USAU: PROGRESS ON COMMAND, CONTROL,

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 000292 STATE FOR AF/RSA AND PM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MCAP MASS AU SUBJECT: USAU: PROGRESS ON COMMAND, CONTROL, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION SYSTEMS (C3IS) REF: A. 09 ADDIS ABABA 754 ¶B. 09 ADDIS ABABA 853 ¶C. 09 ADDIS ABABA 1242 ¶D. 09 ADDIS ABABA 2619 This message is from USAU Ambassador Michael A. Battle. ¶1. Summary: There have been several positive developments in the C3IS project since the last update (ref D). Key among the developments was the USAU-sponsored dedication ceremony to commemorate the opening of the African Union (AU)'s Peace Support Operations Division's Operations Center. This facility, formally referred to as the Peace Support Operations Center (PSOC),will be used to monitor and support AU missions assigned to the African Standby Force (ASF). In addition, the USAU and AU sponsored a C3IS workshop attended by AU, USAU, CJTF-HOA, European Union (EU),and AFRICOM to review the status of the program and determine the necessary requirements and actions to facilitate the next phase of the C3IS project. This phase will provide equipment and connectivity to forward-deployed AU forces under the AU's Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and to three of the five Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Africa. End Summary. ¶2. Current Situation: Since the last update, the following developments have taken place: -- A second draft of the Memorandum of Agreement has been provided to the State Department for review and update. Once completed this agreement will be forwarded via USAU to the AU for review and signature. -- The PSOD Operations Center was dedicated on January 26 with participation from AU, EU, AFRICOM, and USAU. A tour and demonstration of applications was provided to 40 attendees, including VIPs from OSD, AFRICOM, USAU, and the AU. -- There were expenditures for the purchase of hardware, network connectivity, network protection and infrastructure requirements to include: $36K from the British Embassy to purchase equipment and office furnishings for the operations center; and $250K from the State Department for the purchase of IT equipment supporting the AU's Strategic Planning and Management Unit (SPMU). This included systems hardware, firewall capability, and secure electronic folders. -- The C3IS semi-annual workshop covered a variety of topics, including program background that provided relevance for the next phase of the project; a prioritized list of REC surveys locations that must be accomplished, with priority given to SADC, ECCAS, and ECOWAS; communication requirements and initiatives in support of the AMISOM mission; and expansion of both the PSOC and the networks that support the RECs under AU operations. ¶3. Workshop Outcomes: The following decisions were made as a result of the workshop: -- Continue the installation and relocation of the equipment and networks to include VOIP phones, video phones, VSAT/VTC equipment, HF Radios, and communication laptops to AMISOM. -- Review of standard operating procedures for the development of a comprehensive training curriculum and proper staffing of the PSOC, complemented by the REC surveys in support of the ASF. -- Initiate discussions for the African Partner Country Network concept and for secure communications in support of the AU. -- The next C3IS workshop will be held in the summer of 2010. YATES