VZCZCXRO3805
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBC RUEHBZ RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHDU RUEHFL
RUEHGI RUEHIK RUEHJO RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHMR
RUEHPA RUEHPOD RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHTRO RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUCNDT #0118/01 0392307
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 082307Z FEB 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3679
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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000118 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
IO AND AF FOR FRONT OFFICE; PLEASE PASS TO SE WILIAMSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM UNSC SU MOPS PREL
SUBJECT: SE ELIASSON AND USYG GUEHENNO BRIEF THE SECURITY 
COUNCIL 
 
REF: SECSTATE 13069 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: UN Special Envoy for the Sudan Jan Eliasson 
and UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations 
Jean-Marie Guehenno briefed the Security Council February 8 
on the latest developments on the Darfur peace process and 
UNAMID deployment.  Eliasson reported that while he has made 
some progress in unifying the rebel factions, the 
deteriorating security conditions made substantive movement 
towards a second round of talks impossible.  While Guehenno 
reported deteriorating security conditions in Darfur, he said 
the Government of the Sudan had promised to sign the UNAMID 
status of forces agreement by February 10.  Security Council 
delegations called for redoubled efforts to fully deploy 
UNAMID and move forward with the Darfur peace process.  Sudan 
did not ask to participate in the Security Council session. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------- 
ELIASSON'S HIGHEST 
PRIORITY IS SECURITY 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Darfur 
Jan Eliasson reported some progress in preparing for 
substantive talks, but said advancement was undermined by the 
deteriorating security situation.  Eliasson highlighted that 
rebel factions had organized into five groups (SLA-Unity, 
URF, SLA-Abdul Shafie, SLA-Abdul Wahid, and JEM-Khalil 
Ibrahim), but noted that only two groups (SLA-Unity and URF) 
agreed to participate in preparatory meetings for substantive 
talks.  Eliasson praised UNAMID efforts to include civil 
society, IDPs, and traditional leaders, and called for a 
full-time joint AU-UN mediator. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Eliasson stressed that improving security was the 
highest priority. He said recent clashes in North Darfur and 
West Darfur, aerial bombardments, and cross-border incursion 
between Chad and Darfur endangered humanitarian assistance 
and hindered the political process.  He called on all parties 
to unilaterally declare a cessation of hostilities and to 
participate in reforming the existing ceasefire mechanisms. 
Eliasson called for member states to assist his efforts by 
helping create regional stability, demanding a cessation of 
hostilities, ensuring rapid troop preparation and deployment, 
urging parties to participate in the political process, and 
continuing humanitarian assistance and recovery planning. 
 
--------------------------------- 
GUEHENNO CITES NEGATIVE 
SECURITY TRENDS, UNAMID OBSTACLES 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Under-Secretary-General for Peace Keeping Operations 
Jean-Marie Guehenno called his recent visit to Sudan 
"sobering," and stressed the negative effects of recent 
hostilities in Western Darfur (as well as on-going 
hostilities reported during the UNSC meeting) and the 
tensions between Sudan and Chad.  He also cited other harmful 
developments including the mobilization and shifting 
alliances of Arab militia in South Darfur, the appointment of 
Musa Hilal as a GOS adviser, continuing displacement, 
impending crop failures, and decreasing humanitarian access. 
Guehenno expressed concern that the joint mission was 
severely under-resourced and would not meet the civilians' 
expectations. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Guehenno said he had a constructive meeting with 
Mutrif Siddiq, Chairman of GOS's technical committee for 
UNAMID implementation, but no conclusions were reached 
because Siddiq had to consult with his government.  On force 
composition, Guehenno requested the GOS to decide quickly on 
the inclusion of Thai and Nepalese troops.  Guehenno called 
for imminent signature of the SOFA, though he noted that it 
did not yet grant full freedom of movement for UNAMID 
personnel.  Guehenno asked troop and police contributors to 
expedite pre-deployment preparations and urged nations to 
provide aviation and ground transportation assets.  He 
welcomed Ethopia's offer of helicopters and planned to review 
it. 
 
----------------------------- 
AU COMMITTED TO JOINT MISSION 
----------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Permanent Observer for the African Union Lila 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000118  002 OF 002 
 
 
Ratsifandrihamanana affirmed the AU's commitment to the 
mission and called for additional resources for UNAMID.  She 
called on all parties to cooperate with the peace process and 
urged Khartoum to resolve outstanding issues of access to 
land and water and the issuance of visas. 
 
---------------------------- 
Council Discussion Tracks 
Established Darfur Divisions 
---------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) AMB Khalilzad delivered reftel talking points, 
calling for the rapid appointment of an UN-AU joint mediator, 
the full deployment of UNAMID and for Chad and Sudan to 
refrain from interference in each other's internal affairs. 
French PermRep Jean Maurice Ripert emphasized that Sudanese 
support for rebels in Chad had led to a significant 
deterioration in regional security and called for the 
international community to begin paying greater attention to 
the regional dimension of the conflict.  UKUN PermRep John 
Sawers also condemned the February 8 Sudanese Armed Forces 
and janjaweed attack on IDP camps in West Darfur.  Sawers 
condemned Musa Hilal's appointment as an GOS advsier, and 
both he and Ripert called for Sudanese cooperation with the 
ICC. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Chinese PermRep Wang and Russian PermRep Churkin 
largely repeated their established position regarding 
continued engagement with the GOS to move forward with UNAMID 
deployment and enhanced diplomatic pressure on Darfur rebel 
groups.  (NOTE: The Sudanese Permanent Mission did not 
request to participate in the meeting, reportedly because the 
Sudanese PermRep was travelling.  END NOTE.)  Churkin 
concurred with the U.S. on the need for a joint UN-AU 
mediator and a regional approach to resolving the Darfur 
crisis.  Wang insisted that the primary reasons for UNAMID's 
delayed deployment lay with the UN and international 
community - inadequate TCC support and the lack of pledges of 
specialized military capabilities.  In regard to the peace 
process, Wang called on "the nations with influence over the 
rebels" to do more to push them towards a constructive 
negotiating position. 
 
KHALILZAD