Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DARESSALAAM606
2006-04-13 03:21:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Cable title:  

ACOTA OFFERED, WELL-RECEIVED IN TANZANIA

Tags:  MASS MARR MOPS PREL PGOV ETTC TZ 
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VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDR #0606/01 1030321
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130321Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3751
INFO RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0035
RUEHLU/AMEMBASSY LUANDA 0105
RUEHWD/AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 0279
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

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