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
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

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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.

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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