UNSC/SOMALIA: UN URGES AGAINST SUPPORTING FACTIONS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001174

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER SO UNSC IGAD
SUBJECT: UNSC/SOMALIA: UN URGES AGAINST SUPPORTING FACTIONS
AND FOR STRENGTHENING TFG

REF: SECSTATE 93702


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. In a June 8 briefing to the United Nations
Security Council (UNSC),Department of Political Affairs
Assistant Secretary-General (A/SYG) Kalomoh warned Members
'this is not the time to abandon Somalia,' given what he
called the 'tense military stand-off' between militias of the
Union of the Islamic Courts and the Alliance for the
Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism in Mogadishu.
Kalomoh noted that a possible split of the Sharia Courts into
two clans harkened back to the polarization of such factions
in the early 1990s. Kalomoh reported that the Transitional
Federal Government (TFG) wanted all counter-terrorism efforts
managed under its auspices, a call endorsed by Kenyan
President Kibaki, Congolese President and African Union (AU)
Chair Sassou-Nguesso, EU High Representative Solana and EU
Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Michel.


2. (SBU) SUMMARY CONTD. Many Members sided with the UK
delegation in calling for Council follow-up to its March 15
Presidential Statement, in which the Council agreed to
consider an arms embargo exemption to accommodate a peace
support mission of the Intergovernmental Authority on
Development (IGAD) on the basis of the TFG's National
Security and Stabilization Plan (NSSP). The Tanzanian
delegate made a compelling argument against a waiver by
suggesting that a strong TFG would render the need for such a
lifting irrelevant. At the SYG's request, Special
Representative of the SYG (SRSG) Fall will brief the Council
on June 19, following a June 12/13 Ministerial IGAD meeting
in Nairobi and a June 15 meeting of the Coordination
Committee in Baidoa. The Danish PR and SC President Loj made
remarks to the press following the session. END SUMMARY.


3. (SBU) DPA A/SYG described for the Council at June 8
consultations the 'tense military stand-off' that ensued in
Mogadishu after the Sharia Courts' victory over the Alliance,
a victory which the Congolese representative wryly noted
'guaranteed nothing.' He added that Alliance leaders were
re-grouping in the northern part of the capital and in
Jowhar. Kalomoh noted that as a result of economic concerns
and of the traditionally short shelf life of most Somali
factions, the Sharia Courts militias might split into a
northern clan and a southern clan, as the warlords did in the
early 1990s. Kalomoh downplayed a June 6 communique from
Sharia Courts' spokesman Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed which vowed
to create an environment where Somalis could choose their own
leaders, saying it left open the possibility for establishing
Islamic-style rule and Sharia law throughout Somalia, which
the northern Courts clan would oppose. Kalomoh pointed out
that the Courts had yet to recognize either the TFG or the
Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) and had yet to take
PM Gedi up on his offer for talks.


4. (SBU) Kalomoh reported that the TFG wanted all
counter-terrorism efforts managed under its auspices, a call
recently endorsed by Kenyan President Kibaki, Congolese
President and AU Chair Sassou-Nguesso, EU High Representative
Solana and EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian
Aid Michel. SRSG Fall was talking to all sides and planned
to convene a meeting of the Coordination Committee in Baidoa
on June 15, security permitting (Kalomoh said that the Sharia
Courts militias were reportedly advancing on Baidoa). This
meeting would come on the heels of a June 12 or 13 IGAD
Ministerial meeting in Nairobi, at which the IGAD position
would be elaborated. According to Kalomoh, SYG Annan
requested SRSG Fall brief the Council (NOTE. Now set for June

19. END NOTE),at which time the UN would plan to present
its 'roadmap' on the way forward in Somalia. The UNSC
Mission to Sudan had held consultations on Somalia with AU
Commission Chair Konare and AU Peace and Security Council
Ambassador Djinnit while in Addis Ababa and had voiced
support for IGAD's efforts; Kalomoh hoped the Council would
do the same in New York.


5. (SBU) Among IGAD's efforts, as the Qatari representative
noted, was the idea of a peace support mission, whose
deployment would require a lifting of the arms embargo
imposed under resolution 733 (1992). The UK delegate called
for Council follow-up to its March 15 Presidential Statement,
in which the Council agreed to consider an arms embargo
exemption to accommodate a peace support mission of the IGAD
on the basis of the TFG's National Security and Stabilization

USUN NEW Y 00001174 002 OF 002


Plan (NSSP). Kalomoh noted that the NSSP had been tabled but
due to recent circumstances, Parliament had not been able to
convene to act on it, adding that the future functioning of
Parliament was uncertain, given the expulsion by PM Gedi of
four Alliance members. Greece, Slovakia and Russia voiced
support for the UK's proposal, with the Russian rep adding
that deployment of any peace support mission would need the
approval of the Somalis themselves.


6. (SBU) The Tanzanian delegate made a compelling argument
against an arms embargo waiver by suggesting that a
strengthened TFG would render the need for such a lifting
irrelevant. Kalomoh was clear about the UN Secretariat's
stance: with Mogadishu 'awash in weapons,' the only insurance
policy the international community had was not to supply
weapons, but rather to call for a stricter observation of the
arms embargo. While the UN was aware of the IGAD request for
a waiver to assist the TFG, the lack of TFG unity meant that
the international community would run the risk of unwittingly
equipping various factions were the embargo to be lifted at
this time.


7. (SBU) USUN PolMinCouns made an intervention per ref
guidance, with the Chinese, Ghanaian, Slovakian, UK and Greek
delegates echoing our call for the need for dialogue within
the framework of the Transitional Federal Charter and the
re-establishment of governance. Members voiced concern over
the plight of humanitarian workers remaining in Somalia, with
the Congolese rep reiterating President Sassou-Nguesso's plea
for increased assistance from the international community.
The Slovakian delegate was particularly worried about the
budget shortfall for these operations, with only 25 percent
of necessary funds currently available for disbursement.
Kalomoh echoed this call for increased funding.


8. (SBU) Following up on a UK suggestion, Danish PR and UNSC
President agreed to make an oral Statement to the Press after
consultations expressing the Council's concern over the
recent Mogadishu violence, urging a return to dialogue within
the framework of the TFIs, offering Council support for
reconciliation efforts, calling on regional and international
parties to respect the arms embargo, and looking forward to
SRSG Fall's upcoming Council briefing.
MILLER