Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASMARA315
2008-06-12 15:15:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Asmara
how-toVZCZCXRO7739 RR RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO DE RUEHAE #0315 1641515 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 121515Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9736 INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL RUEPADJ/CJTF-HOA J2X CAMP LEMONIER DJ
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000315
SIPDIS
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2018
TAGS: PREL ER DJ SO SU
SUBJECT: ISAIAS HOLDS A GRUDGE
Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for Reason 1.4 (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000315
SIPDIS
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2018
TAGS: PREL ER DJ SO SU
SUBJECT: ISAIAS HOLDS A GRUDGE
Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for Reason 1.4 (d)
1. (C) WHY ERITREA IS BEING SO STUBBORN: In mid-April, just
as the tension on the Eritrea-Djibouti border was first
rising, President Isaias telephoned President Guelleh and
suggested that the two of them work together to resolve the
issue, according to Yemane Ghebreab, the Eritrean ruling
party's political director. Guelleh agreed, but the next day
he supposedly issued some pronouncement slating the Eritreans
for encroaching on Ras Doumeira. Isaias was furious with
what he saw as Guelleh's two-faced behavior, and went into
his famously mulish mode.
2. (C) ETHIOPIA "DUPING" DJIBOUTI: In a frank 90 minute
exchange with the ambassador on June 12, Yemane repeated the
line that Eritrea has no claims on Djiboutian territory, has
no fundamental problem with Djibouti, and "will not be
provoked into something larger." When pressed, he explained
the Eritrean perspective that Ethiopia has duped Djibouti
into creating another border dispute to foster Ethiopian
interests in the region. The ambassador replied that if this
was the Eritrean view, then they'd already failed, as it
looked like they had risen to the alleged "provocation." The
ambassador reiterated the USG call for an end to Eritrea's
aggressive behavior on the border, a cease-fire, a return to
the status quo ante, and a dispute resolution process.
3. (C) REGIONAL REVIEW: Yemane also shared his views on
other regional developments, including:
-- Eritrea had given up on the Darfuri factions and looked to
Khartoum to initiate a resolution to the Darfur mess;
-- Eritrea backed a SPLM-NCP "partnership" for the Sudanese
2009 elections;
-- The Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia split had
delayed a peaceful resolution to Somalia's woes; Yemane
blamed Sheikh Sharif for not working to gain consensus within
the ARS first;
-- Yemane opined that the June 9 Somalia reconciliation
agreement was "unimplementable;" and,
-- He verified that Sudan had agreed to provide much needed
diesel and other fuels, but cautioned "it's agreed to, but
not delivered yet."
MCMULLEN
SIPDIS
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2018
TAGS: PREL ER DJ SO SU
SUBJECT: ISAIAS HOLDS A GRUDGE
Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for Reason 1.4 (d)
1. (C) WHY ERITREA IS BEING SO STUBBORN: In mid-April, just
as the tension on the Eritrea-Djibouti border was first
rising, President Isaias telephoned President Guelleh and
suggested that the two of them work together to resolve the
issue, according to Yemane Ghebreab, the Eritrean ruling
party's political director. Guelleh agreed, but the next day
he supposedly issued some pronouncement slating the Eritreans
for encroaching on Ras Doumeira. Isaias was furious with
what he saw as Guelleh's two-faced behavior, and went into
his famously mulish mode.
2. (C) ETHIOPIA "DUPING" DJIBOUTI: In a frank 90 minute
exchange with the ambassador on June 12, Yemane repeated the
line that Eritrea has no claims on Djiboutian territory, has
no fundamental problem with Djibouti, and "will not be
provoked into something larger." When pressed, he explained
the Eritrean perspective that Ethiopia has duped Djibouti
into creating another border dispute to foster Ethiopian
interests in the region. The ambassador replied that if this
was the Eritrean view, then they'd already failed, as it
looked like they had risen to the alleged "provocation." The
ambassador reiterated the USG call for an end to Eritrea's
aggressive behavior on the border, a cease-fire, a return to
the status quo ante, and a dispute resolution process.
3. (C) REGIONAL REVIEW: Yemane also shared his views on
other regional developments, including:
-- Eritrea had given up on the Darfuri factions and looked to
Khartoum to initiate a resolution to the Darfur mess;
-- Eritrea backed a SPLM-NCP "partnership" for the Sudanese
2009 elections;
-- The Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia split had
delayed a peaceful resolution to Somalia's woes; Yemane
blamed Sheikh Sharif for not working to gain consensus within
the ARS first;
-- Yemane opined that the June 9 Somalia reconciliation
agreement was "unimplementable;" and,
-- He verified that Sudan had agreed to provide much needed
diesel and other fuels, but cautioned "it's agreed to, but
not delivered yet."
MCMULLEN