VZCZCXYZ0012
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #4011 1201756
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301737Z APR 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA IMMEDIATE 0000
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UNCLAS STATE 044011 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OVIP PREL PGOV EAID KPKO SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: TFG PRESIDENT MEETS WITH AF ACTING 
ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARTER ON APRIL 23 
 
REF: STATE 44005 
 
 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  Somalia Transitional Federal Government 
(TFG) President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed met with Bureau 
for African Affairs Acting Assistant Secretary Phillip Carter 
(AA/S) on April 23 on the margins of the international donors 
conference for the Somalia security sector and African Union 
Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in Belgium, Brussels, from April 
22 to 23 (Reftel).  The President and AA/S spent the majority 
of the meeting discussing the importance of building 
well-trained and effective Somalia security institutions, 
including a National Security Force (NSF) and Somalia Police 
Force (SPF).  Other topics included discussions of the TFG,s 
current political reconciliation efforts and President 
Sharif,s views on the future of AMISOM and a possible United 
Nations Peacekeeping Operation (UNPKO).  END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------------- 
USG MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT SHARIF 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) AA/S Carter stressed that the TFG,s immediate 
priority should be building a well-trained and effective NSF 
and SPF, and the international community,s focus must 
include the Somalia security institutions as well as 
continued support to AMISOM.  AA/S Carter laid out certain 
structures that, once in place, will allow the TFG to 
leverage greater international support.  These include 
financial accountability mechanisms; guarantees from the TFG 
that members of the NSF and SPF are not/not human rights 
violators, not/not past participants in terrorist activities, 
and not/not child soldiers; and an effective judiciary. 
 
¶3. (SBU) AA/S Carter said the U.S. is willing to help with 
capacity building for the Somalia security institutions to 
ensure they are &rock solid and part of the solution8--a 
message AA/S Carter communicated to the Ministers of Defense 
and Foreign Affairs (ForMin) earlier at the conference 
(Reftel).  However, the AA/S told the President the TFG needs 
to inform donors of what the NSF, SPF and judicial sectors 
will look like so the international community can coordinate 
and put the appropriate resources in place.  AA/S Carter 
reminded the President of our offer to commit up to $500,000 
to conduct a security sector assessment and help the TFG to 
construct its security institutions and structure as soon as 
the TFG is willing and able to begin such an effort. 
 
----------------------------- 
PRESIDENT SHARIF,S PRIORITIES 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) President Sharif, with TFG ForMin Mohamed Omaar as 
his translator, began his remarks by thanking AA/S Carter and 
the United States for engaging on Somalia at such a high 
level of government.  President Sharif stated security is the 
most important issue on the table and all other issues in 
Somalia at the moment are tied to security in one way or 
another.  Regarding the Somalia security institutions, Sharif 
stated that a lot of work is needed: bringing more women into 
the ranks of the NSF and SPF, obtaining materials and 
equipment, drafting the rules and regulations that will 
govern these institutions, and forging into the minds of 
those in the NSF and SPF that they work for ordinary Somalis. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Regarding selecting individuals to form the ranks of 
the NSF and SPF, the President  stated, &The requirements 
from the international community for the TFG are clear, but 
the international community must understand that the people 
on the ground in Mogadishu include a lot of ex-warlords and 
people engaged in illegal activities.8  AA/S Carter 
responded that the United States understands this, but the 
TFG &needs people who are not/not weighed down by history 
and who are looking to the future.8  The AA/S also noted the 
United States remains concerned that some members already 
selected to serve in the NSF may be underage and this must be 
addressed.  The President stated an immediate focus of the 
TFG will be retraining and reeducating those in the security 
services.  He also stated his government will find a way to 
combine TFG and Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia 
forces so they work together in a new system, and the 
government will not/not take everyone who applies but will be 
selective.  President Sharif informed AA/S Carter that the 
TFG is in the process of designing a selection process to 
accomplish this task, as well as selecting individuals to 
comprise the Joint Security Committee. 
 
-------------------------------- 
POLITICAL RECONCILIATION EFFORTS 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Sharif spoke about political reconciliation efforts 
currently underway.  The President reported that the TFG is 
focused on conducting a &grass roots reconciliation effort8 
in order to reach out to the public, and this process &is 
going very well.8  Regarding al-Shabaab, President Sharif 
stated, &We do not/not believe there is much hope that 
al-Shabaab will come to the table.8  On a different note, 
President Sharif volunteered that &part of Hisbul al-Islam 
is open to dialogue, but not/not the whole organization.8 
 
----------------------------------------- 
THE FUTURE OF AMISOM AND A POSSIBLE UNPKO 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) AA/S Carter asked President Sharif what the TFG,s 
thinking is on the segue between AMISOM and the NSF, to which 
the President responded, &AMISOM is needed, but the 
immediate objective should be to fund Somali forces--which is 
important for AMISOM and the success of the TFG.8 
 
¶8. (SBU) COMMENT.  In this context, the TFG sees the need to 
strengthen AMISOM as a critical element of its own security 
efforts.  It is also apparent that the TFG looks to take its 
own security from an AU force rather than a UNPKO.  Even if 
100 percent of the USD 213 million donors pledged at the 
conference goes toward supporting AMISOM vice the Somalia 
security sector, AMISOM will remain significantly underfunded 
and will continue to depend on unreliable and sporadic 
bilateral donations instead of a reliable and steady funding 
stream.  The UN has estimated in public it will cost at least 
USD 600 million to support AMISOM for one year of operations 
at the mandated force strength of 8,000 and with the Mission 
operating at basic UNPKO standards.  Furthermore, Burundi and 
Uganda, the two troop contributing countries to AMISOM, have 
indicated that consistent support to their troops under the 
rubric of the U.N. is critical to their continued operations. 
 END COMMENT. 
 
CLINTON