ERITREA SLAMS U.S. SOMALIA POLICY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000207 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/E LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV ER SO SUBJECT: ERITREA SLAMS U.S. SOMALIA POLICY REF: ASMARA 187 Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4(d). ¶1. (SBU) The Eritrean government (GSE) has criticized the USG for its financial support to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). In a June 26 press release, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to the TFG as a "government that is devoid of any legitimacy." The statement also said "US misguided acts of intervention and supply of weapons have not, in the past years, advanced the cause of stability in Somalia. A repeat of those measures will not produce positive results but only aggravate and prolong the crisis." ¶2. (SBU) The MFA released the statement on the GSE's official website, shabait.com and published it in the June 27 Eritrea Profile. On June 29, the ministry also circulated it to all diplomatic missions in Asmara under the cover of a diplomatic note. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: The statement represents the strongest and most direct criticism of USG foreign policy since the inauguration of President Obama. Up until this point, the GSE had avoided direct criticism of the administration by instead blaming subversive elements within the USG or calling our officials' credentials into question. Since the IGAD vote to sanction Eritrea, however, the rhetoric has increased and focused directly on Somalia. ¶4. (C) Comment continued: The GSE is attempting to seize the moral high ground on the Somalia issue by denying its own involvement, labeling the TFG as illegitimate, and implying that the U.S. continues to be unjustifiably obsessed with Islamist extremism. President Isaias's tacit refusal to date to accept a call from the Secretary and rejection of a visit from A/S Carson may reflect this heightened Eritrean foreign policy focus on Somalia. MCMULLEN