Somalia - U.N. Response to al Shabaab Raids

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 001585 SIPDIS SENSITIVE AIDAC DAA/DCHA EKVITASHVILI, JBRAUSE DCHA/OFDA KCHANNELL; KDISSELKOEN; ACONVERY DCHA/FFP JBORNS; JDWORKEN; SANTHONY; CMUTAMBA; PMOHAN NEW YORK FOR USUN DMERCADO ROME FOR FODAG; USUN HSPANOS GENEVA FOR NKYLOH BRUSSELS FOR USEU PLERNER; USAID PBROWN NSC FOR CPRATT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PHUM PREL PREF SO SUBJECT: Somalia - U.N. Response to al Shabaab Raids ¶1. (SBU) Al-Shabaab's July 20 raids on U.N. compounds in Baidoa (Bay Region) and Wajid (Bakool Region) have raised anew divisions among United Nations agencies working in Somalia. In addition, these incidents raise serious questions about the trade-offs between upholding humanitarian principles and maintaining access the provision of life-saving assistance. Current U.N. discussions seem to support a policy allowing those agencies able to operate with some certainty of security --primarily WFP, UNHCR, and UNICEF--to continue operating given the dire and deteriorating humanitarian situation. A U.N. strategy group has been formed to examine these issues and will make a presentation at the U.N. Country Team (UNCT) meeting on July 24. Embassy supports the idea of a code of conduct for organizations working in Somalia that limits the increasing tendency to trade humanitarian principles for access to affected populations. Embassy also supports funding a meeting of experts on humanitarian principles, independent from the United Nations, to debate various approaches and develop a proactive policy stance. End Summary ¶2. (SBU) The July 20 al-Shabaab raids on U.N. compounds in Baidoa (Bay Region) and Wajid (Bakool Region) have raised anew divisions among U.N. agencies working in Somalia. Following the al-Shabaab decree banning three U.N. Agencies (UNDP, UNDSS, and UNPOS) from al-Shabaab controlled areas and the near-simultaneous raids, the UNCT has spent the week in internal crisis meetings debating a response to these actions. ¶3. (SBU) According to various U.N. sources, the discussions seem to support a policy allowing agencies able to operate with some certainty of security --primarily WFP, UNHCR, and UNICEF-- to continue operating given the dire and deteriorating humanitarian situation. Sources further state that discussions are focused on establishing principles for operations in South/Central Somalia to ensure agencies are able to operate "securely and neutrally." Earlier this week, the U.N. formed a strategy group to examine these issues and will make a presentation at the July 24 UNCT meeting. U.N. sources indicate that a broad suspension of U.N. activities in Somalia is not under serious discussion. ¶4. (SBU) U.N. agencies have been reluctant to provide responses on the impact of the raids to Embassy and USAID contacts, in part, we suspect because the proper response is very much under discussion. As UNDSS facilitates staff movement for multiple U.N. agencies, the potential impact of these raids may potentially affect more than just the three agencies named by al-Shabaab. WFP officials expect no disruption to operations as WFP maintains its own security officers for facilitating staff movement. UNDP is assessing its South/Central operations. It anticipates no disruption to activities in Somaliland and Puntland. The U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia has not yet made an official statement and OCHA only disseminated its first update on the raids on July 23, following a request by USAID for official U.N. communication to donors. Comment -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The selective "banning" of humanitarian agencies and the near-simultaneous raids on United Nations compounds --coupled with earlier kidnappings, lootings, and staff killings-- by al-Shabaab represent a serious threat to international norms and principles, yet the international community's muted response only emboldens further, similar actions and encourages an "at-any-cost" humanitarian response. In late 2008, when al-Shabaab banned the non-governmental organizations, CARE and International Medical Corps (IMC),both organizations indicated that the broader NGO and U.N. community, by not supporting them, had lost a critical opportunity to together defend humanitarian principles. Instead, unaffected NGOs opted for a course of non-resistance, in order that their own operations could continue. As the operational environment grows more insecure and the humanitarian situation deteriorates further, agencies have continued to sacrifice core humanitarian principles. To date, there has been no broad-based discussion on the conflict between upholding humanitarian principles and maintaining access to continue providing life-saving assistance in Somalia. Even the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) utilizes armed guards in parts of Somalia and admits that the environment is too dangerous to monitor violations of international law. NAIROBI 00001585 002 OF 002 ¶6. (SBU) Embassy and USAID support the idea of a code of conduct for humanitarian organizations operating in Somalia that limits the increasing tendency to bargain away principles for access to affected populations. We also support debate about how best to improve humanitarian access, without further eroding core humanitarian principles. We believe convening a meeting of experts on humanitarian principles, independent from the United Nations, to debate approaches and develop a policy that balancing humanitarian principles and the operational challenges in Somalia would be useful, if funding can be identified. ABELL