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.


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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