition with the GOS.  Mulet said that the UN will not wait 
for a final approval from the GOS on the overall UN/DPKO proposal 
before deploying troops; troops will be deployed as soon as there is 
GOS approval for each commitment.  He added that 80 percent of the 
offered troops have been authorized by the GOS.  He said the GOS has 
been receptive in preliminary discussions, promising that all issues 
would be resolved.  However, Mulet said the UN expects 
administrative roadblocks further down the Sudanese chain of 
command. 
 
QUALITY OF TROOPS 
---------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Mulet pointed out that it's difficult to find troops for 
most UN peacekeeping missions, especially troops and equipment that 
are up to UN standards.  He said that helicopters were offered by 
one nation (Jordan) but were refused as they did not meet UN 
standards.  The Canadian representative asked whether additional 
helicopters will be needed, and if so, must they be operated by the 
donor nation's own military?  Mulet replied that 18 transport 
helicopters are still needed and must be operated by the nation's 
own military so they can be deployed quickly. 
 
UNAMID CIVILIAN COMPONENT 
------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Asked if there was a concern regarding civilian recruitment 
for UNAMID, Mulet said that civilian recruitment is well underway. 
As an example, he said that the deputy for UNAMID administration 
will arrive this week, and that additional recruitment will continue 
in "an effective way."  He noted that it was very difficult to hire 
civilians and police officers for UNMIS, and similar challenges 
would likely affect UNAMID recruitment. 
 
LOGISTICS REMAIN A CONCERN 
------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Mulet said he is concerned about logistics, and noted that 
UNAMID still needs two heavy-truck transport units.  He said that 
GOS red tape continues to delay resolution of issues such as landing 
rights and night flight clearances but was optimistic those issues 
would be soon resolved.  He added that local governments in Darfur 
also slow down implementation by asking for documents "as if there 
was another border between them and Khartoum."  He asked the 
embassies present to press the GOS on these concerns (Note: CDA will 
be doing so later this week with State Minister of Foreign Affairs 
Al-Samani al-Wasila).  However, Mulet stressed "we will be ready by 
January 1." 
 
IS THE TIMETABLE TOO OPTIMISTIC? 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Turkish representative opined that the UNSCR 1769 
timetable is too optimistic and asked if the A/SYG sincerely 
believes that UNAMID will be operational by December 31?  Mulet 
replied that the initial operational capability will be ready by 
then, but full operational capability will take many more months. 
"This all will take time and will be completed in stages," he said. 
 
 
THE LIBYANS QUESTION NEED FOR EUROPEANS 
------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Libyan representative said that given that the African 
nations have provided sufficient numbers of troops and the Europeans 
can provide technical support without a military presence, why 
 
KHARTOUM 00001764  002 OF 002 
 
 
should the UN continue to pressure the GOS to accept European 
troops?  Mulet replied that no European country has offered combat 
troops - only engineering capabilities.  He said other troops, such 
as the Thais and Bangladeshis, are ready to deploy now and so the 
GOS should consider their use. 
 
SEPARATE MANDATES BUT COORDINATION TO CONTINUE 
---------------- ----------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Mulet noted that with the recently-arrived UN Special 
Representative for the Secretary-General Ashraf Qazi and the 
standing-up of the UNAMID headquarters in El-Fasher, UNMIS could now 
focus more exclusively on implementation of the Comprehensive Peace 
Agreement (CPA).  He noted that UNMIS and UNAMID have separate 
mandates and separate organizational structures.  Nonetheless, he 
said that he expected cooperation between the two UN missions in 
Sudan to continue and added that to facilitate this, the UN has 
created an UNMIS-UNAMID coordination unit. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Comment: Although the briefing was intended to allay 
concerns that the UN has been slow to organize UNAMID deployment, it 
is clear that many hurdles remain.  The UN will have to be more 
nimble administratively and aggressive politically if they are to 
work around GOS roadblocks and administrative entanglements that the 
Sudanese are so effective at erecting.  Mulet did not raise the 
issue of UNAMID radio authorization. 
 
FERNANDEZ