VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0297/01 0821823
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231823Z MAR 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6150
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA PRIORITY 1377

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000297 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC LI XY
SUBJECT: UNMIL HEAD SAYS LIBERIAN PEACE IS FRAGILE; FRANCE 
CALLS DRAWDOWN PLAN "TIMID" 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  SRSG Loj told the Security Council on 
March 19 that UNMIL would complete its second drawdown by 
March 31, reducing troop levels to 10,200.  Loj described the 
numerous external and internal threats facing Liberia. 
Ambassador Rice strongly supported UNMIL, its plan for troop 
levels, and the Liberian President's efforts.  French PermRep 
Ripert called UNMIL's methodical drawdown "timid," saying the 
current plan seemed "excessive."  The UK called for 
"right-sizing" UNMIL.  Uganda, Burkina Faso, Libya, Russia, 
China, Turkey, and Viet Nam supported the current plan. 
France, Mexico, Austria, and Costa Rica were concerned that 
Liberia's death penalty law remains on the books. END SUMMARY. 
 
SRSG LOJ SAYS ASSESSMENT MISSION WILL GO IN APRIL 
 
¶2. (SBU) Special Representative for the Secretary-General 
(SRSG) and Coordinator of United Nations Mission in Liberia 
(UNMIL) Ellen Margrethe Loj briefed the Security Council on 
the fragile state of Liberia's peace.  She told the Security 
Council the phase II drawdown called for in SCR 1836 will 
leave 10,200 troops in country on March 31 (a reduction of 
1,460 troops).  She reported one of the two additional formed 
police units (FPUs) authorized by SCR 1836 had arrived, and 
the other was due to arrive by May.  Loj said a technical 
assessment mission (TAM) would be carried out in April to 
review the situation on the ground and to evaluate the 
planned phase III drawdown (which, as currently planned, will 
decrease troop levels from 10,200 to 8,200 by March 2010). 
 
MANY REGIONAL AND INTERNAL RISKS TO LIBERIA'S FRAGILE PEACE 
 
¶3. (SBU) Loj stressed the regional challenges to Liberia's 
peace, which she said include: the recent coup in Guinea; the 
instability in Cote d'Ivoire; the rising threat of 
international drug trafficking through West Africa; and 
regional arms trafficking.  Internal challenges, she said, 
include ethnic tensions, land ownership disputes, and the 
lack of public trust in the security sector and rule of law 
institutions.  She noted that violent incidents flare up on 
short notice, citing the February 27 riots in Gbarnga 
involving more than 100 people, which required Liberian 
police and UNMIL military intervention to restore order.  Loj 
believed Liberia's limited national capacity, including its 
nascent army and ill-equipped police, added to the fragility 
of its peace.  She said planned 2011 elections will be a 
crucial test for Liberia, and Liberia required continual 
international support to maintain its stability in its 
unstable region.  Loj praised Liberian President 
Johnson-Sirleaf for her efforts to rebuild the country. 
 
AMBASSADOR RICE STRONGLY OPPOSES DRAWDOWN ACCELERATION 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ambassador Rice stressed the U.S. remains deeply 
committed to Liberia and to UNMIL.  She offered strong 
support for maintaining UNMIL's present and planned troop 
levels, saying the UN must avoid any risks to the great gains 
made in Liberia.  She called Liberia a UN success story, and 
recognized Liberia is, to a large extent, meeting the 
benchmarks set out for it.  Rice said the U.S. has invested 
$215 million to assist Liberia in building its armed forces 
and is enhancing  bilateral police development efforts.  She 
also underscored the efforts of President Johnson-Sirleaf, 
praising the president for her exceptional leadership. 
 
UGANDA, BURKINA FASO, LIBYA, VIET NAM, TURKEY, RUSSIA, AND 
CHINA ALSO SUPPORT CURRENT TROOP LEVELS 
 
¶5. (SBU) Ugandan PermRep Rugunda said the troop numbers for 
both Liberia's army and UNMIL could even be too low, and he 
warned economizing should not be the determining factor for 
protecting the country.  He supported the current troop 
numbers and was concerned the security sector could be 
overwhelmed if any further troop reductions took place. 
Burkinabe PermRep Kafando stressed Liberia was at a critical 
juncture, and agreed with Uganda's call not to accelerate 
UNMIL's troop drawdown.  Turkey, Viet Nam, Libya, Russia, and 
China all supported the existing drawdown schedule.  China 
summed it up by saying "haste makes waste." 
 
FRENCH CALL DRAWDOWN PLAN "TIMID" 
 
¶6. (SBU) French PermRep Ripert said the SYG's recent report 
was "timid," claiming UNMIL should have implemented the next 
troop reduction immediately.  UNMIL's lack of action was 
contrary to how he believed the Council had instructed UNMIL 
last September.  He said a troop level of 8,200 through the 
2011 elections (as recommended in the latest UNMIL report) 
seemed excessive.  Ripert complained it was not the Council's 
intent to allow a six-month pause between the phase II and 
phase III drawdowns.  (COMMENT:  The French points are 
not/not supported by Council or DPKO agreements.  There was 
 
 
no decision for an immediate implementation of phase III and 
the original drawdown plan allows three months for logistical 
consolidation between phases, and the deployment and review 
of an assessment mission, before considering further troop 
reductions.  END COMMENT). 
 
UK PUSHES for "RIGHT-SIZING" UNMIL; WANTS REGULAR TECHNICAL 
MEETINGS 
 
¶7. (SBU) UK PermRep Sawers noted the regional threats, but 
stressed the "positive trend" Liberia was exhibiting.  He 
said the Council must focus on "right-sizing" UNMIL, and 
stressed the TAM should look for potential ways to drawdown 
troop levels.  Sawers called for a political and military 
briefing on the threats facing Liberia. (COMMENT: Regular 
technical briefings are a part of the new UK vision for how 
the Council should review all peacekeeping operations.  Some 
in the UN, including SRSG Loj, fear this might be a UK effort 
to micromanage DPKO's work.  END COMMENT). 
 
JAPAN STRESSES FOOD SECURITY, GLOBAL VIEW OF PEACEKEEPING 
 
¶8. (SBU) Japanese PermRep Takasu stressed Liberia needed to 
strengthen its capacity in the security sector.  He said the 
most important issue for any nation was food security, and he 
was encouraged by the UN's integrated approach to development 
challenges and food distribution in Liberia.  Takasu 
explained that the UN needed to maximize scarce peacekeeping 
resources in light of the global demand, while acknowledging 
the real risks facing Liberia before its 2011 elections. 
 
DEATH PENALTY A CONCERN FOR FRANCE, MEXICO, AUSTRIA, AND 
COSTA RICA 
 
¶9. (SBU) France, Mexico, Austria, Costa Rica all voiced 
concern regarding Liberia's capital punishment law.  France 
wanted to know why the SYG's report did not address the issue 
to which Loj replied, "because nothing happened on it during 
the reporting period." 
WOLFF