EU AND CLOSE ALLIES DISCUSS CURRENT CRISIS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 001489 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2019 TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL EUN SUBJECT: EU AND CLOSE ALLIES DISCUSS CURRENT CRISIS MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS REF: A. USEU BRUSSELS 1382 ¶B. USEU BRUSSELS 1127 ¶C. USEU BRUSSELS 1287 ¶D. USEU BRUSSELS 1366 ¶E. USEU BRUSSELS 1346 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Christopher Murray for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: On October 16, the Swedish EU Presidency convoked a meeting of EU Political and Security Committee Ambassadors with non-EU NATO Allies and EU candidate countries (the PSC Plus 8) to discuss the EU's counter-piracy operation, the EU police training mission in Afghanistan, and the two EU crisis management missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (REF A). The EU announced that it has already secured sufficient force commitments to keep its counter-piracy operation fully resourced through 2010 and that discussions are underway on possible additional EU action to support Somali security sector reform both at sea and on land. The EU called on its Member States to contribute additional personnel to its police training mission in Afghanistan and asked PRT lead nations to work with the EU to ensure those trainers can deploy to the provinces (REF B). In the DRC, EU speakers emphasized the importance of regional cooperation, expressed growing commitment to combating sexual violence, and described their work to help Congolese authorities implement security sector reform (SSR) plans. The EU invited contributions from non-EU members to both the EU's police and military SSR missions in the DRC (REFs C-D). Non-EU members, including NATO Allies Canada, Turkey, Norway, and Croatia, praised the EU's commitment to crisis management operations and highlighted their own contributions to EU operations. While this meeting was not as long or engaging as previous PSC Plus 8 meetings, the Swedish Presidency ensured that the format will endure, allowing NATO Allies and EU members to discuss security issues outside of the restrictions on the NAC-PSC. End Summary. OPERATION ATALANTA ¶2. (C) Swedish Ambassador Olaf Skoog described the EU's counter-piracy operation ATALANTA as a success, saying it could serve as the point of entry for other capacity building activities in the region. He said EU Political and Security Committee (PSC) Ambassadors had recently traveled to Africa and visited a German frigate participating in ATALANTA. Skoog said Ambassadors returned to Brussels impressed with the mission and ready to consider other complementary initiatives. Skoog said the number of successful piracy attacks was down, attributing the decline to the weather, close international military coordination, and self-protection measures undertaken by merchant vessels. He said EU Member States are now considering what further value the EU can add to the Somali security sector (REF E),for example by contributing to regional coast guard capacity building. Skoog also said land based SSR efforts are under consideration in Brussels. ¶3. (C) Warships operating under ATALANTA have escorted 43 World Food Program shipments and are protecting supply shipments for AMISOM, Skoog said. A thorny, but important issue for the EU is ensuring that captured pirates are prosecuted. Skoog noted that the EU has had an agreement with Kenya since March, and is close to finalizing an agreement with the Seychelles, but acknowledged that these countries will soon reach their maximum capacity to absorb pirate suspects. He called attention to the 1.75 million euro European Commission program to support Kenyan judicial capacity building, which complements the naval operation, and thanked Norway and Croatia for their contributions to Operation ATALANTA. Montenegro may soon join the mission as well, he said. ¶4. (C) Noting that EU Foreign Ministers decided in June to extend the operation through December 2010, the EU Council Secretariat's Didier Lenoir said the EU had already generated the necessary forces for 2010. UK Commander David Lintern, BRUSSELS 00001489 002 OF 003 the Atalanta operational headquarters' liaison in Brussels, said the operation currently comprises 8 warships, which operate alongside 5 from the Combined Maritime Forces, 4 from NATO, and a number of others deployed unilaterally. He said the EU is pleased with the coordination taking place through the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) meetings in Bahrain, despite some difficulties with China. Lintern averred that recent attacks show that Somali pirates can still operate hundreds of miles away from shore, and that registering with the EU operation and taking self-protection measures are vital steps for vulnerable merchant ships. ¶5. (C) Interventions from non-EU countries focused on their national contributions and encouraged the EU to think broadly about improving Somali security. Turkey's Ambassador Volkan Bozkir said piracy remains a serious threat and noted that Turkey is contributing through the NATO operation. He said notwithstanding improved international counter-piracy coordination, the international community can only reduce piracy if it helps improve the security situation inside Somalia. Norwegian Ambassador Oda Sletnes said Norway is pleased to contribute to Operation ATALANTA. Citing NATO's ISAF mission as an example, she pressed the EU to open its defense ministers' meetings on counter-piracy to non-EU nations contributing to the operation. Croatia's DCM, Jasna Ognjanovac, highlighted Croatia's contribution to the mission aboard a Belgian frigate and at the operational headquarters in Northwood, UK. Croatia is pleased with the cooperation and exchange of information taking place with the EU, she said. She added that anti-piracy operations are not enough to stamp out the problem, and Croatia welcomes possible further EU contributions to Somali security. Canadian Ambassador Ross Hornby noted that Canada is contributing to the NATO counter-piracy operation and highlighted the importance of continued NATO-EU coordination. Hornby said Canada would welcome further EU capacity building activities, since the EU has a special competency in capacity building. USEU Charge echoed Hordlcomed the EU's contribhalution to piracy prosecbed the EU'Afghanistan (EUPOL Afghaolitment to staff the missi Qmphasized the importance of PRTs being ready to receive EU civpol. The EU's civilian crisis management operational commander, Kees Klompenhouwer stressed the importance of coordination, which he said had improved over the last year. He made clear that contributions to EUPOL from non-EU countries are welcome, and assured participants that non-EU contributions were treated the same as EU Member State contributions. ¶7. (C) Canadian Ambassador Hornby said Canada continues to support EUPOL with 10 police officers and one rule of law expert. Hornby said Ottawa is encouraged by the progress made over the last year, but would like to see more effort in the area of the rule of law, particularly corrections and judiciary. He also called for coordination with the new NATO police training efforts. Norwegian Ambassador Sletnes said Norway would have 11 personnel in EUPOL as of November and intends to maintain that level. At the same time, Norway stressed the importance of district level training, and said Oslo is considering increasing Norway's contribution of personnel to Focused District Development (FDD) efforts in Faryab province. Turkey said it remains committed to Afghanistan, calling attention to its pledge at the Paris BRUSSELS 00001489 003 OF 003 conference, its leadership of a PRT, and its consideration of establishing another PRT. Ambassador Bozkir emphasized that international efforts must go beyond military operations and focus on economic development, social and cultural issues as well. USEU Charge emphasized that the U.S. addresses Afghanistan and Pakistan as a single issue requiring an integrated civ-mil approach. He stressed that President Obama is reviewing overall U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, not just troop levels. Our goal, he said, remains to disrupt, defeat and dismantle al-Qaida and its extremist allies. He welcomed EUPOL's contribution to civilian efforts in Afghanistan and expressed hope for continued U.S.-EU coordination and consultations. ¶8. (C) Klompenhouwer responded to Canada's Ambassador by saying the EU is enhancing its efforts on the rule of law, in particular to strengthen cooperation between Afghan police and prosecutors. Responding to Norway, he said it is important to deploy to the provinces and that FDD makes a vital contribution. However, Klompenhouwer said the EUPOL mission differs from FDD and would probably focus its efforts at the provincial rather than district level. To get outside Kabul, he reemphasized, EUPOL relies on PRT lead nations. He also assured the group that his team would stay in close touch with NATO planners and staff. SSR IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO ¶9. (C) Swedish Ambassador Skoog said the EU remains concerned about the lack of implementation of the Goma and Nairobi peace processes. He said the EU supports greater regional cooperation. He also argued that the international community must press Congolese authorities to end impunity for sexual and gender-based violence and to protect civilians against the ravages of war. Skoog said the EU's military SSR mission, EUSEC, underwent a strategic review in the spring and has revised its concept of operations to focus on six lines of action (REF C). The EU police mission, EUPOL RD Congo, is focused on improving the Congolese police's investigations capacity and is increasingly engaged in combating sexual violence. Skoog said getting the EUPOL mission up to strength has been difficult and the EU welcomes non-EU contributions to the mission, a call that civilian operations commander Kees Klompenhouwer reinforced (REF D). Didier Lenoir, from the Council Secretariat, said the EUSEC mission, which used to focus heavily on the strategic level, is now working to help the Congolese implement their military reform plan. Lenoir noted that the U.S. has a liaison officer to EUSEC and said the mission would welcome further non-EU contributions. ¶10. (C) Comment: While this meeting was not as long or engaging as previous PSC Plus 8 meetings, by holding the meeting the Swedish Presidency ensured that the format will endure, allowing NATO Allies and EU members to discuss security issues outside of the restrictions on the NAC-PSC. It is noteworthy that a number of key Allies and non-EU members used the meeting to convey specific policy points -- suggesting they, too, recognize the importance of this gathering. End Comment. .