VZCZCXYZ0019
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRH #2034 2750903
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 020903Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6662
INFO RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH PRIORITY 9080

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 002034 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPAO XW SO SA
SUBJECT: ANOTHER "HOLY" PEACE AGREEMENT IGNORED: SOMALIS 
SIGN PEACE DEAL LAST WEEK, CONTINUE FIGHTING THIS WEEK 
 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor  David Rundell 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (U) In one of dozens of attempts to end the sixteen-year 
civil war, Somali leaders signed a peace agreement on 
September 16 in the presence of King Abdullah and Crown 
Prince Sultan during the final session of the Somali 
reconciliation conference in Jeddah.  The reconciliation 
conference was initially held in Mogadishu for the current 
Somali government and thousands of civic leaders-- only the 
final session was held in Saudi Arabia.  Meanwhile, a 
simultaneous peace conference is being held in Eritrea by the 
Islamist-led opposition because the 191 member-strong 
opposition banned the Mogadishu reconciliation conference. 
The opposition groups were not signatories to the Jeddah 
agreement.  The Somali leaders who did come to Saudi Arabia-- 
including the Somali President Abdullah Yusuf, Somali Prime 
Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi, and Somali Parliament Speaker 
Adam Mohammed Nur-- first visited the holy cities of Mecca 
and Medina in order to pray and to take an oath for 
implementing the final resolutions, before signing the peace 
agreement in Jeddah. 
 
¶2.  (U) According to media reports, King Abdullah told the 
delegates that "by the Grace of God, an agreement has been 
reached in this holy month and this will close the bloody 
chapter and open the road to a bright future."  Saudi media 
editorials commented on the complexity of the Somali 
situation given tribal allegiances, continually evolving 
conflict, mixed messages from its neighbors and the West, and 
the difficulty in solving the conflict "overnight."  These 
editorials also noted Saudi Arabia's recent role in regional 
peace-brokering-- and how it ultimately has failed in each 
circumstance. 
 
¶3.  (U)  Two weeks after this landmark agreement, fighting 
continues in Mogadishu and the Islamist opposition continues 
to strategize in Asmara, according to various media sources. 
Reports about weak and understaffed Ugandan peacekeeping 
troops continue to publicize the lack of commitment from 
African and Arab countries for a strong, stabilizing 
peacekeeping force.  There have been no commitments from the 
Arab States for additional peacekeepers in Somalia. 
 
¶4.  (C) SAG Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told Poloff 
on September 26 that the SAG was very concerned about 
regional security and stability and therefore resolving the 
conflict in Somalia was in the SAG's national interest. He 
was optimistic that the agreement would hold, but added that 
we should know for certain in another month or two.  Even if 
the effort to make peace was likely to fail, he said that it 
was the SAG's duty to assist the Somalis as the Custodian of 
the Two Holy Mosques and because of the resources it has at 
its disposal. 
 
¶5.  (C)  COMMENT: Given the SAG's lack of involvement in the 
entire reconciliation process, and the fact that the violence 
did not cease following the signing of the agreement, it does 
not seem likely that this agreement will carry any more 
weight than previous agreements.  However, despite the 
disappointment of the Mecca Accord, Saudi Arabia has stepped 
out yet again unilaterally to use its position as the 
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in an attempt to persuade 
fighting factions to come to peace.  END COMMENT. 
FRAKER