VZCZCXRO7018
OO RUEHJO
DE RUCNDT #0443 1201452
ZNR UUUUU ZZH ZDS
O 301452Z APR 09ZDF
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6447
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000443 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - TEXT AND CLASSIFICATION 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM MARR KPKO UNSC SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: NEW YORK STATE OF PLAY ON 1863 RENEWAL 
 
REF: A. SENIOR-KHAMBATTA EMAIL 
     ¶B. 4/27/09 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In P3 consultations on April 29, the UK 
said that it intends to circulate its draft resolution on 
Somalia (ref) to the full Council by May 6 and that it plans 
to schedule a vote for May 22 in order to allow the Fifth 
Committee four days to consider AMISOM support before the end 
of the Committee's May session.  The UK resolution, the text 
of which has not been shared beyond the P3, enacts the 
Secretary-General's recommendation to continue UN logistical 
support to the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) as 
under UNSCR 1863.  Russia and France conceptually support the 
SYG/UK approach, while China tells us they will support the 
UK text as long as it mentions the end goal of a UNPKO. 
Japan would prefer to extend UN-funded support for a period 
of 6 months, but the UK believes they may accept the UK's 
proposal of 8 months (until 31 January 2010).  UNSC 
consultations on Somalia originally scheduled for May 6 have 
been postponed until May 13, reportedly in order to 
accommodate the Secretariat briefers.  End Summary. 
 
P5 plus Japan 
 
¶2. (SBU) The UK convened P3 consultations on April 29 to 
discuss their draft resolution on support to AMISOM following 
the expiration of UNSCR 1863.  Poloff briefed the P3 on 
intra-USG policy discussions on the issue and requested a 
delay in the UK's timeline for the resolution.  The UK 
committed to not circulating the text before May 6, but 
expressed a strong preference for a May 22 vote in order to 
allow the Fifth Committee time to consider the issue before 
the end of its May session.  France said it supported the UK 
approach and offered only minor textual comments. 
 
¶3. (SBU) USUN also reached out on April 29 to China, Russia 
and Japan for general comments on the SYG's approach, though 
none have seen the UK's draft.  The Russian expert said that 
his government fully supported the SYG's proposal, to the 
extent that he was having difficulty writing talking points 
for the SC session.  The Chinese expert said that the 
eventual goal of a UNPKO remained important to policymakers 
in Beijing, and that the SYG's recommendation for continued 
support to AMISOM represented a "serious and pragmatic" way 
forward.  He said that China would support a resolution based 
on this recommendation as long as language was included to 
place such support in the context of an eventual UNPKO.  The 
Japanese expert said her government also supported the SYG's 
recommendation, and confirmed that she had held talks with 
the UK over the duration of continued UN support.  Japan 
prefers to extend UN support for only 6 months, while the UK 
believes that Japan may ultimately agree to their proposal 
for an 8 month extension of support. 
 
Analysis: Broader Council dynamics 
 
¶4. (SBU) In the wake of UNSCR 1863's unanimous adoption in 
January and the SYG's explicit endorsement, the UK's proposal 
for continued UN support will not be controversial in the 
broader Council.  Uganda, Burkina Faso and Libya would prefer 
a UNPKO, but recognize that this is not possible on the 
current Council and will strongly support continued UN 
support to AMISOM as an AU mission.  Vietnam, Mexico, Costa 
Rica and Turkey (the latter a cosponsor of UNSCR 1863) 
strongly support UN engagement in Somalia and will be 
inclined to follow the SYG's recommendations.  Austria and 
Croatia are likely somewhat less enthusiastic about UN 
engagement in Somalia, but neither is likely to object to a 
resolution by a fellow EU member enacting a proposal made by 
the SYG. 
 
Rice