AMISOM: FRENCH MFA SAYS NEW RESOURCES NOT LIKELY

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 003342 SIPDIS SIPDIS AF/RSA FOR BITTRICK AND ORTH AF/E FOR GAREY LONDON FOR BELL ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2017 TAGS: KPKO MOPS PHUM PREL EUN SO FR SUBJECT: AMISOM: FRENCH MFA SAYS NEW RESOURCES NOT LIKELY TO ASSIST BURUNDI CONCERNING SOMALIA REF: STATE 110195 Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, 1.4 (b/d ). ¶1. (C) France is not likely to provide additional resources to assist Burundi and the AU to facilitate Burundi's participation in AMISOM, MFA Somalia Desk Officer Thierry Caboche explained on August 8 in response to reftel. Caboche noted the contributions France is already making bilaterally and through the EU and he commented that other Africa-related projects, such as the intended deployment in eastern Chad and part of the C.A.R. of an EU peacekeeping mission to be led by France, would place competing demands on French resources. ¶2. (C) Caboche said that the GOF was aware of AMISOM's problems and would take U.S. views into account. While France was not likely to provide the specific assistance requested reftel, Caboche said that the GOF was considering other ways to ease the situation in Somalia. France was seeking ways to increase the international community's provision of humanitarian assistance and to improve the anti-piracy campaign. He said that reducing piracy would facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Somalia because a large proportion of such assistance must be delivered by ship. He reiterated, however, that France was not likely to provide additional assistance regarding Burundi and AMISOM. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm PEKALA