VZCZCXRO4725
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1622/01 3111501
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061501Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2250
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001622 
 
DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON, AF/SPG, IO/PSC 
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: UNAMID DEPLOYMENT UPDATE 
 
REF: A) KHARTOUM 1524 
      B) KHARTOUM 1507 
      C) KHARTOUM 1468 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On November 5-6, Commander Victor Luis Hernandez, 
FPU Advisor/Coordinator for UNAMID, Hugo Wyers, FPU coordinator, 
Sector North, and Ian Divers, UNAMID Logistics Officer told Poloff 
that UNAMID is optimistic it will make its desired goal of 60 
percent boots-on-the-ground by December, with 80 percent by March. 
Equipment is moving from El Obeid and Port Sudan to Darfur faster 
than previously; but the lack of airlift into El Geneina, in West 
Darfur, continues to be the weakest link.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Poloff spoke with Commander Victor Luis Hernandez, FPU 
Advisor/Coordinator for UNAMID, Hugo Wyers, FPU coordinator, Sector 
North, and Ian Divers, UNAMID Logistics Officer during November 5-6 
to review UNAMID deployment issues.  Divers told Poloff that UNAMID 
now stands at 9,063 military boots-on-the-ground or 46 percent of 
its end of December goal.  There are now three of nineteen Formed 
Police Units (FPU), which is 16 per cent of the needed FPUs.  Divers 
is optimistic the desired 60 percent FPU goal by the end of December 
will be met and the 80 percent goal by March should be well within 
reach. 
 
FPUs in Darfur 
-------------- 
¶3. (SBU) Hernandez said three 140-strong FPUs are currently in 
Darfur.  The Bangladeshi unit has been on the ground for almost a 
year at volatile Kalma IDP camp outside Nyala.  It will transfer out 
in late November to be replaced by another FPU from Bangladesh. 
This unit is considered successful in its ability to be 
self-sustaining, provide protection for UN property and staff, and 
implement community policing centers in Internally Displaced Person 
(IDP) camps. It began to provide a 24/7 police presence inside 
sprawling Kalma in early September. The Nepalese unit is at the 
Nyala super camp, and is starting police operations in the nearby 
IDP camps. 
 
¶4.  The Indonesian contingent arrived in El Fasher, Northern Darfur 
on October 12, and is currently in the El Fasher transit camp while 
its constructs its own camp.  Wyers stated the Indonesians are 
already patrolling successfully through Abu Shook and Al Salaam IDP 
camps despite being short six armored land cruisers and three 
containers that remain in Port Sudan.  Notwithstanding the equipment 
setback, the group is considered very professional and effective by 
Commissioner of UNAMID Police Mike Fryer.  The Indonesians trained 
for three years to prepare for this mission, and this investment 
appears to be paying off. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Other anticipated FPU arrivals include a Nigerian 
contingent that has postponed its arrival date from the end of 
December to June 2009. A second Indonesian FPU, originally scheduled 
to arrive in December, will now not be on the ground until November 
2009, The arrival of another FPU from has slipped from December to 
February.  And Senegal has changed the date of arrival of its FPU 
from December to June of next year.  The Egyptian FPU and a second 
Bangladeshi unit are expected shot arrive in February 2009.  FPUs 
from Burkina Faso and Senegal are expected to be on the ground next 
June. 
 
Equipment Movement 
------------------ 
¶6. (SBU) Equipment movement is progressing well, but is still 
dependent on road conditions and contractor motivation.  The six 
contractors hired by the UN are finally all at work, and UNAMID 
continues a daily push to ensure equipment continues to move. 
Divers noted most high-priority equipment currently in El Obeid and 
Port Sudan is either being loaded onto convoy transport or already 
is moving to Darfur.  Roads are dry enough to permit convoys to 
start for El Geneina.  The Ethiopian battalion split between Western 
and Northern Darfur along the Sudan-Chad border is expecting their 
gear to arrive by December 15. 
 
Airlift a Constraint 
-------------------- 
¶7. (SBU) The biggest hold-up continues to be lack of air transport 
to El Geneina.  Dangerous and high-priory equipment, including 
ammunition and hospital equipment, requires being airlifted.   A 
large amount of Ethiopian and Pakistani cargo is critically needed 
to sustain operations.  The possible U.S. contribution of a C-130 
air bridge is anticipated to make a huge contribution to the amount 
of cargo that can be brought into El Geneina.  Currently UNAMID is 
"de-stuffing containers and throwing gear into helicopters to get 
capability on the ground."  Divers is apprehensive about running out 
of air assets before the new year, but he emphasized that 
pre-planning going on now should alleviate any problems in making 
 
KHARTOUM 00001622  002 OF 002 
 
 
the 60 per cent goal. 
 
¶8.  The IL-76 currently in maintenance is still anticipated to be 
back in operation on November 10, with air operations from Port 
Sudan and El Obeid going to El Fasher and Nyala commencing one week 
later.  Some equipment will still require transportation to El 
Geneina, and Divers sees the lack of airlift capability as UNAMID's 
"critical weakness." 
 
GoS Cooperation Improved 
------------------------ 
¶9. (SBU) Divers stated that GoS cooperation is much improved. 
Despite some visas not being issued and problems with officials 
demanding to open containers, he said that the overall relationship 
between UNAMID and GoS is "better than I have ever seen it".  The 
Sudanese Civil Aviation provided much-needed support, and the 
immovable PAE equipment and critical supplies were released.  Divers 
stressed the relationship is not perfect, but he saw "a great deal 
of positive effort on both sides."  Customs problems remain, but he 
conceded the problems are predominantly on UNAMID's side as 
documents required by the Sudanese government continue to be lacking 
when UNAMID tries to process containers. 
 
Death Knell for PAE 
------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Pacific Architects & Engineers Inc. (PAE) demobilized 
almost all operations by the end of October. Sixty to seventy of its 
workers will depart this week.  Those remaining will be consolidated 
in El Fasher.  PAE is completing electrical work and fencing in the 
transit super camps, and UNAMID is conducting final inspections.  To 
compensate for the loss, UNAMID is developing "field teams" 
comprised of most of the skilled and semi-skilled local staff left 
behind by PAE.  The teams will complete any leftover work, and 
expand and create camps for the Troop Contributing Companies (TCCs). 
 Chinese and Egyptian engineers have also been working to ease the 
interruption, and UNAMID sees other support in engineering companies 
coming from Egypt, Senegal, and Ethiopia.  Divers said these teams 
plus TCC engineers provide solutions for Northern and Southern 
Darfur, but he had no acceptable proposals for Western Darfur. 
 
 
Comment: 
-------- 
¶11.  UNAMID is backing its optimism with an active push to ensure 
contractors are doing their job, and equipment doesn't stall.  The 
planning involved and active participation should have the desired 
positive results in meeting UNAMID deployment goals. Pressure must 
be maintained to ensure that the arrival of the very valuable FPUs, 
which provide improved security in Darfur's miserable and volatile 
IDP camps, does not slip further. 
 
FERNANDEZ