US embassy cable - 04DUBLIN850

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000850 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PLEASE PASS ALL AFRICAN DIPLOMATIC POSTS COLLECTIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, PHUM, PROV 
SUBJECT: DARFUR:  IRISH EU PRESIDENCY STRONGLY ENGAGED 
 
REF: STATE 122317 
 
1.  Poloff delivered reftel points to Don Sexton, of the 
Emergency and Recovery Unit in the DFA's Development 
Cooperation Division, on June 3.  Sexton said Ireland agreed 
with the urgency of the situation and was participating in 
the Donor's Consultative Meeting on Darfur in Geneva today in 
both its Presidential and national capacities. 
 
2.  Sexton said that Development Minister Tom Kitt, speaking 
at the Geneva meeting on behalf of the EU Development 
Ministers,  will announce 10 million Euro in new funding 
through ECHO, on top of the 3.2 million Euro already given in 
support of humanitarian operations.  Ireland itself has 
pledged an additional 1.5 million Euro, on top of the 1 
million Euro they announced a few weeks ago, of which 750,000 
Euro went to the consolidated appeal.  Sexton pointed out 
that Irish NGOs are strongly engaged on Darfur, which 
explains the large Irish contribution relative to the EU as a 
whole. 
 
3.  EU Development Ministers, meeting in Dublin on June 1, 
discussed Darfur before Kitt traveled to Geneva for the 
meeting today.  Sexton reported that Kitt had spoken recently 
with USAID Andrew Natsios regarding Darfur and that they were 
together in Geneva now. 
 
4.  Key issues for the EU are human security and protection, 
humanitarian access and protection for aid workers, and 
respect for human rights.  Sexton noted that the Africa Union 
requested funding to support deployment of its "cease-fire 
mechanism" in Darfur.  EU Development Ministers have approved 
the request, which is being fast-tracked through the EU's 
Africa Peace Facility now. 
KENNY