VZCZCXRO5508
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHEG #7041/01 3381447
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 041447Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2793
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CAIRO 007041 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2026 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ARABL UNGA MARR EG SO
SUBJECT: (C) SOMALI DIPLOMAT PROVIDES ARAB LEAGUE MINUTES 
OF MEETING WITH ISLAMIC COURTS LEADER AWEYS 
 
REF: CAIRO 6937 
 
Classified by Minister-Counselor for Economic and Political 
Affairs William R. Stewart for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Cairo-based Somali diplomat Ismail Hussein (strictly 
protect) provided poloff with an Arabic-language document 
purported to be an Arab League (AL) internal summary of 
November 2-3 meetings in Mogadishu between senior League 
staff and Somali Council of Islamic Courts (CIC) leader 
Sheikh Hassan Aweys.  The Somali diplomat, loyal to 
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) President Abdullahi 
Youssef, shared the document in an effort to "prove" that the 
League is sympathetic to the Courts.  While post cannot vouch 
for the authenticity of the document, our conversations with 
Arab League contacts lead us to believe that its contents 
accurately reflect League views on Somalia. 
 
¶2. (C) The document is not a smoking-gun indictment of Arab 
League collaboration with the CIC, as Hussein suggested. 
Rather it reflects a fairly balanced League approach to 
maintaining both Arab and African participation in future 
peace talks.  The Arab League desire to prevent Ethiopia from 
becoming the IGAD (Inter-Governmental Agency for Development) 
representative presiding - jointly with Sudan, representing 
the African Union - over future Somalia negotiations is 
apparent, and reflects the Arab League view that Ethiopia, a 
major protagonist in the conflict, would not be a neutral 
mediator.  The report was purportedly sent by Arab League 
African Affairs Office Director Samir Hosni to AL Secretary 
General Amre Moussa. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Embassy translation of Somalia document: 
 
Begin text: 
 
Thursday, November 2, 2006 
 
The AL General Secretariat's delegation included Assistant 
Secretary General for Political Affairs Ambassador Ahmed Ben 
 
SIPDIS 
Helli, Director of the Secretary General's Office Hisham 
Youssef, and Fouad Bestengui of the Africa and Arab-African 
Cooperation Department. 
 
At the beginning of the meeting, Ambassador Ben Helli 
welcomed Sheikh Taher Aweys and said that it was a good 
opportunity to talk to the leadership of the Islamic Courts 
to clear up many issues, such as the recent negotiations 
scheduled for October 30, 2006 that were postponed. 
Ambassador Ben Helli added that the Arab League was concerned 
in the first place about Somalia's interests, and noted that 
the Secretary General was always addressing the Somalia issue 
like other issues of importance on the Arab scene, such as 
Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine. 
 
In turn, Aweys said that the postponement of the negotiations 
was not caused by the Courts, but due to acts carried out by 
the army of the enemy (Ethiopia), such as its incursion into 
Somali territory.  Aweys criticized the Arabs for forgetting 
the Somali issue for the past fifteen years (the period of 
the civil war).  He also expressed strong anger because the 
Arab League could not confront Ethiopia and have it pull out 
its forces from Somalia.  He likened Ethiopia to Israel and 
said that the Arabs were just as afraid of it as they were of 
Israel. 
 
On involving Kenya in the presidency of the negotiations 
scheduled for October 30, 2006 without the agreement of the 
Islamic Courts - because the presidency of IGAD will be 
transferred after two months to Ethiopia, which is rejected 
by the Islamic Courts - Ambassador Ben Helli justified the 
League's position by saying that the League deals with the 
political aspect of the matter and that excluding the African 
side from the negotiations is impossible, especially since 
Kenya is considered a moderate African outlet that could be a 
partner in the negotiations. 
 
Ambassador Ben Helli spoke about the League's position during 
the September 25, 2006 UN Security Council session which 
addressed a draft resolution to lift the arms embargo against 
Somalia to pave the way for sending African forces to 
Somalia.  He pointed out that the League worked to push the 
negotiations between the Courts and the government forward. 
Ben Helli told Aweys that Ethiopia is currently considered a 
weak country and would not affect the negotiating process. 
Ben Helli tried to convince Aweys that Ethiopia would not 
take over the IGAD Presidency from Kenya in two months, and 
that AL Secretary General Amre Moussa was working to keep the 
Somalia portfolio in Kenya's hands without transferring it to 
Ethiopia. 
 
Ben Helli requested Aweys to set a new date for resuming 
 
CAIRO 00007041  002 OF 003 
 
 
negotiations and assured him that the Arab League would work 
to mediate any obstacles between the Courts and Kenya for the 
sake of resuming negotiations.  He added that involving the 
African side - represented by Kenya - is extremely important 
because it was not possible to exclude the African side from 
the talks.  He advised Aweys not to set conditions for 
resumption of negotiations, such as withdrawal of Ethiopian 
forces, and to engage in talks where such issues and demands 
could be discussed via negotiation. 
 
Aweys described Kenya as cunning and accused it of helping 
Ethiopia in the past to occupy Somalia.  However, he 
eventually expressed confidence in the Arab League and 
promised to study the situation and reply to the League as 
soon as possible. 
 
Friday, November 3, 2006 
 
The General Secretariat's delegation included Ambassador Ben 
Helli, Hisham Youssef, and Fouad Bestengui.  Samir Hosni, 
Office Director for African Affairs, and Secretariat Staff 
Member Zeid Al Sabban joined the delegation following word of 
postponement of a third round of AL-sponsored talks in 
Khartoum. 
 
Mr. Hosni presented a detailed explanation of the obstacles 
to the negotiations.  He explained that the Courts delegation 
adhered to its pre-condition, i.e., withdrawal of Ethiopian 
forces, and said that the main goal of its participation was 
to declare a certain political position, not simply to talk. 
He said there were pressures being exerted by different 
agencies on President Abdallahi Youssef to appoint Speaker of 
the Transitional Parliament El-Sherif Hasan as head of the 
TFG delegation.  Nevertheless, President Youssef appointed 
Minister of Constitution and Federal Affairs Abdallah Sheikh 
Ismail as TFG delegation head.  Hosni pointed out that the 
Arab League was severely criticized by the TFG, which had 
similarly bashed the Sudanese government during talks there. 
Hosni added that a small group was formed in Nairobi to 
prepare for a third round of negotiations, with the 
participation of the Arab League, Yemen, Sudan, the European 
Union, and other parties. 
 
Ambassador Ben Helli addressed a few questions to Aweys on 
the truth of press reporting that the Courts military forces 
were located on the outskirts of Bidoa City and that they 
were being assisted by Eritrean troops, and called for 
self-restraint by the Courts. 
 
On a date for the next round of negotiations, Hosni said that 
a tentative date was set among the individuals of the 
international community in Sudan that it should not exceed 
December 15, 2006.  Ben Helli asked if the Courts would be 
able to provide security for the medical mission sent to 
Mogadishu by the AL Secretariat. 
 
Aweys advised the AL to exercise patience with the 
negotiations and that what is taking place is just a crisis 
that will eventually pass.  He said that the West and African 
countries were patient for two years with the formation of 
the current Somali government, which he described as a 
failure.  On a date for resumption of negotiations, he said 
that consultation should be conducted between the Courts' 
Consultative Council and the Courts' Executive Council to 
select a date.  He implied that the Courts agreed to Kenya's 
participation in presiding over the negotiations without 
alternation with Ethiopia.  Aweys said the Courts had 
confidence in the Arab League and that the Courts had no 
intention of attacking Bidoa. 
 
Answering a question on Eritrea, Aweys said it extended 
assistance to the Courts forces and provided the Courts with 
light and old weapons and some military experts that did not 
exceed ten.  He added that the Courts would provide security 
for the medical team sent by the Arab League, but requested 
that the team be equipped with pharmaceuticals for the widely 
spread diseases in Somalia and that the doctors be 
professionally qualified to treat the people in Mogadishu. 
He noted that the number of displaced persons is increasing 
daily and that the airport and harbor in Mogadishu needed 
international effort and support to operate efficiently. 
 
Ambassador Ben Helli explained that the Arab League would 
ensure that Ethiopia does not preside over the negotiations 
after becoming President of IGAD and that Kenya will continue 
to preside.  Mr. Hosni is to be informed that the Arab League 
would be discussing the idea of talking to Yemeni President 
Ali Abdallah Saleh to pressure Ethiopia into withdraw its 
forces from Somalia. 
 
The meeting was concluded with a promise from the Islamic 
Courts delegation to contact the Arab League again for 
 
CAIRO 00007041  003 OF 003 
 
 
coordination on the next round of negotiations. 
 
End text. 
RICCIARDONE