VZCZCXRO3161
OO RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNR #1348/01 1820831
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 010831Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0069
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA
RUZEFAA/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUZEFAA/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 001348 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
 
DEPT FOR AF/E AND A/S CARSON 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PGOV PREL KDEM SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - Constitution Drafting Process Re-Energized 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  On June 4, a consortium of partners supporting Somalia's 
constitutional process met with the Transitional Federal Government 
(TFG) Minister of Constitutional and Federal Affairs Madobe Nunow 
Mohamed to discuss priorities and outstanding needs in the 
constitutional development process.  Minister Mohamed described a 
grassroots outreach initiative to involve all Somalis in the country 
and abroad in developing the constitutional structures that will set 
the stage for Somalia's political transition.  The ministry will 
work in partnership with the Independent Federal Constitutional 
Committee (IFCC) to lead the drafting process.  While we are 
understandably focused on immediate security priorities, it is no 
less important to support immediate and longer-term efforts to build 
permanent governing institutions.  Absent any other nation-wide 
mobilization efforts, the constitutional process could, if properly 
administered, foster public support for the TFG.  It remains a 
critical peace building tool that will encourage public 
participation and ongoing reconciliation in Somalia.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------------- 
Urgent Need to Build Legitimacy 
Of the Constitutional Process 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  While the TFG has been focused on the immediate priority of 
establishing security, it also recognizes the importance of focusing 
on medium and longer-term efforts to ensure a political transition 
to a permanent government.  The Transitional Federal Charter 
identifies the drafting of a constitution as a key task for the 
transition.  The Charter prescribes that a new federal constitution 
must be drafted and adopted by popular referendum before the final 
year of the transitional period.  Eighty percent of the proposed 
text has already been drafted using the 1960 constitution, the 1990 
constitution, and the Charter as a basis.  The remaining twenty 
percent of the narrative will revolve around issues that have 
historically been more contentious in Somalia - such as Sharia Law 
and federalism - and which will have to be openly debated and 
discussed if the constitution is to be legitimate. 
 
¶3.  Because Somalia lacks a judiciary, the ability of the 
constitution to serve as law of the land will initially be entirely 
a function of its perceived legitimacy - both by political elites 
and by broader Somali society.  There is therefore an urgent need 
for a broad-based, participatory and consultative drafting process 
to generate buy-in for the constitution and to help marginalize 
spoilers of the political process.  Finalizing the constitution will 
be the first step in completing the legal framework necessary for 
the transition to a permanent government. 
 
------------------- 
Ministry Priorities 
------------------- 
 
¶4.  On June 4, a consortium of partners supporting Somalia's 
constitutional process met with TFG Minister of Constitutional and 
Federal Affairs Mohamed.  The Minister described a grassroots 
process through which every Somali will have an opportunity to 
participate in the consultative process.  Minister Mohamed 
identified the following priorities for his ministry: 
-- Continue consultations with constitutional and development 
experts to better prepare the ministry for its responsibilities; 
-- Prepare and pass legislation to establish bodies to work on 
specific aspects of constitutional development, e.g., Commission for 
Censorship; 
-- Reorganize the IFCC; 
-- Conduct public outreach activities; 
-- Incorporate public feedback into the constitution; 
-- Encourage existing regional governments to develop their own 
ideas about the constitution; 
-- Encourage areas currently without any local government to begin 
establishing local governance structures that can represent them in 
this process; 
-- Continue negotiations with some regional governments on the 
future design of the federal system. 
 
------------------- 
Ministry Activities 
------------------- 
 
NAIROBI 00001348  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶5.  Minister Mohamed identified the following activities his 
ministry plans to undertake to support the above priorities: 
-- Visit regions in Somalia (security conditions permitting) and 
countries with large Somali diasporas to gather feedback on the 
process; 
-- Attend the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) 
conference on applying Sharia Law to the new Somali constitution 
planned for July 2009 in Malaysia; 
-- Establish a website on the constitution making process to keep 
diaspora communities and Somalis inside the country informed 
-- Establish working relationships with the local media to provide 
coverage of town hall meetings and other outreach events. 
 
¶6.  Minister Mohamed outlined his Ministry's needs and asked for 
donor assistance.  The most urgent was for additional technical 
expertise in all areas to assist the constitutional development 
process. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Independent Federal Constitutional Committee 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  The Ministry and the IFCC are supposed to be working as equal 
partners in the constitutional-drafting process.  The IFCC has 
enjoyed significant support by international partners.  However, it 
is still in Nairobi and needs to return to Mogadishu.  (Note: Once 
the TFG provides offices for the IFCC in Mogadishu, the members are 
interested in returning to Somalia.  End note.)   Additionally, the 
IFCC must be reconstituted to include members from the Alliance for 
the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS).  The additional ARS members have 
not yet been indentified, but all agree that they should be 
experienced in constitutional affairs and contribute to the gender 
balance of the Commission. 
 
------------------------- 
Constitutional Consortium 
Advocates Flexibility 
------------------------- 
 
¶8.  The Constitutional Consortium, comprising the donors and 
implementing partners for the constitution drafting process, is 
chaired by UNPOS with the UN Development Program (UNDP) as its 
secretariat.  The Somalis in the consortium believe that the process 
should not be locked into "traditional Western oriented legal boxes" 
and should encourage imagination and build upon unique Somali 
traditions.  Public consultation is very important, but the 
limitations and challenges must be acknowledged, they said.  The 
result of this constitution-drafting process could then be revisited 
within a specified time (five to ten years) for review.  This 
provision will give opportunity to those that were not consulted 
initially, because of the security situation and the challenges to 
public participation. 
 
¶9.  Key NGOs supporting the process include the National Democratic 
Institute (NDI) and Interpeace (both funded by the U.S.) and COSPE, 
an Italian NGO.  Technical support to the consortium is provided by 
a Somali constitutional expert from the diaspora, Mohammad Osman 
Jawari, and two other international constitutional experts, Prof. 
Yash Pal Ghai and Jill Cottrell.   The Minister of Constitutional 
Affairs requested that a representative of his ministry have regular 
representation in the Consortium. 
 
¶10.  The activities of the Consortium are supported through donor 
funds.  In FY 2008 and FY 2009, USAID will provide $2,500,000 
through NDI and UNDP for technical assistance to the IFCC and to 
draft the constitutional referendum law, and a civic education and 
public consultation campaign that gives citizens an opportunity to 
discuss and provide input into contentious constitutional 
questions. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶11.  Minister Mohamed has grand ambitions for the 
constitutional-drafting process, many of which are contingent on a 
relatively stable security situation.  For example, grassroots 
outreach into areas not controlled by the TFG will be difficult, if 
not impossible.  At the same time, creating opportunities for 
discussion and debate about the constitution and the future of 
 
NAIROBI 00001348  003 OF 003 
 
 
Somalia might allow communities to come together in ways they never 
have before.  It will also provide an alternative vision for Somalia 
than what is offered by extremist groups.   Somali civil society 
groups certainly view the constitutional process as key in 
continuing the reconciliation and peace-making process begun through 
the Djibouti Process.  While the challenges to creating a truly 
participatory process are many, we agree that the constitutional 
process potentially provides a mechanism for all Somalis to be part 
of this nationwide initiative. 
 
RANNEBERGER