Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07CAIRO946
2007-04-02 15:03:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:  

SOMALIA: ARAB LEAGUE MEETING CALLS FOR MORE

Tags:  PREL PGOV MOPS EG ARABL SO 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1931
PP RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHEG #0946 0921503
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021503Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4418
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS CAIRO 000946 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS EG ARABL SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: ARAB LEAGUE MEETING CALLS FOR MORE
INCLUSIVE POLITICAL PROCESS AND TRANSITION FROM AFRICAN
UNION TO UNITED NATIONS PEACE-KEEPERS


Sensitive but unclassified. Please handle accordingly.

UNCLAS CAIRO 000946

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS EG ARABL SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: ARAB LEAGUE MEETING CALLS FOR MORE
INCLUSIVE POLITICAL PROCESS AND TRANSITION FROM AFRICAN
UNION TO UNITED NATIONS PEACE-KEEPERS


Sensitive but unclassified. Please handle accordingly.


1. (SBU) Arab heads of state met in Riyadh on March 28-29 at
an annual Arab League summit, where they addressed the
Arab-Israeli conflict, Darfur, and Somalia, among other
topics. On Somalia, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al
Faisal convened on March 28 an informal meeting that included
the UN Secretary General, the Arab League Secretary General,
AU Peace and Security Commission Chair, the EU High
Commissioner for the Middle East, and the Organization of
Islamic Conferences Secretary General. They issued a
statement on Somalia (text below) which focused on deployment
of UN peace-keepers in lieu of the current African Union
operation (AMISOM),as well as on the political
reconciliation process.


2. (SBU) During an April 2 debrief on the Riyadh Summit to
Cairo-based diplomats, Arab League Chief of Staff Hisham
Youssef said that the March 28 Somalia statement sent a clear
Arab and international message to the Transitional Federal
Government (TFG) that the Somali political process must be
more inclusive to succeed. The Arab League, he said,
believes political talks set to begin on April 16 in
Mogadishu will fail if not made more inclusive. He also said
Saudi Arabia is considering hosting a gathering of Somali
political parties in Jeddah in the near future to resume the
political process established by the Arab League prior to
Ethiopia's invasion.


3. (U) Text of Statement on Somalia, issued at Arab League
Summit:

Begin text (in English):

Title: "Informal Meeting on Somalia on the Margins of the
Arab Summit, Riyadh, March 27, 2007"

His Royal Highness Prince Saud Al-Faysal convened an informal
meeting that included UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon,
Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC) Secretary-General
Ekmelledin Ihsanoglu, African Union Chairperson Alpha Omar
Konare, Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa, EU High
Representative for Middle East Affairs Javier Solana, and
Kenyan FM Raphael Tuju to discuss a coordinated way forward
on Somalia. Following a thorough discussion of the issues
involved, the group came to the following consensus:

The situation in Somalia is becoming increasingly urgent.
While resolution is first and foremost the responsibility of
the Somalis themselves, the international community must pay
close attention at taking early action to assist;

The rapid expansion of AMISOM is essential to provide
security for the process and allow an early withdrawal of the
Ethiopian troops. It is critical to ensure there is no gap
between the departure of Ethiopian forces and the deployment
of AMISOM forces;

National reconciliation is key to resolving the crisis and it
must be inclusive to succeed. A National Reconciliation
Conference must be well-prepared and include all relevant
groups;

Adequate security, conference preparations, and inclusive
representation are required to achieve progress in the
process of reconciliation. The effort that will start on 16
April and should be the beginning of a process to achieve
these objectives.

The April 3 Cairo meeting of the Contact Group, plus OIC, can
start discussion on these issues. It should develop a
strategy for promoting an inclusive reconciliation process,
with a clear timetable to move the process forward quickly.

The progress in Somalia should allow for early action by the
United Nations Security Council to establish a peacekeeping
force to replace AMISOM. Such a mandate would have to be
carefully written to avoid past mis-steps in Somalia. Work
needs to start on training a national security force to bear
part of the security load.

A solution to the Somalia crisis will take a sustained effort
by the Somalis and the international community. Members of
the group will provide and urge the international community
to provide sufficient funds if agreement can be reached.
RICCIARDONE