SOMALIA - PRESIDENT YUSUF AND AMBASSADOR DISCUSS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 002552 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/E AND A/S FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID PINS SO SUBJECT: SOMALIA - PRESIDENT YUSUF AND AMBASSADOR DISCUSS SECURITY AND TFG HARMONY REF: A. NAIROBI 2469 ¶B. DJIBOUTI 840 NAIROBI 00002552 001.2 OF 002 SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Summary: At a meeting with the Ambassador on the eve of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development's Somalia Summit (ref a),Transitional Federal Government (TFG) President Abdullahi Yusuf welcomed, and pledged support for the Djibouti Agreement's cease-fire and unity government declaration (ref b). Citing the need for improved security, Yusuf hoped the agreement might encourage the UN soon to approve a PKO for Somalia. Yusuf said the Ethiopians had troops on hand if needed, and Kenya had promised to train Somali police and soldiers if a donor would pay (Note: Kenya has asked the United States to fund the training, but has not presented us with a plan). He urged Washington to lobby Arab countries to fund more international stabilization troops (UN or otherwise) for Somalia. Yusuf said his dealings with Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein had improved, but his relationship with Parliamentary Speaker Sheikh Aden Mohammed Nur "Madobe" had deteriorated over parliament's reaction to the August Addis Ababa agreement. End Summary. YUSUF SUPPORTS DJIBOUTI AGREEMENT, HOPES FOR INT'L TROOPS... -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On October 26, Ambassador met with TFG President Yusuf on the eve of the IGAD summit in Nairobi (ref a). The Ambassador stressed that the IGAD summit's outcome should complement the cease-fire and unity government agreements reached in Djibouti (ref b). ¶3. (SBU) President Yusuf said the news from Djibouti was indeed good. He worried, however, that "opposition moderates," i.e., ARS, couldn't control al-Shabaab (Note: Possibly showing his age, or disconnectedness, Yusuf struggled to recall the name of the opposition ARS, or Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia, and had to be prompted by his staff). Al-Shabaab would try to prevent the Djibouti Agreement's implementation, he said, but he predicted the Somali people would support peace. He promised to attend future rounds of TFG - ARS peace talks. ¶4. (SBU) Ever the fighter, President Yusuf said he needed more troops to deal with al-Shabaab. Prime Minister Meles allegedly had promised 5,000 more, if needed. Yusuf also hoped African countries would volunteer more troops for AMISOM. Yusuf noted positively Kenya's offer to train 10,000 Somali police and soldiers (Note: The Government of Kenya has asked the United States to fund the training. Despite repeated requests, including by the Ambassador, Kenya has yet to produce a training program and budget for us to review). Yusuf suggested Washington lobby Arab countries, specifically Libya and Qatar, to support AMISOM and Ethiopian troop increases, or to pay for a UN force. He hoped the cease-fire might speed UN consideration of a peace-keeping force and a change in AMISOM's mandate, so it could play a greater stabilizing role. ...BUT TFG LEADERS STILL SQUABBLING -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Yusuf said his relationship with Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein had improved since the two signed an agreement in Addis Ababa in August. However, Yusuf criticized Speaker of Parliament Nur for allowing parliament to challenge reinstatement of 10 cabinet members, as agreed in the Addis accord. Yusuf said the Speaker had acted like a "dictator" for defying a lawfully reached agreement, the constitution, and Transitional Federal Charter. COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Comment: President Yusuf appeared at ease and in good health, though he told us he would travel to London on November 3 for regularly scheduled medical treatment. The NAIROBI 00002552 002.2 OF 002 Ambassador encouraged him to return to Mogadishu as soon as possible to support the cease-fire. Yusuf's support for the Djibouti Agreement is critical to its success. Yusuf probably sees a successful cease-fire both as a means to isolate al-Shabaab and as a step closer to the arrival of international troops. We asked Yusuf to work better with the Speaker of Parliament; we've subsequently learned from our contacts that his relationship with the Prime Minister may not as amiable as Yusuf indicated. End comment. RANNEBERGER