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INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 3586
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY 0265
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY 0217
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 0140
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 3179
RUEHPL/AMEMBASSY PORT LOUIS PRIORITY 0150
RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA PRIORITY 1631
RHMFISS/MACDILL AFB FL  PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHPIGXW/CJTF HOA  PRIORITY
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 05 DJIBOUTI 000425 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2022 
TAGS: PTER PREL PINR KPAO PGOV EAID XW YM
SUBJECT: EAST AFRICA REGIONAL STRATEGIC INITIATIVE (RSI), 
MARCH 16-17 
 
REF: 2006 DAR ES SALAAM 1089 
 
Classified By: Ambassador W. Stuart Symington, reasons 1.4 (b, d). 
 
¶1.  (S)  Summary:  East African regional ambassadors and 
interagency representatives agreed to institutionalize the 
East African RSI by requesting dedicated, line-item FY09 
regional funding for East Africa, along the lines of the 
Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorist Partnership.  In this second 
RSI (the first was held in Nairobi, May 2006 -- see reftel), 
Ambassadors and interagency reps supported a set of 
recommendations for Washington and field offices (para 13) on 
improving funding coordination and transparency, addressing 
conditions terrorists exploit, increasing partner national CT 
capacity, and reconciliation and CT engagement.  Participants 
agreed to convene a quarterly Secure Videoconference between 
participating Embassies and Washington, beginning in 
mid-June.  At a March 20 Strategic Communications PCC chaired 
by U/S Hughes, Somalia was named a Pilot Country per the RSI 
Ambassadors recommendation.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (S) The second East African RSI was hosted by Embassy 
Djibouti, March 16-17.  Ambassadors and CDA,s from Kenya, 
Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Mauritius/ Seychelles 
were joined by representatives from S/CT, AF, R, DS, NSC, the 
intelligence community, OSD, SOCOM, CJTF-HOA, DOJ  and USAID. 
 The Director of the Voice of America (VOA), Danforth Austin, 
was a special guest at the conference.  Embassy Asmara was 
invited, but unable to send a representative due to 
conditions in Eritrea, while Embassy Sanaa and the U.S. 
Mission to the African Union sent representative officers. 
The emphasis of the conference was to identify lessons 
learned, best practices and recommendations for ways ahead. 
 
Progress to Date 
-------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) S/CT Deputy Coordinator Virginia Palmer reviewed the 
progress of the RSI to date, noting that the requests for 
additional Section 1206 ($15m) and Section 1207 ($25m) 
resources are on track and the resumption of VOA Somali 
Service using S/CT NADR and AF ESF funds.  Palmer noted the 
need for a flexible strategy to address the entire terrorist 
threat complex simultaneously:  leadership, safehaven and 
conditions terrorists exploit.  Palmer and Ambassador Stuart 
Symington promoted the concept of harnessing the economic 
power of American business to promote wealth and private 
sector development.  Palmer emphasized the need to secure 
more resources to correct the imbalance between security and 
civilian efforts to transform the environment, particularly 
in countering the ideology of the globalized insurgency. 
 
The Policy Framework 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) AF/E Director Eunice Reddick noted the improvement of 
the Somali situation over the past year, while expressing 
deep concern of the reconstitution of the Islamic Courts in 
Mogadishu.  While the Eritreans were complicating matters, 
the USG was supporting AMISOM stability force deployment, and 
would provide experts in negotiation to support the Somali 
National Reconciliation Conference, currently scheduled to 
open April 16.  Reddick noted that AF would seek additional 
funding for Somalia in FY08.  AF/RSA Director Jerry Lanier 
discussed how the integration of sub-Saharan African 
countries into a single AFRICOM command would enhance 
integration of CT efforts in the region, currently split 
between three combatant commands.  Lanier pledged to make CT 
funding mechanisms and decisions more transparent to the 
field, working with S/CT. 
 
The Current Threat 
----------------------- 
 
¶5. (S) Ambassador to Ethiopia Don Yamamoto reviewed the 
background and conduct of the Ethiopian operations in 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000425  002 OF 005 
 
 
Somalia; a decisive and expensive effort to counter the 
Islamic Courts and bolster the Transitional Federal 
Government (TFG).  With the exception of Eritrea there was a 
strong shared regional desire to shore up the TFG.  Ethiopian 
PM Meles continues to believe that if Mogadishu &fails8, so 
will the rest of the country, so he will keep some 7000-8000 
troops outside of that city to support AMISOM security 
efforts.  Yamamoto and CJTF-HOA Deputy Commander Rear Admiral 
Moon both noted the importance of quicker, more agile 
responses and greater agility in meeting requests to provide 
the Ethiopian forces with anti-Malarial medication and the 
Kenyans with night vision goggles. 
 
¶6.  (S)  An intelligence briefer described how the 
international community had underestimated Ethiopia,s will 
and capability to rupture the Islamic Courts and al-Qaida. 
Although the Kenyans succeeded in capturing dozens of foreign 
fighters, Al-Qaida principals who had fled to Kenya were now 
the focus of U.S. CT efforts in the region.  The briefer 
described a growing body of evidence revealing that 
al-Qaida,s association with the Islamic Courts was deep, 
with AQ principals Fazul and Nabhan essentially serving as 
&cabinet ministers.8 Al-Qaida continues to actively plan 
against U.S. and key Kenyan government targets.  Islamic 
extremists in Somalia would target Ethiopian and Ugandan 
troops.  A broad network of extremist ethnic Somalis in the 
United Kingdom was becoming more apparent. 
 
Regional Political Environment 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (S)  Ambassador Cameron Hume, Charge d,Affaires in 
Khartoum, led a discussion of the regional political 
environment.   Participants discussed the systemic weakness 
of regional institutions such as the AU and the 
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).  For this 
reason, our focus continues to be on state partners.  Hume 
reviewed the rapidly growing Sudanese economy, the excellent 
state of U.S.-Sudanese CT partnership, the relative success 
of the North-South peace agreement and the violence in 
Darfur.  Removing Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism 
list would improve the regional dynamic by advancing positive 
CT cooperation.  Joey Hood of Embassy Sanaa reviewed Yemen,s 
Somalia policy; noting that the Yemeni Government is dead set 
against reconstitution of the Islamic Courts.  Former Courts 
leader Sheikh Sharif was unable to direct Court remnants from 
his exile in Yemen, where he remains effectively under house 
arrest.  The Yemeni and German governments were pressuring 
Sharif to engage in the national reconciliation process. 
 
Addressing the Current Threat 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (S) Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger led a 
discussion on synchronizing efforts to isolate terrorist 
leadership and eliminate safe havens.  He emphasized that 
this must be a multi-pronged approach involving continued 
military and security actions; efforts to promote an 
inclusive government in Somalia; rapid deployment of U.S. 
development and security assistance in order to influence the 
Somali process and bolster the credibility of the TFG; public 
diplomacy efforts; and intensified regional coordination on 
both diplomacy and security.  He noted good overall 
interagency cooperation in recent military and intelligence 
operations in the region based out of Nairobi.  He and others 
stressed the need for American officials and contractors to 
visit Somalia.  Such visits were essential both for 
operations and to effectively publicize both within Somalia 
and the region the good work the USG is doing in Somalia. 
Participants agreed that continued engagement with Somaliland 
and Puntland authorities was essential.  Participants agreed 
on the urgent need to implement an international diplomatic 
strategy reaching beyond the region to ensure the success of 
Somali clan reconciliation efforts.  Ambassador Ranneberger 
discussed the key role being played by Kenya, with respect 
both to security through stepped up border operations and 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000425  003 OF 005 
 
 
cooperation with us, and in efforts to promote an inclusive 
political process in Somalia.  He pointed to the need to 
bolster the capacity of Kenya to deal with the Somalia 
problem, particularly in light of Kenya,s close cooperation 
with the U.S. 
 
Addressing the Long-Term Threat 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (C)  Ambassador to Uganda Steven Browning led a 
discussion on economic development, democracy and security 
issues as a means of addressing the conditions terrorists 
exploit.  He emphasized that we must recognize that state 
actors see the region through the prism of what they perceive 
to be their own national interest.  Museveni,s deployment of 
troops in Somalia is a good example of this.  Regional 
economic institutions like COMESA and the EAC were worthy of 
continued support, participants agreed.  Ambassador Symington 
pointed out the importance of regional, joint training for 
security and law enforcement officials and noted that 
language should not bar participation by Djibouti. 
Participants agreed that the lack of security and capacity of 
law enforcement organs to address crime undermined CT efforts 
throughout the region.  More resources were needed to improve 
the rule of law in the region, particularly in training 
police, prosecutors and judges. 
 
Public Diplomacy/Combating Extremism 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶10. (C)  Ambassador to Mauritius and the Seychelles Cesar 
Cabrera led a discussion on public diplomacy.  He described 
public diplomacy as the most important method we have to 
address the growing threat of terrorism.  As a practical 
suggestion, he pointed out that the power of images was 
immense, and that it was important for high-ranking officials 
to establish relationships with cameramen, not just 
reporters.  He also advocated outreach using popular local 
opinion leaders and an informal approach to convey U.S. 
messages to the public.  Christopher Krisinger of the Office 
of the Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy (R) was 
disappointed that he could not promise new funding for 
initiatives discussed.  He discussed the work of State,s 
Digital Outreach Team, which engaged in debate in Arabic 
websites, and the importance of unconventional key 
influencers, such as a politically-savvy cooking show host in 
Morocco.  VOA Director Danforth Austin spoke on the 
restoration of the Somali language service.  He had been 
approached by six FM stations who wanted to add the program 
to their broadcasts ) a sign of the quality of the program. 
However, Austin noted that sustained audiences were difficult 
to build with only 30-60 minutes of programming a day and 
Ambassadors expressed hope that Washington agencies could 
come up with urgent funding to increase programming to four 
hours a day. 
 
¶11.  (U)  In a discussion on Military Information Support 
Teams (MIST),  Joey Hood of Embassy Sanaa noted their 
usefulness was dependent upon State PD officers providing the 
teams with guidance and direction.  Ambassador Ranneberger 
noted that Embassy Nairobi was doubling the size of its MIST 
team and that the additional members and resources would be 
devoted to outreach to ethnic Somalis in the region.  Cameron 
Hume noted the welcome development that Ambassadors were now 
allowed and encouraged to respond to press interview 
requests.  Chris Krisinger emphasized that R would stand 
strongly behind spokespeople. 
 
CJTF-HOA 
-------------- 
 
¶12. (C) Rear Admiral Timothy Moon presented an explanation of 
CJTF-HOA,s mission in an RSI visit to Camp Lemonier on March 
¶17.  CJTF-HOA will seek to bring USAID directors together 
soon for a coordination conference at Camp Lemonier.  Purnell 
Delly spoke highly of U.S.-U.K. cooperation in 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000425  004 OF 005 
 
 
counterterrorism activities.  Ambassador Cabrera praised the 
conduct and work of the Seabees in the Seychelles. 
Ambassador Browning noted that some NGO,s in Uganda were 
suspicious and resentful of Civic Affairs activities, while 
Joey Hood noted widespread suspicion and fear of the U.S. 
military among average Yemenis.  Participants agreed that the 
purpose of civic affairs activities went beyond their 
immediate humanitarian or public affairs impact ) they are 
designed to build a tradition of civic affairs in host 
country militaries. 
 
The Way Ahead -- Recommendations 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶13.  (C) Ambassadors and interagency representatives 
identified the following actions and recommendations for 
post-conference follow-up: 
 
¶I.  Improving Funding Coordination and Transparency 
 
¶A. Establish a quarterly DCM-led teleconference between RSI 
participating embassies and Washington, starting in mid-June. 
Ambassadors recommended that invitations to the next RSI will 
be extended to key Senate staffers and a representative of 
the United Kingdom. 
 
¶B.  Establish FY09 East Africa dedicated line-item budget 
requests for NADR, FMF, PKO, DA and military assistance 
programs, along the lines of the Trans-Sahara 
Counterterrorist Partnership (TSCTP).  Seek an East Africa 
line item from INL for INCLE funds to reflect the essential 
need to enhance overall East African law enforcement 
capabilities. 
 
¶C. AF/RSA will produce a cable to posts itemizing and 
systematizing CT funding streams and budget processes.  S/CT 
will assist. 
 
¶D.  Recommend that a full-time regular State Department 
employee be seconded to the African Union staff. 
 
II. Increase Partner Nation Capacity 
 
¶A.  Emphatically appeal for an urgent restoration of 
zeroed-out FY08 NADR ATA funding to counter the terrorist 
threat in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Djibouti, Mauritius and 
Seychelles.  OMB removed these funding requests in the most 
recent budget round. 
 
¶B.  Encourage greater interstate intelligence and military 
cooperation on CT and Somalia, particularly among Ethiopia, 
Kenya and Uganda.  Ambassadors will encourage leaders in 
those countries to bring their intelligence and defense 
chiefs together for face-to-face meetings.  Participants will 
seek new DoD and State-funded opportunities to train these 
partners together and seek greater working-level 
interoperability.  DS/ATA will organize East African regional 
training courses in document fraud and interdicting terrorist 
activity. 
 
III. Address Conditions Terrorists Exploit 
 
¶A. Strongly recommend that funding for VOA Somali service be 
increased in order to expand its hours of programming and 
transmission capability. 
 
¶B. Each post will nominate existing International Visitor 
Leadership Program (IVLP) slots for a regional CT program on 
border control. 
 
¶C. Appeal again to F to increase the size of the African 
self-help fund, an essential tool for ambassadors to identify 
low-cost, high-impact, high-visibility projects with a CT 
angle. 
 
¶D.  Encourage the Somali-American community to establish 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000425  005 OF 005 
 
 
U.S.-Somalia Business Council, with outreach to other 
diaspora Somalis, particularly wealthy businessmen in the 
Gulf.  U.S. fisheries companies may be interested in 
supporting such an effort, which would have the eventual 
prospect of support from OPIC, EXIM and TDA. 
 
¶E.  Seek a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) 
with the East African Community (EAC). 
 
¶F.  Study the NEA bureau,s Middle East Partnership 
Initiative (MEPI) and see how a similar line-item funding 
mechanism could be created for sub-Saharan Africa in order to 
put resources behind host governments, reform efforts. Seek 
the inclusion of Arab League members Djibouti, Somalia, and 
Comoros within MEPI. 
 
¶G.  Recommend that R include Somalia as a "Pilot Country". 
(Done March 20) 
 
¶H.  Embassies and CJTF-HOA will seek more joint public 
affairs opportunities.  CJTF-HOA is seeking to expand its 
number of chaplains and their involvement in interfaith 
dialogue activities. 
 
IV. Reconciliation, CT Engagement 
 
¶A.  Insist that TFG President Yusuf include representative 
Hawiye leaders in reconciliation process and take personal 
responsibility for their safe passage to talks inside 
Somalia.  AF will seek to support the talks with negotiation 
experts. 
 
¶B.  Commit to continued CT engagement with Sudan.  Consistent 
with Sudanese CT efforts, removing Sudan from the list of 
state sponsors of terrorism would advance CT cooperation. 
 
¶C.  Diplomatic Security will draft a plan and budget to 
enable USG officials to visit Somalia.  Such visits will 
enable the U.S. to effectively conduct diplomacy, publicize 
USG diplomatic and assistance efforts in Somalia, and to 
evaluate the effectiveness of those efforts. (Done) 
 
¶D.  DOD will seek contingency and expedited press guidance 
for responding to news and official leaks of any future CT 
military operations in the Horn of Africa. 
 
¶E.  NSC will task the intelligence community with 
establishing a list of the 20 wealthiest/most influential 
ethnic Somali businessmen worldwide.  This list will be 
utilized in cooperation with other regional State Department 
bureaus and their embassies to seek to leverage the influence 
of these individuals to support the peace process and 
discourage extremism. 
 
SYMINGTON