C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000039
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR AF/SPG FIERST AND SESHADRI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2018
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, SU, EUN
SUBJECT: EU DEMARCHE RESPONSE ON SUDAN JOINT MILITARY UNITS
REF: STATE 01335
Classified By: Deputy Pol MinCouns Alyce Tidball for reasons 1.4 b and
d.
1. (SBU) Contacts at the European Commission and Council
Secretariat were receptive in principle to requests to help
SIPDIS
Sudan establish military Joint Integrated Units (JIU), but
said no internal EU discussions have yet taken place on the
issue. Poloff delivered reftel points Jan. 10 to Andreas
Fischer-Barnicol of the Council Secretariat's Africa Unit,
and Gavin Evans, Sudan Desk Officer at the European
Commission.
2. (C) Fischer-Barnicol said it is unlikely the EU would
launch a formal European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP)
mission for southern Sudan given existing commitments in
Chad, Central African Republic, and elsewhere. Both he and
Evans, however, said the African Peace Facility funding
instrument might be a viable avenue through which the EU
could support the JIUs. The African Peace Facility is limited
to providing non-lethal equipment (i.e. radios, medical
supplies, etc., but no weapons) and it generally releases
money through the African Union.
3. (C) On the request for military trainers, Fischer-Barnicol
suggested Sweden and Norway as potential sources. Both
countries had offered trainers for UNAMID that were rejected
by the Sudanese government, but they still stand ready to
assist.
4. (C) In terms of moving the USG request forward,
Fischer-Barnicol said he believed there would be political
support for the JIUs from the EU and its member states if
UNMIS produced a paper outlining specific needs for Sudan.
Evans said he would raise our request within the European
Commission and explore possible funding through the African
Peace Initiative.
MURRAY
.