VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDR #0868/01 3511329
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171329Z DEC 09 ZFF4
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9141
INFO RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 3035
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 0014
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 0003
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI 1506
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 1466
RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEHDS/USMISSION USAU ADDIS ABABA

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 000868 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/E TREADWELL & AF/RSA BITTRICK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR PGOV TZ
SUBJECT: AFRICOM CIVIL AFFAIRS TEAM'S SUCCESS ON THE 
SWAHILI COAST 
 
REF: A. DAR ES SAL 236 
     ¶B. DAR ES SAL 235 
 
¶1.  U.S. Mission Tanzania's fourth iteration Civil Affairs 
Team (January-October 2009) was the first to serve entirely 
under AFRICOM.  The team directly reported to AFRICOM's base 
in Djibouti (CJTF-HOA).  This five member team was led by 
Captain Bernice Logan.  Her team consisted of three U.S. Army 
Staff Sergeants and one Tanzanian Peoples Defense Force 
Captain.  Over a nine month stint, they made tremendous gains 
for the Tanzanian-American partnership on the northern 
stretch of Tanzania's Swahili Coast.  This is a sensitive 
area where extremist networks are known to operate, although 
the vast majority of the population are peaceful.  REFTELS 
cover our previous reporting on CJTF-HOA civil affairs 
activities.  This message contains lessons learned from this 
exceptionally successful deployment. 
 
¶2.  Certain Tanzanian opinion leaders unfriendly to the 
United States and hostile toward the United States military 
have largely succeeded in giving the name "AFRICOM" sinister 
connotations in the public mind.  This no longer holds true 
on the northern Swahili coast.  Political, administrative, 
civil society and religious leaders in that predominantly 
Muslim region loudly and consistently proclaim their 
appreciation for AFRICOM/CJTF-HOA's civil affairs team, both 
for what they have achieved (see below) and for the way they 
achieved it.  The success of this team's nine-month 
deployment holds lessons for other civil affairs teams to 
consider. 
 
¶3. Lesson 1:  Coordinate with relevant U.S. Mission offices 
by working closely with the liaison element at the U.S. 
Embassy.  This team was ably supported by a strong 
AFRICOM/CJTF-HOA liaison element at the U.S. Embassy.  The 
liaison office enabled the civil affairs team to practice the 
3D concept: defense, development, diplomacy.  They sought and 
received project proposal technical reviews from 
USAID/Tanzania.  In some instances they conducted joint 
projects with USAID/Tanzania.  For example, the team built a 
school and USAID/Tanzania provided the desks.  They sought 
and received U.S. Mission introductions to the senior 
civilian leadership in the region, getting them off to a 
strong start in forming collaborative relationships with the 
regional leadership. They always included senior U.S. Mission 
leadership in project dedication ceremonies and worked with 
the U.S. Mission's public affairs section to publicize these 
events. 
¶4. Lesson 2:  Emphasize the local military component of the 
civil affairs team.  They fully incorporated into all team 
deliberations the Tanzanian military officer assigned to work 
with them.  He became their Swahili teacher, cultural guide, 
full partner and friend.  His introductions to local 
officials and community leaders was vital to securing 
cooperation.  As a team member pointed out, "if a foreign 
military unit entered a small town in the United States, even 
with the best of intentions and a sincere desire to be 
helpful, the local population would react with suspicion and 
likely outright hostility.  If they were introduced by an 
American military officer, then the reception would be much 
better.  Why should we expect things to be any different 
here?" 
 
¶5. Lesson 3: Get to know the language, the culture and the 
people in the region.  All team members developed some 
Swahili language fluency.  Two team members became 
proficient.  They moved easily around Tanga (the regional 
capital and site of their residence -- a six hour drive from 
Dar es Salaam).  They developed friendships and acquaintances 
throughout the town.  They had the option of barricading 
themselves in their house, playing computer games and 
watching DVDs.  Instead, they got out and about; getting to 
know the people they were sent to serve.  This was seen and 
appreciated by the people and leadership of the region. 
 
¶6. Lesson 4:  Cultivate the local leadership.  The team 
regularly consulted political, administrative, civil society 
and Muslim religious leaders in the northern Swahili coast 
region.  They always invited these leaders to attend project 
inaugurations.  The guidance they received was valuable.  The 
goodwill toward the team generated by treating the local 
leadership with respect was even more valuable. 
 
¶7. Lesson 5:  Augment resources through the generosity of the 
American people.  Team members inspired communities in the 
United States to support their efforts, through initiatives 
like a children's shoes drive, book donations and a student 
pen pal program. 
 
¶8. Lesson 6: Volunteer.  Team members regularly volunteered 
at a local HIV/AIDS orphanage and at various community 
service events.  They started an English speakers discussion 
group to help local Tanzanians learning English.  They 
distributed 9,500 books to 35 schools across the region. 
 
¶9. So what exactly did this team achieve, aside from goodwill 
in a sensitive area where extremist networks operate? 
 
-- The team ensured well conceived construction and civic 
action projects were correctly submitted for nomination and 
funding.  They also helped provide critical coordination, 
planning, compliance and oversight of these projects which 
consisted of medical and veterinary care, school and clinic 
construction and water resource development. 
 
-- The team managed two million dollars worth of construction 
projects:  3 medical clinics, 5 schools and 15 water wells. 
 
-- In collaboration with the Ministry of Livestock and 
Fisheries the team facilitated the coordination and execution 
of two veterinarian civic action program projects (VETCAP). 
Tanzanian and U.S. military veterinarians trained together to 
provide animal treatment, inoculation services, livestock 
heath initiatives, and minor surgical procedures.  These 
initiatives helped improve the health of livestock in over 20 
villages in the region. 
 
-- The team supported two medical civic action program 
projects (MEDCAP) which provided medical treatment and 
preventative medicine training to 12 villages.  The team also 
helped coordinate and plan a malaria train the trainer 
seminar that consisted of U.S. military doctors training 
Tanzania medical professionals in methods for diagnosis, 
improved prevention, control and ultimate elimination of 
malaria. 
 
-- The team also commenced the first civil affairs activity 
on Pemba Island, an area whose population is 99% Muslim and 
is politically and culturally disenfranchised.  During their 
orientation to Pemba, the team encouraged Pemba officials to 
contact their Tanga counterparts to inquire about the work 
the team had achieved there, confident that the good reports 
would ease the minds of the Pemba officials about having a 
U.S. military team on their island. 
 
¶10.  We understand that the future role of AFRICOM civil 
affairs teams is being debated in Washington, Stuttgart and 
Djibouti.  As regards Tanzania, their performance has 
produced a big win for our partnership with the Tanzanian 
people.  We sent a DVD containing photos of the civil affairs 
team's work to AF/E desk officer Justine Treadwell. 
LENHARDT