VZCZCXYZ0015
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #3972 3400012
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 052354Z DEC 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000

UNCLAS STATE 163972 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: UNSC PREL PHUM XA XW SU
SUBJECT: INSTRUCTIONS- TALKING POINTS FOR U/SYG HOLMES 
BRIEFING ON DECEMBER 6 
 
 
¶1.  This is an action cable.  See paragraph 2. 
 
¶2.  USUN is instructed to draw from the following talking 
points for the December 6 briefing by U/SYG for Humanitarian 
Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Sir John Holmes. 
 
Begin points: 
 
-- We would like to thank Under-Secretary Holmes for his 
briefing to the Council on his latest trip to Africa. 
 
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SUDAN 
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-- The United States remains deeply committed to ending 
violence in Darfur through a political settlement, providing 
critical humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations, and 
supporting the rapid deployment of the UN/AU Hybrid 
Peacekeeping Operation (UNAMID), as authorized in UNSCR 1769. 
 We further support a peaceful, unified, and democratic Sudan 
within the framework of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement 
(CPA) and call for full implementation of all aspects of the 
CPA.  Secretary Rice traveled to Addis Ababa this week to 
lead a Sudan Ministerial meeting with representatives from 
Sudan, neighboring African countries, and the African Union 
and United Nations Special Representatives on Sudan. 
 
-- A viable political process and deployment of a robust 
UN/AU hybrid peacekeeping force are critical to improving the 
humanitarian situation in Darfur.  We urge all groups to 
support and work towards an accelerated UN/AU-led political 
process and a lasting ceasefire on the ground.  We encourage 
all the rebel movements to set aside their differences and 
join together in order to better represent the people of 
Darfur, and we strongly encourage all invited individuals and 
movements to attend the next round of negotiations.  We 
strongly urge the inclusion of traditional leaders from 
Darfur, women's groups, local NGOs, and leaders from 
internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in the peace talks. 
The participation of local civil society is absolutely vital 
to the success of peace talks. 
 
-- We also call on the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the 
United Nations to rapidly advance UNAMID deployment.  In this 
context, we urge the GoS to approve without delay the full 
list of troop-contributing countries chosen by the United 
Nations and African Union and to meet its commitment to 
accept peacekeepers into Darfur and provide them with the 
necessary visas, flight clearances, and access to land and 
water to successfully carry out their mission. 
 
-- The United States is extremely disappointed by the 
Sudanese government's expulsion from Darfur of the head of 
OCHA Nyala office, Mr. Ibrahim. 
 
-- We welcome recent discussions between the Government of 
Sudan and U/SYG Holmes on the extension of the moratorium on 
humanitarian restrictions.  We believe the moratorium is 
critical to reducing obstacles faced by international NGOs 
operating in Darfur. 
 
-- We commend efforts by the UN in preparing for the likely 
possibility of additional food shortages in Sudan this year, 
due to poor food harvests.  These proactive measures will 
undoubtedly save lives should food harvest forecasts prove 
correct. 
 
-- Darfur is the home to the biggest humanitarian operation 
in the world, in which the United States has played an 
important role.  Since 2005 the United States has provided 
over $4 billion in humanitarian, peacekeeping, and 
development assistance to the people of Sudan and Eastern 
Chad.  The United States is also the largest food donor to 
Darfur, providing 40,000 metric tons of food aid monthly. 
Further, the United States has constructed and maintains 34 
Darfur base camps for the more than 7000 AU peacekeepers 
currently serving in Darfur. 
 
-- The United States is following the situation in Chad very 
closely.  Currently there are 230,000 refugees from Darfur in 
Eastern Chad along with 180,000 IDPs in Chad. Renewed 
conflict in the area could severely exacerbate the situation. 
 We support the immediate deployment of MINURCAT and 
encourage all troop/police contributing countries to deploy 
as soon as possible. 
 
---------------------- 
SOMALIA AND THE OGADEN 
---------------------- 
 
-- The United States is also deeply concerned about the 
deteriorating humanitarian situation in Somalia.  The 
increase in violence in the capital has resulted in thousands 
of additional IDPs, including an estimated 230,000 IDPs 
located along a 15-kilometer stretch of road between 
Mogadishu and the town of Afgooye alone. 
 
-- We take note that U/SYG Holmes met with newly appointed 
Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein and welcome the Prime 
Ministers commitment to make a humanitarian response high on 
his agenda. 
 
-- We applaud the UN and NGO efforts to operate in very 
dangerous circumstances in Somalia.  We continue to be 
concerned that their efforts remain hampered by insecurity, 
roadblocks, and inter-clan conflict.  We reiterate our call 
on all parties to facilitate access for the delivery of 
life-saving humanitarian aid to those in need. 
 
-- Ultimately, the return of lasting peace and stability in 
Somalia, including an end to the long-standing humanitarian 
emergency, can only be achieved through a comprehensive 
political solution based on the Transitional Federal Charter. 
 The United States continues to support the deployment of the 
African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to achieve this 
objective.  We also reiterate the need for robust contingency 
planning by DPKO to prepare for the possible transition to a 
UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia. 
 
-- On the Ogaden, the United States urges the Ethiopian 
government to open commercial trade routes to the Somali 
Region to prevent a humanitarian crisis from deepening. 
RICE