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Cablegate: Correction 3 - African Union Response to U.S.

Published: Thu 25 Oct 2007 01:57 PM
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TAGS: EAID ECPS MASS MCAP PREL MOPS AU
SUBJECT: CORRECTION 3 - AFRICAN UNION RESPONSE TO U.S.
OFFER OF C3IS EQUIPMENT
1. This cable is from the U.S. Mission to the African Union
(USAU),
2. On October 24, 2007, USAU received Diplomatic Note from
the African Union responding to the USAU's note verbale
210/07 of September 7. The diplomatic note from the African
Union states that the AU is still in the process of
determining all the requirements and implications of the full
establishment of the African Standby Force (ASF), including
the C3IS requirements. It is, therefore, not in a position
to consider any offer or proposal of support to C3IS, or any
other component of the ASF, until a decision has been taken
by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government. The AU
note also refers to the request for support of communications
facilities to link AMISOM to the AU headquarters.
3. Full text of AU Diplomatic Note is as follows:
BEGIN TEXT:
The Commission of the African Union (AU) presents its
compliments to the United States Mission to the African Union
(USAU), and has the honour to
acknowledge, with appreciation, receipt of letter 21/07,
dated 7 September 2007, addressed by Her Excellency
Ambassador Dr. Cindy L. Courville to His Excellency Alpha
Omar Konare, Chairperson of the Commission. In this regard,
the Commission would like to communicate the following:
The Commission takes note with appreciation of the wish of
the Government of the United States of America to "present to
the people of Africa the gift of a
Command, Control, Communications and Information System or
C3IS". The Commission seizes this opportunity to reiterate
its gratitude to the United States
Government for all the support it has extended to it over the
years in the establishment of the African Peace and Security
Architecture, most notably in the
areas of capacity building in the establishment of the
Situation Room and the AU Military Logistics Depot. The
Commissionis also appreciative of the offer of a C3IS.
However, as the Mission is aware, and as has been expressed
by the Commission to US Government officials on numerous
occasions, the AU is still in
the process of determining all the requirements and
implications of the full establishment of the African Standby
Force (ASF), including its C3IS requirements. In this
regard, the AU Commission has convened a series of
consultations over the past two years.
The outcome of these various consultations is expected to be
submitted to a meeting of AU Ministers of Defense and
security, which would be preceded by meetings of Defense and
Security Experts and chiefs of Defense Staff. Depending on
the ability of the Commission and its partners to prepare the
myriad working documents for these meetings in all working
languages, the Commission hopes to convene these meetings
before the next Summit of the AU, so that the Summit can
endorse the recommendations of the Ministers of Defense and
Security.
As the USAU has been informed, the Commission is not in a
position to consider any offer or proposal of support to
C3IS, or to any other component of the ASF, until a decision
has been taken by the Assembly of Heads of State and
Government. Furthermore, offers of support to areas as
sensitive as C3IS should be considered with the full
involvement of the relevant AU organs and structures, after
approval by the Assembly.
The Commission would like also to seize this opportunity to
refer to its request to the Government of the US to support
communication facilities that would link AMISOM to AU
Headquarters. As was discussed between the Commissioner for
Peace and Security and the Ambassador during their last
meeting, it was
agreed that technical officers from the US Government would
meet with officers from the AU, comprising of the Department
of Peace and Security, the Management Information System
Division, and other relevant units, to discuss the modalities
for putting in place the communication equipment and training
the AU staff who would be fully in charge of operating it.
It is the understanding of the Commission that such equipment
as is provided to enhance communication between the
ADDIS ABAB 00003168 002 OF 002
Commission Headquarters and AMISOM, is given as a donation by
the Government of the United States, and that the equipment
may be used for any future operation the AU deems fit.
Further, it is
understood by the Commission that this gift should not be
linked to the C3IS requirements of the ASF discussed above.
The Commission of the African Union avails itself of this
opportunity to renew to the United States Mission to the
African Union the assurances of its highest consideration.
END TEXT
YAMAMOTO
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