VZCZCXRO2343
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDU RUEHFL RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHMR RUEHPA
RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #0114 0382309
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 072309Z FEB 08 ZFF4
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3675
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 1591
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0940
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 1060
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0993
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 8986
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5/UNMA// PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000114 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR IO AND AF; PLEASE PASS TO SE WILLIAMSON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2018 
TAGS: AF PGOV PREL SU NSC UNSC KPKO MOPS
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DARFUR PEACEKEEPING DEPLOYMENT FOR 07 
FEB 2008 
 
REF: USUN 106 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Alex Wolff for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (U)   This is an action request, please see paragraph 3. 
 
¶2.  (C)   SUMMARY:  Updates on UNAMID TCC deployments 
including police units; helicopter update; contractor issues 
and the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). END SUMMARY 
 
¶3.  (C)  UNAMID Deployment: 
 
--Egypt: The heavy transport unit is scheduled to deploy 
February 29. -The signal and engineering units is scheduled 
to deploy 10 March. The infantry battalion will deploy in two 
waves, with the first 400 troops scheduled for March 14 and 
the second 400 troops scheduled for April 9. 
 
--Ethiopia:  The infantry Battalion tentatively scheduled to 
deploy in March or April.  This is contingent on solving 
existing equipment readiness issues. 
 
--Former AMIS units: The IOT informed USUN MSC that Force 
Commander General Agwai is pushing for all of the former AMIS 
battalions that are now part of UNAMID to be brought up to UN 
manning and equipment levels.  According to General Agwai, 
this should take place during the next rotation, which is 
scheduled for April and May. USUN MSC Rep noted that this 
does not match the US Government's timelines for training and 
equipping these units (ACTION REQUEST:  USUN recommends Dept 
contact members of the AMIS donor group to request support in 
equipping the eight former AMIS battalions up to UN 
standards). 
 
--UNAMID Police Component:  The IOT reported that the 
deployment of individual police officers, currently 1,567 
personnel, is on track.  Regarding Formed Police Units 
(FPUs), Bangladesh is still the only deployed unit.  The 
majority of the Nepalese FPU equipment is scheduled to arrive 
in Sudan on March 15, although the portion designated as 
hazardous cargo is still delayed at the Nepalese/Indian 
border.  DPKO is currently conducting the Pre-Deployment 
Visit (PDV) with Indonesia, whose first FPU is scheduled to 
arrive on March 25.  The Egyptians completed their PDV on 
January 31, and are scheduled to deploy on April 15. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Force Generation: 
 
--Helicopters:  The IOT informed USUN MSC that Ethiopia and 
Bangladesh were the only two written offers of helicopters 
for UNAMID.  No other offers are being considered. 
 
-The Ethiopians have formally offered four attack helicopters 
and two utility helicopters.  DPKO reportedly will accept the 
attack helicopters but will reject the utility helicopters 
because they lack the capacity to carry out required 
missions. 
-UN DPKO also intends to reject the Bangladesh-offered 
airframes: three Bell 212s and two Bell 206s. According to 
DPKO, they only carry 3-5 combat loaded troops and would 
therefore not be useful to the mission. 
 
¶5.  (C) Logistics:  The IOT reported that while there has 
been no written objection to US contractors from the 
Government of Sudan (GOS) the GOS has made it clear to UN 
officials that they do not want US contractors in Darfur. 
The UN will convene a bidding conference in Darfur this month 
for companies who wish to compete for this contract.  In the 
interim the UN will continue utilizing PAE. 
 
¶6. (C) Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA):  IOT reported the 
SOFA should be signed by Saturday 9 February.  However, DPKO 
remains concerned over outstanding issues of aviation 
movement and notification of ground movement.  It was unclear 
if the UN Office of Legal Affairs would accept the GOS's 
conditions (REFTEL). 
KHALILZAD