VZCZCXRO4156
PP RUEHBZ RUEHGI RUEHMA
DE RUEHC #8057/01 2930520
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 191704Z OCT 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI PRIORITY 1460-1461
RUEHBZ/AMEMBASSY BRAZZAVILLE PRIORITY 1655-1656
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA PRIORITY 2991-2992
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY 0461-0462
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE PRIORITY 5687-5688
RUEHLU/AMEMBASSY LUANDA PRIORITY 1020-1021
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA PRIORITY 4978-4979
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PRIORITY 1606-1607
RUEHMA/AMEMBASSY MALABO PRIORITY 0709-0710
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 108057 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (SENSTIVE CAPTION ADDED) 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID GB PREL KPAO
SUBJECT: BUILDING SUPPORT FOR POTENTIAL USG SECURITY 
ASSISTANCE TO CEEAC 
 
STATE 00108057  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: This is an action request; see paragraph 7. 
 The Department requests posts to inform Economic Community 
of Central African States (French acronym: CEEAC) governments 
of the Presidential Determination and to ask your host 
government to assist CEEAC to respond promptly to our 
forthcoming questionnaire, which is required before we can 
negotiate and finalize a reliable and enforceable end-use, 
retransfer, and security agreement. End Summary. 
 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
¶2. (SBU) Providing security assistance to an international 
organization like CEEAC is generally a multi-step process: 
first, the President makes a determination that the 
furnishing of defense articles and defense services will 
strengthen the security of the United States and promote 
world peace; next, the USG and the international organization 
negotiate and conclude an end-use, retransfer, and security 
agreement; and finally, a case-by-case determination is made 
to provide specific defense articles or services to the 
organization.   The U.S. is not committing anything for CEEAC 
support at this time. 
 
¶3. (SBU) For CEEAC, the first step was completed on September 
7 when President Obama made a Presidential Determination (PD) 
that "the furnishing of defense articles and defense services 
to the Economic Community of Central African States will 
strengthen the security of the United States and promote 
world peace." 
 
¶4. (SBU) Before we can begin negotiating an end-use, 
retransfer, and security agreement, the USG needs information 
on CEEAC's authority, reliability, access, and enforcement 
mechanisms.  On October 23, Embassy Libreville will receive a 
cable that will include this questionnaire to be delivered to 
CEEAC.  Responses to this questionnaire will be used to 
determine if the United States and CEEAC may enter into a 
reliable and enforceable end-use, retransfer, and security 
agreement.  This agreement is a required step before the U.S. 
may grant certain defense articles or defense services to 
CEEAC, including to the CEEAC Standby Brigade or other 
appropriate CEEAC entities. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The USG intends to provide targeted assistance to 
CEEAC to increase peacekeeping and crisis response capacity, 
enhance maritime security, strengthen interoperability, and 
improve our mil-to-mil cooperation.  The AU's African Peace 
and Security Architecture incorporates the notion of managing 
conflict at all stages: conflict prevention, conflict 
response, and post-conflict reconstruction.  As such, the AU 
has developed the African Standby Force (ASF) as a key 
element of its vision for quickly responding to potential 
conflict, disaster, and other crises.  The ASF consists of 
five multi-dimensional standby brigades broken out into 
Africa's five sub-regions, including CEEAC.  The United 
States is pursuing or has already concluded similar 
agreements with the AU, SADC, and ECOWAS. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Obtaining the authority to provide certain defense 
articles and defense services to CEEAC is necessary for the 
USG to implement its policy of support for the AU and its 
sub-regional organizations as they pursue peace and security 
on the African continent. 
 
OBJECTIVES AND TALKING POINTS 
----------------------------- 
¶7. (U)  In order to encourage CEEAC to complete the necessary 
steps to make this assistance possible, the Department 
requests that you draw upon the points below at your 
discretion for use with the press and host government 
interlocutors to inform CEEAC member states of the PD and to 
ask your host government to assist CEEAC in responding 
promptly to our forthcoming questionnaire that is required 
before we can negotiate and finalize a reliable and 
 
STATE 00108057  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
enforceable end-use, retransfer, and security agreement with 
CEEAC.  Translated talking points in French, Spanish, and 
Portuguese will be provided by e-mail to posts. 
 
-- On September 7, President Obama made a Presidential 
Determination (PD) concerning the Economic Community of 
Central African States (French acronym: CEEAC). 
 
-- This decision demonstrates U.S. interest in providing 
certain defense articles or defense services to CEEAC, 
including to the CEEAC Standby Brigade or other elements of 
CEEAC. 
 
-- The USG intends to further its policy of supporting 
Africa's peace and security institutions.  The PD for CEEAC 
is similar to PDs for the Economic Community of West African 
States (ECOWAS), Southern African Development Community 
(SADC), and the African Union (AU).  The provision of defense 
articles and defense services to CEEAC is a part of the USG's 
long-term strategy of seeking to support Africa's peace and 
security agenda, including support for the regional standby 
brigades to increase peacekeeping capacity, enhance maritime 
security, strengthen interoperability, and improve our 
mil-to-mil cooperation. 
 
-- Before this can be put into practice, CEEAC must complete 
additional steps, including the conclusion of an end-use, 
retransfer, and security agreement with the United States. 
 
-- Negotiating an acceptable end-use, retransfer, and 
security agreement can be a long and complex process.  The 
American Embassy in Libreville will deliver a written 
questionnaire to CEEAC regarding its authority, reliability, 
access, and enforcement mechanisms that will require a 
written response from the appropriate CEEAC authority.  The 
Department needs this information to determine whether the 
U.S. and CEEAC can enter into a reliable and enforceable 
agreement. 
 
-- While there is no official deadline to provide the 
information, the appropriate CEEAC authority's prompt 
response to this questionnaire will greatly facilitate the 
conclusion of this agreement and any subsequent provision of 
assistance. 
 
-- CEEAC members are requested to assist and encourage CEEAC 
to respond promptly to the U.S. questions. 
 
-- Any assistance ultimately provided to CEEAC or its Standby 
Brigade will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must 
also comply with all relevant existing legal obligations, 
including, where appropriate, current or future restrictions 
applicable to CEEAC members. 
 
-- (if needed) The U.S. is not committing any specific 
support toward CEEAC at this time. 
 
 
End talking points. 
 
POINTS OF CONTACT 
-------------- 
¶8. (U)  Embassy should report results of efforts by cable 
PM/RSAT Amy Van Buren, PM/PPA Rachel Schaab, or AF/RSA Julie 
Chalfin by November 6. 
CLINTON