EAST AFRICA REGIONAL SECURITY INITIATIVE IVLP

UNCLAS SANAA 001352 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO KSEP OEXC PHUM PREF PTER SCUL YM SUBJECT: EAST AFRICA REGIONAL SECURITY INITIATIVE IVLP REF: DJIBOUTI 425 ¶1. This cable has been cleared by US Embassies Addis Ababa, Kampala, Nairobi, Dar Es Salaam, and Sana'a. -------------- SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST -------------- ¶2. Embassies Sana'a, Addis Ababa, Djibouti, Kampala, Nairobi, Dar Es Salaam and Port Louis request the creation of a multi-country regional International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) entitled "Passport and Border Control from the East Africa Region" and the allocation of additional funding for candidates from this region to attend the program. This initiative springs from a key recommendation by Chiefs of Mission comprising the East Africa Regional Security Initiative (EARSI) who met in Djibouti on March 16-17 (reftel). -------------- END SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST -------------- ¶3. Protection of the borders and movement of people throughout the EARSI region overlap multiple areas of U.S. interest. These include combating terrorism, reducing terrorist financing, preventing the spread of national conflicts, stopping illicit trade smuggling, fighting international trafficking and raising awareness of the human rights of displaced peoples. In addition the program would help build bridges between border security officials from these countries. ¶4. The proposed IVLP program would invite seven officials (one from each country) from border, immigration, passport, customs, and/or coast guard authorities to the United States. The goal of the program is to teach the importance and proven procedures to protect official identity and commercial documents, and implement procedures at borders and ports of entry to safeguard international travel and commerce. The program would run four weeks from 21 April through 16 May ¶2008. Participants would visit Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities, holding areas, ports and airports, and participate in presentations by CBP and relevant civil society groups. Topics would include cargo and passenger processing, anti-smuggling, intelligence, investigation, analysis, risk management, and illegal trafficking. -------------- Regional Security and Terrorism -------------- ¶5. The potential for terrorism pervades all of the countries in the EARSI. Kenya, Tanzania and Yemen, in particular, have all been victims of cross-border terrorism. An IVLP on border security and passport controls would help highlight border authorities' role in combating terrorism and would improve the capacity of local officials to communicate with each other and implement measures to protect their borders. -------------- Finance -------------- ¶6. The EARSI countries feature almost exclusive cash economies, in which financial transfers are often through informal networks that are difficult to monitor. Though these governments have expressed concern for terrorism financing and drafted legislation aimed at diminishing illegal financial activity, they often lack the working-level knowledge to identify financial transactions used to recruit and finance terrorist operations. Even the simple exchange of names between security services of suspected terrorists financiers operating in the region would be a major step forward. This IVLP could help border security officials move in that direction. -------------- Free Trade vs. Smugglers -------------- ¶7. Another important aspect of border security is commerce. Aside from the aforementioned illegal movement of money across borders, countries from the EARSI suffer from porous borders and the unregulated movement of goods. There are groups willing to deal in contraband from intellectual property to weapons, from watered down baby formula to chickens infected with avian influenza. Officials returning from this IVLP would be aware of the importance of identifying channels for smuggling and take steps to diminish the flow of smuggled goods. -------------- Migration and Trafficking -------------- ¶8. All of the countries in question suffer from varying levels of poverty and violence. Recent and current conflicts in the HOA region have created large numbers of forcibly displaced people. Extreme poverty compels others to migrate for economic reasons. This volatile and mobile population creates challenges for border authorities, particularly when they assess a risk of terrorists moving among the migrants. Exposure to how the United States handles these cases and how we evaluate our performance afterwards will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of regional authorities in responding to crises. -------------- Documents -------------- ¶9. Compromised travel documents pose a particular challenge to authorities to keep dangerous elements out and manage legitimate travelers. Local authorities can learn how to capitalize on USG assistance programs in this regard by observing how the United States uses technology and other methods to keep its doors open but its borders secure. Even partial increases in cooperation with these countries would be a tremendous help to the United States in identifying patterns of movement of internationally trafficked persons, terrorist organizers and others. Program participants will better understand the importance of sharing information on travelers of interest among themselves and with the United States. -------------- Developing Counterparts -------------- ¶10. One of the most significant goals of this proposed program is the potential for stronger links between government officials within the region. Security and border officials within this region do not have a history of trust and sharing. If the impact of this regional IVLP is to make them aware of their shared interests and foster space in which they develop greater trust and reduced suspicion, it would be a major step forward. IVLP alumni would become a cadre of officials and an informed constituency for progress against illegal activity, open to working with consular, economic, political and public awareness programs from the EARSI embassies. BRYAN