OPPOSED TO ANY TRANSFER OF SEYCHELLES TO CENTCOM

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT LOUIS 000010 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF ASSISTANT SECRETARY J. CARSON; SECDEF FOR DASD ¶V. HUDDLESTON E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2019 TAGS: MARR MOPS MASS MCAP PREL MP SE SUBJECT: OPPOSED TO ANY TRANSFER OF SEYCHELLES TO CENTCOM AOR Classified By: CDA BARRIE WALKLEY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Embassy Port Louis strongly opposes any geographic realignment which would result in Mauritius and Seychelles being under separate Operational Military Commands. Embassy and the State Department Africa Bureau believe that both Mauritius and Seychelles should remain in AFRICOM's AOR. A proposed Unified Command Plan (UCP) transfer of Seychelles from AFRICOM's AOR to CENTCOM's AOR would result in a duplication of effort, complicate anti-piracy activities and jeopardize the close relationship established with the Government of Seychelles (GOS). END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) DUPLICATION OF EFFORT: Embassy Port Louis understands that DoD is in the initial stages of reviewing possibilities for UCP revision. Under one proposed change to the UCP, Mauritius would stay in AFRICOM's AOR but Seychelles would move to CENTCOM's AOR (notwithstanding the fact that both countries would remain under the Chief-of-Mission authority of Embassy Port Louis). Such an asymmetric division of responsibility -- requiring that Embassy Port Louis on a daily basis coordinate issues with two separate Commands -- would seriously complicate the ability of Embassy Port Louis to manage diplomatic efforts essential to maintaining US strategic operations (in Seychelles waters and airspace, as well as in the territory of Mauritius and the region). Embassy Port Louis is a busy but small mission, with only thirteen American officers when fully staffed. Transferring Seychelles to CENTCOM would result in a duplication of effort for the Embassy, unnecessarily doubling the points-of-contact (AFRICOM and CENTCOM) needed for coordinating military operations. ¶3. (C) UNITY OF COMMAND: Counter-piracy operations in Seychelles are linked to (and have a direct impact on) operations in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, an area which is clearly within AFRICOM's AOR and will remain in AFRICOM's AOR. ¶4. (SBU) OFFICE OF SECURITY COOPERATION (OSC) MAURITIUS: Embassy Port Louis and AFRICOM have worked closely and successfully to streamline military cooperation in the region. An Office of Security Cooperation (OSC),for example, has been assigned to Embassy Port Louis beginning in FY2011 to support both Mauritius and Seychelles. Assigning the two countries to separate Command AORs would complicate OSC operations, among others, and would be a giant step backwards for our streamlining efforts. ¶5. (SBU) AFRICAN REGIONAL IDENTITY: We should continue acknowledging that Seychelles is an African nation which belongs to multiple African regional organizations, i.e. the African Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Strengthening the ties of Seychelles with Africa helps support an important foreign policy goal: working with regional organizations and partner nations to advance U.S. counterterrorism objectives. As an African nation, Seychelles belongs in AFRICOM. ¶6. (C) SEYCHELLES IS COMFORTABLE WITH AFRICOM: Thanks in no small part to the efforts of AFRICOM (and the Command's relations with other African countries),the Embassy in July 2009 was finally successful, after twelve years of negotiations, in concluding a Status Of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the GOS. The Seychelles now knows AFRICOM and the GOS (from President Michel on down) trusts the working relationships that have been carefully established. Embassy Port Louis sees no point in jeopardizing that trust by moving Seychelles to another AOR. ¶7. (C) The rationale for the creation of AFRICOM was the elimination of the different "seams" by which EUCOM, CENTCOM and PACOM carved up Africa and provided different levels of support to their AORs. AFRICOM's creation has assured unity of command, providing precise management of resources, policies and programs. Embassy Port Louis sees no reason why we should begin again carving up Africa and assigning countries to different Commands. For reasons of policy and practicality, we strongly recommend that Seychelles remain in the AFRICOM AOR. This recommendation is shared by the State Department Africa Bureau. We are transmitting the cable at this time in order that Embassy and State Department views may be registered early in the UCP revision exercise. WALKLEY