DJIBOUTI REQUESTS USG SUPPORT FOR EASBRIG FTX

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 DJIBOUTI 001205 SIPDIS FOR AF A/S CARSON FROM AMBASSADOR SWAN STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/E, AF/RSA, AND PM/PPA LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA-WATCHER SECDEF FOR OUSD(P) AFRICOM FOR SPP AND POLAD CJTF-HOA FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/10/13 TAGS: PREL PTER MASS MOPS EAID DJ ET KE RW UG BY XA SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI REQUESTS USG SUPPORT FOR EASBRIG FTX REF: 09 DJIBOUTI 895; 08 DJIBOUTI 857; 09 STATE 104754 CLASSIFIED BY: Eric Wong, DCM, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy, Djibouti; REASON: 1.4(A),(D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Embassy Djibouti recommends provision of GPOI funds, or alternate sources of funding, in response to formal requests from Djibouti's Minister of Defense and chief of general staff, for assistance to support the East Africa Standby Brigade's Field Training Exercise (EASBRIG FTX),scheduled for mid-November in Djibouti. The exercise, the first-ever of its kind to be conducted by EASBRIG, will involve nearly 2,000 troops from nearly a dozen countries - including such key regional troop-contributing countries as Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. The successful conclusion of the EASBRIG FTX will promote U.S. strategic goals, by building security capacity among key allies in both the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa regions. Djibouti, host of the only U.S. military base in Africa and a key partner enabling sensitive U.S. military operations (refs B-C),has requested U.S. assistance to meet requirements that are estimated to cost between USD 1.6 - 2.67 million. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Deputy commander of CJTF-HOA and DCM met with Djibouti's Minister of Defense, Ogoureh Kiffleh Ahmed, at the minister's request on September 30. DATT, Office of Security Cooperation (OSC) budget and training assistant, and CJTF-HOA CJ-7 (training and exercises) director accompanied USG representatives. Minister Kiffleh noted that he had previously met with the commander of French forces in Djibouti, who had agreed to study the GODJ's requests for assistance in relation to hosting the EASBRIG FTX. -------------- --- AIRLIFT ONLY ONE OF MANY SIGNIFICANT REQUIREMENTS -------------- --- ¶3. (C) Minister Kiffleh outlined anticipated logistical requirements for the November 20-25 EASBRIG FTX. Nearly 2,000 personnel would be deployed for the exercise in Djibouti, beginning October 20 until November 30, including 300-person troop contingents from Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Sudan. Some 200 Djiboutian Armed Forces (FAD) troops would participate in the exercise on behalf of Djibouti, which would also contribute civilian extras. However, another 500 FAD would be deployed to support the exercise (e.g., to provide medical, security, or other support services). a. AIRLIFT: Whereas travel by road could have lowered the total costs of the exercise, airfare alone was now estimated to cost USD 5-6 million, Kiffleh said. The majority of troops were expected to travel to Djibouti, with personal equipment, via air; vehicles and equipment would come by sea. Only Ethiopia, which bordered Djibouti, planned to send its troops and materiel by road. (According to Kiffleh, Djibouti had requested, unsuccessfully, that all troops come by road. Not only would this have been more cost-effective, but it also would have promoted familiarization with the terrain, as EASBRIG expected to deploy in the future within the region.) Ethiopia, which had not participated in FTX planning until recently, now wanted to increase the number of Ethiopian troops participating. (NOTE. We understand AFRICOM is examining options for providing airlift under bilateral acquisition and cross-servicing agreements. END NOTE.) DJIBOUTI 00001205 002 OF 004 b. FOOD AND WATER: The GODJ had originally been requested to provide food for 1,200 exercise participants for 3 days (i.e., 10,800 meals),but an additional 300 personnel were expected to be in Djibouti from October 20 to November 30 for pre-deployment and support activities. EASBRIGCOM had asked troop-contributing countries (TCCs) at a September 28 conference to feed their own troops, but it was unclear whether TCCs were equipped to do so. Some 5 liters of potable water were also required for each person, each day (i.e., nearly 6,000 liters of drinking water/day). c. ACCOMMODATIONS AND FUEL: The GODJ lacked sufficient cots and tents to provide adequate accommodations, Kiffleh said, so EASBRIG TCCs had been asked to bring their own. c. GROUND TRANSPORTATION: Transportation (in the absence of any mass transit) from the sole international airport to various training sites, was another significant requirement. d. MEDICAL SUPPORT: In the absence of a Level 3 medical facility in Djibouti, provision for medevac contingencies was needed. Ambulances and medical units were also required at each of the 5 separate training sites. e. SITE PREPARATION: Each of the training sites also required electrical lighting and power. f. FORCE PROTECTION: Minister Kiffleh specifically requested that U.S. troops assist with patrols for force protection; he noted that this was a bilateral request from the GODJ, not a request from EASBRIGCOM. ¶4. (C) Minister Kiffleh estimated that food support and tents alone would cost more than USD 2 million. He underscored the tremendous financial burden being borne by Djibouti, which had been asked to waive airport parking and passenger fees for participants, as well as port fees. As both Djibouti's airport and seaport were now under private management (contracted to Dubai Ports World),waiving fees would require additional expenditures by the GODJ. ¶5. (SBU) The Minister of Defense presented a detailed list of requirements (with nearly 80 line items),whose total cost is estimated by the GODJ at USD 2.67 million. Key categories of requirements include: heavy equipment, ground transport, food and water, accommodations, tools, and communications. -------------- --- CHIEF OF DEFENSE REQUESTS USG ASSISTANCE FOR SITE PREPARATION -------------- --- ¶6. (C) CJTF-HOA commander, deputy commander, POLAD, and CJ-7 director -- accompanied by DCM and DATT -- met on October 3 with DJIBOUTI 00001205 003 OF 004 Djibouti's chief of general staff (CHOD),MG Fathi A. Houssein, and Ministry of Defense Advisor, COL Youssouf Guelleh Kayad. MG Fathi presented a formal written request for USG assistance to grade, level, and prepare 5-6 camp sites (5,000 sq. meters each) at Doudoub-Bololeh and Arta - prior to the anticipated arrival of advance elements on October 19. Sites also required latrines and other preparations. ¶7. (C) MG Fathi explained that the U.S. and French military presence in Djibouti had been a factor in some EASBRIG members deciding to participate in the FTX in Djibouti. France, which had more than 3,000 troops stationed in Djibouti, had been given camp sites the furthest away from the capital, to prepare; on the other hand, the sites proposed for USG assistance were the closest to the capital. Djibouti, as the host, would prepare camp sites near its Hol Hol training center (currently being used for training of more than 600 Somali Transitional Federal Government troops). -------------- --- COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST: ASSISTANCE NEEDED FOR KEY STRATEGIC PARTNERS IN THE REGION -------------- --- ¶8. (C) Military planners from the Djiboutian armed forces, French forces in Djibouti, and CJTF-HOA are currently engaged in extensive consultations on specific requirements and how they might be addressed. Preliminary USG estimates of material needs alone requested by Djibouti -- i.e., ground transportation (e.g., truck rentals),food and water, equipment, material, and tentage/structures -- total USD 1.6 million. Airlift of nearly 2,000 troops is another one of the most significant and expensive requirements. Despite earlier attempts by "Friends of EASBRIG" to propose scaling down the scope of this exercise, Djibouti and its EASBRIG partners -- including such strategically key African allies as Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Burundi -- appear determined to implement the EASBRIG FTX as envisioned. ¶9. (S/NF) On a per capita basis, perhaps no country is contributing more to regional security in east and central Africa as Djibouti. Host of Camp Lemonier -- the only military base in Africa, and headquarters to AFRICOM's Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA),as well as to U.S. and coalition forces serving with nearly two dozen other tenant commands -- Djibouti is an important regional ally hosting critical platforms for counter-terrorism and other priority activities. Djibouti has played an instrumental role in providing political and military support to the struggling Transitional Federal Government of neighboring Somalia, by training -- with U.S. and French assistance -- more than 600 TFG troops who are due to return to Mogadishu in the next week. A recent Department of State ACOTA assessment team concluded that Djibouti is a ready partner for ACOTA, and one considering deploying troops to support international peacekeeping in Somalia. ¶10. (C) ACTION REQUEST. Bilateral acquisition and cross-servicing (ACSA) agreements with several EASBRIG partners would allow U.S. military assistance (e.g., airlift) to be provided on a bilateral basis, with the receipt of "in-kind" services in return. However, policy considerations render some EASBRIG countries (e.g., Sudan) ineligible for such reimbursable support. Post therefore strongly DJIBOUTI 00001205 004 OF 004 advocates provision of additional funding, perhaps via GPOI, to respond to these formal requests for assistance from Djibouti and its EASBRIG partners. Providing such funds now, to support the successful implementation of the EASBRIG FTX, furthers USG strategic goals in the region, by building security capacity of some of Africa's most important troop-contributing countries: including Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. END COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST. SWAN