SOMALIA DESIGNATIONS: RESPONSE TO USUN REQUEST TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 118371 SIPDIS FOR TFCO (AT EMBASSIES LONDON AND PARIS) E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2019 TAGS: KPMO MARR MOPS PGOV PHUM PREL PTER XW UNSC SUBJECT: SOMALIA DESIGNATIONS: RESPONSE TO USUN REQUEST TO ENGAGE BEYOND P3 REF: A. (A) USUN NEW YORK 986 ¶B. (B) STATE 96937 Classified By: EEB/ESC Acting DAS Thomas ¶L. Delare for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is an action request for USUN (see para 3) and for Embassies London and Paris (see para 9 and 10). -------------- Background -------------- ¶2. (C) The Somalia Sanctions Committee's Monitoring Group (MG) has provided the Committee with a list of targets it believes meet the listing criteria in paragraph 8 of UNSC resolution 1844 (2008). The U.S. plans to propose to the Somalia Sanctions Committee for listing a number of the MG's suggested targets and four additional targets before November ¶20. USUN shared with the UK and France on September 19 the list of names the U.S. supports designating in the UN Security Council's Committee established pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia ("the Somalia Sanctions Committee")(ref A). The next step is to share the U.S. target list with the rest of the Somalia Sanctions Committee in order to begin negotiations on a designation package. -------------- - Guidance on engagement and USUN action request -------------- - ¶3. (SBU) Washington supports USUN's request to engage with members of the Somalia Sanctions Committee beyond the P-3, beginning with Russia and China in order to negotiate a designation package. Washington also supports USUN's proposal of sharing with the P-5 and other Committee members the following list of potential targets, with the caveat that Washington clearance on these names does not necessarily reflect final USG intent to list: - Yasin Ali Baynah; - Hassan Dahir Aweys; - Hassan Abdullah Hersi Al-Turki; - Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed "Godane"; - Fuad Mohamed Khalaf (aka Fuad Shongale) (additional name proposed by U.S.); - Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud (additional name proposed by U.S.); - Mohamed Sa'id "Atom" (additional name proposed by U.S.); - Abshir Abdullahi "Boyah"; - Mohamed Abdi Garaad; - Fares Mohammed Mana'a (additional name proposed by U.S.); - Yemane Gebreab (Eritrean); and, - Al-Shabaab (entity). ¶4. (SBU) Washington also supports sharing with the P-5 and other Committee members that although the Monitoring Group recommends designating Hisbl al-Islam, the U.S. Government is opposed to designating the entity Hisbl al-Islam at this time due to concerns that doing so could potentially prevent political reconciliation with the TFG in the future. ¶5. (C) Washington does not support engagement on the list of potential targets beyond the Somalia Sanctions Committee, including with the Somali UN mission in New York. Our potential target list should be treated as classified information until the time of the designations to prevent potential asset flight. USUN may inform the Somali Mission that it is considering potential targets and discussing designations with the Committee. ¶6. (SBU) Washington supports providing to Somalia Sanctions Committee members the unclassified Statements of Case (SOC) in para 7 below for the four targets that were not part of the Monitoring Group's target list and also the additional unclassified SOC information in para 8 for a target that was proposed by the Monitoring Group. ¶7. (U - Releasable to Somalia Sanctions Committee members) Statement of Case STATE 00118371 002 OF 004 (1) Fuad Mohamed Khalaf (aka Fuad Shongale) (additional name proposed by U.S.); Name: Fuad Mohamed Khalaf AKA: Fuad Mohamed Khalif AKA: Fuad Mohamed Qalaf AKA: Fuad Mohammed Kalaf AKA: Fuad Mohamed Kalaf AKA: Fuad Mohammed Khalif AKA: Fuad Khalaf AKA: Fuad Shongale AKA: Fuad Shongole AKA: Fuad Shangole AKA: Fuad Songale AKA: Fouad Shongale AKA: Fuad Muhammad Khalaf Shongole Nationality: Somali Alt. Nationality: Swedish Address: Mogadishu, Somalia Alt. Address: Somalia Khalaf has facilitated financial support to al-Shabaab; in May 2008 he held two fundraising events for al-Shabaab at mosques in Kismaayo, Somalia. In April 2008, Khalaf and several other individuals directed vehicle borne explosive device attacks on Ethiopian bases and TFG elements in Mogadishu, Somalia. In May 2008, Khalaf and a group of fighters attacked and captured a police station in Mogadishu, killing and wounding several soldiers. (2) Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud (additional name proposed by U.S.); Name: Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud AKA: Bashir Mohamed Mahmoud AKA: Bashir Mahmud Mohammed AKA: Bashir Mohamed Mohamud AKA: Bashir Mohamed Mohamoud AKA: Bashir Yare AKA: Bashir Qorgab AKA: Gure Gap AKA: Abu Muscab AKA: Qorgab DOB: Circa 1979-1982 Alt. DOB: 1982 Nationality: Somali Address: Mogadishu, Somalia Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud is a military commander of al-Shabaab, an E.O. 13224-listed entity. Mahamoud was also one of approximately 10 members on al-Shabaab's leadership council as of late 2008. Mahamoud and an associate were in charge of the 10 June 2009 mortar attack against the Somali Transitional Federal Government in Mogadishu. Additionally, as of 2007, Mahamoud coordinated al-Qa'ida activity in Somalia. (3) Mohamed Sa'id "Atom" (additional name proposed by U.S.); Name: Mohamed Sa'id AKA: "Atom" AKA: Mohamed Sa'id Atom AKA: Mohamed Siad Atom DOB: Circa 1966 POB: Galgala, Somalia Location: Galgala, Somalia Alt. Location: Badhan, Somalia MOHAMED SA'ID "ATOM" has engaged in acts that threaten the peace, security or stability of Somalia. ATOM also has directly or indirectly supplied, sold, or transferred to Somalia arms or related materiel or advice, training, or assistance, including financing and financial assistance, related to military activities. ATOM has been identified as one of the principal suppliers of arms and ammunition for al-Shabaab operations in the Puntland region. He is described as the leader of a militia that emerged in 2006 in the eastern Sanaag region of northern Somalia. The militia comprises as many as 250 fighters and has been implicated in incidents of kidnapping, piracy and terrorism, and imports its own weapons, in violation of the arms embargo. ATOM has established his force as the principal military presence in the area, with a primary base near Galgala and a secondary base near Badhan. According to STATE 00118371 003 OF 004 some information, ATOM is aligned with al-Shabaab and may receive instructions from al-Shabaab leader Fu'aad Mohamed Khalaf. ATOM's forces were implicated in the kidnapping of a German aid worker, in the kidnapping of two Somalis near Bossaso, and in a bombing of Ethiopian migrants in Bossaso on 5 February 2008, which killed 20 people and wounded over 100 others. ATOM's militia may also have played a secondary role in the kidnapping of a German couple captured by pirates in June 2008. ATOM is reportedly involved in arms trafficking. Information from a number of sources indicates that his forces receive arms and equipment from Yemen and Eritrea. According to a December 2008 report, "An eyewitness described six such shipments during a four-week period in early 2008, each sufficient to fill two pickup trucks with small arms, ammunition, and rocket-propelled grenades." According to a Bossaso businessman familiar with the arms trade, ATOM's consignments do not enter the arms market, suggesting that they are either retained for the use of his forces or are transferred to recipients in southern Somalia, where al-Shabaab operates. (4) Fares Mohammed Mana'a (additional name proposed by U.S.). Name: Fares Mohammed Mana'a AKA: Faris Mana'a AKA: Fares Mohammed Manaa DOB: February 8, 1965 POB: Sadah, Yemen Passport No.: 00514146 Place of Issue: Sanaa, Yemen ID Card No.: 1417576 Place of Issue: Al-Amana, Yemen Date of Issue: January 7, 1996 FARES MOHAMMED MANA'A has directly or indirectly supplied, sold or transferred to Somalia arms or related materiel. Background Information MANA'A is a known arms trafficker. In October 2009, the Yemeni government released a blacklist of arms dealers with MANA'A "on top," as part of an effort to stem the flood of weapons in the country, where weapons reportedly outnumber people. "Faris Manaa is a major weapons trafficker, and that's well known," according to June 2009 reporting by a U.S. journalist who is a commentator on Yemeni affairs, authors a semi-annual country report, and has contributed to Jane's Intelligence Group. In a December 2007 Yemen Times article, he is referenced as "Sheikh Fares Mohammed Mana'a, an arms dealer." In a January 2008 Yemen Times article, he is referred to as "Sheikh Faris Mana'a, an arms tradesman." Ties to Arms Trafficking into Somalia In 2004, MANA'A was involved in weapons contracts from Eastern Europe for weapons allegedly marketed to Somali fighters. As of mid-2008, Yemen continues to serve as a hub for illegal arms shipments to the Horn of Africa, particularly arms shipments by boat to Somalia. There are unconfirmed reports that FARIS MANA'A has participated in shipments to Somalia on numerous occasions. Despite the Somalia UN arms embargo since 1992, MANA'A's interest in trafficking arms into Somalia can be traced back at least to 2003. MANA'A made an offer to buy thousands of arms in 2003 from Eastern Europe, and indicated that he planned to sell some of the arms in Somalia. ¶8. (U - Releasable to Somalia Sanctions Committee members) Statement of Case - target proposed by the Monitoring Group Yemane Ghebreab (additional information on name proposed by the Monitoring Group) Name: Yemane Ghebreab AKA: Yemane Gebre Ab AKA: Yemane Gebreab AKA: Yemane Ghebreab W. Yohannes DOB: July 21, 1951 STATE 00118371 004 OF 004 POB: Asmara, Eritrea Passport No.: D000901 Passport type: Diplomatic, Eritrean Passport No.: D001082 Passport type: Diplomatic, Eritrean Address: 12 Keren Street, Asmara, Eritrea Alt. Address: Tegadelti Street, Asmara, Eritrea YEMANE GHEBREAB has engaged in acts that threaten the peace, security or stability of Somalia. YEMANE has directly or indirectly supplied, sold, or transferred to Somalia arms or related materiel or advice, training, or assistance, including financing and financial assistance, related to military activities. The Government of Eritrea formally rejects the Djibouti peace agreement of 18 August 2008, denies the legitimacy of the Transitional Federal Government ((TFG)) and opposes the presence of African Union forces (AMISOM) on Somali soil. YEMANE is the Head of Political Affairs and senior advisor on Somali issues for the Eritrean president. A number of independent and mutually corroborating sources, including senior officials of the opposition group the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia, have identified YEMANE as a primary interlocutor on behalf of the Eritrean government with armed opposition groups threatening the TFG or AMISOM. YEMANE is the primary strategic advisor to the president in Asmara. YEMANE is considered the most senior official under the president working on Somali issues. YEMANE coordinates Asmara's activities with Somali opposition groups. In 2008, YEMANE allegedly was involved in planning weapons shipments into Somalia. In 2007, YEMANE devised a strategy to support jihadist militias in Somalia to attack the TFG and Ethiopia. YEMANE also raised funds to support his efforts. In 2007, YEMANE reportedly was involved in procuring military materiel for al-Shabaab jihadists in Somalia. -------------- Action request for Embassies London and Paris -------------- ¶9. (SBU) For Embassies London and Paris: Washington requests that Embassies provide the list of names in para 3 above to respective counterparts. Additionally, inform host governments that the U.S. intends to propose names for listing in the Somalia Sanctions Committee o/a 20 November, the one year anniversary of the adoption of the targeted measures (reftel B). The U.S. seeks views from the UK and France, and any additional information host governments have, primarily bio-identifiers, on Colonel Te'ame/Dha'ami Goitom; Mohamed Abdi Hassan "Afweyne" and Abshir Caato (aka Abshir Ato). Embassies may also provide host governments the Statements of Case in paras 6 and 7 above. ¶10. (SBU) Washington also requests that Embassies ask host governments for their opinions on designating al-Shabaab in the UNSC Somalia Sanctions Committee and/or the UNSC 1267 (al-Qaida/Taliban) Sanctions Committee. Washington supports sharing that although the Monitoring Group recommends designating Hisbl al-Islam, the U.S. Government is opposed to designating the entity Hisbl al-Islam at this time due to concerns that doing so could potentially prevent political reconciliation with the TFG in the future. -------------- Points of contact and reporting deadline -------------- ¶11. (U) Please direct any questions or comments on this response and request to EEB/ESC/TFS (Jay J. Jallorina), IO/PSC (Jean T Clark),or USUN (Ashley K Orbach). Posts are requested to report back on responses from other governments by November 20. ¶12. (U) Department appreciates Posts' efforts. CLINTON