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RR RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNR #2232/01 2661407
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221407Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7121
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME 0400
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 7389
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 002232 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/E AND A/S FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS KDEM EWWT SO
SUBJECT: Somalia - Internationals and Somalis Meet on Humanitarian, 
Security Situation 
 
REF: Nairobi 2182 
 
NAIROBI 00002232  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
1) SUMMARY: The International Contact Group (ICG) for Somalia met on 
September 17 in Djibouti on the eve of a second round of talks 
between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and Alliance for 
the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS).  Both the Somali Prime Minister 
and opposition leader addressed the ICG, promising to make concrete 
progress on implementing the June 9 Djibouti peace agreement, to 
expand humanitarian access, and to combat piracy.  ICG internal 
discussions centered on the Somalis' capacity to implement a cease 
fire, the worsening humanitarian situation, and progress on 
instituting the Transitional Federal Charter.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  On September 17 members of the International Contact Group for 
Somalia (ICG) met in Djibouti to discuss the political, security and 
humanitarian situation in Somalia (reftel).  The meeting took place 
on the eve of the second round of talks between the Joint High Level 
and Security Committees.  It was the first meeting under the 
auspices of the SRSG who assumed the ICG mantle from the co-founders 
United States and Norway following the April Oslo meeting. 
Participants included the UN, African Union, European Commission, 
European Union Council Secretariat, Presidency of European Union 
(France), IGAD, League of Arab States, Organization of Islamic 
Conference, World Bank, Canada, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Italy, 
Kenya, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States.  The ICG asked 
TFG Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein and Deputy Prime Minister 
Ahmed Abdisalam Adan, and ARS leaders Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and 
Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden to address the ICG as one entity, behind a 
single "Somalia" nameplate.  The significance of this was not lost 
on the gathering; earlier this year the ARS and TFG had refused to 
meet face to face. 
 
¶3.  After the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) 
Ahmed Ould-Abdullah and the Djiboutian Foreign Minister opened the 
meeting, Prime Minister Hussein made remarks.  He acknowledged the 
Somali people, as well as the international community, were 
frustrated by lack of progress on the Djibouti Agreement's 
implementation.  Nevertheless, he was determined that future Joint 
High Level and Security Committee meetings will be held in Somalia. 
The PM praised French actions against pirates (Note:  That morning 
French Special Forces had rescued two French hostages and captured 
or killed the pirates holding them.  End Note.)  He asked for the 
international community to continue escorting World Food Programme 
sea shipments to Somalia (Note: Canada will provide escorts until 
the end of September.  End Note.)  (Comment:  The PM's remarks, 
which he read in English, were rambling and disorganized.  Several 
times he lost his place, then repeated himself.  End Comment.) 
 
¶4.  By contrast, Sheikh Sharif's remarks were concise and well 
delivered.  Speaking through a translator, Sharif specifically 
thanked the SRSG and the United States for their support.  He said 
this week he will work for a joint TFG-ARS humanitarian committee to 
protect aid officials and assist food deliveries.  He also called 
for joint action on policing, a cease-fire, and piracy.  In 
conclusion, he noted that spoilers would try to exploit the 
Agreement's setbacks, but with international and Somali cooperation, 
the Agreement would succeed.  Following the opening session which 
also included remarks from former ICG co-chairs Norway and USA, the 
TFG and ARS delegations withdrew. 
 
 
-------- 
Security 
-------- 
¶5.  AU Special Representative for Somalia, Bwakira, assessed that 
the security situation was worsening, and unconventional attacks 
were increasing, both on AU forces and civilians.  The ARS, the AU 
maintained, recognized that a precipitous Ethiopian withdrawal would 
cause a vacuum.  In discussions on the margins, ARS military 
officials confirmed to poloff they appreciated the need for a 
scheduled, phased withdrawal.  The Arab League and Egypt expressed 
concern that the ARS lacks command and control of sufficient forces 
to effect a ceasefire; the SRSG said the ICG should help the ARS 
leaders go with confidence and be visible in Mogadishu.  Ethiopian 
Ambassador to Djibouti explained that the GOE has done everything 
they could to provide stability, but a strong UN force should enter 
Somalia as soon as possible.  The French delegate, as EU Presidency, 
told the ICG military patrols and interdictions could tamp down 
piracy.  He also urged investigating piracy under the UN's Somalia 
arms embargo, and seizing assets, including ransom money.  The 
Kenyan delegation offered to host and train Somali security forces 
if the international community will provide funding. 
 
---------------------- 
 
NAIROBI 00002232  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Humanitarian Situation 
---------------------- 
 
¶6.  Mark Bowden, UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator reminded the 
ICG that the humanitarian situation is dire and worsening.  A 
massive food crisis is affecting 3.2 million Somalis, and expanding 
from south and central Somalia to the northern regions of Puntland 
and Somaliland.  Twice as much food aid has been distributed this 
year than last.  Food prices have increased by 200 to 700 percent 
this year due to inflation, drought, and conflict.  Violence has 
displaced 1.1 million Somalis, leaving them vulnerable to shortages 
of food, water, and essential services.  Soup kitchens are feeding 
80,000 Somalis per day in Mogadishu.  Shrinking humanitarian access 
to the needy and problems monitoring the delivery of food are 
compounding the crisis. 
 
------------------ 
Development Update 
------------------ 
 
¶7.  UN Development Program for Somalia Country Director Bruno 
Lemarquis announced the UNDP and Somali Central Bank had developed a 
new, accountable system for paying stipends to civil servants and 
other government officials.  (Note:  after the July murder of UNDP's 
Mogadishu Head of Office, the UNDP evacuated the city and suspended 
stipends to government officials due to lack of oversight.  End 
Note.)  The new payment system opens the door to pay stipends to 
over 2,000 newly trained police who've gone without salaries for 
months.  Lemarquis also noted some progress on transitional charter 
tasks.  Drafting committees had produced an outline for a new 
constitution, and the ARS would be joining the committees to give 
input.  The ICG agreed that Sweden and Italy would spearhead 
planning for reconstruction and development conferences for early 
2009 to meet the Djibouti Agreement commitment. 
 
¶8.  COMMENT:  AS Contact group meetings go, this was fairly 
unremarkable except that it was SRSG's first Chairing and that it 
was on eve of TFG/ARS Meetings under Djibouti Agreement and meant to 
give them a good launch.  Despite onerous wrangling on the wording 
of an over-long Communique, the presence of the International 
Community did seem to energize and focus the delegations even though 
their meetings fell just short of the desired Cesase Fire 
declaration. 
 
RANNEBERGER