PATRIOTIC WING FORMALLY CUTS TIES WITH AWEYS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000167 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/E LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV SO ER SUBJECT: PATRIOTIC WING FORMALLY CUTS TIES WITH AWEYS Classified By: CDA Melinda Tabler-Stone for reason 1.4(d). ¶1. (C) The Patriotic Wing of the ARS has officially cut ties with Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, according to the group's Inspector General, Mahad Yusuf. Yusuf told PolOff that the organization has no desire to be affiliated with Sheikh Aweys, Hezbul Islam, or Al-Shabaab. Instead, he continued, the Patriotic Wing will move forward under the mantra of "peace through dialogue." Yusuf stated he views the Patriotic Wing as a buffer between the "collapsing" TFG and the encroaching Islamists (Hezbul Islam and Al-Shabaab). In a white paper Yusuf handed to PolOff, the Patriotic Wing states "there is no reason to continue to fight." ¶2. (C) The Patriotic Wing consists of 13 core members, Yusuf told PolOff. The group is currently in a reshuffle and recruitment phase; Yusuf stated that efforts are under way to recruit interest from diaspora members to fill new titles and positions. Despite the overall lack of organizational structure, the membership unanimously asked Dr. Zakaria Mohamud Haji Abdi to step down as Chair, temporarily replacing him with Mahad Yusuf. Dr. Zakaria previously advocated for an all-stakeholder sit down meeting that would include representatives from Islamist factions, an idea that may have been unpopular with the Patriotic Wing membership. Other members currently aligned with the Patriotic Wing include: - Ambassador Ahmad Abdi Hashi (Hashara): former Ambassador to the UN - Ambassador Salah Mohammed Ali: former Ambassador to the UK - Aminah Aminah Warsame: former ARS Chair of Justice and Human Rights ¶3. (C) COMMENT: The departure of Sheikh Aweys from Eritrea seems to have dried up funding for Eritrea's remaining ARS Somalis. Mahad Yusuf asked PolOff (and several members of European diplomatic missions) for funding to travel abroad and put the Patriotic Wing on the radar. In the past, Yusuf and other resident Somalis traveled frequently to Canada, the United Kingdom, the UAE, and other locations on the Eritrean government's dime. Now, however, it appears the remaining Somalis are in a financial and political pinch. They have lost clout among their peers who have sided with the Islamists and simultaneously lost economic support from their host country. TABLER-STONE