SOMALIA - TFG COMMITTEES TO IMPLEMENT DJIBOUTI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 001776 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/E AND A/S FRAZER E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SO SUBJECT: SOMALIA - TFG COMMITTEES TO IMPLEMENT DJIBOUTI AGREEMENT REF: A. NAIROBI 1421 ¶B. NAIROBI 1209 ¶C. NAIROBI 1360 Classified By: POLOFF Jessica Davis Ba. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On July 18, Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) nominated its representatives for the committees outlined in the June 9 Djibouti Agreement (Ref A) reached between the TFG and the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS). Article 9 of the Agreement called for a High Level Committee "to follow up on issues relating to the political cooperation between the Parties and concerns over justice and reconciliation." Article 8 called for the Parties to establish a Joint Security Committee to follow up the implementation of security arrangements. ¶2. (C) The committees' composition indicates Prime Minister Hussein took the lead on nominations to the High Level Committee while President Yusuf named his close allies to the Joint Security Committee. The lists represent some compromise and we expect that there are opportunities for further concessions as the mandates of the committees are established, and the Parties form sub-committees to direct specific activities. Most of the cabinet and parliamentary representatives participated in the preliminary discussions in Djibouti (Ref B) and the larger TFG delegation (Ref C) for the second round of talks leading to the June 9 agreement. The TFG submitted the following candidates to SRSG Ould-Abdallah for these two committees. -------------- High Level Committee -------------- ¶3. (C) The July 18 letter from the Prime Minister to SRSG Ould-Abdallah stated, "While H.E. Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein will lead the TFG Members and attend most of the working sessions of the High Level Committee, the other TFG Members for the same Committee are as follows:" -- Ahmed Abdisalam Aden - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Information, Youth Affairs, and Sports (Acting Chair of the Delegation): (Hawiye/Haber Gedir/Ayr) Abdisalam was the Chair of the TFG delegation for the second round of talks that led to the June 9 Djibouti Agreement. Amdisalam was instrumental in rallying Hawiye support for the peace process within Mogadishu and testified before the Transitional Parliament prior to its unanimous July 16 vote in support of the Djibouti Agreement. A close ally of the Prime Minister, President Yusuf distrusts Abdisalam. The fact that Adbisalam is leading the TFG delegation demonstrates the continued leadership of the PM on reconciliation and political dialogue with the opposition. Before joining the TFG in January 2008, he was a civil society leader, and co-founded and directed Horn Afrik Media. Abdisalam is a very close Embassy contact. -- Abdirizak Ashkir Abdi - Minister of Reconciliation, Regional Development and Federal Affairs: (Darood/Marehan) Abdi chaired the TFG delegation for the first round of discussions in Djibouti. Although Abdisalam led the second round of discussions, Abdi continued to play a very active role in the negotiations. He is an experienced foreign affairs official who served in the Siad Barre regime. Abdi lived abroad for the last several years, most recently in the UK, until his appointment to the TFG earlier this year. As one of the new ministers from outside Parliament, he is very close to the PM (although he is from the same clan as President Yusuf) and holds a Netherlands passport. -- Khadija Mohamed Diriye - Minister of Gender Development and Family Affairs and Acting Minister of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries: (minority clan) Diriye was part of the TFG delegation in the second round of the Djibouti discussions (although not the first) and played a key role in working with the women who were part of the ARS and civil society delegations to forge common ground. Diriye is married to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice and Religious Affairs (and Acting Minister of Labor and Social Affairs) Salim Aliyo Ibrow. Diriye is a Member of Parliament and is illiterate. Her nomination to the cabinet was opposed by some civil society representatives advocating increased representation by women who charged that Yusuf chose the least-qualified woman to further marginalize women,s issues. Diriye has since gained greater respect of women and civil NAIROBI 00001776 002 OF 003 society leaders and those within the TFG who have praised her contributions. -- Mohamed Ali Hamud - Minister of Finance and Planning: (Digil Mirifle/Mirifle) Hamud was part of both rounds of the Djibouti discussions and served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Siad Barre regime. Hamud was the co-founder of the Rahwein Resistance Army (RRA) in the mid-1990s, but left Somalia to avoid infighting and an internal power struggle within the RRA. He moved to Australia and gained Australian citizenship. Hamud is a close relative of the Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament. Hamud is said to be a strong supporter of the PM and we have met with him on several occasions in Nairobi. -- Nur Iidow Beyle - Minister of Public Works and Reconstruction: (Hawiye/Hawadle) Beyle was Deputy Chair of the TFG delegation for the first round of discussions and was also part of the second round. He served as chairman of the Hiraan community in the UK and is well-respected and influential in the Hiiran Region and within his Hawadle subclan. Beyle is a British citizen and returned to Somalia with his cabinet appointment in January. He is the youngest member of the cabinet and is close to PM Hussein. -- Ibrahim Aden Hassan "Kiih Bur" - Member of Parliament: (Digil Mirifle) Hassan was part of the second Djibouti discussions (though not the first). He is a former warlord from the Bay Region. Hassan was the Aviation Minister under former Prime Minister Gedi. In the January 2007 parliamentary election, Aden "Madobe" Mohamed Nur beat Hassan 153 to 52 to become Speaker of the Parliament. Hassan is an ally of President Yusuf, but collaborates closely with the Speaker. -- Abdullahi Shiekh Ismail - Member of Parliament: (Dir/Biyamaal) From the Lower Shabelle Region, Ismail served in the Gedi cabinet as the Deputy Prime Minister and the first TFG Foreign Affairs Minister. Ismail is a career diplomat and has a strong background in international relations. He is said to be a die-hard supporter of Former PM Gedi and identified as the "Chairperson of the pro-Gedi parliamentarians". He has lived in Addis Ababa since the early 1990s, has very close relations with Ethiopia, and now supports President Yusuf. -- Abdallah Bos Ahmed - Member of Parliament: (Isaaq) Ahmed was part of the delegation for the second round of discussions, though not the first. He was the Minister of Fisheries under Gedi and is from Somaliland. -- Abdirahman Jama Abdalla - Member of Parliament: (Darood) Abdalla was part of both rounds of discussions in Djibouti. He was the Minister of Resettlement under Gedi. From the same clan as the TFG President, Abdalla is said to be a strong Yusuf supporter. -------------- Joint Security Committee -------------- ¶4. (C) While the TFG has nominated the following individuals to serve on the Joint Security Committee, SRSG Ould-Abdallah indicated to us that the representation may change. -- Mohamed Mohamud Hayd - Member of Parliament (Chair of the Delegation): (minority clan affiliation, but associated with Darood/Majerteen) Hayd was part of the TFG delegations for both rounds of the Djibouti talks. He served as Minister of Education and Environment under former PM Gedi. Hayd is also a strong supporter of President Yusuf. -- Ibrahim Abdullahi Osman "Garabey" - Member of Parliament: (Digil Mirifle/Mirifle) Garabey was part of the TFG delegations for both rounds of the Djibouti talks. With his participation backed by the Speaker of Parliament, Garabey is a staunch ally of the Speaker and is likely to defend his interests. -- Mohamed Hussein Qalinle - Member of Parliament: Qalinle was the only Member of Parliament nominated who was not part of either round of the Djibouti talks. -- General Abdi Awale Qeybdiid: (Hawiye/Haber Gedir/Sa'ad) Qeybdiid was the head of the police under Siad Barre and was a notorious warlord. He is currently the TFG Commissioner NAIROBI 00001776 003 OF 003 for Police and a strong Yusuf supporter. -- General Mohamed Warsame Farah "Darwish": (Darod/Majerteen) Darwish is the Director of the National Security Service, the Somali intelligence service. He is a close ally and relative of President Yusuf and maintains loyal armed, clan-based militia. -- General Said Mohamed Hersi "Dheere": (Darod/Majerteen) Dheere is the Mayor of Mogadishu and Governor of the Benadir Region. He was a member of the Somalia Salvation Democratic Front and was the Puntland military commander while Yusuf was President of Puntland. Dheere remains a trusted ally of the president and controls a significant armed militia which he supports primarily with revenues from Mogadishu's port. We were unable to obtain any additional information on the following candidates for the Joint Security Committee, but believe that they, like the others, have close ties to President Yusuf: -- General Mohamed Sheikh Madoowe -- General Abdullahi Moallim -- Colonel Abdikarim Dahir SLUTZ