ETHIOPIA: ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER'S VISIT TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 002771

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF AND AF/E
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER
CJTF-HOA AND USCENTCOM FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2017
TAGS: PREL MOPS SO ET PHUM
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER'S VISIT TO
THE OGADEN - A COMPLEX PROBLEM WITH NO EASY SOLUTIONS


Classified By: AMBASSADOR DONALD YAMAMOTO. REASON: 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi
Frazer, National Security Council Senior Director for Africa
Bobby Pittman, and Deputy Commander CJTF-HOA BG Holman
visited Gode, Ethiopia on September 7 accompanied by the
Ambassador, USAID Country Director, DATT, and POLOFFs to
receive briefings from local government officials, clan
elders, and local NGO workers. The clan elders were grateful
for the presence of the US delegation, and stressed that they
urgently needed help from the United States. Local
government officials and NGO workers detailed the complexity
of the situation in the Ogaden and identified the need for
unrestricted commercial trucking to improve conditions where
food insecurity, lack of water, and malnutrition were
becoming serious problems. Of concern was the NGO's
assertion that while they had been looking at food insecurity
for 15 pct of the population, indicators suggest 30 to 40 pct
may actually need assistance. END SUMMARY.

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CLAN ELDERS: WE NEED HELP FROM AMERICA
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2. (C) Assistant Secretary Frazer led a delegation to Gode
in the heart of the Ogaden region. She met with UN agencies,
NGOs, local government officials, and clan elders. The
Assistant Secretary also visited a feeding center operated by
WFP with primarily U.S. donated food stuff. Gode is
relatively calm and not plagued much by the counter
insurgency movement, but it is a major distribution point for
food to the region and is not immune from the problems in
other parts of the Ogaden region. In a meeting with the clan
elders, the clear message was that they wanted assistance
from the U.S. Resolving the counter insurgency problem would
help refocus the people on the more critical needs of
livelihood, education, and meeting critical needs of
irrigation of crops. The Gode region is both hit by
semi-drought conditions as well as overflow of water in the
rivers. The head elder Sheikh Abdullahi, choosing his words
carefully, said Ethiopia is a peaceful place and no one
should take up arms against the government, and he emphasized
to the Assistant Secretary, "you are here, you can see the
truth, and the truth will always follow (and expose) a lie"
He then added that "a lie always precedes the truth, but the
truth always catches up to the lie." The elders, after
describing how the Ogaden was a perpetually inhospitable
place, emphasized their basic priorities were the livelihood
of the people and improving their ability to sell livestock.

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OGADEN A COMPLEX PROBLEM GETTING WORSE
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3. (C) Local government officials and NGO workers described
the problem in the Ogaden as a complex one with many
variables fueling the deteriorating humanitarian situation.
NGO workers noted the lack of commercial trucking was the
primary obstacle to ameliorating the growing crisis. They
emphasized the people in the region rely heavily on goods
imported to the region from Somalia. Although some
commercial trucking and some food aid were being delivered,
it was on a scale far too small to have a real impact. In
some areas the government was restricting commercial trucks,
primarily in parts of Degehabur, Korahe, and Warder, but in
other areas the government was forcing trucks into military
escorted convoys. The NGO workers added military convoys
were useful in that they allowed trucks to drive on roads
cleared of landmines, but they also delayed food
distribution. In general they said conditions were better in
the major towns, but the outlying areas were hardest hit
because of the lack of food distribution.


4. (C) In addition to the lack of commercial trucking,
military restrictions, the general insecurity, on-going
fighting, fear of land mines, drought, and fear of ONLF
rebels were all combining to restrict access and food
distribution. The government officials and NGO workers both
emphasized all of these factors would have to be addressed to
provide help to the people. For example, many truck drivers
refused to go into areas free of government restrictions for

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fear of landmines and rebels.


5. (C) The NGO workers underscored rapid intervention was
needed to avert further disaster. The existing assessments
of food needs for the population were based on data collected
in March 2007, but the situation had gotten much worse since
then. They agreed the previous planning for 15 percent of
the population in need was now probably in the 30-40 percent
range and increasing. In addition, in most areas commodity
prices had doubled and the price of livestock had fallen
significantly. They noted the inability to sell livestock to
traders from Somalia was a large problem as this trade was a
foundation for much of the region's economic life. The NGO
workers identified food insecurity, lack of water, and
malnutrition as the three main issues needed to be addressed
in the short term.



6. (C) COMMENT. The findings of the UN assessment mission
to the Ogaden, to be released in the next week, will most
likely confirm the true extent of the situation in the
region. It is important to note the UN team was assigned to
provide a preliminary assessment of food needs rather than a
complete investigation of abuse. Further, more comprehensive
missions will be needed to collect the data required to make
a full evaluation of the region. Post will continue to urge
the government to open up access as well as identify
alternate trucking routes to increase the volume of
commercial trucking into the region. The Embassy will
continue to visit the region. The Ambassador plans to travel
again to the northern part of the Somali region of Ethiopia,
and meets regularly with senior officials, including the
Prime Minister. END COMMENT.


7. (U) A/S Frazer cleared this cable.
YAMAMOTO