VZCZCXYZ0022
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0285/01 0781840
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191840Z MAR 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6130

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000285 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC PREL UNGA KPKO SO
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: UN - FINANCING AMISOM - RECENT 
DEVELOPMENTS - NEXT STEPS 
 
REF: A. STATE 017205 
     ¶B. STATE 023811 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1.  (U)  This is an action request.  Please see paragraphs 
9-11. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Summary:  This cable reviews recent developments, 
previews upcoming action in the Fifth Committee (C5), and 
requests the Department's guidance on steps to be taken on a 
number of issues arising out of adoption of SCR 1863 on 
support to be provided to the African Union Mission in 
Somalia (AMISOM). 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  See paragraph 4 for a review of the ACABQ's 
(Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary 
Questions) consideration and approval of the SYG's request 
for commitment authority; paragraphs 5-7 on upcoming ACABQ 
and C5 consideration of the SYG's request for additional 
funding; paragraph 8 on the SYG's determination that 
"existing arrangements (USG contract with DynCorp) will need 
to be continued; paragraphs 9 and 10 on elements to be 
included in the U.S. statement to be delivered in the C5 
during the week of March 23rd and on guidance for C5 
deliberations;  paragraph 11 on establishment of the trust 
fund called for in SCR 1863 and USUN's recommendation 
regarding a possible USG contribution to the trust fund; and 
paragraph 12 on the need for appropriate oversight and 
accountability mechanisms to be included in the MOU to be 
concluded between the UN and the AU on provision of the 
requested support.  End Summary. 
 
ACABQ Deliberations 
------------------- 
¶4.  (U)  On March 10th, the ACABQ approved the SYG's request 
for commitment authority (CA) in the amount of $43.9 million 
to "meet requirements related to the planning for a possible 
UN peacekeeping operation in Somalia and for the support to 
AMISOM." As described in the letter from the UN Controller to 
the Chair of the ACABQ on February 25th (sent via email to 
IO/PSC) and detailed in the SYG's letter of January 30th 
(S/2009/60), the funding would provide for rations; 
medicines; construction of Mission headquarters; a Level II 
hospital; deployment of Strategic Deployment Stocks (SDS) 
held at the UN Logistics Base in Brindisi, Italy, of 
fire-fighting vehicles, airfield and communications 
equipment, and fuel; and the establishment of a core staffing 
capacity in operational support of AMISOM to be initially 
deployed in Nairobi.  With the ACABQ's previous approval of 
$6.1, the total amount of CA reached the authorized limit of 
$50 million. 
 
Funding Proposal and ACABQ and C5 Meetings 
------------------------------------------ 
¶5.  (U)  The Secretariat has informally circulated an advance 
version of the SYG's request for a total of $81 million in 
commitment authority with Member State assessment (inclusive 
of the $50 million approved by the ACABQ) to meet the 
requirements mandated in SCR 1863 during the period July 
2008/June 2009.  (The report, sent via email to IO/PSC, will 
be officially distributed as S/20089/758.) 
 
¶6.  (U)  In his report, the SYG calls for deployment, mainly 
in Nairobi, of 243 UN personnel in support of an authorized 
strength of 8,000 AMISOM military contingent personnel and 
270 AMISOM police officers.  The funding proposal also 
includes requirements for the support detailed in paragraph 4 
above and for additional requirements.  The SYG indicated 
that further requirements will be presented in the context of 
"any" July 2009/June 2010 funding proposal for support to 
AMISOM or a potential UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia. 
 
¶7.  (U)  The ACABQ began its consideration of the funding 
proposal on March 16th. 
 
Continuation of Existing Arrangements 
------------------------------------- 
¶8.  (U)  In his proposal, the SYG highlighted the fact that 
this initial resourcing proposal is built around a strategy 
of continuing AMISOM's existing supply of life-support 
requirements (USG contract with DynCorp) as a temporary 
measure while a procurement process to provide this support 
in accordance with UN standards, rules and regulations is 
undertaken.  The SYG also highlighted that although the 
existing support arrangements are far from optimal, "they 
represent AMISOM's only life-line and will need to be 
maintained in the short-term." 
 
U.S. Statement in the C5 
------------------------ 
¶9.  (SBU)  Mission requests the Department's guidance on 
elements to be included in a statement we expect to deliver 
 
 
in the C5 during the week of March 23rd including but not 
limited to - 
 
--  USG support previously provided unilaterally to AMISOM, 
--  necessity of supporting AMISOM, 
--  justification for using assessed funding, 
--  importance of working with the AU to ensure that 
oversight and accountability mechanisms are in place, 
--  possible announcement of a USG contribution to the trust 
fund. 
 
C5 Deliberations 
---------------- 
¶10.  (SBU)  Mission also requests the Department's guidance 
in preparation for C5 negotiations on a draft resolution 
approving the required funding and authorizing assessments on 
Member States, including but not limited to - 
 
--  assessed funding - affirming our position that AMISOM is 
to funded through Member State assessments, 
--  607 agreement - rationale for the importance of the C5 
agreeing that the USG should be reimbursed for the assistance 
provided to AMISOM, 
--  confirmation that USG is prepared to extend and expand 
the contract with DynCorp to assist in meeting the 
requirements mandated in SCR 1863, 
--  affirming the importance of the UN moving quickly to 
execute contracts to provide the assistance mandated in SCR 
1863 after June 2009. 
 
Trust Fund 
---------- 
¶11.  (SBU)  USUN understands that the trust fund called for 
in resolution 1863 to provide reimbursements to the AU for 
troops and contingent-owned equipment will be set up within 
the next few days and that a donor's conference will be held 
in early April.  Mission staff have received queries on 
whether the USG intends to contribute to the trust fund and 
requests the Department's guidance in this regard. 
 
Oversight and Accountability 
---------------------------- 
¶12.  (SBU)  In his funding proposal, the SYG underlined that 
in recognition of the challenges in ensuring transparent and 
effective use of UN resources, the MOU to be agreed between 
the UN and the AU will be "based on the requirements of UN 
rules and regulations" and that reporting arrangements will 
be established to allow the UN field office in Nairobi to 
monitor the use and effectiveness of its support to AMISOM. 
Comment: in recent discussions with the Secretariat, we  have 
emphasized the necessity of the Secretariat establishing such 
mechanisms.  End Comment. 
Rice