CJTF-HOA'S POSITIVE IMPACT IN TANZANIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DAR ES SALAAM 000235

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E JLIDDLE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR PGOV TZ
SUBJECT: CJTF-HOA'S POSITIVE IMPACT IN TANZANIA

REF: 2008 DAR ES SALAAM 444


1. (SBU) Summary: The Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa
(CJTF-HOA) engagement in Tanzania is promoting prosperous, just and
secure communities in strategic areas of the country. In doing so,
this engagement is furthering specific Mission goals. Interagency
coordination of CJTF-HOA efforts is strong, as is collaboration with
Government of Tanzania officials and Tanzanian military leadership.
Humanitarian projects, such as schools and clinics, are a highly
effective bricks and mortar response to those who accuse the U.S.
military of nefarious motives in Africa. The communities
benefitting from CJTF-HOA humanitarian projects consistently express
appreciation and goodwill. Greater involvement of the Tanzanian
military in these projects would further our goals. A written
agreement on CJTF-HOA coordination procedures would improve
Diplomacy/Development/Defense coordination. To the extent
contracting rules permit, local contractors should be preferred.
End Summary.


2. (U) The Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA),
based out of Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, has served in Tanzania since

2005. Its current on-the-ground assets are comprised of two
full-time staff at Embassy Dar es Salaam serving as a County
Coordination Element and a four-person Civil Affairs(CA) team
currently serving in Tanga, along the northern Swahili coast of
Tanzania. In FY08, CJTF-HOA spent USD 2 million on humanitarian
affairs projects in Tanzania. FY 09 will see a significant drop in
support to around USD 680,000.

The "Three Ds" in Action
--------------


3. (U) CJTF-HOA's work in Tanzania is a model of the "3Ds concept" -
defense, diplomacy, and development - in action. Since its start in
Tanzania in 2005, CJTF-HOA has become a key component of our
humanitarian response and military engagement planning. We have
submitted to CJTF-HOA and AFRICOM a proposed Coordination Procedures
Agreement in the belief that written rules of the road detailing the
support owed our CJTF-HOA colleagues from other elements of the U.S.
would be useful for all concerned. Given the wide variance in
capacities and conditions at U.S. Missions in the region, we
recommend against a one-size-fits-all approach to such agreements.
We await CJTF-HOA and AFRICOM's response to our draft.


4. (U) In the meantime, we coordinate CJTF-HOA humanitarian
activities in an ad-hoc manner. We ensure that proposed projects
are vetted in-country with USAID and State colleagues prior to
submission for final vetting by CJTF-HOA leadership.


5. (U) The Embassy takes the lead in coordinating with local
civilian officials. USAID conducts technical reviews and
coordinates with other development partners to avoid duplication.
The Defense Attache Office coordinates with the Tanzanian military.
A Tanzanian Peoples Defense Force (TPDF) Captain serves as the
Tanzanian military's liaison with the Civil Affairs team in Tanga.
This close coordination has yielded positive results for the
Mission. A recent project dedication included the Speaker of the
Parliament - now an enthusiastic fan of U.S. military engagement in
Tanzania.


6. (SBU) We believe that CJTF-HOA humanitarian projects should focus
on communities potentially susceptible to extremist messages.
Previously, projects were scattered throughout the country,
lessening the overall impact of limited resources and failing to
concentrate on strategic interests. The decision to concentrate
activities on the northern Swahili coast, centered on the town of
Tanga, was based in part on the fact that extremist elements and
their supporters reside in this mostly Muslim region, albeit they
are a small minority of the generally peaceful coastal population.
After successful work by the civil affairs team, the Tanga region is
becoming saturated with projects. With our support, CJTF-HOA is
shifting its humanitarian focus to the island of Pemba, just off the
coast from Tanga. Pemba has been purposely neglected by the
autonomous government of Zanzibar for political reasons, creating a
reservoir of unemployed, alienated and angry Muslim youth (reftel).
This new focus directly supports Mission objectives to assist
communities susceptible to extremist influence. The lack of
assistance of any kind on the isle means that any assistance from
the civil affairs team generates considerable positive notice and

DAR ES SAL 00000235 002 OF 003


goodwill.

Recent Examples:
--------------


7. (U) The following are recent examples of successful humanitarian
affairs projects conducted by CJTF-HOA personnel:

-- CJTF-HOA completed a water project in northern Tanzania, near
Longido, in 2007 improving the lives of over 6,000 Maasai.
Previously, children would walk eight kilometers to collect water,
forgoing education.

-- A maternity clinic built in Njombe, in the southwest near the
Malawi border, finished in 2008, now averages more than 400 births
per month. A baby was delivered in the clinic during the dedication
ceremony.

-- In December 2008, CJTF-HOA added two rooms to Jitegemee High
School in Dar es Salaam. This public school, on a military base,
has over 3,000 students, many of them children of military or
government officials.

-- An ongoing refurbishment of Pongwe Clinic in Tanga is converting
a three-room section of a clinic into a surgical suite.

-- In Pemba, the planned building of Bopwe Primary School will
include 10-12 classrooms, 10 latrines, 2 teacher offices, a
conference room, administrative office, and a kitchen. This project
will be a big boost to a neglected community.

-- Highly successful medical and veterinary assistance programs have
been working with the GOT to increase local capacity while providing
much needed service to remote villages in the Tanga region. A
recent VETCAP (Veterinary Civil Affairs Program) treated 11,705 cows
and 5,939 goats and sheep in twelve villages. Local veterinarians
worked side-by-side with the U.S. military increasing their skill
base.

Increased Engagement
--------------


8. (U) It was clear to EmbOff during a March 30-April 1, 2009 visit
to CJTF-HOA's headquarters that engagement with U.S. Mission
Tanzania is likely to increase in the coming years. Continued
humanitarian assistance is likely. The new focus on Pemba is seen
by all as a positive shift. Also on the table is a new program to
provide mentorship to the TPDF noncommissioned officer development
program. This program has been successful in Ethiopia and would be
an excellent addition to the ongoing military engagement.

Comment: Recommendations
--------------


9. (SBU) We have three recommendations for CJTF-HOA and AFRICOM
leadership to consider:

-- Greater involvement of the Tanzanian military in these projects
would further our goals. After decades of negligible mil-mil
cooperation between the United States and Tanzania, we now have a
close relationship rapidly growing closer. The Tanzanian military
is viewed favorably by the public here. It can be intimidating and
off-putting for a foreign military to arrive in a community, even
when bearing gifts. Associating our efforts with the TPDF in a more
robust fashion would benefit all concerned. Ideally, this means
expanding the present TPDF liaison programming.

-- A written agreement on CJTF-HOA coordination procedures would
improve Diplomacy/Development/Defense. We have submitted such a
document for the consideration of CJTF-HOA and AFRICOM leadership.
The capacities of U.S. Missions to coordinate CJTF-HOA teams vary
greatly within the region, as do local contexts. We suggest that
written agreements on coordination procedures are highly useful, but
should be tailored to the unique set of conditions found in each
country in CJTF-HOA's area of operations.

-- To the extent contracting rules permit, local contractors should
be preferred. Local contractors are properly motivated to do good
work, as their own children or their neighbors' children may attend

DAR ES SAL 00000235 003 OF 003


the school they are building, or they themselves may use the clinic
under renovation. In any case, they live in the area and so cannot
easily hide from irate residents upset at shoddy work. Contractors
from outside the region have no such motivation.

ANDRE