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On 5/26/2009 2:23:29 PM Kent Waller, Coalition Services Branch Chief, C4 Systems wrote
U.S. Africa Command's Directorate for Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems (C4 Systems) met in Nigeria in early May 2009 with Nigerian Ministry of Defence (MOD) headquarters staff and the Economic Community of West African States headquarters staff to review ongoing communication network projects.
Discussions focused on progress with installation for both the Multinational Information Sharing Initiative (MISI) and the ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States] Regional Information Exchange System (ERIES). MISI assists the Nigerian MOD with counterterrorism capabilities, while ERIES is being developed to support the ECOWAS Early Warning System (ECOWARN).
MISI network terminals currently provide reliable network access for key Nigerian MOD officials in Abuja. The second phase of the MISI effort in Nigeria will extend the network to other Nigerian defense elements directly involved in counterterrorism operations. MISI is also installed in Chad with future installations eventually supporting all the partnering nations supporting Operation Enduring Freedom - Trans-Sahara (OEF-TS).
ERIES network terminals currently service key officials at the ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja, as well as key defense and state officials in Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Togo, Benin, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ghana. Future installations include Liberia, Cape Verde, Cote D'Ivoire and Guinea Bissau.
Discussions with both the Nigerian MOD officials and the ECOWAS Headquarters staff were very open, honest and productive. Introducing network automation systems into environments where such systems do not commonly exist can lead to system compatibility challenges, and this was a common concern in all discussions. How do we best utilize MISI to help defeat terrorism? How do we integrate ERIES into ECOWARN processes? We believe the answers lie in careful consideration of the location and placement of future network terminals and clear policies that tie network usage to fundamental processes. Other discussions focused on the need to improve Information Assurance and requirements for periodic technology refresh.
Process improvement issues aside, the bottom line for these networks is that they provide the critical enabler for peace operations capacity building (i.e., the ability to communicate). MISI and ERIES are already improving the ability for key West African leadership to communicate effectively and in many countries these networks are the sole capability available to defense staff. With combined resolve and committed relationships we can further develop these networks to their full capacity and continue to strengthen peace and security in West Africa.
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