VZCZCXRO9976
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0246/01 0541448
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 231448Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3057
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000246 
 
DEPT FOR AF A A/S CARTER, AF/SPG, AF/C, IO 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: FEBRUARY 18 UNAMID-AU-GOS TRIPARTITE MEETING 
 
REF: KHARTOUM 236 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The African Union, United Nations, and the GoS 
discussed deployment of the UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in 
Darfur (UNAMID) at a February 18 tripartite meeting in Khartoum. The 
parties discussed visa delays, railroad and police vehicle 
maintenance, and made oblique but reassuring references to the 
impending ICC indictment of President Bashir, promising "continued 
positive cooperation in light of a possible external affair."  A 
follow-on meeting was announced for the end of March in El Fasher. 
Following the meeting, on February 22 CDA Fernandez was informed 
that the GoS will not issue visas to U.S. military officers assigned 
to UNAMID (reftel).  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On February 18, the African Union, United Nations and the 
GoS held a "tripartite" meeting in Khartoum to discuss deployment of 
the UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID).  The 
Sudanese delegation was headed by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary 
Mutrif Siddiq; the AU delegation was led by Commissioner for Peace 
and Security Ramtane Lamamra; the UN delegation was headed by Under 
Secretary General for Field Support Susana Malcorra; the UNAMID 
delegation was headed by Joint Special Representative Rodolphe 
Adada.  Col Noddy Stafford, Chief J5 Military Plans and Col James 
Davey, Deputy Logistics Unit briefed Poloff on the meeting. 
 
The ICC and Visa Delays 
----------------------- 
¶3. (SBU) Stafford called the ICC indictement the "elephant in the 
room," as the issue was addressed only obliquely throughout the 
meeting.  Siddiq promised "business continuity and mutual liaison 
into the future regardless of what might happen in the short term," 
and brought a message from President Bashir promising "continuing 
commitment to UNAMID."  Davey said the indictment initially was 
referred to only as "the external affair" and that this language was 
used throughout the meeting. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Siddiq promised "to look into" the ongoing visa delays 
experienced by the U.S., United Kingdom, France, Australia, Canada, 
and the Netherlands, but made no promises of change.  Davey felt as 
long as these governments support the ICC, they will continue to 
have difficulty obtaining visas.  (Note:  On February 22, CDA 
Fernandez raised the issue of visas for U.S. military officers 
assigned to UNAMID with Siddiq, who informed him that the Gos has 
decided definitively not to approve the visas per reftel.)  End 
note.)  Siddiq said he had spoken with customs officials to release 
the containers of generators and spare parts from Denmark that have 
been sitting in Port Sudan for over eight months, and that the GoS 
also released a radio frequency for UNAMID use. 
 
¶5. (SBU) On reports that SAF military aircraft still are being 
painted white, Siddiq asserted the order to repaint aircraft had 
been briefed to all concerned parties, and he promised to "firmly 
follow-up."  He insisted that the bellies of all non-humanitarian 
aircraft would be painted a different color, but could not guarantee 
that the entire aircraft would be repainted. 
 
Railroad and Police Vehicle Maintenance 
--------------------------------------- 
¶6. (SBU) Siddiq requested that the UN upgrade Sudan's railroad 
facilities for UNAMID's and Sudan's mutual benefit.  Siddiq was 
interested in a major overhaul of the system while UNAMID reported 
they could help in a minimal capacity.  (Note:  UNAMID experts have 
inspected the rail system and are putting together a limited list of 
small upgrades that will be necessary to keep the rail system in 
operation.  Poloff will follow-up on this topic. End note.)  Siddiq 
also requested UNAMID provide maintenance for the fleet of police 
vehicles that are currently escorting UNAMID convoys or "provide a 
fleet of new ones."  UN/DFS Malcorra said UNAMID could provide some 
support as the vehicles are used to provide security to UNAMID 
equipment convoys, but the UN could not provide new cars. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Malcorra reported that she hoped to achieve 100 percent 
UNAMID deployment by the end of the year.  Following the meeting, 
the AU, UN and UNAMID representatives met with Sudan's Vice 
President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha and Presidential Assistant Nafie 
Ali Nafie. 
 
Malcorra's Presence Lauded 
-------------------------- 
¶8. (SBU) Stafford and Davey both lauded Malcorra for her personal 
efforts to keep the meeting amicable.  Stafford characterized her 
participation as "very constructive and affirmative," and noted she 
had expended quite a bit of personal effort as she was in Khartoum 
for less than 30 hours and was almost continuously in meetings.  He 
claimed the meeting would not have been as successful without 
Malcorra or Siddiq who both "benefit the UNAMID mission." 
 
KHARTOUM 00000246  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Attack Helicopter Deployment 
---------------------------- 
¶9. (SBU)  On February 23, DJSR Hocine Medilli told poloff that the 
issue of the Ethiopian attack helicopters was only discussed "in 
general" during the tripartite discussions, and that was "due 
partially to us in UNAMID."  According to Medilli, UNAMID has not 
yet determined exactly where it will station the Ethiopian 
helicopter unit.  (Note: This conflicts with UNAMID's earlier 
reports to us that Nyala was the logical location for the 
helicopters, and that approval from the GOS for the required airport 
expansion had essentially been granted already.  This is not the 
first time that information from UNAMID is contradictory from week 
to week. End note.)  The Ethiopian advance team only arrived on 
February 15 in Darfur and has not yet made its own recommendations 
to UNAMID leadership.  Although preliminary, Medilli stated that 
UNAMID will likely choose to base the unit in Nyala, with refueling 
and support bases in El-Geneina and El-Fasher.  He stated that 
UANMID has not started on construction of airport upgrades 
(additional parking and runway, hangers, etc.) needed by the 
Ethiopian helicopter unit in any of Darfur's airports. 
 
Press Reaction 
-------------- 
¶10. (SBU) Local press ran small front-page articles announcing that 
the Tripartite meeting had occurred as "a mechanism to monitor the 
progress made in deployment of the operation in Darfur" (SUNA news). 
 Al Sahafa news announced that UNAMID force deployment will most 
likely be extended to next November instead of holding to the June 
goal.  Al Sahafa also expressed disappointment at the international 
community's failure thus far to provide helicopters to UNAMID. 
 
FERNANDEZ