VZCZCXRO0449
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHEG #3966/01 1771201
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 261201Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9477
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 1023

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CAIRO 003966 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER EFIN MOPS EG SM
SUBJECT: SOMALIA:  ARAB LEAGUE BRINGS SOMALI TRANSITIONAL 
GOVERNMENT AND ISLAMIC COURTS TOGETHER FOR PEACE TALKS 
 
REF: A. KHARTOUM 1477 
 
     ¶B. CAIRO 3849 
     ¶C. CAIRO 3819 
     ¶D. 6/23/06 HEGADORN-NEA EMAIL 
 
Classified by ECPO Counselor Catherine Hill-Herndon for 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary.  Senior Arab League contacts Samir Hosni and 
Talal Elamine briefed poloff June 25 on outcomes of the 
Khartoum meeting of the Arab League's Somalia Committee with 
key Somali political leaders.  In addition to providing 
Arabic texts of the June 22 Khartoum Communique (translations 
below), Hosni confirmed plans to hold a second round of talks 
July 15 in Khartoum between Transitional Federal Government 
(TFG) leaders and representatives of the Union of Islamic 
Courts (UIC).  Hosni welcomed coordination with the U.S. and 
others, noting that League representatives would brief 
Nairobi-based diplomats on the AL's mediation efforts soon. 
Hosni also welcomed inclusion of an Arab role in future 
meetings of the U.S.-led Somalia Contact Group.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) Arab League Secretariat African Affairs Office 
Director Samir Hosny provided poloff June 25 with a readout 
of the Khartoum ministerial of the League's Somalia 
Committee, joined by Somali TFG leaders and representatives 
of the UIC.  Hosni provided additional details to what AL 
Secretariat staffer Talal Elamine shared June 23 (ref D) 
 
SIPDIS 
regarding a seven-point communique (text at paragraph five) 
signed by TFG and UIC leaders.  Hosni described the 
atmospherics of the meeting as positive, productive, and 
non-confrontational.  While the UIC reps (Deputy UIC Chairman 
Dr. Mohammed Ali Ibrahim plus ten - namelist below) did not 
represent hard-line elements of the UIC, Hosni said, their 
aim was clearly to establish a role for the UIC within the 
TFG.  Hosni said the UIC wants to revisit parts of the 
Constitution (NFI) and reform certain TFG institutions (NFI). 
 In general, the UIC does not want to abandon the IGAD-led 
peace process which established the TFG in 2004, he noted, 
and agreed to this point in the final communique.  The UIC is 
opposed to a foreign troop presence, Hosni said, and is 
focused on getting "warlords" out of the TFG.  Likewise, he 
added, the UIC is willing to negotiate disarmament of its 
militias, and is opposed to lifting the UN arms embargo. 
Hosni shared a copy of the UIC demands presented to the Arab 
League Secretariat at the start of the talks (text at 
paragraph six). 
 
¶3.  (C) Asked about next steps for the Arab League and the 
Somali political forces, Hosni noted that the Arab League's 
Somalia Committee would meet again with key Somali political 
forces July 15 in Khartoum under the auspices of League 
President Sudan.  Hosni stated that the League was also 
consulting with member states and Somali groups on the 
possibility of granting observer status to the U.S., AU, 
IGAD, and others for future talks.  In this spirit, Hosni 
said the AL's Somalia peace process envoy (Salim Al 
Khusseibi) would offer Nairobi-based diplomats a readout of 
the June 22 meeting sometime during the week of June 25, 
including Ethiopian and Kenyan diplomats.  This move, he 
shared, was intended to "calm them (i.e., front-line 
states)," and to show them that "their interests in Somalia 
are being taken into consideration" by the League. 
 
¶4.  (C) On the theme of coordinating international diplomatic 
efforts on Somalia, Hosni welcomed efforts to include an Arab 
role in the international Contact Group on Somalia, and 
proposed that Sweden consider hosting the next Contact Group 
meeting early enough to allow Arab and Arab League experts to 
participate, prior to the League's July 15 Somalia meeting. 
Hosni concluded by calling for a "common agenda" with the 
U.S., and pressed for Europe and the U.S. to focus on 
humanitarian assistance for Somalia.  We must all work 
together, he added, to "isolate the radical elements" in 
Somalia and eventually disarm the militants.  Hosni believed 
that the Arab League mediation effort would succeed in 
bringing political stability to southern Somalia, and an 
accomodation between the TFG and the UIC.  Still, he added, 
these talks will have to be followed by political talks with 
Somaliland leaders and later, Puntland. 
 
¶5.  (U) Unofficial embassy translation of June 22 Arab 
League-sponsored Somalia talks communique: 
 
Within the framework of implementing the Khartoum summit 
resolution 345 of March 29, 2006 regarding support to 
Somalia, and based on the initiative and generous invitation 
of the President of Sudan (current Arab League Summit 
President), the Arab League ministerial committee assigned to 
follow the situation in Somalia met under the chairmanship of 
His Excellency President Omar Al-Bashir.  His Excellency 
 
CAIRO 00003966  002 OF 003 
 
 
President Abdullah Youssef of Somalia, the Secretary General 
of the Arab League, and ministers and representatives of 
member states attended. 
 
Through intensive consultations with the Somali government 
and the Union of Islamic Courts, the Committee reached a 
number of elements that can be built upon to create common 
ground.  And, with the participation and auspices of the 
Committee on Somalia, the first session of the dialogue 
between the two parties was held, during which they expressed 
determination to achieve a settlement that would preserve the 
unity, sovereignty, and territorial security of Somalia and 
enable the Somalis to rebuild the State institutions and 
proceed with the reconstruction and rebuilding process. 
 
Within this context, agreement was reached on the following 
(7) principles: 
 
- Recognition of the legitimacy of the current Somali 
transitional government. 
 
- Recognition of the "reality" of the Union of Islamic Courts. 
 
- Continue dialogue and talks without prior conditions within 
the framework of mutual recognition. 
 
- Underline the necessity of putting war criminals on trial. 
 
- Adhere to a halt to media and military campaigns (against 
one another). 
 
- Address a joint peace appeal. 
 
- Conduct a dialogue on pending security and political 
issues, and add this to the agenda of upcoming sessions and 
explore the possibility of forming technical committees to 
discuss such issues and submit proposals. 
 
Agreement was reached to continue the talks and hold the next 
round in Khartoum on July 15, 2006. 
 
The Committee urged the international community to provide 
support quickly to the Somali people and stressed that the 
Arab countries would actively contribute to the restoration 
of security and stability in Somalia, to reconstruction and 
rebuilding efforts, and would extend urgent humanitarian 
assistance. 
 
The Committee thanked the Republic of Sudan for its 
initiative on calling for and hosting a meeting of the Arab 
League's Committee on Somalia. 
 
Signed by: 
Abdallah El-Sheikh Ismail, Foreign Minister, Republic of 
Somalia 
 
Dr. Mohamed Ali Ibrahim, Head of the UIC Delegation, Somalia 
 
Witnessed by: 
Amre Moussa, Secretary General of the Arab League 
 
Lam Akol, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Sudan 
 
End text. 
 
¶6.  (U) Unofficial embassy translation of UIC paper. 
 
Delivered by:  Sheikh Sharif El-Sheikh Ahmed, Head of the 
Union of Islamic Courts 
 
(Title) "Some Negotiation Axes" 
 
The recent Somali rebellion under the UIC and various society 
sects see the following points as axes for negotiations: 
 
- Opposite of what is present in the global, Arab, and 
Islamic scenes, the Somali government described the recent 
rebellion as a "terrorist" action in order to undermine what 
is left of the Somalis and their property.  Therefore, we 
urge the government to formally apologize to its people and 
to the rebellion in order to rebuild confidence. 
 
- The Parliament,s recent decision to bring foreign troops 
is unacceptable because the country does not need such troops 
after resolving the problem of security in Mogadishu and its 
vicinity.  From our side, we promise to restore security and 
stability in any region of Somalia where there is 
instability.  Therefore, we urgently demand the cancellation 
of this decision (on foreign troops). 
 
- In light of the size and nature of the recent changes in 
 
CAIRO 00003966  003 OF 003 
 
 
the country, it is imperative that all political formations 
and issued documents, as well as the various laws, 
resolutions, and agreements based upon them, should be 
reviewed. 
 
- Issue a general peace declaration whereby all Somalis would 
live peacefully in all provinces.  Ban any military activity, 
but without fettering the rebellion in its campaign to hound 
the warlords who are trying to create unrest and sectarian 
strife in certain areas. 
 
- Bring war criminals to justice before a special court and 
in cooperation with the international and regional community. 
 
- Do not lift the arms embargo. 
 
Signed by:  Dr. Mohamed Ali Ibrahim, Chairman of the UIC 
delegation 
 
End text. 
 
¶7.  (U) Name list of UIC delegation to June 21-22 Khartoum 
talks. 
 
Dr. Mohamed Ali Ibrahim, Chairman 
Sheikh Hussein Mahmoud Jimaala, Vice Chairman 
Taher Mahmoud Jeeli, Secretary 
Sheikh Ali Abdallah Ahmed, Secretary 
Sheikh Youssef Ali Einti, Member 
Sheikh Beshir Ado Alsso, Member 
Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Abdallah, Member 
Prof. Omar Adam Kadi, Member 
Sheikh Ahmed Balli Hassan, Member 
Mr. Abdel Qader Mu,allem Jeedi, Member 
 
End UIC participant list. 
RICCIARDONE