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UNCLAS STATE 029163 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SO PGOV SOCI PINR PTER KPKO
SUBJECT: (SBU) SOMALIA: TFG FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH AF 
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARTER ON MARCH 24 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  Somalia Transitional Federal Government 
(TFG) Foreign Minister Mohamed A. Omaar (FonMin) met with 
Bureau for African Affairs Acting Assistant Secretary Phillip 
Carter (AA/S) on March 24.  The FonMin and AA/S spent the 
majority of the meeting discussing the African Union Mission 
in Somalia (AMISOM) and the TFG Joint Security Force (JSF), 
including USG support for both forces.  The FonMin reinforced 
the TFG,s support for the continuation and enhancement of 
AMISOM, including the deployment of additional battalions. 
Other topics discussed included recent diplomatic efforts by 
the TFG, assistance from the Government of Kenya, spoilers to 
the peace process, recovery and reconstruction efforts and 
the creation of an official TFG website.  END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------------------ 
RECENT DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS BY THE TFG 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) Regarding President Sharif's recent trips to Uganda, 
Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan and Kenya, AA/S Carter urged the 
FonMin to counsel President Sharif to remain in Mogadishu to 
focus on the immediate security and political tasks at hand. 
The FonMin agreed and said he would urge President Sharif to 
stay in Somalia as much as possible, but noted that President 
Sharif plans to attend the upcoming Arab League Summit in 
Qatar from March 29 to 30. (NOTE: The FonMin also plans to 
attend this summit, and is scheduled to depart on March 25 
from New York for Doha via London. END NOTE.). 
 
------------------ 
AMISOM AND THE JSF 
------------------ 
 
¶3. (SBU) Regarding the TFG's position on AMISOM, the FonMin 
stated that the TFG does not/not want AMISOM to depart in 120 
days, contrary to recent media reports and statements from 
others in the TFG.  The FonMin stated that AMISOM is needed 
to "hold the fort" on the ground while the TFG, with 
international assistance, works to build the capacity of the 
JSF and Somalia Police Force.  The FonMin concluded this 
point by stating that until sufficient JSF capacity is in 
place, the clock will not/not start ticking on the 120-day 
departure timeline called for by various religious leaders in 
Mogadishu. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The FonMin plans to attend the European 
Commission-hosted AMISOM/JSF pledging conference scheduled to 
take place April 22 in Brussels.  AA/S Carter noted that 
hopefully the U.S. should be ready to begin our assistance to 
the JSF by the date of this conference.  The FonMin asked for 
U.S. assistance in urging Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Gulf 
states to match the $5 million we have pledged for the JSF. 
 
¶5. (SBU) AA/S Carter emphasized that the USG is primarily 
focused on security in Mogadishu and its environs, in 
particular obtaining additional funding for AMISOM and the 
JSF.  The FonMin stated that the TFG is willing to work with 
us to put some kind of accountability structure in place for 
providing stipends/salaries to the JSF, and he suggested that 
an &auditing firm such as KPMG" be utilized for this effort. 
 The FonMin also noted that the TFG is working on producing a 
written plan for JSF operations, including the JSF,s mandate 
and command and control structure.  AA/S Carter asked the 
FonMin to pass this to the Somalia Unit in Embassy Nairobi as 
soon as possible, and the FonMin agreed to do so. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
ASSISTANCE FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF KENYA 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Elaborating on recent news reports regarding the 
Government of Kenya,s offer to collect tax revenue in 
Nairobi on behalf of the TFG on imports going into Somalia, 
including khat, the FonMin said that the TFG asked the 
Government of Kenya for this assistance and the TFG plans to 
place TFG officials alongside Kenyan officials in Nairobi to 
facilitate this effort. 
 
----------------------------- 
SPOILERS TO THE PEACE PROCESS 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The FonMin lauded our March 20 statement in the 
United Nations Security Council regarding Eritrea, stating 
that "Aweys and Eritrea are still delivering weapons down 
south (in Somalia)."  He noted that Hizbul al-Islam has 
recently "split" and that small numbers of al-Shabaab foot 
soldiers continue to defect, most likely due to the TFG 
urging youth to "put down the gun."  (NOTE: The Hizbul 
al-Islam split will likely work to the advantage of the TFG, 
since the majority faction implicitly endorsed President 
Sharif via its endorsement of the TFG's decision to implement 
Sharia Law.  END NOTE.) 
 
--------------------------- 
RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION 
--------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) The FonMin expressed willingness to discuss recovery 
and reconstruction efforts in more detail with the USAID/East 
Africa Mission.  The FonMin said he would contact the Mission 
and Somalia Unit directly about moving forward on this front. 
 
----------- 
TFG WEBSITE 
----------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) The meeting concluded with the FonMin noting that 
the TFG plans to launch a new, official website in the next 
"week or so.8  Desk Officer urged the FonMin to have the 
appropriate person in the TFG contact the Somalia Unit to 
review potential USG assistance for this effort. 
 
¶10. (SBU) COMMENT.  On the sidelines of the last 
International Contact Group on Somalia meeting in Brussels on 
February 26, the FonMin assured the AA/S that the TFG would 
focus immediately on security in Mogadishu and on further 
political reconciliation.  Since that meeting, there has been 
incremental progress on both fronts, with a JSF beginning to 
take shape and some political spoilers embracing dialogue 
over violence.  The FonMin,s assurance that the TFG supports 
AMISOM reinforces the view that the TFG is taking the 
establishment of basic security seriously.  END COMMENT. 
CLINTON