Militias looking for a few good PR men

Posted By Aditya Dasgupta Tuesday, June 27, 2006 - 11:22 AM Share

The Islamist militia now in power in Mogadishu quickly figured out that the killing of a Swedish journalist last Friday at an Islamist rally in the city was a pretty bad PR move. Following widespread international media condemnation of the murder, the militia's top leader swore to bring the killer - still unidentified - to justice. He is also promising to protect all foreign journalists.

As Somalia's warring political factions launch large-scale media campaigns to discredit enemies and gain popular support, they're becoming increasingly media-savvy as well. There's no telling if or when international peacekeeping forces will be sent into the war-torn country. But if they are (as Western diplomats and the African Union demand), Somali warlords and Islamist leaders know that a positive image in the international media could make all the difference in ensuing power-sharing arrangements. Expect to see more militia leaders giving CNN interviews soon.

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