US embassy cable - 04BRUSSELS3223

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 003223 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/FO, AF/E, AF/RSA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2014 
TAGS: EAID, ET, MARR, PREL, SU, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: DARFUR: EU TO AUGMENT OBSERVERS, PROPOSES 
ASSESSMENT MISSION 
 
REF: BUCKNEBERG (THE HAGUE)-BITTRICK E-MAIL OF 7/28/04 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR KYLE SCOTT.  REASON: 1.4(b/ 
d) 
 
1. (C) Summary.  Hirep Solana has proposed to African Union 
(AU) an augmentation in EU representation on ceasefire 
observers to allow a European representative on each team. 
An officer has also been dispatched to backstop the AU in 
Addis, but operational details remain unsettled.  EU also 
wants to send a small EU-AU "assessment team" to the region 
to report on additional needs, if any.  We were told if US 
want to join mission, we should approach AU directly.  EU 
officials worry the UK idea floated over the weekend for more 
robust intervention in Darfur could be counterproductive. 
Commission officials confirm most of the 12m euro allocated 
by Foreign Ministers July 26 is already en route to AU 
account.  End Summary. 
 
Solana's Three Proposals to AU 
------------------------------ 
 
2. (C) Following the July 26 meeting of the EU foreign 
ministers, in which the EU stiffened its rhetoric toward the 
GoS and threatened to impose UN sanctions, the EU's Political 
and Security Committee (PSC) has met twice to discuss the 
situation in Darfur.  As a result of these meetings, Hirep 
Solana was instructed to make further proposals to the AU on 
steps to address the crisis.  In a letter dated July 27 to AU 
Commission President Konare, Solana made three proposals: 
 
-- To put an EU officer at the disposal of the AU team 
organizing the observer mission.  Christian Manahl, Solana's 
point man on Sudan, clarified that this military operations 
liaison officer would backstop the AU-led monitoring mission 
in Darfur.  The EU is also discussing the option of having a 
more permanent EU liaison officer to the AU put on the ground 
to enhance cooperation between the AU and the EU in security 
and conflict management matters.  However, it is not clear, 
at this stage, whether this person would be located in the EC 
Delegation (the most likely option according to Manahl), or 
set up an office of his own. The option of placing someone 
into the AU Secretariat offices has been discarded, for 
reasons of sensitivity and infrastructures.  Manahl added 
that the EU is thinking of an officer seconded by an EU 
Member State, but who would spend some time at the EU 
Military Staff to become familiar with the new institutions 
in the military/security area at HQs before assignment to 
Addis Ababa.  He confirmed that the French have in fact 
expressed interest in providing such an officer, but noted 
that they will probably rely on their Military Attach 
already posted in Addis Ababa. 
 
-- To reinforce the number of EU participants in the 
monitoring missions from nine (seven currently in place, with 
two more expected to arrive before the end of July) to twelve 
monitors in addition to the French vice president.  According 
to Manahl, this would allow the EU to deploy one EU monitor 
with each of the twelve teams. 
 
-- To send on an urgent basis a group of civilian and 
military experts to the region to identify additional steps 
the EU might need to take to reinforce the monitoring 
missions (including the force protection effort).  The EU 
envisions this assessment team going to the region in 
conjunction with the AU, and is awaiting an AU response to 
this proposal before moving ahead.  We were told the EU team 
would likely be comprised of 5-6 individuals.  It will most 
likely be led by Peter Feith, Deputy Director General for 
European Security and Defense Policy, and include 
representatives from the EU Military Staff, EU Police 
Mission, Solana's Policy Unit, and a representative of the 
Commission.  We were told the EU did not plan to invite the 
US to join the assessment team, but had no objections if the 
US joins in response to a request from the AU. 
 
3. (C) Manahl told us that the EU continues to encounter 
resistance from mid-level functionaries of the AU to outside 
involvement, and expected that a political decision would be 
required by Konare to accept the EU's proposals. 
UK Has Not Pursued Proposal for Intervention 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Manahl said the UK idea floated over the weekend in 
London for more robust intervention appeared to be a trial 
balloon that enjoys no support elsewhere in the EU.  He noted 
that the UK did not even pursue the idea at the June 26 
foreign ministers' meeting, nor mention it at either of this 
week's PSC meetings on Sudan.  What it had done, Manahl 
contended, was trigger a mobilization by Arab militias in 
Sudan.  He noted that the current GoS enjoyed very little 
popular support, but suggested that an outside intervention 
would be manipulated by the government to increase domestic 
support for the regime. 
 
5. (C) Manahl said the EU was monitoring closely the 
situation elsewhere in Sudan.  He noted in particular 
worrying rumors of a possible new rebellion in Eastern Sudan. 
 
Commission Money Already En Route to AU 
--------------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) Manahl confirmed that the Commission has committed to 
transfer the 12m euros allocated by the foreign ministers on 
July 26 to the AU's accounts (in Brussels) by the end of the 
week, i.e. July 30.  Commission official Theo Kaspers advised 
that an 80 percent advance of the 12 million euros has 
already left Commission bank account and is en route to the 
AU's account in Brussels. 
 
MINIMIZE CONSIDERED 
 
SAMMIS 
 
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