Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ADDISABABA327
2007-02-03 09:52:00
SECRET
Embassy Addis Ababa
Cable title:  

AU SUMMIT: ETHIOPIA FOREIGN MINISTER HIGHLIGHTS

Tags:  PREL EAID MOPS SO ET ER IT SA AU 
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PP RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
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P 030952Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4426
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 0962
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 000327 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2017
TAGS: PREL EAID MOPS SO ET ER IT SA AU
SUBJECT: AU SUMMIT: ETHIOPIA FOREIGN MINISTER HIGHLIGHTS
SOMALIA DIPLOMACY

REF: ADDIS ABABA 311 (NOTAL)

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

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 000327

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2017
TAGS: PREL EAID MOPS SO ET ER IT SA AU
SUBJECT: AU SUMMIT: ETHIOPIA FOREIGN MINISTER HIGHLIGHTS
SOMALIA DIPLOMACY

REF: ADDIS ABABA 311 (NOTAL)

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


1. (S) SUMMARY: Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum advised
Assistant Secretary Frazer on the imperative nature of the
international community to commit resources to help Somalia's
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) stabilize Somalia. He
stressed the urgency and the importance of ensuring a
successful outcome of the upcoming national reconciliation
talks called by TFG President Yusuf, as well as of continuing
pressure on Yusuf to reach out to key clans, particularly the
Ayr sub-clan, which will help build support for the TFG.
Seyoum remarked that property and land ownership remains one
of the most difficult problems to be resolved before there
can be true reconciliation. The Foreign Minister strongly
recommended that the international community establish a
trust fund to be used to pay compensation to clans who lost
property to other clans during the years of internal
fighting. Finally, on Eritrea, the Foreign Minister said
that Ethiopia will continue to take a defensive posture,
despite Eritrea,s provocative incursions along the Temporary
Security Zone (TSZ) and attacks on the border. END SUMMARY.

--------------
SUCCESSFUL AU, BUT SOMALIA REMAINS KEY
--------------


2. (C) Assistant Secretary Frazer, accompanied by AF Special
Assistant Fatuma Sanneh and Ambassador Yamamoto (note-taker),
met Foreign Minister Seyoum January 31 to review the results
of the January 29-30 African Union Summit. Both hailed the
successful result of the election of Ghanaian President
Kufuor as the new AU Assembly Chairman for the year, avoiding
a contentious showdown with Sudan. Foremost on Ethiopia's
mind, however, is Somalia. The Foreign Minister remarked
that success in Somalia lies in the TFG and specifically
President Yusuf reaching out to the other clans.

International support and pressure were important to keep the
TFG on course, he said. The Foreign Minister welcomed
President Yusuf's call for a national reconciliation
conference, and said it would be an important and essential
step towards stabilizing Somalia. Seyoum cautioned, however,
that Yusuf must reach out to the clans prior to the
conference to ensure its success. Thus, international
pressure on Yusuf and, more importantly, international
resource commitment to pay for the conference, would help
reconciliation. Some 2,000 clan elders, civil society
leaders and businesspeople will participate.

--------------
AMISOM AND DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS
--------------


3. (C) FM Seyoum detailed Ethiopia's efforts to gain European
and African Union support for the establishment of the AU
Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Italy had been hesitant to
support AMISOM, but was now taking a deeper interest and,
hopefully, would support AMISOM financially and politically,
Seyoum said. To bring Italy on board, Ethiopia had
encouraged Italy to engage in the political stabilization of
Somalia. Italy was now involved in developing a roadmap for
peace in Somalia with the TFG, Seyoum added. Ethiopia had
worked with President Yusuf to agree to cooperate with Italy
on this effort. Seyoum was hopeful this would ensure Italy's
support for AMISOM.


4. (C) Asked about coordination between Ethiopia and Ugandan
forces, FM Seyoum noted that Ethiopia would play an active
role in the planning, and that Ethiopian forces (ENDF) would
work closely with Ugandan and other AMISOM troops to ensure a
smooth transition into Mogadishu and other areas of Somalia
for the troop-contributing countries.

--------------
AYR COULD HOLD THE BALANCE
--------------


5. (C) Foreign Minister Seyoum noted that in the national

ADDIS ABAB 00000327 002 OF 003


reconciliation process, the Hawiye/Habr-Gedir/Ayr sub-clan
held the key to peace, particularly in Mogadishu, where the
Ayr took lands from other clans in order to control southern
Mogadishu. The Foreign Minister stressed that to secure the
Ayr sub-clan,s support for the TFG, the issue of property
must be resolved. The Ayr supported the Council of Islamic
Courts (CIC),but would support the TFG if they could keep
the land they now held without returning it to other clans.
The Ayr argued that in many cases they were retaking land
originally owned by the clan, he said. But, years of
fighting and change of landownership had made it difficult to
return property to the original owner, Seyoum noted. The
solution was compensation. Many clans would accept money in
exchange for giving up rights to lands held by other clans.
In the case of the Ayr, it feared that the TFG might try to
repossess Ayr-held land. This was the main reason for their
hesitancy to join the TFG, Seyoum said. Compensating other
clans and allowing the Ayr to keep their property would
significantly enhance support for the TFG.


6. (C) The Foreign Minister urged the international community
to finance a trust fund to pay for the compensation. This
gesture, the Foreign Minister suggested, would also ensure
the success of the upcoming national reconciliation
conference. By eliminating a major roadblock, the question
of property ownership, compensation would help support
stabilization in Somalia.

--------------
KENYA, YEMEN, SAUDI ARABIA
--------------


7. (C) Asked about Kenyan-Ethiopian relations, Seyoum
reaffirmed that ties were excellent at the national
leadership level. However, at the working level there are
some challenges. He noted that Kenya had a challenge
ensuring that its interagency process worked to support
President Kibaki. Internal rivalries and disagreements made
it difficult for Foreign Minister Tuju to discipline the
Kenyan bureaucracy to support national goals and objectives,
Seyoum said.


8. (C) The Foreign Minister suggested that it would be good
for former CIC Executive Committee Chairman Sheikh Sharif
Sheikh Ahmed to go to Yemen. He discounted the concern that
Yemen would be a center for the CIC to reconstitute itself
and pose a renewed threat to the TFG. Seyoum praised Yemen
as a strong supporter of the political process in Somalia.


9. (S) Seyoum noted that at the AU summit, there was open
criticism of Saudi Arabia. African states, Seyoum said,
blamed Saudi Arabia's avoidance of addressing extremism and
radical elements in Saudi society as a problem fueling
international jihadism. Seyoum said the U.S. was the only
country which could convince Saudi Arabia of the importance
of addressing this problem, which affected the security of
Saudi Arabia and the region.

--------------
ERITREA
--------------


10. (S) Seyoum assured the Assistant Secretary that Ethiopia
maintained a defensive posture against the spreading
incursions into all areas of the TSZ by Eritrean forces, and
in response to increased attacks and aggressive action by
Eritrean forces along the border. Ethiopia had not reacted
to the killing of Ethiopian nationals along the border by
Eritrean troops, Seyoum said, and would continue to try to
protect its people.


11. (S) COMMENT: Both Foreign Minister Seyoum and Prime
Minister Meles assert that Ethiopia's role in disbanding and
neutralizing Council of Islamic Courts and extremist elements
in Somalia has been successful. While they look to the
international community to stand up an AMISOM force to help
stabilize Somalia and support institution-building, it is
clear that Ethiopia will remain in Somalia to help support
AMISOM. While it has already withdrawn one-third of its

ADDIS ABAB 00000327 003 OF 003


troops, and another third is due to withdraw soon, Ethiopia
may maintain troops to support TFG security and AMISOM
forces. Ethiopia is committed to making AMISOM work. The
Ethiopians want the job done now to avoid having to return to
Somalia at a later time. END COMMENT.


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