VZCZCXRO8713
RR RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0214/01 0390931
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080930Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0136
INFO IGAD COLLECTIVE
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000214
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KPKO MOPS SU
SUBJECT: Sudan: UNMIS SRSG Describes UN Elections Prep in Farewell to
Diplomatic Corps
1. Summary: Ashraf Qazi, the UN Secretary General's Special
Representative (SRSG) and head of the UN Mission to Sudan (UNMIS),
assembled Chiefs of Mission and top aid representatives on February
3 to say goodbye and to preview UN arrangements for the April 2011
elections. Qazi emphasized that the UN's priority, to support the
National Electoral Commission (NEC) to deliver ballots to polling
places, would strain resources; nonetheless, the UN would do what
it could to support donor countries' election observation efforts.
Additional funds are needed to provide elections training for 5,000
police recruits in the South, and others in the North. Meeting
participants suggested close coordination between the UN and donor
countries fielding observation missions on contentious issues such
as refused or late-issued travel permits. End Summary
2. During the February 3 meeting, SRSG Gazi announced that he would
depart the following week, and that his successor Haile Menkarios,
whom he described as strong and experienced, would arrive in early
March. He also introduced Principal Deputy SRSG Jasbir Lidder
Singh as the official in charge of the day-to-day operations of
UNMIS during the interim period.
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UN Priority To Support NEC
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3. Qazi emphasized that the UN's priority in the April elections
must be to support the NEC by helping to move ballots, ballot
boxes, polling booths and other election-related materials to
polling places. With over 1,268 different types of ballot papers
to be delivered throughout the country, the logistical arrangements
will be extremely complicated and strain UN resources.
Nonetheless, where possible, the UN will do what it can to support
donor countries' election observation efforts. Lidder urged that
countries asking for assistance notify the UN about their
requirements as early as possible.
4. A UN elections officer told the group that logistical
arrangements had been complicated by the fact that the NEC had not
yet announced key elements such as how registered voters will be
allocated to the polling centers, how voters themselves will know
to which polling center to go; how the military and internally
displaced persons (IDPs) will vote, and how civic and voter
education will be conducted.
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Mitigation Efforts Underway At Flashpoints
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5. Summing up security matters in advance of the election, Rajendra
Joshi, Chief of the UN Security and Safety Section, told the group
that the fact that there had been no major clashes between
Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signatories constituted a major
accomplishment. Other security-related accomplishments include
what he said was complete redeployment of the Sudanese Armed Forces
(SAF) out of the South. According to Joshi, the Sudan People's
Liberation Army (SPLA) had achieved only 35 percent redeployment of
its forces in the North. He added that 32,723 soldiers are now in
the Joint Integrated Units (JIUs), which is 82 percent of the
planned target strength of 40,000. However, Joshi warned, the
potential for clashes between SAF and SPLA had not been eliminated,
nor had the future of the JIUs following the 2011 referendum on
independence for the south as yet been determined.
6. The UN is monitoring for potential flashpoints, a UN security
official pointed out. Constant engagement, reporting of violations
and negotiation have served to mitigate CPA-related conflict. The
UN has increased patrolling to gather information and as a
deterrent in the migration-related flashpoints in Abyei and Unity
KHARTOUM 00000214 002 OF 002
State, where the Misseriya exercise grazing rights, and in
tribal-related flashpoints in Warrab and Unity States, and near
Malakal, Kadugli, Kurmuk, Bor and Torit,
7. Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)-related incidents peaked in March
and September of 2009, followed by steady decreases, with only one
incident reported in December 2009 and none in January 2010.
According to a UN official, this is the result of a substantial
degradation of LRA logistics and leadership capabilities, and a
shift of LRA operations from West and East Equatoria to Western
Bahr El Ghazal. He added that the LRA is no longer a military
threat.
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Additional Funds Needed for Police Election Training
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8. For the election, the UN has decided to deploy election
security officers in areas where there is no UNMIS presence, such
as north of Khartoum.
9. UN police officials also addressed the group. The UN is
conducting electoral security training for the police in both the
North and the South, with better results in the North. They said
the South lacks equipment, and that 5,000 southern police recruits
are currently awaiting training. More funding is needed so that
additional police can be trained in both the North and the South in
advance of the elections.
10. Those in the meeting asked for information as to who within
the UN system would coordinate observation missions, and suggested
that countries fielding observation missions coordinate closely on
issues such as refused or late issued travel permits.
WHITEHEAD