VZCZCXYZ0242
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #0435 0641516
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041516Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8423

UNCLAS CAIRO 000435 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ELA, AF/E (GAREY) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL EAID PGOV EG SO
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE RESPONSE ON RESTRUCTURING SOMALIA CONTACT 
GROUP 
 
REF: A. CAIRO 382 
 ¶B. SECSTATE 16181 
 
Sensitive but unclassified, not for Internet distribution. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Arab League Office of African Affairs Director Samir Hosni 
provided on March 4 the non-paper below detailing the Arab League's 
suggestions for restructuring the International Contact Group (ICG) 
on Somalia.  The non-paper echoes points Hosni made verbally (ref 
A), emphasizing that international organizations should play a 
primary role in the ICG, namely that the UN representative should 
chair the ICG and that the UN, AU, and Arab League should together 
play a more active supporting role. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Begin text of non-paper (verbatim as provided in English): 
 
March 2, 2008 
 
Non-Paper 
 
Remarks on the Proposals for strengthening the effectiveness of the 
International Contact Group (ICG) 
 
1 - The League of Arab States (LAS) welcomes initiatives to 
strengthening ICG's capacity in order to let it generate solutions 
aiming at establishing peace and security in Somalia as well as 
facilitating its implementation. 
 
2 - International and regional experiences demonstrated that no one 
possesses a magic wand to end the Somali crisis.  There is much need 
of a more coordinated effort between international and regional 
organisations (UN, AU, and LAS, as well as EU and IGAD), and with 
the international and regional actors to bring an end to the 
long-standing crisis. 
 
Plenary and Cluster Groups 
 
3 - As the Somalia question is a permanent item on the Arab League 
Agenda, as well as on AU and UN agendas, maintaining a harmonised 
coordinated approach among them is a must to successful actions 
towards establishing a new peaceful Somalia. 
 
4 - UN SRSG is well positioned to chair the ICG's meetings. 
 
5 - A permanent working group of UN-AU-LAS might assist the UNSRSG 
in the preparations for the plenary. 
 
6 - The presence of international organisations in all clusters is a 
necessity to avoid parallel initiatives or double efforts.  A 
distribution of labor is needed but a division must be avoided. 
 
Political Outreach 
 
7 - The Arab League supports totally the AU initiative towards 
Somalia (AMISOM), as an effective way to support the legitimacy of 
the TFIs and Transitional Charter. 
 
8 - Achieving a cease fire arrangement, and paving the way towards 
credible elections in 2009 needs well balanced diplomatic efforts 
with all Somali actors. 
 
9 - The Arab League Summit in Riyadh called for convening an all 
inclusive meeting gathering the TFG and the main political and civil 
actors in Somalia to help achieving national reconciliation, on the 
basis of the Transitional Charter.  The Arab League is ready to 
fully coordinate its efforts in this regard with the ICG. 
 
End text of non-paper. 
RICCIARDONE