Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08PRAIA189
2008-07-11 12:48:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Praia
Cable title:  

CAPE VERDE SUPPORTS GLOBAL MARITIME PARTNERSHIPS

Tags:  EWWT EAID ECIN ECON EFIS MARR MASS MCAP MOPS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4878
PP RUEHMA
DE RUEHPA #0189 1931248
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 111248Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY PRAIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1509
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 0084
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEABND/DEA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHPA/AMEMBASSY PRAIA 2314
RULSJGA/USCG HQ WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0213
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0034
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0095
UNCLAS PRAIA 000189 

SIPDIS

EEB/TRA/OTP FOR DORIS HAYWOOD
PM/ISO FOR JEFF FREDERICK
OSD FOR DAVE GRUBER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EWWT EAID ECIN ECON EFIS MARR MASS MCAP MOPS
PHSA, PINS, PREL, SMIG, SENV, SNAR, ASEC, CV
SUBJECT: CAPE VERDE SUPPORTS GLOBAL MARITIME PARTNERSHIPS

REF: STATE 50488

UNCLAS PRAIA 000189

SIPDIS

EEB/TRA/OTP FOR DORIS HAYWOOD
PM/ISO FOR JEFF FREDERICK
OSD FOR DAVE GRUBER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EWWT EAID ECIN ECON EFIS MARR MASS MCAP MOPS
PHSA, PINS, PREL, SMIG, SENV, SNAR, ASEC, CV
SUBJECT: CAPE VERDE SUPPORTS GLOBAL MARITIME PARTNERSHIPS

REF: STATE 50488


1. On June 16, Charge delivered reftel points to an enthusiastic
audience of senior GOCV civilian and military officials. Those
present who endorsed the concept included Director General
(effectively Vice Minister) of Defense Pedro dos Reis Brito,
Commandant of the Cape Verde Coast Guard Colonel Fernando
Pereira, Advisor to the Minister of Defense Carlos Reis,
Director General of Foreign Affairs Jose Luis Rocha, and Augusto
Pinheiro, Director General of Internal Administration (whose
portfolio includes all national police forces).


2. More telling perhaps than the discussion was the venue:
this meeting took place aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter
Dallas following an historic two week cruise in Cape Verdean
waters in which a GOCV Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET)
engaged in joint operations with the USCG for the first time
anywhere in sub-saharan Africa. The team successfully conducted
six boardings of suspect vessels, including a night interdiction
and boarding. While no narcotics or weapons were discovered,
several administrative infractions were noted. More
importantly, the highly successful deployment stands as proof of
concept and a warning to all would-be violators that the GOCV is
taking a stand against transnational crime. Where the Global
Maritime Partnership speaks of the potential for future joint
training progressing to eventual joint operations, Cape Verde
has already achieved that level of performance and integration
with its security partners. Cape Verde is, in that sense, not
just a supporter of the GMP, but proof that the GMP concept is
viable, effective, and useful.


3. All present at the meeting recognized that Cape Verde and
its security partners have a mutual interest in continuing such
engagements, from sharing intelligence all the way up to joint
enforcement actions. Cape Verde relies on its partners to
assist it to project its authority effectively into the deep
water, while partners such as the U.S. and EU benefit from a
capable and willing partner, forward logistics support, and a
geostrategically significant location astride the major
smuggling routes from South America to Europe. Cape Verde's
only concern, expressed by DG Rocha, is that the scheduling of
such cooperative efforts be agreed upon well in advance, to
maximize impact and to ensure that multiple such efforts with
diverse partners (recently including the French, the Spanish,
the Portuguese, and the U.K.) not overlap. Properly scheduled,
such engagements will go a long way to making up for the lack of
GOCV deep-water capabilities, and will seek to throw off balance
and ultimately deter would-be smugglers from using Cape Verdean
waters.

DUNN