USAU: GENERATING DONOR SUPPORT FOR AMISOM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 003289 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/E, AND AF/RSA FOR WHALDEMAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2018 TAGS: PREL MOPS UNSC AU SUBJECT: USAU: GENERATING DONOR SUPPORT FOR AMISOM REF: ADDIS ABABA 3258 Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN A. SIMON, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D). ¶1. (U) This message contains an action request in paragraph 8. ¶2. (C) Summary: The USAU Ambassador convened a meeting of the U.K., the EU, and the U.S. on December 8 to discuss the amount and kind of support each might be able to provide in order to expand and sustain AMISOM. From this initial exchange, it appears the U.K. could make an initial, short-term, financial contribution, but their ability to pledge funds beyond April 2009 is limited by an overcommitted 2010 peacekeeping budget. The EU has significant funds available beginning in the spring of 2009, but does not have a clear signal from Brussels that they will be available for Somalia. The same parties will meet with AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Ramtane Lamamra on December 10 to concretize their thinking. End Summary. ¶3. (C) On December 8, at the initiative of the USAU Ambassador and EU Ambassador, diplomats from the U.K., EU, and USAU met to address funding requirements for an expanded AMISOM. As discussed in reftel, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Lamamra has been urging the international community to consider funding a more robust AMISOM. Before the weekend, the governments of Uganda and Burundi had provided the African Union Commission written confirmation of their willingness and readiness to make available one extra battalion each to AMISOM. As noted in a letter from Nicolas Bwakira, Special Representative of the AU Commission for Somalia, to the EU Ambassador, the AU will be able to deploy these additional battalions once it has the international community's pledge of financial and logistical support to sustain these troops. ¶4. (C) The U.S. side opened the meeting by noting that it has available $79 million in FY 2009 funds for AMISOM, and could potentially contribute $57 million in FY 2010. U.S. support generally comes in the form of training, equipping, and deploying the forces, as well as providing some logistical sustainment. The U.S. cannot pay for salaries and benefits, infrastructure, and police support. ¶5. (C) For its part, the EU has 20 million Euros that it plans to disburse before the end of the year. That 20 million Euros would pay for salaries and benefits for troops �A;already deployed through the end of January, as well as for infrastructure (including part of a hospital and mission headquarters). Beyond spring 2009, the EU has significant funds available through its 300 million Euro Peace Fund facility it recently committed to the AU, but to donate some of this funding to AMISOM would require political approval from the EU, according to the EU Ambassador to the AU. This may be difficult. The sense in Brussels is that Somalia is "unsolvable," plus there are competing needs, for example, the European bridging force for Eastern Congo. The EU also could be skittish regarding the AU's financial accountability mechanism. ¶6. (C) The UK has 4 million Pounds available now for sustainment (salaries and benefits) of AMISOM troops as well as special initiatives, such as communications. Additional funds could come from the U.K.'s peacekeeping budget before April 1, subject to "administrative and political issues" being resolved, the U.K. representatives at the meeting said. Beyond April 1, however, the UK likely will not have any discretionary peacekeeping funds. The outlook, they said, is "not rosy." One of the conditions the UK would have before releasing further funds is that the AU's existing mandate, which is due to expire in mid-January, must reflect the roles and missions that AMISOM would be called upon to perform once the Ethiopian forces have withdrawn from Somalia. ¶7. (C) Other sources of funding identified by Ambassadors included Italy and Spain, both of which have their own peace and security facilities with the AU, and Sweden and Norway. The Danish Ambassador has also indicated her country might be ADDIS ABAB 00003289 002 OF 002 willing to step up as a result of a visit by the Danish Prime Minister to the region last month. The group also took note of the fact that A/S Frazer would be seeking additional contributors, and that the Arab League might pledge an amount. ¶8. (C) ACTION: As a next step, the U.S., EU, and U.K. Ambassadors will meet with AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Lamamra on December 10 to further discuss the requirements for AMISOM. Among other issues that we would expect to see raised is the need for a renewed AMISOM mandate that adequately reflects the more robust mission, and the need for the AU to coordinate the different streams of assistance and provide more accountability for donor funds. In addition, Lamamra may ask all of us about the status of the AMISOM troop withdrawal planning should evacuation become necessary. Department guidance in advance of this meeting would be welcome. -------------- Comment: -------------- ¶9. (C) The U.S. is prepared to make a significant contribution to an expanded AMISOM. The EU, the U.K., and other international partners have the potential to fund pieces the U.S. cannot support, including salaries, benefits, infrastructure, and police, and to do so on a timely basis, given the political will. With this support, the deployment of additional Burundian and Ugandan battalions would be doable within a four-month timeframe. Overcoming EU and U.K. administrative and domestic political concerns appears to be the major, though perhaps not insurmountable, hurdle. YAMAMOTO