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Viewing cable 06USUNNEWYORK1174, UNSC/SOMALIA: UN URGES AGAINST SUPPORTING FACTIONS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06USUNNEWYORK1174 2006-06-08 22:14 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY USUN New York
VZCZCXRO2802
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHKUK RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA
RUEHROV
DE RUCNDT #1174/01 1592214
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 082214Z JUN 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9296
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZO/OAU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 0888
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 0455
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001174 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER SO UNSC IGAD
SUBJECT: UNSC/SOMALIA: UN URGES AGAINST SUPPORTING FACTIONS 
AND FOR STRENGTHENING TFG 
 
REF: SECSTATE 93702 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY. In a June 8 briefing to the United Nations 
Security Council (UNSC), Department of Political Affairs 
Assistant Secretary-General (A/SYG) Kalomoh warned Members 
'this is not the time to abandon Somalia,' given what he 
called the 'tense military stand-off' between militias of the 
Union of the Islamic Courts and the Alliance for the 
Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism in Mogadishu. 
Kalomoh noted that a possible split of the Sharia Courts into 
two clans harkened back to the polarization of such factions 
in the early 1990s.  Kalomoh reported that the Transitional 
Federal Government (TFG) wanted all counter-terrorism efforts 
managed under its auspices, a call endorsed by Kenyan 
President Kibaki, Congolese President and African Union (AU) 
Chair Sassou-Nguesso, EU High Representative Solana and EU 
Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Michel. 
 
2. (SBU) SUMMARY CONTD. Many Members sided with the UK 
delegation in calling for Council follow-up to its March 15 
Presidential Statement, in which the Council agreed to 
consider an arms embargo exemption to accommodate a peace 
support mission of the Intergovernmental Authority on 
Development (IGAD) on the basis of the TFG's National 
Security and Stabilization Plan (NSSP).  The Tanzanian 
delegate made a compelling argument against a waiver by 
suggesting that a strong TFG would render the need for such a 
lifting irrelevant.  At the SYG's request, Special 
Representative of the SYG (SRSG) Fall will brief the Council 
on June 19, following a June 12/13 Ministerial IGAD meeting 
in Nairobi and a June 15 meeting of the Coordination 
Committee in Baidoa.  The Danish PR and SC President Loj made 
remarks to the press following the session.  END SUMMARY. 
 
3. (SBU) DPA A/SYG described for the Council at June 8 
consultations the 'tense military stand-off' that ensued in 
Mogadishu after the Sharia Courts' victory over the Alliance, 
a victory which the Congolese representative wryly noted 
'guaranteed nothing.'  He added that Alliance leaders were 
re-grouping in the northern part of the capital and in 
Jowhar.  Kalomoh noted that as a result of economic concerns 
and of the traditionally short shelf life of most Somali 
factions, the Sharia Courts militias might split into a 
northern clan and a southern clan, as the warlords did in the 
early 1990s.  Kalomoh downplayed a June 6 communique from 
Sharia Courts' spokesman Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed which vowed 
to create an environment where Somalis could choose their own 
leaders, saying it left open the possibility for establishing 
Islamic-style rule and Sharia law throughout Somalia, which 
the northern Courts clan would oppose.  Kalomoh pointed out 
that the Courts had yet to recognize either the TFG or the 
Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) and had yet to take 
PM Gedi up on his offer for talks. 
 
4. (SBU) Kalomoh reported that the TFG wanted all 
counter-terrorism efforts managed under its auspices, a call 
recently endorsed by Kenyan President Kibaki, Congolese 
President and AU Chair Sassou-Nguesso, EU High Representative 
Solana and EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian 
Aid Michel.  SRSG Fall was talking to all sides and planned 
to convene a meeting of the Coordination Committee in Baidoa 
on June 15, security permitting (Kalomoh said that the Sharia 
Courts militias were reportedly advancing on Baidoa).  This 
meeting would come on the heels of a June 12 or 13 IGAD 
Ministerial meeting in Nairobi, at which the IGAD position 
would be elaborated.  According to Kalomoh, SYG Annan 
requested SRSG Fall brief the Council (NOTE. Now set for June 
19.  END NOTE), at which time the UN would plan to present 
its 'roadmap' on the way forward in Somalia.  The UNSC 
Mission to Sudan had held consultations on Somalia with AU 
Commission Chair Konare and AU Peace and Security Council 
Ambassador Djinnit while in Addis Ababa and had voiced 
support for IGAD's efforts; Kalomoh hoped the Council would 
do the same in New York. 
 
5. (SBU) Among IGAD's efforts, as the Qatari representative 
noted, was the idea of a peace support mission, whose 
deployment would require a lifting of the arms embargo 
imposed under resolution 733 (1992).  The UK delegate called 
for Council follow-up to its March 15 Presidential Statement, 
in which the Council agreed to consider an arms embargo 
exemption to accommodate a peace support mission of the IGAD 
on the basis of the TFG's National Security and Stabilization 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001174  002 OF 002 
 
 
Plan (NSSP).  Kalomoh noted that the NSSP had been tabled but 
due to recent circumstances, Parliament had not been able to 
convene to act on it, adding that the future functioning of 
Parliament was uncertain, given the expulsion by PM Gedi of 
four Alliance members.  Greece, Slovakia and Russia voiced 
support for the UK's proposal, with the Russian rep adding 
that deployment of any peace support mission would need the 
approval of the Somalis themselves. 
 
6. (SBU) The Tanzanian delegate made a compelling argument 
against an arms embargo waiver by suggesting that a 
strengthened TFG would render the need for such a lifting 
irrelevant.  Kalomoh was clear about the UN Secretariat's 
stance: with Mogadishu 'awash in weapons,' the only insurance 
policy the international community had was not to supply 
weapons, but rather to call for a stricter observation of the 
arms embargo.  While the UN was aware of the IGAD request for 
a waiver to assist the TFG, the lack of TFG unity meant that 
the international community would run the risk of unwittingly 
equipping various factions were the embargo to be lifted at 
this time. 
 
7. (SBU) USUN PolMinCouns made an intervention per ref 
guidance, with the Chinese, Ghanaian, Slovakian, UK and Greek 
delegates echoing our call for the need for dialogue within 
the framework of the Transitional Federal Charter and the 
re-establishment of governance.  Members voiced concern over 
the plight of humanitarian workers remaining in Somalia, with 
the Congolese rep reiterating President Sassou-Nguesso's plea 
for increased assistance from the international community. 
The Slovakian delegate was particularly worried about the 
budget shortfall for these operations, with only 25 percent 
of necessary funds currently available for disbursement. 
Kalomoh echoed this call for increased funding. 
 
8. (SBU) Following up on a UK suggestion, Danish PR and UNSC 
President agreed to make an oral Statement to the Press after 
consultations expressing the Council's concern over the 
recent Mogadishu violence, urging a return to dialogue within 
the framework of the TFIs, offering Council support for 
reconciliation efforts, calling on regional and international 
parties to respect the arms embargo, and looking forward to 
SRSG Fall's upcoming Council briefing. 
MILLER