US embassy cable - 05GUATEMALA828

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUATEMALA 000828 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN, IO/PHO, AND AF/RSA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPKO, PREL, MOPS, PHUM, EAID, ASEC, GT, CG, UN 
SUBJECT: GUATEMALAN PEACEKEEPERS DEPART FOR CONGO 
 
REF: (A) GUATEMALA 0392 (B) 04 GUATEMALA 3163 (NOTAL) 
 
1. (SBU) Summary:  Guatemalan military continue to expand 
their participation in peacekeeping operations, most recently 
with 105 Guatemalan peacekeepers joining the MONUC mission in 
the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  The Guatemalan Defense 
Ministry has apparently won an interagency struggle over the 
destination of UN payments for peacekeeping, with the funds 
to go to the Defense Ministry rather than the general 
treasury.  The GOG is moving ahead with plans to provide 
another 75 person contingent to MONUC with only details of 
Finance Ministry funding to be worked out.  The Guatemalan 
military does not appear to be large enough to accommodate 
Guatemalan desires for increased peacekeeping participation. 
End Summary. 
 
2.  (U) The Defense Ministry's March 29 departure ceremony at 
the military side of La Aurora International Airport in 
Guatemala City garnered widespread attendance and media 
attention.  In addition to President Berger, Vice President 
Stein, Foreign Minister Briz, and Defense Minister General 
Aldana attended the one-hour ceremony, together with most of 
the senior Guatemalan military officers assigned to the 
capital.  In a brief but laudatory speech, President Berger 
praised the military for its peacekeeping contributions, 
boasted of his administration's accomplishments in military 
downsizing and transformation, and attempted to reassure the 
emotional family members of the Guatemalan MONUC contingent. 
Following his speech, Berger and other senior officials 
greeted members of the 105 person contingent and mingled with 
family members, many of whom were crying or showing other 
signs of distress over the departure of their loved ones. 
 
3.  (SBU) The Guatemalan personnel will receive UN 
reimbursement on a sliding scale equal to that received by 
Guatemalan troops in Haiti.  (In October, Guatemala deployed 
a company-size military police contingent to MINUSTAH.) 
Officers in Congo will receive 90 percent of the UN 
reimbursement, NCOs will get 60 percent, and soldiers will 
receive 50 percent.  Although the exact details remain 
unclear, the Guatemalan Kaibil (Special Forces) soldiers in 
the contingent will apparently receive a slightly higher 
percentage than their non-Kaibil colleagues.  The remainder 
of the UN funds will go to the Defense Ministry rather than 
the general treasury as was proposed by the Finance Ministry. 
 
 
4.  (SBU) During a Defense Ministry peacekeeping presentation 
at a March 15 GOG cabinet meeting, President Berger approved 
a Defense Ministry request to obtain GOG funding to equip a 
second 75 person Military Police contingent for MONUC.  The 
Defense Ministry is now attempting to work out the funding 
details with the Finance Ministry.  The Guatemalans are 
aiming for a June deployment date to the Congo but this may 
slip until July. 
 
5.  (SBU) Comment:  The senior leadership of the Guatemalan 
military strongly supports participation in peacekeeping 
operations as a vehicle for enhancing the professionalization 
of the Guatemalan military (principally through exposure to 
other military forces and through experience gained in 
out-of-area joint operations).  The Guatemalan Government -- 
especially the Foreign Ministry -- is equally enthusiastic in 
supporting efforts that it views as enhancing Guatemala's 
international reputation.  Guatemala's commitment to 
international peacekeeping is a very positive development and 
one we should encourage politically and support logistically 
whenever possible. 
 
6.  (SBU) Comment continued:  However, desires to expand 
Guatemala's participation will soon run into personnel 
constraints because of the military's 15,500 personnel 
strength ceiling.  Guatemala's PKO commitments to date are at 
less than 300 personnel, but this number must be multiplied 
by a factor of three to account for troop rotations.  In 
addition, Guatemala is providing specialized personnel (most 
notably military police) rather than infantry; the Guatemalan 
military force structure contains only a limited number of 
such personnel (e.g. less than 400 military police).  To 
address a shortage of military police (who are also in high 
demand to provide support to Guatemala's National Civilian 
Police) by expanding the number of such personnel is not a 
viable option as it would negatively impact the military's 
ability to implement its modernization program of operational 
platforms to replace the old territorial structure.  For this 
reason, the Guatemalan military is exploring the idea of 
emulating other countries by not counting deployed 
peacekeepers against its personnel ceiling, an idea that 
would likely generate strong political opposition. 
HAMILTON