C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 001909

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2015
TAGS: PREL MARR SO ET IT YM
SUBJECT: ROYG SAYS YEMEN HAS NO PLANS TO SEND TROOPS TO
SOMALIA

REF: A. STATE 131526

B. SANAA 1836

Classified By: CDA Nabeel Khoury for reasons 1.4 b and d.


1. (C) Deputy Foreign Minister Mustafa Noman assured CDA on
July 16 that there is no truth to Somali President Yusef's
claim that Yemen plans to deploy forces to Somalia to help
"protect government institutions," (ref A).


2. (C) Other ROYG officials of late have raised the issue of
stability in Somalia, pressing for USG support for the new
Somali Government and for the deployment of UN or Muslim
coalition peacekeeping forces in the country (ref B).


3. (C) In the past year President Saleh has increasingly
sought to bolster his credentials as statesmen by attempting
or offering to mediate several conflicts in the Horn of
Africa, including those between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and in
Sudan and Somalia. The issue of Somalia is particularly
salient due to the large number of Somali refugees in Yemen.
President Saleh is likely to bring up the issue of increased
U.S. support for a return of the Somali Government to
Mogadishu when he meets with President Bush in November.
Khoury