US embassy cable - 04SANAA3168

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 003168 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, ODIP, ER, ET, SU, YM 
SUBJECT: SALEH PLAYING HOA STATESMAN, WANTS USG STATEMENT 
OF SUPPORT 
 
REF: A. STATE 271223 
 
     B. SANAA 3153 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Nabeel Khoury for reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
1. (U) This is an action request.  See paragraph 5. 
 
2. (C) Summary.  Immediately following his return from the 
Sanaa Forum for Cooperation in Khartoum, Foreign Minister 
Qirbi convoked Charge on December 28 to ask for U.S. 
political support for a number of initiatives endorsed by the 
participants, Yemen, Eritrea and Sudan.  The FM singled out 
three agenda items: Saleh's proposal for an 
Ethiopian-Eritrean dialogue, Sudanese President Bashir's 
promise to abide by the cease-fire in Darfur, and the 
intention of Somali President Abdullahi Yousef Ahmed to move 
his government to Mogadishu in the near future, possibly with 
African Union and Arab League support.  End Summary. 
 
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WE DESERVE DIPLOMATIC RECOGNITION AND POLITICAL SUPPORT 
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3. (C) FM Qirbi convoked Charge the morning after his and 
President Saleh's return from the third meeting of the Sanaa 
Forum for Cooperation (a.k.a. Sanaa Gathering) held in 
Khartoum December 26-27.  The meeting was hosted by Sudanese 
President Bashir and attended by Ethiopian PM Zenawi and 
President Saleh; Somali President Yousef Ahmed and Arab 
League Secretary General Amr Musa were present as "guests." 
Qirbi handed Charge the summit's joint communique, pointing 
to three items he believes merit a U.S. statement of support: 
 
--Sudanese President Bashir's reaffirmation of GOS 
commitments to conclude a peace agreement and facilitate 
access of AU, UN and NGO humanitarian relief personnel to 
Darfur; 
 
--President Saleh's proposal to establish a formal 
Ethiopia-Eritrea dialogue to resolve the border dispute and 
normalize relations between the two nations (and Saleh's 
offer to help extend the same formula and act as mediator to 
resolve disputes between Sudan and Eritrea; and 
 
--Somali President Yousuf Ahmed's plans to move his 
government to the capital of Mogadishu as early as next 
month. 
 
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SOMALIA AND SUDAN 
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4. (C) Qirbi also noted that Yousef Ahmed had expressed a 
desire to join the gathering and that Yemen, Eritrea and 
Sudan invited Somalia to join the sub-regional group, pending 
approval by the Somali Parliament.  In response to the FM's 
request for a public statement of US support for the forum, 
and for Yemen's efforts as founder and likely driving force 
behind several of the initiatives, Charge said we would 
explore the idea of a statement, but noted that the USG 
continues to have serious concerns about security in 
Mogadishu and the readiness of other parties to accept the 
new government without the eruption of violence.  As for 
Sudan's promise to honor the time table for a peace the peace 
agreement and facilitate the access of international relief 
agencies to alleviate the deteriorating humanitarian 
situation in Darfur -- the GOS has repeatedly failed to honor 
such pledges -- the time is now, Charge told Qirbi, for Sudan 
to live up to its commitments with concrete actions on the 
ground.  (Comment: Saleh received ref A demarche points 
before leaving for Khartoum and may be seeking credit from 
USG for inclusion of the Bashir commitments in the joint 
communique.  End Comment.) 
 
5. (C) Qirbi passed a copy of the summit's joint communique. 
In additional to the three items listed above, the members of 
the gathering condemned terrorism and affirmed their 
commitment to cooperate in the GWOT, expressed satisfaction 
with the conclusion of the Somali peace process and called on 
the international community to commit funds to enable the 
interim government to establish its authority in Somalia, 
called for a resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian peace 
process, and reaffirmed members support for an independent 
democratic Iraq and the role of the UN in reconstruction. 
 
6. (C) Comment and Action Request.  Saleh's contributions to 
the summit, particularly his proposals for a formal dialogue 
between Eritrea and Ethiopia and between Eritrea and Sudan to 
resolve outstanding disputes, come as no surprise.  Saleh has 
been looking for opportunities to wear the hat of regional 
statesmen, beginning with his Sea Island attendance and 
efforts to play a lead role in the region on BMENA reform. 
The ROYG is also seriously concerned the impact of prolonged 
instability in Somalia on Yemen's own stability.  Post 
requests department guidance on: A) whether or not a general 
statement of support for the Sanaa Forum's work in Khartoum 
(and kudos to Yemen as a primary diplomatic force behind it) 
is appropriate at this time; and B) how USG might react to an 
AU-Arab League supported move by Yousef to Mogadishu.  End 
Comment and Action Request. 
KRAJESKI