VZCZCXRO8155
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHFL RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #0243 0781526
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 181526Z MAR 08 ZFF4
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3928
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 1649
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0948
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 1118
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 1005
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 9004
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5/UNMA// PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000243 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
IO AND AF FOR FRONT OFFICE; PLEASE PASS TO SE WILLIAMSON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2018 
TAGS: AF PGOV PREL SU NSC UNSC KPKO MOPS
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DARFUR PEACEKEEPING DEPLOYMENT FOR 21 
MARCH 2008 
 
Classified By: Pol Min Counselor Jeff DeLaurentis for reasons 1.4 (b) a 
nd (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: USUN and the Canadian Permanent Mission 
co-chaired the first working-level meeting of the "Friends of 
UNAMID" on March 13.  Discussion focused on how members of 
the group can work in partnership with the UN to help 
identify and remove impediments to UNAMID deployment.  On the 
margins of the meeting, UN DPKO Force Generation Services 
reported to USUN that the deployment of the Egyptians, 
Ethiopians, and the rotation of the former AMIS battalions 
into Darfur are significantly behind schedule.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---------------------- 
UNAMID Friends Meeting 
---------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) The focus of the "Friends" meeting, launched March 6 
by Presidential Special Envoy to Sudan, Ambassador Richard 
Williamson, is to bring together partner countries to help 
facilitate the rapid deployment of UNAMID. At this first 
meeting, S/E Williamson emphasized the importance of donor 
nations joining together to ensure the deployment of 3,600 
peacekeepers by June of 2008.  Milads and Poloffs from 
France, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, UK, Canada, 
Denmark, Germany, Italy, and Japan attended. The members will 
consult their capitals and bring to the next meeting 
proposals for assistance to UNAMID. DPKO IOT Director Michael 
Gaouette, as well as UN personnel from Force Generation 
Services (FGS), Military Planning, and the UN Logistical 
Support Division also attended. 
 
----------------------- 
Deployment Timeline 
Falling Behind Schedule 
----------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) According to FGS, the Egyptian heavy transport and 
signals units will not/not deploy as scheduled on March 16. 
The Egyptian are entertaining UNAMID Force Commander Agwai's 
request to locate their units in Sector North vice Sector 
South.  The Egyptians conducted a recce of the northern 
sector this week 8-10 March and are considering whether to 
agree to General Agwai's request.  Additionally the equipment 
for the Egyptian units has arrived in Nyala (Sector South). 
If the Egyptians agree to move north they must wait for their 
equipment to shift from the south before they deploy. 
 
¶4. (C) According to FGS the Ethiopian infantry battalion, 
recce company, multi-role logistical unit and medium 
transport company are still planned to deploy in May.  Note: 
The US is procuring equipment to ready the infantry battalion 
in order to bring them up to UN standards.  With out this 
equipment it is likely the infantry battalion will not/not 
deploy. 
 
¶5. (C) FGS also informed USUN that the former AU Mission in 
Sudan battalions (now part of UNAMID) are well behind their 
rotation dates.  These battalions -- a total of 2,500 new 
troops -- were scheduled to rotate between April and June. 
The UN and Force Commander General Agwai had intended to 
rotate these battalions during this timeframe at UN manning 
and equipment levels.  None of the TCCs (Rwanda, Nigeria, 
Senegal, and South Africa) have finalized their Memorandum of 
Understanding (MOU) discussions.  These contingents must 
discuss with the UN their equipment and readiness levels in 
order for the UN to schedule a pre-deployment visit to 
inspect the deploying unit and its equipment.  A draft MOU 
draft must be in place for Rwanda, Nigeria, South Africa, and 
Senegal to define what the UN will reimburse TCCs for their 
Contingency Owned Equipment (COE).  FGS said these TCCs do 
not have the UN required equipment.  Due to the lack of 
equipment, these TCCs have not been available to enter into 
MOU discussions with the UN.  FGS will not contract air 
transportation to move the TCCs until it has a load list of 
what each TCC will bring to UNAMID.  FGS said it will take 90 
days from receipt of the load list to contract air for 
movement. 
 
KHALILZAD