CEEAC/ECCAS PURSUES AMBITIOUS AGENDA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 LIBREVILLE 000211 SIPDIS KINSHASA PLEASE ALSO PASS BRAZZAVILLE NDJAMENA PLEASE ALSO PASS BANGUI AF/C PLEASE ALSO PASS MALABO E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/13/2019 TAGS: PREL KPKO MASS GB TP CD CG CF AO BY EK CM SUBJECT: CEEAC/ECCAS PURSUES AMBITIOUS AGENDA REF: A. LIBREVILLE 0034 ¶B. 08 LIBREVILLE 0564 ¶C. 08 LIBREVILLE 0420 Classified By: Charge d'affaires Nathan Holt for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d ). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS, or French acronym "CEEAC") is the least developed of Africa's major regional organizations with responsibility for peace and security issues. CEEAC is nevertheless pursuing an ambitious agenda that includes oversight of a peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR),the creation of a standby peacekeeping brigade, establishment of a conflict early warning system, the development of regional "centers of excellence", creation a warehouse for materials to support regional and continent-wide security operations, and the refinement of regional security strategies, including maritime strategy. The European Union (EU) and France are CEEAC's major donor partners, and the EU is significantly expanding its assistance. Although CEEAC has significant shortcomings, including indifferent support from some member states, it has clearly emerged as the focus of Central African regional security initiatives. End Summary. -------------- Snapshot -------------- ¶2. (U) In meetings April 19-22 with CEEAC officials, French and Gabonese military officers, and Libreville-based diplomats from CEEAC member states, visiting AF/RSA office Julie Chalfin and officers from Embassy Libreville obtained a snapshot of a fast-evolving organization. CEEAC, founded in 1983, was revived after years of dormancy in 1998 and has only in the last three years achieved significant traction, interlocutors told us. Member states include Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, CAR, Sao Tome and Principe, Republic of Congo, Burundi, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Angola and DRC are also members of the South Africa Development Community (SADC) and several member states are also members of the Gulf of Guinea Commission. CEEAC's headquarters is in Libreville. ¶3. (C) CEEAC Secretary General Sylvain Goma provided a tour d'horizon. He admitted that CEEAC faces challenges that surpass the other African sub-regional organizations. Eight of CEEAC's ten member countries are either experiencing or recovering from significant periods of conflict and instability, he pointed out. Nevertheless, he argued, CEEAC has made important progress. With assistance from the European Union, France and other international partners, CEEAC has taken on important regional security responsibilities. While some member states provide the organization only lukewarm support, others are more engaged. "Step by step," Goma contended, "we are moving forward." ¶4. (C) CEEAC has taken over responsibility for the MICOPAX peacekeeping mission in CAR, Goma pointed out, and "will meet the objective" of standing up a regional standby peacekeeping brigade by 2010. Other peace and security initiatives dominate CEEAC's agenda, he said, but the organization is not limited to those issues. In addition to peace and security, CEEAC has targeted the creation of basic infrastructure (particularly roads),improved water supplies, energy development and security, environmental protection, food security, and expanded trade within the region. -------------- MICOPAX -------------- ¶5. (U) CEEAC's most ambitious initiative is the MICOPAX peacekeeping operation in CAR. CEEAC took over responsibility for the operation from another regional organization in July 2008. There are currently 520 members of the MICOPAX mission, according to a colonel on CEEAC's general staff. MICOPAX includes military, police and civilian components. The military component, known as FOMAC, consists of one company each (approximately 150 troops) from Republic of Congo (Brazzaville),Gabon, Cameroon, and Chad. Some of these units are scheduled to rotate out in June-July, and the composition of the force is likely to change. MICOPAX commander Hilaire Mokoko, a vice-admiral from the Republic of Congo, is due to be replaced by an as yet LIBREVILLE 00000211 002 OF 004 unidentified Cameroonian general officer in June. Angola, which has long been slated to send a company-size police unit to join the mission (Ref. B) has yet to do so. The civilian components of the mission, with a mandate to focus on DDR (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration) and humanitarian issues, are also not yet in place. ¶6. (C) Mokoko's predecessor, Gabonese General Roger-Auguste Bibaye, told us that in his opinion Mokoko has not been an effective leader. He also said that Mokoko is hampered by CEEAC's collective leadership arrangements, which are more complex than those he faced before CEEAC took over. When he was in charge of the peacekeeping mission, Bibaye said, he effectively reported only to Gabonese president El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba. As in previous meetings (Ref. B),French General Claude Reglat and his aides were broadly supportive of CEEAC's leadership of MICOPAX. Reglat commands the French Forces in Gabon (FFG),with responsibility for French military operations in all CEEAC member countries, including logistical support for MICOPAX. "Yes, we have frustrations. But at the end of the day African troops are doing what French troops would otherwise have to do," one of Reglat's aides commented. ¶7. (C) In addition to logistical support, French units in CAR assist with the maintenance of the mission's equipment. The European Union (EU) provides financial support to MICOPAX, including a finance and administration cell in Bangui and personnel seconded to the CEEAC headquarters in Libreville. A central task for the EU administrative personnel is to ensure that all elements of the military and police are paid and fed. CEEAC is responsible for supporting the civilian component of the mission, and a portion of military and police salaries. -------------- Regional Standby Peacekeeping Brigade -------------- ¶8. (U) Members of CEEAC's military general staff reported that the Central African standby force will be "operational" by the target date of 2010 set by the African Union (AU). CEEAC is responsible for the Central African component of the AU's African Standby Force, now rechristened African Standby Capacity. The name is appropriate for CEEAC's force, which even when "operational" will consist of discrete units based in different countries. As currently envisioned, the CEEAC standby force will be made up of four battalions (a 4,800 person brigade). The force will include the following units: infantry (DRC, Chad, Angola Burundi),logistics (Gabon), armor (Cameroon),maritime (Cameroon),transport (Angola), communications (Republic of Congo),artillery (Republic of Congo),and engineering (Republic of Congo). Police/gendarme units are expected to come from Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Angola. Chad will provide a camel unit. ¶9. (C) CEEAC hopes to deploy its entire 4,800-person brigade to an exercise in Angola that has now been rescheduled for August 2010, according to sources on the CEEAC general staff. The exercise, "Operation Kwanza", is intended to certify the brigade's readiness as a component of the continent-wide standby force. French officials told us the choice of Angola is unfortunate, given strained bilateral relations between France and Angola. France would therefore be limited in the support it could provide. CEEAC civilian components, including its conflict early warning unit, are expected to participate in the exercise, and officials are scheduled to meet in Yaounde sometime in May to continue planning. Secretary General Goma acknowledged that there have been several delays already in "Operation Kwanza." Gabonese General Robert Mangollo M'voulou, however, stated emphatically that the exercise "will take place," even if it is again postponed. "This will happen," he stressed. CEEAC officials requested U.S. advisors to assist in the planning for Operation Kwanza, as well as communications equipment. We promised to convey the requests. -------------- Regional Training Centers, "Centers of Excellence"--and a Logistics Depot -------------- ¶10. (U) CEEAC officials said they intend to set up a logistics warehouse in Douala, Cameroon, to maintain supplies of food, water, petrol, vehicles, communications equipment, uniforms, boots, helmets, flak jackets and spare parts to support peacekeeping and other units for rapid deployment. Secretary-General Goma said the Douala warehouse is located next to the commercial airport, and will serve both the LIBREVILLE 00000211 003 OF 004 Central Africa region and the rest of the African continent. A second "continental" warehouse will be located in Nairobi, he explained. ¶11. (U) CEEAC also hopes to take advantage of existing facilities in member states to develop several "centers of excellence" for regional peace and security forces. Cameroon is scheduled to host a center for strategic training and a police/gendarme training center. Gabon will host a school for general staff and a center for military health training. Angola has promised to host a center for operational training, and the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) is on tap for a "center of excellence" in civil engineering. Equatorial Guinea volunteered to host the center for naval training. ¶12. (C) Libreville-based EU officials told us they are providing significant financial support for the centers of excellence. The EU will provide about 15 million euro in support for MICOPAX during 2009, EU rep Thierry Mathisse explained, and an additional 15 million euro for its "Peace and Security Support Program." The EU is currently conducting a thorough audit of CEEAC operations, he added, examining the organization's system of accounts, procurement procedures, internal controls and external auditing arrangements. "CEEAC was an empty shell four years ago," Mathisse said. "It still has weaknesses, but its progress has also been impressive." -------------- Early Warning Mechanism -------------- ¶13. (U) CEEAC's Early Warning Mechanism for Central Africa (known by its French acronym "MARAC") has a small headquarters staff in Libreville and hopes to establish "correspondents" in each member state. Correspondent teams will include members of the host nation government, representatives from civil society, and early warning experts from outside the country. A team of analysts in Libreville will collect the data submitted by correspondents and report to CEEAC leadership irregular or alarming activity. The first countries scheduled to have correspondents are DRC, Chad, CAR, Burundi and Cameroon. CEEAC officials said they are currently establishing correspondent teams and setting up communications between Libreville and these locations. -------------- Defense Doctrine and Maritime Security -------------- ¶14. (C) CEEAC officials, including members of the military general staff, admitted that the organization needs to do more to develop its military doctrine and security strategies. Some of this analysis is occurring in the context of planning for Operation Kwanza, officials explained. Other analysis is happening in a more piecemeal fashion. Maritime threats, for instance, have been an increasing focus. Threats include pirate and bandit activity, including maritime attacks in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, illegal immigration, illegal fishing, oil bunkering, toxic deposits, lack of respect for maritime law and trafficking of weapons, drugs and other contraband. CEEAC has divided the region into maritime four zones, and identified Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Sao Tome (or "Zone D") as their priority sub-region. Ministers of Defense from these four countries met in Cameroon May 5 and signed a protocol to establish a sub-regional maritime operations center in Douala, Cameroon, and joint patrolling operations. CEEAC officials also told us they need helicopters, more patrol boats, and a 24 hour watch center capability. -------------- Complex Governing Structure -------------- ¶15. (C) Since 1999, CEEAC has incorporated COPAX, the Council for Peace and Security in Central Africa, as the mechanism for political and military cooperation among member states. COPAX does not constitute a separate organization. CEEAC's "COPAX Protocol" of 2000 sets out complex mechanisms for guiding the CEEAC peace and security policy. These mechanisms include three coordinating committees. The first committee, called the Defense and Security Commission, is made up of Chiefs of Defense and other senior security officials who meet at least every six months and provide technical input to CEEAC political leadership. The second committee, called the Council of Ministers, is made up of LIBREVILLE 00000211 004 OF 004 ministers of defense, interior and foreign affairs from each country. The third committee, made up of Heads of State, is the highest decision making body of CEEAC and is responsible for ratifying decisions recommended by the other committees. ¶16. (C) DRC President Joseph Kabila currently chairs what is formally known as the "Conference of Heads of State and Government." A CEEAC insider told us that because Chadian president Idriss Deby is next in line for the chairmanship, Kabila and others have hesitated to organize a heads of state conference and pass the torch to Deby. The current illness of Gabonese President Bongo is likely to further delay the next meeting, which in principle should occur within the next two months. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶17. (C) CEEAC's plans are ambitious and continue to exceed its capacity to execute effectively. The renascent organization is making headway, however, and deserves increasing international engagement and support--including ours. In any cse, with continuing instability in several CEEAC member states and a cadre of aging presidents in others (including Gabon),the need for a regional focus on Central Africa's security problems remains high. End Comment. REDDICK