NIGERIA: FORCE STRUCTURE AND DEPLOYMENT PLAN FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 003077

SIPDIS


PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER: PLEASE PASS TO PDAS BELLAMY


E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2012
TAGS: PREL MOPS MASS KPKO NI IV
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: FORCE STRUCTURE AND DEPLOYMENT PLAN FOR
ECOWAS MONITORING FORCE IN NIGERIA

REF: A. STATE 219555

B. ABUJA 3066

C. ABUJA 3067


CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR HOWARD F. JETER FOR REASONS 1.5
(B) AND (D).



1. (C) SUMMARY: ECOWAS has determined its force structure
and adopted an ambitious French deployment plan for its
monitoring force in Cote d'Ivoire. The deployment plan
envisions the arrival of advance elements in Cote d'Ivoire
by Friday, November 15 and calls for the monitoring force
to be in place by the end of November. However, as of
November 12, ECOWAS had not yet selected a force commander
and the commitment of fewer-than-expected troops from
Senegal and Ghana casts doubt on whether the planned force
strength and structure are realistic. Refs. B and C
contain more detailed logistical information. END SUMMARY.



2. (C) According to the latest planing at the ECOWAS
Secretariat the proposed monitoring force for Cote d'Ivoire

SIPDIS
will consist of 1264 personnel. The bulk of the force will
be six infantry combat teams of 173 personnel, one team
each from Benin, Ghana, Niger, Senegal, and Togo and the
sixth a composite Niger/Togo force. The combat units will
be supported by a 36-man Senegalese logistics group to be
based in Abidjan and a 75-man logistics group from Niger
based in Yamoussoukro. Command will be provided by the
multinational staff and a 49-man headquarters company from
Ghana.



3. (C) The proposed deployment schedule is as follows:


- November 15: Initial planning group deploys to
Abidjan to work out a plan to relieve French units on
the ground and to develop the reception, staging,
onward movement and integration (RSOI) plan. France
will supply logistical support to the effort.


- Staff officers from contributing countries will
also travel to Abidjan with detailed lists of their
deployment requirements. The original plan called
for contributing countries to vet the lists with
ECOWAS in Abuja on November 12. ODC Abuja and a
French staff officer were to compare the list with
the inventory of equipment in the Freetown and Dakar
depots to determine what could be supplied by the USG
and the GOF.


- November 20: Selected equipment from U.S. and
French depots will arrive in Abidjan.


- November 21: Equipment operators arrive in Abidjan
for two days of training.


- November 24: Troop contingents begin to arrive,
gather equipment and deploy to field locations.


4: (C) This swift deployment plan is overly ambitious.
Moreover, no one has been tasked to develop a plan
detailing how and when the teams will actually deploy on
the ground. Additionally, the rules of engagement for the
mission have not been developed. The French may assist the
advance team in Abidjan in developing the deployment plan
(Ref. C).


5: (C) ECOWAS has not selected a force commander. ECOWAS
Deputy Executive Secretary Diarra told DATT the decision
was largely a political one and that he would discuss the
subject with Executive Secretary Chambas when the latter
returned to Lome. While Diarra said he hoped to have a
decision by November 10, that date passed without yielding
an answer. Diarra believed Togo would be the likely choice
for force commander (Ref. B),by default.


6: (C) COMMENT: The monitoring force is a work in
progress. We expect that the force composition and
structure may change as ECOWAS hits inevitable logistical
snags in assembling, equipping, and deploying the troops.
Further requests for USG assistance are likely. END COMMENT.
JETER
JETER