SOMALIA - PD ACTIVITIES UPDATE, MAY 22

UNCLAS NAIROBI 001038

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/RSA AND AF/E
ALSO FOR S/CT ZROTHSCHILD
ALSO FOR IIP/CTCC MAUSTEIN AND JVANDEVELDE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KPAO PTER EAID MOPS SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - PD ACTIVITIES UPDATE, MAY 22

REF: 07 STATE 116686

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Summary
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1. (SBU) Per reftel, Post submits the following update for
the third week of May 2009. End summary.

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PD Activities
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2. (SBU) The Somalia Unit, including the Military Information
Support Team (MIST) dedicated to Somalia, performed para. 3-6
activities since the last report:


3. (SBU) Post continues to support the Transitional Federal
Government with suggested press releases, talking points, and
advice on media work. On May 19, we provided a suggested
press release on the foreign fighters involved in the current
upsurge in violence in Somalia. The TFG Minister of
Information published the release, with only slight
modifications, less than 24 hours later. We are in daily
contact with the minister, who continues to state that he is
grateful for U.S. support for his media operation.


4. (SBU) PAO traveled with visiting AF/PDPA desk officer to
Dadaab refugee camps in northeaster Kenya from 11-13 May (see
Nairobi 1031, 1032, and 1033). The Dadaab camps host 270,000
refugees, most of whom are from Somalia. The visit was
extremely well-received by the refugees, many of whom didn't
realize the depth of our diplomatic engagement in Somalia.
We returned with several ideas for low-cost, high-impact PD
programming that could very positively affect our image among
the Somalis in Dadaab, and also work to secure their support
for the efforts of the TFG to rebuild Somalia.


5. (SBU) PAO made remarks at a USAID-sponsored conference in
Nairobi focused on developing media law in Somalia. The
workshop brought together 15 members of Parliament and
representatives of three media houses in an effort to discuss
the relationship between the government and local media. PAO
commented on the vital role of a free media in the rebuilding
of Somalia, as well as the responsibility of the press in
their reporting.


6. (SBU) MIST activity, week of May 11 and 18: A new team has
arrived and is continuing broadcasting messages from a
moderate sheikh preaching tolerance and reconciliation as
well as youth and reconciliation talk and call-in shows along
the boarder and in Mogadishu.
Planning has continued for a series along the coast targeting
piracy. The start of this program is still pending approval.
The team met with members of the group Wahaaya Cusub and
began a discussion of potentially aiding them in
disseminating their message which is aligned with ours. In
addition, the team has met with a representative from SBC
radio in Puntland who says he has coverage in the coastal
areas in which the pirates operate. The MIST is discussing
using his company to better target the audience in the
counter-piracy programs.
RANNEBERGER