IGAD FOREIGN MINISTERS DEBATE SOMALIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 002655 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/14/2026 TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV SO SUBJECT: IGAD FOREIGN MINISTERS DEBATE SOMALIA Classified By: Deputy PolCouns L. Peterson, Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: A June 13 meeting of the IGAD Council of Ministers produced much debate about the ability of neighboring states to intervene in Somalia's affairs, but ended with a communique re-affirming the position that any IGAD peace mission to Somalia would involve only Sudanese and Ugandan troops. The U.S. initiative to convene a meeting of the newly formed Contact Group was welcomed, but participants criticized the group's composition for lacking adequate African participation. The ministers decided to adopt measures to ban warlords and freeze their assets (an idea originated by Kenya),an undertaking that most may find difficult to enforce. END SUMMARY. Anger at the U.S. -------------- ¶2. (C) A number of interventions took issue with the U.S. convening a new Contact Group without consulting or inviting the governments represented at the IGAD meeting. Kenyan Foreign Minister Raphael Tuju led the charge, noting that he had learned of the formation of the contact group and its anticipated first meeting "on the radio, like everyone else." He noted that Kenya and Ethiopia, with one million and three million ethnic Somalis respectively, should be consulted in such high level meetings. While crafting the communique, participants reportedly wanted to include a statement mandating Tuju, as the representative of the IGAD chair, to advocate for expansion of the Contact Group's membership to include regional states. This language was ultimately not included, thanks in part by the intervention of Italian Envoy Rafaelli, who emphasized that the June 15 meeting was intended as only a starting point and the operating parameters of the contact group were not yet firmly established. Something Old -------------- ¶3. (C) Much of the debate reportedly centered around Kenya's and Ethiopia's assertion that Article 51 of the UN charter allowed them to undertake defensive moves inside Somalia. In the end, the group returned to its earlier decision for Sudan and Uganda to mobilize peace support forces for Somalia. (NOTE: The Somali parliament on June 14 passed a National Security and Stabilization Plan. Nairobi observers have not been able to pin down the contents of the plan being debated by parliament, so we are uncertain about the contents. One �00A;parliamentarian resident in Nairobi has indicated that the adopted plan allows for the entry of foreign troops without placing limits on their country of origin. This creates a clear conflict between the desires of the Transitional Federal Government and IGAD. END NOTE.) Something New -------------- ¶4. (C) Prior to the IGAD meeting, the Kenyan Government announced it would not allow warlords to enter or remain in Kenya. It subsequently announced that this policy would expand to including freezing warlords' assets in Kenya. In the IGAD meeting, Kenya urged other IGAD states to adopt similar policies. In the course of debate, Ethiopia repeatedly questioned the definition of a warlord, apparently concerned about its long-standing relationship with certain of the armed leaders. In the end, the communique stated that all IGAD members had decided to adopt these measures, with exceptions granted for those who have surrendered and "subjected themselves to dialogue with the TFG." (COMMENT: While this is an admirable initiative, a UN political officer noted that most participating countries would have no way to enforce such measures. END COMMENT.) COMMUNIQUE -------------- ¶5. (U) Following is the exact text of the communique that emerged from the meeting. BEGIN TEXT: Communique Issued by the Extra-ordinary Session of IGAD Council of Ministers' Meeting on the Somali Reconciliation Process Held in Nairobi on Tuesday, 13th June, 2006 The Extra-ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers' Meeting held its meeting in Nairobi, Kenya on 13th June 2006. Hon. Raphael Tuju, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya and the Chairperson of the IGAD Council of NAIROBI 00002655 002 OF 003 Ministers opened the meeting. The Meeting was addressed by H.E. Ali Mohamed Gedi, Prime Minister for Somalia and Louis Michell, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid. The meeting was attended by; H.E. Seyoum Mesfin, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E. Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Somalia, Hon. Isaac Musumba, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Charge of Regional Cooperation of the Republic of Uganda, H.E. Elsamani Elwasila, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan, Ambassador Ghirmai Gherbremariam, State of Eritrea, Ambassador Mohamed Siad Doualeh, Special Envoy of the Republic of Djibouti to Somalia, Ambassador Mohamed Foum, Special Envoy of the African Union to Somalia, Ambassador Francois Fall, United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative for Somalia, Ambassador Salim Ali Khusabi, Representative of the League of Arab States, Dr. Attala Hamed Bashir, Executive Secretary of the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development. The following countries sent observers to the meeting: China, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Norway and Sweden; The Council: Received an update on the current situation in Somalia particularly with regard to the recent fighting in and around Mogadishu between Islamic Courts union led militias and Warlords. Regret the loss of life during the recent fighting in and around Mogadishu and appreciates all humanitarian aid provided to alleviate the sufferings of those affected by the fighting. Encourages and supports the TFG to pursue constructive dialogue with all those who recognize the Transitional Federal Instutions and its Charter and that IGAD express its readiness to support constructive dialogue in Somalia. Noted that the fighting threatens to spread to other areas such as Jowhar Agreed: i) To catalogue of all those involved in illegal use of arms to terrorize and harm innocent civilians and in this regard recommends that those involved in these activities should be subjected to the legal international process for prosecution for crimes against humanity. ii) That amnesty be given to those who may have been involved in the past in these illegal activities, who now agree to surrender and follow the path of dialogue with the internationally recognized TFG, which is the legitimate authority for Somalia. Further agreed to grant safe passage to those who accept this regional amnesty. iii) That IGAD Member States will apply the same sanctions against all Warlords as has been applied by Kenya including travel ban and freezing of accounts except for free passage which may be extended to those Warlords who will have surrendered and subjected themselves to dialogue with the TFG. Noted that the AU Resolutions gave IGAD the mandate to deploy Peace support Mission to Somalia (IGASOM) and requests Uganda and Sudan to expeditiously mobilize peace support forces to Somalia in accordance with the IGAD Summit Resolution of 20th March 2006 and the approved National Security Stabilization Plan (NSSP). Noted that the United Nations Security Council Arms Embargo on Somalia do remain but exemptions be allowed to enable the Transitional Federal Government to establish its law and order enforcement institutions in accordance with the outcome of the TFG/IGAD/AU working group meeting. Appeal to the international community for humanitarian assistance for the people of Somalia. NAIROBI 00002655 003 OF 003 Request members of the international community not to offer official or non official unilateral assistance to any party or group of persons within Somalia without due consultation with IGAD and the TFG. Mandate the Chairman of the IGAD Council of Ministers to present the decisions taken in this meeting to the Islamic Organization Conference (IOC) Council of Ministers' meeting to be held Azerbaijan. While welcoming the initiative by the United States of America on the Somalia, strongly advises against any unilateral and parallel initiatives which do not take due regard of consultation, regional efforts and reliable intelligence on Somalia. Emphasized the need for closer coordination in the engagement of the international community towards Somalia, with a view to translating their commitments into concrete actions that would produce tangible results. Mandate the Chair to present this Resolution to the AU Heads of State and Government Summit to be held in Banjul, The Gambia. Issued in Nairobi on the Thirteenth Day of the Month of June, the Year of Two Thousand and Six. END TEXT. BELLAMY