SOMALIA: ARAB LEAGUE OFFERS TO HOST CONTACT GROUP

UNCLAS CAIRO 000623 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNSC MOPS PTER ARABL EG SO SUBJECT: SOMALIA: ARAB LEAGUE OFFERS TO HOST CONTACT GROUP MEETING IN EARLY APRIL REF: A. STATE 25142 ¶B. HEGADORN-YATES E-MAILS Sensitive but unclassified. Please handle accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Arab League Secretariat Staff Member Zeid Al Sabban confirmed to poloff on March 6 that the League wanted to host the next International Contact Group (ICG) meeting in Cairo, and was consulting in Nairobi for dates in early April. A diplomatic note from the AL asserting that the meeting would be held on April 5 "was a mistake," Sabban said, as that date was not chosen through a process of consultation with co-chairs U.S. and Norway, nor with other ICG members. (Note: The AL sent a new diplomatic note to Cairo missions of ICG members on March 6 saying the date for the meeting remained under consideration. End note). In subsequent conversations on March 7, Sabban stated that ICG members in Nairobi were considering April 4 as a possible meeting date in Cairo. ¶2. (SBU) Embassy looks forward to confirmation of a date for the ICG meeting, including participation by AF Assistant Secretary Fraser. We hope that bilateral consultations with SIPDIS the Egyptians on African issues can also be scheduled in tandem with this CG meeting. We note that Egyptian MFA contacts have expressed to us their interest in participating in the CG meeting, should it take place in Cairo. Poloff Chris Hegadorn will be the Embassy point of contact for both events. RICCIARDONE