VZCZCXRO9014
RR RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDJ #1205/01 2862048
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 131803Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0915
INFO IGAD COLLECTIVE
SOMALIA COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
RHMFISS/DJIBOUTI LCC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDJ/USLO DJIBOUTI DJ
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 DJIBOUTI 001205 
 
SIPDIS 
FOR AF A/S CARSON FROM AMBASSADOR SWAN 
STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/E, AF/RSA, AND PM/PPA 
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA-WATCHER 
SECDEF FOR OUSD(P) 
AFRICOM FOR SPP AND POLAD 
CJTF-HOA FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/10/13 
TAGS: PREL PTER MASS MOPS EAID DJ ET KE RW UG BY XA
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI REQUESTS USG SUPPORT FOR EASBRIG FTX 
 
REF: 09 DJIBOUTI 895; 08 DJIBOUTI 857; 09 STATE 104754 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Eric Wong, DCM, U.S. Department of State, U.S. 
Embassy, Djibouti; REASON: 1.4(A), (D) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY.  Embassy Djibouti recommends provision of GPOI 
funds, or alternate sources of funding, in response to formal 
requests from Djibouti's Minister of Defense and chief of general 
staff, for assistance to support the East Africa Standby Brigade's 
Field Training Exercise (EASBRIG FTX), scheduled for mid-November 
in Djibouti.  The exercise, the first-ever of its kind to be 
conducted by EASBRIG, will involve nearly 2,000 troops from nearly 
a dozen countries - including such key regional troop-contributing 
countries as Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda.  The successful 
conclusion of the EASBRIG FTX will promote U.S. strategic goals, by 
building security capacity among key allies in both the Great Lakes 
and Horn of Africa regions.  Djibouti, host of the only U.S. 
military base in Africa and a key partner enabling sensitive U.S. 
military operations (refs B-C), has requested U.S. assistance to 
meet requirements that are estimated to cost between USD 1.6 - 2.67 
million.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
¶2. (C) Deputy commander of CJTF-HOA and DCM met with Djibouti's 
Minister of Defense, Ogoureh Kiffleh Ahmed, at the minister's 
request on September 30.  DATT, Office of Security Cooperation 
(OSC) budget and training assistant, and CJTF-HOA CJ-7 (training 
and exercises) director accompanied USG representatives.  Minister 
Kiffleh noted that he had previously met with the commander of 
French forces in Djibouti, who had agreed to study the GODJ's 
requests for assistance in relation to hosting the EASBRIG FTX. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
AIRLIFT ONLY ONE OF MANY SIGNIFICANT REQUIREMENTS 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
 
 
¶3. (C) Minister Kiffleh outlined anticipated logistical 
requirements for the November 20-25 EASBRIG FTX.  Nearly 2,000 
personnel would be deployed for the exercise in Djibouti, beginning 
October 20 until November 30, including 300-person troop 
contingents from Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, and 
Sudan.  Some 200 Djiboutian Armed Forces (FAD) troops would 
participate in the exercise on behalf of Djibouti, which would also 
contribute civilian extras.  However, another 500 FAD would be 
deployed to support the exercise (e.g., to provide medical, 
security, or other support services). 
 
 
 
a.  AIRLIFT: Whereas travel by road could have lowered the total 
costs of the exercise, airfare alone was now estimated to cost USD 
5-6 million, Kiffleh said.  The majority of troops were expected to 
travel to Djibouti, with personal equipment, via air; vehicles and 
equipment would come by sea.  Only Ethiopia, which bordered 
Djibouti, planned to send its troops and materiel by road. 
(According to Kiffleh, Djibouti had requested, unsuccessfully, that 
all troops come by road.  Not only would this have been more 
cost-effective, but it also would have promoted familiarization 
with the terrain, as EASBRIG expected to deploy in the future 
within the region.)  Ethiopia, which had not participated in FTX 
planning until recently, now wanted to increase the number of 
Ethiopian troops participating.  (NOTE.  We understand AFRICOM is 
examining options for providing airlift under bilateral acquisition 
and cross-servicing agreements.  END NOTE.) 
 
DJIBOUTI 00001205  002 OF 004 
 
 
b. FOOD AND WATER:  The GODJ had originally been requested to 
provide food for 1,200 exercise participants for 3 days (i.e., 
10,800 meals), but an additional 300 personnel were expected to be 
in Djibouti from October 20 to November 30 for pre-deployment and 
support activities.  EASBRIGCOM had asked troop-contributing 
countries (TCCs) at a September 28 conference to feed their own 
troops, but it was unclear whether TCCs were equipped to do so. 
Some 5 liters of potable water were also required for each person, 
each day (i.e., nearly 6,000 liters of drinking water/day). 
 
 
 
c.  ACCOMMODATIONS AND FUEL:  The GODJ lacked sufficient cots and 
tents to provide adequate accommodations, Kiffleh said, so EASBRIG 
TCCs had been asked to bring their own. 
 
 
 
c.  GROUND TRANSPORTATION:  Transportation (in the absence of any 
mass transit) from the sole international airport to various 
training sites, was another significant requirement. 
 
 
 
d.  MEDICAL SUPPORT:  In the absence of a Level 3 medical facility 
in Djibouti, provision for medevac contingencies was needed. 
Ambulances and medical  units were also required at each of the 5 
separate training sites. 
 
 
 
e. SITE PREPARATION: Each of the training sites also required 
electrical lighting and power. 
 
 
 
f. FORCE PROTECTION:  Minister Kiffleh specifically requested that 
U.S. troops assist with patrols for force protection; he noted that 
this was a bilateral request from the GODJ, not a request from 
EASBRIGCOM. 
 
 
 
¶4. (C) Minister Kiffleh estimated that food support and tents alone 
would cost more than USD 2 million.  He underscored the tremendous 
financial burden being borne by Djibouti, which had been asked to 
waive airport parking and passenger fees for participants, as well 
as port fees.  As both Djibouti's airport and seaport were now 
under private management (contracted to Dubai Ports World), waiving 
fees would require additional expenditures by the GODJ. 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Minister of Defense presented a detailed list of 
requirements (with nearly 80 line items), whose total cost is 
estimated by the GODJ at USD 2.67 million.  Key categories of 
requirements include:  heavy equipment, ground transport, food and 
water, accommodations, tools, and communications. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
CHIEF OF DEFENSE REQUESTS USG ASSISTANCE FOR SITE PREPARATION 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
 
 
¶6. (C) CJTF-HOA commander, deputy commander, POLAD, and CJ-7 
director -- accompanied by DCM and DATT -- met on October 3 with 
 
DJIBOUTI 00001205  003 OF 004 
 
 
Djibouti's chief of general staff (CHOD), MG Fathi A. Houssein, and 
Ministry of Defense Advisor, COL Youssouf Guelleh Kayad.  MG Fathi 
presented a formal written request for USG assistance to grade, 
level, and prepare 5-6 camp sites (5,000 sq. meters each) at 
Doudoub-Bololeh and Arta - prior to the anticipated arrival of 
advance elements on October 19.  Sites also required latrines and 
other preparations. 
 
 
 
¶7. (C) MG Fathi explained that the U.S. and French military 
presence in Djibouti had been a factor in some EASBRIG members 
deciding to participate in the FTX in Djibouti.  France, which had 
more than 3,000 troops stationed in Djibouti, had been given camp 
sites the furthest away from the capital, to prepare; on the other 
hand, the sites proposed for USG assistance were the closest to the 
capital.  Djibouti, as the host, would prepare camp sites near its 
Hol Hol training center (currently being used for training of more 
than 600 Somali Transitional Federal Government troops). 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST: ASSISTANCE NEEDED 
 
FOR KEY STRATEGIC PARTNERS IN THE REGION 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
 
 
¶8. (C) Military planners from the Djiboutian armed forces, French 
forces in Djibouti, and CJTF-HOA are currently engaged in extensive 
consultations on specific requirements and how they might be 
addressed.  Preliminary USG estimates of material needs alone 
requested by Djibouti  -- i.e., ground transportation (e.g., truck 
rentals), food and water, equipment, material, and 
tentage/structures -- total USD 1.6 million.   Airlift of nearly 
2,000 troops is another one of the most significant and expensive 
requirements.  Despite earlier attempts by "Friends of EASBRIG" to 
propose scaling down the scope of this exercise, Djibouti and its 
EASBRIG partners -- including such strategically key African allies 
as Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Burundi -- appear determined to 
implement the EASBRIG FTX as envisioned. 
 
 
 
¶9. (S/NF) On a per capita basis, perhaps no country is contributing 
more to regional security in east and central Africa as Djibouti. 
Host of Camp Lemonier -- the only military base in Africa, and 
headquarters to AFRICOM's Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa 
(CJTF-HOA), as well as to U.S. and coalition forces serving with 
nearly two dozen other tenant commands -- Djibouti is an important 
regional ally hosting critical platforms for counter-terrorism and 
other priority activities.  Djibouti has played an instrumental 
role in providing political and military support to the struggling 
Transitional Federal Government of neighboring Somalia, by training 
-- with U.S. and French assistance -- more than 600 TFG troops who 
are due to return to Mogadishu in the next week.  A recent 
Department of State ACOTA assessment team concluded that Djibouti 
is a ready partner for ACOTA, and one considering deploying troops 
to support international peacekeeping in Somalia. 
 
 
 
¶10. (C) ACTION REQUEST.  Bilateral acquisition and cross-servicing 
(ACSA) agreements with several EASBRIG partners would allow U.S. 
military assistance (e.g., airlift) to be provided on a bilateral 
basis, with the receipt of "in-kind" services in return.  However, 
policy considerations render some EASBRIG countries (e.g., Sudan) 
ineligible for such reimbursable support.  Post therefore strongly 
 
DJIBOUTI 00001205  004 OF 004 
 
 
advocates provision of additional funding, perhaps via GPOI, to 
respond to these formal requests for assistance from Djibouti and 
its EASBRIG partners.  Providing such funds now, to support the 
successful implementation of the EASBRIG FTX, furthers USG 
strategic goals in the region, by building security capacity of 
some of Africa's most important troop-contributing countries: 
including Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.  END 
COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST. 
SWAN