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