TANZANIA: PRESIDENT KIKWETE ON DEPLOYMENT TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000158 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/FO FSANNEH ALSO FOR AF/RSA MBITTRICK AND AF/E FOR B YODER ADDIS FOR AU MISSION LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2017 TAGS: PREL KPKO MARR SU KE TZ SUBJECT: TANZANIA: PRESIDENT KIKWETE ON DEPLOYMENT TO SOMALIA AND DARFUR REF: A. STATE 011794 ¶B. DAR ES SALAAM 0126 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission, D. Purnell Delly for reasons 1.4(b,d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. President Kikwete has made clear his preference for building capacity within the Somali TFG military over actual deployment of Tanzanian forces as part of a peacekeeping mission. He intends to train up to 1,000 members of the Somali military (and Somali intelligence) over the next year, and requests U.S. assistance with uniforms and equipment. Kikwete has also reaffirmed his commitment to Darfur, but only as part of a UN force, not AMIS, and in a stable rather than warring environment. If any future hybrid or UN force is in the middle of a shooting war in Darfur, Tanzania would be reluctant to deploy. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) In the past seventy-two hours the Ambassador has sought to clarify where Tanzania stands on possible deployment to Somalia and Darfur. In contacts with the Defense Minister, Deputy Permanent Secretary at MFA, and State House, we now have the lay of the land on these two issues, as well as areas where A/S Frazer may wish to place emphasis while she is in Dar es Salaam on February 9 (see Para. 5) SOMALIA -------------- ¶3. (C) In a February 1 meeting with his new Foreign Minister, Bernard Membe, and with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Charles Sanga, President Kikwete made clear that, while Tanzania does not intend to deploy troops to Somalia at this time, it does want to take a lead role in developing capacity with the TFG military; specifically, by training 1,000 entry-level officers in Tanzania over the next year. (Comment: Tanzania already takes an active training role within SADC.) Sanga told the Ambassador February 2 that President Kikwete had also said training would extend to the TFG intelligence services. At the same time, Kikwete has requested whatever support the U.S. could provide to either of these training efforts, including uniforms and equipment. DARFUR -------------- ¶4. (C) Tanzania,s position has not changed on Darfur: Once the peacekeeping operation is a UN-hatted force, Tanzania will consider deployment. However, relations are strained at the moment between Sudan and Tanzania, stemming in part from Kikwete,s vocal opposition within the African Union, both in January 2006 and at the recent summit in Addis Ababa (January 29 to 30),to Sudan,s campaign for the chair (Ref B). Tanzania believes militia supported by the Sudanese government might single out Tanzanian forces and put them at greater risk. In short, Tanzania does not want to find itself in a peace enforcement (rather than peacekeeping) operation in Darfur. COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (C) We suggest A/S Frazer may wish to consider the following approach to President Kikwete when she sees him in Dar es Salaam February 9 for a meeting of the International Contact Group on Somalia: -- Push gently for a firmer commitment on Darfur. Tanzania,s position on peacekeeping has evolved rapidly (and in the right direction) since Kikwete was inaugurated in December 2005. We believe it will continue to evolve, particularly as Kikwete looks ahead to possible chairmanship of the AU next year. With countries like Nigeria and Rwanda so actively engaged in peacekeeping deployments, we think Kikwete will be looking for opportunities to establish Tanzania,s own peacekeeping credentials in some way. But he is right in saying his forces need both training and equipping. -- Point out that any commitment to Darfur (or Somalia) DAR ES SAL 00000158 002 OF 002 would trigger USD 1 million in equipment assistance for each battalion deployed. The Tanzania People's Defense Force (TPDF) has repeatedly asked for such assistance. -- Stress that the December 2006 ACOTA strategy conference in Dar es Salaam was a success, with strong turnout on the Tanzanian side, but that we still do not have a formal green light from the Government of Tanzania (GOT) to initiate the first phase of actual battalion training (for the first of three battalions),tentatively scheduled for March 12 to May 26, 2007. If we do not get that green light soon, this date will have to slip. If the training gets underway on schedule in mid-March, the TPDF would have three battalions fully trained in peacekeeping by March 28, 2008. RETZER