Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09GABORONE479
2009-06-15 07:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Gaborone
Cable title:
SADC SECURITY CHIEF IMPRESSED BY ILEA
how-toVZCZCXRO8550 PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN DE RUEHOR #0479 1660759 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 150759Z JUN 09 FM AMEMBASSY GABORONE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5827 INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0405 RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L GABORONE 000479
SIPDIS
FOR AF/S, AF/RSA, INL, PM
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2019
TAGS: PREL KJUS KCRM SNAR MASS SADC BC
SUBJECT: SADC SECURITY CHIEF IMPRESSED BY ILEA
REF: GABORONE 457
Classified By: Ambassador Stephen J. Nolan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L GABORONE 000479
SIPDIS
FOR AF/S, AF/RSA, INL, PM
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2019
TAGS: PREL KJUS KCRM SNAR MASS SADC BC
SUBJECT: SADC SECURITY CHIEF IMPRESSED BY ILEA
REF: GABORONE 457
Classified By: Ambassador Stephen J. Nolan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) On June 11 Ambassador Nolan and P/E Chief Merritt
accompanied Lieutenant General (retired) Tanki Mothae, SADC's
Director of the Organ on Politics, Defense, and Security on a
visit to the U.S.-funded International Law Enforcement
Acadey (ILEA) in Otse, approximately 45 minutes outsideof
Gaborone. The USG and the GOB jointly operat ILEA Gaboronein a very effective
and mutually-bneficial partnership, with
many of the visiting aculty coming from USG law enforcemententities like DHS/FLETC, the FBI, ATF, DEA, DS, among others.
During the Ambassador's June 8 call on Mothae at the SADC
Secretariat headquaters in Gaborone (reftel),the General
expressed interest in learning more about U.S. Government
activities related to peace and security in the SADC region.
Mothae's portfolio includes diverse areas such as civilian
policing, customs, and immigration, all of which fall under
the scope of ILEA activities.
2. (C) During this 2-hour ILEA visit, Mothae was briefed by
ILEA senior management (American and Batswana) on the history
of the program, participating countries (currently 29 from
across Sub-Saharan Africa, predominantly in Southern and East
Africa but also several in Central and West Africa),and the
breadth of state-of-the-art courses offered to combat the
twin scourges of transnational crime and terrorism. He also
toured the impressive facility which is situated adjacent to
the Botswana Police Academy campus, and was able to observe
an ongoing course on Wildlife Investigations. Mothae was
extremely impressed with the ILEA concept and its modern
facilities out amidst the African bush. He was happy to
learn that nearly all SADC countries are already
participating (except suspended Madagascar and non-member
Zimbabwe). In fact, the 31st class of nearly 40 mid-level
law enforcement professionals from Botswana, Lesotho,
Namibia, and Swaziland graduated from ILEA Gaborone's
flagship Law Enforcement Executive Development (LEED) program
on May 29. The LEED certificate is increasingly viewed as a
prestigious professional credential among the law enforcement
community across the continent, and beyond.
3. (C) Mothae seemed eager to find ways to partner with ILEA
in future, and he noted that ILEA is already helping SADC by
providing crucial training to most of its member states. He
invited the ILEA Director to address a SADC meeting June 15,
at which member states will be discussing plans to implement
a region-wide "Univisa" (akin to the Schengen visa within the
EU). Mothae thanked the Ambassador for his introduction to
ILEA and also promised to pass us a response in writing
"soon" to our June 5 letter on Golfhino and broader peace and
security cooperation.
4. (C) COMMENT: The participation of the ILEA director in a
SADC meeting June 15 is a good example of the kinds of
"quick-win" partnerships we can forge with SADC on the path
to deepening our cooperation with the regional body. Lt.
Gen. Mothae can show his member states that he is partnering
with the USG to "deliver" important training related to peace
and security, while the ILEA Director can raise awareness of
his program amongst government leaders from 12 ILEA
participating countries in one meeting, helping to ensure
member-government support for ILEA programs and activities.
We hope that the visit to ILEA gave Mothae a tangible sense
of what USG peace and security assistance can look like, and
made him aware of the benefits the SADC region is already
receiving from our robust and extensive ILEA programs that
have been underway at ILEA Gaborone for much of the past
decade and are highly appreciated by personnel from those
African states selected for training. This field trip may
spur Mothae and his staff to be more responsive to future USG
inquiries on peace and security matters and to (finally)
reply to the questions we need answered before moving forward
with the January 2009 Presidential Determination. END
COMMENT.
NOLAN
SIPDIS
FOR AF/S, AF/RSA, INL, PM
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2019
TAGS: PREL KJUS KCRM SNAR MASS SADC BC
SUBJECT: SADC SECURITY CHIEF IMPRESSED BY ILEA
REF: GABORONE 457
Classified By: Ambassador Stephen J. Nolan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) On June 11 Ambassador Nolan and P/E Chief Merritt
accompanied Lieutenant General (retired) Tanki Mothae, SADC's
Director of the Organ on Politics, Defense, and Security on a
visit to the U.S.-funded International Law Enforcement
Acadey (ILEA) in Otse, approximately 45 minutes outsideof
Gaborone. The USG and the GOB jointly operat ILEA Gaboronein a very effective
and mutually-bneficial partnership, with
many of the visiting aculty coming from USG law enforcemententities like DHS/FLETC, the FBI, ATF, DEA, DS, among others.
During the Ambassador's June 8 call on Mothae at the SADC
Secretariat headquaters in Gaborone (reftel),the General
expressed interest in learning more about U.S. Government
activities related to peace and security in the SADC region.
Mothae's portfolio includes diverse areas such as civilian
policing, customs, and immigration, all of which fall under
the scope of ILEA activities.
2. (C) During this 2-hour ILEA visit, Mothae was briefed by
ILEA senior management (American and Batswana) on the history
of the program, participating countries (currently 29 from
across Sub-Saharan Africa, predominantly in Southern and East
Africa but also several in Central and West Africa),and the
breadth of state-of-the-art courses offered to combat the
twin scourges of transnational crime and terrorism. He also
toured the impressive facility which is situated adjacent to
the Botswana Police Academy campus, and was able to observe
an ongoing course on Wildlife Investigations. Mothae was
extremely impressed with the ILEA concept and its modern
facilities out amidst the African bush. He was happy to
learn that nearly all SADC countries are already
participating (except suspended Madagascar and non-member
Zimbabwe). In fact, the 31st class of nearly 40 mid-level
law enforcement professionals from Botswana, Lesotho,
Namibia, and Swaziland graduated from ILEA Gaborone's
flagship Law Enforcement Executive Development (LEED) program
on May 29. The LEED certificate is increasingly viewed as a
prestigious professional credential among the law enforcement
community across the continent, and beyond.
3. (C) Mothae seemed eager to find ways to partner with ILEA
in future, and he noted that ILEA is already helping SADC by
providing crucial training to most of its member states. He
invited the ILEA Director to address a SADC meeting June 15,
at which member states will be discussing plans to implement
a region-wide "Univisa" (akin to the Schengen visa within the
EU). Mothae thanked the Ambassador for his introduction to
ILEA and also promised to pass us a response in writing
"soon" to our June 5 letter on Golfhino and broader peace and
security cooperation.
4. (C) COMMENT: The participation of the ILEA director in a
SADC meeting June 15 is a good example of the kinds of
"quick-win" partnerships we can forge with SADC on the path
to deepening our cooperation with the regional body. Lt.
Gen. Mothae can show his member states that he is partnering
with the USG to "deliver" important training related to peace
and security, while the ILEA Director can raise awareness of
his program amongst government leaders from 12 ILEA
participating countries in one meeting, helping to ensure
member-government support for ILEA programs and activities.
We hope that the visit to ILEA gave Mothae a tangible sense
of what USG peace and security assistance can look like, and
made him aware of the benefits the SADC region is already
receiving from our robust and extensive ILEA programs that
have been underway at ILEA Gaborone for much of the past
decade and are highly appreciated by personnel from those
African states selected for training. This field trip may
spur Mothae and his staff to be more responsive to future USG
inquiries on peace and security matters and to (finally)
reply to the questions we need answered before moving forward
with the January 2009 Presidential Determination. END
COMMENT.
NOLAN