C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001192

SIPDIS


AF/W FOR BOOTH, FRENCH
AF/RAS FOR ENGLE, BITTRICK


E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/12/2012
TAGS: PREL MASS MARR XY NI ECOWAS
SUBJECT: ECOWAS: POSITIVE REACTIONS TO WASP


REF: ABUJA 1185


Classified by CDA ANDREWS; Reason 1.5 (b).



1. (U) During April 12 discussions on plans for future peace
support programs for Africa (reftel), AF/RAS Greg Engle
briefed ECOWAS Deputy Executive Secretary Chiekh Diarra and
his staff on the West African Stabilization Program (WASP).
Diarra's office at the Secretariat now includes Military
Program Officer Colonel Dixon Dikio, Director for Child
Protection Programs Ibrahim Diouf, Operations Center Director
Florence Iheme, and Political Affairs Advisor Frank
Afanyiarossou. Diarra said he would finish hiring six
additional senior directors by the end of May, and planned to
have other professional staff hired shortly thereafter.



2. (U) Engle briefed on the ECOWAS/GOSL logistics training
depot (to be located in Freetown), the EUCOM-led C3
assistance for the ECOWAS Operations Center (based in the
Secretariat), the possibility of a regional NCO training

SIPDIS
center initiative and other bilateral assistance that could
have positive impact both for sub-regional bilateral partners
as well as ECOWAS (including MTTs). Diarra responded very
positively to the plans.



3. (C) Diarra and Dikio expressed concerns regarding the
placement of the depot in Freetown. While accepting that the
USG was responding to a window of opportunity (since the
equipment is already in Freetown), they wondered about
possible support for the ECOWAS equipment based presently in
Lagos, and the impact of possible instability in Sierra
Leone. Dikio also noted that it was extremely important that
the transfer of ownership of the depot and equipment be made
extremely clear through written agreement among the parties,
to prevent any disagreements between the USG, ECOWAS and the
GOSL as to the ownership of the equipment and facilities.
The visiting team and ECOWAS officials were satisfied that
these issues could be resolved.



4. (U) Diarra said he would raise the WASP plans at the next
meeting of the ECOWAS Defense and Security Committee (ECOWAS
Chiefs of Defense Staff) in May, to build the necessary
member-state understanding and support for the program. He
noted that this meeting would also consider a training policy
for the ECOWAS peacekeeping stand-by units.



5. (C) COMMENT: Dikio's concern regarding ownership is
understandable. We will need to make these modalities very
clear, or an excellent program of support could quickly turn
into a disagreement between the organization and one of its
member-states. The Secretariat will likely need to present
the logistical depot plan and other WASP items to the
member-states on a political level to ensure the needed
acceptance and support for these programs. However, an
important first step -- obtaining the ECOWAS Secretariat's
buy-in -- has been accomplished. END COMMENT.
Andrews