SOMALIA EMBASSY MEDIA OUTREACH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 001135

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/E AND A/S FRAZER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ASEC MOPS SO ET
SUBJECT: SOMALIA EMBASSY MEDIA OUTREACH

Classified by PolOff Mitch Benedict. Reasons
1.4 (b) and (d)



1. (U) On March 7 the Embassy of the Somali
Republic in Nairobi held a media
conference and issued the following
statement.

Begin Text:


Embassy of the Somali Republic
Nairobi -Kenya

GOOD MORNING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MEMBERS OF
THE PRESS:
First I would like to take this opportunity
to invite you 10 this media conference and
also inform you that from today, the Embassy
will be holding a weekly media conference
every Wednesday at
10:00 am.
The aim of such meetings will be to brief the
media and the public a1 large, the latest
development in Somalia and Transitional
Federal Government of Somalia's effort to
sustain peace and stability to the people of
Somalia.
All are welcome.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
As you might be aware, 400 Ugandan Peace
keeping forces, which are part of the 8,000
AU forces, under the flag of the African
Union (AU) arrived in Mogadishu International
Airport yesterday March 6, 2007.
The 8,000 AU forces mandate is to recruit and
train the Somali army in different fields of
security operations, assist the Somalia
community in any given humanitarian
assignment and also guard and protect
government officials and buildings. The
Ugandan troops are the vanguard of a larger
African Union force authorized by the United
Nations to help the government assert its
authority.
This is a major step by the Transitional
Federal Government of Somalia in maintaining
peace and tranquility among the people of
Somalia.
As we all know, Somalia has been a II
collapsed state II undergoing continuous
civil-war strife by former warlords and
Islamic extremists who made Somalia one of
the centers for international terrorism in
East Africa, and a place for training
warfare, explosive, assembling and a
launching pad for attacks against neighboring
countries.
But of now, it's clear 1he people of Somalia
are tired of war and are ready for peace.
Their support for the Uganda peacekeeping
force is overwhelming and the Transitional
Federal Government of Somalia is doing all it
can to ensure peace for the Somali people is
guaranteed.
However, having said that, there still remain
few remnants of the Islamic extremists who
don't want peace and stability in Somalia.
As a result, the Government has initiated a
community policy security programme whereby
it has already recruited and reintegrated
over 8,000 former militias who are currently
under intensive training in Balidogle -90 km
from Mogadishu.
We believe these young people will playa
great role in securing peace in their own
country and ensuring economic stability is
retained. Also, several youth groups have
volunteered to patrol the crime prone areas
in Mogadishu with the Police forces.
In addition, His Excellency President
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed last week launched the
National Reconciliation Congress (NRC] with
an aim and objective to bring about good
governance and peaceful Somalia. The Congress
shall be led by an Independent Committee
composing of national imminent persons of

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renowned reputation within the Somali Nation
and abroad. The Committee is independent from
the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs)
in their deliberations while respecting the
Transitional Federal Charter.
As we speak now, the Preparatory works of the
National Reconciliation Congress has started
and will continue in the next forty-five
days. Over 3,000 people will participate,
representing all stakeholders of Somali
society. The Congress shall be convinced in
Mogadishu on April 16, 2007.
Similarly, the Government is planning to
relocate to Mogadishu immediately after the
deployment of the AU peacekeeping force in
Somalia. This would enable it to serve its
people more efficiently and be closer to
them. In fact, the President, the Speaker of
the Parliament and the Prime Minister reside
in Mogadishu.
At the same time TFG is working very hard
reinforcing loco], regional and Federal
political and administrative entities.
Ladles and Gentlemen:
Let me comment on the prisoners of war and
foreign fighters who were arrested during the
removal of the Islamic Court Union (ICU).
I would like to inform all members of the
International Communities, NGO's, Human
Rights Groups that the Transitional Federal
Government of the Somali Republic would
respect and uphold the rule of law and in due
process, all international treaties signed by
Somalia concerning the prisoners of war and
the arrest of militants foreign fighters
suspected of terrorism in Somalia. Also the
Somali Government is in contact separately
with the concerned Embassies and ICRC in
regard of the arrested foreign fighters.
Also, the government is planning to enact an
anti-terrorism law which will be regulating
all criminal acts committed on Somali
territory. The Cabinet has approved the anti-
terrorism law, the Parliament is expected to
pass the law soon.
And lastly, the Transitional Federal
Government of Somalia is greatly concerned
over the Hijacking of a United Nation World
Food Programme Chartered vessel MV Rozen off
the coast of Somalia on February 25 with the
crew of 6 Sri Lankans and 6 Kenyans and also
the recent kidnapping of Thai Nationals in
Puntland area.
In conclusion, I would like to take this
opportunity to assure the concerned families
that the Transitional Federal Government of
Somalia is in close contact with WFP,
Puntland Authority, and the vessel owner to
ensure immediate safe return of the crew. The
Government has also appealed to the hijackers
to unconditionally release the crew so that
they would join their families. Also I would
to thank WFP's continuous help on delivering
urgent food aid to Somalia.
Nairobi. March 7, 2007
End Text.

2. (C) The media conference held by the
Embassy on March 7 is the first of what we
are told will be regular Wednesday morning
media conferences. We spoke to the Somali
Ambassador prior to the media conference and
urged him to address the issue of the WFP
piracy case, and also the case of the Thai
nationals being held hostage in Puntland.
The Somalia Transitional Federal Government
(TFG) must work better to communicate with
the people of Somalia, and we intend to use
our close working relationship with members
of the Somali Embassy to help shape their
messages for future media conferences.
RANNEBERGER