KUWAITIS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR SOMALI

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000661 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2017 TAGS: PREL SO MOPS XF AL GCC KU DEMARCHE SUBJECT: KUWAITIS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR SOMALI RECONCILIATION PROCESS REF: A) STATE 55804 B) KUWAIT 401 Classified By: DCM Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) PolChief delivered reftel points to MFA Arab Affairs Deputy Director Ahmed Al-Baqer May 2. Al-Baqer said Kuwait has not considered the question of direct support for AMISOM. He added that the question did not come up at the March 28 Arab League Summit in Riyadh, the most likely context in which Kuwait would consider such assistance. ¶2. (C) Al-Baqer said Somali President Abdullahi Yusef Ahmed met on the margins of the Summit with Kuwaiti Amir Shaykh Sabah, repeating an earlier request (ref b) for financial assistance for a Somali political reconciliation conference. He said at that meeting the Amir agreed to help finance such an effort, and that the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers has recently followed up in approving USD 2 million in funding. Al-Baqer said the money is ready to be released as soon as the GOK can determine an appropriate recipient. The Kuwaiti Embassy in Nairobi has been tasked with reaching out to TFG contacts to develop a plan for putting the money to use. ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * LeBaron