USAU: REQUEST FOR SUPOORT FOR AVIATION FUEL FOR

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 000071 SIPDIS AF/FO, AF RSA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPKO MARR PGOV PREL SUBJECT: USAU: REQUEST FOR SUPOORT FOR AVIATION FUEL FOR BURUNDIAN AMISOM DEPLOYMENT ¶1. (U) This cable is from US Mission to African Union (USAU) Dr. Cindy L. Courville. ¶2. (U) Summary. Political unrest in Kenya has interrupted aviation fuel supplies into Burundi. Currently there is no aviation fuel available for the Burundi to airlift their 1st Battalion of Peacekeepers to Mogadishu in support of the African Union AMISOM mission. ¶3. (U) USG has strongly supported the AMISOM mission by providing $59.6M to the Ugandan deployment currently in Mogadishu in addition to the $12.1M provided to the Burundi government to support the Burundi deployment to relieve the Ugandan forces currently deployed. ¶4. (U) Timing of the deployment of Burundi forces into Mogadishu is crucial to properly relief the Ugandan forces and ensuring the continued success of the African Union AMISOM mission in Somalia. ¶5. (U) Understand the current plan for the airlift of the Burundi forces calls for six airlift sorties requiring an estimated 450,000 liters of Jet A1 Aviation Fuel. ¶6. (U) Understand the cost of providing the fuel will be covered under the existing contract between the Department and DynCorp and DynCorp would pay the fuel provider. ¶7. Strongly request Department to ask EUCOM/AFRICOM for assistance in determining feasibility/possibility of airlifting enough aviation fuel into Burundi to support this deployment. YAMAMOTO