SOMALIA: TALKING POINTS FOR THE U.S. MISSION TO

UNCLAS STATE 202870 SIPDIS AMEMBASSY ADDIS FOR USAU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO SO ET AU SUBJECT: SOMALIA: TALKING POINTS FOR THE U.S. MISSION TO THE AFRICAN UNION ¶1. U.S. Ambassador to the African Union (AU) Cindy Courville will be receiving a briefing following the December 27 AU meeting on Somalia. Below are points and background for her use during this briefing. In response to aggression by the Council of Islamic Courts (CIC),Ethiopia has commenced military operations against targets in Somalia. Ethiopia has said that its action is intended to prevent further aggression by the CIC, to prevent further delivery of arms and supplies to the CIC, and that it is not targeting civilians. On December 26, the African Union acknowledged the failure to respond to the situation in Somalia and stated that Ethiopia has the right to intervene militarily in Somalia in light of the threats by the CIC to Ethiopia,s security. These developments further endorse the need for the urgent deployment of the IGASOM Peace Support Mission. ¶2. The United States supports the Transitional Federal Charter and Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) as the legitimate framework for governance in Somalia, while also encouraging a more inclusive process of dialogue between the TFIs and key Somali stakeholders such as business leaders and civil society. The United States strongly believes that a sustainable solution in Somalia should be based on credible dialogue between the TFIs and Council of Islamic Courts (CIC). Despite the efforts of the International Somalia Contact Group to encourage dialogue between Somali parties and the June 22 Khartoum Declaration between the TFIs and CIC, the situation in Somalia continues to deteriorate. Enclosed below are talking points on Somalia for Ambassador Courville,s use in this and other follow-on appointments. ¶3. Begin Talking Points. -- The United States strongly believes that a sustainable solution in Somalia should be based on credible dialogue between the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs),the Council of Islamic Courts (CIC),and key Somali stakeholders such as business leaders and civil society. -- Military expansion and continued aggression by the CIC has prevented this dialogue from moving forward and has created the need for deployment of a regional force. The recent escalation in fighting makes the need for such a force even more urgent. -- Ethiopia has genuine security concerns with regard to developments within Somalia and has provided support at the request of the legitimate governing authority, the Transitional Federal Institutions. -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles has assured the United States and the Somalis that, in its current intervention, Ethiopia is not targeting civilians but fighting militias of the CIC. -- While the CIC claims to have brought stability to the areas it controls in Somalia, it continues to rely on child soldiers, mistreats prisoners of war, and has caused hundreds of refugees continue to cross the border into Kenya and Ethiopia every day, indicating a lack of stability inside Somalia and the violation of international norms and standards. -- The negative actions by the CIC, including: continued military expansion and build-up of militia forces around Baidoa; irredentist claims on the Somali-populated regions of Ethiopia and Kenya; and support for insurgent groups inside Ethiopia continue to destabilize Somalia and the broader Horn of Africa region. -- On December 6, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1725, authorizing deployment of IGASOM to restore stability in Somalia. -- These most recent developments in Somalia stress more than ever the need for the urgent deployment of IGASOM. -- IGASOM will deter further aggression against the TFIs, create the required space for dialogue, stabilize the situation, and create the conditions for Ethiopian and Eritrean disengagement from Somalia. -- IGASOM deployment is a critical element in creating the space for credible dialogue between the CIC and TFIs, leading to a more comprehensive solution based on a negotiated settlement. -- The CIC must now demonstrate its commitment to peace and stability by immediately resuming dialogue with the TFIs without precondition. -- The United States will continue to urge the TFIs to be more inclusive and return to dialogue with the CIC and other stakeholders. -- The United States will remain actively engaged with our international partners in preventing the continued escalation of tensions inside Somalia, which could spark wider regional conflict in the Horn of Africa if left unchecked. -- The quick deployment of a regional force and consistent pressure on all Somali parties to resume dialogue are urgently needed to ensure that such a scenario does not transpire. ¶3. End Talking Points. RICE