Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09LUANDA235
2009-04-08 18:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Luanda
Cable title:  

MIL-MIL MOU WITH ANGOLA: TAKING A BREATHER

Tags:  PREL MARR AO 
pdf how-to read a cable
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 ------------------500431 081953Z /38 

 
O 081838Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY LUANDA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5430
INFO SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L LUANDA 000235 


E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2019
TAGS: PREL MARR AO
SUBJECT: MIL-MIL MOU WITH ANGOLA: TAKING A BREATHER

REF: A. LUANDA 181

B. LUANDA 107

C. LUANDA 070

(U) Classified by Charge Jeff Hawkins, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L LUANDA 000235


E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2019
TAGS: PREL MARR AO
SUBJECT: MIL-MIL MOU WITH ANGOLA: TAKING A BREATHER

REF: A. LUANDA 181

B. LUANDA 107

C. LUANDA 070

(U) Classified by Charge Jeff Hawkins, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. With budgets tight and its international
agenda as yet undefined, the Angolan Ministry of Defense has
asked that we put on hold plans for a bilateral mil-mil
memorandum of understanding. Vice Minister of Defense
Ruffino told visiting DOD official Dan Pike and Charge that,
despite the MOD's interest in deepening cooperation with the
United States, his ministry was just not ready to proceed
with the MOU. He thought a pause of a few months might leave
the ministry better positioned to move forward. Further, he
said that a GRA budget squeeze had led the MOD to "freeze"
international cooperative exchanges, presumably including a
planned August visit by a U.S. ship. In a subsequent
meeting, Minister of External Relations dos Anjos confirmed
that the Angolan military was restructuring and emphasized
that this process would lead MOD to review cooperation in
"this or that technical area." Neither Ruffino nor dos Anjos
suggested that we stop our activities in other agreed upon
areas of collaboration, and we will continue to move forward
with these. End Summary.


2. (C) DOD Acting Principal Director for Africa Dan Pike
traveled to Angola April 7-9 to begin discussions with the
Angolan MOD on a possible military-military memorandum of
understanding. Minister of Defense Paihama originally
proposed the idea during the visit of DOD DAS Theresa Whelan
in October 2008, and we have discussed this type of
cooperation in numerous meetings with defense and other
officials, including President dos Santos, since.


3. (C) In an April 8 meeting, however, Vice Minister of
Defense Gaspar Ruffino told Pike, Charge and DATT that the
Ministry now preferred to go slow on the agreement. The
ministry recognized the "necessity of deepening relations"
with the United States, he said, but certain "legislative and
internal difficulties" prevented it from focusing on the MOU
now. He emphasized that the Angolan military was still
making the transition from a warfighting to a peacetime
force, and the Armed Forces of Angola (FAA) could not focus
on its international priorities until this was complete. He
said, though, that the FAA reorganization was nearly
finished, and Ruffino believed the process would end within
the year. He suggested that the matter be taken up again
then, "perhaps in three to six months or a little longer."
Ruffino recognized that the "ball was now in MOD's court."
As he had in an earlier meeting (ref A),Ruffino warned the
ratification process - which could include the Ministry of
Exterior Relations, the Council of Ministers, and parliament
- could be lengthy once a text was agreed upon.


4. (C) Ruffino noted the impact recent economic events had
had on GRA budgets. Even the defense sector had suffered, he
said, and this had led MOD to reconsider its internal and
external engagements. Budget imperatives had led MOD to
"freeze" a number of activities, to include visits and
exchanges for some time. (Note: In a separate meeting with
Pike and DATT, MOD International Relations Director Admiral
Miau specifically cited a planned August ship visit as one
that the Angolans would not be able to entertain for
financial and resource reasons.)


5. (C) On April 8, FM Assuncao dos Anjos essentially
confirmed MOD's decision to put the MOU on temporary hold in
a meeting with Pike, Charge and DATT. When Charge raised the
issue and asked for his views, dos Anjos emphasized that
Angola was rebuilding its army for peace after decades of war
and that this reorganization would take time. He said that
MOD would tell us when it was opportune to revisit the MOU.


6. (C) Comment. We are disappointed by MOD's decision to put
the MOU and some cooperation on hold. We are not sure why
MOD has decided to take this course of action and are
currently seeking input from other defense attaches to see
whether they have had similar messages recently from MOD, or
whether this is specific to the United States. While it is
true that Angolan ministries have had to tighten their belts
in the wake of a significant drop in GRA oil revenues, we do
not understand why this would lead to a pause in discussions
on the MOU. As Ruffino noted, the ball is now clearly in the
Angolan court. Meanwhile, we will proceed with mil-mil
cooperation in other agreed lanes: HIV/AIDS, English language
instruction and maritime and airspace security. End Comment.


7. (U) Mr. Pike cleared this message.


HAWKINS