ETHIOPIA 2009 COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 002960 SIPDIS DEPT FOR S/CT: RSHORE; AF/E: JWIEGERT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER ASEC EFIN PREL ET SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA 2009 COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM REF: STATE 109980 ADDIS ABAB 00002960 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. Over the last three years, the East Africa extremist networks led by al-Shabaab have increased their capability, numbers and strength. The threat posed by these networks, particularly the increase of foreign fighters and jihadist recruits, is a growing concern. The Ethiopian government is concerned about terrorist related activities in neighboring Somalia in addition to domestic insurgency groups such as the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and Oromo Liberation Front (OLF),in addition to other regional extremist groups, such as the United Western Somali Liberation Front. Both the ONLF and OLF continue to target Ethiopian government officials. Eritrea's support for al-Shabaab extremists in Somalia, in an effort to destabilize Ethiopia, poses an additional threat. ¶2. The Ethiopian military's withdrawal from Somalia in January 2009 reduced the lightening rod long used by Somalia-based extremists as grounds for targeting Ethiopia. By bolstering defensive forces along the Ethio-Somali border, they further reinforced defensive mechanisms through which to stem potential infiltration of extremists into Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a member state and current rotating chair of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD),and participates actively in IGAD's Capacity Building Program Against Terrorism (ICPAT) to bolster the capacity of IGAD member states to mitigate, detect, and deter advances by terrorists. ¶3. Ethiopia's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), with broad authority for intelligence, border security, and criminal investigation, was responsible for overall counterterrorism management. The Ethiopian Federal Police (EFP) work in conjunction with NISS on counterterrorism. Key among Ethiopia's counterterrorism objectives is combating terrorist groups like al-Shabaab, the United Western Somali Liberation Front, and al-Itihaad al-Islami. Ethiopia has requested U.S. assistance to craft legislation and provide other technical assistance to establish a regime to combat terrorist financing, and is more focused on seeking prosecution of counterterrorism suspects since the new Antiterrorism Law was passed in July. Ethiopia was an active participant in African Union (AU) counterterrorism efforts, participating in the AU's Center for Study and Research on Terrorism, and in meetings of the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA). ¶3. Bilateral relations between the U.S. and Ethiopia are broad-based. U.S. military forces based in Djibouti conduct indirect operations within Ethiopia through the employment of Civil Affairs teams, civil action programs, senior religious leader engagements and military to military cooperative engagements to bolster improved relationships and understanding between the Ethiopian and American peoples. These meetings with local civil leaders, ethnic elders and security forces have provided the U.S. with an increased awareness of clan, religious, and ethnic issues that violent extremists may attempt to exploit for their own benefit. They also allow the USG to pursue solutions to those issues through development and humanitarian support to bolster communities at risk directly or through leveraging support of NGOs, the U.S. State Department, USAID, and U.S. military outreach. ¶4. The U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, continued to support GoE counterterrorism capabilities with USD one million worth of Antiterrorism Training programming. This year's training encompassed 168 students, from front line supervisors engaging in land border management at ports of entry, to senior police leaders studying their role in combating terrorism on the strategic, regional, and national levels. Students were taught to analyze terrorist activities including financing, confidential source handling, development and information management sharing. This year's goal was to address the ability to disseminate information across agencies and countries, and concentrate on the large issue of stabilizing the Horn of Africa by attacking terrorism on a multilateral front. ¶5. The Office of Security Cooperation has provided some protective gear to enhance the force protection status of troops involved in counterterrorism roles. ¶6. Ethiopia's location within the Horn of Africa made it vulnerable to money laundering activities perpetrated by transnational criminal organizations, terrorists, and narcotics traffickers. On November 19, 2009, parliament passed anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) legislation that had been supported through technical advice from the U.S. Department of Treasury. This legislation formally created Ethiopia's first financial intelligence ADDIS ABAB 00002960 002.2 OF 002 unit called the Financial Information Center. This new Center is charged with implementing this new legislation. USG officials are currently seeking to review this legislation in detail to determine whether there are areas for additional bilateral cooperation during the establishment of the nascent Financial Information Center.