VZCZCXRO2919
PP RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDS #1237/01 1461408
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261408Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4895
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 7825
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEPADJ/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEWMFD/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 001237 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MOPS KPKO SO ET ER
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA TO THE P-5: TIME FOR ERITREA SANCTIONS 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary.  Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin 
on May 22 called in the UNSC P-5 Ambassadors to urge them to 
follow-up on the InterGovernmental Authority on Development's 
(IGAD) May 20 call for Security Council sanctions against 
Eritrea and the imposition of a naval blockade and no-fly 
zone over southern Somalia in response to Eritrea's continued 
military support to al-Shabaab. Seyoum asserted that Somalia 
was becoming an international crisis that threatened to grow 
out of control, and he criticized the international community 
for "failing" to support the Somalia Transitional Federal 
Government (TFG).  In a separate meeting with the P-5 
ambassadors on May 25, Ethiopian State Minister for Foreign 
Affairs Dr. Tekeda Alemu said he planned to travel to New 
York on May 29 to press the UNSC on Eritrea in person.  End 
Summary. 
 
Seyoum: Somalia Moving Beyond Threshold of Internal Conflict 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Seyoum opened by arguing that the involvement of 
Eritrea, Qatar, Iran, al-Qaeda, foreign fighters, and other 
non-Somali entities in Somalia had pushed the Somalia 
conflict into becoming an international crisis that the UN 
Security Council should not ignore.  He urged the UNSC 
members to take the action endorsed by IGAD on May 20 that 
called for sanctions against Eritrea and the imposition of a 
no-fly zone and naval blockade over non-TFG controlled parts 
of Somalia.  IGAD, he said, planned to draw up a list of 
individuals and entities known to be supporting the 
extremists in Somalia to be presented to the UN for 
sanctions.  He highlighted the role of Canada, Qatar, and 
Iran in the conflict.  Canada, he said, through its mining 
concessions, would soon be providing Eritrea with hundreds of 
millions of dollars, and he commented that "if you think 
Eritrea is a problem now with no economy, wait until it is 
flush with cash."  Qatar and Iran were hiding behind Eritrea 
to provide support to the extremists, he insisted.  Seyoum 
asserted that a failure to act now would impact the peace and 
security of the entire region, and allow the situation to 
"get completely out of hand." 
 
Seyoum: International Community Failing to Support the TFG 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Seyoum strongly criticized the international 
community for promising support, but failing to deliver it, 
noting that the UN had been doing little except "observing 
and expressing concern."  He said while the Brussels pledging 
conference had produced positive momentum in support of the 
TFG, his discussions with TFG Deputy Prime Minister Sharif 
Hassan revealed that the TFG had received "practically nil" 
of the promised support. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Ambassador Yamamoto reminded Seyoum of the support 
the TFG had received and queried for specific suggestions on 
sanctions.  Seyoum suggested that the UNSC consider an arms 
embargo, travel bans, and other similar "measures" against 
Eritrea.  The French and Russian representatives noted that 
perhaps it was time for a "gear change" regarding Eritrea, 
and they promised to consult with their capitals.  The UK 
representative informed Seyoum that a lack of transparency 
and accountability on the part of the TFG prohibited the 
international community from giving direct funding.  Seyoum 
retorted that the international community had the expertise 
and resources to find a solution to that problem if it so 
desired.  The Chinese ambassador reminded the group of 
China's positive role in the region. 
 
Tekeda Planning to Travel to New York May 29 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  On May 25, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. 
Tekeda Alemu met with representatives of the P-5 to inform 
them that he planned to travel to New York on May 29 where he 
would be joined by the UN Ambassadors from Djibouti and Kenya 
to follow-up on IGAD's finding with the UNSC.  The P-5 
ambassadors told Tekeda that they would seek advice from 
their respective capitals on the issue. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Ambassador Yamamoto cautioned Tekeda that the UNSC 
had yet to enforce UNSCR 1863 which called for sanctions 
against Eritrea for failure to withdraw from Djiboutian 
territory, and observed that it would be difficult for the 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00001237  002 OF 002 
 
 
Security Council to consider additional sanctions before 
addressing UNSCR 1863.  Further, the Ambassador noted, the UN 
would find it impossible to enforce a no-fly zone or port 
blockade no matter how compelling the arguments presented by 
IGAD.  Finally, the Ambassador cautioned that the new U.S. 
administration was still forming its Somalia policy, but he 
promised to confer with Washington and USUN on possible 
reactions to the IGAD initiative.  The Ambassador added that 
the best one might hope for now was a UN presidential 
statement or a resolution in support of the IGAD process, but 
not sanctions. 
YAMAMOTO