NO TROOPS FOR SOMALIA, DOOR OPEN FOR OTHER AID

UNCLAS LUANDA 000057 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/S AND AF/E E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI SO AO SUBJECT: NO TROOPS FOR SOMALIA, DOOR OPEN FOR OTHER AID REF: A. A) STATE 06193 ¶B. B) LUANDA 42 ¶C. C) STATE 05683 ¶1. (SBU) President Eduardo dos Santos and Foreign Minister Joao Bernardo de Miranda publicly rejected the possibility of Angolan military support for the Somali peacekeeping force following a meeting of the Council of Ministers on January 19, 2007. President dos Santos stated that Angolan military forces are currently needed for internal reconstruction, and that sending troops on foreign missions would disrupt national reconstruction and development plans already in place. ¶2. (SBU) The possibility of Angolan military participation sparked intense internal debate, in which a think tank of retired military officers called the timing inopportune and expressed concerns about the logistical problems associated with a long-term deployment. FM Miranda did, however, express solidarity with those working for peace, stability, and self-determination in Africa, and the door was left open to other types of Angolan support for the peacekeeping effort. The GRA plans to send a delegation to the upcoming African Union summit to discuss these issues in greater detail. EFIRD