ACOTA SCORES WIN-WIN WITH CAMEROON TRAINING

UNCLAS YAOUNDE 001227

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR MASS PHUM KPKO KWMN KTIP AORC PREL CM
SUBJECT: ACOTA SCORES WIN-WIN WITH CAMEROON TRAINING


1. (U) This cable is supplemented by photographs and other records
of the event available on Yaounde's unclassified website at
http://yaounde.usembassy.gov/ln_121209.html


2. (U) Summary: A Cameroonian battalion of 600 soldiers has
completed ACOTA training in preparation for an eventual peacekeeping
mission, a first for Cameroon and a long-awaited milestone for USG
objectives to foster Cameroon's greater engagement in regional
conflict resolution. Our attention now turns to matching Cameroon
with a UN mission. End summary.


3. (U) Ambassador, Defense Attache, Poloff and Public Affairs
Officer travelled to the northern town of Ngaoundere to attend the
December 12 ceremony marking the end of eight weeks of ACOTA
training. The Government of Cameroon (GRC) was represented by
Secretary of State for Defense Jean Baptiste Bokam, a civilian
official subordinate to the Minister of Defense, and a slew of
senior military officials, including the Chief of Staff of the Army.
Bokam was evidently impressed by the results of the training ("they
look like real soldiers!" he exclaimed) and said his report to
President Biya would convey the effectiveness of the training.


4. (SBU) The ACOTA trainers-- a dozen contractors from MPRI
supported by a team of marines from the Marine Corps Training
Advisory Group--worked with 600 Cameroonian soldiers to develop the
skills most important to peacekeeping missions. The training
included basic military tradecraft like weapons handling,
establishing checkpoints, management of the area of responsibility,
and responding to attacks on aid convoys and sessions on respect for
human rights, combating the sex trade and human trafficking. For
example, the battalion commander who briefed the Ambassador and
Bokam took special pride in reporting that the Cameroonian soldiers
now understood the significance of rules of engagement in a
peacekeeping context.


5. (SBU) Simultaneous to the battalion-wide training, the ACOTA
module "trained the trainers," a Cameroonian peacekeeping training
unit who will be permanently assigned to Cameroon's new peacekeeping
training center at Ngaoundere, which is expected to be finalized in
an forthcoming presidential decree, to provide training to future
peacekeeping battalions. The civilian and military ACOTA trainers
reported that their Cameroonian counterparts were eager and
competent participants in the training, anecdotally placing
Cameroon's participation as above average (but not the best) among
the ACOTA countries where they had worked before. The participants
in the ACOTA training were pulled from Cameroon's four armed
services and from locations around the country. If Cameroon signs
up for a specific peacekeeping mission, the ACOTA trainers will
return, to provide refresher training and additional training
tailored to the specific mission the battalion will carry out.


6. (SBU) Comment. The formation of an ACOTA-trained battalion is
a significant achievement for USG objectives in Cameroon, moving
Cameroon one step closer to contributing to an international
peacekeeping mission and enhancing the professionalism of Cameroon's
armed forces. Senior Cameroonian military officials at the event
confirmed privately to DAO our belief that, for reasons of
personality and bureaucracy, Biya will not simply volunteer Cameroon
for a peacekeeping mission, but will likely accept if asked by the
United Nations to participate in a mission close to Cameroon's
interests, like Congo or the Central African Republic. Post will
work with the Department and USUN to coordinate an approach most
likely to succeed. End comment.