REQUEST FOR STOCKPILE SECURITY TRAINING

C O N F I D E N T I A L LUANDA 000319 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2018 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL MASS PTER MARR PARM KHDP AO SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR STOCKPILE SECURITY TRAINING REF: A. LUANDA 258 ¶B. 07 LUANDA 0519 Classified By: AMB DAN MOZENA FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In an April 18 meeting, the Angolan National Police requested that the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) conduct stockpile security and management training in Luanda in late May 2008. Despite the probable time pressures caused by short notice, post stands ready to assist DTRA in meeting the Angolan request. This is an important opportunity to demonstrate the value of this training to a previously skeptical Angolan audience. The Angolan military will closely monitor the results of DTRA,s training program for the National Police. If they like what they see, the DTRA program might then be expanded to include the more sensitive uncontrolled munitions held by the military, including MANPADS. END SUMMARY ¶2. (SBU) On April 18, 2008, POLOFF and representatives from the USG-funded NGO, HALO Trust, met with a representative from the Angolan National Police to discuss the GRA,s National Disarmament Campaign and areas of possible cooperation. Lisboa Mario, a member of the Disarmament Commission and head of the Department of Police Study, welcomed information on DTRA's Physical Security and Stockpile Management Seminars and asked if DTRA could conduct seminars in Angola during the May 20-30, 2008 timeframe. ¶3. (C) POLOFF explained the DAO must receive a formal request for training from the GRA before the USG can move forward. According to Mario, this letter will be relatively easy to get, as the Disarmament Commission has "more autonomy" from bureaucracy than is the norm. As the Angolan Armed Forces are also represented on the Disarmament Commission, Mario said military representatives and weapons handlers from each province would also participate in the training. Mario thanked the USG for the opportunity to cooperate on this training with "so few strings attached," in reference to DTRA's statement that it could not and would not need to sign MOUs or contracts. ¶4. (SBU) Angolan authorities have shown a growing sense of urgency on stockpile management and security issues (reftel), especially since the 2007 explosion in Maupto. Mario stated that all 18 provincial governors, police and military commanders are extremely concerned about the security of their existing stockpiles and question how they will safely secure the thousands of additional weapons they anticipate being collected or turned in during the National Disarmament Campaign. The Campaign is set to launch on June 1st, but hundreds of weapons have been voluntarily turned in since the police held a training workshop on disarmament in early March. NOTE: HALO Trust is partnering with the National Police to destroy weapons collected during the campaign, but lacks the capacity to keep pace with the estimated rate of collection and turn-in. HALO has submitted proposals PM/WRA that would provide for additional weapons cutting teams. Post firmly supports their proposal and thanks PM/WRA for its consideration. END NOTE ¶5. (C) COMMENT: This request for training represents a significant breakthrough, as we have sought permission to help Angola improve the physical security of its munitions stockpiles for well over a year. The relationship between the National Police and Halo was key to our getting a nose under the tent, but the Police were also impressed by the DTRA package. While we understand the difficulties involved in putting together training seminars on such short notice, the timing fits very well with the GRA,s civilian disarmament program. We hope the successful DTRA training will be noticed by military observers, and that cooperation with DTRA would then soon extend to the armed forces and their more hazardous expired munitions, including MANPADS. Post stands ready to assist DTRA in providing this training and will work to expedite the official GRA request. END COMMENT MOZENA