VZCZCXRO6346
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHC #4708 0440059
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 130056Z FEB 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0591
INFO DARFUR COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS STATE 014708
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPKO PREL PGOV UNSC SU
SUBJECT: GUIDANCE FOR SECURITY COUNCIL CONSULTATIONS ON
CHAD 13 FEBRUARY 2008
1) PURPOSE: This is an action request. The Department
asks USUN to draw upon the following themes during U/SYG
Guehenno's briefing to the Security Council on the effects of
hostilities in Chad on the deployment of the United Nations
Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT)
and the European Union force (EUFOR) on 13 February 2008:
-- We appreciate Under Secretary-General Guehenno's briefing
on the situation in Chad and its effects on the deployment of
EUFOR and MINURCAT. We continue to be very concerned by the
recent fighting in Chad and the government of Sudan's attacks
in Darfur that have resulted in 10,000-12,000 new refugees
from Darfur moving into eastern Chad. We are concerned as
well about conflict in the Central African Republic that has
resulted in 7,400 new refugees in Chad from the Central
African Republic in the past weeks. Ensuring adequate
protection of these vulnerable people, as well as the nearly
300,000 refugees and 180,000 internally displaced persons,
who have already been living in camps, must be of the highest
priority.
-- We are grateful to Chad for the hospitality it has offered
to the nearly 300,000 refugees from Darfur and the Central
African Republic who are now residing within its borders. We
ask that the GOC continue, consistent with its international
treaty undertakings, to extend its hospitality to the
newly-arrived refugees. We understand the substantial burden
such an effort has placed on Chadians, and we will continue
to work with the international community to help Chad bear
this burden.
-- Security must be the utmost priority for these refugees
and other displaced persons. We fully support the rapid
deployment of EUFOR and MINURCAT to provide protection for
these people. We urge all Security Council members to
facilitate this deployment by all means possible.
-- We recognize that peace in Darfur is essential to prevent
further flows of refugees into Chad. We therefore urge that
the governments of Sudan and Chad and the rebels groups that
they support engage in a comprehensive cease-fire. We urge
compliance with the Tripoli Agreement of 8 February 2006, the
Riyadh Agreement of 3 May 2007, the Sirte Agreement of 25
October 2007, and all other existing ceasefire agreements.
We urge progress on the United Nations-African Union-led
political process for a lasting settlement for Darfur.
-- We view the rapid deployment of the United Nations-African
Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) to be a critical element for
sustainable peace in Darfur. We urge the government of Sudan
(GOS) to cooperate fully in this regard. The GOS' agreement
to a Status of Forces Agreement, while a step in the right
direction, leaves numerous details unresolved, suggesting
further obstructions that will continue to delay deployment
of UNAMID. In our view, Sudan's lack of cooperation, its
foot-dragging on countless issues, and its unwillingness to
live up fully to its past commitments have contributed
greatly to a larger instability in the region. It is hard
for us to separate recent events on the ground -- the January
7 attack on a UNAMID convoy, the support for rebel attacks
against the government of Chad, and the recent bombing of
west Darfur that resulted in the loss of innocent civilian
lives -- from the government's refusal to enhance security in
Darfur by actively supporting the rapid deployment of UNAMID.
In our view, a concerted effort by Sudan to support UNAMID
will help undermine the rebels operating in Sudan, reduce
tension with Chad, and help build an environment that will
allow peacekeepers in Chad and Sudan to create a more secure
environment, and lower the loss of innocent lives.
-- All Security Council member states must cooperate fully
with efforts for the rapid deployment of EUFOR, MINURCAT, and
UNAMID, including by abiding by the existing UN arms embargo
in Sudan. Given continued obstruction, further measures by
the Security Council must remain on the table.
2) POINT-OF-CONTACT: Grace M. Kang IO/PSC 202-736-7735.
RICE