ACOTA OFFERED, WELL-RECEIVED IN TANZANIA

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 000606 SIPDIS SIPDIS AF/FO FOR DYAMAMATO, PM/ISO FOR KJACKSON, AF/E FOR BYODER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MASS MARR MOPS PREL PGOV ETTC TZ SUBJECT: ACOTA OFFERED, WELL-RECEIVED IN TANZANIA REF: DAR ES SALAAM 0498 DAR ES SALAAM 0195 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Meetings of the ACOTA (African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance) and Embassy team with officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Ministry of Defense and National Service (MOD) were positive and produced a way forward to bringing Tanzania into the ACOTA program in the relatively near future, possibly in time for announcement at President Kikwete's mid- May visit to Washington. The meetings provided a view of how the ACOTA program fits into the Government of Tanzania's (GOT) regional and national policy goals, and would benefit their peace support operations (PSO) and regional leadership aspirations. A separate meeting with British defense attache addressed ways in which ACOTA and the British Peace Support Team (BPST) can cooperate in Kenya and East Africa. END SUMMARY Key parties present -------------- ¶2. (U) The ACOTA team from Washington, D.C., led by ACOTA Program and Policy Coordinator Chip Beck, with ACOTA Regional Training Manager John Sevold and Major Brent Bidus of EUCOM, joined the DCM, POLMILOFF, and DATT in a round of briefings and discussions with the MFA and MOD on April 3. The MFA and DOD meetings included GOT officials well- positioned to convey the information to their superiors, as well as training representatives who were interested in additional details of the training procedures and methods. Representing the MFA were Ambassador Pastor Ngaiza, Director of the Europe and Americas Division; Ambassador Liberatta Mulamula, Director of the Multilateral Division; Dr. J.M. Biswalo, Acting Director of the Africa and Middle East Division; and Mr. Mwasha, Director of the Policy and Planning Division. General Shimbo, Chief of Intelligence, headed the MOD team of Colonel Katanga, Director of Training, and Colonel Magere, Foreign Affairs Liaison Officer. Aspects of ACOTA-beyond bilateral -------------- - ¶3. (U) Beck provided MFA and MOD officials an overview of ACOTA, including how the peace support training program can accommodate the GOT's national interests, goals, and objectives. Beck also described how the bilateral program is dovetailing increasingly with plans and policies of the African Union (AU),Regional Economic Communities, Regional Brigades, and international peace support operations (PSO) training on the continent. Beck noted that ACOTA representatives have met with the AU's Peace and Security Council and Peace Support Operations Division, and other European donors in an effort to better coordinate and collaborate with all parties on PSO training. Beck also explained why and how the State Department manages the USG PSO program in close collaboration with the Defense Department and EUCOM, clarifying some confusion on the part of the GOT officials. GOT response -------------- ¶4. (U) GOT officials in both meetings were pleased to learn that the ACOTA program is designed to be flexible and to build the GOT's own capabilities and capacities in PSO training, and will be structured with an eye on sustaining those capacities. ¶5. (U) The MFA briefing was particularly positive and engaging, generated many good questions, and concluded with agreement that ACOTA presents a valuable opportunity for Tanzania. All agreed it would be a positive development if the GOT could make a decision to join ACOTA in time for an announcement to be made in mid-May during President Kikwete's visit to Washington. The MFA officials indicated they would encourage a decision in time for this important visit. At later informal discussions, Ambassadors Ngaiza and Mulamula were most gracious in their comments and support for ACOTA. ¶6. (U) The MOD meeting opened with a more somber mood as General Shimbo began by noting that he had been "directed" to attend the ACOTA briefing. At meeting's end, Shimbo admitted that the decision whether or not to join ACOTA will be made by the Minister of Defense and the President. This implied that the decision was a foregone conclusion and likely to be positive as these two key policymakers have indicated interest in ACOTA and have designated international peacekeeping operations support as one of two main national and foreign policy objectives (reftels A and B). General Shimbo put the best face on the PSO training, noting that the "best fighters make the best peacekeepers" and that the GOT welcomed "all" the training, support, and equipment from all parts of the international community. How to sign up . . . -------------- ¶7. (U) The ACOTA team noted that the administrative procedures for joining ACOTA could be as simple as an exchange of diplomatic notes. The need for a 505 end-user agreement was noted, but not viewed as a problem by the GOT officials. In both meetings, Beck mentioned that an Article 98 agreement was not required for ACOTA, but noted that signing an Article 98 opened the door to other military-to- military options that would bring benefits of additional access to training, equipment, and funding. The GOT officials were pleased that Article 98 was not a prerequisite for ACOTA participation. . . . and what happens next -------------- ¶8. (U) The ACOTA team explained the timelines of a Training Strategy Conference (TSC) and actual battalion or specialty training following a decision to join ACOTA. The ACOTA team stressed that even an informal acknowledgement of a positive decision would allow the administrative process to begin. This was duly noted by both the MFA and MOD, particularly the training officers present. ¶9. (U) The ACOTA team discussed the system of training Tanzanian officers and enlisted personnel on both fixed academy and regional training camps. Beck expressed interest in returning to Tanzania with Sevold to view the training areas, as well as any training in progress, in order to get a firsthand assessment of how ACOTA training could be structured to "enhance" the training capabilities the GOT already has. Embassy DATT welcomes such a return visit and the opportunity to join the visit of such locations. The GOT officials seemed open to the idea but did not respond specifically. British invite cooperation in region -------------- ¶10. (U) The regional British Defense Attache visiting from Nairobi, Colonel Jock Inkster, met with Beck, DATT LTC Varhola, and EUCOM's Major Bidus April 4. Inkster assessed Tanzania would be a "good asset" to have in the ACOTA program and noted the British interest in discussing ways in which the British Peace Support Team (BPST) and ACOTA could cooperate in Kenya and East Africa. Inkster conveyed an invitation from the BPST leader in Nairobi for Beck to visit the BPST team there, and to facilitate with the Kenyans a visit to the peacekeeping training center in Karen. Beck noted that ACOTA is already cooperating with BPST elements in South Africa and Nigeria, is working with the MOD PSO components under Colonel Paul Oldfield in London, and would welcome the opportunity to discuss options and coordination in the PSO training field. ¶11. (U) COMMENT: The fact that Namibia is a new ACOTA partner and Luanda is a hopeful for ACOTA probably helped the GOT officials view ACOTA as a program that is gathering steam in the PSO arena and one that they should sign onto while the offer is on the table. ACOTA participation will increase the comfort zone of GOT officials and mentioning the doors that open with an Article 98 agreement allowed the seeds of opportunity to be replanted in the minds of GOT officials. Overall, both the MFA and MOD meetings significantly advanced the technical and diplomatic process for Tanzania to join ACOTA. ¶12. (U) AF/ACOTA Chip Beck cleared this cable prior to departing Dar es Salaam. DELLY