ETHIOPIA URGES UNSC APPROVAL OF AFRICAN UNION CALL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 001589 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MOPS KPKO SO ER ET SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA URGES UNSC APPROVAL OF AFRICAN UNION CALL FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST ERITREA ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Ethiopian Minister for Foreign Affairs Seyoum Mesfin and State Minister Dr. Tekeda Alemu on July 7 called in the Ambassadors to the P-5 countries to urge them to convey to their respective capitals the need to support the July African Union (AU) resolution calling on the UNSC to levy sanctions on Eritrea for its destabilizing activities in Somalia. Seyoum said Uganda, which will chair the UNSC this month, will be spearheading the AU efforts in New York. Seyoum underscored the importance of UNSC support for Somalia, stating that the survival of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was at stake. The TFG's future, and the stability of Somalia, depended on the actions and support of the UNSC in the coming weeks, he insisted. End Summary. Ethiopia: The UNSC Should Support the AU Resolution -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Ethiopian FM Seyoum and his deputy, Dr. Tekeda, on July 7 called in the Ambassadors from the P-5 to urge them to convey to their capitals the urgency of supporting sanctions against Eritrea. Seyoum noted that Tekeda, who led an Intergovernmental Agency for Development (IGAD) delegation to New York in June, was told by the UNSC that the IGAD resolution calling for sanctions on Eritrea would hold more weight if the African Union was also supportive because IGAD only represented East Africa, and some of its members had differences with Eritrea. Seyoum said the African Union at its early July summit in Sirte, Libya passed a resolution, with Eritrea as the only dissenting voice, in support of the IGAD resolution. Paragraphs 16 and 17 of the AU resolution calls on the UNSC to implement a no-fly zone and for a blockade of sea ports used by extremists to bring in weapons and funds to Somalia. It also calls on the UNSC to impose sanctions on Eritrea for its destabilizing activities in Somalia, and calls on Eritrea to ends its occupation of Djiboutian territory. ¶3. (SBU) Tekeda stressed that the UNSC should first approve the general concept of sanctions against Eritrea, then determine what sanctions to impose. He thought that the sanctions should include a selected travel ban against senior Eritrean officials, and efforts to cutoff remittances from the U.S. and other countries. Seyoum noted that Uganda, which will chair the UNSC this month, will be spearheading the efforts on behalf of the AU. ¶4. (SBU) In response, the French Ambassador was the most forward leaning of the P-5 representatives, noting that if the UNSC favored sanctions against Eritrea, there would need to be a new resolution, building on and combining the two prior UNSC resolutions condemning Eritrea for its occupation of Djiboutian territory, and calling for sanctions on countries destabilizing Somalia (UNSCR 1844 and 1843). ¶5. (SBU) The U.S. Ambassador questioned Seyoum on Ethiopia's view of the formation of a stabilization force composed of Somalia's neighbors to help support AMISOM and the TFG. Seyoum cautioned that Ethiopia should not be excluded from such a force because Ethiopian forces would be important should AMISOM forces need support in an evacuation scenario. Thus, Ethiopia's inclusion in a stabilization force would allow the Ethiopians to better support AMISOM in an emergency. (Note: Prime Minister Meles' recent views on scenarios for potential Ethiopian military activity in Somalia will be reported SEPTTEL. End Note.) ¶6. (SBU) Seyoum avoided taking a position on the question of expanding the mandate for AMISOM. He suggested that this would be for the UN and AU to discuss. The primary focus, Seyoum said, should be on sanctions against Eritrea. ¶7. (SBU) Seyoum concluded the brief meeting by stressing the importance of identifying, condemning, and sanctioning outside forces which were engaging in destabilizing activities. If the UNSC does not take action now, in light of the overwhelming support of the AU countries, the very survival of the TFG could be at stake, Seyoum insisted. If the TFG fails, the result would be regional instability and widespread terrorism by extremist groups, he predicted. Seyoum noted that there were consistent and persistent reports of foreign fighters flowing into Somalia and many with al-Qaeda ties. Seyoum and Tekeda urged immediate ADDIS ABAB 00001589 002 OF 002 assistance from the UNSC. Seyoum noted that TFG President Sheikh Sharif and his deputy, Sharif Hassan were in Addis Ababa, and would be traveling to other IGAD countries to press for support for the AU resolution condemning Eritrea. YAMAMOTO