VZCZCXRO3921
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0849 1600804
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 080804Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0981
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000849 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF SE WILLIAMSON, AF/SPG/JDRAKE, IO/PSC/GKANG, S/CRS 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPKO UNSC SU
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN ON FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT 
FOR UNAMID AND UNMIS 
 
REF: A. STATE 58704 
      ¶B. KHARTOUM 722 
 
¶1.  (SBU) During his May 28 - June 4 visit to Sudan (septels), 
Presidential Special Envoy Richard Williamson and embassy officers 
repeatedly and forcefully raised the need for unfettered freedom of 
movement for both UNAMID and UNMIS in their discussions with 
high-level officials of the GoS (ref a).  SE Williamson also raised 
the urgent need for UNMIS' mandate to be strengthened to allow it to 
better protect civilians, in light of the recent events in Abyei. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) During the opening Plenary of negotiations with the GoS on 
June 1, Special Envoy Williamson and his delegation pushed the GoS 
on its performance since the Rome Talks in April, during which the 
GoS promised to respect "in word and in spirit" the Status of Forces 
Agreement (SOFA) with UNAMID.  During the June 1 session, National 
Intelligence and Security Services chief Salah Ghosh tried to gloss 
over this item, saying that the GoS "agrees in spirit" with this 
obligation.  The Williamson delegation and embassy staff pressed 
Ghosh on this responsibility, particularly with regard to the 
issuance of visas for U.S. liaison officers and permission to carry 
their sidearms for deployment to UNAMID.  Ghosh agreed to issue the 
five outstanding visas for these officers no later than June 9. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In the same Plenary session, Williamson's delegation 
raised the examples of Shegeg Karo and Ein Bisharo, two towns in 
North Darfur that were targets of GoS bombing in early May.  At that 
time the GoS had refused access to UNAMID to conduct medical 
evacuations in these areas, refusals which constituted violations of 
the SOFA (ref b).  Ghosh and other GoS officials present at the 
Plenary became defensive when this topic was raised, saying that at 
the time the GoS had deemed those areas too insecure for UNAMID to 
visit, since the GoS was actively involved in rooting out Justice 
and Equality Movement (JEM) elements from those towns at the time. 
 
 
DATTA