Somalia Cancels Plans for Prime Minister to Attend Damascus

C O N F I D E N T I A L NAIROBI 000726 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/E AND A/S FRAZER E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL SO SUBJECT: Somalia Cancels Plans for Prime Minister to Attend Damascus Arab League Summit Classified by Special Envoy John Yates for reasons 1.4 (b,d) REF: STATE 23590 ¶1. (C) During a March 10 meeting with Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf (to be reported septel),SE Yates carried out reftel instructions to discourage the Somali government from sending a high level delegation to the Damascus Summit. ¶2. (C) President Yusuf replied, "I got your message." Yusuf told us that he had not planned to attend the summit in Damascus since he will be leading Somalia's delegation at the OIC Summit in Dakar, but he had intended to send Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein. In light of our concerns, Yusuf said that he would instruct the Prime Minister that Somalia be represented at the Damascus Summit by the Foreign Minister instead. ¶3. () Special Envoy followed up with PM Hussein March 11, who confirmed Somalia TFG decision to send a delegation to Damascus at no higher than the Ministerial level. RANNEBERGER