INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Demarche Request: Transport and Logistics Units

Published: Fri 7 Mar 2008 03:37 PM
VZCZCXRO8770
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHC #3831/01 0671542
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 071537Z MAR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 8264
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 2379
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 6229
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 7432
RUEHLU/AMEMBASSY LUANDA PRIORITY 9287
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0886
INFO DARFUR COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 023831
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MARR KPKO SU IN AN SA BD PA
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS UNITS
FOR THE UN-AU HYBRID OPERATION IN DARFUR (UNAMID)
1. This is an action request. See paras 4 - 6.
Objective
---------
2. To encourage host countries with appropriate capabilities
to contribute the ground transport and logistics assets
sought by the UN-African Union hybrid peacekeeping operation
in Darfur (UNAMID) and for which there are currently no
offers from any troop contributing countries (TCCs).
Background
----------
3. Ensuring rapid and successful deployment of the UNAMID
peacekeeping operation to Darfur is an extremely high USG
foreign policy priority. While progress in actual deployment
remains disappointingly slow, African and other TCCs have
made at least tentative offers for most of the military and
much of the police personnel mandated by the UN Security
Council for this force as well as many key enabling assets.
UNAMID currently has over 9,000 military and police personnel
on the ground and several important contingents are expected
to deploy over the next two to three months. However, the
mission's ability to operate over an extremely large area
often with difficult terrain is severely limited by its lack
of adequate transportation assets (both air and ground);
deployments and effectiveness are also limited by a shortage
of logistics assets needed to construct and maintain camps
and other infrastructure in this harsh environment. The UN
Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) continues to
seek up to 24 helicopters (which have been the topic of
extensive diplomatic efforts by the USG and others) as well
as two medium-heavy transport companies and one multi-role
logistics company. This demarche request focuses on target
countries which may be able to provide the necessary ground
transport and/or logistics companies.
Action Requests
---------------
4. For Embassies: All Action Embassies (For Launda,only if
post believes it would be appropriate) are requested to
approach host government officials at the highest appropriate
level to request that they contribute a transport company to
UNAMID; Embassy New Delhi is also requested to ask that the
Indian government consider providing a multi-role logistics
company to UNAMID; other Embassies may make the same request
at their discretion if there is information at post to
suggest that your host country may be able to deploy such a
unit. Washington believes that militaries in all your host
countries are likely to have the necessary assets at least
for the transport companies (approximately 30 trucks per
company plus associated drivers and maintenance personnel).
Pakistan, India and Bangladesh currently provide similar
transport assets to other UN peacekeeping operations and
India also has the proven ability to deploy the more complex
multi-role logistics company to a UN peacekeeping mission.
South Africa and Angola have not previously deployed such
assets to a UN PKO but we believe it worth exploring their
willingness to do so. Details of the precise UN requirements
for this mission will be provided by unclassified email in a
form that can also be passed to host governments as
appropriate.
5. For USUN: Mission is requested to double-track these
requests with military advisers and/or civilian staff of
relevant counterpart missions in New York and with UN DPKO's
Force Generation Service (FGS).
6. Posts may draw on the following points in approaching host
governments:
-- An effective UN-AU peacekeeping operation is an essential
element of international efforts to bring a lasting peace to
Darfur.
-- While there are at least tentative commitments for most
military personnel needed by the mission in its start-up
phase, the UN and AU still seek transport and logistics
assets which are critical for the mission to operate
effectively in the large Darfur region.
STATE 00023831 002 OF 002
-- We believe your military may have the necessary ground
transport (if appropriate: and logistics) assets to
contribute to the success of UNAMID. We urge you to give
serious consideration to such a contribution, which would be
greatly appreciated by the UN and AU as well as the United
States.
7. Deadline: Please respond by COB March 12. POCs in IO/PSC
are Grace Kang, LTC James Thomas and Doug Wake.
RICE
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