VZCZCXRO0706
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0184 0371218
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061218Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9898
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000184 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, S/E WILLIAMSON, AND AF/SPG 
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO UN AU SU
SUBJECT: UNAMID SOFA: AGREED BUT NOT YET SIGNED 
 
¶1. (SBU) The UN-AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and the 
Government of Sudan have finalized language for a Status of 
Forces Agreement (SOFA), Joint Special Representative (JSR) 
Rodolphe Adada's Special Assistant, Rana Taha, told Poloff on 
February 6.  Adada and Foreign Minister Deng Alor were 
scheduled to sign the SOFA on February 6, but the ceremony 
was postponed to February 10 because Alor is traveling in the 
region.  Taha said that both New York and Addis Ababa were 
comfortable with the SOFA text at present--which guarantees 
"unhindered access"--but is concerned that Khartoum may 
request additional changes in the days prior to the signing. 
Progress on a SOFA, if indeed implemented, would constitute a 
major step forward in UNAMID deployment. 
 
¶2. (SBU) UNAMID has decided to delay detailed discussions on 
night flights, customs procedures, and land purchases until 
the SOFA is signed.  UNAMID interprets the current text as 
permitting night flights and requiring expeditious customs 
processing, Taha explained, but technical issues, such as 
runway upgrades at airports in Darfur, will proceed after the 
SOFA is "sealed." 
 
¶3. (SBU) Comment: It strikes us as a very risky strategy not 
to nail down the details of night flights and other issues in 
the SOFA agreement, given that the GOS almost certain to use 
any excuse to limit or manipulate UNAMID activities, but the 
current agreement appears to be the best the UN can achieve 
for now.  UNAMID is presumably banking on the UN and the 
broader international community pressuring or cajoling the 
GOS if it does not allow UNAMID the unhindered access it has 
supposedly agreed to. It will be important to hold the GOS to 
this agreement, if indeed it holds, and most importantly, to 
a broad interpretation of the SOFA which enables UNAMID to do 
its work. 
FERNANDEZ