US embassy cable - 05ADDISABABA4072

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 004072 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/FO, AF/E, AF/C, AF/RSA. 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPKO, MOPS, EAID, CG, AF UNION 
SUBJECT: AU CONSIDERING FOUR MILITARY OPTIONS FOR DRC 
 
REF: ADDIS ABABA 922 (NOTAL) 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE TREAT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
1. (SBU) Summary:  Following the return of its reconnaissance 
mission to the Great Lakes, the African Union (AU) is 
considering four military options to support forcible 
disarmament of ex-FAR and Interahamwe elements in the DRC. 
The AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) is scheduled to meet 
in mid-to-late December to decide upon a course of action. 
The AU emphasizes that any approach will require close 
coordination with MONUC and substantial financial and 
logistical support from AU partners.  End summary. 
 
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RECON TEAM RECOMMENDS FOUR OPTIONS 
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2. (SBU) AU Desk Officer for the Great Lakes Boubacar Biro 
Diallo told Poloff on December 9 that the reconnaissance team 
mandated by the PSC to investigate options and requirements 
for forcible disarmament of the ex-FAR and Interahamwe in the 
DRC will recommend four options to AU leadership: 
 
-- Option 1:  Reinforce the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) by 
providing equipment and other necessary support.  Diallo 
noted that the AU believes the FARDC is well-trained but 
lacks the capability to effect forcible disarmament without 
additional support. 
 
-- Option 2:  Deploy 2,000 troops for a joint action with the 
FARDC, dividing areas of responsibility.  Diallo commented 
that there is not yet a decision on whether those 2,000 
troops would come from an African lead nation or a combined 
AU member state contribution. 
 
-- Option 3:  Call for FARDC support of an AU-led action with 
a preponderance of non-Congolese African troops.  Diallo said 
that there has also been no decision on the composition of an 
AU-led force. 
 
-- Option 4:  Deploy an all-AU force without MONUC or FARDC 
military support. 
 
3.  (SBU) Diallo, who led the mission for the AU, stated his 
belief that the AU PSC will authorize one of the troop 
deployment options.  (Note:  According to AU officials, South 
Africa led the member state contingent on the reconnaissance 
mission.  Angola, Ethiopia and Nigeria also participated. 
End note). 
 
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PARTNER SUPPORT WILL BE SOUGHT 
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4. (SBU) Diallo said that the reconnaissance team will brief 
Peace and Security Commissioner Amb. Djinnit on its findings 
December 18.  The AU plans to formally brief key partners, 
including the U.S., before a mid-to-late December PSC meeting 
to decide upon AU action. 
 
5. (SBU) The AU will require MONUC cooperation, including 
information-sharing, as well as substantial financial and 
logistical support from partners to pursue any of the 
recommended options, Diallo noted. 
 
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COMMENT 
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6. (SBU) The AU and many of its major troop contributing 
countries are stretched incredibly thin with AMIS in Darfur. 
EC Delegation representatives in Addis Ababa have stated that 
only 30 million euros of the African Peace Facility remains, 
and that current thinking sees that amount divided evenly to 
support AU action in the DRC and Somalia. 
 
7. (SBU)  Note:  The EC is already considering a proposal to 
fund staffing of the AU's office in Jowhar, Somalia. 
 
8. (SBU) Given these constraints, the AU can be expected to 
lean heavily on additional partners to pursue forcible 
disarmament in the DRC.  The AU appears to have moved beyond 
the logic of "keeping up the pressure" gauged at prompting 
more effective MONUC action and voluntary disarmaments 
(Reftel) to instead seriously consider a more proactive role. 
 
HUDDLESTON