UNCLAS STATE 044011

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OVIP PREL PGOV EAID KPKO SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: TFG PRESIDENT MEETS WITH AF ACTING
ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARTER ON APRIL 23

REF: STATE 44005


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Somalia Transitional Federal Government
(TFG) President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed met with Bureau
for African Affairs Acting Assistant Secretary Phillip Carter
(AA/S) on April 23 on the margins of the international donors
conference for the Somalia security sector and African Union
Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in Belgium, Brussels, from April
22 to 23 (Reftel). The President and AA/S spent the majority
of the meeting discussing the importance of building
well-trained and effective Somalia security institutions,
including a National Security Force (NSF) and Somalia Police
Force (SPF). Other topics included discussions of the TFG,s
current political reconciliation efforts and President
Sharif,s views on the future of AMISOM and a possible United
Nations Peacekeeping Operation (UNPKO). END SUMMARY.

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USG MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT SHARIF
--------------


2. (SBU) AA/S Carter stressed that the TFG,s immediate
priority should be building a well-trained and effective NSF
and SPF, and the international community,s focus must
include the Somalia security institutions as well as
continued support to AMISOM. AA/S Carter laid out certain
structures that, once in place, will allow the TFG to
leverage greater international support. These include
financial accountability mechanisms; guarantees from the TFG
that members of the NSF and SPF are not/not human rights
violators, not/not past participants in terrorist activities,
and not/not child soldiers; and an effective judiciary.


3. (SBU) AA/S Carter said the U.S. is willing to help with
capacity building for the Somalia security institutions to
ensure they are &rock solid and part of the solution8--a
message AA/S Carter communicated to the Ministers of Defense
and Foreign Affairs (ForMin) earlier at the conference
(Reftel). However, the AA/S told the President the TFG needs
to inform donors of what the NSF, SPF and judicial sectors
will look like so the international community can coordinate
and put the appropriate resources in place. AA/S Carter
reminded the President of our offer to commit up to $500,000
to conduc

t a security sector assessment and help the TFG to
construct its security institutions and structure as soon as
the TFG is willing and able to begin such an effort.

--------------
PRESIDENT SHARIF,S PRIORITIES
--------------


4. (SBU) President Sharif, with TFG ForMin Mohamed Omaar as
his translator, began his remarks by thanking AA/S Carter and
the United States for engaging on Somalia at such a high
level of government. President Sharif stated security is the
most important issue on the table and all other issues in
Somalia at the moment are tied to security in one way or
another. Regarding the Somalia security institutions, Sharif
stated that a lot of work is needed: bringing more women into
the ranks of the NSF and SPF, obtaining materials and
equipment, drafting the rules and regulations that will
govern these institutions, and forging into the minds of
those in the NSF and SPF that they work for ordinary Somalis.


5. (SBU) Regarding selecting individuals to form the ranks of
the NSF and SPF, the President stated, &The requirements
from the international community for the TFG are clear, but
the international community must understand that the people
on the ground in Mogadishu include a lot of ex-warlords and
people engaged in illegal activities.8 AA/S Carter
responded that the United States understands this, but the
TFG &needs people who are not/not weighed down by history
and who are looking to the future.8 The AA/S also noted the
United States remains concerned that some members already
selected to serve in the NSF may be underage and this must be
addressed. The President stated an immediate focus of the
TFG will be retraining and reeducating those in the security
services. He also stated his government will find a way to
combine TFG and Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia
forces so they work together in a new system, and the
government will not/not take everyone who applies but will be
selective. President Sharif informed AA/S Carter that the
TFG is in the process of designing a selection process to
accomplish this task, as well as selecting individuals to
comprise the Joint Security Committee.

--------------
POLITICAL RECONCILIATION EFFORTS
--------------


6. (SBU) Sharif spoke about political reconciliation efforts
currently underway. The President reported that the TFG is
focused on conducting a &grass roots reconciliation effort8
in order to reach out to the public, and this process &is
going very well.8 Regarding al-Shabaab, President Sharif
stated, &We do not/not believe there is much hope that
al-Shabaab will come to the table.8 On a different note,
President Sharif volunteered that &part of Hisbul al-Islam
is open to dialogue, but not/not the whole organization.8

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THE FUTURE OF AMISOM AND A POSSIBLE UNPKO
--------------


7. (SBU) AA/S Carter asked President Sharif what the TFG,s
thinking is on the segue between AMISOM and the NSF, to which
the President responded, &AMISOM is needed, but the
immediate objective should be to fund Somali forces--which is
important for AMISOM and the success of the TFG.8


8. (SBU) COMMENT. In this context, the TFG sees the need to
strengthen AMISOM as a critical element of its own security
efforts. It is also apparent that the TFG looks to take its
own security from an AU force rather than a UNPKO. Even if
100 percent of the USD 213 million donors pledged at the
conference goes toward supporting AMISOM vice the Somalia
security sector, AMISOM will remain significantly underfunded
and will continue to depend on unreliable and sporadic
bilateral donations instead of a reliable and steady funding
stream. The UN has estimated in public it will cost at least
USD 600 million to support AMISOM for one year of operations
at the mandated force strength of 8,000 and with the Mission
operating at basic UNPKO standards. Furthermore, Burundi and
Uganda, the two troop contributing countries to AMISOM, have
indicated that consistent support to their troops under the
rubric of the U.N. is critical to their continued operations.
END COMMENT.

CLINTON