VZCZCXRO9943
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHDS #2960/01 3520817
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180817Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7204
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEPADJ/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
RUEWMFD/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 002960 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR S/CT: RSHORE; AF/E: JWIEGERT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER ASEC EFIN PREL ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA 2009 COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM 
 
REF:  STATE 109980 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00002960  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  Over the last three years, the East Africa extremist networks 
led by al-Shabaab have increased their capability, numbers and 
strength.  The threat posed by these networks, particularly the 
increase of foreign fighters and jihadist recruits, is a growing 
concern.  The Ethiopian government is concerned about terrorist 
related activities in neighboring Somalia in addition to domestic 
insurgency groups such as the Ogaden National Liberation Front 
(ONLF) and Oromo Liberation Front (OLF),in addition to other 
regional extremist groups, such as the United Western Somali 
Liberation Front.  Both the ONLF and OLF continue to target 
Ethiopian government officials.  Eritrea's support for al-Shabaab 
extremists in Somalia, in an effort to destabilize Ethiopia, poses 
an additional threat. 
 
¶2.  The Ethiopian military's withdrawal from Somalia in January 2009 
reduced the lightening rod long used by Somalia-based extremists as 
grounds for targeting Ethiopia.  By bolstering defensive forces 
along the Ethio-Somali border, they further reinforced defensive 
mechanisms through which to stem potential infiltration of 
extremists into Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a member state and current 
rotating chair of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development 
(IGAD), and participates actively in IGAD's Capacity Building 
Program Against Terrorism (ICPAT) to bolster the capacity of IGAD 
member states to mitigate, detect, and deter advances by terrorists. 
 
 
¶3.  Ethiopia's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), 
with broad authority for intelligence, border security, and criminal 
investigation, was responsible for overall counterterrorism 
management.  The Ethiopian Federal Police (EFP) work in conjunction 
with NISS on counterterrorism.  Key among Ethiopia's 
counterterrorism objectives is combating terrorist groups like 
al-Shabaab, the United Western Somali Liberation Front, and 
al-Itihaad al-Islami.  Ethiopia has requested U.S. assistance to 
craft legislation and provide other technical assistance to 
establish a regime to combat terrorist financing, and is more 
focused on seeking prosecution of counterterrorism suspects since 
the new Antiterrorism Law was passed in July.  Ethiopia was an 
active participant in African Union (AU) counterterrorism efforts, 
participating in the AU's Center for Study and Research on 
Terrorism, and in meetings of the Committee of Intelligence and 
Security Services of Africa (CISSA). 
 
¶3.  Bilateral relations between the U.S. and Ethiopia are 
broad-based.  U.S. military forces based in Djibouti conduct 
indirect operations within Ethiopia through the employment of Civil 
Affairs teams, civil action programs, senior religious leader 
engagements and military to military cooperative engagements to 
bolster improved relationships and understanding between the 
Ethiopian and American peoples.  These meetings with local civil 
leaders, ethnic elders and security forces have provided the U.S. 
with an increased awareness of clan, religious, and ethnic issues 
that violent extremists may attempt to exploit for their own 
benefit.  They also allow the USG to pursue solutions to those 
issues through development and humanitarian support to bolster 
communities at risk directly or through leveraging support of NGOs, 
the U.S. State Department, USAID, and U.S. military outreach. 
 
¶4.  The U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, 
continued to support GoE counterterrorism capabilities with USD one 
million worth of Antiterrorism Training programming.  This year's 
training encompassed 168 students, from front line supervisors 
engaging in land border management at ports of entry, to senior 
police leaders studying their role in combating terrorism on the 
strategic, regional, and national levels.  Students were taught to 
analyze terrorist activities including financing, confidential 
source handling, development and information management sharing. 
This year's goal was to address the ability to disseminate 
information across agencies and countries, and concentrate on the 
large issue of stabilizing the Horn of Africa by attacking terrorism 
on a multilateral front. 
 
¶5.  The Office of Security Cooperation has provided some protective 
gear to enhance the force protection status of troops involved in 
counterterrorism roles. 
 
¶6.  Ethiopia's location within the Horn of Africa made it vulnerable 
to money laundering activities perpetrated by transnational criminal 
organizations, terrorists, and narcotics traffickers. On November 
19, 2009, parliament passed anti-money laundering/combating the 
financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) legislation that had been supported 
through technical advice from the U.S. Department of Treasury.  This 
legislation formally created Ethiopia's first financial intelligence 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00002960  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
unit called the Financial Information Center.  This new Center is 
charged with implementing this new legislation.  USG officials are 
currently seeking to review this legislation in detail to determine 
whether there are areas for additional bilateral cooperation during 
the establishment of the nascent Financial Information Center.