Cablegate: Unmis/Amis Press Release Provides Peacekeeping Phase I

VZCZCXRO5116
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #2917 3620704
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 280704Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5673
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 002917

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPKO PREF PHUM AU UN SU
SUBJECT: UNMIS/AMIS Press Release Provides Peacekeeping Phase I
Update

Ref: A) Khartoum 02904, b) Khartoum 02908

1. Summary: On December 26, the United Nations Mission in Sudan
(UNMIS) and the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) jointly issued
a press release detailing implementation aspects of Phase I of
Darfur peacekeeping operations. The statement indicates that up to
43 military staff officers and 24 police advisors may deploy to
Darfur immediately, wearing blue berets and AMIS armbands. The next
meeting of the Tripartite Mechanism will be on January 10. End
summary.

2. The joint UNMIS - AMIS statement reads as follows:

(Begin text)

Joint Press Statement by the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
and the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) on the Meeting of the
Tripartite Mechanism

Khartoum, 26 December 2006

Tripartite Mechanism Meeting Clears the Way for UNMIS Support to
AMIS in Darfur

The way has been cleared for the United Nations Mission in Sudan
(UNMIS) to start providing logistical and human resources support to
the African Union Mission in Sudan. UN military staff officers and
police advisers deployed as part of the UNMIS Light Support package
to AMIS will wear their national uniforms with blue UN berets and an
AMIS armband. The uniform to be worn by the UN staff officers and
advisers was the final outstanding issue regarding the deployment of
UN personnel to Darfur under the Light Support Package of assistance
to AMIS.

At today's third meeting of the Tripartite Mechanism, made up of
UNMIS, AMIS, and the Government of Sudan, representatives of the
three organizations resolved this one outstanding issue of the
deployment of UN personnel in support of AU forces in Darfur.

Under the Light Support Package, UNMIS is to provide 105 military
staff officers, 33 police advisers and 48 civilian staff to assist
AMIS in Darfur. The United Nations and AMIS teams today provided
the Government of Sudan representatives with a list of the names of
the forty-three UN military staff officers and twenty-four police
advisers who will form the first UN group to be deployed to Darfur
in the next few days. The GoS team assured the group that the men
can be deployed with immediate effect. The balance of UN military
and police officers will be deployed in the coming weeks.

In addition to the personnel which will be provided to AMIS under
the Light Support Package, a further US$ 21 million of equipment
will also be provided to the African Union peacekeepers. This
equipment will include computers, water tankers and public
information equipment.

The tripartite mechanism will meet again on 10 January at the AMIS
headquarters in Khartoum.

(End text)

HUME

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