MEDIA FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION TAKES A STEP BACKWARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NOUAKCHOTT 000718 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2018 TAGS: KPAO KDEM PROP MR SUBJECT: MEDIA FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION TAKES A STEP BACKWARD REF: A. NOUAKCHOTT 696 ¶B. NOUAKCHOTT 707 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Dennis Hankins for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Summary: After a "honeymoon" period of press freedom during the democratic transition of 2005-2007 and President Abdallahi's time in office, a marked decline has occurred since the August 6 coup led by General Aziz. State-run media is as tightly controlled as ever, and online web sites have been subjected to cyberattacks. Mauritania's most recent Reporters Without Borders press freedom ranking has plummeted as a result. Although some critical articles continue to appear in the press, the High State Council (military junta) has sent a clear message that there are limits to what can be said, and by whom. End summary. ¶2. (C) An historical overview: Post enjoys an unusually friendly and cordial relationship with the media. Many editors and journalists have been past International Visitors to the United States, and are current members of the Mauritanian Alumni Association in Nouakchott. Prior to the democratic transition beginning in 2005, anti-American pieces appeared frequently in the Mauritanian press, and post had even set an MPP goal to reduce the number of negative press articles appearing in local media. Before 2005, the US Embassy had no Public Affairs Section and anti-American articles appeared on a daily basis in the local press. With no PD presence or community outreach, and limited government ties due to the repressive dictatorship, such negative press continued. However, with the advent of post's first PAO and the CMJD-led transition of April 2005 to March 2007, which many journalists refer to as the "honeymoon period" in press freedom, more balanced journalism with respect to the US had become the norm. In an informal meeting with PAO on November 10, notable Mauritanian journalist and novelist Bios Diallo (protect) did not want to speak about current politics but confirmed that for journalists, the CMJD-led transition period was the best time -- the most freedom of expression that the country had ever known. This period of open expression continued during President Abdallahi's time in office, though not to the degree many attribute to the transition era. ¶3. (C) The honeymoon period ends: Since the August 6 coup led by General Aziz, a clear regression in press liberty has 
occurred. Websites that offer varying perspectives have been shut down or disrupted, and state-sponsored media firmly tows the party line. In an informal meeting with PolAsst, TV Mauritanie journalist Malika Nekli (protect) confirmed the rigid control that the station is subject to under the High State Council. She painted a picture of HSC-designated appointees at the top pulling the strings, with the employees forced to do their bidding. Nevertheless, she said amongst themselves, some employees described the nightly routine of putting together news reports on General Aziz as "doing the song", that is, going through the motions. Comment: This passive resistance to the strict controls under which the employees operate shows that they are fully aware of the one-sided picture they are compelled to present to the populace. End comment. ¶4. (C) The nascent online press comes under attack: A blatant demonstration of the limits on expression came when two popular online news sites were attacked. The first site, Saharamedia.net, suffered an attack in early November when visitors to the site were redirected to an Israeli news site. Saharamedia.net was forced to change its domain name to Saharamedias.net to finally enable readers to access the site. The second site to be attacked was Anbaa.info, a news site with strong anti-coup leanings run by a Mauritanian living in Canada. On November 5, the site posted a story about corruption and sex scandals at the "highest levels" of Mauritanian society, implicating unnamed senior military leaders, members of the senate, and businessmen. The site claimed to have proof of the misdeeds (including photographic evidence). The next day, the site was completely inaccessible. The site returned to more or less normal operation November 7, and posted a story saying an "internal NOUAKCHOTT 00000718 002 OF 003 sabotage operation" caused the outage. To this date, the supposed evidence of corruption has not been posted on the site. Comment: An element of tribal score settling may have been at work in the Saharamedia.net attack (the owners of the site belong to a tribe that was supportive of deposed President Abdallahi). A very well-connected LES obtained information that a Mauritanian living in the US gave money to a Hakem (regional prefect) to finance the attack. As for the Anbaa.info incident, rumors abound that the Mauritanian intelligence services either perpetrated the attack directly, or indirectly by hiring out hackers overseas. Regardless of the source of these attacks, it is clear that any story deemed too extreme can expose an entire news site to a crippling attack that can last for days at a time. End comment. ¶5. (C) Mauritania's press freedom ranking plunges: The October 22, 2008 release of the Reporters Without Borders Annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index saw Mauritania shoot down 55 slots from the previous year to number 105. In 2007, Mauritania was ranked at number 50, having climbed 88 places since 2004 -- in fact being hailed as among the most free press in the Arab world. A protest in front of state-run Radio Mauritanie on October 30 highlighted growing internal unrest with the curbing of press freedom. In addition, a petition entitled "A Call for the Respect for Freedom of Expression in Mauritania", published November 10 on the French-language news website CRIDEM, boasted almost 400 signatures. That same day, PAO met with recently returned International Visitor Diadie Camara (protect),who works for state-run Radio Mauritanie. He was in the US for the November 4 election, after having extended his trip following participation in the 2008 Edward R. Murrow program for journalists. He told PAO how he tried to send broadcasts on the elections from the US back to the radio station for airing, but the junta-appointed radio director Ould Bouke refused to put his reports on the air. ¶6. (SBU) Resilience of independent voices: Despite these regressions in press liberty, repressed voices are being heard. A sensationalist front page editorial on November 11 in the respected French-language weekly "Le Calame" was a prime example of this. Entitled "Neo-Terrorism," the editorial highlighted a kind of "intellectual terrorism" going on in the media that was "robbing politicians, journalists and civil society members from exercising their critical judgment." The editorial continued, "Doesn't democracy signify, above all, freedom of expression?" It referred back to the repressive Taya years when newspapers were censured and seized, and concluded that "it is the work of the conscientious journalist" to "not allow the word of the people to be muffled." ¶7. (SBU) Comment: All of this points to a rising consciousness in the Mauritanian public about the regression in liberty that has taken place since the coup of August 6, ¶2008. The fact that the Millennium Challenge Corporation press release received both positive and negative responses, and subjective and objective coverage, is further evidence of the actual existence of freedom of expression, plurality of views and potentially more hope than many claim. Press liberty is most apparent in the French written press but that is targeted mainly for Mauritania's elites or, as President Abdallahi told Charge, "for the diplomats." Arabic press is less open but still has flashes of independence. State media is solidly blocked in a country with no private radio or television. We find very interesting the role of cyber-journalism in the current context with most Mauritania watchers checking websites rather than pares for Mauritania news. The ability of these websites to reach computer cafes throughout the country is not lost on the regime -- hence the cyber attacks. ¶8. (SBU) It remains to be seen in the coming weeks, however, whether more websites will be disrupted or shut down, and how the state-run media will respond to the unfolding political crisis. The November 13 release of deposed President Abdallahi to his home village, his first Al Jazeera international media interview, and his speech to the nation on the Al Arabiya satellite channel (see Ref A) initially NOUAKCHOTT 00000718 003 OF 003 indicated a sign of media opening on the part of the HSC. However, on Mauritanian National Day (November 28),Abdallahi was prevented from meeting with journalists and delivering a speech to the nation (see Ref B). Furthermore, Al Arabiya's Mauritania correspondent was reportedly harassed by HSC members recently in Zouerate because of his network's airing of Abdallahi's address, and a newspaper editor was deported from Abu Dhabi and jailed on a criminal libel charge for a story that challenged powerful businessman (and suspected junta financier) Mohamed Hmayenne Bouamatou. Although the libel case predates the coup, it is further evidence of inter-clan rivalries and the score-settling campaign undertaken by the HSC. All these developments indicate growing HSC reluctance to permit freedom of expression when it dares to challenge their authority or interests. End comment. HANKINS