Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07PRETORIA300
2007-01-26 10:06:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Pretoria
Cable title:
NO SOUTH AFRICAN TROOPS FOR SOMALIA
how-toVZCZCXRO9334 RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN DE RUEHSA #0300 0261006 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 261006Z JAN 07 FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7893 INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0982 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1111 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0994 RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA 0048 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 0435 RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0339 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
UNCLAS PRETORIA 000300
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS MASS SO SF
SUBJECT: NO SOUTH AFRICAN TROOPS FOR SOMALIA
REF: A. PRETORIA 196 (NOTAL)
B. PRETORIA 103 (NOTAL)
Sensitive but Unclassified. Not for Internet Distribution.
UNCLAS PRETORIA 000300
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS MASS SO SF
SUBJECT: NO SOUTH AFRICAN TROOPS FOR SOMALIA
REF: A. PRETORIA 196 (NOTAL)
B. PRETORIA 103 (NOTAL)
Sensitive but Unclassified. Not for Internet Distribution.
1. (U) South Africa will not send troops to Somalia,
announced Defense Minister Mosiuoa Lekota January 25. In
press comments following a meeting with President Mbeki,
Lekota expressed support for the proposed AU peacekeeping
mission in Somalia, but stressed that South African forces
are already stretched thin with deployments in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire, and
Ethiopia/Eritrea. Sending troops to Somalia could jeopordize
the effectiveness of these other missions.
2. (U) Lekota's spokesman Sam Mkhwanazi said the Department
of Defense is currently looking at other options by which the
South African military might be able to support the Somali AU
mission.
3. (SBU) Institute for Security Studies analyst Henri Boshoff
told PolOff January 25 that he believes South Africa may
offer military personnel for the mission headquarters staff.
They are also looking at assisting with the training of
Somali forces and police. On the non-military side, the
Department of Foreign Affairs is considering support for
capacity-building for the Transitional Federal Government.
4. (SBU) Boshoff noted that this is the first time that
senior South African political leaders -- Lekota, President
Mbeki, ForMin Dlamini-Zuma, and DepForMin Pahad -- have
publicly admitted that the South African military has
capacity constraints. In previous crises, Mbeki promised to
deploy troops even if the military told him they were not
available, like in Darfur where South Africa has provided
only 400 of the 750 troops promised for AMIS.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: While the SAG will not deploy ground troops
to Somalia, South Africa is looking for other ways to support
the AU mission. As noted in Ref A, we recommend funneling
any concrete suggestions for South African involvement
through the African Union or other regional leaders.
BOST
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS MASS SO SF
SUBJECT: NO SOUTH AFRICAN TROOPS FOR SOMALIA
REF: A. PRETORIA 196 (NOTAL)
B. PRETORIA 103 (NOTAL)
Sensitive but Unclassified. Not for Internet Distribution.
1. (U) South Africa will not send troops to Somalia,
announced Defense Minister Mosiuoa Lekota January 25. In
press comments following a meeting with President Mbeki,
Lekota expressed support for the proposed AU peacekeeping
mission in Somalia, but stressed that South African forces
are already stretched thin with deployments in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire, and
Ethiopia/Eritrea. Sending troops to Somalia could jeopordize
the effectiveness of these other missions.
2. (U) Lekota's spokesman Sam Mkhwanazi said the Department
of Defense is currently looking at other options by which the
South African military might be able to support the Somali AU
mission.
3. (SBU) Institute for Security Studies analyst Henri Boshoff
told PolOff January 25 that he believes South Africa may
offer military personnel for the mission headquarters staff.
They are also looking at assisting with the training of
Somali forces and police. On the non-military side, the
Department of Foreign Affairs is considering support for
capacity-building for the Transitional Federal Government.
4. (SBU) Boshoff noted that this is the first time that
senior South African political leaders -- Lekota, President
Mbeki, ForMin Dlamini-Zuma, and DepForMin Pahad -- have
publicly admitted that the South African military has
capacity constraints. In previous crises, Mbeki promised to
deploy troops even if the military told him they were not
available, like in Darfur where South Africa has provided
only 400 of the 750 troops promised for AMIS.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: While the SAG will not deploy ground troops
to Somalia, South Africa is looking for other ways to support
the AU mission. As noted in Ref A, we recommend funneling
any concrete suggestions for South African involvement
through the African Union or other regional leaders.
BOST