US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE1537

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 001537 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/UBI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, PHUM, NL 
SUBJECT: DUTCH ENGAGED ON DARFUR CRISIS 
 
REF: A. STATE 122317 
     B. THE HAGUE 1097 
     C. 2003 THE HAGUE 3044 
 
1.  Emboffs delivered ref A demarche June 4-9 to development 
and Africa policy counterparts in the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs. 
 
2.   Since late last year the Dutch have contributed 13 
million Euros ($15.7 million) for Sudan assistance.  In 
September 2003 the GONL gave 1.8 million Euros ($2 million) 
for the Greater Darfur Special Initiative.  The 2004 Dutch 
ODA budget included an additional 6.5 million Euros ($7.8 
million) for the UN and NGOs engaged in Sudanese relief 
efforts. At the June 2004 High Level Donor Alert meeting in 
Geneva, the GONL pledged a further 5 million Euros ($6 
million) for Darfur.  In the near term, MFA officials 
envisioned contributing money from the newly created 
Stability Fund (ref B) to fund two EU observers for the UN 
cease fire monitoring team. 
 
3.  Per ref C, the Dutch are also politically engaged in the 
Darfur crisis. Dutch Development Minister Agnes Van Ardenne 
visited the region twice last year, most recently in November 
2003, and hosted a donors conference in April 2003.  The 
Dutch are members of the four-country Sudan "troika," 
together with the US, UK and Norway. At the EU development 
minister's informal meeting on May 31 in Dublin, Van Ardenne 
joined other member states in strongly urging the Commission 
to speed its 6 week process for transferring needed funds to 
the African Peace Facility.   MFA officials also said Foreign 
Minister Bot encouraged continued EU pressure on the Sudanese 
government at the General Affairs and External Relations 
Council meeting last week. 
 
5.  On June 18, 2004, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan named 
former Dutch Development Minister Jan Pronk as his special 
envoy for Sudan.  Pronk will head the soon to be approved UN 
peacekeeping force to Sudan.  Annan and Pronk plan to visit 
Sudan and the Darfur region on June 30. 
 
4.  The Dutch do not support the naming of a special resident 
coordinator for humanitarian issues.  Instead, they prefer 
that humanitarian issues be coordinated by a deputy, 
subordinate to the UN resident coordinator. 
SOBEL