Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09NAIROBI2341
2009-11-10 15:11:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Nairobi
Cable title:
SOMALIA - AMISOM COMMANDER COMMENTS ON TFG SECURITY SECTOR
how-toVZCZCXRO4602 OO RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO DE RUEHNR #2341/01 3141511 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 101511Z NOV 09 FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1525 INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA RUZEFAA/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE RUZEFAA/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 002341
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR PREL PGOV SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - AMISOM COMMANDER COMMENTS ON TFG SECURITY SECTOR
Summary
-------
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 002341
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR PREL PGOV SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - AMISOM COMMANDER COMMENTS ON TFG SECURITY SECTOR
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) Summary: On November 6 the Africa Mission to Somalia's
(AMISOM) new Deputy Force Commander detailed AMISOM's recent support
to the TFG's effort to stand up a national army. He said the TFG
lacks the capacity and funds to sufficiently house, feed, water,
equip and pay newly trained and formed army units. Future
iterations of TFG troop training will need to be supported by AMISOM
and international contributions. He said both the TFG's civilian
and military leadership suffers from lack of capacity and poor
coordination. End Summary.
AMISOM Helping Re-Integrate Troops
--------------
2. (SBU) On November 6 we met with Burundian Major General Hakiza
Cyprien, Deputy Force Commander (DFC) of the Africa Union Mission to
Somalia (AMISOM). Joining us was Patrick Geysen, EU representative
to the Security Sector Assessment. This was our first meeting with
the DFC, who replaced DFC Juvenal, killed on September 17 by a
suicide bomber. We found General Cyprien very professional and
open.
3. (SBU) The DFC said he was assisting the TFG to integrate a group
of Siad Barre-era former soldiers and newly-trained soldiers just
back from Djibouti. In the General's opinion the Siad Barre-era
soldiers need refresher training because they have not been
operating as part of a military force for almost 20 years now. As
they have remained in Somalia since the fall of the old regime they
have no idea how things are done outside of the country, he said.
He said that AMISOM could provide modern military refresher training
to these former soldiers. At the TFG's request, AMISOM will help
merge these mature troops with those trained in Djibouti. The TFG
has had success mixing older soldiers with younger ones; Defense
minister Abdullah Boss credits this formula with preserving the
cohesion of 1,750 TFG troops recruited in February from former ARS
militias. (Comment: Lending credence to this claim, we have seen
salary receipts that indicate that the vast majority of former-ARS
militias were present for a recent Italian-funded,
AMISOM-administered salary payment. End Comment.)
Somali Forces Lack Clan Diversity...
--------------
4. (SBU) Turning to the troops trained in Djibouti, the DFC was
concerned that they lacked clan diversity, as did the TFG military
force as a whole. In the DFC's opinion, not only must the
government recruit from all clans, but future training must diminish
the recruits' clan identities. The recruits who were trained in
Djibouti are being housed in the former Air Force HQ area for at
least a month for reintegration training, the DFC said.
...Equipment, Leadership...
--------------
5. (SBU) There were problems with the Djibouti-trained troops'
reintegration. According to the DFC, the TFG had no credible plan
in place to house and feed the newly-returned troops. AMISOM was
forced to supply food and tents. They did not receive full uniforms
from the TFG until October 5, when Yemeni-supplied uniforms arrived.
Though the TFG assigned an officer to command them, there are few,
if any, NCOs, company-grade, or field-grade officers assigned to
them. As part of the merger of the Siad Barre-era soldiers and the
Djibouti-trained troops, AMISOM is also issuing identification cards
to them.
...and Salaries
--------------
6. (SBU) The TFG lacked the planning capacity and funding to
respond to the troops' needs, the DFC said. For example, he
estimates at least one-third of the first tranche of recruits who
were trained in Uganda have by now deserted due to lack of salaries,
supplies, housing and leadership. Some may have even defected to
al-Shabaab, the DFC feared. The TFG, AMISOM and international
donors must support the next groups of recruits who return from
training in Uganda or else they too might disappear in large
numbers.
7. (SBU) Continuing on the topic of salaries, the DFC said the
Italian government funded, and AMISOM administered, salary payments
NAIROBI 00002341 002.3 OF 002
to 1,750 TFG troops recruited in February from former ARS militias,
as well as to the remnants of the Uganda-trained troops. But after
paying September's salary, Defense Minister Abdullah Boss halted the
October payments before they were completed, the DFC said. (Note:
According to Defense Minister Boss, he was compelled to stop the
payments or risk a mutiny by other unpaid troops, notably the
Ethiopian-trained soldiers still supporting the TFG. End note.)
Nonetheless, the payment system, which required personal appearances
by the troops before a board of TFG government and AMISOM
administrators, seemed to have worked well, the DFC said.
8. (SBU) The General reaffirmed AMISOM's commitment to provide a
one-month induction process for new recruits, and a further
one-month reintegration period for up to 900 returning recruits at a
time. However, he said AMISOM will need some help from donors to
provide food, shelter and stipends for these recruits. He insisted
that future induction and reintegration programs include NCOs and
officers in order to enhance unit cohesiveness, command and
control.
AMISOM Stepping Up PD Efforts
--------------
9. (SBU) The DFC commented that the new "Radio AMISOM" will help
improve the local community's perception of AMISOM. He says that
currently there are numerous anti-government and anti-AMISOM
transmitters that extol the virtues of al-Shabaab and criticize
AMISOM.
10. (SBU) In closing he commented that the problem with Mogadishu
as well as South Central Somalia is not the army but the TFG itself.
He said that the government is not moving in one direction, but
instead is moving in many different directions in a much
uncoordinated manner to the detriment of the country.
Comment
--------------
11. (SBU) Comment: The DFC's observations highlight the lack of
capacity of the TFG's security sector leadership. They also
underscore the effect that the TFG's apparent lack of resources has
on its troops' morale. Many countries are volunteering to train TFG
troops, but supporting them once they return to Somalia will require
international contributions of housing, food, water and regular
salaries if TFG soldiers will be expected to stay on the job and
perform.
RANNEBERGER
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR PREL PGOV SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - AMISOM COMMANDER COMMENTS ON TFG SECURITY SECTOR
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) Summary: On November 6 the Africa Mission to Somalia's
(AMISOM) new Deputy Force Commander detailed AMISOM's recent support
to the TFG's effort to stand up a national army. He said the TFG
lacks the capacity and funds to sufficiently house, feed, water,
equip and pay newly trained and formed army units. Future
iterations of TFG troop training will need to be supported by AMISOM
and international contributions. He said both the TFG's civilian
and military leadership suffers from lack of capacity and poor
coordination. End Summary.
AMISOM Helping Re-Integrate Troops
--------------
2. (SBU) On November 6 we met with Burundian Major General Hakiza
Cyprien, Deputy Force Commander (DFC) of the Africa Union Mission to
Somalia (AMISOM). Joining us was Patrick Geysen, EU representative
to the Security Sector Assessment. This was our first meeting with
the DFC, who replaced DFC Juvenal, killed on September 17 by a
suicide bomber. We found General Cyprien very professional and
open.
3. (SBU) The DFC said he was assisting the TFG to integrate a group
of Siad Barre-era former soldiers and newly-trained soldiers just
back from Djibouti. In the General's opinion the Siad Barre-era
soldiers need refresher training because they have not been
operating as part of a military force for almost 20 years now. As
they have remained in Somalia since the fall of the old regime they
have no idea how things are done outside of the country, he said.
He said that AMISOM could provide modern military refresher training
to these former soldiers. At the TFG's request, AMISOM will help
merge these mature troops with those trained in Djibouti. The TFG
has had success mixing older soldiers with younger ones; Defense
minister Abdullah Boss credits this formula with preserving the
cohesion of 1,750 TFG troops recruited in February from former ARS
militias. (Comment: Lending credence to this claim, we have seen
salary receipts that indicate that the vast majority of former-ARS
militias were present for a recent Italian-funded,
AMISOM-administered salary payment. End Comment.)
Somali Forces Lack Clan Diversity...
--------------
4. (SBU) Turning to the troops trained in Djibouti, the DFC was
concerned that they lacked clan diversity, as did the TFG military
force as a whole. In the DFC's opinion, not only must the
government recruit from all clans, but future training must diminish
the recruits' clan identities. The recruits who were trained in
Djibouti are being housed in the former Air Force HQ area for at
least a month for reintegration training, the DFC said.
...Equipment, Leadership...
--------------
5. (SBU) There were problems with the Djibouti-trained troops'
reintegration. According to the DFC, the TFG had no credible plan
in place to house and feed the newly-returned troops. AMISOM was
forced to supply food and tents. They did not receive full uniforms
from the TFG until October 5, when Yemeni-supplied uniforms arrived.
Though the TFG assigned an officer to command them, there are few,
if any, NCOs, company-grade, or field-grade officers assigned to
them. As part of the merger of the Siad Barre-era soldiers and the
Djibouti-trained troops, AMISOM is also issuing identification cards
to them.
...and Salaries
--------------
6. (SBU) The TFG lacked the planning capacity and funding to
respond to the troops' needs, the DFC said. For example, he
estimates at least one-third of the first tranche of recruits who
were trained in Uganda have by now deserted due to lack of salaries,
supplies, housing and leadership. Some may have even defected to
al-Shabaab, the DFC feared. The TFG, AMISOM and international
donors must support the next groups of recruits who return from
training in Uganda or else they too might disappear in large
numbers.
7. (SBU) Continuing on the topic of salaries, the DFC said the
Italian government funded, and AMISOM administered, salary payments
NAIROBI 00002341 002.3 OF 002
to 1,750 TFG troops recruited in February from former ARS militias,
as well as to the remnants of the Uganda-trained troops. But after
paying September's salary, Defense Minister Abdullah Boss halted the
October payments before they were completed, the DFC said. (Note:
According to Defense Minister Boss, he was compelled to stop the
payments or risk a mutiny by other unpaid troops, notably the
Ethiopian-trained soldiers still supporting the TFG. End note.)
Nonetheless, the payment system, which required personal appearances
by the troops before a board of TFG government and AMISOM
administrators, seemed to have worked well, the DFC said.
8. (SBU) The General reaffirmed AMISOM's commitment to provide a
one-month induction process for new recruits, and a further
one-month reintegration period for up to 900 returning recruits at a
time. However, he said AMISOM will need some help from donors to
provide food, shelter and stipends for these recruits. He insisted
that future induction and reintegration programs include NCOs and
officers in order to enhance unit cohesiveness, command and
control.
AMISOM Stepping Up PD Efforts
--------------
9. (SBU) The DFC commented that the new "Radio AMISOM" will help
improve the local community's perception of AMISOM. He says that
currently there are numerous anti-government and anti-AMISOM
transmitters that extol the virtues of al-Shabaab and criticize
AMISOM.
10. (SBU) In closing he commented that the problem with Mogadishu
as well as South Central Somalia is not the army but the TFG itself.
He said that the government is not moving in one direction, but
instead is moving in many different directions in a much
uncoordinated manner to the detriment of the country.
Comment
--------------
11. (SBU) Comment: The DFC's observations highlight the lack of
capacity of the TFG's security sector leadership. They also
underscore the effect that the TFG's apparent lack of resources has
on its troops' morale. Many countries are volunteering to train TFG
troops, but supporting them once they return to Somalia will require
international contributions of housing, food, water and regular
salaries if TFG soldiers will be expected to stay on the job and
perform.
RANNEBERGER