COMMUNICATION WITH IGAD EXECUTIVE SECRETARY ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 001367 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF AND AF/E LONDON / PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER NAIROBI FOR SOMALI WATCHER E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV SO DJ SUBJECT: COMMUNICATION WITH IGAD EXECUTIVE SECRETARY ON SOMALI PRESIDENT REF: STATE 223260 Classified By: AMBASSADOR MARGUERITA D. RAGSDALE. REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (SBU) During a U.N. Day reception October 24, Ambassador spoke with Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Executive Secretary Dr. H. Bashir Attalla regarding the U.S. understanding that the newly elected President of the Somali Transitional Federal Government, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, and Speaker of the new Somalia Transitional Federal Assembly, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, had wished to travel to the U.S. with a small group of advisors the preceding week. (See reftel) Ambassador told Attalla the U.S. viewed such a visit as premature and had indicated its belief that it should be postponed. ¶2. (C) Attala agreed that such a visit was premature and said IGAD had advised Yusuf, who was then in Ethiopia, of this. Attalla expressed personal disappointment that Yusuf had not focused on building a government in Mogadishu. He commented that Yusuf preferred obviously to travel around the world, seek money, and perform a ceremonial presidential role. IGAD's advice to him, Attalla said, was to first get a government together in Mogadishu. ¶3. (C) Attalla also commented that he had little personal confidence in Yusuf, whose purchase of his position as President of the Somali Transitional Federal Government is "an open secret." Attalla was also concerned that Yusuf may not be well, physically, as he has undergone a liver transplant, and that he is at least 10 years older than the age he publicizes. (Note: According to Attalla, Yusuf is at least 79 vice 69. End note). Moreover, Attalla questioned whether Yusuf had the intellectual capability for long-term leadership and nation-building. ¶4. (C) On the Somalia conference to be held in Sweden October 29, Ambassador asked Attalla if he or an IGAD representative would attend. Attalla responded that IGAD would not be represented. He said he believed the matter of Somalia should now be picked up actively by donor nations. His preference, Attalla said, would be to shift IGAD's long-term focus from conflict management and peace-seeking to broader matters of regional policy. RAGSDALE