LIBERIA: LEGISLATORS KEEN ON LIBERIA HOSTING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MONROVIA 001393

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR AMGT ASEC PHUM LI
SUBJECT: LIBERIA: LEGISLATORS KEEN ON LIBERIA HOSTING
AFRICOM

Classified By: Ambassador Donald E. Booth for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY. Ambassador briefed Senators and
Representatives serving on key legislative committees on the
United States Africa Command (AFRICOM),and responded to
their questions. The legislators expressed overwhelming
support for the initiative and reiterated President Sirleaf's
request that Liberia be chosen as the site for the new
headquarters. They acknowledged, however, that there were
many misconceptions about the true purpose of AFRICOM and
expressed the need to educate their fellow lawmakers and
constituents about the command. They asked for continued
Embassy assistance to help counter arguments against AFRICOM,
and two legislators who also hold seats in the ECOWAS and
Pan-African Parliaments agreed to lobby their African
counterparts on behalf of AFRICOM. END SUMMARY.

CLARIFYING THE ROLE OF AFRICOM
--------------


2. (U) In separate meetings for Senators and Representatives,
the Ambassador, along with chief ODC representative in
Monrovia and EmbOffs, briefed the legislators on the history
and purpose of AFRICOM, clarifying some of the basics, such
as the command's possible footprint, and the interagency
structure, assuring the legislators that the military would
not "take over USAID", as one Senator put it. Several
legislators stressed the need to open a public dialogue on
AFRICOM to correct misperceptions. All appreciated the value
of interagency coordination on conflict prevention.

LOBBYING AT THE PAN-AFRICAN AND ECOWAS PARLIAMENTS
-------------- --------------


3. (C) Representative Eugene F. Kparkar of Lofa County, one
of Liberia,s representatives to the Pan-African Parliament,
said that a member of parliament from Botswana had severely
criticized AFRICOM at the last Pan-African meeting, calling
it an "anti-African Union measure" and "U.S.
neo-colonialism." Kparkar said he rebutted in favor of an
AFRICOM presence on the continent and will continue to do so,
but requested that the U.S. step up advocacy efforts with
other African countries so that Liberia was not isolated in
its position. Senator Prince Johnson said many ECOWAS
Parliament members in a recent meeting argued that the
AFRICOM headquarters would be a target for terrorists.
Johnson said he countered that AFRICOM,s fundamental role is
to bring stability to the continent and ultimately help
Africa fight global threats itself. The security brought by
AFRICOM would help foster development.

WAYS FOR LEGISLATORS TO BE MORE INFORMED ON AFRICOM
-------------- --------------


4. (C) Representative Richard Saah Gbollie of Margibi County,
Chairman of House Committee on National Security, appreciated
the Ambassador,s efforts to reach out to the legislature on
AFRICOM, saying that it cannot be a GOL Executive
Branch-to-USG Executive Branch decision. He asserted that
the Liberian Senate would ultimately have to approve any
agreement for Liberia to host AFRICOM and said the
legislature should be included in all the discussions about
the command from now on. He suggested that members of the
Liberian legislature fly to Washington to meet with the
appropriate U.S. House and Senate Committees to discuss
AFRICOM. (Note: Ambassador discouraged this blatant request
for a free trip to the U.S.) Representative Rufus Gbeior of
Grand Gedeh County, Chairman of House Committee on Defense,
said legislators would benefit from traveling to Stuttgart,
Germany to see the current AFRICOM headquarters. He said
that after spending a couple of days there, he and his
colleagues would be able to personally vouch for what AFRICOM
is and is not and would have a better understanding of its
mission.

SENATOR OFFERS TO TABLE RESOLUTION TO HOST AFRICOM
-------------- --------------


5. (C) Senator Johnson said the Liberian Special Security
Services had been advising President Sirleaf not to offer to
host AFRICOM because of an increased terrorist threat, but
that they were the only GOL agency that felt that way.
Johnson said he would be willing to introduce a bill in the
Senate to support AFRICOM because of the stability it could
bring to all of Africa. He and the other Senators present
agreed that they would introduce a formal resolution echoing
President Sirleaf,s offer for Liberia to host AFRICOM when
the legislature reopens in January.

MONROVIA 00001393 002 OF 002



6. (C) COMMENT. The legislators were overall highly
supportive of AFRICOM, pledging to do whatever they could to
bring the command,s headquarters to Liberia. However, both
the Senators and Representatives expressed frustration over
the Executive Branch, and particularly Defense Minister
Brownie Samukai, for not consulting them on a number of
military and security sector issues, including AFRICOM.
While we cannot get in the middle of this tug-of-war with the
two branches, we need to recognize the complicated nature of
the relationship of all these actors with checkered and
sometimes violent pasts, and do our best to ensure that all
parties feel part of the process. Whether or not an AFRICOM
presence comes to Liberia, the legislators remain an
excellent resource for us in the public relations effort on
AFRICOM, both in Liberia and all over the African continent
through the Pan-African Parliament and ECOWAS. They are
eager and willing to help. It is in our interest to keep
them involved. END COMMENT.
Booth