CAMBODIA EXPANDS PEACEKEEPING ACTIVITIES ABROAD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000275

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV MARR MASS MOPS CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA EXPANDS PEACEKEEPING ACTIVITIES ABROAD

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED


1. (SBU) Summary. Cambodia plans to expand its peacekeeping
operations beyond the existing mission in Sudan, and will deploy
peacekeepers in support of the newly forming United Nations
peacekeeping mission in Chad and the Central African Republic
(MINURCAT). U.S.-supported Global Peace Operations Initiative
(GPOI) training has been instrumental in building the capacity of
Cambodia's armed forces to contribute to peacekeeping missions.
However, to ensure that it can meet its PKO commitments down the
road, the RGC needs to develop a longer-term strategy, to include
identifying future training needs and clarifying responsibilities
within the Armed Forces. End Summary.

Expanding PKO
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2. (SBU) Greater participation in international Peacekeeping
Operations (PKO) illustrates Cambodia's growing interest in raising
its international profile and engagement with the international
community. Since 2006, approximately 400 Cambodian deminers have
served as part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sudan.
Cambodia now plans to expand its peacekeeping operations and deploy
peacekeepers in support of the newly forming United Nations
peacekeeping mission in Chad and the Central African Republic
(MINURCAT). The RGC will provide one 125-person Military Police
Company and a 40-person Movement Control Platoon for two six-month
rotations. The RGC accepted the mission in March 2009 and the units
are expected to deploy in July.


3. (SBU) A United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations
(DPKO) pre-deployment site survey team is expected to visit in early
May to assess the units' readiness for deployment. Following this
assessment, DPKO will send a training team to conduct two to three
weeks of pre-deployment training targeting the shortfalls identified
in the assessment. The units will deploy within forty-five days of
the completion of the UN training, which would likely be in the
middle of July.


4. (SBU) Peacekeeping units in Cambodia are under the control of the
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces' National Center for Peacekeeping
Force, Mine Clearance, and Explosive Remnants of War Center (NPMEC)
commanded by Lieutenant General Sem Sovanny. Until recently, this
center was known as The Mine Clearance Center (TMCC) and focused
exclusively on military demining and UNPKO demining. Because of the
UNPKO demining units this organization fielded, it was chosen as the
partner in the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) by U.S.
Pacific Command for increasing PKO capacity. GPOI has trained this
organization in general PKO skills over the past three years and
NPMEC accordingly stood up the 306th Company manned with personnel
trained under the GPOI program.


5. (SBU) The 306th Company will form the first 125-person Military
Police (MP) unit. According to the NPMEC, the GPOI Lanes training
program conducted by the 306th Company in December 2008 and April
2009 has provided sufficient common skills for the 306th to pass UN
certification for deployment. The troops not used in the first
rotation will partially fill a second company for the follow-on
rotation. The Cambodians intend to train the additional personnel
to fill the second MP Company through internal training and
participation in GPOI Capstone Exercise Garuda Shield in Indonesia
in June and GPOI Exercise Khaan Quest in Mongolia in August.

Too Far, Too Fast?
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6. (SBU) The RGC's acceptance of the mission in March, for
deployment in July, has left Cambodia's military planners scrambling
to meet the significant challenges of a short fuse deployment.
Additionally, significant technical shortcomings exist in NPMEC's
ability to field the UN Movement Control Platoon. This unit will be
responsible for planning and coordinating all air and ground
movement operations in support of MINURCAT. The Cambodian Armed
Forces does not have experience in coordinating logistical movement
support of that scope or scale. The NPMEC acknowledges that the
first deployment will have shortcomings, given the lack of
sufficient training, especially for the movement control platoon.
Nevertheless, they are committed to meeting RGC's PKO obligations
and are confident that GPOI training will adequately prepare their
MP unit and the UN pre-deployment training will enable the movement
control platoon to make it through the first deployment. NPMEC
expects to have fully trained and prepared units for the second
rotation in 2010.

Comment
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7. (SBU) In expanding their international PKO efforts, Cambodia may
be heading into deployments for which it may be just barely
prepared; this in turn raises questions about the sustainability of

PHNOM PENH 00000275 002 OF 002


the PKO expansion. The RGC stepped up to volunteer for a mission
despite lacking all the requisite capabilities for it, and with
relatively little time to complete training. Without a long-term
plan that outlines their strategies and objectives for PKO and types
of missions and skills needed in the medium- and long-term, the RGC
may find itself over-committed. In the meantime, UN certification
appears to be imminent for the MP and Movement Control units, and
Cambodian PKO soldiers are so far rising to the occasion as they
deploy to Africa.

RODLEY