Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10BRUSSELS88
2010-01-26 13:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USEU Brussels
Cable title:
EU APPROVES MILITARY TRAINING MISSION FOR SOMALI
how-toVZCZCXRO1665 OO RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHBS #0088 0261305 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 261305Z JAN 10 FM USEU BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI IMMEDIATE RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA IMMEDIATE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE RUEHKM/USDAO KAMPALA UG IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000088
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2020
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL SO XA XW UG EUN
SUBJECT: EU APPROVES MILITARY TRAINING MISSION FOR SOMALI
FORCES
REF: USEU BRUSSELS 1561
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Christopher Davis for reaso
ns 1.4(b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000088
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2020
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL SO XA XW UG EUN
SUBJECT: EU APPROVES MILITARY TRAINING MISSION FOR SOMALI
FORCES
REF: USEU BRUSSELS 1561
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Christopher Davis for reaso
ns 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (SBU) On January 25, EU Foreign Ministers meeting in
Brussels approved an EU military mission to train Somali
National Security Forces in Uganda. French and German
contacts tell us the mission will begin in May. Operational
level planning will continue under the supervision of EU
Political and Security Committee Ambassadors, but no further
approval is necessary at ministerial level.
2. (SBU) Reaching this agreement required intensive efforts
last week to overcome UK reservations about the mission,
according to a contact in the French Permanent
Representation. UK concerns focused on the vetting, payment,
and mentoring of Somali trainees (REF). Recognizing the
importance of these issues, the EU's ministerial conclusions
note the need for a "wider international effort" to vet, pay,
and mentor trainees.
3. (SBU) The EU's ministerial conclusions declare that EU
efforts should take place in close coordination with the
U.S., Uganda, the Transitional Federal Government, the
African Union, and the UN. On January 22, USEU circulated
cleared non-paper points expressing the USG's willingness to
partner with the EU in its training efforts. EU officials
welcomed our willingness to engage and noted that our points
came at an opportune time (Comment: Presumably because EU and
Member State officials were engaged in last-minute work to
allay the UK's concerns).
4. (C) Comment: Our willingness to consider a partnership
seems to have helped clear the way for EU action. Over the
last six months, USEU facilitated a series of working-level
U.S.-EU exchanges on Somali forces' training, and Embassies
Kampala and Nairobi also engaged EU fact-finding missions to
the region. These consultations seem to have resulted in
greater U.S. influence over the EU's internal planning and
decision-making processes than is typically the case. We now
have the opportunity further to influence the EU's
operational level planning and help our European partners
deploy trainers by May. End Comment.
KENNARD
.
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2020
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL SO XA XW UG EUN
SUBJECT: EU APPROVES MILITARY TRAINING MISSION FOR SOMALI
FORCES
REF: USEU BRUSSELS 1561
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Christopher Davis for reaso
ns 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (SBU) On January 25, EU Foreign Ministers meeting in
Brussels approved an EU military mission to train Somali
National Security Forces in Uganda. French and German
contacts tell us the mission will begin in May. Operational
level planning will continue under the supervision of EU
Political and Security Committee Ambassadors, but no further
approval is necessary at ministerial level.
2. (SBU) Reaching this agreement required intensive efforts
last week to overcome UK reservations about the mission,
according to a contact in the French Permanent
Representation. UK concerns focused on the vetting, payment,
and mentoring of Somali trainees (REF). Recognizing the
importance of these issues, the EU's ministerial conclusions
note the need for a "wider international effort" to vet, pay,
and mentor trainees.
3. (SBU) The EU's ministerial conclusions declare that EU
efforts should take place in close coordination with the
U.S., Uganda, the Transitional Federal Government, the
African Union, and the UN. On January 22, USEU circulated
cleared non-paper points expressing the USG's willingness to
partner with the EU in its training efforts. EU officials
welcomed our willingness to engage and noted that our points
came at an opportune time (Comment: Presumably because EU and
Member State officials were engaged in last-minute work to
allay the UK's concerns).
4. (C) Comment: Our willingness to consider a partnership
seems to have helped clear the way for EU action. Over the
last six months, USEU facilitated a series of working-level
U.S.-EU exchanges on Somali forces' training, and Embassies
Kampala and Nairobi also engaged EU fact-finding missions to
the region. These consultations seem to have resulted in
greater U.S. influence over the EU's internal planning and
decision-making processes than is typically the case. We now
have the opportunity further to influence the EU's
operational level planning and help our European partners
deploy trainers by May. End Comment.
KENNARD
.