VZCZCXRO9798
OO RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNR #3281 2261436
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141436Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1729
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS NAIROBI 003281 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/E AND A/S FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - TELCON WITH NGRC CHAIRMAN ALI MAHDI 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Special Envoy spoke with National 
Governance and Reconciliation Council Chair Ali Mahdi by 
telephone August 14 to obtain update on National 
Reconciliation Congress. Mahdi confirmed that 
reconciliation portion of proceedings were "successfully" 
completed August 9 and that political phase would commence 
by week?s end. Contrary to what we had heard from Prime 
Minister Gedi, no ceremonial interlude is projected between 
NRC social and political reconciliation phases. END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (SBU) Mahdi told Special Envoy that he had intended to 
reconvene the NRC to begin the political agenda points on 
August 16, following the recess permitting the Secretariat 
to prepare reconciliation papers for signature. The Hawiye 
Ugas from Hiran, however, had requested waiting until 
Saturday, August 18 to permit more time for intra-Hawiye 
reconciliation. Mahdi indicated that he probably would do 
so if the Ugas plan seemed reasonable. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Consideration of political agenda items would 
require one to two weeks by Mahdi's projections, perhaps 
finishing as early as August 25, but more likely August 30. 
In any case Mahdi intends to finish NRC proceedings before 
the beginning of Ramadam in mid-September  although, if 
necessary, that date could be exceeded as the important 
goal is to complete the work for the return to Somali 
democracy, not end by a specific date. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Among the political issues on NRC agenda are 
preparation for a census, guidelines for establishing a 
multi-party system, immediate appointment of a Constitution 
drafting committee, referendum and elections by 2009.  The 
operative decisions on these items would be in the form or 
recommendations for TFG enactment. While the foregoing are 
all part of the Roadmap to Governance, Reconciliation and 
Dialogue, Mahdi also volunteered that the oft-mentioned 
amendment to the Transitional Federal Charter to permit 
more openness in Ministerial appointments. This would 
eliminate the TFC requirement that Ministers must be 
Members of Parliament. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In answer to Special Envoy's inquiry, Mahdi said 
the current delegate count is "closed" at 2,605 or almost 
double the original figure. Given much speculation and 
concern that some of the important clan leaders were still 
not participating, Chairman Mahdi, claimed such was not the 
case; that all the important ?Sultans? were on board.  He 
did ask, however, if we could help encourage some of the 
Asmara dissidents to join. According to him, the NGRC has 
been reaching out directly and through intermediaries in 
the diaspora to the Asmara group, including ex-CIC, 
proposing a meeting in Djibouti. Thus far, however, no the 
NGRC had not responded to the invitation no proposed any 
list of potential participants. 
Ranneberger