VZCZCXRO3921
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0849 1600804
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 080804Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0981
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000849
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF SE WILLIAMSON, AF/SPG/JDRAKE, IO/PSC/GKANG, S/CRS
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPKO UNSC SU
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN ON FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT
FOR UNAMID AND UNMIS
REF: A. STATE 58704
B. KHARTOUM 722
1. (SBU) During his May 28 - June 4 visit to Sudan (septels),
Presidential Special Envoy Richard Williamson and embassy officers
repeatedly and forcefully raised the need for unfettered freedom of
movement for both UNAMID and UNMIS in their discussions with
high-level officials of the GoS (ref a). SE Williamson also raised
the urgent need for UNMIS' mandate to be strengthened to allow it to
better protect civilians, in light of the recent events in Abyei.
2. (SBU) During the opening Plenary of negotiations with the GoS on
June 1, Special Envoy Williamson and his delegation pushed the GoS
on its performance since the Rome Talks in April, during which the
GoS promised to respect "in word and in spirit" the Status of Forces
Agreement (SOFA) with UNAMID. During the June 1 session, National
Intelligence and Security Services chief Salah Ghosh tried to gloss
over this item, saying that the GoS "agrees in spirit" with this
obligation. The Williamson delegation and embassy staff pressed
Ghosh on this responsibility, particularly with regard to the
issuance of visas for U.S. liaison officers and permission to carry
their sidearms for deployment to UNAMID. Ghosh agreed to issue the
five outstanding visas for these officers no later than June 9.
3. (SBU) In the same Plenary session, Williamson's delegation
raised the examples of Shegeg Karo and Ein Bisharo, two towns in
North Darfur that were targets of GoS bombing in early May. At that
time the GoS had refused access to UNAMID to conduct medical
evacuations in these areas, refusals which constituted violations of
the SOFA (ref b). Ghosh and other GoS officials present at the
Plenary became defensive when this topic was raised, saying that at
the time the GoS had deemed those areas too insecure for UNAMID to
visit, since the GoS was actively involved in rooting out Justice
and Equality Movement (JEM) elements from those towns at the time.
DATTA