Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BRUSSELS3489
2007-12-12 12:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USEU Brussels
Cable title:
A/S FRAZER TO EU: U.S. SUPPORTS MISSION TO CHAD/CAR
how-toVZCZCXRO9853 RR RUEHAG RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHTRO DE RUEHBS #3489 3461259 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 121259Z DEC 07 FM USEU BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE RUCNMEU/EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 003489
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2017
TAGS: PREL AF EUN
SUBJECT: A/S FRAZER TO EU: U.S. SUPPORTS MISSION TO CHAD/CAR
Classified By: Deputy Pol MinCouns Vincent Carver for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 003489
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2017
TAGS: PREL AF EUN
SUBJECT: A/S FRAZER TO EU: U.S. SUPPORTS MISSION TO CHAD/CAR
Classified By: Deputy Pol MinCouns Vincent Carver for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).
1. (C) Summary: In a series of meetings with EU officials
Dec. 6-7, A/S Frazer expressed U.S. political support for the
planned EU military mission to Chad and the Central African
Republic. The Director for Defense Aspects of the European
Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) said the U.S. could assist
deployment of the currently under-funded and under-equipped
EU Force to Chad/CAR by rallying political support in the UN
for MINURCAT, the UN follow-on mission to the EU Force, and
by lobbying EU Member States to offer helicopters and
financing. A/S Frazer also briefed contacts at the Council
Secretariat and European Commission as well as select
SIPDIS
Political and Security Committee (PSC) ambassadors on the
Secretary's recent meetings in Addis on issues in the Great
SIPDIS
Lakes, Somalia and Sudan. End Summary.
2. (C) In a meeting Dec. 7, Claude-France Arnould, Director
for Defense Aspects of ESDP, proposed an ambitious agenda for
EU-U.S. cooperation on political-military issues. She said
U.S. support will be crucial in obtaining final UN approval
for MINURCAT, the UN mission that is to replace the EU
mission after one year. Arnould said the planned EU Force is
stalled because EU Member States are not committing the
necessary equipment and financial support. She noted that
Germany's attitude has been particularly troublesome because
it will contribute neither troops nor additional funding.
Reasons include Germany's general reluctance to engage
militarily in the world, and the view of Germany's Ambassador
to Chad who believes the force will simply aid the "no good"
Deby regime, Arnould said. Member States like Hungary,
Slovakia, and the Baltics would prefer to see the EU engage
in conflicts closer to home, such as Georgia, instead of
going all the way to Africa, she added.
3. (C) In addition to the issue of financing and materiel,
Arnould said the EU mission to Chad/CAR has a symbolic
problem at the moment because it will primarily be composed
of French troops, which makes it more of a French mission
than an EU mission. She asked A/S Frazer if the U.S. would
consider financing third countries to participate in the EU
Mission. A/S Frazer said the U.S. might be able to assist
with training and preparing African troops, but Arnould said
President Deby would likely reject African troops. He
already had turned down the EU's request to include Moroccans
in the EU force, she said. Arnould predicted that the Dec.
14 European Council meeting will include an attempt by
President Sarkozy to convince Chancellor Merkel and PM Brown
to more fully support the EU mission. She asked for the U.S.
to continue stressing its support for the EU Mission to
Chad/CAR in its discussions with EU Member States.
4. (C) Other potential areas of U.S.-EU pol-mil cooperation
raised by Arnould included the following: regular contacts
between EU and AFRICOM officials as AFRICOM develops;
continued videoconferences between Washington and Brussels;
and possible placement of a U.S. liaison for civilian and
humanitarian aspects of the EU Mission to Chad/CAR. A/S
Frazer expressed general support for Arnould's proposals and
agreed to follow up through USEU.
5. (C) In separate meetings with Council Secretariat and
Commission officials and PSC Ambassadors, A/S Frazer briefed
on Secretary Rice's recent meetings in Addis with the
Tripartite Plus heads of state, and ministers from Somalia
and Sudan. In particular, she urged consideration of having
the UN take over the financing of AMISOM so that peacekeepers
can deploy to Somalia. She said Ethiopia is growing weary of
the long wait for AMISOM deployment and is looking at
alternatives such as quickly training military and police
forces from Somalia's Transitional Federal Government. On
the issue of the Great Lakes, EU Envoy to the Great Lakes
Roeland Van De Geer told A/S Frazer he had received reports
that rebel leader Laurent Nkunda was in Rwanda for a medical
check-up. A/S Frazer said she doubted this was true and that
she had just seen President Kagame and was certain that, if
true, he was unaware of Nkunda being in his country.
6. (U) A/S Frazer has cleared this report.
MURRAY
.
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2017
TAGS: PREL AF EUN
SUBJECT: A/S FRAZER TO EU: U.S. SUPPORTS MISSION TO CHAD/CAR
Classified By: Deputy Pol MinCouns Vincent Carver for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).
1. (C) Summary: In a series of meetings with EU officials
Dec. 6-7, A/S Frazer expressed U.S. political support for the
planned EU military mission to Chad and the Central African
Republic. The Director for Defense Aspects of the European
Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) said the U.S. could assist
deployment of the currently under-funded and under-equipped
EU Force to Chad/CAR by rallying political support in the UN
for MINURCAT, the UN follow-on mission to the EU Force, and
by lobbying EU Member States to offer helicopters and
financing. A/S Frazer also briefed contacts at the Council
Secretariat and European Commission as well as select
SIPDIS
Political and Security Committee (PSC) ambassadors on the
Secretary's recent meetings in Addis on issues in the Great
SIPDIS
Lakes, Somalia and Sudan. End Summary.
2. (C) In a meeting Dec. 7, Claude-France Arnould, Director
for Defense Aspects of ESDP, proposed an ambitious agenda for
EU-U.S. cooperation on political-military issues. She said
U.S. support will be crucial in obtaining final UN approval
for MINURCAT, the UN mission that is to replace the EU
mission after one year. Arnould said the planned EU Force is
stalled because EU Member States are not committing the
necessary equipment and financial support. She noted that
Germany's attitude has been particularly troublesome because
it will contribute neither troops nor additional funding.
Reasons include Germany's general reluctance to engage
militarily in the world, and the view of Germany's Ambassador
to Chad who believes the force will simply aid the "no good"
Deby regime, Arnould said. Member States like Hungary,
Slovakia, and the Baltics would prefer to see the EU engage
in conflicts closer to home, such as Georgia, instead of
going all the way to Africa, she added.
3. (C) In addition to the issue of financing and materiel,
Arnould said the EU mission to Chad/CAR has a symbolic
problem at the moment because it will primarily be composed
of French troops, which makes it more of a French mission
than an EU mission. She asked A/S Frazer if the U.S. would
consider financing third countries to participate in the EU
Mission. A/S Frazer said the U.S. might be able to assist
with training and preparing African troops, but Arnould said
President Deby would likely reject African troops. He
already had turned down the EU's request to include Moroccans
in the EU force, she said. Arnould predicted that the Dec.
14 European Council meeting will include an attempt by
President Sarkozy to convince Chancellor Merkel and PM Brown
to more fully support the EU mission. She asked for the U.S.
to continue stressing its support for the EU Mission to
Chad/CAR in its discussions with EU Member States.
4. (C) Other potential areas of U.S.-EU pol-mil cooperation
raised by Arnould included the following: regular contacts
between EU and AFRICOM officials as AFRICOM develops;
continued videoconferences between Washington and Brussels;
and possible placement of a U.S. liaison for civilian and
humanitarian aspects of the EU Mission to Chad/CAR. A/S
Frazer expressed general support for Arnould's proposals and
agreed to follow up through USEU.
5. (C) In separate meetings with Council Secretariat and
Commission officials and PSC Ambassadors, A/S Frazer briefed
on Secretary Rice's recent meetings in Addis with the
Tripartite Plus heads of state, and ministers from Somalia
and Sudan. In particular, she urged consideration of having
the UN take over the financing of AMISOM so that peacekeepers
can deploy to Somalia. She said Ethiopia is growing weary of
the long wait for AMISOM deployment and is looking at
alternatives such as quickly training military and police
forces from Somalia's Transitional Federal Government. On
the issue of the Great Lakes, EU Envoy to the Great Lakes
Roeland Van De Geer told A/S Frazer he had received reports
that rebel leader Laurent Nkunda was in Rwanda for a medical
check-up. A/S Frazer said she doubted this was true and that
she had just seen President Kagame and was certain that, if
true, he was unaware of Nkunda being in his country.
6. (U) A/S Frazer has cleared this report.
MURRAY
.