EGYPT HOSTS SOMALI LEADER SHAYKH SHARIF SHAYKH

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000069 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, AF/E, NAIROBI FOR TRIMBLE E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/14/2019 TAGS: PREL SO ET EG SUBJECT: EGYPT HOSTS SOMALI LEADER SHAYKH SHARIF SHAYKH AHMED Classified By: Minister Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs William R. Stewart for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Abdelhameed Marzouk, Deputy Assistant Secretary for East and South Africa, told us on January 14 that Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) leader Shaykh Sharif Shaykh Ahmed came to Cairo at the invitation of Egyptian General Intelligence Chief Omar Sulayman. Shaykh Sharif met with Assistant Foreign Minister for Arab Affairs, Abd al-Rahman Salah on January 13 to discuss the current situation in Somalia and plans for a future national unity government. FM Aboul Gheit was originally scheduled to attend the meeting, but did not because the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) representatives were unable to attend. Shaykh Sharif told the Egyptians that he plans to nominate himself for President of Somalia, and he asked Egypt to back his nomination. He also requested that the Government of Egypt (GOE) help train the "Somali Security Forces" that he said will take over for the Ethiopians. Shaykh Sharif told Minister Salah that the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops provides an opportunity to engage with the al-Shibaab because the group no longer has a "raison d' etre." ¶2. (C) Marzouk told us that Egypt is committed to supporting the Djibouti Peace Accord. He said that the GOE did not invite Shaykh Aweys' ARS faction in Eritrea because it wanted "to send a message that the Djibouti process is important." Marzouk stated that the GOE is worried that Ethiopian pressure influenced the TFG to avoid the meeting in Cairo. He said that Egypt wants to reach out to Ethiopia on this issue because the two "share common interests in Somalia," but the GOE is aware of the difficulties in reaching out, due to "historical issues between the two countries." He asked for U.S. assistance in facilitating cooperation between the Cairo and Addis Ababa because "the U.S. has a good relationship with the Ethiopian Government." ¶3. (C) Comment: The GOE views the Djibouti Peace Accord as the key to fixing Somalia, and it believes that the accord could be in danger. Egypt is also concerned about which groups will fill the security void as Ethiopian forces withdraw. The GOE is still trying to coordinate a meeting in Cairo that would include Shaykh Sharif and the TFG. Cairo feels that supporting Shaykh Sharif and the TFG will help to ensure that a moderate government takes power in Somalia. SCOBEY