EUROPEAN UNION SUPPORT FOR AMISOM

C O N F I D E N T I A L USEU BRUSSELS 000520 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E (NOLE GAREY);AF/RSA (MIKE BITTRICK); EUR/ERA (JOHN ROBINSON); AND EUR/RPM E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2017 TAGS: KPKO MOPS PHUM PREL EUN SO SUBJECT: EUROPEAN UNION SUPPORT FOR AMISOM REF: STATE 17083 Classified By: USEU Pol-Mil Chief, Jeremy Brenner for reasons 1.4 (b) a nd (d). ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The European Commission is apparently softening its preconditions for releasing the 15 million euros it has earmarked to support the African Union in establishing the AMISOM peacekeeping mission. The Council of the European Union is looking favorably at the specific AU request for planning support for AMISOM, and urges close partner coordination on the ground in Addis. End summary. ¶2. (C) In conjunction with reftel message soliciting support for the African Union's plans to deploy the AMISOM peacekeeping mission, USEU Africa watcher and Pol-Mil Chief spoke February 14 with a range of officials within the European Commission and the Directorate for Defense Aspects of ESDP in the Council Secretariat to determine the current state of EU engagement on AMISOM. The Secretariat officers included Operational Planning Unit Chief Didier Lenoir, Somalia officer Bernard Rambaud, and pol-mil planner Ken Hume. These three officers will be in Washington February 27-28 for meetings on Africa and other subjects. -------------- Commission Funding for AMISOM -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The European Commission has imposed two conditions on the release of 15 million euros to support African Union peacekeeping operations in Somalia. The Commission will release the money once the UN approves a new resolution authorizing peacekeepers in Somalia, and once AU military planners, working with EU, US, and other planners, agree upon clear military plans (CONOPs) for the mission. Pol-mil planners in the Council Secretariat expect a UNSCR will be passed within days. Contacts in the Council and Commission say it is a matter of when, not if, the money will be released, and represents a softening in approach on the part of Commissioner Louis Michel, who several weeks ago was holding the money until he was satisfied that the Transitional Federal Government was sincerely bringing other parties and clans into the government. The 15 million euros is equivalent to the $19.6 million given by the USG. It will go directly to the AU as budget support for operating costs in Somalia. We were told February 14 by Council Secretariat pol-mil operations officers just back from Addis, that the Commission may also provide 500,000 euros in "urgent cash" assistance from the Stability Instrument. The European Commission is in the process of appointing a Special Envoy for Somalia who will be based in Nairobi. -------------- Technical Assistance to AMISOM -------------- 4.(C) We spoke with the Council Secretariat pol-mil operations officers in the context of reftel demarche soliciting support for the AMISOM deployment. They had not yet seen the February 14 note verbale from the AU requesting specific planning assistance from partners. Their reaction was that the AU request was quite reasonable, and they were optimistic that a "package" including EU military planners could be provided. The aim would be to create a "core group" of capable planners led by Africans. They said that discussion of other forms of logistical support was premature, since in the absence of a coherent mission plan, it would not be possible to identify needs. They propose to put the specific AU request before the Political and Security Committee on Friday, and urged that donors and partners should coordinate on the ground in Addis in order to avoid duplication of effort and focus on shortfalls. One proposal that the Secretariat might put forward would involve "re-hatting" planners already assigned to AMIS in order to "kick-start" the AMISOM planning process. While there is an apparent willingness to send more advisors to assist the AU with mission planning, the EU has been disappointed with the fact that European advisors already sent to assist AMIS in Sudan have largely been sidelined by the Africans. This is having a dampening effect on recruitment of volunteers to go to Somalia. -------------- Adopt-a-Unit -------------- ¶5. (SBU) According to EU officers just back from Addis, in seeking support for AMISOM, the AU has adopted an approach to donors markedly different from that for AMIS. The AU is calling upon potential donors to provide support to Troop Contributing Countries on a bilateral basis, suggesting that individual Member States provide all the necessary logistical support and equipment to an identified TCC. According to the EU planners, Member State support to TCCs will be contingent upon an effective mission plan. -------------- Mission Structure -------------- ¶6. (C) The EU is increasingly doubtful that the international community will find the money necessary to support 8,000 peacekeepers. Both Council and Commission contacts said it is much more likely that 2,000 to 3,000 peacekeepers will be deployed to protect key institutions in Mogadishu, but that raising the number to 8,000 would increase costs while providing diminishing returns in terms of results. One Council contact said it is highly unlikely the Ethiopian forces will really withdraw from Somalia. They will be less visible in Mogadishu once the Ugandans move in, but they will not leave. Secretariat pol-mil officers speculated that the entire mission for the next six months may be composed of the 2 Ugandan battalions and one Nigerian battalion now on offer with US and Algerian support. -------------- Assistance to the TFG -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Last week, the EU hosted seven members of the TFG, including the foreign minister, in Brussels for talks about capacity-building. Members of the Somali delegation met with Michel as well as High Representative Javier Solana in meetings that were described as positive. The delegation brought a "laundry list" of funding requests to the EU. The EU's 2007 spending plan for Somalia, in addition to the 15 million euros, includes 66 million euros for good governance programs, 10-15 million euros for humanitarian aid, and 35-40 million for development aid. The EU also is assisting the Somali government in planning for its April-May national reconciliation conference. McKinley .