(C) SOMALI DIPLOMAT PROVIDES ARAB LEAGUE MINUTES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CAIRO 007041

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2026
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ARABL UNGA MARR EG SO
SUBJECT: (C) SOMALI DIPLOMAT PROVIDES ARAB LEAGUE MINUTES
OF MEETING WITH ISLAMIC COURTS LEADER AWEYS

REF: CAIRO 6937

Classified by Minister-Counselor for Economic and Political
Affairs William R. Stewart for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Cairo-based Somali diplomat Ismail Hussein (strictly
protect) provided poloff with an Arabic-language document
purported to be an Arab League (AL) internal summary of
November 2-3 meetings in Mogadishu between senior League
staff and Somali Council of Islamic Courts (CIC) leader
Sheikh Hassan Aweys. The Somali diplomat, loyal to
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) President Abdullahi
Youssef, shared the document in an effort to "prove" that the
League is sympathetic to the Courts. While post cannot vouch
for the authenticity of the document, our conversations with
Arab League contacts lead us to believe that its contents
accurately reflect League views on Somalia.


2. (C) The document is not a smoking-gun indictment of Arab
League collaboration with the CIC, as Hussein suggested.
Rather it reflects a fairly balanced League approach to
maintaining both Arab and African participation in future
peace talks. The Arab League desire to prevent Ethiopia from
becoming the IGAD (Inter-Governmental Agency for Development)
representative presiding - jointly with Sudan, representing
the African Union - over future Somalia negotiations is
apparent, and reflects the Arab League view that Ethiopia, a
major protagonist in the conflict, would not be a neutral
mediator. The report was purportedly sent by Arab League
African Affairs Office Director Samir Hosni to AL Secretary
General Amre Moussa.


3. (SBU) Embassy translation of Somalia document:

Begin text:

Thursday, November 2, 2006

The AL General Secretariat's delegation included Assistant
Secretary General for Political Affairs Ambassador Ahmed Ben

SIPDIS
Helli, Director of the Secretary General's Office Hisham
Youssef, and Fouad Bestengui of the Africa and Arab-African
Cooperation Department.

At the beginning of the meeting, Ambassador Ben Helli
welcomed Sheikh Taher Aweys and said that it was a good
opportunity to talk to the leadership of the Islamic Courts
to clear up many issues, such as the recent negotiations
scheduled for October 30, 2006 that were postponed.
Ambassador Ben Helli added that the Arab League was concerned
in the first place about Somalia's interests, and noted that
the Secretary General was always addressing the Somalia issue
like other issues of importance on the Arab scene, such as
Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine.

In turn, Aweys said that the postponement of the negotiations
was not caused by the Courts, but due to acts carried out by
the army of the enemy (Ethiopia),such as its incursion into
Somali territory. Aweys criticized the Arabs for forgetting
the Somali issue for the past fifteen years (the period of
the civil war). He also expressed strong anger because the
Arab League could not confront Ethiopia and have it pull out
its forces from Somalia. He likened Ethiopia to Israel and
said that the Arabs were just as afraid of it as they were of
Israel.

On involving Kenya in the presidency of the negotiations
scheduled for October 30, 2006 without the agreement of the
Islamic Courts - because the presidency of IGAD will be
transferred after two months to Ethiopia, which is rejected
by the Islamic Courts - Ambassador Ben Helli justified the
League's position by saying that the League deals with the
political aspect of the matter and that excluding the African
side from the negotiations is impossible, especially since
Kenya is considered a moderate African outlet that could be a
partner in the negotiations.

Ambassador Ben Helli spoke about the League's position during
the September 25, 2006 UN Security Council session which
addressed a draft resolution to lift the arms embargo against
Somalia to pave the way for sending African forces to
Somalia. He pointed out that the League worked to push the
negotiations between the Courts and the government forward.
Ben Helli told Aweys that Ethiopia is currently considered a
weak country and would not affect the negotiating process.
Ben Helli tried to convince Aweys that Ethiopia would not
take over the IGAD Presidency from Kenya in two months, and
that AL Secretary General Amre Moussa was working to keep the
Somalia portfolio in Kenya's hands without transferring it to
Ethiopia.

Ben Helli requested Aweys to set a new date for resuming

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negotiations and assured him that the Arab League would work
to mediate any obstacles between the Courts and Kenya for the
sake of resuming negotiations. He added that involving the
African side - represented by Kenya - is extremely important
because it was not possible to exclude the African side from
the talks. He advised Aweys not to set conditions for
resumption of negotiations, such as withdrawal of Ethiopian
forces, and to engage in talks where such issues and demands
could be discussed via negotiation.

Aweys described Kenya as cunning and accused it of helping
Ethiopia in the past to occupy Somalia. However, he
eventually expressed confidence in the Arab League and
promised to study the situation and reply to the League as
soon as possible.

Friday, November 3, 2006

The General Secretariat's delegation included Ambassador Ben
Helli, Hisham Youssef, and Fouad Bestengui. Samir Hosni,
Office Director for African Affairs, and Secretariat Staff
Member Zeid Al Sabban joined the delegation following word of
postponement of a third round of AL-sponsored talks in
Khartoum.

Mr. Hosni presented a detailed explanation of the obstacles
to the negotiations. He explained that the Courts delegation
adhered to its pre-condition, i.e., withdrawal of Ethiopian
forces, and said that the main goal of its participation was
to declare a certain political position, not simply to talk.
He said there were pressures being exerted by different
agencies on President Abdallahi Youssef to appoint Speaker of
the Transitional Parliament El-Sherif Hasan as head of the
TFG delegation. Nevertheless, President Youssef appointed
Minister of Constitution and Federal Affairs Abdallah Sheikh
Ismail as TFG delegation head. Hosni pointed out that the
Arab League was severely criticized by the TFG, which had
similarly bashed the Sudanese government during talks there.
Hosni added that a small group was formed in Nairobi to
prepare for a third round of negotiations, with the
participation of the Arab League, Yemen, Sudan, the European
Union, and other parties.

Ambassador Ben Helli addressed a few questions to Aweys on
the truth of press reporting that the Courts military forces
were located on the outskirts of Bidoa City and that they
were being assisted by Eritrean troops, and called for
self-restraint by the Courts.

On a date for the next round of negotiations, Hosni said that
a tentative date was set among the individuals of the
international community in Sudan that it should not exceed
December 15, 2006. Ben Helli asked if the Courts would be
able to provide security for the medical mission sent to
Mogadishu by the AL Secretariat.

Aweys advised the AL to exercise patience with the
negotiations and that what is taking place is just a crisis
that will eventually pass. He said that the West and African
countries were patient for two years with the formation of
the current Somali government, which he described as a
failure. On a date for resumption of negotiations, he said
that consultation should be conducted between the Courts'
Consultative Council and the Courts' Executive Council to
select a date. He implied that the Courts agreed to Kenya's
participation in presiding over the negotiations without
alternation with Ethiopia. Aweys said the Courts had
confidence in the Arab League and that the Courts had no
intention of attacking Bidoa.

Answering a question on Eritrea, Aweys said it extended
assistance to the Courts forces and provided the Courts with
light and old weapons and some military experts that did not
exceed ten. He added that the Courts would provide security
for the medical team sent by the Arab League, but requested
that the team be equipped with pharmaceuticals for the widely
spread diseases in Somalia and that the doctors be
professionally qualified to treat the people in Mogadishu.
He noted that the number of displaced persons is increasing
daily and that the airport and harbor in Mogadishu needed
international effort and support to operate efficiently.

Ambassador Ben Helli explained that the Arab League would
ensure that Ethiopia does not preside over the negotiations
after becoming President of IGAD and that Kenya will continue
to preside. Mr. Hosni is to be informed that the Arab League
would be discussing the idea of talking to Yemeni President
Ali Abdallah Saleh to pressure Ethiopia into withdraw its
forces from Somalia.

The meeting was concluded with a promise from the Islamic
Courts delegation to contact the Arab League again for

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coordination on the next round of negotiations.

End text.
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