SOMALIA: EGYPT LAMENTS U.S. DECISION TO "EXCLUDE

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 003819 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS PTER EG SO SUBJECT: SOMALIA: EGYPT LAMENTS U.S. DECISION TO "EXCLUDE ARAB PARTICIPATION" IN NEW CONTACT GROUP REF: 6/15/06 NEA/RA-HEGADORN E-MAILS Classified by ECPO Counselor John Desrocher for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) During a June 19 meeting, MFA Assistant Minister for African Affairs Mohamed Higazy complained to poloff about what he termed Washington's decision to "exclude Arab participation" in a newly formed "Contact Group" to deal with the ongoing crisis in Somalia. Higazy questioned the selection criteria of the new grouping, and cautioned Washington not to lead peace efforts without Arab involvement. Higazy predicted that the absence of an Arab role in Somalia peace-making efforts would lead to a deepening of the political and military conflict, as Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) supporters would attempt to paint the efforts of the Contact Group as a "Western" attempt to impose solutions in the troubled East African country. Going further, Higazy warned that exclusion of Egypt and/or the Arab League from a July 14 international meeting in Sweden to discuss Somalia might result in efforts by the League or Cairo to launch its own separate peace track. ¶2. (C) Offering GOE views on how best to deal with the crisis in Somalia, Higazy said Egypt would continue to focus its diplomatic efforts on securing the viability of the Transitional Federal Government's (TFG) institutions, and seek ways to subsume the Islamic Courts into the IGAD-negotiated TFG process. Recognizing the fluidity of the military situation on the ground, particularly the threat of Ethiopian forces entering the conflict, Higazy cautioned that diplomatic efforts should aim at salvaging as much of the IGAD-led political process as possible. The Arab League, he said, will organize a meeting in Mogadishu June 19 to bring together TFG and UIC representatives, in which the Egyptian Ambassador in Nairobi will participate. Higazy cautioned against assumptions that the Islamic Courts would quickly break up as a political and military force, since local warlords have lost their credibility among the populace. Asked about outside intervention, Higazy believed it was "not the appropriate moment" for allowing Ugandan and Sudanese troops (as agreed by the AU's Peace and Security Council) to be sent to Somalia. ¶3. (C) Arab League staff had similarly expressed to poloff June 15 disappointment that the League had been left off the new Contact Group participation list. Drawing from ref email messages from the Department, poloff shared June 18 with AL staff that despite physical space limitations for the initial meting, the U.S. appreciated AL interest in the Contct Group, that Washington recognized the value o the Arab League with respect to Somalia peace eforts, and that U.S. diplomats would be willing t offer a readout of the June 16 Contact Group meting. RICCIARDONE