USAU: AFRICAN UNION TO REVIEW AMISOM MANDATE IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 000465

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/E, AF/RSA, AND IO/UNP
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2019
TAGS: PREL MOPS KPKO AU BY SO UG
SUBJECT: USAU: AFRICAN UNION TO REVIEW AMISOM MANDATE IN
WAKE OF FATAL ATTACK

REF: NAIROBI 346

Classified By: AMBASSADOR DONALD YAMAMOTO, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Summary: In the wake of a double suicide bombing
against an AMISOM base in Mogadishu, the African Union (AU)
Peace and Security Council has ordered an "urgent
reassessment" of AMISOM's mandate. The Council also appealed
to the UN to accelerate implementation of a support package
for AMISOM, and it reiterated its call on AU member states to
provide troops to AMISOM. A review of AMISOM's security
procedures is under way, but the AU wants urgent U.S.
intelligence assistance to begin, with more requests to
follow. As explained in reftel, the suicide bombers were
Somali nationals known to the Burundian troops and with
regular access to the base. End Summary.


2. (U) Following the February 22 attack against Burundian
troops belonging to AMISOM, the AU's response has been swift
and strong. AU Chairperson Jean Ping issued a press
statement condemning in the strongest terms "these criminal
and cowardly attacks." For its part, the AU Peace and
Security Council held an emergency meeting on February 23 and
issued a communique expressing "outrage at this despicable
and heinous act perpetrated by extremist elements seeking to
undermine the ongoing efforts towards peace, security and
reconciliation in Somalia, whose only response to the plight
of their people is more violence and destruction. Council
strongly condemned this terrorist act and demanded that
appropriate measures be taken to identify and bring to
justice the authors of this attack."


3. (C) In addition, the Council ordered an "urgent
reassessment" of AMISOM's mandate and a "multiform
reinforcement of the capacity of AMISOM to enable it to adapt
to the conditions on the ground and the new modus operandi of
terrorist groups." One of the PermReps who attended the
meeting told USAU that better intelligence might have
thwarted the attack. The AU is expected to ask for urgent
intelligence assistance from the U.S., UK, and France, with
more requests to follow. (Note: AMISOM Force Commander Major
General Francis Okello had warned the AU and the
international community back in December that the withdrawal
of Ethiopian troops from Somalia would leave the AU without
adequate intelligence about the different groups that might
want to target AMISOM. End Note.)


4. (U) When the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1744
authorizing AMISOM in February 2007, AMISOM's mandate was "to
take all measures, as appropriate, to carry out support for
dialogue and reconciliation by assisting with the free
movement, safe passage and protection of all those involved
in a national reconciliation congress involving all
stakeholders." The mandate also included the provision of
protection to the Transitional Federal Institutions and
security for key infrastructure; assistance with the
implementation of the National Security and Stabilization
Plan; contribution to the creation of the necessary security
conditions for the provision of humanitarian assistance; and
protection of its personnel and facilities, as well as
ensuring the security and freedom of movement of its
personnel.


5. (C) In the latest communique, the AU Peace and Security
Council appealed to the UN to speed up implementation of a
support package for AMISOM, in conformity with UNSCR 1863,
and it repeated its call on AU member states to provide
troops to AMISOM. The Nigerian PermRep was specifically
asked about his country's pledge to send a battalion to
Somalia, but he said nothing. Burundi's PermRep reaffirmed
her country's commitment to AMISOM and vowed not to withdraw.
Burundi is due to rotate out one of its two battalions in
the coming days with the help of an Algerian airlift. As
part of an AU agreement with Algeria, the Algerians will also
airlift two Burundian battalions and one Ugandan battalion.
That will bring the total number of battalions to six.


6. (C) AMISOM's mandate is set to expire in mid-March. Peace
and Security Council Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra told AU
partner countries on February 18 that he expected the Council
would vote for a renewal of AMISOM's mandate by the first
week of March. The reassessment of AMISOM's mandate and

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recommendations for improved security procedures could be
tabled by then as well.


7. (C) COMMENT: Even if AMISOM was fully deployed per its
original mandate (the six battalions that should be on the
ground by the end of this month are three short of the nine
envisioned when the Mission's original mandate was
authorized),it presumably would not be able to fulfill the
more robust role that the Peace and Security Council is now
considering. END COMMENT.
YAMAMOTO