Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NAIROBI2166
2006-05-17 13:54:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Nairobi
Cable title:  

SOMALIA: UPDATE ON DISPOSITION OF DECEASED

Tags:  PHSA ICRC ASEC MARR PREL KE SO 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0042
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNR #2166 1371354
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 171354Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1773
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 8526
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY 4664
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI PRIORITY 4203
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY 1375
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1944
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1919
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
S E C R E T NAIROBI 002166 

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/16/2026
TAGS: PHSA ICRC ASEC MARR PREL KE SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: UPDATE ON DISPOSITION OF DECEASED
SOMALI'S REMAINS

REF: A. STATE 76634


B. NAIROBI 2003

Classified By: Political Counselor Michael J. Fitzpatrick for
reasons 1.4 (b,d)

S E C R E T NAIROBI 002166

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/16/2026
TAGS: PHSA ICRC ASEC MARR PREL KE SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: UPDATE ON DISPOSITION OF DECEASED
SOMALI'S REMAINS

REF: A. STATE 76634


B. NAIROBI 2003

Classified By: Political Counselor Michael J. Fitzpatrick for
reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) Pursuant to ref A, Post requested the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) convey the message to the
deceased Somali's next of kin their two options: that they
can either accept the remains without any form of
compensation from the USG or that the body will be properly
disposed of in a location outside of Somalia. The ICRC has
since reported that the next of kin still insist on direct
communication with the U.S. Embassy, and obligingly, the ICRC
collected the family member's contact details and forwarded
these to Post. ICRC's representative also informed poloff
that the organization no longer wished to serve as an
intermediary between the USG and the next of kin on the
subject of compensation.


2. (S/NF) Having received such an unsatisfactory response
from the next of kin, Post is pursuing an alternative channel
to convey the USG's message to the deceased's family members.
PolCouns May 16 contacted Mohamed Ali Nur (Americo),Charge
D'Affaires for the Embassy of the Somali Republic in Kenya.
PolCouns highlighted that this issue as an area in which the
Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the USG
might expand their anti-piracy coordination efforts.
PolCouns explained that serving as an intermediary to convey
the options to the next of kin is an excellent opportunity to
demonstrate the TFG's commitment anti-piracy coordination.
(NOTE: On May 5 and 12, PolCouns, poloffs, and other U.S.
reps met with Americo and others to discuss furthering
cooperation on combating piracy. In an April letter to the
Ambassador, the Prime Minister had designated "Mohamed Ali
Nur, Coordinator of Somlia Affairs in Kenya; Ahmed Abdulle
Sahal, Army Officer; and, Abdi Hassan Mohamed, Intelligence
Officer" as the three TFG officials assigned to a joint
Embassy-TFG working group on piracy. The first working group
meeting laid out the framework for bilateral information
sharing among the concerned diplomatic, military and
intelligence personnel. Sahal was absent from the second
meeting as he had gone to Somalia to obtain answers for a
number of questions raised by the U.S. side at the first
meeting. TFG officials stressed the decentralized nature of
the piracy problem now, with a number of "copy-cats" getting
into the action as a way to make money. END NOTE.)


3. (C) Americo was quite receptive to such a suggestion and
subsequently conveyed our message (along with the next of
kin's contact information) to Somali PM Gedi. Gedi is
supportive of this effort and agreed to send an individual to
Mogadishu to directly convey the USG's message to the next of
kin and seek a definitive response. Post anticipates
receiving a response by May 18. The continuing tense
situation in Mogadishu and the potential for renewed
violence, however, may slightly delay this effort. Post will
report the outcome of the meeting as soon as it made known to
us.


4. (C) Meanwhile, Post is awaiting ARCENT's provision of a
timeline for when disposal of the remains will be imminently
necessary. Given the continuing difficulties surrounding the
disposition of these particular remains, Post reiterates for
the Washington inter-agency the need to develop SOP
guidelines for the handling of such cases in the future.
BELLAMY