SOMALILAND: UK ASSISTANCE TO POLICE SPECIAL PROTECTION UNIT AND COAST GUARD
Ref ID: 10LONDON339
Date: 2/12/2010 14:44
Origin: Embassy London
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Destination:
Header: VZCZCXRO2598PP RUEHROV RUEHTRODE RUEHLO #0339/01 0431444ZNY CCCCC ZZHP 121444Z FEB 10FM AMEMBASSY LONDONTO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4954INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1539RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITYRUEHDS/USMISSION USAU ADDIS ABABA PRIORITYRHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
Tags: PREL,MASS,EAID,KPIR,SO,ET,UK
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 000339 SIPDIS NOFORN DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E, PM/PPA, AND AF/RSA NAIROBI FOR SOMALIA UNIT E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2020 TAGS: PREL, MASS, EAID, KPIR, SO, ET, UK SUBJECT: SOMALILAND: UK ASSISTANCE TO POLICE SPECIAL PROTECTION UNIT AND COAST GUARD Classified By: Political Counselor Robin Quinville, reasons 1.4 (b/d).
1.(C) Summary. In order to increase the UK's and international community's ability to access Somaliland, the UK is funding training to the Somaliland Special Protection Unit (SPU), a branch of the police force, at the level of GBP 375,000 (USD 600,000) in the current fiscal year and GBP 230,000 (USD 368,000) in the next. The UK Ministry of Defense will conduct the first two phases of the train-the-trainer training in Ethiopia and the third, security conditions permitting, in Somaliland in an effort to reach approximately 450 police officers. Increasing its support to the Somaliland Coast Guard, the UK is working to boost capacity in coastal monitoring by providing training on monitoring, vehicles, communications equipment (which is interoperable with the land-based police) and increasing cooperation with Somaliland's land-based police in a GBP 400,000 (USD 640,000) program. Greater support may be available next year to develop the Coast Guard as an institution. Once the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has completed its assessment of Somaliland prisons, the UK will look to support in the next phase of its programming, projects to get Somaliland prisons up to international standards, thereby allowing pirates captured in international waters by international operations to be processed through the Somaliland judicial system. End summary.
Special Protection Unit Training --------------------------------
2.(C/NF) In order to increase the UK's and international community's ability to access Somaliland, the UK is providing training to the Somaliland Special Protection Unit (SPU), a branch of the police force. The UK Ministry of Defense (MOD) personnel will focus the training on 450 police officers and will implement the training in three phases. Phase one, beginning in March 2010, will train approximately 40 officers in Ethiopia for five weeks. Phase two will provide follow-on train-the-trainer training to the 20 best officers from phase one, also in Ethiopia. Phase three, dependent on the security situation at the time in Somaliland, will be conducted in Somaliland; UK MOD personnel will oversee and mentor the Somaliland trainers as they run training for the larger SPU police officer corps. Financing for the current fiscal year is approximately GBP 375,000 (USD 600,000) and for next year is GBP 230,000 (USD 368,000). FCO Counter Terrorism Department Desk Officer Ben Myers explained that the SPU was selected because they have a generally decent level of basic skills and good reputation and to allow for increased access to Somaliland for British diplomats and other members of the international community. Myers said encouraging increased international community presence on the ground for diplomatic engagement and development assistance delivery is a key objective of the training.
Coast Guard Training --------------------
3.(C/NF) By increasing its support to the Somaliland Coast Guard, the UK is working to boost capacity in coastal monitoring by providing training on monitoring, vehicles, communications equipment (which is interoperable with the land-based police), and support to increasing cooperation with Somaliland's land-based police. The coastal monitoring program is funded by the UK Department of International Development (DFID) for GBP 400,000 (USD 640,000), which is possible because the Somaliland Coast Guard is a civilian agency. The UK's support, which recently sent approximate ten individuals to a training facility in Yemen, is complimenting the work UNDP is doing with the land-based police, according to Foreign Office Security Policy Group Deputy Head Chris Holtby. Holtby explain the UK has been supporting the Somaliland Coast Guard, with its four boats, for some time as it has been helpful in picking up pirates and processing them through the Somaliland judicial system. He noted that the main objectives of UK support to the Somaliland Coast Guard are counter terrorism and regional stability, but that counter piracy capability is important as well.
4.(C/NF) In the next fiscal year, the UK is looking to continue support for the Somaliland Coast Guard through institution development of the coast guard as an organization, though final funding approval has not been LONDON 00000339 002 OF 002 given yet. Holtby explained the UK is also trying to work in support of productive linkages between the Somaliland and Puntland Coast Guards, including through meetings and possibly visits by Puntland authorities to Somaliland, to provide an incentive for the Puntland Coast Guard to perform professionally and honestly enough to receive training. He said that any work with the Puntland authorities would likely be based on best practices and lessons learned from the training and programs in Somaliland.
5.(C/NF) Holtby said he understood the Norwegians were supporting Somaliland's move to declare its territorial waters an exclusive economic zone, which would establish Somaliland's fishing rights and establish some sustainability for its coast guard by creating a revenue generation stream through taxes. It would also give Somaliland an international legal basis to police its waters.
Judicial Services -----------------
6.(C/NF) Holtby said that once the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has completed its assessment of Somaliland prisons, the UK will look to support the next phase of its programming to get Somaliland prisons up to international standards, thereby allowing pirates captured in international waters by international operations to be processed through the Somaliland judicial system. Holtby said the FCO has "amber/green" light approval for "substantial funding," but will not begin programming until UNODC is ready and the FCO's internal budget for the project has final approval. He mentioned that the European Commission may also be interested in funding the UNODC's next phase of programming. Visit London's Classified Website: XXXXXXXXXXXX ed_Kingdom SUSMAN
Tags: PREL,MASS,EAID,KPIR,SO,ET,UK
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 000339 SIPDIS NOFORN DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E, PM/PPA, AND AF/RSA NAIROBI FOR SOMALIA UNIT E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2020 TAGS: PREL, MASS, EAID, KPIR, SO, ET, UK SUBJECT: SOMALILAND: UK ASSISTANCE TO POLICE SPECIAL PROTECTION UNIT AND COAST GUARD Classified By: Political Counselor Robin Quinville, reasons 1.4 (b/d).
1.(C) Summary. In order to increase the UK's and international community's ability to access Somaliland, the UK is funding training to the Somaliland Special Protection Unit (SPU), a branch of the police force, at the level of GBP 375,000 (USD 600,000) in the current fiscal year and GBP 230,000 (USD 368,000) in the next. The UK Ministry of Defense will conduct the first two phases of the train-the-trainer training in Ethiopia and the third, security conditions permitting, in Somaliland in an effort to reach approximately 450 police officers. Increasing its support to the Somaliland Coast Guard, the UK is working to boost capacity in coastal monitoring by providing training on monitoring, vehicles, communications equipment (which is interoperable with the land-based police) and increasing cooperation with Somaliland's land-based police in a GBP 400,000 (USD 640,000) program. Greater support may be available next year to develop the Coast Guard as an institution. Once the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has completed its assessment of Somaliland prisons, the UK will look to support in the next phase of its programming, projects to get Somaliland prisons up to international standards, thereby allowing pirates captured in international waters by international operations to be processed through the Somaliland judicial system. End summary.
Special Protection Unit Training --------------------------------
2.(C/NF) In order to increase the UK's and international community's ability to access Somaliland, the UK is providing training to the Somaliland Special Protection Unit (SPU), a branch of the police force. The UK Ministry of Defense (MOD) personnel will focus the training on 450 police officers and will implement the training in three phases. Phase one, beginning in March 2010, will train approximately 40 officers in Ethiopia for five weeks. Phase two will provide follow-on train-the-trainer training to the 20 best officers from phase one, also in Ethiopia. Phase three, dependent on the security situation at the time in Somaliland, will be conducted in Somaliland; UK MOD personnel will oversee and mentor the Somaliland trainers as they run training for the larger SPU police officer corps. Financing for the current fiscal year is approximately GBP 375,000 (USD 600,000) and for next year is GBP 230,000 (USD 368,000). FCO Counter Terrorism Department Desk Officer Ben Myers explained that the SPU was selected because they have a generally decent level of basic skills and good reputation and to allow for increased access to Somaliland for British diplomats and other members of the international community. Myers said encouraging increased international community presence on the ground for diplomatic engagement and development assistance delivery is a key objective of the training.
Coast Guard Training --------------------
3.(C/NF) By increasing its support to the Somaliland Coast Guard, the UK is working to boost capacity in coastal monitoring by providing training on monitoring, vehicles, communications equipment (which is interoperable with the land-based police), and support to increasing cooperation with Somaliland's land-based police. The coastal monitoring program is funded by the UK Department of International Development (DFID) for GBP 400,000 (USD 640,000), which is possible because the Somaliland Coast Guard is a civilian agency. The UK's support, which recently sent approximate ten individuals to a training facility in Yemen, is complimenting the work UNDP is doing with the land-based police, according to Foreign Office Security Policy Group Deputy Head Chris Holtby. Holtby explain the UK has been supporting the Somaliland Coast Guard, with its four boats, for some time as it has been helpful in picking up pirates and processing them through the Somaliland judicial system. He noted that the main objectives of UK support to the Somaliland Coast Guard are counter terrorism and regional stability, but that counter piracy capability is important as well.
4.(C/NF) In the next fiscal year, the UK is looking to continue support for the Somaliland Coast Guard through institution development of the coast guard as an organization, though final funding approval has not been LONDON 00000339 002 OF 002 given yet. Holtby explained the UK is also trying to work in support of productive linkages between the Somaliland and Puntland Coast Guards, including through meetings and possibly visits by Puntland authorities to Somaliland, to provide an incentive for the Puntland Coast Guard to perform professionally and honestly enough to receive training. He said that any work with the Puntland authorities would likely be based on best practices and lessons learned from the training and programs in Somaliland.
5.(C/NF) Holtby said he understood the Norwegians were supporting Somaliland's move to declare its territorial waters an exclusive economic zone, which would establish Somaliland's fishing rights and establish some sustainability for its coast guard by creating a revenue generation stream through taxes. It would also give Somaliland an international legal basis to police its waters.
Judicial Services -----------------
6.(C/NF) Holtby said that once the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has completed its assessment of Somaliland prisons, the UK will look to support the next phase of its programming to get Somaliland prisons up to international standards, thereby allowing pirates captured in international waters by international operations to be processed through the Somaliland judicial system. Holtby said the FCO has "amber/green" light approval for "substantial funding," but will not begin programming until UNODC is ready and the FCO's internal budget for the project has final approval. He mentioned that the European Commission may also be interested in funding the UNODC's next phase of programming. Visit London's Classified Website: XXXXXXXXXXXX ed_Kingdom SUSMAN
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