GOP FORMALLY REQUESTS HUMANITARIAN DEMINING

UNCLAS LIMA 003136 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS PM/WRS EDWARD TRIMAKAS, PM/RSAT SARAH WOLF, WHA/AND BARBARA THOMAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM MCAP MASS MARR AFIN AMGT PE SUBJECT: GOP FORMALLY REQUESTS HUMANITARIAN DEMINING ASSISTANCE ¶1. (U) Summary: On August 1, the GOP formally requested USG assistance for humanitarian demining efforts. Post strongly supports the request and assesses that GOP interest and commitment to the program is high. Demining assistance would contribute to the overall USG foreign policy objective of deepening military co-operation with Peru. Post requests a Policy Assessment Visit as soon as possible to evaluate Peru's land mine situation and to report back to the inter-agency Policy Coordinating Committee. End Summary. ¶2. (U) On August 1, the MFA sent a diplomatic note requesting USG assistance for ongoing humanitarian demining efforts. The note follows a request for assistance made by the MOD's Director of Policy and Strategy, Ambassador Bellina, to DAS Coulter at the bilateral military talks held in Peru June 26. Bellina repeated the request to the Embassy's military group commander after the Ambassador's September 7 meeting with Minister of Defense Wagner and assured Emboffs that the problems associated with the program in the past would not be repeated. ¶3. (U) The diplomatic note reports that Peru has destroyed 1,635 mines since demining efforts resumed one year ago. More than 29,000 anti-personnel mines remain in a 200,000 meter area bordering Ecuador in the departments of the Amazonas and Cajamarca. The program is managed by the Peruvian Anti-Personal Mine Action Center, which includes representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Relations, Defense, Interior, Education, and Health. ¶4. (U) The note describes demining efforts as a "joint Peruvian-Ecuadorian process" and points out that during bilateral talks held on July 6, Peru and Ecuador signed an Act of Understanding creating a joint medical evacuation plan to support demining efforts. (Comment: The area of operations is inaccessible by road from Peru; Peruvian demining teams enter the area through Ecuador with transportation provided by the Ecuadorian military. End Comment) ¶5. (U) Post's political/military committee, chaired by Ambassador McKinley, met on September 4 and strongly endorsed the GOP request. The team noted that Peru has shown genuine interest in deepening military cooperation with the US on a number of issues and has significantly strengthened diplomatic ties with Ecuador to prevent the kind of cross-border disputes that caused earlier Peruvian efforts at demining to fail. ¶6. (U) Post requests a Policy Assessment visit to travel to Peru as soon as possible to evaluate the landmine situation and to report back to the inter-agency Policy Coordination Committee about the potential for resuming a Humanitarian Demining Project. Post accepts the responsibility for providing logistical assistance to the team and for offering administrative support for follow-on visits. ¶7. (U) Post POC is Pol/Mil officer David Boyle, 511-618-2517. Post appreciates the assistance provided by PM/WRA's Edmund Trimakas in facilitating this request. NEALON