Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SANAA212
2007-02-05 04:57:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sanaa
Cable title:
SOMALIA: YEMEN READY TO RECEIVE SHEIKH SHARIF, BUT
how-toVZCZCXRO7460 PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHROV RUEHTRO DE RUEHYN #0212 0360457 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 050457Z FEB 07 FM AMEMBASSY SANAA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6329 INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE RUCNSOM/SOMALI COLLECTIVE RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0060 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/CJTF HOA RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT
C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000212
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2017
TAGS: PREL MOPS PHUM SO YE
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: YEMEN READY TO RECEIVE SHEIKH SHARIF, BUT
KEEP HIM UNDER TIGHT CONTROL
REF: SANAA 138
Classified By: AMBASSADOR THOMAS C. KRAJESKI FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D
).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000212
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2017
TAGS: PREL MOPS PHUM SO YE
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: YEMEN READY TO RECEIVE SHEIKH SHARIF, BUT
KEEP HIM UNDER TIGHT CONTROL
REF: SANAA 138
Classified By: AMBASSADOR THOMAS C. KRAJESKI FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D
).
1. (C) Ambassador called on Yemeni FM Abu Bakr al-Qirbi on
February 4 in order to deliver reftel demarche points, to
which Qirbi replied that the Republic of Yemen Government
(ROYG) continues to urge the Somali Transitional Federal
Government (TFG) to conduct an inclusive political dialogue.
He said that President Saleh's "pragmatic" advice not to
"rush into dialogue with former Council of Islamic Courts
(CIC) members" remains valid (reftel),but that pressing
former CIC and other moderates into dialogue is a "win-win
situation" because it would "expose who is truly willing to
participate in re-building Somalia and who is just telling us
what we want to hear because they have been defeated."
2. (C) Qirbi also said that the ROYG continues to encourage
former CIC leader Sheikh Sharif to re-locate from Kenya to
Yemen, but that TFG President Abdullahi Yusuf has asked the
Government of Kenya to block his movement. According to
Qirbi, Yusuf was upset by Sharif's comments to the BBC
insisting that he would continue to oppose the Ethiopian
occupation forces and the TFG.
3. (C) Qirbi stated that Sharif's comments only reinforced
the ROYG's desire to have Sharif accept its offer to come to
Yemen. If Sharif came to Yemen, the ROYG would closely
monitor him and ensure that "none of his activities do
anything to harm peace and security in Somalia," and would
seek to convince him to take part in a national
reconciliation process. If, on the other hand, Sharif were
allowed to travel elsewhere, he could end up in Eritrea or
Libya, and "these governments would use Sharif for their own
agendas" to harm the chances for stability in Somalia.
4. (C) Qirbi said he had asked his ambassador in Mogadishu
to arrange a telephone call between him and President Yusuf
in order to ask Yusuf to authorize Sharif's transfer to
Yemen. The FM noted that there had been some speculation
about the idea of the Kenyans sending Sharif back to Somalia,
but Qirbi advised that "this would create a big problem for
the TFG, because if they arrest and prosecute him, that would
ignite the Islamist groups." Qirbi promised to provide
Ambassador with an update should he learn more about Sharif's
travel plans.
5. (U) NOTE: Foreign and local media outlets have been
speculating for more than a week on Sharif's possible arrival
in Yemen, with both Deutsche Presse Agency and the Yemeni
Ministry of Defense-controlled "26 September" quoting sources
as saying that Sharif would arrive in Yemen as early as
February 5.
KRAJESKI
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2017
TAGS: PREL MOPS PHUM SO YE
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: YEMEN READY TO RECEIVE SHEIKH SHARIF, BUT
KEEP HIM UNDER TIGHT CONTROL
REF: SANAA 138
Classified By: AMBASSADOR THOMAS C. KRAJESKI FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D
).
1. (C) Ambassador called on Yemeni FM Abu Bakr al-Qirbi on
February 4 in order to deliver reftel demarche points, to
which Qirbi replied that the Republic of Yemen Government
(ROYG) continues to urge the Somali Transitional Federal
Government (TFG) to conduct an inclusive political dialogue.
He said that President Saleh's "pragmatic" advice not to
"rush into dialogue with former Council of Islamic Courts
(CIC) members" remains valid (reftel),but that pressing
former CIC and other moderates into dialogue is a "win-win
situation" because it would "expose who is truly willing to
participate in re-building Somalia and who is just telling us
what we want to hear because they have been defeated."
2. (C) Qirbi also said that the ROYG continues to encourage
former CIC leader Sheikh Sharif to re-locate from Kenya to
Yemen, but that TFG President Abdullahi Yusuf has asked the
Government of Kenya to block his movement. According to
Qirbi, Yusuf was upset by Sharif's comments to the BBC
insisting that he would continue to oppose the Ethiopian
occupation forces and the TFG.
3. (C) Qirbi stated that Sharif's comments only reinforced
the ROYG's desire to have Sharif accept its offer to come to
Yemen. If Sharif came to Yemen, the ROYG would closely
monitor him and ensure that "none of his activities do
anything to harm peace and security in Somalia," and would
seek to convince him to take part in a national
reconciliation process. If, on the other hand, Sharif were
allowed to travel elsewhere, he could end up in Eritrea or
Libya, and "these governments would use Sharif for their own
agendas" to harm the chances for stability in Somalia.
4. (C) Qirbi said he had asked his ambassador in Mogadishu
to arrange a telephone call between him and President Yusuf
in order to ask Yusuf to authorize Sharif's transfer to
Yemen. The FM noted that there had been some speculation
about the idea of the Kenyans sending Sharif back to Somalia,
but Qirbi advised that "this would create a big problem for
the TFG, because if they arrest and prosecute him, that would
ignite the Islamist groups." Qirbi promised to provide
Ambassador with an update should he learn more about Sharif's
travel plans.
5. (U) NOTE: Foreign and local media outlets have been
speculating for more than a week on Sharif's possible arrival
in Yemen, with both Deutsche Presse Agency and the Yemeni
Ministry of Defense-controlled "26 September" quoting sources
as saying that Sharif would arrive in Yemen as early as
February 5.
KRAJESKI