London conference communique on Somalia is leaked

May 13, 2017

By Tristan McConnell

Prime Minister David Cameron gives a speech at the Apex Hotel on Feb. 16, 2012 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Jeff J. Mitchell

NAIROBI, Kenya — Oh dear, this is embarrassing for the British government.

A number of Somali-run websites have got their hands on a leaked copy of a draft communique to be issued after the London conference on Somalia.

The international summit has been convened by Prime Minister David Cameron and will address piracy, terrorism and the root causes of Somalia's state collapse. This is a tall order for a five-hour meeting with more than 40 countries represented.

The problem with the communique is that the conference hasn't happened yet: It is due to take place on Feb. 23.

Here is the leaked version.

The leak has been a propaganda gift to Al Shabaab and its allies who have already been busy accusing the London conference of having a "colonial" agenda aimed at a carving up of Somalia by foreign powers.

Now they are crowing that the conference, far from being a "Somali-led" initiative as Britain insists, is in fact a done deal even before the Somali representatives turn up next week.

On their Twitter feeds the Al Shabaab (@HSMPress) and its allied Muslim Youth Center (@MYC_Press) have attacked the conference and poked fun at the leak.