UN/SOMALIA SANCTIONS: NEW SANCTIONS MONITORING

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000589

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PARM ETTC DTFN UNSC SO
SUBJECT: UN/SOMALIA SANCTIONS: NEW SANCTIONS MONITORING
GROUP BRIEFS COMMITTEE

Classified By: Minister-Counselor Jeffrey DeLaurentis for reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d).


1. (C) This is an action request. See para 9.


2. (C) Summary: The newly reestablished Monitoring Group
on Somalia briefed the Somalia Committee on how they plan to
implement their mandate. Matt Bryden, coordinator of the
group, spoke about recent trends, the ongoing peace process,
and the recent escalation of violence. He stressed that the
group would seek to continue the work begun in the previous
group's report, focusing on issues such as arms transfers,
piracy, and illicit financial transactions. The group will
travel to the region on July 2 to begin their work. After
the briefing, the Committee discussed the issue of specific
targeted measures against individuals or entities who block
the peace process or breach the arms embargo. Delegations
were instructed to submit recommendations to the Committee by
July 3. The Committee will then compile and finalize
recommendations before providing them to the Security Council
by the July 14 deadline. End summary.

Somalia Monitoring Group: Shifting Situation on the Ground
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3. (C) The Somalia Sanctions Committee welcomed the
Monitoring Group on Somalia, which was reestablished by the
SYG pursuant to UNSCR 1811 (2008). The four-member team,
consisting of Matt Bryden (Coordinator),Gilbert Charles
Barthe, Charles M. Lengalenga, and IGNATIUS Yaw
Kwantwi-Mensah, briefed the Committee on recent trends in
Somalia and how they plan to address their mandate. Bryden
highlighted the political and military dimensions, focusing
on the ongoing peace process and the escalation of violence
in some parts of Somalia. He noted the appearance of new
armed groups and the splintering of existing ones. He
praised the report of the previous monitoring group for its
comprehensiveness and stressed that the new group's approach
would be one of continuity. Bryden said their goal is to
pick up on existing themes and address some of the
outstanding issues. They will travel to Nairobi next week to
begin their work.


4. (C) Barthe, a Swiss customs expert, focused on the
group's work tracing weapons and identifying missiles seized
by insurgents. He said the group would examine training and
logistical support to the security sector, ensuring that such
programs follow established exemptions. Kwantwi-Mensah, a
Ghanaian arms and transport expert, spoke about maritime
issues and the need to address piracy and armed robbery at
sea. Lengalenga, a Zambian finance expert, said that the
group would examine both internal and external funding for
the insurgency. He noted reports that "quite a bit" of
Somali currency has been printed outside the country and that
some parties aligned with the TFG might be participating in
such activity. Lengalenga also said that the monitoring
group would explore whether and to what extent NGOs and
charities are involved in unauthorized activities. He
reported that the group will also monitor multilateral and
bilateral aid flows in order to expose those that are
diverting aid for their own purposes.


5. (C) Bryden conveyed the need to ensure that states are
aware of possible exemptions and that eligible activities are
not reported as violations because of procedural flaws or
ambiguities. Bryden observed that the TFG does not
explicitly have an exemption but must understand how to
assist in monitoring and preventing violations. He
acknowledged the security challenges of operating in Somalia
and emphasized that the group will try to travel as much as
possible in country.


6. (C) France, Russia, Belgium, Italy, and Burkina Faso all
expressed their support for the monitoring group. France
emphasized that protection for vessels transporting food and
other humanitarian shipments should not be considered a
violation of the embargo. (Note: There was no discussion of
the June 13 letter sent by the Somali PermRep conveying the
TFG's "strongest objection" to Bryden's appointment as
coordinator. End Note.)

Committee Will Send Recommendations on Targeted Sanctions
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7. (C) After the briefing by the new monitoring group, the
Committee discussed the issue of specific targeted measures
against individuals or entities who block the peace process
or breach the arms embargo. Pursuant to paragraphs 6 and 7
of UNSCR 1814 (2008),the Committee was instructed to provide


recommendations on such measures by July 14. The UK was
joined by Russia in emphasizing that the Committee was
instructed to recommend the types of measures that might be
applied rather than identifying a specific list of
individuals or entities. The Committee could, the UK noted,
compile such a list at a later date, but the UK would not
want those who have participated in the peace process to be
specifically targeted.


8. (C) France reiterated that it was more than prepared to
begin discussions on individual sanctions and stressed that
it should be done in close cooperation with the SRSG. Russia
concurred that the Committee should consult with the SRSG
because the primary negotiator would have useful advice about
the timing of such measures and their impact on the peace
process. Italy mentioned that targeted sanctions have
typically consisted of travel restrictions and the freezing
of assets, but that there might be specific recommendations
from the main mediator. The chair instructed delegations to
get instructions from their capitals and send recommendations
in writing to the chair or Committee secretary by July 3 at
4:00 p.m.


9. (C) Action Request: USUN requests Department guidance on
recommendations the Committee should make to the Council on
whether to impose targeted sanctions on individuals or
entities who block the peace process or breach the arms
embargo. End Action Request.
Khalilzad