Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09LIBREVILLE211
2009-05-14 16:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Libreville
Cable title:  

CEEAC/ECCAS PURSUES AMBITIOUS AGENDA

Tags:  PREL KPKO MASS GB TP CD CG CF AO BY EK CM 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4645
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHLC #0211/01 1341623
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 141623Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1132
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
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
-------

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