Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08PRETORIA2691
2008-12-10 17:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Pretoria
Cable title:
FOLLOW-UP ON AFRICAN UNION SOMALIA FORCE
how-toP 101733Z DEC 08 FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6703 INFO AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN PRIORITY AMCONSUL DURBAN PRIORITY AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 002691
DEPT FOR AF/S
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2018
TAGS: KPKO PREL SO AU ZU SF
SUBJECT: FOLLOW-UP ON AFRICAN UNION SOMALIA FORCE
GENERATION TEAM VISIT
REF: STATE 126421
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Cassandra B. Carraway. Reaso
ns 1.5 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 002691
DEPT FOR AF/S
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2018
TAGS: KPKO PREL SO AU ZU SF
SUBJECT: FOLLOW-UP ON AFRICAN UNION SOMALIA FORCE
GENERATION TEAM VISIT
REF: STATE 126421
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Cassandra B. Carraway. Reaso
ns 1.5 (b) and (d).
1. (SBU) On December 9, poloff met with Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) Chief Director of East Africa division Graham
Maitland to discuss the USG's willingness to provide
logistical, training and equipment support to military units
that are committed by South Africa to deploy to the African
Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) (reftel).
2. (C) Maitland said South Africa would not send troops to
Somalia at this stage, but would consider "longer-term
involvement in terms of capacity building" once a unity
government was in place. He said he met with the African
Union (AU) special envoy for Somalia a few months ago and
told him the same. The South African Government (SAG) is
still considering making a financial contribution, according
to Maitland.
3. (C) Maitland said South Africa could not provide
peacekeeping troops to AMISOM as its armed forces were
overextended with troop contributions of close to 3,000 total
in Burundi, Congo and Darfur. While that is the official
line, and true, Maitland spoke candidly about South Africa's
unofficial reasons for not sending troops to AMISOM. He said
there was no clear objective for AMISOM (counterterrorism or
separating forces, for example) as there were competing
strategies and priorities at play. He said peacekeeping
could not be the objective as there was no peace to keep. He
added, "You can't fight piracy and Islamists at the same
time." Maitland said the DFA warned the Ethiopians two years
ago not to send peacekeepers to Somalia. He said, "The whole
policy on Somalia is an abject failure." He thought it would
take 60,000-70,000 troops to bring peace to Somalia.
4. (C) Maitland said the SAG would continue to support AU and
UN efforts in Somalia, but would not insert itself as a major
player. He said, "We can't be everywhere for everybody."
BOST
DEPT FOR AF/S
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2018
TAGS: KPKO PREL SO AU ZU SF
SUBJECT: FOLLOW-UP ON AFRICAN UNION SOMALIA FORCE
GENERATION TEAM VISIT
REF: STATE 126421
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Cassandra B. Carraway. Reaso
ns 1.5 (b) and (d).
1. (SBU) On December 9, poloff met with Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) Chief Director of East Africa division Graham
Maitland to discuss the USG's willingness to provide
logistical, training and equipment support to military units
that are committed by South Africa to deploy to the African
Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) (reftel).
2. (C) Maitland said South Africa would not send troops to
Somalia at this stage, but would consider "longer-term
involvement in terms of capacity building" once a unity
government was in place. He said he met with the African
Union (AU) special envoy for Somalia a few months ago and
told him the same. The South African Government (SAG) is
still considering making a financial contribution, according
to Maitland.
3. (C) Maitland said South Africa could not provide
peacekeeping troops to AMISOM as its armed forces were
overextended with troop contributions of close to 3,000 total
in Burundi, Congo and Darfur. While that is the official
line, and true, Maitland spoke candidly about South Africa's
unofficial reasons for not sending troops to AMISOM. He said
there was no clear objective for AMISOM (counterterrorism or
separating forces, for example) as there were competing
strategies and priorities at play. He said peacekeeping
could not be the objective as there was no peace to keep. He
added, "You can't fight piracy and Islamists at the same
time." Maitland said the DFA warned the Ethiopians two years
ago not to send peacekeepers to Somalia. He said, "The whole
policy on Somalia is an abject failure." He thought it would
take 60,000-70,000 troops to bring peace to Somalia.
4. (C) Maitland said the SAG would continue to support AU and
UN efforts in Somalia, but would not insert itself as a major
player. He said, "We can't be everywhere for everybody."
BOST