Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KIGALI1085
2007-11-26 15:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kigali
Cable title:
PRESIDENT KAGAME ON SOMALIA: INTERNATIONAL
how-toVZCZCXYZ0012 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHLGB #1085 3301537 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 261537Z NOV 07 FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4937 INFO RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0170 RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 0195 RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 1012 RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1771 RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0333 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0142 RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 1081 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0374 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0094
C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 001085
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2017
TAGS: PREL MOPS MASS RW
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KAGAME ON SOMALIA: INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY MUST DO MORE
Classified By: DCM Cheryl Sim, reason 1.4 (B/D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 001085
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2017
TAGS: PREL MOPS MASS RW
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KAGAME ON SOMALIA: INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY MUST DO MORE
Classified By: DCM Cheryl Sim, reason 1.4 (B/D)
1. (SBU) In his address to the Africa Caribbean Pacific-EU
Joint Parliamentary Assembly (ACP-EU),meeting in Kigali on
November 19, President Kagame raised the situation in Somalia
and called upon the international community to "do far more
than we have done so far." Noting that innocent Somalis were
dying day by day and Somalia did not have a functioning state
for more than a decade, he called for an "immediate
international intervention to maintain peace," and to "permit
the Somali people to rebuild their country." President
Kagame also noted the "modest" contribution Rwanda was making
to the training of Somalia's Transitional Federal
Government's (TFG) armed forces.
2. (SBU) Rwanda undertook this commitment to train Somali
troops earlier this year, while declining to send troops to
participate in the African Union peace-keeping mission
(AMISOM). For the past six months, Rwanda has conducted
infantry training for approximately 100 Somali
non-commissioned officers at the Rwanda Military Academy near
Ruhengeri. They recently completed their training, and
another 400 reportedly will be trained in the near future.
Army Chief of Staff General Kayonga described to DCM the
Somalis' poor physical condition upon arrival, noting that
many of them had smoked cigarettes or chewed khat - habits
now broken due to the Rwandan military's general disdain for
tobacco and the unavailability of khat locally. Kayonga said
he was impressed by the progress the Somalis made during
their training, adding that the Somali NCOs had adapted well
to the Rwanda Defense Forces training methods and discipline.
(FYI: Rwanda hopes for donor assistance with the next
training program for Somalia soldiers; the just-completed
training was done with Government of Rwanda GOR funds. End
FYI)
3. (SBU) Separately, Foreign Minister Charles Murigande told
us on November 26 that Rwanda had decided to make regular
statements on the Somalia situation, as the security
situation was grave. He echoed the President's comments that
"more needs to be done."
4. (C) Comment. With three (now four) battalions in
Darfur, and with outstanding logistical and funding
disagreements with the African Union in regard to its Darfur
deployment, Rwanda was unwilling to send forces of its own to
Somalia. In calling for an "international intervention" in
Somalia, Rwanda has begun to signal that something more than
the AMISOM may be needed. End comment.
ARIETTI
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2017
TAGS: PREL MOPS MASS RW
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KAGAME ON SOMALIA: INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY MUST DO MORE
Classified By: DCM Cheryl Sim, reason 1.4 (B/D)
1. (SBU) In his address to the Africa Caribbean Pacific-EU
Joint Parliamentary Assembly (ACP-EU),meeting in Kigali on
November 19, President Kagame raised the situation in Somalia
and called upon the international community to "do far more
than we have done so far." Noting that innocent Somalis were
dying day by day and Somalia did not have a functioning state
for more than a decade, he called for an "immediate
international intervention to maintain peace," and to "permit
the Somali people to rebuild their country." President
Kagame also noted the "modest" contribution Rwanda was making
to the training of Somalia's Transitional Federal
Government's (TFG) armed forces.
2. (SBU) Rwanda undertook this commitment to train Somali
troops earlier this year, while declining to send troops to
participate in the African Union peace-keeping mission
(AMISOM). For the past six months, Rwanda has conducted
infantry training for approximately 100 Somali
non-commissioned officers at the Rwanda Military Academy near
Ruhengeri. They recently completed their training, and
another 400 reportedly will be trained in the near future.
Army Chief of Staff General Kayonga described to DCM the
Somalis' poor physical condition upon arrival, noting that
many of them had smoked cigarettes or chewed khat - habits
now broken due to the Rwandan military's general disdain for
tobacco and the unavailability of khat locally. Kayonga said
he was impressed by the progress the Somalis made during
their training, adding that the Somali NCOs had adapted well
to the Rwanda Defense Forces training methods and discipline.
(FYI: Rwanda hopes for donor assistance with the next
training program for Somalia soldiers; the just-completed
training was done with Government of Rwanda GOR funds. End
FYI)
3. (SBU) Separately, Foreign Minister Charles Murigande told
us on November 26 that Rwanda had decided to make regular
statements on the Somalia situation, as the security
situation was grave. He echoed the President's comments that
"more needs to be done."
4. (C) Comment. With three (now four) battalions in
Darfur, and with outstanding logistical and funding
disagreements with the African Union in regard to its Darfur
deployment, Rwanda was unwilling to send forces of its own to
Somalia. In calling for an "international intervention" in
Somalia, Rwanda has begun to signal that something more than
the AMISOM may be needed. End comment.
ARIETTI