VZCZCXRO6190
OO RUEHTRO
DE RUEHC #7701/01 2052320
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O 242305Z JUL 09
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 077701 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPKO PREL SU
SUBJECT: ACTION REQUEST - MANDATE RENEWAL FOR THE UNITED 
NATIONS - AFRICAN UNION MISSION IN DARFUR (UNAMID) 
 
¶1. Summary.  This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 
3  for action.   The mandate for the United Nations-African 
Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) will expire on July 31.  A 
UN Security Council (UNSC) decision on UNAMID,s mandate 
renewal will take place on July 30.  Libya is seeking to 
insert unacceptable language into an otherwise strong UK 
text, suggesting that the UNSC should suspend the 
International Criminal Court,s arrest warrant for Sudanese 
President Bashir.  Posts are requested to ask host 
governments to oppose Libya,s language, drawing from the 
talking points in paragraph 3.  End summary. 
 
¶2.    Background.  In July of 2008, the prosecutor of the 
International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno Ocampo, 
indicted Sudanese President Bashir for war crimes and 
requested the Court to issue an arrest warrant against 
President Bashir.  The African Union immediately issued a 
communiqu expressing concern that the actions of the ICC 
prosecutor would undermine reconciliation efforts to end a 
longstanding conflict in Darfur, Sudan, and requested the 
UNSC to use its authority under Article 16 of the Rome 
Statute of the ICC to defer the indictment. Libya 
successfully inserted a reference to this communiqu into the 
2008 UNSC resolution renewing UNAMID,s mandate, forcing the 
U.S. to abstain on a high-profile and politically important 
resolution.  Now, as the Council prepares to debate the 
renewal of UNAMID,s mandate for another year, Libya has 
again proposed that a reference to this communiqu be 
included in the new UNSC resolution renewing UNAMID,s 
mandate.  In addition, Libya is proposing that the Council 
endorse a recent African Union decision to refuse to 
cooperate with the ICC in the arrest and surrender of 
President Bashir. 
 
¶3.    Action request.  Posts are requested to ask host 
governments, all of whom are sitting members of the UNSC, to 
oppose Libya,s language, drawing from the talking points 
below.  USUN indicates China and Vietnam support Libya,s 
text; Croatia, France, Japan, Costa Rica, the UK, and Mexico 
oppose it, and Turkey, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Russia, and 
Austria are undecided.  Posts are requested to make the 
demarche as soon as possible; final consultations are 
scheduled for the UNSC on July 30.  End action request. 
 
Begin Talking Points: 
General Points for all posts to draw from: 
-The mandate for the United Nations-African Union Mission in 
Darfur (UNAMID) is set to expire on July 31. 
-We need your assistance in opposing controversial text 
proposed by Libya, which endorses African Union documents 
suggesting the UN Security Council should suspend the 
International Criminal Court,s arrest warrant for Sudanese 
President Bashir, and that countries should consciously not 
comply with their respective obligations to arrest or 
surrender him. 
-UNAMID is slated to be the UN,s largest peacekeeping 
mission in history.  It is important that the Council acts 
with one voice.  It is disappointing that the Council risks a 
divide on this resolution because of political issues that 
don,t have anything to do with the strength or effectiveness 
of UNAMID. 
-The proposed Libyan text is unacceptable to the U.S. This 
resolution should be about strengthening UNAMID and making 
sure it has the mandate, troops, and equipment it needs.  We 
should refrain from using the UNAMID mandate renewal 
resolution to push other ancillary political agendas. 
Instead, we should strive for a resolution that all can join 
behind in order to send the right message of Council support 
for UNAMID. 
Additional Points for CROATIA, JAPAN, COSTA RICA, MEXICO 
-Please help us to urge other Council members Turkey, Uganda, 
Burkina Faso, China, Vietnam, and Russia to oppose Libya,s 
text calling for the Council,s acknowledgement of African 
 
STATE 00077701  002 OF 002 
 
 
Union communiqus containing controversial language not 
agreed to by all Council members. 
FOR BURKINA FASO, UGANDA: 
-We need your assistance in working with Libya to withdraw 
controversial text from the resolution, which endorses 
African Union documents suggesting the UN Security Council 
should suspend the International Criminal Court,s arrest 
warrant for Sudanese President Bashir, and that countries 
should consciously not comply with their respective 
obligations to arrest or surrender him. 
-(Burkina Faso Only) Burkina Faso has a special stake in 
ensuring U.S. support for UNAMID,s mandate.  The United 
States trained and equipped Burkina Faso,s first-ever UN 
peacekeeping battalion, currently slated for UNAMID.  The 
Libyan language will spoil consensus, weakening a resolution 
which UN-AU Chief Mediator Bassole and Burkinabe peacekeepers 
are working hard to implement. 
 
FOR TURKEY, AUSTRIA: 
-Please ensure your mission in New York is instructed to 
oppose this language.  Our mission is reporting your 
delegation is &undecided8 on its position, but we believe 
your government shares our position that UN peacekeeping 
resolutions are not the appropriate arena for trying to 
resolve ancillary political issues. 
 
FOR RUSSIA 
 
-We need your assistance in working with Libya to withdraw 
controversial text from the resolution, which endorses 
African Union documents suggesting the UN Security Council 
should suspend the International Criminal Court,s arrest 
warrant for Sudanese President Bashir, and that countries 
should consciously not comply with their respective 
obligations to arrest or surrender him. 
-Our mission is reporting your delegation is &undecided8 on 
its position.  We believe the rollover of UNAMID,s mandate 
should be clean and fairly technical, with a focus on 
prioritizing the mission towards the protection of civilians 
and the delivery of humanitarian assistance. 
 
--The P5 needs to be unified when it comes to UN peacekeeping 
resolutions.  Our actions impact the international 
credibility of the mission.   We hope your government shares 
our position that UN peacekeeping resolutions are not the 
appropriate arena for trying to resolve ancillary political 
issues. 
 
 
FOR CHINA 
-The P5 needs to be unified when it comes to UN peacekeeping 
resolutions.  Our actions impact the international 
credibility of the mission.  The rollover of UNAMID,s 
mandate should be clean and fairly technical, with a focus on 
prioritizing the mission towards the protection of civilians 
and the delivery of humanitarian assistance. 
 
-This is not the arena for politicking and advancing 
ancillary political agendas.  It is very disappointing to us 
that some on the Council would seek to use the UNAMID 
resolution as a proxy for forcing an inadvertent Council 
position on invoking Article 16 of the Rome Statute of the 
ICC.  Please encourage Libya to withdraw this text. 
CLINTON