VP HADI SHARES ROYG CONCERNS ABOUT ERITREA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 002942

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2014
TAGS: PBTS PREL MOPS ER YM
SUBJECT: VP HADI SHARES ROYG CONCERNS ABOUT ERITREA

Classified By: Ambassador Thomas C. Krajeski for reason 1.4 b and d.


1. (C) Summary. Vice President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi
convoked Ambassador on November 23 to express ROYG concerns
over a November 21 exchange of gunfire between Yemeni troops
and four suspected Eritrean military boats off the Yemeni
Hunaish Islands. Hadi pressed Ambassador for information on
what the USG knew of the incident, and of a potential
Eritrean military build-up off the Eritrean coast.
Ambassador responded by stressing the importance of continued
USG-ROYG military cooperation, and said that the USG would do
all it could to maintain calm in the area. End Summary.


2. (C) On November 23 Ambassador, accompanied by DATT, COMC,
and Pol/EconOff (notetaker) met with Yemeni Vice President
Abu Rabbu Mansour Hadi at the Ministry of Defense. Hadi
expressed ROYG concern over a November 21 incident involving
three to four small, unidentified military boats fired on by
Yemeni troops as they approached the island of Greater
Hunaish. (Note: Yemen and Eritrea almost went to war over
the Hunaish Islands in 1995. The USG played a vital role in
allaying tensions between the two nations. End Note). Hadi
also said that one or two unidentified, military capable
helicopters have twice approached the island since the
incident. He asked if the USG knew the identity of the
helicopters and boats. (Note: Hadi expressed suspicion that
one of the helicopters was on a French reconnaissance
mission. The French did not reply to a ROYG inquiry on the
matter. End Note).


3. (C) DATT told the VP that on November 22 he asked the
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) about
the incident. CJTF-HOA confirmed that a French ship fifty
kilometers north of the island aided a small Eritrean
military boat with nine passengers on board. The nine
passengers, who requested water, food and fuel, admitted to
stealing the boat from Eritrea, claiming they were destined
for Saudi Arabia. DATT said he too suspected the other boats
were Eritrean, but could not confirm this. There were no
U.S. or Coalition reports of aircraft sighted in the vicinity
of the Islands.


4. (C) Hadi told Ambassador the ROYG was concerned about a
suspected military build up of 10,000 troops at Ras Therma,
Eritrea. Ambassador replied that he had no knowledge of such
a buildup, but that the USG would continue to focus on
maintaining calm in the area. Hadi emphasized the
sensitivity of the Hunaish Islands to the ROYG. The ROYG
acted in full compliance with international law, said the VP,
as well as with the utmost restraint. Hadi expressed ROYG
frustration with Eritrea's behavior, referring to it as a
"thawra" (revolution) rather than "dawla" (country),"They
fight with everyone," he quipped.


5. (C) Hadi attributed the ROYG,s ability to act with
restraint to its military cooperation with the USG in the
Bab-al-Mandab straits, confiding that the ROYG does not fully
monitor its coast due to confidence in the U.S. presence in
HOA. He asked that the USG exert pressure on Eritrea to
provide liaison officers to CJTF-HOA, and to act within
internationally recognized standards. Ambassador assured the
VP that he would express his concerns to Washington and
CJTF-HOA in Djibouti.


6. (C) Comment: A plausible explanation for the incident is
that the stolen military boat was being pursued by the
Eritrean military, which therefore came close to the Hunaish
Islands. The meeting with Hadi, and particularly the urgency
with which it was called, underscores the fragility of the
ROYG's relations with Eritrea, and the mistrust that
prevails. End Comment.
KRAJESKI