VZCZCXRO8466
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #1499/01 1740938
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 230938Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5535
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA PRIORITY 1229
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0189
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE PRIORITY 0889
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0736
RUEHLU/AMEMBASSY LUANDA PRIORITY 0384
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO PRIORITY 0419
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0959

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 001499 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, AF/EPS, IO, PM, EB, AND S/P 
ACCRA ALSO FOR USAID/WARP 
PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR PU
SUBJECT: GUINEA-BISSAU: SECURITY SECTOR REFORM PLANS WILL 
BE COMPREHENSIVE AND COSTLY 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Janice L. Jacobs for reason 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
SUMMARY 
----------------- 
 
¶1. (C)  GOGB and international partners continue to focus on 
security sector reform as the top priority for improving 
stability.  There is still no date set for round table talks 
to raise funds, which have been delayed several times 
already.  GOGB has a vision, but no clear plan, of what 
reform should look like and Armed Services Chief Tagme Na 
Waie seems to share the vision.  GOGB is consulting closely 
on security sector reform with international donors and civil 
society, most of whom agree that the main challenge is 
identifying enough funds to entice thousands of soldiers into 
early retirement.  End Summary. 
 
MONEY FIRST, PLAN SECOND 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C)  A key goal of the security sector reform agenda is to 
purge ranks and attract higher quality recruits.  Defense 
Minister Helder Proenca, like many top GOGB officials, is 
traveling to raise money for reform programs.  In visits to 
Portugal, Brazil, and Spain he is requesting funds for 
construction of houses and other incentives to early 
retirement for some two thousand active duty soldiers. 
According to the Director General of the Budget, Romao 
Varela, the military has 5,108 men under arms and it wants to 
reduce this to approximately 3,000.  (Note: This is 
significantly lower than previous GOGB and outside analyst 
estimates, which are closer to 25,000.  End note).  The 
Defense Ministry recognizes the need for a more educated, 
professional force and laments that only about 15% of 
soldiers are literate.  Currently, the Ministry of Defense 
struggles every month just to pay food and salaries and 
barrack living conditions are reportedly abysmal. 
 
¶3. (C)  UNOGBIS Military Councilor, Col. Nelson Duarte, a 
Brazilian, accompanied Armed Services Chief Tagme Na Waie on 
his May trip to Brazil.  Na Waie visited various Ministries 
but spent most time learning about military structure, 
doctrine, and traditions, all lacking in Guinea-Bissau, 
according o Col. Duarte.  UNOGBIS -- which may shut down 
oerations at the end of the year unless its mandateis 
renewed by the Security Council -- has proposd to assign a 
small team of military technical eperts in Bissau to train 
on these issues.  So sigificant is the need that Col. Duarte 
estimates tn years will be needed for full transformation 
ito a modern military.  He believes Na Waie shares this 
vision for reform. 
 
¶4. (C)  Na Waie also recently visited Beijing, but the 
Chinese Embassy,s Economic and Commercial Councilor, Gao 
Zhifeng, offered little information, other than to say it was 
just a protocol visit.  He said China is not a player in 
security sector reform or military cooperation with 
Guinea-Bissau.  Recent budgetary support from China was only 
to help prepare for the Community of Portuguese Speaking 
Countries (CPLP) Presidential Summit in Bissau July 17-19. 
In terms of cooperation, China is more focused on increasing 
rice yields and rebuilding a hospital in Canchungo. 
 
¶5. (C)  One difficulty GOGB has faced in scheduling a round 
table to raise funds from donor countries to support its 
reform agenda has been inability to pass a budget.  An 
extraordinary session of the National Popular Assembly (ANP) 
is now required to vote on the budget, which includes a 
pledge of USD 15 million from the World Bank for physical 
infrastructure improvements.  Guinea-Bissau does not conduct 
audits of military expenditures, which impedes U.S. support 
for the loan under U.S. law.  Director General of the Budget 
Varela and Director of the Prime Minister,s cabinet, Mario 
Filomeno are studying the current laws and structure under 
which such an audit could take place.  Poloff is working with 
post,s Information Resource Center to identify similar 
legislation from other countries that could help 
Guinea-Bissau come into compliance.  The ANP, which should 
have authority for such audits, has little control over 
budgets in practice. 
 
DAKAR 00001499  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
COMMENT 
--------------- 
 
¶6. (C)  Regular consultations with an international steering 
committee of donors chaired by UNDP and with organized 
concerned citizens should ensure that Guinea-Bissau,s plans 
for security sector reform will be well-founded and include 
key actors needed for buy-in.  Na Waie,s familiarization 
trips with professional military establishments are much 
needed, although many diplomats in Bissau are starting to 
look askance at the frequency of high-level GOGB official 
travels.  Na Waie is an intelligent man, but has no formal 
education and his military experience is more appropriate to 
the battlefield than organizational management.  Most 
observers, with the notable exception of the Portuguese 
Defense Attache who has a long history of alarmist and often 
inaccurate reporting, believe Na Waie has no other intention 
now but military reform.  No price tag has been put on the 
reform package yet, but there is little doubt it -- and the 
stakes -- will be high. 
JACOBS