Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07NAIROBI1133
2007-03-09 10:28:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Nairobi
Cable title:
Somalia - Hawiye Clan Meeting
how-toVZCZCXRO0813 PP RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO DE RUEHNR #1133/01 0681028 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 091028Z MAR 07 FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8135 INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHMFISS/CJTF HOA RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 001133
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/E AND A/S FRAZER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2017
TAGS: PGOV PTER PREL ASEC SO
SUBJECT: Somalia - Hawiye Clan Meeting
Classified by PolOff Mitch Benedict for Reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1 (SBU) Summary -- Members of the Hawiye clan held a conference in
Mogadishu on March 6 to discuss their collective clan interests and
how they might contribute to peace and stability in Somalia.
Following the meeting, Ethiopian Military commanders in Mogadishu
hosted the Hawiye elders and politicians for a lunch reception. End
Summary.
2. (SBU) The Hawiye clan held a conference March 6 for close to 300
participants, including prominent traditional elders, religious
leaders, scholars, and intellectuals from its various sub-clans.
Organizers claimed it was a landmark meeting and the biggest ever by
the Hawiye. The participants attributed the current Mogadishu crisis
to the presence of Ethiopian troops who are in Somalia illegally,
they said. The meeting was called in order to overcome obstacles to
peace and order.
3. (SBU) Participants said that the Hawiye are not opposed to the
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) per se, but to its ways of
doing business -- militaristic, uncompromising, and totally detached
from the people and the reality on the ground, as they put it. On
the National Reconciliation Congress (NRC),participants stated,
there were no clans currently in conflict in Somalia, thus
eliminating the need for social reconciliation. What is required,
they said, is genuine political reconciliation and the TFG must
address this.
--------------
Hawiye Recommendations
--------------
4. (SBU) At the close of the meeting, which reportedly lasted over 18
hours, the Hawiye group put forth a number of demands to the Somali
people, TFG, and the international community. They appealed to the
Somali people to unite and guard against drifting back into renewed
civil war and anarchy. They called on the TFG to: stop shelling
residential areas, suspend the emergency law, connect better with
people before the NRC, pull back the "Puntland Militia" from
Mogadishu and constitute a fairly balanced national army, develop a
disarmament policy and disarm all communities simultaneously, and
make future appointments of provincial administrators through a
consultative process. Finally, they asked the international
Community: to pressure Ethiopia to withdraw its forces from Somalia,
to foster the holding of a genuinely all-inclusive NRC in which all
interested parties can freely express their feelings without fear of
reprisal and at a pre-agreed neutral venue, to be cautious and not
lend blanket support to the TFG, and to continue providing
humanitarian assistance.
--------------
Ethiopians Host the Hawiye
--------------
5. (SBU) The Hawiye Conference comes after a series of sub-clan
meetings of the Haber Gedir, Abgaal and Morasade in Mogadishu and
Banadir Province. On March 7, following the internal Hawiye meeting,
Ethiopian top military commanders invited Hawiye elders and
politicians for a lunch reception. According to a participant, the
Ethiopian officials took the opportunity to allay fears that Ethiopia
is taking sides in its efforts and reaffirmed their neutrality in
their engagements in Somalia. In addition, they reiterated that
Ethiopian troops were prepared to withdraw in the wake of the AMISOM
deployment and would remain in Somalia only as long as the TFG needs
them.
6. (SBU) In attendance also were former Mogadishu warlords -- now
part of the TFG -- including Musa Sudi, Qanyare Afrah and Abdi
Qeybdid. Allegedly, all of them spoke at the meeting, but Abdi
Qeybdid was more candid, referring to the ousted Islamists as
terrorists and some of the elders as their sympathizers. On the
other hand, Qanyare, who felt his sub-clan was not fully represented
in the Hawiye conference, expressed his full endorsement and support
for the communique on the Hawiye meeting, which was issued during the
Ethiopian lunch reception offered by the Commanders of Ethiopian
forces in Mogadishu.
--------------
Comment
--------------
7. (C) Generally, except for TFG-insiders, what we hear from all
Somali groups is broad dissatisfaction with the TFG's inability or
unwillingness to communicate with the Somali public on its vision,
plans, and actions -- in all areas, including security, development,
and reconciliation. However, starting this week, the Somali Embassy
in Nairobi plans to hold a weekly media conference every Wednesday
(Septel). The purpose is to brief the media and the public in
NAIROBI 00001133 002 OF 002
general about developments in Somalia and the TGG's efforts to bring
and sustain peace and stability in Somalia. We plan to use our close
contacts with the Embassy to help guide and shape the content of
their messages to the media.
RANNEBERGER
.
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/E AND A/S FRAZER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2017
TAGS: PGOV PTER PREL ASEC SO
SUBJECT: Somalia - Hawiye Clan Meeting
Classified by PolOff Mitch Benedict for Reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1 (SBU) Summary -- Members of the Hawiye clan held a conference in
Mogadishu on March 6 to discuss their collective clan interests and
how they might contribute to peace and stability in Somalia.
Following the meeting, Ethiopian Military commanders in Mogadishu
hosted the Hawiye elders and politicians for a lunch reception. End
Summary.
2. (SBU) The Hawiye clan held a conference March 6 for close to 300
participants, including prominent traditional elders, religious
leaders, scholars, and intellectuals from its various sub-clans.
Organizers claimed it was a landmark meeting and the biggest ever by
the Hawiye. The participants attributed the current Mogadishu crisis
to the presence of Ethiopian troops who are in Somalia illegally,
they said. The meeting was called in order to overcome obstacles to
peace and order.
3. (SBU) Participants said that the Hawiye are not opposed to the
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) per se, but to its ways of
doing business -- militaristic, uncompromising, and totally detached
from the people and the reality on the ground, as they put it. On
the National Reconciliation Congress (NRC),participants stated,
there were no clans currently in conflict in Somalia, thus
eliminating the need for social reconciliation. What is required,
they said, is genuine political reconciliation and the TFG must
address this.
--------------
Hawiye Recommendations
--------------
4. (SBU) At the close of the meeting, which reportedly lasted over 18
hours, the Hawiye group put forth a number of demands to the Somali
people, TFG, and the international community. They appealed to the
Somali people to unite and guard against drifting back into renewed
civil war and anarchy. They called on the TFG to: stop shelling
residential areas, suspend the emergency law, connect better with
people before the NRC, pull back the "Puntland Militia" from
Mogadishu and constitute a fairly balanced national army, develop a
disarmament policy and disarm all communities simultaneously, and
make future appointments of provincial administrators through a
consultative process. Finally, they asked the international
Community: to pressure Ethiopia to withdraw its forces from Somalia,
to foster the holding of a genuinely all-inclusive NRC in which all
interested parties can freely express their feelings without fear of
reprisal and at a pre-agreed neutral venue, to be cautious and not
lend blanket support to the TFG, and to continue providing
humanitarian assistance.
--------------
Ethiopians Host the Hawiye
--------------
5. (SBU) The Hawiye Conference comes after a series of sub-clan
meetings of the Haber Gedir, Abgaal and Morasade in Mogadishu and
Banadir Province. On March 7, following the internal Hawiye meeting,
Ethiopian top military commanders invited Hawiye elders and
politicians for a lunch reception. According to a participant, the
Ethiopian officials took the opportunity to allay fears that Ethiopia
is taking sides in its efforts and reaffirmed their neutrality in
their engagements in Somalia. In addition, they reiterated that
Ethiopian troops were prepared to withdraw in the wake of the AMISOM
deployment and would remain in Somalia only as long as the TFG needs
them.
6. (SBU) In attendance also were former Mogadishu warlords -- now
part of the TFG -- including Musa Sudi, Qanyare Afrah and Abdi
Qeybdid. Allegedly, all of them spoke at the meeting, but Abdi
Qeybdid was more candid, referring to the ousted Islamists as
terrorists and some of the elders as their sympathizers. On the
other hand, Qanyare, who felt his sub-clan was not fully represented
in the Hawiye conference, expressed his full endorsement and support
for the communique on the Hawiye meeting, which was issued during the
Ethiopian lunch reception offered by the Commanders of Ethiopian
forces in Mogadishu.
--------------
Comment
--------------
7. (C) Generally, except for TFG-insiders, what we hear from all
Somali groups is broad dissatisfaction with the TFG's inability or
unwillingness to communicate with the Somali public on its vision,
plans, and actions -- in all areas, including security, development,
and reconciliation. However, starting this week, the Somali Embassy
in Nairobi plans to hold a weekly media conference every Wednesday
(Septel). The purpose is to brief the media and the public in
NAIROBI 00001133 002 OF 002
general about developments in Somalia and the TGG's efforts to bring
and sustain peace and stability in Somalia. We plan to use our close
contacts with the Embassy to help guide and shape the content of
their messages to the media.
RANNEBERGER
.