UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 004179

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/RSA, PM, EUR/RPG.
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS.
USEUCOM FOR MAJ GEN GRATION AND POLAD AMB. YATES.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MARR KPKO AU XA
SUBJECT: AU TELLS EUCOM J5 AFRICAN STANDBY FORCE MOVING
AHEAD


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SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.


1. (SBU) Summary: The AU Commission hopes a series of
thematic workshops will create enough regional buy-in to
enable a harmonized approach to the African Standby Force
(ASF), AU Planning Element Chief of Staff BG Hassan told
EUCOM J5 Maj Gen Scott Gration and Polad Amb. Yates on
December 16. The AU is also undertaking a series of meetings
with the regions to ensure ASF approaches follow an AU-led
concept. Under ASF, each of the AU's five regions will form
one brigade deployable, with AU authorization, either
intra-region by the region itself, or inter-region by the AU.
End summary.


2. (U) Also present were Peace Support Operation Division
(PSOD) members LTC. Mbaye and Gen. Jaotody, EUCOM Military
LNO to the AU and Poloff (notetaker).

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WORKING TO CREATE BUY-IN AND A HARMONIZED APPROACH
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3. (SBU) BG Hassan, the Chief of Staff of an
initially-planned five-person AU Planning Element (PLANELM),
told EUCOM J5 Maj Gen Gration that upcoming workshops on
doctrine; training and evaluation; logistics; command,
control, communications and information systems (C3IS); and
standard operating procedures (SOPs) are necessary to ensure
member state buy-in and to coordinate ASF requirements. BG
Hassan envisions workshops throughout 2006 that will
culminate in a fall 2006 final coordination conference to
harmonize positions, though the overall process is expected
to conclude in 2010. (Note: In a separate meeting December
12, AU PSOD Director Bereng Mtimkulu told G-8 plus
representatives that late November 2005 technical meetings to
prepare the ASF workshops were a "good start," but that
differing levels of regional expertise may present a
challenge during the workshops themselves. Workshop
conclusion documents were forwarded to AF/RSA. End note.)


4. (SBU) BG Hassan said his team plans consultative visits to
each of the five

regions to ensure harmonization of approach
in implementing ASF brigade formation. He noted that his
team had just returned from the central region (led by
regional economic community (REC) ECCAS) and reached
agreement on the need for AU-dedicated brigades to form under
a common concept. ECCAS also agreed to a forward-deployable
PLANELM instead of providing all strategic guidance from a
central headquarters. BG Hassan said that the Northern
Region (NASBRIG) has experienced more challenges in getting
organized due to the lack of a REC to lead the process, but
has now begun to hold ASF coordination meetings under Libyan
leadership. He expressed satisfaction and surprise that the
Northern Region did not impede agreement on the way forward
for ASF doctrine during the late-November technical meetings.
(Note: Experts agreed that SADC and Nigerian doctrine would
serve as the models for ASF. End note.)

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A GLIMPSE AT ASF STRATEGY
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5. (SBU) Maj Gen Gration pointed out that holding workshops
before an overall AU strategy for ASF is in place may result
in agreement on logistics or other requirements that do not
ultimately suit the AU's vision for ASF. BG Hassan responded
that the AU continues to work on the strategic vision
document as an overall umbrella for ASF, and that this
document will need to be approved by the Military Staff
Committee (MSC) and Peace and Security Council (PSC). In the
meantime, he said, ASF efforts will be guided by the ASF
Roadmap and Framework Document. BG Hassan said that holding

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workshops before having a strategy is in place may not be
ideal, but the AU is using the workshops to bring member
states together under an AU-led process. Regions were
already going their own way on ASF formation, he said, and
the AU needed to take control of the process in the interest
of harmonization. The AU wants to create an ASF that can be
implementable and stand the test of time, BG Hassan
commented.


6. (SBU) ASF focal point Col. Mbaye elaborated on the AU
concept for ASF. He said that the AU envisions one brigade
per each of the five regions. A region would be free to
manage the brigade within the region itself, but not outside
the region. According to Col. Mbaye, any deployment would
still require an AU mandate. While noting that the AU-RECs
memorandum of understanding and ASF workshops will clarify
details, Col. Mbaye said that the AU assumes that each region
will have its own depot and that the AU will maintain a
reserve logistics depot in Addis Ababa. Field Operations
Director Gen. Jaotody added that the AU shares partner
concerns about the need for interoperability, and that ASF
guidance will point to where interoperability should be taken
into account.

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AU GRATEFUL FOR USG SUPPORT, DIALOGUE TO CONTINUE
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7. (SBU) BG Hassan said that G8 and USG support for ASF is
key to its success. He looked forward to the EUCOM-sponsored
Africa Endeavor (AE) conference (scheduled for February) as a
useful contribution to the U.S. partner lead on C3IS. BG
Hassan also expressed interest in visiting NATO to learn how
NATO may be able to contribute to the ASF effort. BG Hassan
noted that African ownership is important, but the AU also
relies on partners for expertise and funding. He urged
patience as the AU works to bring its regions together under
an AU umbrella for ASF.


8. (SBU) Maj Gen Gration noted that a dialogue with the AU as
it further develops ASF strategy is essential to ensure that
partners deliver the right type of support to the AU. He
said that the USG works within the Africa Clearinghouse
mechanism to coordinate AU assistance. EUCOM and other
actors want to deliver support that matches AU intent for
deployment location, duration and purpose. Maj Gen Gration
stated that the USG wants to work within an AU-led process to
deliver the most effective support possible given limited
resources. He encouraged the AU to dialogue regularly with
the Addis-based EUCOM liaison officer.


9. (SBU) BG Hassan agreed with the need to keep partners
informed as the AU further develops its ASF strategy
documents. The AU sees ASF as eventually applicable to not
only African-led peacekeeping operations and enhanced African
contribution to UN operations, but also to the global war on
terror, BG Hassan concluded.


10. (SBU) Note: The AU is looking to lead partners to
coordinate funding for each of the five ASF workshops and
relevant pre-meetings. The AU estimates the cost for the
USG-led C3IS workshop at USD 123,000. Budget and related
documents were sent to AF/RSA. End note.

11. (U) This cable was cleared by EUCOM Polad Amb. Yates.






HUDDLESTON