02 May 2016 – Daily Monitoring Report
First British Troops Arrive In Somalia As Part Of UN Mission
02 May – Source: The Guardian – 227 Words
British troops have arrived in Somalia as part of efforts to tackle the threat from Islamist militants. The military personnel, the first of up to 70 due to be deployed there this year, are part of a UN peacekeeping mission to counter the extremist group Al-Shabaab. The group of about 10 soldiers will offer medical, engineering and logistical support to the African Union Mission in Somalia.
The move reinforces the UK’s commitment to targeting terrorism around the world, said the defence secretary, Michael Fallon. He added: “This deployment is another demonstration of the flexibility and global reach of our armed forces. “Alongside our efforts in Iraq, Syria and Nigeria, it shows our determination to tackle terrorism wherever it rears its head.”
Announcing the deployment in September as he prepared to attend a summit at the UN general assembly in New York, David Cameron said “all the right force protection arrangements” would be put in place to minimise the risk of harm. The prime minister also announced personnel would be sent to South Sudan – where inter-tribal fighting has forced people from their homes and left millions facing a severe food shortage – to provide engineering work to strengthen infrastructure. The assignments are part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review pledge to double the number of UK troops on UN peacekeeping tasks from the 300 currently deployed.
Key Headlines
- First British Troops Arrive In Somalia As Part Of UN Mission (The Guardian)
- Somali Policeman Shot Dead In Mogadishu (Shabelle News)
- Somalia Hires Turkish Firm For Imported Goods Quality Inspections (RBC Radio)
- Thaicom To Carry Somaliland National TV Programmes (RapidTV News)
- Somali Militants Kill Soldiers Capture Town (CCTV)
- Second Refugee Sets Themselves On Fire On Nauru (Stuff.co.uz)
- We Will Remain Put In Somalia Until Our Mandate Is Accomplished- Amisom (The Star)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Policeman Shot Dead In Mogadishu
02 May – Source: Shabelle News- 112 Words
Armed assailants in Somalia have shot and killed a policeman in Mogadishu on Sunday evening, the latest in a string of attacks on security personnel, witnesses said. The policeman who was identified as Abdi Sa’eed has been killed by pistol-wielding men near a police station in Mogadishu’s Dharkenley district while heading to his house.
“Two men armed with pistols have attacked the police officer and killed him near Suq-Lif area in Dharkenley district on Sunday evening,” said a witness. The killers have escaped from the scene of the shooting, before security forces arrived. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the assassination of the police force member.
Somalia Hires Turkish Firm For Imported Goods Quality Inspections
01 May-Source: RBC Radio -247 Words
Goods imported through the Mogadishu Seaport and other customs will from now on be subjected to strict quality control inspection process following an agreement with a Turkish firm, BJM, a Turkish company officials said.According to Engineer Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed, minister of state for Trade and Industry, the decision to assign BJM on the quality control inspection services follows a cabinet resolution adopted last year, delegating the ministry to beef up the overall standards of the imported goods.
Speaking at the launch event, Eng. Ahmed noted that from now on, all goods destined for local markets will go through routine inspection process to ensure that only proven commodities enter the country.“I would like to inform our business community who use Somali port facilities as well as other customs around the country, that we officially commissioned BJM to conduct quality control inspections into the domestic market bound commodity standards, with a view to safeguarding consumers from hazardous items that could potentially harm their well-being”.
Somali Police Forces (SPF) Commissioner Gen. Mohamed Sheikh Hamud, hailed the government commitment to restore the country’s consumer protection institutions, pledging that SPF would work closely with port authority, in an effort to reinforce viable commodity inspection measures towards baring substandard goods from the country. Somali markets have been awash with expired goods and low standard products since the collapse of the central government in 1991, mainly due to the lack of effective state institutions to inspect imported goods at the country’s major entry gateways.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Thaicom To Carry Somaliland National TV Programmes
02 May – Source: RapidTV News – 123 Words
Somaliland National Television (SLNTV) has sealed a deal to lease satellite capacity on Thaicom 5 as well as contracting the Asian operator to design, install and commission an uplink facility. Thaicom, which currently broadcasts 15 TV channels in East Africa on its broadcast platform at 78.5° East, will now provide SLNTV with C-band capacity and facilitate global distribution of its content via its multi channels per carrier (MCPC) transmission platform.
The global beam on the Thaicom 5 satellite reaches Asia, Europe, Australia and Africa. “The agreement will enable SLNTV to broadcast our network programming fare – which is comprised of entertainment, news and sports – to a worldwide audience,” said Osman Abdillahi Sahardeed, minister of information, culture and national guidance in Somaliland.
Somali Militants Kill Soldiers, Capture Town
02 May – Source: CCTV – Video: 01:34 Minutes
Second Refugee Sets Themselves On Fire On Nauru
02 May – Source: Stuff.co.nz – 346 Words
A Somali refugee has set herself alight on Nauru, days after an Iranian man died from the same act. Australia’s Department of Immigration and Border Protection said it was “aware of an incident of self-immolation by a female refugee in Nauru”. A spokeswoman said the refugee is receiving treatment at the Republic of Nauru Hospital “with the support of service providers”.
“The department is supporting the Government of Nauru to identify appropriate medical treatment options,” she said. Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul believed the woman was about 21, and her first name was Hodan. “Witnesses say she is badly burned [and that] all her clothes have been burned off,” he said.
Refugee advocates believe the woman was one of three refugees returned to Nauru last week after travelling to Australia for medical treatment, after she suffered head injuries in a motorbike accident on the island.
Rintoul said she was forcefully removed from a Brisbane detention centre by the Australian Border Force in the early hours of the morning. He claimed those who knew the woman believed she had not yet fully recovered from the injury. “This is another self-harm attempt that is Peter Dutton’s responsibility,” Mr Rintoul said.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“People who kill innocent people including children and women, have no regard for human dignity and no respect for life, have no right to negotiation opportunities. How many more are they going to kill? Absolutely no chance of any negotiations.”
We Will Remain Put In Somalia Until Our Mandate Is Accomplished- Amisom
02 May – Source: The Star – 1,691 Words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was created on January 19, 2007 as a regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations. Its initial mandate of six months has turned out to be an on-going nine year mission. Our writer sat down with the head of Amisom and African Union Special representative in Somalia, Ambassador Fransisco Madeira, in Mogadishu, Somalia, for a one-on-one interview .
How good is the relationship between Amisom troops and the Somali police?
Yesterday, I was at Sector 4 and was very impressed by what I found. The troops enjoy a good relationship with the Somali contingents and this is of utmost importance to us although sometimes we are faced with communication challenges due to the language barrier.
What has Amisom achieved during the nine years it has been operational in Somalia?
A lot my friend, despite the threats we face with violent extremists, insurgency radicalisation and terrorism. To fight these three branches of war, requires us to; develop skills to read the situation on the ground, have thorough knowledge of the area, interact very closely with the population, collect accurate, actionable intelligence and to know exactly, at every moment, where possible, where Al-Shabaab is and hit them with minimum effects to the population.
Radicalisation is a big problem here in Somalia. What is Amisom doing about it?
We need to work with the population and implement de-radicalisation programs. We need those who have expertise on the issue, to come and support us. The troop contributing countries have continued to assist because they know that without peace in Somalia, there will be no peace in their countries. We are going to try to change mindsets of these young people and try as much as we can, to provide them with an education, shelter and food in order to reduce the number of recruits.
We are going to work with the international community to reduce the number of weapons that can come, for instance from Yemen, into Somalia. We will strengthen government institutions in Somalia, so that the state can have a nation wide presence and govern govern its people in a manner fit for all. Furthermore, we will continue appealing to Al-Shabaab, to come to their senses and make them understand that if they surrender, they will have a place in the Somali society.
TOP TWEETS
@ModernNavy : British forces deployed to #Somalia to combat al Shabab with up to 70 in first group
@Siad_A : #Somalia survival depend on it’s capacity to handle national security
@omabha : We will remain put in Somalia until our mandate is accomplished- Amisom – The Star, Kenya http://dlvr.it/LCKSMq #Somalia
@Daudoo : 2 assassinations reported in #Mogadishu last night. 2 men incl policeman shot dead in Dharkenley & Waberi districts – Local Media. #Somalia
@Tuuryare_Africa : #UPDATE: Several civilian people killed / wounded in an ongoing aerial offensive launched by Kenyan military warplanes – Residents #Somalia
@KathleenHicks : #Somalia #mosque #collapses #kills #15 in#Mogadishu
@SomaliaNewsroom : Ethiopian and Somali officials discuss if Liyu police fought #Shabaab or militia men near the #Somaliaborder http://www.garoweonline.com/
IMAGE OF THE DAY
A British Army team has arrived in Somalia as part of a United Nations mission to counter Al-Shabaab.
Photo: BBC