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DE RUCNDT #1057 3252053
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 212053Z NOV 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3159
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001057 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SO
SUBJECT: SECURITY COUNCIL LOOKING TO BE USEFUL ON SOMALIA 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified; Protect Accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. UN A/SYG Menkerios described for Security 
Council members the bleak realities of Somalia that together 
dampen his enthusiasm for the recent peaceful change in 
government -- Mogadishu still lacks basic security; the 
humanitarian situation is deteriorating further; opposition 
groups remain uncooperative; human rights abuses are ongoing 
with the assassinations of four journalists among the recent 
examples; and the Transitional Federal Government has little 
capacity to complete even the limited tasks it has 
undertaken.  Several members called for increased assistance 
to AMISOM and for more serious planning for a follow-on UN 
peacekeeping operation.  The French announced the arrival of 
French warships in the region to provide humanitarian escort 
in the face of the ongoing threat of piracy.  The French and 
British contacted DepPolCouns following the consultations to 
express interest in the USG's call for a new Security Council 
resolution on piracy off Somalia with the French also asking 
for more detail on our reference to Combined Task Force 150. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) In a brief presentation to the UN Security Council 
on November 19, Assistant Secretary-General for Political 
Affairs Haile Menkerios summarized the SYG's November 7 
report on Somalia and accentuated the few positive 
developments -- principally the peaceful process leading to 
selection of a new prime minister and the president's 
initiation of broadly inclusive consultations as a 
confidence-building measure.  Menkerios quickly added, 
however, that the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) 
remained a virtual non-entity with little capacity to govern, 
saying "there really isn't a functioning government," 
especially given what he called the "hardening" positions of 
opposition leaders.  He acknowledged that Mogadishu is still 
insecure and that general insecurity in Somalia continues to 
cause deterioration in humanitarian conditions with lack of 
health care remaining a primary concern.  He condemned human 
rights violations, particularly the assassinations of TFG 
officials and four journalists, excessive use of force buy 
the TFG, and the closing of three radio stations. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Members had praise for the efforts of African Union 
AMISOM troops in Somalia and particular praise for the 
forthcoming deployments of battalions from Burundi and 
Nigeria.  There was general acknowledgment, however, that 
AMISOM is not the long-term answer to Somalia's crisis, with 
South African PermRep Kumalo offering the most stark 
appraisal: "AMISOM isn't going to make any difference with 
its low strength and low support."  Other members felt that 
AMISOM could prove at least part of the solution.  Several 
members -- U.S., Belgium, Italy among them -- pledged 
increased bilateral assistance to AMISOM.  Chinese DPR Liu 
said "the UN should take over AMISOM." 
 
¶4. (SBU) DepPolCouns, drawing on department's guidance, 
expressed USG disappointment that the Secretariat had not 
engaged in more detailed contingency planning for a 
peacekeeping operation (PKO) to eventually succeed AMISOM. 
Italy, UK, South Africa, France, Russia, and Indonesia made 
variations of the same point. Russia and Panama insisted that 
any planning should not suggest that a PKO is imminent. 
Menkerios offered only to pass along members' concerns to the 
UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations.  Qatar attributed 
the worsening refugee situation solely to the continued 
presence of Ethiopian troops and generally supported any 
planning efforts that would lead to their withdrawal. South 
Africa offered Qatar some support on this point with Kumalo 
saying "we need to help the Ethiopians withdraw because their 
presence is becoming the primary focus of those who oppose 
change." 
 
¶5. (SBU) Qatar raised a concern about piracy off the Somali 
coast.  France announced that French warships had arrived in 
the vicinity to escort ships carrying humanitarian supplies. 
DepPolCouns shared Qatar's concern and announced USG support 
for the International Maritime Organization's recent call for 
a new Security Council resolution on point.  The French and 
British missions contacted USUN following consultations to 
express readiness to consider a new resolution. The French 
also expressed interest in discussing further the USG 
statement's reference to joint anti-piracy efforts via 
Combined Task Force 150. 
Khalilzad