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RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSA #1949/01 2681005
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 251005Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9682
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 7169
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 1255
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 9536
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 001949 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2019 
TAGS: PREL PKO MCAP AU AO NI RW SF SU
SUBJECT: TOUR D'HORIZON OF PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS IN AFRICA 
 
PRETORIA 00001949  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Walter N. Pflaumer.  Reasons 1.4(b) 
and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY.  On 18 September, EmbOff met with members of 
the Institute for Security Studies' (ISS) Security Sector 
Governance Programme to discuss the state of peacekeeping 
operations on the African continent.  The ISS team lamented 
the AU's lack of capacity, the international community's 
piece-meal approach to funding only peacekeeping operations 
(PKO) to the detriment of other aspects of security like 
troop preparedness and peace-building, and the absence of 
vision for Africa since former South African President Mbeki 
and former Nigerian President Obasanjo's departure.  Looking 
forward, the ISS argued that political willingness to 
contribute to PKOs on the continent are likely to diminish 
and that the African Union will continue to flounder without 
a complete revamping of priorities.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) On 18 September, EmbOff met with the Institute of 
Security Studies' (ISS) Security Sector Programme team to 
discuss the current state of peacekeeping operations (PKOs) 
on the continent.  In attendance were Dr. Naison Ngoma, 
Programme Head and a former AU official, Dr. Paul Simon 
Handy, Programme Head of ISS' African Security Analysis 
Programme, and Colonel Stephen van Neel, who recently joined 
the ISS as a senior researcher after spending 21 years in the 
South African National Defence Force, part of which time he 
was Sector Commander in AMIS and Chief of Staff Cease-fire 
Commission in UNAMID. The entire team praised the US for its 
contributions to PKOs on the continent, but also was critical 
of donor approaches in general, noting that they are not 
undertaken holistically, noting they along with the AU focus 
too much on peacekeeping, rather than peace-building and 
force readiness. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
AFRICAN PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS: THE FIRE BRIGADE APPROACH 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶3. (C) ISS members all believe the African Union (AU)'s 
approach to peacekeeping, while getting better, has a long 
way to go.  Three key themes of shortcomings emerged: 
 
-- Lack of framework: van Neel said he is concerned with the 
overall architecture of the AU Peace and Security Council 
(PSC) because key pillars of security outside PKOs, such as 
general troop preparedness, are being neglected.  He also 
noted that the PSC does not pay enough attention to conflict 
prevention, nor do they play a role in the AU's policy making 
process. Handy added that the AU has not placed enough 
emphasis on development, and likely will not because there is 
still too much international pressure and incentive to 
continue the AU's emphasis on resolution rather than 
prevention. 
 
-- Lack of capacity: All criticized the AU's lack of capacity 
at every level, highlighting not only the management and 
direction of running an effective PKO, but also day-to-day 
administrative issues.  Funding and political will of the AU 
PSC does not seem to be a problem, but rather differing 
levels of experience of AU working level officials.  Van Neel 
noted in particular that the PSC appears unable to detect and 
deal with problems before they get out of hand, which Ngoma 
summed up as the AU's "fire-brigade approach."  Handy added 
that it is also unclear how the AU PSC prioritizes issues. 
Qthat it is also unclear how the AU PSC prioritizes issues. 
All suggested that donors would get more for their money if 
it could be filtered down to working-levels of the AU. 
 
-- Lack of funding for African militaries: All blamed the 
donor community for funding PKOs at the neglect of other more 
basic security needs.  Ngoma noted manpower is not the issue 
since there are over 3 million men "under arms" on the 
continent, but that African militaries continue to be 
hampered by lack of funding and logistics needed to 
contribute to PKOs, most notably airlift equipment. 
 
--------------------- 
UN HYBRIDS SHORTFALLS 
--------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Turning to Sudan, van Neel was critical of how UN 
'hybridization' in general, but especially in Sudan, has 
unfolded, though not necessarily the concept.  He believes 
increasing a PKO mandate and then re-hatting peacekeepers has 
had no impact.  "Wearing a green beret one day, then a blue 
one the next doesn't change anything," he said.  Likewise, 
 
PRETORIA 00001949  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
elevating a mission's importance or mandate on paper doesn't 
guarantee results on the ground.  Ngoma also added that 
hybridization does not address other problems like government 
obstruction as is the case in Sudan.  Having said that, 
however, van Neel admitted the UN has a better system than 
the AU with better intelligence. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
PKOS SUFFER FROM LACK OF VISION, FUNDING, AND COMMITMENT 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶5. (C) Handy sees an emerging trend of African governments 
becoming more reticent to contribute to PKOs. South Africa 
and Nigeria, he said, are the most prominent examples and at 
the same time, the two most important contributors to PKOs on 
the continent.  "Remove Nigeria from the equation and West 
African PKOs disappear, remove South Africa and all PKOs 
would suffer," he said.  (NOTE: Dr. Ngoma took issue with 
Handy's analysis, arguing that smaller African countries, 
like Rwanda and Ghana, are just as important.  END NOTE) 
Handy believes the lack of willingness to engage on South 
Africa's and Nigeria's part is a direct result of the change 
of leadership in these countries.  Both former Nigerian 
President Obasanjo and former South African President Mbeki 
had visions for Africa which they could articulate, he said. 
AU Chairman Qadhafi, he said, does not have a vision, but 
will nevertheless have an enormous impact on the AU because 
Qadhafi faces no real challengers.  (NOTE: Handy mentioned 
there is much talk about Angola's recent attempts to be seen 
as a player on the continent, though he admitted that Angolan 
remains a black hole to him.  "All we know is that they can 
win wars," to which Ngoma quipped, "or at least how not to 
lose them."  Handy said everyone agrees that "Angola is in 
the room, but never speaks."  As a result, Handy said no one 
can articulate what Angola exactly wants. END NOTE) 
 
¶6. (C) Handy also argued that regional bodies like SADC and 
ECOWAS, however, still have potential, though they lack 
funding.  Handy argued that ECOWAS, and Nigeria for driving 
it, have not gotten the recognition they deserve because in 
many ways, he said, ECOWAS has been even more advanced than 
the AU at creating an institutional framework, even to the 
point where some states have even given up part of their 
sovereignty to ECOWAS.  Ngoma also noted that there is 
recognition by military commanders all over the continent 
that they need to harmonize their doctrines, procedures, and 
execution of operations if they are to be successful in 
multi-national PKOs.  He also added there is keen interest on 
ECOWAS' part in doing a joint military planning exercise like 
the ongoing SADC brigade exercise, but they are waiting for 
funding. (NOTE: SADC is holding a multi-national military 
exercise in South Africa from 1 to 29 September to increase 
the readiness of its forces in accordance with the AU roadmap 
toward establishing the SADC Brigade. END NOTE) 
 
------------------------------------- 
AMISON ATTACK AN INTELLIGENCE FAILURE 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) The timing of the Embassy's meeting took place the day 
after the 17 September suicide attack on AMISON in Mogadishu 
and all ISS members were focused on the future of AMISON. 
Van Neel called the attack an "intelligence failure," and all 
QVan Neel called the attack an "intelligence failure," and all 
agreed that the attack is likely to make AMISON less 
effective because peacekeepers will now likely restrict 
themselves to the base.  Ngoma also believes that it might 
make other countries hesitant to contribute troops to Somalia 
or other hotspots in the future.  All also noted that the 
Shebab Islamist movement was in the process of fragmenting, 
but that Saleh Nabhan's death has given the movement a morale 
boost and an opportunity to regroup again with renewed hatred 
for the US as a common enemy. END NOTE) 
GIPS