ITALY SUPPORTS SOMALI PEACE, NOT PUNTLAND

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002602 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/28/2012 TAGS: PREL MASS SO IT UN SUBJECT: ITALY SUPPORTS SOMALI PEACE, NOT PUNTLAND MILITARY; THINKS ETHIOPIA'S MELES MAY BE STALLING DEMARCATION REF: FBIS AFP20020521000147 CLASSIFIED BY: POLMINCOUNS TOM COUNTRYMAN, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: THE MFA DENIES REF REPORT THAT ITALY HAS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 02602 291334Z PROMISED MILITARY AID TO PUNTLAND. THE GOI HAS NO PLANS TO AID PUNTLAND BUT IS OFFERING AID FOR TRAVEL EXPENSES RELATED TO THE SOMALI PEACE PROCESS AND COULD EXTEND FURTHER PEACE PROCESS AID ON REQUEST. THE MFA'S READOUT ON A RECENT GOI TRIP TO ETHIOPIA INDICATES THAT MELES IS INTERESTED IN DRAGGING OUT THE DEMARCATION PROCESS AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) POLOFF CONTACTED PAOLA IMPERIALE, MFA OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR EAST AFRICAN AFFAIRS, ON MAY 24 TO INQUIRE ABOUT REF REPORT OF COL. ABDULLAHI YUSUF AHMAD SAYING THAT PUNTLAND HAD BEEN PROMISED MILITARY ASSISTANCE BY UGANDA, ETHIOPIA, AND ITALY. IMPERIALE STATED THAT THE GOI HAD NOT OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE TO PUNTLAND. AHMAD HAD WRITTEN A LETTER TO THE GOI REQUESTING AID FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES AND HAD NOT YET RECEIVED A RESPONSE. HOWEVER, THE GOI WOULD HAVE TO REPLY IN THE NEGATIVE, SINCE PUNTLAND'S PRIORITIES WERE NOT COVERED BY THE GOI'S FOREIGN AID LAW. ¶3. (C) ON THE OTHER HAND, THE GOI WAS PREPARED TO SUPPORT THE PEACE PROCESS FINANCIALLY. IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST BY KENYA'S SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SOMALIA, THE GOI HAD DECIDED TO PROVIDE UP TO 100,000E FOR TRAVEL TO NAIROBI BY THE MEDIATION COMMITTEE OF FRONT-LINE STATES. FURTHERMORE, THE GOI EXPECTED KENYA TO ASK THE IGAD PARTNERS' FORUM TO PAY FOR ACCOMMODATIONS FOR DELEGATES TO THE PEACE CONFERENCE, PLANNED FOR JULY 10 IN NAIROBI. THE GOI WOULD CONSIDER THIS REQUEST FAVORABLY. ¶4. (C) IMPERIALE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A TRIP TO ETHIOPIA WITH SENATOR RINO SERRI, THE SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 02602 291334Z PRESIDENCY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION FOR THE ETHIOPIA-ERITREA CONFLICT. THEY SPOKE WITH ETHIOPIAN PRESIDENT MELES ABOUT HIS 23-PAGE LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION REQUESTING CLARIFICATIONS ON THE DECISION. MELES DESCRIBED THE LETTER AS A LEGAL, NOT POLITICAL, MATTER. POLITICALLY, THE VERDICT WAS FINAL AND BINDING, BUT UNMEE SHOULD STAY UNTIL THE LAST DEMARCATION MARKER WAS PLACED. IMPERIALE'S VIEW WAS THAT MELES WAS TAKING THIS STANCE MOSTLY IN ORDER TO SPITE ERITREA, WHICH SOUGHT A SPEEDY DEMARCATION AND THE DEPARTURE OF UNMEE. POPE CONFIDENTIAL > 2002ROME02602 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL