Ogaden: Continued Action Required to Meet Tough

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 000527 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF DAS SWAN, AF/E, AFPDPA, PRM A/S SAURBREY, PRM/AFR STATE PLEASE PASS TO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE USAID AFR/AA FOR KALMQUIST, WWARREN, JBORNS, KNELSON, CTHOMPSON DCHA/AA FOR MHESS, GGOTTLIEB DCHA/OFDA FOR KLUU, ACONVERY, CCHAN, PMORRIS, KCHANNELL DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, PMORAN, SANTHONY, PBERTOLIN LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER CJTF-HOA AND USCENTCOM FOR POLAD NAIROBI FOR OFDA/ECARO GPLATT, RFFPO NCOX, USAID/EA ROME FOR AMBASSADOR, OHA, HSPANOS BRUSSELS FOR USEU PBROWN GENEVA FOR NKYLOH, RMA USUN FOR FSHANKS NSC FOR PMARCHAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ET SUBJECT: Ogaden: Continued Action Required to Meet Tough Challenges Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) During a February 22-23 visit to the Ethiopia Somali region, Ambassador, USAID Mission Director, USAID Advisor for the Somali region, and RSO met Ethiopia Somali region President Abdullahi Hassan and his staff in charge of humanitarian relief in the Ogaden to press for improved food distribution. Noting that 50 percent of Ogaden food distribution centers had not received food yet, the Ambassador urged the Ethiopian government: to further lift commercial food trade restrictions with Somalia, the main means for bringing food into the Ogaden; to investigate one substantiated incident of looting of a truck carrying U.S. food aid; to improve management of food distribution; to sign the extension of the USAID-funded safety net and pastoralist livelihood initiatives; and to declare the southern region of the Somali Region a drought disaster to enable USAID and other donors to help bring assistance to this afflicted area. ¶2. (SBU) Summary Continued: The Somali Region President pressed the Ambassador to expand health and education for pastoralists and to realize U.S. efforts to integrate the Ogaden into the national health and education initiative. The United States Government (USG) is at the forefront in advocating and supporting the Ministries of Health and Education in this endeavor. The President disagreed with USAID findings of poor and diverted food distribution, but finally assured that his staff would look into it. The President and Ambassador agreed on the need to address the counterinsurgency and extremist infiltration problems from Somalia through comprehensive humanitarian and long term development support, including an education effort in the Ogaden region. The Ambassador stressed the need for Ethiopia to adjust military operations to focus on the counterinsurgency problem without creating animosities among the populace and to ensure broad distribution of food aid. ¶3. (SBU) Summary Continued: The USG has committed and will continue to commit a great deal of time, effort and resources to the Ogaden (USD 53 million in emergency assistance to the Ogaden region since August 2007, accounting for 98 percent of all international emergency assistance to the region thus far). According to the USAID-sponsored Humanitarian Assistance Team (HAT),U.S. Embassy-led efforts and visits by senior officials, such as Assistant Secretary Frazer, USAID Administrator Fore and USAID Assistant Administrator Almquist, helped mitigate a crisis so far through a pro-active approach. While not a famine, the Ogaden remains a pressing problem with continuing security restrictions and poor rains and drought increasing risk of famine. The Embassy is leading the international effort to work with the government to get food distributed throughout the region during the March and April timeframe, just before the rainy season begins, to stave off a possible famine situation. Over the long-term, assistance to help integrate the Ogaden in the national development strategy will help undercut the insurgency and give people in the Ogaden hope for a better future. End Summary. Tough Talk on Food and Trade -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Ambassador (notetaker),USAID Mission Director Anders, USAID Advisor for the Somali region Graham, and RSO Bishop met with Ethiopia's Somali region President Abdullahi Hassan in the regional capital of Jijiga on February 22 for a three-hour marathon meeting on the challenges and solutions for the Somali region. The President appeared fully recovered from the grenade attack against him and his cabinet from last summer by insurgents. The U.S. side pressed the President, his Ogaden region humanitarian coordinator, Anwar Ali Abdi, and his security chief Abdi Mohamed Umar, to make every effort to overcome mismanagement and inefficiencies to ensure that USAID's emergency food assistance through the World Food Program (WFP) gets to all 186 food distribution centers in the Ogaden region. Thus far, only 60 percent of the centers have received food, and those which have received it need more to meet population needs. The U.S. side also raised greater effort to ease restrictions on food trade and commercial trade between Somalia and the Ogaden, and within the Somali region, the usual means for bringing food into the Ogaden region. ¶5. (SBU) The President replied that food rations, with the help of the U.S., have gotten to the most vulnerable, but admitted that more effort is needed to get food to all those in need. He emphasized the difficulties and cost of transport throughout the region. The President and Anwar Ali Abdi stressed that no one will go hungry, a declaration echoed by Prime Minister Meles, and that the most vulnerable people are being assisted. On commercial trade, the President and Anwar stressed that insurgents and extremists use trade to infiltrate and bring in weapons from Somalia into the Ogaden. While criticizing some NGOs for assisting insurgents, the President noted that livestock trade is robust through Somaliland. The President explained at length the challenges faced by the Ogaden, particularly its historic problems. He underscored that fifteen years ago the nine zones and 52 districts of the Ethiopia Somali region, which includes the Ogaden area, had fewer than 30 schools. Now it has over 1,000 elementary and secondary schools, five colleges and a university, and 250 health centers. While significant, more schools and health clinics are urgently needed. ¶6. (SBU) USAID Mission Director Anders presented photos and pressed the President on the report of the looting of a truck carrying USAID food assistance in Kebredehar in January. About 9 tons of food was looted and sold in the markets. Warning the President that if this mishandling and diversion, of which there have been allegations since last autumn, when USAID emergency food aid entered the region, went unchecked it would have a chilling effect on relations and on continued USAID emergency assistance. Noting that the U.S. was the primary donor for the emergency in the Ogaden (98 percent of all emergency aid),without U.S. assistance the region would fall into crisis. The President and Anwar denied that looting had occurred, noting that with military escorts looting has been almost eliminated. In the past, food had been looted by the insurgent Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and criminals. At the end of a heated exchange, the President and Anwar agreed to investigate and to check more into the food distribution. Drought in Southern Somali and Other Priorities -------------- -- ¶7. (SBU) USAID also pressed the President and Anwar on mismanagement and inefficiencies in food deliveries. They pressed the President to engage more on improving food distribution efficiency, underscoring that military convoys have slowed distribution and more areas can be reached without military escorts. USAID Advisor Graham suggested the President declare the southern part of the Somali region a drought disaster, which has already been done in neighboring areas of Oromiya region. With the dry season at its height, Graham explained that satellite imagery showed severe drought making the plight of the Somalis, including Ogadenis, more severe. Graham explained that a drought declaration will help USAID support the President and the Ethiopian government in addressing this new complicating environmental problem. The President said he would work with USAID on this issue. ¶8. (SBU) USAID Advisor Graham also pressed the President to speed up efforts to sign the extension for two critical USAID programs in the Somali region: the Pastoralist Livelihood initiative and the Safety Net initiative. Both programs are critical to the humanitarian relief and development of the region and must be funded. A signed support letter from the President is key for extending both programs, Graham explained. Anwar promised a quick signature next week. Regional President Wants U.S. Engagement -------------- ¶9. (SBU) The President and Anwar pressed the U.S. on expanding health and education of the pastoralists, who face droughts and floods and severe hardships. The President noted that the U.S. is the only donor that can help improve the pastoralists' situation, raise standards of living, and give them hope. Further, the President urged the Ambassador to realize U.S. efforts to integrate the Ogaden region and the Ethiopia Somali region into national health and education plans. The clear message from the President was for the U.S. Embassy to be the region's advocate in Addis Ababa. The Ambassador replied that this was a priority for the U.S. because a long-term national effort will ultimately help the region face future environmental challenges from floods, droughts and locust infestation. The Ambassador explained that the U.S. Embassy has advocated with and supported the Education and Health Ministries in this endeavor to bring the Ogaden into a national strategy. Both ministries have explained their commitment to such a policy and the Embassy will advocate for and press the ministries on this effort. ¶10. (SBU) The Ambassador pressed the President to do more with the Ethiopian military to face the counterinsurgency movement in a rational and humane manner. The Ambassador explained that copies of General Petreaus' manual on counterinsurgency were passed to Prime Minister Meles and Chief of Staff General Samora. The Ambassador noted that the Ethiopian military can eliminate thousands of insurgents' "technicals" (trucks with mounted guns),but they would just be replaced quickly. A long-term humanitarian approach, improving the lives of the people, and eliminating fear would earn the trust and support of the people. The HAT Report -------------- ¶11. (SBU) The President discussed the USAID-sponsored HAT Report. USAID Mission Director Anders and USAID Advisor Graham explained that the HAT report made clear that efforts last summer by the U.S. working with the Ethiopian government and regional government helped mitigate a crisis situation. While the current situation in Ethiopia's Somali region is not yet a famine, the situation remains severe and could quickly become a famine and humanitarian crisis if more efforts are not taken to distribute food and lift commercial food restrictions immediately. Both sides agreed that March and April will be particularly challenging with the harsh dry season and severe drought in the south. Comment -------------- ¶12. (SBU) The U.S. Embassy has been at the forefront in informing and coordinating the international community on the Ogaden situation. USAID has been the lead agency in mitigating the crisis, but the solution to the Ogaden is clearly integrating the region fully into the national health and education initiatives. USAID/Ethiopia and USAID/OFDA are working on a transitional emergency-to-development strategy. The Health ministry with U.S. assistance plans to expand health centers from 700 to over 3,200 in the next five years, with a focus on areas like the Ogaden, he claimed. (Note: Our information indicates that the Somali region hosts far fewer health centers - 14 - and schools. End Note.) The White House education initiative for Ethiopia can help expand education opportunities in the Ogaden, as well. Additional Economic Growth and IHEA funding will enable an expansion of critical pastoral livelihoods and livestock marketing programs in the region. ¶13. (SBU) Comment Continued: Making the region a priority for U.S. and other donor dialogue and assistance will help improve this strategic and conflicted region's ability to face the constant environmental challenges of floods, droughts and locust infestation, and earn the trust and confidence of the people while undercutting support for the insurgency movement. Working with the Ethiopian military to moderate its behavior and reach out to the public without engaging in strong arm tactics and meeting the brutality of the insurgents with brutality will be equally critical in gaining trust of the public. End Comment.