VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYN #1352/01 1981058
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171058Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7583
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0209
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 0081
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 0545
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 0032
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0381

UNCLAS SANAA 001352 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO KSEP OEXC PHUM PREF PTER SCUL YM
SUBJECT: EAST AFRICA REGIONAL SECURITY INITIATIVE IVLP 
 
REF: DJIBOUTI 425 
 
¶1. This cable has been cleared by US Embassies Addis Ababa, 
Kampala, Nairobi, Dar Es Salaam, and Sana'a. 
 
-------------------------- 
SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST 
-------------------------- 
¶2. Embassies Sana'a, Addis Ababa, Djibouti, Kampala, Nairobi, 
Dar Es Salaam and Port Louis request the creation of a 
multi-country regional International Visitor Leadership 
Program (IVLP) entitled "Passport and Border Control from the 
East Africa Region" and the allocation of additional funding 
for candidates from this region to attend the program.  This 
initiative springs from a key recommendation by Chiefs of 
Mission comprising the East Africa Regional Security 
Initiative (EARSI) who met in Djibouti on March 16-17 
(reftel). 
------------------------------ 
END SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST 
------------------------------ 
 
¶3. Protection of the borders and movement of people 
throughout the EARSI region overlap multiple areas of U.S. 
interest.  These include combating terrorism, reducing 
terrorist financing, preventing the spread of national 
conflicts, stopping illicit trade smuggling, fighting 
international trafficking and raising awareness of the human 
rights of displaced peoples.  In addition the program would 
help build bridges between border security officials from 
these countries. 
 
¶4. The proposed IVLP program would invite seven officials 
(one from each country) from border, immigration, passport, 
customs, and/or coast guard authorities to the United States. 
 The goal of the program is to teach the importance and 
proven procedures to protect official identity and commercial 
documents, and implement procedures at borders and ports of 
entry to safeguard international travel and commerce.  The 
program would run four weeks from 21 April through 16 May 
¶2008.  Participants would visit Customs and Border Protection 
(CBP) facilities, holding areas, ports and airports, and 
participate in presentations by CBP and relevant civil 
society groups.  Topics would include cargo and passenger 
processing, anti-smuggling, intelligence, investigation, 
analysis, risk management, and illegal trafficking. 
 
------------------------------- 
Regional Security and Terrorism 
------------------------------- 
¶5. The potential for terrorism pervades all of the countries 
in the EARSI.  Kenya, Tanzania and Yemen, in particular, have 
all been victims of cross-border terrorism.  An IVLP on 
border security and passport controls would help highlight 
border authorities' role in combating terrorism and would 
improve the capacity of local officials to communicate with 
each other and implement measures to protect their borders. 
 
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Finance 
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¶6. The EARSI countries feature almost exclusive cash 
economies, in which financial transfers are often through 
informal networks that are difficult to monitor.  Though 
these governments have expressed concern for terrorism 
financing and drafted legislation aimed at diminishing 
illegal financial activity, they often lack the working-level 
knowledge to identify financial transactions used to recruit 
and finance terrorist operations.  Even the simple exchange 
of names between security services of suspected terrorists 
financiers operating in the region would be a major step 
forward.  This IVLP could help border security officials move 
in that direction. 
 
------------------------ 
Free Trade vs. Smugglers 
------------------------ 
¶7. Another important aspect of border security is commerce. 
Aside from the aforementioned illegal movement of money 
across borders, countries from the EARSI suffer from porous 
borders and the unregulated movement of goods.  There are 
groups willing to deal in contraband from intellectual 
property to weapons, from watered down baby formula to 
chickens infected with avian influenza.  Officials returning 
from this IVLP would be aware of the importance of 
identifying channels for smuggling and take steps to diminish 
the flow of smuggled goods. 
 
------------------------- 
Migration and Trafficking 
------------------------- 
¶8. All of the countries in question suffer from varying 
levels of poverty and violence.  Recent and current conflicts 
in the HOA region have created large numbers of forcibly 
displaced people.  Extreme poverty compels others to migrate 
for economic reasons.  This volatile and mobile population 
creates challenges for border authorities, particularly when 
they assess a risk of terrorists moving among the migrants. 
Exposure to how the United States handles these cases and how 
we evaluate our performance afterwards will increase the 
efficiency and effectiveness of regional authorities in 
responding to crises. 
 
--------- 
Documents 
--------- 
¶9.  Compromised travel documents pose a particular challenge 
to authorities to keep dangerous elements out and manage 
legitimate travelers.  Local authorities can learn how to 
capitalize on USG assistance programs in this regard by 
observing how the United States uses technology and other 
methods to keep its doors open but its borders secure.  Even 
partial increases in cooperation with these countries would 
be a tremendous help to the United States in identifying 
patterns of movement of internationally trafficked persons, 
terrorist organizers and others.  Program participants will 
better understand the importance of sharing information on 
travelers of interest among themselves and with the United 
States. 
 
----------------------- 
Developing Counterparts 
----------------------- 
¶10. One of the most significant goals of this proposed 
program is the potential for stronger links between 
government officials within the region.  Security and border 
officials within this region do not have a history of trust 
and sharing. If the impact of this regional IVLP is to make 
them aware of their shared interests and foster space in 
which they develop greater trust and reduced suspicion, it 
would be a major step forward.  IVLP alumni would become a 
cadre of officials and an informed constituency for progress 
against illegal activity, open to working with consular, 
economic, political and public awareness programs from the 
EARSI embassies. 
BRYAN