USAU: SUPPORT FOR AMISOM FORTHCOMING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 000154 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/E, AF/RSA, IO/UNP AND PM E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2019 TAGS: PREL UN SO AU SUBJECT: USAU: SUPPORT FOR AMISOM FORTHCOMING REF: A. ADDIS ABABA 108 ¶B. ADDIS ABABA 49 Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN A. SIMON, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (U) Summary: At a meeting on January 17 at the African Union (AU),the U.S., EU, and other international partners voiced their support for AMISOM as well as for the joint Transitional Federal Government/Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (TFG/ARS) forces. The AU and its partners also expressed their appreciation to the UN Security Council for adopting Resolution 1863, which provides for the support of AMISOM in preparation for a decision by June 1, 2009, to replace AMISOM with a full-fledged UN Peacekeeping Operation. Earlier, AU and UN officials provided participants with a relatively positive readout on the political and security situation in Somalia. End Summary. ¶2. (C) On January 17, the international community gave the AU and the countries that have contributed troops to AMISOM the news they had been waiting for: help is on the way. ¶3. (C) The US, the EU, the UK, and China all announced specific commitments that responded directly to several of the AMISOM force commander's requested needs. As reported in ref A, the U.S. will equip the three newly identified battalions (Burundi, Uganda, and Nigeria),and has already ordered equipment for the first two. The U.S. will also provide sustainment for all seven battalions, including fuel, food, medicines, communications and accommodations. Additionally, the U.S. has committed $5 million to support the TFG/ARS troops on an in-kind basis. The Ambassador also stated that the U.S. is providing an FM transmitter and MIST support to enhance AMISOM's messaging. (Note: The U.S. has also been actively engaged with the AU and the UN to arrange for the transport of UNMEE equipment, including vehicles, water purification units, and collapsible containers, from Asmara to Mogadishu. A ship carrying that equipment is due to set sail on January 21. End Note.) ¶4. (C) The EU confirmed that it would provide 20 million Euros in the immediate term, and that a newly established 300 Euro African Peace Facility could also be "at the disposal of AMISOM." The EU wants a UN financial management team to bring their financial expertise to the AU to help reinforce the AU's accountability mechanisms. In addition, the EU will loan the AU four temporary planners from the EU military staff to lend their expertise to the AU's Strategic Planning and Management Unit. The EU was more cautious on the issue of support for the joint Somali forces. While the EU expects to respond positively to that request, it is still seeking clarification on the "nature and responsibilities" of the Somali forces, and on AMISOM's role vis-a-vis the joint forces. ¶5. (C) For its part, the UK was less specific about the amount of its contribution to AMISOM. The UK has committed 10 million Pounds to AMISOM to date, and it hopes to donate a similar amount to the trust fund established under UNSC Resolution 1863. The UK could make an unspecified sum of money available before the end of March. As for UK support for the TFG/ARS forces, the issue was "under active consideration in London," a British diplomat told the gathering. ¶6. (C) Others voiced their support for AMISOM and the TFG/ARS forces as well. The Arab League Ambassador noted concerns about the piracy problem off the Somali coast and said that there would be an announcement of Arab League funding to help address the Somali crisis. The Organization of the Islamic Conference representative referred to developments in Somalia as a "tragedy for mankind" and added that the OIC has a strong commitment to help support AMISOM. China noted its $300,000 contribution to the AU to support AMISOM and announced it would give an additional 5 million Renminbi to both Uganda and Burundi for this purpose. ¶7. (U) The Algerian Permanent Representative to the AU, who is serving as the current president of the AU Peace and Security Council and whose country has offered to provide an airlift to the AMISOM troops, said that the Somali crisis "is a challenge that must be won. If we do not succeed in this endeavor, it will be a catastrophe for Somalia, and a failure for all of us." Several AU partners expressed their ADDIS ABAB 00000154 002 OF 002 satisfaction with the UNSC's adoption earlier in the week of Resolution 1863. There were also statements about the need for the international community to mobilize urgent support to address the dire humanitarian situation in Somalia. ¶8. (U) The January 17 meeting began with a review of the political and security situation on the ground in Somalia. Speaking about the rapidly approaching process that is supposed to lead to the election of a new Somali President, Ambassador Nicolas Bwakira, the AU's Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission, said he had received assurances from all partners that the Transitional Federal Charter of Somalia "would be fully respected. Bwakira also discounted recent press reports of fighting in Mogadishu. "The situation is under control," he asserted. The reason the joint Somali forces need international support is that the situation remains "fragile," Bwakira added. ¶9. (U) Somali Defense Minister Abdallah "Boss" Ahmed echoed Bwakira's analysis of the security atmosphere, and he, too, called for "urgent international assistance" for the forces replacing the Ethiopian National Defense Forces that have pulled out of Mogadishu. AMISOM's force commander, General Okello, also cited the challenge AMISOM troops face in the wake of the Ethiopian withdrawal, including the "psychological boost" the withdrawal provided the insurgents, and the lack of cohesiveness of the TFG. On the positive side, Okello reported that 10,000 Somalis demonstrated in support of peace in Mogadishu, and that Somali elders at a rally had called for peace and a halt to attacks against AMISOM troops. Looking ahead, Okello outlined the needs for a more robust mission, including stepped up intelligence, air assets, armored vehicles, and small boats to patrol the waters around Mogadishu. ¶10. (U) At the conclusion of the meeting, the AU issued a public statement that accurately represented the events of the meeting, but failed to capture completely the very positive tone of the exchange. YAMAMOTO