ETHIOPIA-SOMALILAND: PRESIDENT KAHIN KEEPS HIS

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 001744 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/E, AND S/CT LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER CJTF-HOA AND USSCENTCOM FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2017 TAGS: PREL PTER SO ET DJ YM SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA-SOMALILAND: PRESIDENT KAHIN KEEPS HIS PROMISE REF: A. ADDIS ABABA 1397 ¶B. ADDIS ABABA 420 ¶C. ADDIS ABABA 68 ¶D. ADDIS ABABA 60 Classified By: AMBASSADOR DONALD YAMAMOTO. REASON: 1.4 (B),(C),AND ( D). ¶1. (S/NF) SUMMARY. Somaliland President Dahir Rayale Kahin said he kept his promise by releasing a detained Somalilander of interest to the USG. The release was kept quiet with most of his own cabinet kept in the dark. President Kahin and Foreign Minister Abdillahi M. Duale stressed their hope that this prisoner release would enable Somaliland to move forward in forging a close economic, political, and information-sharing relationship with the United States. This would include a visit to the U.S. for President Kahin, as discussed with Washington over the years, as well as discussion of development assistance, coastal and border security training, loan assistance from the World Bank/IMF, facilitation from the U.S. to improve ties with Djibouti, and dialogue with other Somali entities such as Puntland and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). The President portrayed Somaliland as a victim of terrorism, and urged closer exchanges with the United States which would also benefit the U.S. Kahin noted that his government wished to coordinate information on terrorist groups and individuals in Somalia, and that through joint cooperation with the U.S., Somaliland would develop into a valuable and supportive partner. END SUMMARY. -------------- KEEPING PROMISES -- IT'S NOW THE U.S. TURN -------------- ¶2. (S/NF) Somaliland President Kahin and Foreign Minister Duale reaffirmed to Ambassador and ORA counselor June 3 that they have kept their promise to release a Somalilander detainee of interest to the U.S. This person would soon travel to Djibouti. The release was opposed by most of the cabinet and especially the courts, police, and security, because this detainee had been clearly implicated in a plot against the President and the Somaliland Government. To minimize attention to this particular person, the President reduced the sentences of the other 19 detainees also charged with crimes against the state, commuting to 20 years imprisonment those sentenced to death. The President kept the decision to release this detainee secret, with only four of his close cabinet officials informed of the release because of the sensitivity of the case. The President, however, added that this may be difficult to keep secret, since there were already rumors in Nairobi of anticipated expanded U.S.-Somaliland relations as a result of the pending release from prison of an important person/asset to the USG. ¶3. (S/NF) President Kahin and the Foreign Minister both expressed hope that the U.S. and Somaliland could now move beyond this case and expand relations. Kahin underscored that the U.S. could use Somaliland as an important partner, especially in the war on terrorism. The President and Foreign Minister remarked that they had officials in Mogadishu assessing the situation and that they had reliable information on the movement of extremists and terrorist groups. Kahin pointed out that Somaliland had information on the terrorist activities of groups like Ethiopia's Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and on the movement of other extremist individuals. He looked forward to expanding an information-sharing relationship with the U.S. ¶4. (S/NF) Kahin reaffirmed Somaliland,s commitment to fight terrorism and highlighted that after discussions with the director of the State Department,s East Africa office in 2004 and USG officials from other agencies, he had transferred five suspects to Addis Ababa for interrogation. He said he was not aware of the status of these suspects. Later, Somaliland helped support the U.S. in detaining an extremist suspect traveling from Mogadishu to the Middle East through Somaliland. The suspect, &Khalid,8 was detained and turned over to the Ethiopians for questioning. ADDIS ABAB 00001744 002 OF 003 -------------- -------------- ROADMAP FOR RELATIONS - SOMALILAND CAN BE CONSTRUCTIVE PARTNER -------------- -------------- ¶5. (S/NF) Kahin outlined some ideas he would like to see in a future relationship with the U.S.: -- Close information-sharing relationship; -- A U.S. coastal and border security training program; -- Development assistance; -- Help with the World Bank/IMF to secure development loans; -- Facilitation from the U.S. in improving ties with Djibouti; -- Work with the U.S. in conducting a dialogue with Somalia's Transitional Federal Government and Puntland; -- Support in the African Union and UN Security Council to treat Somaliland if not as a separate entity then as an important issue in a comprehensive dialogue on the future of Somalia; -- Visit to the U.S. to discuss directly with U.S. officials the future of Somaliland and Somalia; -- Coordination with the international community to support a dialogue on Somaliland. ¶6. (S/NF) Kahin noted that Somaliland could be a constructive partner for the U.S., and that with assistance from the U.S. for training, Somaliland could be a highly effective partner in fighting terrorism. Of the points Kahin made, he said coastal and border security training was the most immediate need. Several years ago, there had been discussions of possible training from U.S. Central Command's Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and other USG agencies. Assistance with procurement of coastal patrol boats and equipment to monitor the border were also of high value and immediacy for Somaliland. The President and Foreign Minister both asserted that Somaliland was a victim of terrorism, with terrorist groups coming into Somaliland from southern Somalia and especially from Yemen. Kahin noted that Somaliland was trying to register all weapons, to keep track of the flow of illicit arms to and through Somaliland from Yemen. -------------- -------------- AVOID RECOGNITION, PROMOTE COMPREHENSIVE DIALOGUE -------------- -------------- ¶7. (S/NF) Kahin did not raise recognition. Rather, he called on the U.S. to help work with the UN and AU to promote a comprehensive dialogue on Somaliland in the context of discussing an overall plan for the future of Somalia. For example, rather than automatically give the TFG Somalia's seat at the UN and AU, leave it vacant until there was a comprehensive discussion on the future of Somaliland and Somalia. -------------- GENESIS OF DISPUTE WITH DJIBOUTI -------------- ¶8. (S/NF) Kahin and Duale both urged the U.S. to help facilitate improved relations with Djibouti. The informal exchange of security officers had ended, they said. Duale noted the concern raised by Djibouti over sea port competition, with improvements at Berbera Port potentially cutting into profits at Djibouti,s new port at Dorale in a tight market. Kahin noted that the Chinese as well as a Malaysian group were helping improve Berbera port. Another problem was Somaliland,s shipment of livestock to Saudi Arabia, which also cut into Djibouti,s USAID-initiated livestock export project. ¶9. (S/NF) Kahin underscored, however, that port and livestock competition were only symptoms of a deeper problem based on clan ties. Kahin noted that his mother and Djibouti President Guelleh,s mother were both from the same sub-clan, and that Somaliland, Djibouti, and Ethiopia's Somali Region were all more closely tied by clan relations than with southern Somalia. But Kahin stressed that unlike Djibouti,s unity under one Somali sub-clan, Somaliland had a variety of sub-clans, and that balancing relations was highly delicate. ADDIS ABAB 00001744 003 OF 003 Kahin reflected that the clan war in Somaliland had stopped because the clans reached out to each other and had developed a relatively transparent and open political process, creating a clear balance among the clans in ruling Somaliland. ¶10. (S/NF) Kahin pointed out to the Ambassador that Somaliland had over 3 million people to Djibouti,s population of 600,000, and had much greater untapped resources compared to Djibouti,s barren landscape. Somaliland thus had the greater future potential for economic development. But Kahin stressed that Somaliland wanted better relations for regional stability, and for Somaliland and Djibouti to work together to meet each other,s economic development needs. ¶11. (S/NF) COMMENT. Reports of terrorist threats coming from groups crossing Somaliland into Ethiopia underscore the need for developing an information-sharing relationship with Somaliland. The U.K. is looking into developing such a relationship with Somaliland. It would also be important to carefully coordinate with Ethiopia, which already has close ties to Somaliland, and to work with Djibouti to ensure a careful and more comprehensive information-sharing arrangement in the region. The release of the Somalilander of interest to the USG has opened new opportunities but also difficult challenges, in view of Somaliland,s difficult relations with Djibouti and historic and personal animosities with TFG President Yusuf, dating to his reign as Puntland President. President Kahin seeks a visit to Washington and is pushing for a greater dialogue with the U.S. A positive response is in order, but caution is important in the context of coordinating views with the UK, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. END COMMENT. YAMAMOTO