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OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHC #8939/01 2941923
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 211902Z OCT 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 8254
INFO DARFUR COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 108939 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PREL KPKO CD CT
SUBJECT: USUN POINTS FOR BRIEFING ON MINURCAT 
 
¶1.  This is an action request.  USUN may draw from the points 
in paragraph 2 during a briefing in the Security Council on 
the UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad 
(MINURCAT) scheduled for October 22, 2009. 
 
¶2.  I would like to thank A/SYG Mulet for his briefing, and 
commend MINURCAT and SRSG Angelo for their efforts to improve 
security in eastern Chad.   I would like to make four points: 
 improving security and protection of civilians must be a 
priority; relations between Chad and Sudan must be 
normalized; the level of cooperation and coordination between 
MINURCAT and the AU/UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) should be 
increased; and the renewed ethnic violence in northeastern 
Central African Republic must be addressed. 
 
--The security and protection of civilians in and around 
refugee camps must be MINURCAT's top priority.  As President 
Obama has stated, the ability of a peacekeeping mission to 
protect civilians from physical violence is essential to 
earning the trust of the local population.  The Government of 
Chad's decision to relocate - in part to prevent child 
recruitment by armed groups - the Oure Cassoni refugee camp 
to a more secure area and away from the volatile border is 
commendable.  Consistent efforts to improve security in the 
camps, including the prevention of child recruitment by armed 
rebel groups, is essential in order to improve overall 
security for the civilian population.  We also welcome 
MINURCAT's efforts to combat sexual and gender-based violence 
(SGBV) in Chad, including the sensitization and outreach 
campaigns designed to educate, prevent, and investigate SGBV. 
 We especially encourage MINURCAT to accelerate its 
protection activities by assisting in building the capacity 
of the local Chadian judicial system to arrest, prosecute, 
and punish perpetrators of SGBV. 
 
--We continue to be encouraged by the performance of the 
Dtachement Integr de Securit (DIS) in eastern Chad to 
provide protection and security to vulnerable residents, 
particularly women.  Unfortunately, the DIS is not operating 
at full strength or with sufficient equipment.  Additional 
training is also needed, particularly in the operation of 
vehicles, weapons handling, and conducting patrols.  In light 
of these needs, the United States has again made a 
substantial contribution to the donor trust fund used to 
support the DIS.  We strongly encourage efforts by Member 
States to work with MINURCAT to find ways to support the DIS, 
whether through the donation of equipment, the provision of 
training, or by direct monetary contribution. 
 
--The United States welcomes the recent statements of Chad 
and Sudan of their willingness to improve relations, and we 
look forward to concrete steps to make this a reality. 
Improved relations between the two neighbors are essential in 
order to resolve regional insecurity and violence. The 
international community must support efforts to establish 
better relations between the two countries. 
 
--Increased cooperation and coordination between MINURCAT and 
UNAMID is a critical element in maximizing the efforts of 
both missions to improve security in the region.  We welcome 
the decision to embed liaison officers in each mission, and 
would like additional information about joint cooperative 
efforts.  Specifically, it would be helpful to include 
information in the next Secretary-General's report about the 
type and frequency of contact between the two missions, the 
specific duties and actions of the liaison officers in those 
missions, and examples of information sharing in support of 
improved regional security. 
 
--The United States is troubled by the specter of renewed 
ethnic violence in northeastern Central African Republic and 
by rapidly increasing food shortages that the World Food 
Program has predicted could result in famine.  MINURCAT must 
coordinate with UN missions in the country, such as BONUCA, 
and with regional organizations such as MICOPAX to decrease 
the level of insecurity in northeastern CAR and to ensure 
civilians at risk have access to needed humanitarian 
assistance.  The extent of this coordination should be 
described in the next Secretary-General's report. 
 
--In closing we would like to note our appreciation to the 
Government of Chad and the Department of Peacekeeping 
Operations (DPKO) for finalizing the Status of Mission 
Agreement.  We hope DPKO and MINURCAT can now turn their 
energies toward obtaining and deploying the required troop 
commitments and force enablers to bring MINURCAT up to its 
authorized level at the earliest possible time.  The United 
 
STATE 00108939  002 OF 002 
 
 
States stands ready to assist in this effort and strongly 
encourages other Member States to provide assistance to 
MINURCAT to enable it to reach its full operational 
capability. 
 
--Thank you. 
CLINTON