DIPLOMATS IN ETHIOPIA OFFER PERSPECTIVES ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 002442 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2019 TAGS: PGOV PTER ASEC SO ET SUBJECT: DIPLOMATS IN ETHIOPIA OFFER PERSPECTIVES ON SOMALILAND REF: A) NAIROBI 2030 B) ADDIS 2285 Classified By: CDA Roger A. Meece for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: AF/E Senior Somalia Desk Officer visited Addis Ababa on October 1-2 for meetings with the U.S. Embassy, USAU mission and other diplomatic and AMISOM officials to get the Ethiopian perspective on Somalia and Somaliland. The British Deputy Head of Mission and Somaliland Ambassador offered insights drawn from recent interactions in the negotiations surrounding the Somaliland election crisis as well as the way forward after the elections. Somaliland Ambassador Mohamed discussed the development needs of Somaliland in the areas of education, infrastructure, and agriculture as well as for strengthening of democratic institutions and the security sector. End Summary. British Perspective on Somaliland's Election Crisis -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Over the past six weeks the British mission in Addis Ababa has partnered with the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) in diplomatic efforts to convince the Somaliland Government to work towards a timely democratic election process and a preservation of the internationally-supported voter-registration list. UK Deputy Head of Mission John Marshall reported on the most recent efforts during the week of September 28 to bring Somaliland back from the brink of electoral crisis and to achieve the signing on September 30 of a Memorandum of Understanding. Marshall outlined the components of the MOU, including agreement by the parties to: 1)postpone the election; 2)consider changes to the National Electoral Commission (NEC); 3)invite a team of election experts to review the voter registration list and make recommendations on when the election can take place; 4)have the NEC set a new date for elections on the basis of the recommendation of the expert team; 5)extend the date of the President,s mandate for one month after the election; and 6) reiterate the need for friends of Somaliland to continue to engage with the three parties and assist the Somaliland authorities in carrying out free, fair, and peaceful elections (also see Ref. B) ¶3. (C) Marshall said the MOU had charted a way forward and "reduced the temperature" considerably, but added there was room for failure because the MOU did not include a detailed timetable. He hoped the GoE, UK and wider international community would keep up the pressure on Somaliland. In the short term the UK's first priority will be the changes to the NEC. Marshall said that preparation work had already begun in Nairobi to deploy international experts once changes to the NEC are put into place. These DFID-funded experts will go for short periods of time, but Marshall thought there may be a U.S.-funded expert from the International Republic Institute (IRI) who can stay for a longer duration. NGO Interpeace may also be retained in some form, but the UK is sensitive to the fact that Interpeace,s role has become highly politicized, likely due to the specific personalities involved. Marshal said the UK will do what it can to ensure Interpeace maintains a low-profile role and that the personnel are distinct from those previously involved. ¶4. (C) In a separate meeting, Somaliland Ambassador Mohamed Sheikh specifically raised the issue of Interpeace returning to work in Somaliland and said if they did so, they would be viewed skeptically by the government. They could jeopardize the process if they play too prominent a role, he cautioned. He was not concerned about the selection of a new NEC and said it would go according to the Constitution. Somaliland Beyond the Elections -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Ambassador Mohamed quickly moved beyond discussion of the immediate electoral crisis to discuss the development needs of Somaliland with a particular focus on education. He explained that the foreign and growing Islamic influence in Somaliland schools was overriding and that resources were needed to combat it. He asked for literature, radios and televisions to strengthen the public school system, as well as for scholarships and training for school teachers, and ADDIS ABAB 00002442 002 OF 002 equipment for distance learning. Mohamed emphasized that it was impossible to improve the political system without first improving the economic system, and that the economic system was dependent on a strong educational system. He pointed out that Somaliland had four universities, largely developed in the years since 1991. ¶6. (C) Ambassador Mohamed appealed several times for World Bank and IMF financing for infrastructure - primarily roads, bridges and airports. When Deputy Pol/Econ Counselor mentioned the proposed Berbera port project (Reftel B),he affirmed the EU had accepted in principle to finance the road for the project. When asked what types of industry Somaliland hoped to attract, he said agricultural and livestock processing were logical fields because they would absorb much of the surplus labor departing rural areas, and he followed up by asking for U.S. assistance in the agricultural sector and on animal health. Other areas in which Somaliland could use assistance are strengthening of democratic institutions (training of parliamentarians) and security sector training, according to the ambassador. ¶7. (U) Senior AF/E Somali Desk Officer has cleared this cable. MEECE