VZCZCXYZ0010
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPL #0010 0121227
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 121227Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY PORT LOUIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4920
INFO RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT LOUIS 000010 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF ASSISTANT SECRETARY J. CARSON; SECDEF FOR DASD 
¶V. HUDDLESTON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2019 
TAGS: MARR MOPS MASS MCAP PREL MP SE
SUBJECT: OPPOSED TO ANY TRANSFER OF SEYCHELLES TO CENTCOM 
AOR 
 
Classified By: CDA BARRIE WALKLEY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
 ¶1.  (C) SUMMARY:  Embassy Port Louis strongly opposes any 
geographic realignment which would result in Mauritius and 
Seychelles being under separate Operational Military 
Commands.  Embassy and the State Department Africa Bureau 
believe that both Mauritius and Seychelles should remain in 
AFRICOM's AOR.  A proposed Unified Command Plan (UCP) 
transfer of Seychelles from AFRICOM's AOR to CENTCOM's AOR 
would result in a duplication of effort, complicate 
anti-piracy activities and jeopardize the close relationship 
established with the Government of Seychelles (GOS). END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) DUPLICATION OF EFFORT: Embassy Port Louis understands 
that DoD is in the initial stages of reviewing possibilities 
for UCP revision. Under one proposed change to the UCP, 
Mauritius would stay in AFRICOM's AOR but Seychelles would 
move to CENTCOM's AOR (notwithstanding the fact that both 
countries would remain under the Chief-of-Mission authority 
of Embassy Port Louis).  Such an asymmetric division of 
responsibility -- requiring that Embassy Port Louis on a 
daily basis coordinate issues with two separate Commands -- 
would seriously complicate the ability of Embassy Port Louis 
to manage diplomatic efforts essential to maintaining US 
strategic operations (in Seychelles waters and airspace, as 
well as in the territory of Mauritius and the region). 
Embassy Port Louis is a busy but small mission, with only 
thirteen American officers when fully staffed.  Transferring 
Seychelles to CENTCOM would result in a duplication of effort 
for the Embassy, unnecessarily doubling the points-of-contact 
(AFRICOM and CENTCOM) needed for coordinating military 
operations. 
 
¶3.  (C) UNITY OF COMMAND: Counter-piracy operations in 
Seychelles are linked to (and have a direct impact on) 
operations in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, an area which 
is clearly within AFRICOM's AOR and will remain in AFRICOM's 
AOR. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) OFFICE OF SECURITY COOPERATION (OSC) MAURITIUS: 
Embassy Port Louis and AFRICOM have worked closely and 
successfully to streamline military cooperation in the 
region. An Office of Security Cooperation (OSC), for example, 
has been assigned to Embassy Port Louis beginning in FY2011 
to support both Mauritius and Seychelles.  Assigning the two 
countries to separate Command AORs would complicate OSC 
operations, among others, and would be a giant step backwards 
for our streamlining efforts. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) AFRICAN REGIONAL IDENTITY:  We should continue 
acknowledging that Seychelles is an African nation which 
belongs to multiple African regional organizations, i.e. the 
African Union and the Southern African Development Community 
(SADC). Strengthening the ties of Seychelles with Africa 
helps support an important foreign policy goal: working with 
regional organizations and partner nations to advance U.S. 
counterterrorism objectives.  As an African nation, 
Seychelles belongs in AFRICOM. 
 
¶6.  (C) SEYCHELLES IS COMFORTABLE WITH AFRICOM:  Thanks in no 
small part to the efforts of AFRICOM (and the Command's 
relations with other African countries), the Embassy in July 
2009 was finally successful, after twelve years of 
negotiations, in concluding a Status Of Forces Agreement 
(SOFA) with the GOS.  The Seychelles now knows AFRICOM and 
the GOS (from President Michel on down) trusts the working 
relationships that have been carefully established.  Embassy 
Port Louis sees no point in jeopardizing that trust by moving 
Seychelles to another AOR. 
 
¶7. (C) The rationale for the creation of AFRICOM was the 
elimination of the different "seams" by which EUCOM, CENTCOM 
and PACOM carved up Africa and provided different levels of 
support to their AORs.  AFRICOM's creation has assured unity 
of command, providing precise management of resources, 
policies and programs.  Embassy Port Louis sees no reason why 
we should begin again carving up Africa and assigning 
countries to different Commands.  For reasons of policy and 
practicality, we strongly recommend that Seychelles remain in 
the AFRICOM AOR.  This recommendation is shared by the State 
Department Africa Bureau.   We are transmitting the cable at 
this time in order that Embassy and State Department views 
may be registered early in the UCP revision exercise. 
 
WALKLEY