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. -------------- PD Activities -------------- ¶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