US embassy cable - 07ADDISABABA1744

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 001744 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/E, AND S/CT 
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
CJTF-HOA AND USSCENTCOM FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2017 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, SO, ET, DJ, YM 
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA-SOMALILAND: PRESIDENT KAHIN KEEPS HIS 
PROMISE 
 
REF: A. ADDIS ABABA 1397 
     B. ADDIS ABABA 420 
     C. ADDIS ABABA 68 
     D. ADDIS ABABA 60 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR DONALD YAMAMOTO.  REASON: 1.4 (B), (C), AND ( 
D). 
 
1. (S/NF) SUMMARY.  Somaliland President Dahir Rayale Kahin 
said he kept his promise by releasing a detained Somalilander 
of interest to the USG.  The release was kept quiet with most 
of his own cabinet kept in the dark.  President Kahin and 
Foreign Minister Abdillahi M. Duale stressed their hope that 
this prisoner release would enable Somaliland to move forward 
in forging a close economic, political, and 
information-sharing relationship with the United States. 
This would include a visit to the U.S. for President Kahin, 
as discussed with Washington over the years, as well as 
discussion of development assistance, coastal and border 
security training, loan assistance from the World Bank/IMF, 
facilitation from the U.S. to improve ties with Djibouti, and 
dialogue with other Somali entities such as Puntland and the 
Transitional Federal Government (TFG).  The President 
portrayed Somaliland as a victim of terrorism, and urged 
closer exchanges with the United States which would also 
benefit the U.S.  Kahin noted that his government wished to 
coordinate information on terrorist groups and individuals in 
Somalia, and that through joint cooperation with the U.S., 
Somaliland would develop into a valuable and supportive 
partner.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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KEEPING PROMISES -- IT'S NOW THE U.S. TURN 
------------------------------------------ 
 
2. (S/NF) Somaliland President Kahin and Foreign Minister 
Duale reaffirmed to Ambassador and ORA counselor June 3 that 
they have kept their promise to release a Somalilander 
detainee of interest to the U.S.  This person would soon 
travel to Djibouti.  The release was opposed by most of the 
cabinet and especially the courts, police, and security, 
because this detainee had been clearly implicated in a plot 
against the President and the Somaliland Government.  To 
minimize attention to this particular person, the President 
reduced the sentences of the other 19 detainees also charged 
with crimes against the state, commuting to 20 years 
imprisonment those sentenced to death.  The President kept 
the decision to release this detainee secret, with only four 
of his close cabinet officials informed of the release 
because of the sensitivity of the case.  The President, 
however, added that this may be difficult to keep secret, 
since there were already rumors in Nairobi of anticipated 
expanded U.S.-Somaliland relations as a result of the pending 
release from prison of an important person/asset to the USG. 
 
3. (S/NF) President Kahin and the Foreign Minister both 
expressed hope that the U.S. and Somaliland could now move 
beyond this case and expand relations.  Kahin underscored 
that the U.S. could use Somaliland as an important partner, 
especially in the war on terrorism.   The President and 
Foreign Minister remarked that they had officials in 
Mogadishu assessing the situation and that they had reliable 
information on the movement of extremists and terrorist 
groups.  Kahin pointed out that Somaliland had information on 
the terrorist activities of groups like Ethiopia's Ogaden 
National Liberation Front (ONLF) and on the movement of other 
extremist individuals.  He looked forward to expanding an 
information-sharing relationship with the U.S. 
 
4. (S/NF) Kahin reaffirmed Somaliland,s commitment to fight 
terrorism and highlighted that after discussions with the 
director of the State Department,s East Africa office in 
2004 and USG officials from other agencies, he had 
transferred five suspects to Addis Ababa for interrogation. 
He said he was not aware of the status of these suspects. 
Later, Somaliland helped support the U.S. in detaining an 
extremist suspect traveling from Mogadishu to the Middle East 
through Somaliland.  The suspect, &Khalid,8 was detained 
and turned over to the Ethiopians for questioning. 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00001744  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
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ROADMAP FOR RELATIONS - SOMALILAND CAN BE CONSTRUCTIVE PARTNER 
--------------------------------------------- ----------------- 
 
5. (S/NF) Kahin outlined some ideas he would like to see in a 
future relationship with the U.S.: 
 
-- Close information-sharing relationship; 
-- A U.S. coastal and border security training program; 
-- Development assistance; 
-- Help with the World Bank/IMF to secure development loans; 
-- Facilitation from the U.S. in improving ties with Djibouti; 
-- Work with the U.S. in conducting a dialogue with Somalia's 
Transitional Federal Government and Puntland; 
-- Support in the African Union and UN Security Council to 
treat Somaliland if not as a separate entity then as an 
important issue in a comprehensive dialogue on the future of 
Somalia; 
-- Visit to the U.S. to discuss directly with U.S. officials 
the future of Somaliland and Somalia; 
-- Coordination with the international community to support a 
dialogue on Somaliland. 
 
6. (S/NF) Kahin noted that Somaliland could be a constructive 
partner for the U.S., and that with assistance from the U.S. 
for training, Somaliland could be a highly effective partner 
in fighting terrorism.  Of the points Kahin made, he said 
coastal and border security training was the most immediate 
need.  Several years ago, there had been discussions of 
possible training from U.S. Central Command's Combined Joint 
Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and other USG agencies. 
Assistance with procurement of coastal patrol boats and 
equipment to monitor the border were also of high value and 
immediacy for Somaliland.  The President and Foreign Minister 
both asserted that Somaliland was a victim of terrorism, with 
terrorist groups coming into Somaliland from southern Somalia 
and especially from Yemen.  Kahin noted that Somaliland was 
trying to register all weapons, to keep track of the flow of 
illicit arms to and through Somaliland from Yemen. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
AVOID RECOGNITION, PROMOTE COMPREHENSIVE DIALOGUE 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
7. (S/NF) Kahin did not raise recognition.  Rather, he called 
on the U.S. to help work with the UN and AU to promote a 
comprehensive dialogue on Somaliland in the context of 
discussing an overall plan for the future of Somalia.  For 
example, rather than automatically give the TFG Somalia's 
seat at the UN and AU, leave it vacant until there was a 
comprehensive discussion on the future of Somaliland and 
Somalia. 
 
-------------------------------- 
GENESIS OF DISPUTE WITH DJIBOUTI 
-------------------------------- 
 
8. (S/NF) Kahin and Duale both urged the U.S. to help 
facilitate improved relations with Djibouti.  The informal 
exchange of security officers had ended, they said.  Duale 
noted the concern raised by Djibouti over sea port 
competition, with improvements at Berbera Port potentially 
cutting into profits at Djibouti,s new port at Dorale in a 
tight market.  Kahin noted that the Chinese as well as a 
Malaysian group were helping improve Berbera port.  Another 
problem was Somaliland,s shipment of livestock to Saudi 
Arabia, which also cut into Djibouti,s USAID-initiated 
livestock export project. 
 
9. (S/NF) Kahin underscored, however, that port and livestock 
competition were only symptoms of a deeper problem based on 
clan ties.   Kahin noted that his mother and Djibouti 
President Guelleh,s mother were both from the same sub-clan, 
and that Somaliland, Djibouti, and Ethiopia's Somali Region 
were all more closely tied by clan relations than with 
southern Somalia.  But Kahin stressed that unlike Djibouti,s 
unity under one Somali sub-clan, Somaliland had a variety of 
sub-clans, and that balancing relations was highly delicate. 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00001744  003 OF 003 
 
 
Kahin reflected that the clan war in Somaliland had stopped 
because the clans reached out to each other and had developed 
a relatively transparent and open political process, creating 
a clear balance among the clans in ruling Somaliland. 
 
10. (S/NF) Kahin pointed out to the Ambassador that 
Somaliland had over 3 million people to Djibouti,s 
population of 600,000, and had much greater untapped 
resources compared to Djibouti,s barren landscape. 
Somaliland thus had the greater future potential for economic 
development.  But Kahin stressed that Somaliland wanted 
better relations for regional stability, and for Somaliland 
and Djibouti to work together to meet each other,s economic 
development needs. 
 
11. (S/NF) COMMENT.  Reports of terrorist threats coming from 
groups crossing Somaliland into Ethiopia underscore the need 
for developing an information-sharing relationship with 
Somaliland.  The U.K. is looking into developing such a 
relationship with Somaliland.  It would also be important to 
carefully coordinate with Ethiopia, which already has close 
ties to Somaliland, and to work with Djibouti to ensure a 
careful and more comprehensive information-sharing 
arrangement in the region.  The release of the Somalilander 
of interest to the USG has opened new opportunities but also 
difficult challenges, in view of Somaliland,s difficult 
relations with Djibouti and historic and personal animosities 
with TFG President Yusuf, dating to his reign as Puntland 
President.  President Kahin seeks a visit to Washington and 
is pushing for a greater dialogue with the U.S.   A positive 
response is in order, but caution is important in the context 
of coordinating views with the UK, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. 
END COMMENT. 
YAMAMOTO