VZCZCXRO9596
PP RUEHGI RUEHRN RUEHROV
DE RUEHNR #4871 3191412
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151412Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5492
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RULSDMK/DOT WASHDC
RHMCSUU/FAA WASHDC
RUEAYOK/FAA AERONAUTICAL CENTER OKLAHOMA CITY OK
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC

UNCLAS NAIROBI 004871 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/RSA, S/CT AND EB/TRA/AN 
DEPT PASS USAID 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO DOT FOR CONNIE HUNTER 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAIR PTER PGOV KE SO
SUBJECT: KENYA SUSPENDS SOMALIA FLIGHTS 
 
REF: Nairobi 4220 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Citing security concerns, the Government of Kenya 
(GOK) suspended all scheduled flights between Somalia and Kenya 
effective November 13.  In so doing, the GOK will require all 
charter flights to apply for clearance, providing a detailed 
manifest of passengers, crew, travel documents and reason for travel 
seven days in advance.  The order affects two airlines' service 
between Nairobi and four Somali cities, and cargo flights carrying 
the narcotic khat (miraa) to Somalia.  Press reports claim the 
Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in Baidoa, Somalia 
supported the move.  The opposition Islamic Courts called it 
unwarranted and based on anti-Islamic sentiments.  The suspension 
follows the October 4 restriction of flights carrying Somali 
passengers to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and is another 
sign of the GOK's growing concern with events in Somalia.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) On November 11, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) 
announced in a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) that "All scheduled flights 
to/from Somalia or into Kenya are suspended," and that "All charter 
flights between Kenya and Somalia will be required to obtain a 
clearance seven days before the expected date of the flight." 
Applications for clearance must include a detailed manifest of 
passengers, crew, travel documents and reason for travel.  Kenya's 
Chief Immigration Officer Ndathi advised his staff the suspension 
was effective from Monday, November 13, and would remain in force 
"until further notice."  On November 13, a UN flight and a 
commercial flight from Mogadishu were detained, checked and 
permitted to fly. 
 
¶3. (U) The order affects Dallo and East Africa Express Airlines, 
which were offering scheduled service six days/week from Nairobi to 
Mogadishu and three other Somali cities.  The order also affects the 
10-12 daily flights carrying khat (AKA miraa, a mild narcotic) from 
Wilson Airport to Somalia and back.  The order strengthens the 
October 4 requirement issued by the Kenya Civil Aviation 
Administration (KCAA) that any flight carrying passengers or excess 
crew had to land first at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport 
(JKIA), and not the less secure Wilson Airport, for processing. 
(Note:  The GOK previously suspended Somalia flights in 1999 and 
2001, but the bans were dropped because of opposition from 
politically-powerful khat producers in the Mt. Kenya area.  End 
Note) 
 
¶4. (U) AFP quoted Kenyan government spokesman Alfred Mutua as 
stating, "We have indefinitely suspended flights between Kenya and 
Somalia for security reasons."  AFP also cited Somali Islamist 
spokesman Sheikh Abdurahim Ali Muddey as calling the suspension 
unwarranted because Somalia posed no threat; he accused Kenya of 
anti-Islam sentiment in imposing the suspension.  TFG Information 
Minister Ali Jama is quoted as saying that the ban was prudent 
following the U.S. warning of possible terror attacks in Kenya. 
 
¶5. (SBU) USAID reports the flight suspension has already prevented 
urgent supplies from reaching flood victims in Belet Weyne.  The UN 
Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Eric LaRoche, has 
written directly to the Kenyan Minister of Foreign Affairs, 
requesting that humanitarian charter flights be allowed to fly on 24 
hours notice, and European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) and 
ICRC are pursuing similar requests.  If the GOK demurs, UNSG Annan 
may raise the issue with President Kibaki at his November 15 
meeting.  Late on November 14, World Food Program (WFP) Somalia told 
Emboff the Kenyan Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Kenyan 
Ambassador to Somalia have assured them the flight ban for 
humanitarian flights will be lifted as of Thursday November 16. 
According to WFP, the Kenyans claim the ban was never intended to 
affect humanitarian flights. 
 
RANNEBERGER