US embassy cable - 04BRUSSELS1897

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 001897 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SPG - MERANNEBERGER; PRM - MMCKINLEY; AF - 
CSNYDER; DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS USAID FOR D/AA DCHA ROGERS; 
DCHA/OFDA - HALMRAST-SANCHEZ; DCHA/FFP - WELLER; USUN FOR 
LUTZ; GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PREF, PHUM, SU, CD, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: EU ON DARFUR: CEASEFIRE MONITORING, HUMANITARIAN 
ASSISTANCE AND UNCHR ISSUES 
 
REF: (A) STATE 90371 (B) STATE 88689 
 
Classified By: PRMOFF MARC J. MEZNAR.  REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (S) Summary.  The EU will contribute personnel and 
financial resources to support both the Ceasefire Commission 
and other efforts to establish peace in Darfur, as well as to 
address the complex humanitarian emergency in the region. 
The EU feels the disagreement at the UNCHR meeting was not 
over the essentials of Darfur but over tactics.  However, 
U.S. statements in Geneva have given rise to some speculation 
in Brussels over a possible U.S. military intervention in 
Darfur if the situation cannot be contained by diplomacy. 
The EC is expected to double its assistance resources this 
year for Sudan and Sudanese refugees in Chad.  On 4/27, the 
EU Council expressed "grave concern" over the situation and 
called on the GoS to allow full, unhindered access to the 
region.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------ 
EU Efforts to Support Ceasefire 
------------------------ 
 
2. (C) Following receipt of reftel A, DCM spoke with 
Christoph Heusgen, head of EU High Representative Solana's 
policy unit, regarding EU efforts on behalf of Darfur. 
Heusgen said that following GAERC discussion on 4/26, the 
Policy and Security Committee (PSC) met on 4/27 and decided 
that the EU must do something beyond humanitarian assistance. 
 This meant support, logistical and otherwise, for the 
Ceasefire Commission and the Joint Commission.  He said the 
EU will also probably contribute six persons to the Observer 
Mission and support logistically contributions by African 
countries.  Heusgen said the EU would participate in a 
"reconnaissance" mission next week to assess needs and to 
prepare the ground for greater EU action. 
 
3. (C) PRMOff also discussed these issues with DG Development 
Sudan Desk Officer Christian Manahl who made many of the same 
points.  He said that at the PSC meeting of 4/30, the EU is 
expected to offer the following human resources (depending on 
the final agreement between the GoS and rebels): 
 
-- one Brussels-based military staff representative to 
participate in the AU-led reconnaissance mission to Darfur; 
-- one EU representative on the Joint Commission that 
oversees the overall implementation of the ceasefire; 
-- the deputy chief of staff position of the Ceasefire 
Commission (CFC), provided by an EU Member State, to reside 
in Darfur; 
-- five or six Member State officials to join the group of 25 
proposed observers. 
 
4. (SBU) Regarding funding, Manahl said that if no larger 
staff protection force (a group of 250 has been on and off 
the table) were needed, then funds already in the pipeline 
could cover the African contributions to the observer 
mission.  He referred to a 10 million euro contribution to 
the AU's conflict prevention and peacekeeping unit from the 
EC.  This, of course, is depending on the two parties 
accepting AU leadership in such a mechanism. 
 
5. (C) Manahl said that AU Director for Peace and Security 
Sam Ibok's efforts in N'Djamena to sell the AU agreement to 
the two sides has not been easy.  The validity and 
sustainability of the April 25 agreement remains doubtful, 
taking into account the ambiguous position of the rebels. 
Next steps should include clarifying the position of the 
rebels and the establishing of a clear schedule and agenda 
for the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.  The 
framework for further political talks also needs to be 
clarified. 
 
------------------------ 
EU Analysis of UNCHR Dispute with the USG, Possible U.S. 
Military Intervention 
------------------------ 
 
6. (S) Manahl (protect) forwarded PRMOff an internal analysis 
of what went wrong in Geneva.  It included, "Cooperation 
between the EU and US has previously been good, but sharp 
divergences have appeared at the UNCHR at Geneva, where the 
U.S. undermined a (successful) joint initiative of the EU and 
the African Group resulting in the adoption of the Chairman's 
decision....  The difference between the EU and U.S. 
positions is a matter of tactics and overall objectives 
rather than assessment.  We have advocated a more 
compromising approach towards the African Group in the CHR, 
convinced that only close cooperation between the EU and the 
U.S. on the one hand, and the AU and Sudan's neighbors on the 
other, can secure the consolidation of the ceasefire.  The 
U.S., on its side, appears to believe that strong additional 
pressure on the GoS is necessary to achieve a more 
compromising attitude of Khartoum.  Furthermore, the U.S. is 
also somehow using the Darfur issue to exert further pressure 
on the GoS in relation to the north-south peace 
negotiations." 
 
7. (S) Another part of the internal EU document which 
speculated on a possible U.S. military intervention stated, 
"It is presently unclear whether the U.S. would consider, or 
is considering, a military intervention in case of a 
continuation of the campaign of ethnic cleansing; the 
reference to Rwanda (only two weeks after the genocide 
commemoration) and Kosovo seems to indicate that Washington 
is playing with the idea.  It is clear that such a military 
intervention would bring the peace process in Darfur, but 
also the negotiations between the GoS and the SPLM/A under 
IGAD auspices, to collapse. 
 
------------------------ 
EC Expected to Double Aid to Sudanese in 2004 
------------------------ 
 
8. (U) On 4/22, PRMOff delivered talking points contained in 
reftel b regarding the worsening humanitarian situation in 
Darfur.  European Commission (EC) interlocutors are in full 
agreement with USG analysis of the situation and need to 
support international relief organizations both financially 
and politically in order to gain unimpeded access to Darfur. 
 
9. (SBU) In a meeting with ECHO Director Costanza Adinolfi 
and her staff on 4/28, she noted that "Sudan has never been 
an easy crisis."  She said that an ECHO officer had had visa 
difficulties to enter the country and although he was 
expected to arrive in Darfur that morning they had no 
assurances that he would actually make it to the region. 
Adinolfi stated that the EC had issued a strong appeal to 
warring parties earlier in the day to secure safe 
humanitarian access so that the enormous needs of the 
displaced and affected populations could be properly 
addressed.  She said that from a humanitarian point of view 
it was irrelevant to assign blame or determine who was at 
fault for the deteriorating situation, but that the 
international community should work together to meet basic 
food and shelter needs.  Despite the ceasefire and other 
on-going talks between Sudanese authorities and rebels, the 
fact remained that there was no real progress with regard to 
access.  She also pointed out that the negotiated ceasefire 
was for only 45 days and that much time had already been lost 
by delaying tactics. 
 
10. (SBU) Adinolfi said that ECHO had decided to request 10 
million euros from the emergency reserves as part of its 
response to the growing humanitarian crisis in Darfur.  This 
money is in addition to 2004 program funding of 20 million 
euros for Sudan as well as 4 million euros for Sudanese 
refugees in Chad -- money already in the pipeline.  She noted 
that the lack of access to the displaced is severely 
affecting the absorption rate.  If delivery of aid were to 
improve, ECHO would be open to requesting additional funds 
from the emergency reserves.  Because approval for 
supplemental funding needs to be obtained from the EU Member 
States, the additional tranche of 10 million euros is not 
expected to be available before the end of May.  ECHO will 
apply it towards a variety of sectors in Darfur.  According 
to ECHO Sudan Desk Officer Javier Perez, the decision to seek 
emergency funds is partly a result of USAID Administrator 
Natsios' appeal on behalf of Darfur at the recent OECD DAC 
High Level conference in Paris. 
 
11. (SBU) ECHO Head of Unit for Africa Steffen Stenberg said 
that he expected total funding this year for Sudan and 
Sudanese refugees to be double that of 2003.  He also noted 
the problems associated with access and subsequent problems 
of distributing relief aid, as well as the logistical 
difficulties which seasonal rains will soon create.  He 
stressed the importance of remembering the plight of refugees 
in Chad which he characterized as "far from settled."  ECHO 
supports UNHCR as the lead agency in coordinating in Chad and 
that of OCHA in coordinating in Darfur. 
 
12.  (SBU) EuropeAid Deputy Head for Food Security Robert 
Hynderick agreed that there had been a serious increase of 
needs in Darfur and said that the EC was expected to increase 
its funding from the four million euros it has already 
allocated this year.  EuropeAid is considering an additional 
five million euros for Sudan and one and a half million euros 
for Chad channeled through WFP.  EuropeAid's funds will be 
used to purchase sorghum locally in order to get it quickly 
to the displaced populations.  Hynderick questioned whether 
WFP's plans to airlift half of its food aid to the affected 
region was necessary given that the price (which is 
denominated in currency rather than tonnage) is already the 
highest in the world.  USAID Food For Peace reps note we face 
similar issues, but we assume we will have to airlift food, 
thought hopefully not airdrops. 
 
------------------------ 
EU Statements on Darfur 
------------------------ 
 
13. (U) On 4/15, the Irish Presidency released the following 
declaration on behalf of the EU, acceding and associated 
countries:  "The EU welcomes the signing of the humanitarian 
ceasefire agreement between the Government of Sudan and the 
SLM/SLA and the JEM.  It calls on all parties to observe and 
scrupulously respect the rules of that agreement.  It 
congratulates the Chadian mediators for their efforts to 
promote the conclusion of the agreement.  It salutes the 
commitment of all parties to authorize unrestricted 
humanitarian access and facilitate the distribution of 
humanitarian assistance to the people of the Grand Darfur 
region.  In this context it is essential that the Sudanese 
Government fulfill its commitment to control the irregular 
armed forces known as Janjaweed." 
 
14. (U) On 4/27, the EU External Relations Council adopted 
the following conclusion on Sudan:  "The Council expressed 
its grave concern at the situation in Darfur and called on 
the government of Sudan to allow full, unhindered access to 
the region for UN and other humanitarian agencies.  The 
Council called on all parties to fully respect the terms of 
the humanitarian ceasefire agreement reach on 8 April in 
N'Djamena.  The Council noted with concern the actions of the 
Janjaweed militias operating in Darfur and called on the 
Government of Sudan to take command of all armed groups under 
its control." 
 
15. (U) On 4/28, Development and Humanitarian Commissioner 
Poul Nielson used an event unveiling ECHO's 2003 Annual 
Review to, as the press statement notes, "launch a strong 
appeal to the warring parties in the Darfur region of western 
Sudan."  USEU will forward a transcript of these remarks 
septel when they become available. 
 
MINIMIZED CONSIDERED. 
 
SCHNABEL