PROPOSED PRST ON SOMALIA - ETHIOPIAN VIEWS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ADDIS ABABA 001787 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNP:R.GOLDENBERG AND AF/E:N.GAREY E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2017 TAGS: PREL KPKO UNSC ET SO SUBJECT: PROPOSED PRST ON SOMALIA - ETHIOPIAN VIEWS REF: A. STATE 77819 ¶B. ADDIS ABABA 1456 (AND PREVIOUS) (NOTAL) Classified By: ERIC WONG, ACTING POL-ECON COUNSELOR. REASON: 1.4 (B) A ND (D). ¶1. (C) Ethiopia fully supports the principles espoused by the proposed UN Security Council Presidential Statement (PRST) on Somalia (ref A). ¶2. (U) Ethiopia is a strong supporter of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM),both politically and militarily. As one of the 15 members of the African Union's Peace and Security Council (PSC),Ethiopia has consistently endorsed AU PSC Communiques affirming support for Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and calling for the deployment of AU peacekeeping forces in Somalia. For the last two years, within the AU, IGAD, and other international fora, Ethiopia has been one of the strongest advocates of multilateral military intervention in support of the internationally recognized TFG. Ethiopia is also one of Africa's largest troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping operations, with contingents currently deployed in support of the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI). ¶3. (C) Militarily, the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) is playing a crucial role in helping the TFG maintain security in Mogadishu, particularly in anticipation of the June 14 National Reconciliation Conference. -- The ENDF is providing force protection for AMISOM and the TFG, and ensuring security of critical Somali infrastructure such as Mogadishu airport and seaport. -- TFG officials, including Prime Minister Ghedi, have highlighted the risk of a security vacuum if Ethiopian forces withdraw precipitously before AMISOM contingents are fully deployed. TFG officials have also hailed cooperation and intelligence-sharing support provided by Ethiopia. -- Ethiopian principals at the highest levels of government (including Prime Minister Meles, Foreign Minister Seyoum, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Tekeda Alemu and others) have publicly and privately called for the immediate deployment of AMISOM contingents, in order to allow the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces, which have been deployed in Somalia since December 2006. ¶4. (C) Ethiopia shares USG views on the need for political dialogue and reconciliation in Somalia: senior GOE officials, such as FM Seyoum, have cooperated with USG principals on joint approaches to TFG President Abdullahi Yusuf on issues of mutual concern (ref B). ¶5. (U) Ethiopia strongly shares the concern expressed in the proposed PRST about attacks by extremist elements in Somalia, and has long highlighted and condemned the role extremist elements and foreign fighters are playing in the destabilization of not only Somalia but the entire Horn of Africa region. YAMAMOTO