VZCZCXRO9946
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0227/01 0521129
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 211129Z FEB 09 ZDK CTG NUMEROUS SERVICES
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3014
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000227 
 
DEPT FOR AF A A/S CARTER, AF/SPG, AF/C, IO 
NSC FOR CHUDSON 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: UNAMID DEPLOYMENT UPDATE 
 
REFS: A) 09 KHARTOUM 191 
B) 09 KHARTOUM 142 
C) 09 KHARTOUM 89 
D) 08 KHARTOUM 1810 
 
KHARTOUM 00000227  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  As of February 17 the total number of UNAMID 
military personnel was 12,611, or 64 percent of the total authorized 
force strength.  UNAMID is preparing for the arrival of the 
Ethiopian attack helicopter unit and believes it has sufficient 
authorization from the GOS to begin contracting for construction of 
additional space for the helicopters at the Nyala airfield.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On February 16 and 17 Poloff spoke with the following 
UNAMID officials: Col. Noddy Stafford, Chief of Military Plans; Col 
James Davey, Deputy Chief Logistics; and Rocky Hoare, MOVCON 
Officer. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Stafford reported that as of February 17, the total number 
of UNAMID military personnel was 12,611, or just over 64 percent of 
the total authorized force strength. Some additional troops arrived 
to supplement the Senegalese Battalion that  will be moving from El 
Geneina to the Nyala Supercamp and Graida in Sector South.  The 
repositioning of the unit will consolidate the Senegalese into 
Sector South and will release much needed living accommodations in 
Sector North.  The Egyptian Battalion due to deploy to Um Kadada 
east of El Fasher is still on track, and they have confirmed March 2 
as their arrival date.  The Ethiopian Multi Role Logistics Unit has 
settled into El Geneina and is receiving their equipment. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Load lists are still absent from the Senegalese Battalion 2 
and Burkina Faso Battalion 1.  The Tanzania Battalion 1 has 
scheduled their pre-deployment visit and are  ready for the joint 
UNAMID/UNHQ visit to determine if their equipment meets UN 
standards.  While the load list for the Thai Battalion 1 has not 
been delivered, the Sudanese Tribune reported on February 14 that 
the Thai government announced it will send the troops in June. 
 
Ethiopian Helicopter Update 
--------------------------- 
¶5. (SBU) UNAMID is preparing paperwork for the arrival of the 
Ethiopian attack helicopter unit.  UNAMID revised and resubmitted a 
force requirements report from DPKO last week to correctly reflect 
equipment and personnel requirements.  The Chinese Engineering 
Company in Nyala tentatively is tasked to perform the engineering 
and construction work for the helicopter facilities.  The Chinese 
unit agreed to use the old PAE compound and equipment in Nyala, 
rather than create their own camp, freeing up their time to 
construct the helicopter facilities at the Nyala airfield. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Stafford explained that it was not possible to start 
construction  sooner due to the fact that  UNAMID priorities have 
been to build facilities for units that are in-bound or are already 
on the ground.  The Ethiopians have yet to give definite 
confirmation of acceptance, so other priorities took precedence. 
UNAMID said it confirmed GOS approval of its expansion project at 
the Nyala airfield at the United Nations-African Union-GoS 
tripartite meeting on February 18 in Khartoum. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Stafford voiced concern over  the unit's potential 
operational inability to perform close air support (CAS) due to a 
lack of available UHF communications infrastructure.  The 
helicopters will be operating and potentially firing in close 
proximity to ground troops so these infantry battalions, 
reconnaissance, and reserve companies must have the ability to 
perform ground-to-air communications.  Forward air controllers need 
to be able to designate targets on the ground to avoid friendly-fire 
incidents.  Stafford and other senior UNAMID staff are hoping to 
address this deficiency over time but likely will not have the radio 
assets in place before the Ethiopian helicopters arrive. 
 
The Shipping Pipeline 
--------------------- 
¶8. (SBU) Stafford characterized the shipping pipeline as "working 
quite well".  Contractors are moving equipment for the Egyptian 
Battalion 1 from Port Sudan to Nyala, which will allow the remaining 
200 members of the battalion to arrive in March and begin 
construction on their camp in Ed Al Fursan in West Darfur.  The 
back-log of equipment has been largely cleared from Nyala, and the 
GoS is providing security escorts as requested. 
 
¶9. (SBU) UNAMID is moving forward with the early deployment of the 
Nepalese Special Forces Unit.  The unit was scheduled to arrive in 
August, but arrangements are being made to push for an earlier date. 
 Stafford characterized the unit's logistics skills as "impressive". 
 
KHARTOUM 00000227  002 OF 002 
 
 
 They appear to have bypassed Nepalese political restrictions by 
having equipment delivered directly into Sudan instead of the usual 
procedure of consolidating the equipment in the contingent country 
prior to movement.  So far,  16 Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) 
and 65 Toyotas are included in  the equipment already in Port Sudan. 
 However, Col Davey, Deputy Chief of Logistics, is concerned the 
unit's  operational readiness may be impeded by their 
non-standardized equipment.  While he lauded  the fact that one 
country is able to provide both a Formed Police Unit (FPU) as well 
as a military unit, the equipment they ordered comes from different 
manufacturers and will require e different training and maintenance 
considerations.  Of the 16 APCs in country, 10  scheduled for the 
FPU are from the Czech Republic while the APCs for  the military 
unit are Chinese.  The Czech APCs have been waiting in Port Sudan 
for four months until trainers can deploy to teach the Nepalese how 
to operate  them.  The Nepalese have not yet determined how they 
will train their military personnel on the Chinese APCs. 
 
L-100 Contract and the new El Geneina Runway 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶10. (SBU) Rocky Hoare, MOVCON official, praised the Department of 
State-funded L-100 contract, but the aircraft encountered  a 
technical problem when a faulty gear box shut down its operations on 
February 13.  The aircraft is presently in Khartoum, but may need to 
be transported to Entebbe for repairs or engine change. The four IL 
76 aircraft continue to run smoothly and will continue the flow of 
more than 300 containers, vehicles, ammunition and weapons from El 
Obeid and Port Sudan into Darfur. 
 
¶11. (SBU) UNAMID will not be able to use the new El Geneina runway 
in the near future.  UN aviation experts visited the airfield and 
assessed the facilities.  The tarmac asphalt is only 7.5 centimeters 
thick, and the limited number of aircraft that  have already landed 
have dented the surface. The experts claim the airfield will have to 
be overhauled and another layer of asphalt added.  Another 
operational concern is that the runway is only 35 meters wide 
instead of the standard 50 meters.  A lack of lighting will limit 
usage to daytime operations only.  UNAMID estimates they will need 
to re-surface the runway and usage will be "unlikely" within the 
next six months.  Even with the anticipated renovations, the runway 
is not on the list of SCAA-approved runways and that clearance may 
be another obstacle post-completion. 
 
¶12. (SBU) UNAMID's Priority of Movement is presently: 1) Nigerian 
FPU tents; 2) Egypt Battalion 2 equipment. 
 
Visit to Muhajeria and Labado 
----------------------------- 
¶13. (SBU) The February 9-12 trip to assess the outcome of recent 
violence in the area revealed perimeter security in most camps to be 
"woefully short."  Stafford reported gaps in concertina wire and 
that Hesco earth barriers were almost completely absent (only 50 
meters of Hesco barriers were completed at the team site in 
Muhajeria.)  He said it would take a "major engineering effort" to 
reinforce them.  (Note: The Nigerian battalions have not been as 
active in digging trenches and filling Hesco barriers as other 
battalions.  This is a problem that UNAMID is aware of internally, 
but thus far FC Agwai, who is from Nigeria, has not been able to 
resolve.  UNAMID may have to send contractors to poorly-secured team 
sites to complete this ground work that the infantry troops are 
unwilling to complete themselves. End note.)_ 
 
APCs 
---- 
¶14. (SBU) By June 10 new Contingent Owned Equipment (COE) APCs will 
have arrived in Darfur, and Canada will take back the same number of 
their APCs.  Canada was originally due to take them back by 
December, but allowed the vehicles to remain an additional six 
months until COE replacements arrived.  The Senegalese are providing 
22 APCs, the Rwandans will provide 20, and the Egyptians 62.   The 
Canadian APCs were all the same manufacture, so maintenance has been 
consistent, though the old Canadian APCs had plenty of mechanical 
problems.  The incoming APCs will be of 6 or more different types 
and each country will now be responsible for their own training and 
maintenance.  UNAMID anticipates a steep learning curve, but the 
newer equipment may perform better initially. 
 
FERNANDEZ