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O 301112Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1657
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
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RUZEFAA/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUZEFAA/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 002422 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM KPAO SO KE
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - Recent Threats to Freedom of the Press 
 
REF: NAIROBI 2116 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) Since the temporary ban of VOA's Somali Service by Puntland 
authorities in early October (reftel), Somali media have encountered 
a series of additional hardships.  Independent media outlets have 
experienced closures, arrests, and violence.  Among the most notable 
incidents was the shooting by Puntland authorities of a VOA Somali 
Service stringer in Puntland on November 17.  Post remains fully 
engaged in advocating for a free and fair press in all parts of 
Somalia.  End summary. 
 
------------- 
Problems from 
Shabaab 
------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Since reftel reported on the temporary closure of VOA's 
Somali Service in early October, Somali media outlets have 
experienced a continuing series of threats to their ability to 
practice journalism freely and independently.  Chief among those 
threats are the unabated efforts by al-Shabaab to either suppress 
media altogether or to gain control of existing outlets for use as 
Shabaab mouthpieces. 
 
¶3. (SBU) On October 1, Abdi Nur Abdullahi Abdulle of Radio Voice of 
Mudug was arrested by Shabaab in Kismayo, a southern port city, 
which has been under Shabaab control for an extended period. 
Abdulle was reportedly arrested while covering fighting in Kismayo 
between Shabaab and rival Islamist group Hisb al-Islam. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Al Shabaab ordered the closure of Baidoa's Radio Warsan and 
Radio Jubba on October 21, followed on November 1 by Shabaab's 
seizure of Radio Warsan, eviction of all staff, and arrest of editor 
Muhyadin Husni.  According to Radio Jubba owner Abdi Azziz, who is 
resident in Denmark, Shabaab officials attempted to convince him to 
sell the station to them for USD 25,000.  When Azziz refused, 
Shabaab seized the station by force.  Azziz told us Shabaab would 
not let any outlet in Shabaab-controlled regions work independently 
or neutrally, and would attempt to force the private stations to 
broadcast reports favoring or promoting extremist agendas.  Shabaab 
seized Radio Warsan and all of its equipment, but Azziz said that 
Radio Jubba management had managed to move most of their station's 
important equipment secretly to Mogadishu before the station was 
seized. 
 
¶5. (SBU) On November 24, Shabaab closed Radio Mandeeq, in Gedo 
Region's Beled Hawa.  The management of Radio Mandeeq are strong 
post contacts and have facilitated some of our outreach activity in 
Gedo Region and the bordering area of Kenya.  A statement from a 
journalist union indicated that Shabaab militia arrived at the 
station at about 1215 local time aboard two 'technicals' and, 
claiming to be acting on orders, demanded that the station be 
closed.  Mandeeq had been previously forced to close in April 2009, 
reportedly as a result of al-Shabaab's displeasure over the 
station's reporting on a clan dispute.  We are in close contact with 
Mandeeq's management. 
 
------------- 
Problems from 
Authorities 
------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) In an unusual cross-border scenario, Nuradin Ma'alin 
Muqtar, alias Dinow, was arrested on October 18 at an Internet cafe 
in Nairobi's predominantly Somali neighborhood of Eastleigh, 
possibly for a report implicating the director of the Mogadishu port 
in embezzlement.  (Note:  Another version has it that the Mogadishu 
port director or his allies alleged to the Kenyan authorities that 
Muqtar was a member of al-Shabaab, thus triggering his arrest. End 
note.)  He was held for 24 hours and then released after advocacy 
from the Somali ambassador to Kenya and another well-known Somali 
reporter.  Muqtar claimed he was arrested by Kenyan security 
officials at the instruction of the director of Mogadishu port, Abdi 
Jinow, who was then in Nairobi.  Asked why the port director had 
called for his arrest, Muqtar said he had previously acted as a 
whistleblower, highlighting reports of corruption and embezzlement 
involving officials working at the port. He specifically mentioned 
two cases involving the port director:  a case of a bullet-proof 
UNICEF vehicle that had been stolen by al-Shabaab during its capture 
of Jowhar, but then allegedly purchased by the director for USD 
 
NAIROBI 00002422  002 OF 002 
 
 
150,000, and a second case involving houses bought by the director 
in Nairobi's exclusive Hurlingham neighborhood.  The journalist said 
he made a comparison between the ongoing fight against corruption in 
Kenya, which is getting much attention from the international 
community, and the level of corruption existing in Mogadishu. 
Muqtar said that security personnel also questioned him at length 
about al-Shabaab and piracy activities in Somalia. 
 
¶7. (SBU) ETN reporter Abdirahman Muhammad Muse was arrested and 
reportedly beaten on November 3 in Garowe.  Muse claims he was 
covering a court session, although the ETN manager in Nairobi told 
us that the police arrested the reporter on suspicion that he was 
clandestinely filming a police operation. 
 
¶8. (SBU) On November 5 in Mogadishu, AFP cameraman Mohamed Dahir and 
Universal TV cameraman Mahmud Muktar Kofi were detained, possibly by 
TFG authorities, and held for approximately 48 hours after filming 
African Union troops firing into Bakara Market.  Reports indicate 
that Somali MPs intervened to secure their release. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Muhammad Yasin Ishaq, a stringer for VOA's Somali Service, 
was shot and injured by Puntland police on November 24.  Reports 
from VOA Somali Service and Ishaq himself indicate he was passing 
through a police checkpoint en route to the southern part of 
Galkayo.  Some allege that Ishaq failed to stop at a checkpoint; 
others that he stopped and was purposely shot anyway.  Some 
independent sources, including UN officials, say that the journalist 
passed the checkpoint without stopping and was fired upon by 
authorities, who were on high alert following an incident from the 
previous week when a hand grenade that was thrown from a passing 
vehicle wounded some of the security personnel.  In a press release, 
VOA joined the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters 
Without Borders in calling for an investigation. 
 
------------------ 
Problems from 
Somalia in General 
------------------ 
 
¶10. (SBU) On the morning of November 18, Abdirahman Warsame, who 
reports for the Chinese news service Xinhua, was injured in 
Mogadishu fighting.  He was reportedly standing in front of Banadir 
Hospital in Mogadishu when he was hit by a stray bullet. 
 
¶11. (SBU) As has been widely reported, Canadian journalist Amanda 
Lindhout and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan were released on 
November 25 after being kidnapped and held for approximately 15 
months. 
 
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Post's Continued 
Advocacy 
---------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) Post remains fully engaged in aiding the media in Somalia. 
We maintain strong relationships with most media houses, which allow 
us to get accurate information quickly in the event of an incident, 
and we intercede with the authorities, where possible. 
 
¶13. (SBU) We have also encouraged the TFG to be more vocal about 
freedom of press issues. An October 24 statement condemning the 
closures of Radios Warsan and Jubba was issued immediately by the 
TFG after Somalia Unit suggested  to the Minister of Information 
that the TFG speak out publicly. 
 
RANNEBERGER