Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ALGIERS1070
2009-12-02 10:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Algiers
Cable title:  

AFRICOM COMMANDER GENERAL WARD'S MEETING WITH

Tags:  PTER PREL MARR MOPS AG NG ML MR 
pdf how-to read a cable
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8179
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
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RUEHBP/AMEMBASSY BAMAKO 1045
RUEHNM/AMEMBASSY NIAMEY 1986
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001070 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/MAG - NARDI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2019
TAGS: PTER PREL MARR MOPS AG NG ML MR
SUBJECT: AFRICOM COMMANDER GENERAL WARD'S MEETING WITH
ALGERIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

Classified By: Charge d'Affairs a.i. William Jordan. Reasons: 1.4 (b)
, (d)

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001070

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/MAG - NARDI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2019
TAGS: PTER PREL MARR MOPS AG NG ML MR
SUBJECT: AFRICOM COMMANDER GENERAL WARD'S MEETING WITH
ALGERIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

Classified By: Charge d'Affairs a.i. William Jordan. Reasons: 1.4 (b)
, (d)

Summary
--------------


1. (C) Foreign Minister Medelci registered AFRICOM General
Ward's message that AFRICOM's mission was to reinforce
African nations' own security efforts and not establish
bases. The minister detailed Algeria's efforts within the
African Union and regional partners to promote security and
conflict resolution throughout Africa. It was committed to
partnership with its immediate neighbors to the south to
fight terrorists and the trafficking and kidnapping that
financed terrorism. Medelci said self-determination for
Western Sahara was non-negotiable. He supported increased
U.S.-Algerian cooperation in regional security. End summary

Algeria's Foreign Policy Objectives
--------------


2. (C) AFRICOM Commander General William E. Ward met Algerian
Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci at the MFA November 26. The
General was accompanied by the Ambassador, AFRICOM Foreign
Policy Adviser Dr. Raymond Brown, Embassy DATT Col. Tichenor,
Embassy OSC head Maj. Phillips, AFRICOM Strategic Plans and
Policies Capt. Claude Galluzzo, AFRICOM Public Affairs
Officer Col. Franklin Childress, and Pol-Econ Chief Bosshart
(notetaker). Sitting with the Foreign Minister were Minister
Delegate for African and Maghreb Affairs Abdelkader Messahel,
the new Director General for the Americas Sabri Boukhadoum,
U.S. desk director Ali Drouiche, several other MFA officials,
General Nourredine Mekri, Director of the Directorate of
External Relations and Cooperation (DREC),and Major General
Abdelhamid Ghriss, Chief of Organization and Logistic
Department of the National Popular Army (ANP). The Foreign
Minister opened the meeting by declaring that U.S.-Algerian
relations had reached a new level and quality. He outlined
Algeria's major domestic and foreign objectives: 1) internal
peace and national reconciliation after the war with
terrorism in the 1990s; 2) economic and social development;

and 3) consolidated relations with key partners and with
multilateral institutions, especially with the U.S. Algeria
continued to advance on all three goals.


3. (C) Recent high-level USG visits (DASD Huddleston, NEA A/S
Feltman, and now General Ward),Medelci continued, had
allowed an exchange of views on larger security issues and
how we could mitigate conflicts. Algeria was diversifying
its economy beyond energy, where overreliance on hydrocarbons
created constraints and vulnerabilities. Medelci noted that
the U.S. was a factor in all major Algerian foreign policy
issues: disarmament, the Middle East, and Western Sahara.

African Security Challenges
--------------


4. (C) Medelci gave the floor to Minister Delegate Messahel,
who turned the discussion to African security affairs. He
began by acknowledging that General Ward had met President
Bouteflika previously on this trip and stated that Bouteflika
was an "Africa Man" with a personal appreciation for Mali. He
explained that Algeria engaged centrally with the African
Union, which had succeeded the Organization of African Unity
when that organization succeeded in freeing the continent of
colonization -- except for the Western Sahara. The AU now
was concerned with the continent's democracy, development,
and security. President Obama's speech in Accra encapsulated
the challenges the continent faced. The President of Algeria
was personally committed to making Algeria a partner in
achieving peace, stability, and security in Africa. Messahel
said he himself had led the AU delegation that negotiated the
Algiers Accords that brought a settlement of the
Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict, a process in which he had worked
with U.S. diplomats. Messahel said that peace was the
guiding principle of Algerian action in Africa, where it
worked closely with the African Union and its Peace and
Security Commission, the Committee of Wise Men, and the
African Standby Force.

Regional Efforts Against Terrorism
--------------


5. (C) Messahel said that after colonialism and regional
conflicts, the third issue facing the continent was
terrorism. Algeria hosted the African Center for the Study

and Research of Terrorism (CAERT) since its establishment in

2002. Algeria had helped engineer an AU declaration against
terrorism and a plan of action. But Algeria's major
preoccupation is the evolution of events on its southern
border. There is a huge and largely uncontrolled area open
to terrorists, including groups being forced out of the north
of Algeria, which are very mobile and deal in drugs, illegal
migration, and all forms of trafficking. The second issue
for Algeria in this regard is Somalia, al-Shabaab, and
al-Qa'ida's various regional organizations. He said that for
both terrorism issues, Algeria's approach is to do its best
to be supportive of its African brothers in their efforts.


6. (C) Messahel pointed to Algeria's southern neighbors
Niger, Mali, and Mauritania, where he said the main
challenges were democracy, security, and development. While
Algeria was engaged with Africa on these challenges, security
must be the first priority. Algeria wants to help these
three countries mobilize against terrorist forces in the
region. Algeria and these countries have the means and
capabilities but must do the job together as a coordinated
effort. Niger was very cooperative on counterterrorism, but
there continues to be some "lack of understanding" in Mali.
Exactly a year earlier, Messahel had been in Bamako to
prepare regional counterterrorism cooperation. He had met
the Malian Foreign Minister at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit.
Algerian Foreign Minister Medelci had been in Bamako. But
there is still no date for a summit. Messahel said that for
several months, the Malians had pleaded inability to fight
terrorism because they were confronted by a Tuareg rebellion.
With peace now restored, Messahel argued, Mali should be
able to concentrate its forces against terrorism.


7. (C) Messahel highlighted the contribution of kidnappings
for ransom to terrorist financing in the Sahel region. There
was a legal vacuum on this issue in international conventions
and resolutions. The AU summit in Addis Ababa earlier this
year had discussed the issue. Algeria was initiating action
in the UN to remedy this. This would take time, although
Algeria was happy that it enjoyed UK support. In renewing UN
Security Council Resolution 1267 this year, states should
insert a paragraph on ransom payments.

Western Sahara
--------------


8. (C) Turning to Western Sahara, Messahel said that
self-determination was a non-negotiable principle for
Algeria. The Sahrawi should have the opportunity to vote in
a referendum between joining Morocco, autonomy, or
independence. Algeria had been clear on this with all
previous UN Personal Envoys, including James Baker and now
Christopher Ross. Morocco's friends should convince it to
accept self-determination and UN resolutions. The status quo
helped no one. Beyond Algeria's immediate region, Algeria
had very close ties and conferred often on the future of the
continent with South Africa, Nigeria, and Ethiopia.

AFRICOM'S Role on the Continent
--------------


9. (C) General Ward said the U.S. recognized Algeria's
stability-promoting role in the region. While AFRICOM's
primary focus was security, it also recognized the social and
development dimensions of stability. The U.S. recognized the
importance of bilateral cooperation, and also supported the
efforts of the AU and its Peace and Security Council, led by
Algerian diplomat Ramtane Lamamra, as well as the AU Standby
Force. The General meets frequently in Washington with the
President, the Departments of Defense and State, and with
Congress to explain regional issues and how AFRICOM's
assistance in its capacity building and support role is
beneficial to of Africa's advancement.


10. (C) As for AFRICOM, its role is to support efforts by
Algeria and other African countries against terrorism and all
forms of trafficking. If successful, this would benefit the
whole world. AFRICOM supports Algeria's regional objectives,
such as the Bamako summit. Operation Enduring Freedom
Trans-Sahara (OEF-TS) works with partners to build the
capacity to meet their security objectives. The General said
his visit had helped him understand Algeria's strategic
objectives. General Ward continued, saying that since its
establishment two years ago, AFRICOM had demonstrated it did
not seek to establish bases, take over what African countries
were doing, or move its headquarters to Africa. Its

objective was instead to help Africans in what they were
already doing on security. General Ward emphasized that
AFRICOM does not make U.S. policy but supports that policy,
which is formulated by the civilian political leaders of the
U.S. The programs AFRICOM supports would only be those
requested by Algeria. General Ward stated that he intended
his headquarters to remain in Stuttgart, Germany, and has no
intention to place it elsewhere.

Deeper Causes of Terrorism
--------------


11. (C) Medelci expressed appreciation that AFRICOM had
developed a global approach that recognized that security was
not geographically divisible and that it had economic and
social aspects. The roots of terrorism had to be understood
as coming from injustice in areas such as the Middle East and
Afghanistan, which had exported terrorism to the Sahel.
Another source of terrorism was the crisis in the Middle
East; resolving that conflict would help solve terrorism.
Political leaders also had to consult with elected
representatives of the people, e.g., in the legislature.
Countries could do nothing without good laws. Medelci
concluded that political leaders must at times convince
lawmakers to change laws -- or UN Security Council
resolutions. Medelci closed by saying that Algeria welcomed
working with the U.S. on this global perspective and that
General Ward should return to Algeria soon.


12. (C) General Ward concluded by stating that the African
continent deserved stability. The Ambassador observed that
continuing U.S.-Algerian contact was paramount. The General
was an effective advocate for Africa in Washington D.C. The
Ambassador suggested that Foreign Minister Medelci visit
Washington soon.
JORDAN