Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09OUAGADOUGOU938
2009-10-22 08:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ouagadougou
Cable title:
BURKINA FASO: PKO TROOP DEPLOYMENT TO DARFUR RUNS
how-toVZCZCXRO6790 PP RUEHPA DE RUEHOU #0938/01 2950825 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 220825Z OCT 09 FM AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5687 INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0719 RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OUAGADOUGOU 000938
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2019
TAGS: MCAP KPKO MASS PREL UV
SUBJECT: BURKINA FASO: PKO TROOP DEPLOYMENT TO DARFUR RUNS
INTO OBSTACLES
Classified By: CDA Samuel C. Laeuchli for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OUAGADOUGOU 000938
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2019
TAGS: MCAP KPKO MASS PREL UV
SUBJECT: BURKINA FASO: PKO TROOP DEPLOYMENT TO DARFUR RUNS
INTO OBSTACLES
Classified By: CDA Samuel C. Laeuchli for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: Burkina Faso's initial peacekeeping
detachment in Darfur has run into several obstacles and thus
is behind schedule on further troop deployment. The first
troops departed Ouagadougou in August 2009, but since then
meteorological conditions, issues with the transportation
contractor, and logistics problems have hampered efforts to
set up camp and send for the remaining troops. The battalion
is expected to reach full complement no later than December
2009. END SUMMARY.
The rainy season and the transporter chaos:
2. (C) In a conversation with Pol/Mil officer on October
21st, the Director of Military Cooperation, Colonel Yssoufou
Sawadogo, outlined some of the obstacles the Laafi battalion
had run into during its initial deployment to Darfur. On
August 4th and 11th, 2009, 275 troops from the Laafi
battalion deployed via United Nations charter from
Ouagadougou to Sudan. The remaining 525 troops have not been
able to join them because the necessary equipment to build
the camps has not yet arrived on site. To date, neither one
of the camps has been built. The Director of Operations,
Colonel Banagoun Zan, estimated that about 49% of the
containers sent to Sudan have actually reached the advance
elements of the Laafi battalion in El Geneina.
3. (C) When the first troops, primarily made up of army
engineers and support staff, arrived in Darfur their initial
task was to receive the containers and equipment and start
building two separate base camps. The containers and
vehicles required to accomplish this task were scheduled to
arrive quickly so that excavation work and preparatory work
could begin immediately (Note: In fact, the initial troop
deployment in August was scheduled to coincide with equipment
arrival. End Note.) Not only did the rainy season, making
roads impracticable for weeks at a time, hamper efforts to
convoy the containers from Port Sudan to Darfur, but,
according to Sawadogo, a chaotic dispatching of the
containers from the port only served to further aggravate the
timeline.
4. (C) Still according to Burkinabe officials, the
transportation company chartered by the UNDPKO was provided a
list of prioritized containers and had been asked to dispatch
the containers, in that order, to the camp. Apparently the
transportation company failed to adhere to those
recommendations and sent the containers in random order. As
a result, the engineering teams could not begin their work
since the containers they required first remained in Port
Sudan. Because there is no base camp, the outstanding 500
troops remain in Ouagadougou for now.
Damaged and unsuitable equipment:
5. (C) Not only did the transportation contractor dispatch
the containers in a haphazard way, thus slowing down the
building progress, it also apparently failed to follow
additional transportation and contractual obligations. Army
officials told us that in the end, the lack of adherence to
the rules caused serious damage to equipment. The Director
of Military Cooperation explained that according to the
contract, the contractor was required to move vehicles to the
final destination via flat or low-bed trucks. Instead, we
were told, the contractor chose to drive, not haul, the
vehicles from Nyala to El Guenina. As a result, the
Burkinabe have noted damage to vehicles. The deterioration
ranges from broken bumpers and doors, scratches on water
tanks, to busted windshields. According to Burkinabe records
at least 18 vehicles were driven -- not transported via truck
-- to El Gueneina.
6. (C) Pol/Mil officer also received a report that equipment
supplied to the Laafi battalion by Pacific Architect Engineer
(PAE) was neither suitable nor adapted for this type of
terrain. Casspir shock absorbers, provided for by the
contract, were broken while vehicles were on routine patrol.
They will have to be quickly replaced. The Burkinabe Army
officer in charge of equipment and logistics told us that as
a result, 240 new shock absorbers and 150 tires are needed.
The way forward: a few key dates:
7. (C) October 29th: The Ministry of Defense will hold an
important meeting to discuss the logistical problems
associated with the Laafi deployment.
November 9th: Air support will be used to take materials and
supplies from Ouagadougou to El Geneina. The Burkinabe Air
OUAGADOUGO 00000938 002 OF 002
Force will use their CASA plane to airlift an initial 3.8
metric tons of building supplies. A further 40 metric tons
will also need to be airlifted, probably incrementally, to
Darfur. The GOBF is talking to the UNDPKO to see if a
transport plane with a larger capacity can be requested.
November 10th: The third contingent of 175 PKO infantry
troops will deploy from Ouagadougou to Darfur. They will be
used to secure the campsite and run patrols while the
engineers start building the camps.
December 2009 (estimation): The remaining 525 troops will
deploy to Darfur only once the base camps are ready.
June 2010 (estimation): Rotations are scheduled to occur
approximately every six months, with approximately 1/3 turn
over at a time.
LAEUCHLI
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2019
TAGS: MCAP KPKO MASS PREL UV
SUBJECT: BURKINA FASO: PKO TROOP DEPLOYMENT TO DARFUR RUNS
INTO OBSTACLES
Classified By: CDA Samuel C. Laeuchli for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: Burkina Faso's initial peacekeeping
detachment in Darfur has run into several obstacles and thus
is behind schedule on further troop deployment. The first
troops departed Ouagadougou in August 2009, but since then
meteorological conditions, issues with the transportation
contractor, and logistics problems have hampered efforts to
set up camp and send for the remaining troops. The battalion
is expected to reach full complement no later than December
2009. END SUMMARY.
The rainy season and the transporter chaos:
2. (C) In a conversation with Pol/Mil officer on October
21st, the Director of Military Cooperation, Colonel Yssoufou
Sawadogo, outlined some of the obstacles the Laafi battalion
had run into during its initial deployment to Darfur. On
August 4th and 11th, 2009, 275 troops from the Laafi
battalion deployed via United Nations charter from
Ouagadougou to Sudan. The remaining 525 troops have not been
able to join them because the necessary equipment to build
the camps has not yet arrived on site. To date, neither one
of the camps has been built. The Director of Operations,
Colonel Banagoun Zan, estimated that about 49% of the
containers sent to Sudan have actually reached the advance
elements of the Laafi battalion in El Geneina.
3. (C) When the first troops, primarily made up of army
engineers and support staff, arrived in Darfur their initial
task was to receive the containers and equipment and start
building two separate base camps. The containers and
vehicles required to accomplish this task were scheduled to
arrive quickly so that excavation work and preparatory work
could begin immediately (Note: In fact, the initial troop
deployment in August was scheduled to coincide with equipment
arrival. End Note.) Not only did the rainy season, making
roads impracticable for weeks at a time, hamper efforts to
convoy the containers from Port Sudan to Darfur, but,
according to Sawadogo, a chaotic dispatching of the
containers from the port only served to further aggravate the
timeline.
4. (C) Still according to Burkinabe officials, the
transportation company chartered by the UNDPKO was provided a
list of prioritized containers and had been asked to dispatch
the containers, in that order, to the camp. Apparently the
transportation company failed to adhere to those
recommendations and sent the containers in random order. As
a result, the engineering teams could not begin their work
since the containers they required first remained in Port
Sudan. Because there is no base camp, the outstanding 500
troops remain in Ouagadougou for now.
Damaged and unsuitable equipment:
5. (C) Not only did the transportation contractor dispatch
the containers in a haphazard way, thus slowing down the
building progress, it also apparently failed to follow
additional transportation and contractual obligations. Army
officials told us that in the end, the lack of adherence to
the rules caused serious damage to equipment. The Director
of Military Cooperation explained that according to the
contract, the contractor was required to move vehicles to the
final destination via flat or low-bed trucks. Instead, we
were told, the contractor chose to drive, not haul, the
vehicles from Nyala to El Guenina. As a result, the
Burkinabe have noted damage to vehicles. The deterioration
ranges from broken bumpers and doors, scratches on water
tanks, to busted windshields. According to Burkinabe records
at least 18 vehicles were driven -- not transported via truck
-- to El Gueneina.
6. (C) Pol/Mil officer also received a report that equipment
supplied to the Laafi battalion by Pacific Architect Engineer
(PAE) was neither suitable nor adapted for this type of
terrain. Casspir shock absorbers, provided for by the
contract, were broken while vehicles were on routine patrol.
They will have to be quickly replaced. The Burkinabe Army
officer in charge of equipment and logistics told us that as
a result, 240 new shock absorbers and 150 tires are needed.
The way forward: a few key dates:
7. (C) October 29th: The Ministry of Defense will hold an
important meeting to discuss the logistical problems
associated with the Laafi deployment.
November 9th: Air support will be used to take materials and
supplies from Ouagadougou to El Geneina. The Burkinabe Air
OUAGADOUGO 00000938 002 OF 002
Force will use their CASA plane to airlift an initial 3.8
metric tons of building supplies. A further 40 metric tons
will also need to be airlifted, probably incrementally, to
Darfur. The GOBF is talking to the UNDPKO to see if a
transport plane with a larger capacity can be requested.
November 10th: The third contingent of 175 PKO infantry
troops will deploy from Ouagadougou to Darfur. They will be
used to secure the campsite and run patrols while the
engineers start building the camps.
December 2009 (estimation): The remaining 525 troops will
deploy to Darfur only once the base camps are ready.
June 2010 (estimation): Rotations are scheduled to occur
approximately every six months, with approximately 1/3 turn
over at a time.
LAEUCHLI