07 Oct 2011 – Morning headlines
Key Headlines:
- The Somali Government asks citizens to be more vigilant as Turkey rushes to the aid of the victims
- 37 Somali blast injured arrive in Turkey for treatment
- Security operations on Bakaara market kicks off
- Somali bomber who killed 100 slammed education
- OIC to drill 680 artesian wells in Somalia
- UN expert calls for international protection force for civilians of Somalia
PRESS RELEASE
The Somali Government asks citizens to be more vigilant, as Turkey rushes to the aid of the victims
06 Oct – Source: TFG – 208 words
The Acting Prime Minister asked the people to return to their normal life, saying the Government has done all it can to beef up security. “The major concern of the terrorists is that peace and normalcy are now returning to Somalia. They see peace is their enemy. We must not allow them to succeed in their objective,” said H.E. Abdulwahab Ugas Khalif.
The Acting Prime Minister was speaking as the Cabinet held its weekly meeting in Mogadishu. The Cabinet asked the citizens to be more vigilant and work with security agencies as the Al- Qaeda-affiliated terrorists are increasingly targeting soft, civilian-populated areas. Meanwhile, the Cabinet thanks Turkey for their quick response to the bloody terrorist attack in Mogadishu by flying 37 victims and an equivalent number of family members to Turkey. The victims, mostly students, were seriously injured in Tuesday’s bomb. “The Somali Government thanks the Government and people of Turkey for rushing to the aid of the victims of the deadly attack.”
The Government also thanked all countries that have expressed their sympathy and solidarity with the Somali people at this critical time in the history of Somalia. “A friend in need is a friend indeed, and the world has again demonstrated the correctness of that saying”.
SOMALI MEDIA
Security operations on Bakaara market kicks off
06 Oct- Source: Radio Bar-kulan, radio Mogadishu- 142 words
TFG forces have started security operations in Bakaara market, which was reopened early this morning. Bakaara market was shut down after a heavy fighting erupted between al Shabaab militias and government forces in the market surroundings.
IDP’s in Mogadishu receive food aid
O6 Oct – Source: Radio Mogadishu – 144 words
Hundreds of IDP’s in Mogadishu have been issued with food aid in parts of the Somali capital Mogadishu as part of the ongoing assistance aimed at helping the suffering of people. The food distribution took place in Dharkenley and Wadajir where many IDP’s pitched camps after fleeing the deadly drought in the country.
OIC to drill 680 artesian wells in Somalia
06 Oct – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 127 words
The organization of Islamic cooperation is expected to dig 680 artesian wells in 11 regions of Somalia in an early recovery programme for the Somali people, who are severely hit by perennial droughts. The Assistant Secretary General of Humanitarian Affairs of the Organization of Islamic cooperation, Atta Elmanan Bakhit said that OIC in conjunction with other Muslim countries will fund an 82 million dollar project in Somalia in a bid to rescue drought-stricken people.
37 heavy injured patients of Mogadishu suicide attack taken to Turkish today
06 Oct – Source: Mareeg Online – 107 words
30 Somali people having very heavy injuries were taken into Turkey for treatment as it sent a plane to the Somali capital Mogadishu on Thursday that deployed victims of the latest deadly suicide attack in Mogadishu, reports said.
http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?sid=21314&tirsan=3
REGIONAL MEDIA
Kenya secures border with Somalia
06 Oct – Source: the Standard – 430 words
Kenya has amassed troops at its border with Somalia over what officials termed as imminent renewed clashes between the local TFG soldiers and al Shabaab militiamen. Security officials patrolling the border reported sighting hundreds of al Shabaab gangs driving towards Dhobley town on Monday afternoon, indicating an attack was imminent.
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000044272&cid=4&ttl=Kenya%20secures %20border%20with%20Somalia
Sarah Obama calls for peace in war-torn Somalia
06 Oct- Source: the Standard- 253 words
Sarah Obama the grandmother of US President Barack Obama, has rooted for peace in Somalia. Speaking through a translator, Sarah said on Thursday it is only through peace that the region can realise meaningful development. “My message for the region is that people should come together and coexist,” said Sarah, who is also Kenya’s goodwill ambassador for peace.
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/news/InsidePage.php?id=2000044300&cid=159&story= Sarah
UN expert calls for int”l protection force for civilians of Somalia
06 Oct – Source: Kuwait News Agency – 437 words
The Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia Shamsul Bari condemned in the strongest terms Tuesday’s suicide attack in Mogadishu, and called on the international community to deploy an international protection force to support the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) “to protect innocent civilians from these unacceptable crimes and contribute to the stabilization of the country.
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2194769&Language=e n
Probe targets militia spies at Coast
06 Oct- Source: Daily Nation- 317 words
Investigations into recent abductions of tourists at the Coast have revealed a network of spies who have lived among the residents for a long time. An operation was under way to arrest the “sleeper agents” acting for Somalia-based militias, Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere said on Thursday. He said security had been heightened to avert further attacks.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Probe+targets+militia+spies+at+Coast+/-/1056/1251160/-/k7teix/- /
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali bomber who killed 100 slammed education
06 Oct- Source: Yahoo News/ AP- 528 words
The Somali suicide bomber who killed more than 100 people in an attack near the education ministry was a school dropout who had declared that young people should forget about secular education and instead wage jihad.
http://news.yahoo.com/somali-bomber-killed-100-slammed-education-124338489.html
Somalia: Suicide bomber opposed secular studies
06 Oct – Source: New York Times – 85 words
The suicide bomber who killed more than 100 people, including students seeking scholarships, in an attack near the Education Ministry on Tuesday was a dropout who had declared that young people should forget about secular education and instead wage jihad. The bomber, Bashar Abdullahi Nur, had given an interview before the attack, later broadcast on a militant-run radio station, saying that college students who study abroad “never think about the harassed Muslims.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/07/world/africa/somalia-suicide-bomber-opposed-secularstudies. html?ref=africa
37 Somali blast injured arrive in Turkey for treatment
06 Oct – Source: AP / VOA – 250 words
Thirty-seven Somalis who were seriously wounded in a massive truck bombing in Mogadishu that killed more than 70 arrived in Ankara on Thursday for treatment, Turkey’s Anatolia news agency reported. The injured were flown out of the restive Somali capital on a Turkish Airlines plane and were received at Ankara airport by Health Minister Recep Akdag and Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iLGi9- eho8KUu9R84GgCeuUpSlFA?docId=CNG.cb46d5079c0b113325b594fba12b5dba.371
Aid work in Somalia continues despite violence
06 Oct – Source: VOA News – 503 words
The United Nations has cautioned that insecurity in Somalia continues to pose a challenge to aid workers, after a suicide bomber killed at least 72 people in the capital, Mogadishu. U.N. officials say, however, the attack has not stopped efforts to scale up assistance to those in need.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Aid-Work-in-Somalia-Continues-Despite- Violence-131279604.html
Images from MSF’s projects in Mogadishu
06 Oct- Source: MSF- 55 words
Since July 2011, nearly 200,000 newly displaced people have arrived in Mogadishu from drought-affected central regions of Somalia. M餥cins Sans Fronti貥s MSF (Doctors Without Borders) has opened four feeding centres in Mogadishu to treat malnourished children and distribute ready-to-use therapeutic food to the refugees. Measles vaccination is also undertaken to respond to the current epidemic.
http://www.msf.org.uk/articledetail.aspx?fId=mogadishuimages_20111006