VZCZCXRO9942
OO RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNR #1539/01 1980944
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 170944Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0407
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0957
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
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 001539 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AF/E AND A/S CARSON 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SOCI KDEM KPAO SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - Crackdown on Somaliland Media 
 
REF: DJIBOUTI 921 
 
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Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) The already-browbeaten media in Somaliland this week 
suffered two serious setbacks, both apparently orchestrated by the 
Somaliland government in an effort to temper reporting about ongoing 
inter-clan conflicts.  Two reporters from independent Radio Horyaal 
were arrested on July 13 and remain in custody.  On July 14, Horn 
Cable Television (HCTV) was ordered to suspend broadcasting, with a 
court appearance scheduled for July 18.  Post remains vigorously 
engaged with the Somaliland government to register our concern.  We 
will also issue a press release and are seeking opportunities, to 
the extent media conditions allow, to conduct interviews with 
Somaliland media on this matter.  End Summary. 
 
------------------ 
Ongoing Inter-clan 
Conflict 
------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) Over the past several months, Somaliland has endured 
renewed inter-clan conflict, reportedly centering on land disputes. 
President Riyale's Gadubiirsi clan is involved in the most recent 
clashes, in opposition with the Isaak/Jibril Abukar clan.  On July 
10, President Riyale and Jibril Abukar clan elders met to discuss a 
late May Guurti (House of elders) resolution on the protracted 
resource-based conflict; the Guurti ruled in favor of the Isaaq. 
Riyale has reportedly been hesitant to endorse the resolution. 
 
¶3. (SBU) On July 12, at least four passengers on a bus en route to 
Hargeisa were gunned down by rival clan militiamen (reftel).  The 
passengers who were killed were reportedly from President Riyale's 
subclan. 
 
¶4. (SBU) While blame for the current round of violence cannot be 
definitively related to the Somaliland elections currently scheduled 
for September, we note that grounds for postponing elections include 
insecurity in any part of Somaliland.  Contacts speculate that this 
conflict could be used to postpone the elections, which have already 
been put off four times. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Separately, on July 15, President Riyale fired two of his 
ministers: Nur Amin Ismail, Minister in the office of the president 
and Osman Kasim Qodah, Minister of Trade.  Amin told us the firing 
of ministers is linked with the Gabiley clan conflict.  Amin said 
that while both he and Riyale are committed to resolving the 
conflict, they differed on the approach. 
 
------------- 
Radio Horyaal 
Arrests 
------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) On July 13, Somaliland police and officers from Criminal 
Investigation Department (CID) arrested two journalists from 
independent Radio Horyaal, which is owned and operated by Kulmiye, 
the leading opposition political party.  Police officers reportedly 
raided Radio Horyaal's Hargeisa offices and arrested Director 
Mohamed Osman Mire and news editor Ahmed Saleban Dhuhul.  The 
journalists are still being held at the CID headquarters in 
Hargeisa.  Multiple sources in Somaliland told us the arrest is 
linked to a president Riyale's meeting with Jibril Abukar elders and 
Horyaal's reports on the July 11 bus attack.  Horyaal reported 
Riyale's meeting with the Jibril Abukar elders had ended in a 
stalemate and the elders had reportedly stormed out of the meeting. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Somaliland maintains a ban on independent radio stations, 
though Horyaal has dodged the ban by basing the station outside 
Somaliland, reportedly in Europe.  Against this backdrop, a 
Riyale-chaired meeting of a government committee on the conflict 
reportedly resolved to take measures against some Somaliland media 
and Horyaal was at the top on that list for its role in covering the 
conflict.  Ismail Hureh, a former Transitional Federal Government 
(TFG) minister and MP, told us the journalists were arrested simply 
for reporting clan conflicts and issues surrounding the land 
dispute.  A Somaliland journalists union and all Somaliland media 
 
NAIROBI 00001539  002 OF 002 
 
 
practitioners condemned the arrest and continued detention of the 
two journalists. 
 
--------------- 
HCTV Suspension 
--------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Horn Cable Television (HCTV) was also threatened with 
suspension on July 14.  A contact at HCTV tells us the CID asked the 
regional court to issue a warrant against HCTV after the attorney 
general requested a ban on HCTV.  However, the Chairman of Hargeisa 
regional court rejected the request, noting that there is no legal 
means by which to suspend the station.  HCTV managers told us they 
have a court date early on July 18, but are broadcasting in the 
meantime.  In a July 16, press statement, Mohamed Abdi, news editor 
and acting director of HCTV, lamented the fact that the Somaliland 
administration was working on what he called a clandestine scheme to 
gag or completely shut down independent media in violation of the 
constitutional provisions for a free media. 
 
--------------------- 
Somaliland Government 
Alleges "Propaganda" 
--------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Post has engaged the Somaliland government to register our 
concern about these apparent violations of freedom of the press.  In 
a July 16 phone call, Ahmed Dahir, the Somaliland Minister of 
Information, told us the Horyaal arrests were made because the 
station had no license to operate.  When we pressed him about the 
timing of the arrests, he admitted a relation to the recent events, 
claiming that both Horyaal and HCTV were guilty of spreading 
"propaganda."  He claimed there are three or four other stations 
operating in Somaliland without trouble. 
 
------------ 
Post Actions 
------------ 
 
¶10. (SBU) Post will issue a press release condemning these events 
and calling for the release of the Horyaal journalists.  We are also 
seeking opportunities to conduct interviews with Somaliland 
stations, both in relation to our concerns about the upcoming 
elections and the media arrests/suspension.  We will also raise this 
matter with President Riyale at the earliest opportunity. 
 
ABELL