Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08STATE15620
2008-02-14 22:33:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

SOMALIA -- TALKING POINTS FOR FEBRUARY 15

Tags:  UNSC PREL PHUM KCRM PBTS PHSA EWWT SO XA XW 
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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #5620 0452236
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 142233Z FEB 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0635
INFO UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 6544
UNCLAS STATE 015620 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: UNSC PREL PHUM KCRM PBTS PHSA EWWT SO XA XW
SUBJECT: SOMALIA -- TALKING POINTS FOR FEBRUARY 15
CONSULTATIONS

UNCLAS STATE 015620

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: UNSC PREL PHUM KCRM PBTS PHSA EWWT SO XA XW
SUBJECT: SOMALIA -- TALKING POINTS FOR FEBRUARY 15
CONSULTATIONS


1. USUN is instructed to draw from the following talking
points during their February 15 consultations on Somalia.

Begin points:

-- The United States continues to have the utmost concern
over the ongoing crisis in Somalia.

-- The United States is grateful to the AU Mission in Somalia
for its vital role in trying to bring
stability to Somalia. We support the extension of its
mandate.

-- The United States commends the 1800 Ugandan and 850
Burundi peacekeepers already on the ground in Somalia. We
thank the Government of Uganda and President Museveni for his
public commitment of an additional 1600 peacekeepers to
bolster the mission. We urge all AU members who have made
public commitments to the mission to fulfill their pledge
and deploy as soon as possible. We encourage all AU members
to consider contributing to this important African
mission. Likewise, the United States urges all UN member
states to provide financial resources, personnel,
equipment and logistical support so these forces and future
troop pledges can deploy as soon as possible.

-- We would especially like to acknowledge the important work
that the Ugandan forces have carried out in providing
medical care for Somali citizens, even though it is not part
of their mandate requirements. The medical team has
helped hundreds of Somalis.

-- The United States is disappointed that the Secretary
General's report on Somalia was not available before
AMISOM's mandate was set to expire. We look forward to
receiving the report in March and are especially anxious
to see in the report the development of contingency plans for
a possible deployment of a UN peacekeeping operation
to succeed AMISOM, including the assessment of the Technical
Assessment Mission DPKO recently dispatched to
Somalia. The USG will be disappointed if the Secretariat has
not completed contingency planning as
directed by the UNSC.

-- The United States welcomes the appointment of a new
Cabinet by Prime Minister Nur "Adde" Hassan Hussein and
the relocation of the Transitional Federal Government to
Mogadishu.

-- The United States also welcomes the commitment of Prime
Minister Hussein and the new TFG administration to
continue engaging in an inclusive process of political
dialogue, and looks forward to the development of a road
map for the remainder of the transitional process, including
free and democratic elections in 2009 as set out
in Somalia's Transitional Federal Charter.

-- The United States remains concerned about the increase in
piracy off the coast of Somalia.

-- (deliver point only if the Somali Mission has delivered
its request for assistance from the UNSC) We welcome the
TFG's request for counterpiracy assistance and call on all
members to answer this call.

-- The United States has started consultations with
interested member states on what can be done to address
the issue of piracy in the Horn of Africa. We look forward
to working with the Council to ensure that the international
community has the tools it needs to combat acts of piracy and
armed robbery off the coast of Somalia.

-- The United States remains gravely concerned about the
deteriorating humanitarian situation, especially in
south-central Somalia. We welcome continued close
coordination and cooperation with the UN Country Team and
our donor partners in Nairobi to ensure that humanitarian
assistance reaches those in need inside Somalia.

end points
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