MFA DISCUSSES SOMALIA, ETHIOPIA/ERITREA AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L ADDIS ABABA 000583 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF, AF/E AND INR/AA LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2018 TAGS: ER ET PBTS PGOV PHUM PREL SUBJECT: MFA DISCUSSES SOMALIA, ETHIOPIA/ERITREA AND INTERNAL POLITICS Classified By: AMBASSADOR DONALD YAMAMOTO REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Officials from Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs including State Minister Dr. Tekeda Alemu met for lunch with Ambassador Yamamoto and Emboffs. The discussion was wide-ranging and candid. On Somalia, the MFA shared information regarding the Foreign Minister,s February 27 trip to Baidoa and their opinions on the leadership in Mogadishu. Regarding the Ethiopia/Eritrea border situation and the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE),Minister Tekeda updated the Ambassador on their view of the UN Security Council's actions. On internal politics, the Minister offered his views on democratization and the opposition. Several members of the MFA delegation expressed concern over U.S. government reporting on internal Ethiopian matters including the Ogaden and human rights. Finally, Minister Tekeda expressed enthusiasm for a continued broad dialogue on the Ethiopia-U.S. bilateral relationship. END SUMMARY. SOMALIA -------------- ¶2. (C) Abdetta Dribssa, Assistant Chief of the Minister's Cabinet, and Minister Tekeda discussed Abdetta's trip with Foreign Minister Seyoum on February 27 to Baidoa. They stated that the meeting went very well, and that the 3 parties -- FM Seyoum, President Yusuf, and Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein -- laid all issues out on the table. Tekeda stated that Prime Minister Nur, and the Ethiopian Government (GoE),came out of the meeting pleased with the results. Tekeda did not go into detail on the specifics of the meeting and promised a read-out at a later date. ¶3. (C) When queried on the current relationship between President Yusuf and Prime Minister Nur, Abdetta commented that each brings something to a coalition government, with Yusuf bringing members of the Darod clan and Nur brining members of the Hawiye clan into the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). Abdetta stated, however, that Yusuf's participation in the TFG past 2009 was uncertain at this time. ¶4. (C) Ambassador Yamamoto conveyed concerns about the value and contribution of the Mayor of Mogadishu, Mohamed Dheere. Abdetta related that Dheere is not a popular figure, but he was helpful when the TFG was fighting to gain control of Somalia. He further shared that changes in the institutional framework of Somalia, which the GoE is currently working on, are more important than the presence or absence of individual players. Tekeda added that there are a number of activities planned to strengthen institutions in Somalia, although they are proceeding more slowly than expected. ETHIOPIA/ERITREA AND UNMEE -------------- ¶5. (C) Ambassador Yamamoto informed the MFA delegation that the U.S. is pushing a two-pronged approach to the current UNMEE situation, first focusing on getting the troops out of Eritrea and then moving to possible sanctions. The Ambassador reiterated the need to maintain a strong stance in this unprecedented standoff between Eritrea and the UN. ¶6. (C) Minister Tekeda stated that the GoE feels that the UN Security Council (UNSC) is not being helpful in resolving the situation. In particular, he mentioned South Africa and Italy as being unsupportive. He is pleased with support from the U.S., France, and Great Britain. He said that the GoE is asking the Chinese to at least abstain on a sanctions vote. Although the Chinese have not yet responded to the request, Tekeda expressed confidence that China would abstain if such a vote were taken. He stated that there are serious implications to the UNSC not taking serious and swift action in this instance, and called into question the future credibility of the UNSC if they do not act. Ambassador Yamamoto related that the UN's reaction in the next two to three weeks is critical. DEMOCRATIZATION AND POLITICAL SPACE FOR OPPOSITION -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) DCM Deborah Malac raised the issue of democratization and the need for Ethiopia to strengthen its democratic institutions and processes. The Ambassador added that the EPRDF has nothing to fear in giving more political space to the opposition because, right now, the ruling party is much more organized. If, the Ambassador said, EPRDF allowed more debate and political space, the attention of the people of Ethiopia could turn to economic improvement while reducing the perception of political risk among potential investors. ¶8. (C) Minister Tekeda responded strongly to these comments. He stated that the EPRDF needs to be open to criticism, but that the U.S. has to recognize that developing countries like Ethiopia face challenges in democratization. He pointed out that democratization in the U.S. took time and was not without problems. He also said that people in developing countries today set expectations for democratization universally -* not just in the context of their own nation. He made a plea for more empathy and sympathy from the U.S. and other donors as Ethiopia progresses in democratization. Nevertheless, Tekeda was adamant that while the EPRDF should be more open to, and partners should raise, points of genuine criticism about GoE actions, it is fundamentally unacceptable to question the GoE,s motives behind such actions. ¶9. (C) Tekeda also emphasized the need for empirical verification of any allegations made. He was particularly critical of the opposition parties using embassies as a last court of appeal for disputes, calling the practice degrading and stating it has a corrosive effect. He said that the EPRDF is not taking actions to make Washington happy, but rather to ensure stability. He stated that there is a need for consensus among the political class as a whole regarding national security and other vital issues, and posited that national security cannot be assured without the ruling EPRDF. ¶10. (C) Tekeda characterized the opposition as "not helpful" and in need of improvement. He specifically refuted charges made by OFDM party Chairman Bulcha Demeksa on the Ethiopian Review website claiming that the GoE requires MFA authorization before opposition parties may meet with foreign guests. U.S. REPORTING - HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT AND THE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TEAM (HAT) -------------- -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Minister Tekeda took umbrage to Ethiopia's past treatment in the State Department's Human Rights Report (HRR). He said that while Ethiopia should not be congratulated, the criticism in the report should have a sound evidentiary basis. Minelik Alemu, Director General for International Law and Consular Affairs, continued the criticism of the HRR. He stated that in some areas of the report, the assessment dates to 1991 and is no longer accurate. He communicated the difficulty that the report causes the GoE. Because they disagree with many of the findings, they put out statements refuting the report and then, having been put on the defensive, ignore the report. ¶12. (SBU) In response, the DCM told the MFA guests about the strict requirements for writing the report. The guests were interested in the fact that the report is not designed to address strengths or progress, only shortcomings. ¶13. (SBU) Minister Tekeda raised the issue of the USG Humanitarian Assistance Team (HAT team) which has recently completed an assessment of conditions in the Ogaden region. Tekeda and Minelik argued that the team,s findings must be further studied by technical experts within the GoE and discussed with the HAT team before the findings of the report are made public. Ambassador and DCM emphasized that the HAT team is not working on a public product, and that the report's findings are more positive and proactive than others reporting on the area. DESIRE FOR CONTINUED DIALOGUE -------------- ¶14. (SBU) On several occasions during the luncheon, Tekeda expressed a desire to meet on a more frequent basis in a friendly setting to discuss the bilateral Ethiopia-U.S. relationship. Tekeda shared that, in his opinion, the relationship, up to the present, has been one of altruism on the part of the U.S. rather than a truly mutually beneficial one. He would like to engage in discussion of, among other topics, the role of China in the U.S.-Ethiopia bilateral relationship and how the two countries' economic relationship will be transformed in the next five years. COMMENT -------------- ¶15. (C) This meeting, the first between Ambassador Yamamoto and Minister Tekeda in a non-office setting, offered an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues. The topics raised were not always of mutual agreement, and the luncheon provided an opportunity for less formal discourse. Minister Tekeda's desire to continue such meetings provides another window of access to the GoE and a means of getting issues on the table. END COMMENT. YAMAMOTO