TANZANIA SENDING MORE TROOPS TO COMOROS; NO DATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 000142 SIPDIS SIPDIS EUCOM FOR POLA/J3 PRIORITY AF/FO FOR LTHOMAS-GREENFIELD AF/E FOR MBEYZEROV, JLIDDLE AND AF/RSA FOR MBITTRICK ADDIS FOR AU MISSION PARIS, LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2018 TAGS: MASS PREL MARR PGOV CN TZ SUBJECT: TANZANIA SENDING MORE TROOPS TO COMOROS; NO DATE YET FOR DEPLOYMENT REF: A. STATE 019510 ¶B. USDAO IIR 6 959 0092 08 Classified By: Mary B. Johnson, Pol Counselor for reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) This message is based in part on reporting from the Defense Attache Office - DAO (Ref IIR). ¶2. (C) PolCouns conveyed Ref A demarche to the acting Deputy Director of Africa Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFA),Ali Mwadini, who promised to report to the Africa Division head, Ambassador Francis Malumbugi, the U.S. support for the African Union (AU) mediation and our request that the AU strive to exhaust all efforts to peacefully resolve the crisis in the Comoros. Mwadini was not able to give details on the size, composition or date of departure of the additional Tanzanian troops being deployed. ¶3. (C) As reported by the Defense Attache (Ref IIR) on February 26, an officer in the Tanzanian Peoples Defence Force (TPDF) confirmed to the DATT that the TPDF is preparing to send more troops to augment the AU forces in Comoros in preparation for an offensive assault on the island of Anjouan. The TPDF Chief of Training and Operations, Major General Hinda, is organizing this troop deployment. Although still in the planning stages with no date set for departure, the deployment has the potential to take place very quickly. While the DATT did not learn how many additional troops Tanzania would deploy, the TPDF official confirmed that the Tanzanian forces would comprise the "largest contingent" among the countries that are contributing troops under the AU mission: Comoros, Senegal, Sudan and Tanzania. ¶4. (C) On February 25, the Ambassador of France to Tanzania, Jacques Champagne de Labriolle, told Ambassador Green that he understood the planned AU force would be composed of 300 Comoran troops, 150 troops from Senegal, troops from Sudan, and, once the TPDF deploys additional troops, Tanzania's contingent would be 650 troops total. Ambassador Champagne de Labriolle also confirmed that the Government of France would provide transportation logistics for these troops should an assault take place. ¶5. (C) Post will keep in close contact with the MFA Africa Division concerning any updates as Tanzania's deployment plans for the Comoros progress. ANDRE