EU MILITARY CAPACITY-BUILDING IN AFRICA: EURO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 000965 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2019 TAGS: EUN MARR MOPS PREL XA SUBJECT: EU MILITARY CAPACITY-BUILDING IN AFRICA: EURO RECAMP Classified By: Acting Political M-C Mary T. Curtin for reasons 1.4b/d ¶1. 1. (C) Summary: The EU's capacity-building program to train African civilian and military leaders is struggling to overcome the African Union's absorption capacity and recruitment challenges. The EU effort, named EURO RECAMP, is halfway through a training cycle for the African Union (AU) that began in 2008 and is meant to culminate in a March 2010 command post exercise. EURO RECAMP's goal is to strengthen the AU's Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD) and the African Standby Force (ASF). The present "Amani Africa" cycle trains leaders in crisis management decision-making through seminars and exercises based on a fictional crisis scenario provided by Canada's Pearson Peacekeeping Center. EURO RECAMP grew out of the French RECAMP initiative that Paris successfully "Europeanized" in 2007; France continues to act as the EU's framework nation for the program. End Summary. HISTORY ¶2. (SBU) On July 7, PolOffs discussed the EURO RECAMP program with Sebastien Bergeon, advisor to the EU's Special Advisor for African Peacekeeping Capabilities, retired French Army General Pierre-Michel Joana. Bergeon provided an assessment of the challenges facing EURO RECAMP. This capacity-building program under the EU-Africa Joint Strategy Peace and Security Partnership is intended to strengthen the capabilities of the PSOD and ASF through a two-year training cycle culminating in a command post exercise. The Amani Africa cycle aims to: evaluate the ASF deployment capacities and procedures for a multidimensional operation; test and evaluate AU capacities and procedures for developing an ASF mandate; practice establishing an ASF mission headquarters; and inform AU personnel and member states of ASF capabilities, procedures, and requirements. It Started in Paris... ¶3. (SBU) France initiated the RECAMP program bilaterally in 1997 to increase the capacity of African states to conduct peacekeeping operations. Under the control of the French Ministry of Defense and a RECAMP Ambassador, the first cycle (1996 to 1998) culminated in the 1998 Guidimakha training exercise on the border of Senegal, Mauritania, and Mali. Organized within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),it included participation from four contributing African countries and four non-African donors (France, Belgium, the UK, and the U.S.). The second cycle (1998 to 2000) was organized with the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC), held in Gabon, and widened to include eight contributors and eight donors. The third cycle (2000 to 20002) centered on the Southern African Development Community (SADC),the fourth (2002 to 2004) on ECOWAS, and the fifth (2004 to 2006) on CEEAC. A European Identity ¶4. (SBU) Beginning in 2006, France began pushing for the "Europeanization" of RECAMP, which would shift the administrative and financial burden so that it was shared among all EU member states. Other EU Member States agreed to adopt the French plan, proposing it to the AU in 2007. RECAMP became EURO RECAMP for the Amani Africa cycle (2008 to 2010). France remains the framework nation for the program and coordinates an implementation team, which includes the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Italy. The EU's Political and Security Committee (PSC) oversees the program as part of the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP). PSC Ambassadors will next discuss EURO RECAMP's future on July 31, 2009. AMANI AFRICA CYCLE ¶5. (SBU) The 2008-2010 Amani Africa training cycle focuses on leader development. It aims to strengthen ASF and PSOD capabilities by training African military and BRUSSELS 00000965 002 OF 003 civilian leaders in crisis management decision-making. It relies upon training seminars and exercises based on a fictional crisis scenario provided to the EU by Canada's Pearson Peacekeeping Centre. Bergeon estimated that 70 to 75 African military officials and 25 police and civilian leaders are participating in the cycle. Through the exercises, African officials should be able to assess the needs and capabilities of the ASF, which will provide a brigade staff to participate in the final exercise. He said that several African countries are willing to provide their training centers as venues for EURO RECAMP activities. (Note: The EU is currently evaluating African training center needs and identifying centers of excellence as part of a separate Peace and Security initiative.) A Slow Cycle ¶6. (C) The Amani Africa cycle's initiating conference in November 2008 was followed by a contributors' conference in February 2009 and an initial planning conference in March. The main planning conference was just held last month. A map exercise planned for September 2009 to train command and control elements in the procedural work needed for a possible ASF operation will be followed by a "political strategic" exercise in November. The cycle should culminate in March 2010 with a final command post exercise (CPX) simulating a crisis requiring the deployment of an ASF brigade. An evaluation of AS will follow. Bergeon `luros. Since pan, and Norway provide monetary or operational contributions. Canaa's Pearson Peacekeeping Centre provided the Qictitious scenario for the training cycle. BQrgeon suggested that NATO would support evaluation activities once exercises are completed. Bergeon emphasized that EURO RECAMP does not Qequire additional funding from international artners; what it needs now are equipment, material, and training programs. Will the Schedule Slip? ¶9. (C) Bergeon questioned whether EURO RECAMP would be prepared to execute the final CPX by March 2010, highlighting several challenges facing the Amani Africa cycle. First, the AU has been unable to provide the necessary human resources. The CPX will require 70 PSOD personnel for the lead headquarters, but the AU has only hired 15. None of the 170 staff required for a forward command post for the exercise have been hired yet. In addition, the balance of military versus civilian/police personnel being trained is too heavily skewed towards the military. Bergeon assesses that the nature of EU involvement contributes to the HR problems. While the EU Council works with Africa on a continental (AU) and regional (Regional Economic Communities) level, personnel are recruited by individual African states, which do not work with EURO RECAMP and are therefore more inclined to BRUSSELS 00000965 003 OF 003 devote resources to fulfill UN needs. ¶10. (C) Bergeon questioned whether an ASF brigade would be ready to contribute military, civilian, and police personnel to the exercise. The East African Standby Brigade (EASBRIG),he said, should be the core of the exercise, but a timeline conflict may prevent it from participating. The ECOWAS brigade participated in a recent cycle, and the other brigades cannot participate because of language differences and/or unpreparedness. ¶11. (C) Funding is another problem, Bergeon said. EU, AU, EU Member State, international, and regional funds must be coordinated better, especially given the AU's inability to absorb and spend all the donor contributions at its disposal. The EU's African Peace Facility is not contributing to the Amani Africa training cycle yet, he noted again, because of AU efforts to solicit as much donor money as possible, even if it cannot absorb the funds. Each year, Bergeon noted, the EU has not succeeded in spending all the funding at its disposal because of AU absorption capacity shortfalls. Without correcting this central problem, the EURO RECAMP project cannot reach its full potential. MURRAY .