VZCZCXRO6207
PP RUEHGI
DE RUCNDT #0089/01 0482334
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 172334Z FEB 10
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8191
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAB/AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN PRIORITY 0061
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI PRIORITY 0016
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA PRIORITY 0410
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 1258

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000089 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF PREL KPKO CD LY SU CT KN IV
SUBJECT: SECURITY COUNCIL LUNCH WITH SYG BAN: MINURCAT, 
COTE D'IVOIRE AND DPRK DISCUSSED 
 
 ¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  In a lunch hosted by the French Mission 
for Security Council members on February 12, Secretary 
General Ban discussed the future status of the UN Mission in 
Chad and the Central African Republic (MINURCAT), Cote 
D'Ivoire and Under-Secretary-General Lynn Pascoe's recent 
trip to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). On 
MINURCAT, Ban stated that the GoC could not take over 
responsibility for security provided by MINURCAT and that the 
UN would not de-link the military and civilian presence in 
Chad.  Members agreed that Ban should make strong efforts to 
persuade Deby to continue the MINURCAT mandate.  On Cote 
d'Ivoire, Ban agreed that the Secretariat needed better 
information and he promised to speak with mediator President 
Compaore.  On DPRK, Ban indicated that Pascoe's trip was 
successful in reestablishing UN-DPRK contacts; the United 
Kingdom said that Pascoe should report to the Council on his 
return, with China indicating that issues other than the UN's 
relationship to the DPRK should not be discussed.  End 
Summary. 
 
MINURCAT 
-------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On February 12, the French Mission in its capacity 
as President of the Security Council hosted a lunch for 
Secretary General Ban with Security Council members.  SYG Ban 
stated that MINURCAT was succeeding and noted that the GoC 
was not equipped to take over responsibility for the security 
the mission provided.  He also stated that, although the GoC 
had indicated it would be content for civilian MINURCAT staff 
to remain and for military troops to withdraw, the UN cannot 
de-link the civilian and military components of the mission. 
Ban also said that if MINURCAT withdrew, troops based in 
Central African Republic would withdraw as well, and 
humanitarians would suffer. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) France indicated that Chadian President Deby 
believes he has been slighted by the UN and that further 
dialogue, avoiding extremes, was necessary.  Ambassador Wolff 
strongly advocated that the Security Council should make 
every effort to reverse Deby's decision.  Wolff noted that 
the Security Council had stated it would not allow what 
happened to the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and 
Eritrea (UNMEE) to become a precedent, and precipitous 
withdrawal of MINURCAT could be just that.  Wolff stated that 
if Deby feels slighted, the Council needs to know why.  Wolff 
also noted the regional implications of withdrawal, including 
potential spill-over from possible violence resulting from 
elections in Sudan and CAR in April, along with the January 
referendum in Sudan. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Russia agreed that the Council should persuade Deby 
to be reasonable but stressed that only the Secretariat 
should negotiate the terms for extension of MINURCAT's 
mandate.  Russia noted that often there is an inverse 
relationship between public statements and what, in reality, 
governments are prepared to do.  Russia also mentioned the 
infrastructure that the UN had promised to build would 
ultimately be left to the GoC, and this could be a factor in 
negotiations.  China noted that Deby had never been 
enthusiastic about MINURCAT and that the Secretariat needs to 
find him a face-saving way out. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Turkey encouraged the Secretariat to persuade the 
GoC that it is not in its interest to withdraw MINURCAT. 
Nigeria suggested that the Council of African Elders be asked 
to intervene with Deby, and that if the Elders agreed to do 
so, Deby likely would change his position.  Brazil also 
agreed that Deby's decision to eject MINURCAT was unwise. Ban 
concluded that there was general agreement on a way forward 
and noted that he would personally engage Deby, and that the 
example of UNMEE should not be repeated -- host governments 
should not have veto powers over Security Council missions. 
 
Cote D'Ivoire 
------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) On Cote d'Ivoire, Ban summarized recent events, 
including President Gbagbo's suspension of the electoral 
process; disbanding the government; and dissolving the 
electoral commission, all under the emergency powers 
allegedly provided by the constitution.  The French said that 
Gbagbo had agreed to the electoral process at a time when he 
calculated he could win elections, and that now he is looking 
for a pre-text to avoid them.  The United Kingdom said the 
Council should react quickly.  Ambassador Wolff stressed that 
we need to examine the facts, particularly with regard to the 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000089  002 OF 002 
 
 
constitutionality of Gbagbo's actions.  Nonetheless, Wolff 
said that the U.S. strongly regretted these actions, noting 
that elections were the only way to safeguard the Ouagadougou 
Peace Agreement. China stressed there was no need to rush 
into a Council response.  SYG Ban agreed that the Secretariat 
needed better information and he promised to speak with 
mediator President Compaore. 
 
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) SYG Ban said that U/SYG Lynn Pascoe's trip to the 
DPRK had been successful and that Pascoe was currently in 
Beijing talking to the Chinese.  Ban noted that Pascoe did 
not meet with Kim Jong-il, but he did meet with Kim Jong-il's 
deputy, the President, and others.  Ban said that Pascoe 
discussed a number of issues, including the nuclear issue. 
Ban also noted that Pascoe visited several UN program sites, 
and there were funding shortfalls for these sites.  The 
United Kingdom expressed hope that Pascoe would report to the 
Council on his return.  China stated that the purpose of 
Pascoe's visit was only to clarify the UN's relationship to 
DPRK, and that China hoped that Pascoe would not embarrass 
the SYG by raising other issues in the briefing. 
RICE