TANZANIA: FORMAL REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE TO TRAIN

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 001119 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT AF/E FOR RMEYERS; AF/RSA FOR MBITTRICK, RORTH ADDIS ABABA FOR AU MISSION NAIROBI SOMALIA UNIT FOR AMB JYATES E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS SO TZ SUBJECT: TANZANIA: FORMAL REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE TO TRAIN SOMALI OFFICERS REF: ORTH (AF/RSA)- JOHNSON (EMB DAR) E-MAIL 07/18/2007 ¶1. (SBU) The Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Patrick Mombo, has delivered to the Deputy Chief of Mission a formal request for USD 4.25 million in financial assistance to support the Tanzanian People's Defence Force (TPDF) training of 1,000 Somali officers (see para 8 for text of diplomatic note). The DCM noted that the USG had previously received from the Ministry of Defense the same equipment and supplies request that was attached as an addendum to the diplomatic note, and assured Mombo the list had been forwarded to the Department. In response, the USG had set aside USD 1.5 million for training of at least 250 cadet officers, including uniforms, supplies and some vehicles. However, the DCM stressed we would forward the Government of Tanzania's request for USD 4.5 million to Washington. ¶2. (SBU) Asked when Tanzania expected to see a list with names of trainees, Mombo said that a State House advisor was in contact with his Somali counterpart pressuring him to provide names for the training. Whatever support the USG could provide to accelerate provision of the names would be welcome. Mombo added that the TPDF remained confident that the list would be forthcoming and had prepared a training center, identified the instructors, and designated the training staff. The TPDF's target is to begin the training in September 2007, yet were in need of further financial support from the international community to fund the training. Mombo reiterated that USD 4.25 million would be required over a twelve month period. Cadets and senior officials to be trained simultaneously -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Mombo stressed that the training of the cadets and the senior officers would take place at the same time, in the same camp, with different course content. In an "Aide Memoire" attached to the Diplomatic Note, the GOT noted that Tanzania wants to contribute to the AU effort to stabilize Somalia, but "in view of the enormous financial outlay required" has asked the USG and other members of the international community to assist financially in the burden-sharing. The aide-memoire stated that the GOT's ;training of the cadet and senior officers is a "risky venture" that does not benefit the Tanzanian society. ¶4. (SBU) Both Permanent Secretary Mombo and Vitus Njiku, Head of MFA's African Department Conflict Resolution Office, told the DCM and PolCouns informally that the GOT also requested assistance from the United Kingdom and the EU to train the Somali officers. However, both the UK and EU missions in Dar es Salaam have told us that no formal request was made to the missions here. Post assumes that if the GOT did request assistance from other donors, the discussions were on the sidelines of London meeting of the International Contact Group on Somalia. ¶5. (SBU) Note: The equipment list Permanent Secretary Mombo gave the DCM was the same list received by the DATT from the Ministry of Defense in February 2007 at the time of the International Contact Group on Somalia meeting in Dar es Salaam. We forwarded this list to the AF Regional Security Affairs (AF/RSA) office at that time. Full text of the Diplomatic Note below and the attached aide-memoire and equipment list have been forwarded to AF/RSA and can be e-mailed on request. Contact: Skye Justice (justicess@state.gov) or Mary Johnson (johnsonmb@state.gov). Comment -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The Tanzanian Government is anxious to move forward on this training to keep its word to the AU. While fully aware the vetted name lists must first be produced by the Somali government, nevertheless, the TPDF has identified a training camp in Arusha, trainers and instructors. Mombo was appreciative that the USG is ready to offer support to train the first batch of 250 cadets. However, the TPDF wants to train the senior officers and cadets simultaneously and is clearly determined to complete training for all 1,000 officers within 12 months. Thus, the GOT is requesting USG support for the entire package, so that once in motion, there would be no delays or breaks in the training program. ¶7. (SBU) Post recommends that the GOT's request to fully fund the Somali officer training be reviewed and considered. Tanzania's goal is to train these officers quickly and move them back to Somalia and into action. However, this objective is dependent on a confirmed and reliable source of funding for the entire 12-month training plan. Text of Diplomatic Note -------------- ¶8. (U) Begin Diplomatic Note CHC 573/699/01, dated July 30, 2007: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America and has the honor to communicate the following: The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania made an offer to train one thousand soldiers from Somalia at Cadet and Senior officers levels in Tanzania, following a request from the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union. Pursuant to this offer, the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia sent a technical team to Dar es Salaam in March 2007 to discuss and agree on training modalities. At this meeting, the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia agreed to submit a list of trainees before training commences. The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania is still waiting for the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia to send the list of Cadets and Officers it intends to train. For its part, the Government of Tanzania has completed preparations of the training site, the identification and the training of the instructors, and the actual training is scheduled to start in September 2007. The training period will be divided into the following phases: ¶1. At the cadet level, two batches of 250 Cadets each will be trained for six months. A total of 500 Cadets are expected to be trained in one year. ¶2. At the Senior Officers level, four batches composed of 125 officers each will be trained for three months per batch. It is expected that a total of 500 Senior Officers will be trained in four batches in one year. As will be gauged from the enclosed attachment, the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania estimates that the financial resources required for the completion of this exercise amount to Tanzania Shillings 5,419,560 or approximately USD 4,250,000 over a twelve month period. This is an extremely burdensome load for the Tanzanian Government. In the spirit of international solidarity and burden sharing, the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania has decided to approach the Government of the United States of America for financial assistance to enable Tanzania to meet this commitment. The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania believes that the issue of peace in Somalia is an international responsibility. While it is ready to play is part, the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania hopes that it would be able to count on the Government of the United States of America to give favorable consideration to this request. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America the assurances of its highest consideration." END TEXT RETZER