SOMALIA: PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLES IN BAIDOA IN LARGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 000869 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF, EUR, NEA STATE PASS AID LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2026 TAGS: PGOV PTER EAID PREL MOPS ASEC KPAO SO KE SUBJECT: SOMALIA: PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLES IN BAIDOA IN LARGE NUMBERS REF: NAIROBI 766, NAIROBI 840 CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL COUNSELOR MICHAEL J. FITZPATRICK, REASONS 1.4 (B,D) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Somali Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP) on February 26 opened its first-ever session inside the country. MPs turned up in the south-central Somali town of Baidoa in much larger numbers than predicted. The 211 MPs reported present were easily in excess of the quorum required to open the session and to vote on motions -- including motions of no confidence in the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) -- and comfortably over the "super quorum" needed to take even the most sensitive decisions of impeaching the Speaker or President. No such difficult questions appear to have immediately sprung up, and discussions are reported to have begun on February 27 on the agenda for the session. Post recommends press guidance in Para 9 regarding the parliamentary session. END SUMMARY THE NUMBERS -------------- ¶2. (C) The TFP's members appear to have turned out in force from the distant reaches of Somalia and the world to attend this first session inside Somalia. Press accounts reported 205 MPs present at the opening gavel. Somalia Watcher's contact in Baidoa confirmed this initial number, and then telephoned to indicate that Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi had arrived late, accompanied by five MPs, bringing the total to 211. A simple (or voting) quorum of the parliament, required to vote on motions, is 139 members. A super quorum of 184 is necessary for votes on sensitive issues, such as impeachment of the President or the Speaker. When the session began, it appears to have been unambiguous that, at least on that day, there was no problem in getting the numbers. THE PLAYERS -------------- ¶3. (C) Confirmed present at the session were a number of key individuals from the TFP and TFG. President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed gave perhaps the longest speech of his presidency, if the official English translation is to be seen as indicative. The Parliament's Speaker, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, as well as the First and Second Deputy Speakers, (Mohamed Omar Dhalha and Osman Elmi Boqorre, respectively) were all in attendance. PM Gedi and Minister for International Cooperation Abdirizak Osman Hassan (AKA "Jurile"),with 4 other MPs in tow, reportedly arrived from the "interim capital" of Jowhar after the start of the session. ¶4. (C) Conspicuously absent were a total of 11 key warlords/MPs/Ministers, some of whom have been embroiled in combat and defensive actions in Mogadishu since February ¶18. Of these were Minister for National Security Mohamed Qanyare Afrah, Minister for Commerce Muse Sudi Yalahow, Minister for Religious Affairs Omar Mohammed Mohamoud (AKA "Filish"),and Minister for Demobilization Botan Isse Alim (AKA "Harankunah"). Other MPs in control of significant arms stocks and militias not present at the meeting included Hussein Farah Aideed, Osman Hassan Ali (AKA "Ato"),Barre Aden Shire (AKA "Hirale"),Mohamed Jama (AKA "Furuh"),Engineer Mohamed Hussein Addow, Ahmed Du'ale Gelleh (AKA "Haf"),and Yusuf Mire Serar. Press translations from the Mogadishu paper "Xog-Ogaal" of February 24 reported that the TFP Speaker had reached by telephone "TFG members in Mogadishu, in particular those who announced ... the Peace Restoration and Combat against Terror Coalition ... two [of those] apologized for not being able to attend the meeting of the Assembly ... because they said that they are engaged in fighting..." NAIROBI 00000869 002 OF 003 THE FOREIGNERS -------------- ¶5. (C) The UN Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) Ambassador Francois Lonseny Fall, led a relatively large international community delegation for a day trip to Baidoa to attend the opening day of the parliament's session. According to SRSG Staff, Amb. Fall had the company of the UN's Acting head of the Office of the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) for Somalia, Special Envoys from the AU, League of Arab States, Ethiopia, and Italy, as well as the Swedish Special Envoy for East Africa. Chiefs of Mission in Nairobi for Belgium, France, Italy, Kenya, and Yemen attended, and lesser officers were sent from the Chinese and Norwegian embassies, and from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The Head of Delegation of the European Commission in Nairobi represented the Commission and the EU Presidency. Of the remaining principal members of the international community, the Danes decided not to make the trip based on the possibility that their representative might attract negative attention to the rest of the IC. The UK's Foreign Office refused permission to the UK representative to attend, based on concerns of inadequate security for the group as a whole. SECURITY -------------- ¶6. (C) Initial reports from Somalia Watcher's contacts in Baidoa indicate that, by Somali standards, security for the first day was relatively competent. The only incident we have heard reported involved the arrival of PM Gedi from Jowhar. The PM's security detail was reported to have come off the PM's aircraft ahead of the PM, and to have roughed up a number of dignitaries assembled to greet PM Gedi, including the Mayor of Baidoa. The warlord most completely in charge of Baidoa and its security, MP Mohamed Ibrahim Habsade, is reported to have intervened personally and calmed the situation. WORK AHEAD -------------- ¶7. (C) Somalia Watcher's contact in Baidoa, Mohammed Hassan Ali, MP (AKA "Darye'el"),a close confidant of the TFP Speaker, told us by phone from Baidoa that the day had gone extremely smoothly. He could not estimate how long this session of parliament might last, with members just getting their first taste in many months of seeing and working together with each other. Darye'el opined that, with living conditions in Baidoa extremely rough, it might be difficult to keep the large numbers of MPs that had shown up for the opening gavel. He expressed hope that work on the session agenda, to have begun February 27, could go forward relatively quickly, and said he thought the first job to accomplish would be the naming of Parliamentary Committees, particularly a National Security Committee to begin work on developing a National Security Plan. Darye'el stated that, at least during the first day, there was not much talk among the MPs of either impeaching the President or the Speaker, or of putting the TFG to a no confidence vote. COMMENT -------------- ¶8. (C) The gaveling open of the parliament in Baidoa indicates that the process of implementing the President's and Speaker's "Aden Declaration" is now over. All attention will now turn to what agenda is tabled for the TFP's consideration, even as members keep one watchful eye out for their personal security in Baidoa, and the other on events transpiring between the Mogadishu Antiterrorist Alliance and the Ayr/Islamic Court militias that face them. NAIROBI 00000869 003 OF 003 ¶9. (U) In view of the apparently successful meeting of the Somali Parliament in Baidoa, and continuing press interest in the on-going fighting in Mogadishu, Post is forwarding proposed press guidance. Please note that the first two paragraphs of the guidance are substantially similar to the press guidance contained in reftel, but have been changed to account for current circumstances. BEGIN PROPOSED TEXT FOR USG STATEMENT The United States Government supports the February 26 convening of the Somali Transitional Federal Parliament in Baidoa, Somalia. We congratulate the Transitional Federal Ministers and Members of Parliament, as well as the civil society, business and religious communities who have joined in these concrete steps toward implementing their commitments to the Somali people to bring peace through inclusive dialogue and reconciliation, within the framework of the Transitional Federal Charter. The United States Government is following closely reports of the resurgence of violence in Mogadishu. We believe that these events make it that much more important that the Somali Transitional Federal Parliament continues to convene in the days to come. We see this as indispensable to the process of establishing functioning institutions leading to effective governance in Somalia. Only through effective governance can the extremist threat in Somalia, well known to the international community, be appropriately confronted. IF ASKED: Q.HOW MANY MPS GATHERED IN BAIDOA? A.We believe that approximately 211 Members of the Transitional Federal Parliament TFP were present at the opening gavel. While we cannot be confident of this number, there appears to have been a sufficient number of members present such that there has been no indication of conflict over whether there is a voting quorum. Q.DID THE MOGADISHU WAR LORDS ATTEND THE SESSION? A.We cannot confirm exactly which members of the TFP were present at the session. Q.IS THE U.S. SUPPORTING WARLORDS AGAINST ISLAMISTS IN MOGADISHU? A.We encourage the Somalis (preferably through a government) to confront the issue of militant Jihadists in Somalia. END PROPOSED TEXT. BELLAMY