PISCES AND THE IMPERATIVE OF TANZANIA'S BORDER

S E C R E T DAR ES SALAAM 000814 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT S/CT FOR BPHIPPS AND FVOGEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2012 TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV PINS PBTS PINR SNAR KFRD TZ XW SUBJECT: PISCES AND THE IMPERATIVE OF TANZANIA'S BORDER SECURITY REF: DAR ES SALAAM 1936 Classified By: Charge D'Affaires, D. Purnell Delly, for reason 1.4 (b a nd d). ¶1. (S) SUMMARY. This is an action request (see para 7). It would be a major mistake to cut off funding for Tanzania's Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System (PISCES),which serves as an important border management tool for both Tanzania and the U.S. In a country with porous borders and turbulent neighbors, PISCES enables the Government of Tanzania (GOT) to capture data on 95 percent of the travelers passing through its key entry points. In this respect, we see PISCES as a vital part of the Secretary's Regional Security Initiative (RSI) and our MSP counterterorrism (CT) goal. On a weekly basis, PISCES enables Post to use data which has been obtained from the system for CT tracking purposes. Thus, Post is concerned that funding has not been forthcoming for connecting and expanding PISCES, and is even more concerned that funding for PISCES has been cut off entirely for Tanzania. Without U.S. assistance, Tanzania does not have the resources or technical ability to sustain and maintain the system. END SUMMARY. Tanzania Using PISCES at 5 Key Border Points -------------- ¶2. (C) Bordering eight countries and with a 1,500 kilometer coastline, Tanzania's ability to protect and manage its borders is vital to U.S. counterterrorism (CT) efforts in the region. In 2002, the U.S. began partnering with Tanzania's Immigration Department to launch PISCES at key points of entry such as the Dar es Salaam International Airport (DIA) and the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA). By 2005, U.S. assistance trained 180 immigration officers and successfully installed PISCES at Tanzania's five major border posts: DIA, KIA, Dar es Salaam Port, Namanga (Kenya/Tanzania land border crossing),and Zanzibar International Airport. PISCES Benefits Border Management and CT Tracking -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) According to a 2005 survey by the International Organization on Migration, PISCES was being used to screen 95 percent of all travelers passing through the five major border crossings in Tanzania. The system captures data on the movement of persons across key border points and checks individuals against the Tanzanian Immigration Department's Prohibited Immigrants (PI) list. Head of Immigration, Kinemo Kihomano, has told RSO Anne Brunn that PISCES has significantly enhanced the GOT's ability to keep out unwanted travelers including narco-traffickers. ¶4. (S) Information from PISCES has also enhanced the U.S.' ability to monitor and assess patterns of certain travelers entering Tanzania. In its interaction with Tanzanian intelligence authorities, GRPO obtains information captured by PISCES at least once per week for counterterrorism tracking purposes. PISCES has also enabled GRPO to develop closer ties with Tanzanian intelligence and law enforcement officials, improving our partnership with the GOT on CT. Over time, our aim is to pursue the regional exchange of names and data among East African countries under the Regional Security Initiative (RSI). Installation Complete: What About Phase Two and Three? -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) When launched in 2002, the PISCES implementation plan comprised three main phases: (i) installation; (ii) connection; and (iii) expansion. With PISCES installed at five major border crossings, phase one is now complete in Tanzania. However, Tanzania has yet to receive assistance for phase two and three to connect its systems or to expand to new border points. While Tanzania is currently using PISCES quite effectively as a border management tool, PISCES could be significantly more effective as a counterterrorism tool if the systems were connected and if there was a central unit installed. This would greatly increase the sharing of information including names of prohibited travelers between border points and among law enforcement agencies. ¶6. (C) Laurence Smith, the PISCES contractor based in Nairobi, told PolCons on June 5 that Tanzania has been using the PISCES system at five border posts, "more than many other PISCES countries I have worked with." As an implementer of the project, Smith concurred that Phase I has been successful in Tanzania and that expansion of the PISCES program including the interconnection of posts would allow the Tanzanians to use PISCES to its full potential for both border control and CT purposes. Tanzania's Request: Please Don't Abandon PISCES -------------- --- ¶7. (SBU) In a letter to the Embassy dated May 11, Director of Immigration P. Mgonja expressed his concern that the U.S. had not allocated funds for PISCES in 2007. Mgonja referenced his conversation with Darin Olson, Managing Director of Griffin International (a former USG contractor providing support and maintenance on PISCES). He requested official notification to confirm if the USG had, in fact, made the decision to stop funding PISCES. "We humbly request an official note from the Embassy regarding this abrupt decision." ¶8. (SBU) Action Request: Post requests clarification on FY 2007 and FY 2008 funding allocations for PISCES in Tanzania so that Post can inform Tanzania's Department of Immigration on the USG's plan of support for PISCES. Mission's Request: Please Connect and Expand PISCES -------------- -------------- ¶9. (S) Over the past several years, the Mission has consistently identified PISCES as a key component of its counterterrorism strategy. In Post's FY 2007 Mission Performance Plan, (MPP),FY 2008 MPP, FY 2007 Operational Plan, and FY 2009 Mission Strategic Plan (MSP),all stressed the importance of PISCES and increased border security for the Mission's CT goal. In its FY 2008 MPP, Post outlined its aim to achieve phase two and three of PISCES implementation (connection and expansion) by FY 2009. While benefits of PISCES are evident from installation and screening at five border points, there is widespread recognition that connectivity would translate into crucial gains for CT tracking. Expansion is also important as GRPO has expressed particular interest in the triangle of travel between Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, and Tanga. Comment: Let's Realize the Full Potential of PISCES -------------- -------------- ¶10. (C) The USG has made a wise investment to date with PISCES in Tanzania. To gain the most from this investment, however, we must continue with phase two and three of implementation. The Mission agrees that Tanzanian authorities are already using PISCES consistently but that benefits could be amplified for CT purposes if the systems were connected and eventually expanded to other critical border points including Tanga and Zanzibar port. In short, Post is seriously concerned that assistance for the PISCES program in Tanzania has been cut. The GOT lacks resources to sustain the system. Thus, without additional support to maintain and upgrade software and connect the systems, it is likely that the U.S. investment in PISCES will have gone to waste. Post would appreciate learning the next steps forward to ensure that both the USG and GOT are able to realize the full potential of PISCES as a border management and CT tool. END COMMENT. DELLY