US embassy cable - 03DJIBOUTI1819

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 001819 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS; NAIROBI FOR SOMALIA 
WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MAS, PBTS, PREL, DJ, SO 
SUBJECT: SOMALILAND MINISTERS REQUEST USG SECURITY 
ASSISTANCE; NOTE WARMER RELATIONS W/DJIBOUTI 
 
 SUMMARY 
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1.  (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Djibouti representatives 
received Somaliland requests for counterterrorism assistance 
in a brief meeting with the the secessionist region's 
Ministers of Defense, Interior, and Rehabilitation and 
Returning Refugees  September 29, 2003.  The Embassy 
reiterated the USG position of recognizing a unified Somalia, 
but promised to forward the group's information to 
Washington.  The Somaliland officials said the Djiboutian 
Foreign Ministry had afforded them better treatment on this 
visit, granting them visas, limousine service and announcing 
them by title and their visit in the official media. End 
Summary. 
 
 
SOMALILAND MAKES ITS CASE FOR USG ASSISTANCE 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) CDA Smith, accompanied by visiting AF/E Desk 
Officer Nole Garey, met briefly with Minister of the Interior 
Ismael Adam Osman, Minister of Defense Ismail Omar Adan, and 
Minister of Rehabilitation and Refugees M. Abdoulahi Iman of 
the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland at the Sheraton 
Hotel on September 29, 2003.  The Ministers presented the 
Charge with several documents, including a brochure from 
their Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a paper entitled 
"Somaliland's Mission for Collaboration with the 
International Anti-Terrorist Activities."  These materials 
argued the case for international recognition of the 
breakaway republic and included a request for 
counter-terrorism assistance. 
 
3.  (SBU) Abdullah Hussain Iman, the Minister for 
Rehabilitation and Returning Refugees, cited article 10 dash 
7 in the Somaliland constitution which condemns all acts of 
terrorism, avowing that the government and people of 
Somaliland are categorically opposed to all acts of 
terrorism.  Iman decried the lawlessness that has existed in 
Somalia since the end of the Siad Barre regime and the 
potential use of Somalia by individuals associated with 
terrorist organizations.  He emphasized the danger in the 
area of Puntland in Northeast Somalia, described Abdillahi 
Yusuf as a "warlord", and requested US military help to fight 
the recurrent piracy along the Somali coast. (Note: Puntland 
has a territorial dispute with Somaliland over two 
provinces.) 
 
4. (SBU) Iman recalled the use of the Naval Base in Berbera 
by the United States Navy during the Barre regime, expressing 
the desire to reestablish a military relationship with the 
USG. 
 
5. (SBU) Iman described the meeting as a goodwill effort to 
establish peace and stability in Somaliland.  He noted that 
the Somaliland navy consists of only two boats, while the 
length of the coast of Somaliland is 750 kilometers, much too 
long for their navy to control.  Iman added that Somaliland 
had been cooperating with the Government of Ethiopia in 
anti-terrorism activities since 2000, and expressed the wish 
to cooperate with both French and U.S. military forces in 
Djibouti against terrorist activities in the region. 
 
6. (SBU) Smith reiterated the USG position of recognizing a 
unified Somalia.  He promised to share the information 
discussed in the meeting with Washington.  The Ministers 
expressed their appreciation for the meeting and confirmed 
their understanding that there had been no change in U.S. 
policy towards Somaliland. 
 
7. (SBU) COMMENT: The most interesting new information 
gleaned from the meeting was the behavior of the Government 
of Djibouti (GoDj) towards Somaliland.  During the meeting, 
the Ministers showed off their new Somaliland passports with 
Djiboutian visas.  The Ministers said these passports were 
issued to only Government of Somaliland officials.  The group 
was given VIP treatment and recognized as Ministers (of a 
self-proclaimed republic) for the first time on this trip. 
This suggests a change in the official Djiboutian attitude 
towards Somaliland. END COMMENT. 
SMITH