SOMALIA - PUNTLAND PRESIDENT ON PIRACY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 000782 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/E E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID MARR PINR SO SUBJECT: SOMALIA - PUNTLAND PRESIDENT ON PIRACY REF: A. NAIROBI 633 ¶B. NAIROBI 662 Classified By: Ambassador Michael Ranneberger. Reasons: 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) Summary: In an April 16 tour d'horizon between President Mohamud "Faroole" and his team, and the Ambassador and Mission team, Faroole defined his Puntland Administration's main tasks as re-organizing the security forces and improving revenue collection mechanisms. Faroole told the Ambassador that sixty pirates are serving sentences of three to twenty years in Puntland prisons. Coastal piracy havens are all on Puntland's largely inaccessible coast, the President said, putting them beyond the reach of his Administration's underfunded police forces. Faroole sketched a future, more democratic Puntland with a new constitution and multi-party elections. Faroole said he had a very constructive meeting with TFG Prime Minister Sharmarke while both were in Nairobi. Faroole said that while he is skeptical the TFG can expand its authority beyond Mogadishu, he is open to increased cooperation President Sharif and wants to meet with him. End summary. Willingness to Support Puntland -------------- ¶2. (C) Puntland Administration President Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud Faroole, who has been in office since January 2009, traveled to Nairobi April 15 with senior members of his government at our our invitation for a tour d'horizon with the Ambassador and Mission team. The Puntland President is an Australian citizen who is no newcomer to Puntland or Somali politics. With him at the meeting were a number of Puntland Administration ministers (for list, see para 11), who were all carrying foreign passports as well. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador opened the meeting by laying out key elements of the U.S. relationship with Puntland. The Ambassador noted that, while we see Puntland as an integral part of Somalia, we recognize the importance of Puntland as a regional authority. We want Puntland to play a constructive role in helping to bring about a stable Somalia. In that regard, it is important that Puntland support the Transitional Federal Government of President Sharif. The Ambassador noted that the U.S. may be able to expand engagement with Puntland on security and development if Puntland plays a constructive role, but that made no commitments. The Ambassador emphasized the need for action by Puntland against pirates. He thanked President Faroole for his supportive press comments during the Maersk Alabama pirating. -------------- Puntland Priorities -------------- ¶4. (C) Faroole emphasized the importance he attaches to his relationship with the U.S. and said he wants to work more closely together. Noting that he had been a founding member of the Puntland government and had helped draft its constitution, he said that "the Puntland government only exists pending establishment of a viable national federal government." He outlined his Administration's priorities as re-organizing the security sector and improving revenue collection systems. Improvements in security since his election have led to the capture of ten pirates, who have received sentences ranging from three to twenty years. Puntland has sixty pirates in prison at the moment. ¶5. (C) In pleading for increased U.S. assistance, Faroole stressed Puntland's strategic importance. It comprises one-third of Somalia's land area and its extended coastline, the second longest in Africa's after South Africa, make it both a source of piracy and key to resolution of the piracy problem. Puntland had been neglected during the Siad Barre era. It has no surfaced airports and only one paved road, a 700 kilometer north - south highway. The key to piracy, Faroole said, was alleviating poverty, as well as improving Puntland's security capacity. He urged that the USG, in addition to providing aid from its own sources, intercede with wealthy Gulf states. -------------- Democratic Governance -------------- ¶6. (C) Faroole maintained that Puntland is moving toward a NAIROBI 00000782 002 OF 003 multi-party system (in eighteen months) and would soon unveil a new constitution. In pursuit of those goals, he has appointed a minister of state for good governance in the Office of the President. The Ambassador encouraged his commitment to democratic development. Faroole also emphasized the importance of a national Somali government having a federal structure. In the southern part of Somalia, he noted, there are efforts to form a "Jubbaland" regional government similar to that of Puntland. We pointed out that we are providing some assistance for democratic governance and are prepared to consider expanding this if the democratic process moves forward and if security conditions permit. We also pointed out that we are providing about $20 million in humanitarian assistance to Puntland annually. ¶7. (C) The Ambassador emphasized the importance of media freedom as a component of democratic development, and he expressed USG concern with the two-year sentence meted out to freelance journalist Feyte. Faroole noted that Feyte has been pardoned (on the eve of Faroole's meeting with the Ambassador.) The Ambassador also stressed the importance of the Puntland government reaching out to Somalis in the region to explain their democratic objectives and to help counter al-Shabaab extremism. He proposed, and Faroole accepted, that senior Puntland officials sit down with the Somalia Unit and the Mission's public affairs team to concert strategy. Faroole said that the best way to counter al-Shabaab extremism is to focus Somalis on appreciation for their traditional culture, including through poetry and plays to strengthen inter-clan bonds. -------------- Piracy and Security Issues -------------- ¶8. (C) The Ambassador noted three main security issues: counter-terrorism cooperation; cooperation against piracy; and providing security support for the TFG. He welcomed continuing anti-terrorism collaboration. The Ambassador emphasized the need for Puntland to do more to counter piracy. Puntland Anti-Piracy Commissioner, General Abdi Hassan Mohamed, lamented to the Ambassador the reluctance of international shipping lines to let the Puntland Coast Guard board pirated ships by force. He sketched a plan to establish anti-piracy installations along the coast. The "pirate" villages, he said, are in remote locations, not connected by road and separated by mountains from the rest of the mainland, making them inaccessible, except by boat. Internationally-supported efforts to establish bases in key towns would allow Puntland to establish a chokehold on piracy. Mohamed urged that Puntland not be left on the sidelines during international anti-piracy conferences, and that the international community understand that pirates are as much an enemy of Puntland as of the international community. Despite rumors and speculation that elements of the Puntland government benefit from piracy, Faroole said he is against the payment of ransom. The al-Shabaab, he claimed, financially benefits from piracy. ¶9. (C) The Ambassador pressed Faroole on the need to assist the TFG with security support. Faroole said that he is willing to do so, but can only do so if the TFG pays the costs. Additionally, Faroole emphasized the need for the Joint Security Force that the TFG is developing, with support from the U.S. and others, to be inclusive. -------------- Relations with TFG -------------- ¶10. (C) Faroole was generally positive about President Sharif and the TFG, but skeptical that they will be able to expand TFG authority beyond Mogadishu. Nevertheless, Faroole said, he is willing to collaborate with the TFG to develop a federal constitution and to work with the TFG, including on security as stated above. While welcoming the co-existence of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG),Faroole stressed that Mogadishu was the capital of "all Somalis," including Puntlanders and stressed the need for Puntland's interests and views to be taken into account as the TFG seeks to expand its authority. Puntland, unlike Somaliland, is not contemplating secession, he said. Faroole said his April 15 meeting with TFG Prime Minister Sharmarke was excellent (Sharmarke confirmed this). They are members of the same clan and understand each other. He told the Prime Minister that he would like to meet TFG President Sharif in order to discuss federalism, in order to ensure that the TFG is not NAIROBI 00000782 003 OF 003 contemplating the establishment of a unitary state that would leave Puntland with little autonomy. Also on his agenda with President Sharif would be security cooperation, Faroole said. Faroole said he would also want to discuss revenue collection sharing, as well as clan and regional imbalances in Parliament. Working together with Somalia's local administrations and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama'a, progress can be made against al-Shabaab. -------------- Participants -------------- ¶11. (U) The Puntland delegation included Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Farah A. Dala, State Minister for Democratization Dr. Jimale Abdi Hassan, Director General Issa Mohamud Farah, Secretary to the President Yusuf Mohamud Hassan, and Anti-Piracy Commissioner, General Abdi Hassan Mohamed. The Ambassador was joined by the Somalia Unit, as well as representatives from USAID and other elements of the Mission. RANNEBERGER