VZCZCXRO0371
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0351 0701415
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 101415Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0155
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000351 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/SPG 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KPKO UNSC AU SU CD EU
SUBJECT: FRANCE, EUFOR ISSUE CONFLICTING STATEMENTS ON FALLEN 
SOLDIER IN DARFUR 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) The European Union repatriated the body ofQoldier from 
the EU peacekeeping force in Chad, EUFOR, on March 7, as French 
President Sarkozy and EUFOR commander Patrick Nash issued 
conflicting statements on the events leading to the soldier's death. 
 While Nash apologized to Sudan for his peacekeepers "accidentally" 
crossing into Sudanese territory, Sarkozy condemned the Sudanese 
military for using "disproportionate force."  EU Special 
Representative for Sudan and EUFOR political representative Torben 
Brylle is "associating himself" with Nash's statement, Brylle's 
political advisor told Poloff on March 9. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The French Embassy in Khartoum has characterized Sudan as 
"relatively cooperative" in investigating the circumstances of the 
death.  Brylle, who met with Sudanese officials in Khartoum on March 
7, considers the issue with Sudan "closed," said his political 
advisor.  EUFOR positively identified the body on March 7 and is 
awaiting an autopsy in France before making any further 
determination, according to a French political officer in Khartoum. 
 
¶3. (U) On March 9, the "Sudan Tribune" reported that Sudan submitted 
a request to the EU for compensation pertaining to the incident. 
This would presumably include compensation for the families of the 
nomads who reportedly died when they were trying to place the body 
of the fallen soldier on a camel and a grenade exploded. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Comment: Sudan is seeking to gain maximum benefit from this 
incident to ensure that EUFOR respects Sudan's border.  Mistakes 
will occur, though, and it is somewhat alarming (though not 
surprising given Sudanese sensitivities) that Sudanese troops 
apparently are under orders to fire without question at Western 
soldiers who cross the border into Darfur.  Several questions 
remain, such as why the Sudanese soldiers did not assist the fallen 
French soldier after incapacitating him, and how the remaining 
members of the French EUFOR patrol returned to Chad without their 
vehicle, which reportedly was disabled and has not yet been 
recovered from Western Sudan. Certainly, the whole sorry incident 
seems to show a EUFOR force struggling to get itself established and 
acclimated to a new and difficult task. 
 
FERNANDEZ