SOMALIA - PD ACTIVITIES UPDATE, JULY 21

UNCLAS NAIROBI 001566

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 PREL KPAO PTER MOPS SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - PD ACTIVITIES UPDATE, JULY 21

REF: A. NAIROBI 1539

B. 07 STATE 116686


1. (SBU) Summary: Per ref B, Post submits the following
update for the third week of July 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.
3-10 activities since the last report:


3. (SBU) The two Somali journalists who will perform an
assessment of the Transitional Federal Government's (TFG)
public diplomacy operations are scheduled to depart Nairobi
on July 23 and remain in Mogadishu until August 3. The TFG
Minister of Information has extended his absence from
Somalia, so the assessors will meet him in Mogadishu.


4. (SBU) Post arranged a roundtable with Kenya and Somali
media for the Somali Ambassador to Kenya on July 15. Three
Kenyan and four Somali outlets attended. The Ambassador
borrowed heavily from the suggested talking points provided
by the Somalia Unit.


5. (SBU) Following PAO's July 17 call with the Somaliland
Minister of Information protesting the arrests of two Radio
Horyaal journalists and the attempted suspension of Horn
Cable TV (HCTV) in Somaliland (ref A),Post issued a press
release urging the release of the journalists. Our media
contacts told us the press release had significant impact,
even to the extent that the Somaliland authorities accused
the media of having fabricated the press release. The
Counselor for Somalia Affairs conducted a television
interview with HCTV on July 21 to reiterate our call for
freedom of the press in Somalia.


6. (SBU) In addition to the July 17 press release on freedom
of the press in Somaliland, Post issued a press release on
July 21 condemning al-Shabaab's July 20 looting of WFP
facilities in Baidoa and Wajid and their announcement that
three UN organizations were banned from al-Shabaab-controlled
areas.


7. (SBU) On July 18, at the Somalia Unit's instigation,
Post's Pickering Fellow conducted outreach at a Muslim girls'
academy in Nairobi attended by many ethnic Somalis. Her
remarks on life in America were extremely well-received. She
will conduct similar sessions in coming weeks.


8. (SBU) MIST activity, week of July 13: The MIST
coordinated with Radio Daljir to facilitate the Waayaha Cusub
music group's travel to Puntland for concerts and meetings
with civic groups that promote youth support of the TFG and
opposition to violent extremist organizations. MIST also
began collecting information about Waayaha Cusub,s reception
in Somalia to help determine the viability of using them in a
campaign to reach the youth in Puntland and south-central
Somalia.


9. (SBU) MIST activity, week of July 13 (cont.): MIST also
continued preparation for the extension of the sheikh
programs in Northeast Province and Eastleigh as well as the
expansion of this program into Puntland and south-central
Somalia. During a July 16 meeting with one sheikh after he
broadcast his lecture at a studio in Eastleigh (Nairobi),the
sheikh told us that recent, more hard-hitting messages -
instigated at Post's request to focus more closely on current
events - have resulted in increased attention to his
lectures, and have garnered positive reaction among Somalis
opposed to extremism.


10. (SBU) MIST activity, week of July 20: MIST began planning
to support youth campaigns based around soccer in Eastleigh
(Nairobi) and the Dadaab refugee camp in northeast Kenya that
attempt to counter radical and violent ideologies. MIST also
began preparations for support of drama and music groups in
Dadaab refugee camps who are spreading positive messages
about peace and reconciliation.
ABELL