US embassy cable - 04ROME1781

UNCLAS  ROME 001781 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM US MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME 
 
STATE FOR A/S PRM DEWEY, MCKELVEY AND KNUDSON, NEA/ENA, 
IO/EDA BERHEND AND KOTOK 
USAID/W FOR ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS, D/A SCHIECK, AA/DCHA 
WINTER, AA/AFR ACTING AND DAA/AFR BROWN, DCHA/D/FFP 
LANDIS 
USMISSION GENEVA FOR AMBASSADOR MOLEY AND USAID/KYLOH 
BRUSSELS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS AND USAID/LERNER 
NSC FOR JDWORKEN AND AFRICA DIRECTORATE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF, EAID, ELTN, XA, CD, SU, WFP 
SUBJECT:  World Food Program Discussions with Libya on 
Opening New Transportation Corridors through Libya to 
Darfur and Eastern Chad 
 
REF: (A) N'DJAMENA 599, (B) ROME 1677 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
1.(SBU) Summary.  WFP is investigating the feasibility 
of opening new surface transportation corridors through 
Libya for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to 
refugees and internal displaced personnel in Eastern 
Chad and Darfur, Sudan.  If WFP's initiative is 
successful, relief efforts to Chad and possibly Sudan 
will bnefit by the opening of alternate delivery 
corriors.  End summary. 
 
2.(U) Overview.  Reftel A exressed concern about the 
sufficiency of WFP relif efforts to refugees in eastern 
Chad, particulary in view of concerns about WFP's 
ability to preposition commodities in advance of annual 
rains. Typically beginning in mid-May, seasonal rain 
hnders surface transportation and humanitarian 
asistance efforts.  Reftel B reported on WFP activitis, 
but it did not address WFP's initiative to opn 
additional surface transportation corridors though 
Libya. 
 
3.(SBU) WFP's Mission to Libya, fom April 13 to 20, 
2004, consisted of Pierre Carasse, Chief Logistics 
Officer, and two other logitics officers.  Its purpose 
was to investigate te feasibility of opening new 
surface transportaton corridors through Libya for 
delivery of humanitarian assistance to populations 
affected by the conflict in the Darfur region of western 
Sudan and eastern Chad.  On the Libyan side, Mr. Fakhri 
El-Kreikshi, the Director-General of the Economic 
Department in the General People's Committee for Foreign 
Liaison and International, ably served as the Mission's 
main contact. 
 
4.(SBU) The WFP Mission visited Tripoli, Benghasi, and Al 
Khofra, including ports, airports, truck depots and 
warehouses at each Shaabya (regional government) 
location. 
 
5.(SBU) WFP Mission findings included the following: 
 
-- The port of Benghasi is one of two or three ports that 
WFP is considering for future operations because of its 
modernity, infrastructure, and capacity. 
 
-- The 1066 KM tarmac road corridor from Benghasi to Al 
Khofra is in reasonably good condition and open year 
round. 
 
-- Al Khofra is itself already a transit hub and is 
becoming a market center.  Millet is produced and can be 
purchased locally at a reasonable cost, and lorries 
(typically 6X6 20T Mercedes trucks) with drivers are 
available for hire. 
 
-- Transportation arrangements can be made either in 
Benghasi or Al Khofra for convoying supplies from 
Benghasi through Al Khofra and on to Abeche (another 1600 
KM), Matan as Sarah, and other locations in eastern Chad. 
 
-- Discussions about operations from a Libyan port to 
eastern Chad are proceeding on the basis that any new 
arrangements will be as cost effective, more reliable, 
and permit more timely delivery of supplies than current 
arrangements from Yaoude, Cameroon. 
 
-- WFP also considers that Al Khofra may be useful as a 
staging area in the event air transport of commodities 
becomes necessary. 
 
-- Although the road from Al Khofra branches off to the 
 
Sudan border at Al Awaynet, the Sudan border at Al 
Awaynet remains closed.  Accordingly, a 
dditional 
consultations with the GOS, possibly with the assistance 
are permitted to enter Sudan from Libya.  Note: WFP 
Executive Director Jim Morris recently completed a fact- 
finding mission to Darfur from April 27 to May 3, 2004, 
and called on the GOS to facilitate humanitarian access. 
End note. 
 
-- WFP's talks with the GOL are progressing well.  Among 
other concessions, it appears that the GOL may agree to 
waive transportation taxes and tolls estimated at US 
Dollars (USD) 1200 per truck. 
 
-- In addition to WFP's serious concerns about security 
in Darfur, WFP seeks to conclude successful negotiations 
to eliminate customs duties, road taxes and tolls, and 
reduce rates for stevedores and trucking operators to 
more competitive levels. Note. WFP Rome's Logistics 
Service Chief David Kaatrud is in Sudan until May 6 
working on these issues. End note. 
 
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Comment 
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6. (SBU) Although impediments remain, if WFP's initiative 
is successful, relief efforts to Chad and possibly Sudan 
will benefit by the opening of alternate surface delivery 
corridors.  These corridors from Libyan ports and through 
Al Khofra are not as severely impacted by annual 
rainfall, which causes roads to close from the Cameroon 
side hence impeding humanitarian assistance efforts 
particularly in the eastern Chad sector from June to 
September every year.  Accordingly, US Mission/Rome 
welcomes WFP's aggressive initiative to explore all 
avenues for addressing the emerging, potentially 
catastrophic crisis in eastern Chad and Darfur. 
 
7. (U) Minimize considered  Hall 
 
 
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	2004ROME01781 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED