FIJI AND PKO PARTICIPATION: CURRENT PROSPECTS FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000352

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

ROME PLEASE PASS TO MFO: AMB. LAROCCO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2016
TAGS: MARR KPKO MCAP PREL FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI AND PKO PARTICIPATION: CURRENT PROSPECTS FOR
IRAQ, LEBANON, EAST TIMOR, AND ELSEWHERE

REF: SUVA 340

Classified By: Amb. Dinger. Sec. 1.4 (B,D)

Summary
--------------

1. (C) Fiji's Home Affairs Minister and CEO informed us that
Fiji's Cabinet has approved deployment of 34 more troops to
UNAMI in Iraq and 2 officers to East Timor. A request for
Fiji to join the Coalition of the Willing in Iraq is before
Cabinet, but no decision appears imminent. The Minister said
the UN has not asked Fiji to contribute to the expanded
UNIFIL in Lebanon, though we are told the UN Peacekeeping
Commission did initiate an informal query via the Fiji MFA
about capacity some while ago. When the Minister asked about
assistance for a Lebanon mission, we noted it is a UN
operation. We accented active USG FMF and IMET support to
build Fiji's PKO capacities and a U.S. willingness to
consider assistance for an Iraq Coalition deployment. In
discussion of a Cabinet review of PKO issues, we urged
confirmation, even expansion, of Fiji's efforts. The
Minister and military commander plan to travel to Iraq, the
Sinai, Rome, Sudan, and Liberia soon. The Baghdad stop could
be an opportunity to discuss the Coalition option. End
Summary.

Ministerial oversight trip re PKO for Cabinet review
-------------- --------------

2. (C) In a conversation on August 30, Fiji Minister for Home
Affairs Vosanibola described to the Ambassador and DATT the
state of play regarding the Fiji Cabinet's ongoing assessment
of peacekeeping prospects. As part of that assessment, the
Minister, Home Affairs CEO Korovavala, and Republic of Fiji
Military Forces (RFMF) Commander Bainimarama are planning a
trip to Baghdad, the Sinai, Rome (MFO HQ),the Sudan, and
Liberia in the coming weeks (The RFMF says the dates are Oct.
10 - Nov. 7). RFMF troops are with UNAMI in Iraq, the MFO in
the Sinai, and with UN forces in Sudan and Bosnia. A few
Fiji Police are deployed in Liberia. (Note: We pleaded for
early notice of details for the Iraq portion of the trip to
facilitate travel there. We hear the Iraq dates are Nov.
2-4.)

More troops to UNAMI
--------------

3. (C) On Iraq, Vosanibola said a Cabinet meeting on August
29 approved the immediate one-year deployment of another 34
RFMF troops to UNAMI, to be located at "Bechtel" in/near
Baghdad. These troops supplement the 189 already on the
ground protecting UN forces in Baghdad (134) and Erbil (55),
and they are taken from a contingent that had been preparing
for a UN deployment to Basra that seems stalled.

No word re Coalition of the Willing
--------------

4. (C) We asked the status of the U.S. and RFMF request for
Fiji to join the Coalition of the Willing in Iraq.
Vosanibola said the issue is before the Cabinet, but no
decision has been made. We reiterated the USG's strong
interest in Fiji joining the Coalition.

Two officers to East Timor
--------------

5. (U). Vosanibola confirmed a press report that Cabinet has
decided to respond to a UN request to send an RFMF Colonel
and a Major to East Timor.

Lebanon? No formal UN request yet
--------------

6. (C) A senior MFA official recently indicated publicly that
Fiji has been approached by the UN to consider renewing its
participation in UNIFIL in Lebanon. Fiji had troops there
for over 20 years before UNIFIL's scale-down. When we asked
the status of such a request, Vosanibola replied that,
actually, the UN has not yet asked. (Note: We heard a few
weeks ago from MFA that the new UN Peacekeeping Commission
inquired about what Fiji might be able to contribute in

SUVA 00000352 002 OF 002


Lebanon, but apparently no formal request has followed.) The
RFMF has been calculating what assets it might be able to
contribute to UNIFIL, but lack of clarity about what external
assistance would be available to support a Fiji deployment --
including armored vehicles, transport, etc. -- and
uncertainty about new UNIFIL rules of engagement have
hindered planning.

U.S. assistance?
--------------

7. (C) Vosanibola asked if the U.S. would be able to assist a
Fiji deployment to Lebanon. We responded that we have
received no guidance. We did suggest that, since the Lebanon
operation is under the UN, it is likely any discussion of
assistance would be in UN channels. We noted that the U.S.
would be able to discuss assistance directly for a deployment
to the Coalition in Iraq. We affirmed the U.S. view that
Fiji's PKO efforts are commendable, contributing to global
peace and security, and we reminded that we have backed that
view with FMF and IMET assistance to build the RFMF's
capacity to have a well-trained and appropriately equipped
PKO force. We suggested that a Fiji Cabinet endorsement,
even expansion, of that PKO role would be very much
appreciated.

Maintaining a 600-person limit
--------------

8. (C) Asked the prospects for Cabinet's review of PKO,
Vosanibola described a degree of concern that troop
contributions crimp Fiji's budget. When we suggested that
actually PKO remittances contribute to Fiji's economic
prosperity, Vosanibola acknowledged the point and said
remittances are important. Still, he said a long-standing,
Cabinet-imposed maximum of 600 Republic of Fiji peacekeepers
deployed abroad remains in place, and Home Affairs does not
advocate revisiting it. CEO Korovavala said, after the
latest Cabinet decisions, Fiji's PKO total will be 578. We
observe that, if the 600 limit stays in place, any new
deployment to Lebanon and/or the Coalition would either have
to be small or would have to draw from current deployments.

Comment
--------------

9. (C) The Home Affairs Ministry gave the impression it does
not expect the Fiji Cabinet review of PKO to rock the boat
very much. On the other hand, we know the RFMF aspires for
some new thinking, in particular about having Fiji troops
join the Coalition in Iraq. The Vosanibola visit to Baghdad
to observe UNAMI can be an opportunity to push for Coalition
participation, as Gen. Abizaid did here last February. We
noted a seeming calm in relations between the Government and
RFMF Commander Bainimarama. Vosanibola indicated the
situation is OK for now. They are talking. The long
PKO-oriented trip would seem a real test of just how
compatible the two men have become.
DINGER