FRENCH SUPPORT COORDINATION ON UN FOLLOW-ON

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000518 SIPDIS PARIS FOR POL - KANEDA LONDON FOR POL - LORD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR PGOV PKO PREF PREL FR CD SUBJECT: FRENCH SUPPORT COORDINATION ON UN FOLLOW-ON MISSION IN EASTERN CHAD (AND CAR) REF: A. A) STATE 118123 ¶B. B) PARIS 1978 ¶1. (SBU) EMBASSY SUPPORTS THE DEPARTMENT'S EFFORTS TO COORDINATE WITH THE FRENCH ON CHAD POLICY IN GENERAL AND ON PKO ISSUES IN PARTICULAR. ¶2. (SBU) FROM OUR PERCH HERE, THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS KEY OBJECTIVES OF SUCH COORDINATION REGARDING THE UN FOLLOW-ON FORCE (MINURCAT II) TO EUFOR: -- CAR SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE NEW MANDATE. -- MINURCAT II'S "SECURITY PACKAGE" SHOULD BE COMPOSED OF THREE COMPLEMENTARY ELEMENTS: A MILITARY ELEMENT (RESEMBLING EUFOR); A POLICE OR GENDARME UNIT ELEMENT (FORMED POLICE UNITS OR THE GENDARME EQUIVALENT); AND A POLICE/GENDARME TRAINING ELEMENT (TO TRAIN CHADIAN POLICE AND GENDARMES. -- THE STRICTLY MILITARY ELEMENT OF MINURCAT II'S "SECURITY PACKAGE" SHOULD BE LIMITED TO BETWEEN 3,000 AND 4,000 TROOPS. IF THIS MEANS THAT MINURCAT II'S MILITARY STRENGTH IS LIMITED TO THREE (3) BATTALIONS AND DOING WITHOUT A DPKO-PROPOSED FOURTH "MANEUVER" BATTALION, SO BE IT. EUFOR'S TOTAL STRENGTH IN CHAD IS UNDER 3,200 TROOPS. -- THE POLICE/GENDARME TRAINING ELEMENT IS FUNDAMENTAL TO MINURCAT'S LARGER, POLITICAL OBJECTIVES: FIRST, IT IS THE ELEMENT THAT PREPARES THE CHAD SECURITY FORCE (THE INTEGRATED SECURITY DETACHMENTS -- DIS) THAT ACTUALLY PROTECT THE REGUIGEES IN THE CAMPS AND THE HUMANITARIAN WORKERS AT WORK IN THE CAMPS. SECOND, IF SUCCESSFUL, IT WILL PROVIDE CHAD WITH A REFORMED, IMPROVED, AND PROFESSIONALIZED SECURITY FORCE LESS PERVIOUS TO CORRUPTION, ABUSES, IMPUNITY, ETC. THIS WOULD BE A REAL ACCOMPLISHMENT. -- THE MANDATE OF MINURCAT II SHOULD PERMIT THE EXPANSION OF THE DIS TO 1,700 OR MORE. ¶3. (SBU) WE NOTE THAT THE POLICE/GENDARME TRAINING ELEMENT IS COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON THE TRUST FUND, RATHER THAN PKO FUNDS. THIS CONSIDERATION SHOULD INFORM USG THINKING ON THE OVERALL RESOURCES NEEDED FOR A SUCCESSFUL MINURCAT II. NIGRO