US embassy cable - 05MAPUTO909

UNCLAS MAPUTO 000909 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
STATE FOR PM/PPA (RMORAN), AF/RSA/ACOTA (SFISHER) AND AF/S 
(HTREGER) 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MASS, MARR, PGOV, PREL, MZ, Peacekeeping, ACOTA 
SUBJECT: MOZAMBIQUE: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES MOZAMBICAN ACOTA 
SHORTCOMINGS WITH MINISTER OF DEFENSE 
 
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please treat accordingly. 
Not for internet distribution. 
 
2. (U) Ambassador and Defense Attache met July 25 with 
Minister of Defense Dai, Chief of the Armed Forces General 
Lidimo, and Defense Foreign Liaison Officer Brigadier General 
De Castro for the formal accreditation of the Defense 
Attache. The Ambassador used this opportunity to discuss 
shortcomings in Mozambican participation in the recent ACOTA 
training. 
 
3. (SBU) The Ambassador complimented the Minister on 
Mozambique's performance in regional Peace Keeping Operations 
(PKO) and the high level of participation in earlier phases 
of the ACOTA program, but noted that the training was now at 
risk because of the poor support provided during the Peace 
Support Operations Field Training exercise, the capstone 
course of the five-phase ACOTA program. The Ambassador noted 
that the low number of troops that participated 
(approximately 200 of an expected 500-700) and the absence of 
the Mozambican trainer cadre, who are to conduct future 
iterations jointly with the ACOTA contractors, were of 
particular concern. The Ambassador provided the Minister 
with a written summary of what support had been agreed on 
with FADM beforehand, what the shortcomings were, and what 
the minimal requirements for the next ACOTA iteration would 
be. 
 
4. (SBU) Minister Dai assured the Ambassador that the Armed 
Forces of Mozambique (FADM) would meet the support 
requirements and asked the Defense Attache to provide a 
schedule of the next planned ACOTA training (to begin in 
early August). The Minister stated that any difficulties 
encountered in the future should be identified to him through 
the Defense Foreign Liaison Officer, and if necessary 
directly to General Lidimo. 
 
5. (SBU) Minister Dai used this opportunity to remind the 
Ambassador that Mozambique was forming a unit that would be 
dedicated to PKO, but that this unit was in need of equipment 
and vehicles that the Government of Mozambique could not 
currently provide. The Minister stated that he hoped the 
United States would supply at least some of the required 
items. The Ambassador responded that ACOTA was the primary 
program for providing support to these units, but that she 
would explore what if any additional assistance may be 
available in the future under the Global Peacekeeping 
Operations Initiative (GPOI). The Ambassador stressed that 
any future assistance to Mozambique in this area would be 
dependent on the successful completion of the ACOTA program, 
including providing the required logistical and manpower 
support. 
 
6. (SBU) Comment: It was clear that the Minister viewed PKO 
training as important to the future of the FADM and desires 
U.S. support for the proposed unit dedicated to PKO. His 
assurances that the required support will be given can 
probably be accepted at face value, and with the Chief of 
Defense present during the discussion, will definitely be 
transmitted to the FADM. End Comment. 
La Lime