SOMALIA -- GERMANY EXPRESSES CONCERNS TO ROME RE:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 003638 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF STATE PASS AID LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2025 TAGS: PGOV PREL KPAO SO KE SUBJECT: SOMALIA -- GERMANY EXPRESSES CONCERNS TO ROME RE: ACTIVITIES OF ITALIAN SPECIAL ENVOYS REF: A. NAIROBI 3434 (NOTAL) ¶B. ROME 2413 (NOTAL) ¶C. STATE 131526 (NOTAL) Classified By: MICHAEL J. FITZPATRICK, POLITICAL COUNSELOR, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) has demarched the Italian MFA in Rome regarding difficult working relations and differences in principle with the Italian Delegation to Somalia in Nairobi. It appears that the frustrations the FRG expressed in Rome are shared by a number of other EU member states that are particularly engaged in Somali Affairs. Rome reportedly distanced itself somewhat from its diplomats in Nairobi, claiming to be well in the middle of the herd on assistance to the divided Somali Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs). It may be, however, that the Italians in Nairobi are operating with considerable autonomy -- and that the senior diplomat does not report to the MFA. END SUMMARY. FRG DEMARCHES ROME -------------- ¶2. (C) The FRG's Deputy Chief of Mission in Nairobi, Walter von den Driesch, called Somalia Watcher September 9 to inform us that Berlin had made a formal demarche on the Italian MFA in Rome to discuss Italy's activities in Somalia. von den Driesch, who has responsibility for Somali affairs as well as duties as German Deputy PermRep to UNEP and UNHSP, said the content of the demarche expressed German exasperation with the positions Rome's envoys had been taking in working with fellow European Union member states in Nairobi. He said Berlin also made clear German concerns that Italian activities in Somalia were not in keeping with the direction the broader international community believed the most conducive to bringing governance and peace to Somalia. INTERMINABLE MEETINGS -------------- ¶3. (C) DCM von den Driesch said the difficulties he and his EU colleagues had been having finalizing a report of the EU Heads of Missions (EUHOMS) to Kenya on Somalia for the European Commission's Africa Working Group had motivated him to ask for Berlin's intervention in Rome. He described the report drafting process as "incredibly painful", involving interminable meetings since mid-August to review endless Italian edits to drafts that had garnered broad support from the rest of the EU member states involved in the process. He lamented that his and other EU diplomats' time and resources, already in short supply, were being wasted on trying to corral Italy on its diplomats' activities in Somalia, instead of being able to focus on supporting the efforts of the broader international community. (NOTE: While several other EU member states are represented in Nairobi, only Denmark, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK are actively involved in Somali affairs. France attends meetings of the international community with little engagement, while non-EU members Switzerland and Norway are more deeply involved. END NOTE.) WHO ARE THOSE GUYS? -------------- ¶4. (C) Mr. von den Driesch said that Berlin had asked Rome to explain the roles and authority held by Italy's three special envoys for Somali affairs currently on the ground in Nairobi. He was told that only Ambassador Francesco Lanata, with the title of "Italian Special Envoy for Somalia", could rightly be seen as a full-time permanent MFA employee assigned in Kenya to cover Somali political affairs. The recently arrived Stefano A. Dejak, ("Counsellor (sic),Italian Diplomatic Special Delegation for Somalia"),formerly the MFA's Director General for Sub-Saharan Africa, was called, simply, "temporary". As for the former Senator Mario Raffaelli, "Special Envoy, Italian Diplomatic Special Delegation for Somalia," Rome apparently told the FRG's representatives that although he is charged with a Somalia portfolio by the Italian government, "he does not work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." von den Driesch said, "It's as if he is some kind of free-lancer, for lack of a better term, with Italian government sanction." ¶5. (C) According to the German DCM, however, Rome's MFA is convinced that Italy has taken a middle-of-the-pack position in the international community as regards financial support to the Somali Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs). He reported that Rome had determined significant infrastructure projects in Somalia to be premature, and would keep its assistance in a "co-financing" mode with the European Commission and other donors. All significant outlays would await the completion of the joint UN-World Bank development needs assessment report, expected no sooner than late 2005. COMMENTS -------------- ¶6. (C) Our German colleague's frustrations are shared by other EU member state diplomats, especially the Danes, Dutch, Swedes, and Brits. It was the Danish bilateral assistance officer who asked von den Driesch to brief Somalia Watcher on the FRG demarche. The EUHOMS report process has pushed a number of member states to the limit of their internal diplomacy: Italy's edits are said to gut the report of any notion that there is a split in the Somali Transitional Federal Institutions; that there is a military build-up on the side of the Somali President -- whom Italy strongly supports; and to insert notions that there is a functioning central government in the small town of Jowhar, presided over by the President and Prime Minister -- despite the larger number of TFI Ministers and MPs currently in Mogadishu. ¶7. (C) This third-hand report of Rome's point of view on the activities of the Italian Delegation in Nairobi bears some interpretation. It would almost appear from this account that some in the Italian MFA would like to distance themselves from Raffelli, Stefano, et al, and are ensuring that assistance funds are not available to back up activities that might be out of step with the broader international community. However, reports from other EU members of significant Italian construction projects in the TFG President's and Prime Minister's temporary capital of Jowhar, complete with Italian contractors, would seem to indicate a cash flow independent of the MFA. We believe the evidence points more toward an Italian Delegation with considerable room for autonomy and maneuver, and the funds to back it up, whether or not fully sanctioned by the Italian MFA. ¶8. (C) That a major European Union member state, one with significant budgetary clout, has gone to Rome with its concerns is worth noting. We doubt that it will have much impact on the Italian Delegation's activities in Somalia unless it is backed up by greater interest inside the European Commission's Africa Working Group, where it appears that Italy has carved out a dominant position. END COMMENTS. BELLAMY