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

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FOR AF A/S CARSON FROM AMBASSADOR SWAN
STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/E, AF/RSA, AND PM/PPA
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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.



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AIRLIFT ONLY ONE OF MANY SIGNIFICANT REQUIREMENTS

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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.



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CHIEF OF DEFENSE REQUESTS USG ASSISTANCE FOR SITE PREPARATION

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6. (C) CJTF-HOA commander, deputy commander, POLAD, and CJ-7
director -- accompanied by DCM and DATT -- met on October 3 with

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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).



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COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST: ASSISTANCE NEEDED

FOR KEY STRATEGIC PARTNERS IN THE REGION

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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

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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