19 Jul 2011 – Daily Monitoring Report
Key Headlines:
- Ahlu Sunna impose curfew in Beled Hawa district
- Local militias join TFG troops in Hiiraan region
- TFG troops in Hiiraan planning to attack al Shabaab in the region
- Row looms as Juba locks out Somalis
- Kuwait Red Crescent ready to assist Somalia
- Mary Robinson to visit Somalia
- Minnesota man admits Somalia terror plot
SOMALI MEDIA
Ahlu Sunna impose curfew in Beled Hawa district
18 Jul – Source: Diirad Online – 180 words
Ahlu Sunna wa Jama’a administration in Gedo region, southern Somalia have imposed curfew in the town of Beled Hawa to avoid further instability in the region. Yesterday’s fighting between al Shabaab and government forces left four people dead and many more injured. Ahlu Sunna officials in the region said that a curfew has been imposed so that security and order in the town can be restored.
Puntland president fires Home Security Minister
19 Jul – Source: Shabelle – 157 words
The president of Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland on Monday sacked his minister of home security. Gen. Yusuf Ahmed Kheyr, Puntland’s Minister of Home Security was fired from his portfolio according to a decree from the office of the Puntland president Abdurrahman Sheikh Mohamoud Farole. In the decree, the president named Khalif Isse to replace the sacked minister.
http://www.shabelle.net/
Somaliland officer killed in Las Anod town, Northern Somalia
19 Jul – Source: Radio Risala, Radio Kulmiye, Somaliareport – 43 words
A female Somaliland officer was gunned down Monday night in Las Anod, Sool region (disputed region). Dahabo Ilmi, an officer in Somaliland`s criminal investigation was killed in the centre of the town by three masked people armed with pistols.
Somali MP says top leaders’ alleged corruption would be uncovered
19 Jul – Source: Shabelle – 232 words
Days after the US’s Atlantic Council released a report on Somalia; a Somali lawmaker says the alleged corruption of top leaders in the country would be uncovered. Ali Mohamoud Farah (Seko), the Deputy Chairman of Parliament’s Justice Committee said in an interview with Shabelle Radio that the report has shed light on the mismanagement of funds meant to help Somalis by government officials.
http://shabelle.net/article.
Local militias join TFG troops in Hiiraan region
19 Jul – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan, Radio Risala, and Radio Kulmiye – 115 words
Local militias from Mahas area in Hiran region who have been fighting against al Shabaab in the region have joined forces with the TFG in Kalabayr area. Reports say the militia will start training next week in Kalabayr and later be integrated into the Somali government forces. Al Shabaab in Mahas and its environs have been terrorizing locals in the area, forcing elders to arm local militia to drive al Shabaab from the region. For the last two days, al Shabaab militia in the area have been demolishing local water reservoirs and have accused locals of providing water to their enemy.
TFG troops in Hiiraan planning to attack al Shabaab in the region
19 Jul – Source: Radio Mogadishu, Radio Bar-Kulan – 64 words
Somali government troops in Hiiraan region, central Somalia are reportedly engaged in military maneuvers in preparation for a full-scale assault against al Shabaab. The former Hiiraan provincial commissioner, Yussuf Ahmed Hagar said they are planning full scale attacks against al Shabaab in Beledweyne, Bulo-barde and Jalalaqsi.
Car accident in Mogadishu claims two lives
19 Jul – Source: Radio Shabelle, Radio Kulmiye – 69 words
At least two people have been killed in collision between a truck and a minibus in Mogadishu, witnesses said on Monday. The incident took place on a road linking Banadir and Ex-control Afgoi junctions south of Mogadishu. Witnesses said that at least 10 people were injured in the road accident.
Elders: Somalia’s consultative meeting has to be held in Mogadishu
19 Jul – Source: Radio Shabelle, Kulmiye – 119 words
Mogadishu’s Hawiye traditional elders on Tuesday called for forthcoming consultative meeting on Somalia to be held in Mogadishu. Ahmed Diriye Ali, the spokesman of Hawiye traditional elders said Mogadishu has to host the UN backed meeting on Somalia pointing out the city is home for all Somalis. He said Somali government forces and AMISOM would play key role in assuring the overall security of the capital during the meeting. He warned that if the meeting is held in another location, it will be fruitless and its aim will fail. The statement from the elders comes as the Puntland leader; Abdurrahman Sheikh Mohamoud Farole reiterated that the consultative meeting would take place in Garowe, the capital of Puntland.
Somali community in Sweden lobby for the revival of a family reunion programme
18 Jul – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 176 words
The Somali community in Sweden is campaigning for the revival of a Somali family reunion programme banned by the Swedish government. Dahir Ahmed Jeyte, an official with the Somali Community in Sweden told Bar-kulan that they have been lobbying for the Swedish government to lift the ban on the refugee family reunion programme that aims to facilitate reunification of refugees with family members in Africa. Dahir said the Swedish government banned the programme citing the disappearance of several Somali family members who fled Sweden to other EU countries to seek asylum in those countries.
Somali govt soldiers clash at Vila Somalia, Mogadishu
19 Jul – Source: Radio Shabelle, Radio Risala, Radio Kulmiye, – 103 words
Three government soldiers were killed and three others wounded on Tuesday in fighting between Somali forces at Mogadishu’s Villa Somalia. The fight was reportedly between forces loyal to President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and those loyal to the speaker of parliament.
http://www.shabelle.net/
REGIONAL MEDIA
Row looms as Juba locks out Somalis
19 Jul – Source: Daily Nation – 321 words
South Sudan has barred people of Somali origin from entering its territory by road, creating a potential diplomatic and trade crisis with its neighbors. On Monday, traders of Somali origin asked Juba to relax new regulations that bar them from entering the newest African state.
The traders who have been camping at Nadapal border point, the gateway to South Sudan, termed the new rules as punitive as they subjected them to heavy losses. A senior Kenya Revenue Authority official, who sought anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press, said that the rules were introduced two weeks ago due to what is believed to be security reasons.
“Customs officials from South Sudan have remained firm on the new rules, and it is the Foreign Affairs ministry that can intervene on the matter,†the official said. Mr Ahmed Musa, a truck driver affected by the move, said the traders were resorting to hiring non-Somali drivers to cross into South Sudan. Kenyan traders, including those of Somali origin, have flocked to South Sudan in search of new business opportunities.
Kuwait Red Crescent ready to assist Somalia
18 Jul – Source: Kuwait News Agency – 204 words
Somalia’s Ambassador to Kuwait commended Kuwait’s role in assisting Somalis across the African country, suffering from malnutrition and famine as a result of drought. Ambassador, Abdulkadir Sheikh Amin, made the comment in a statement shortly after meeting representatives of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society on Monday.
He said the Kuwaiti aid organization had expressed readiness toward providing urgently-needed assistance to drought victims across Somalia, during discussions between both sides. Amin described the current living conditions of drought victims in his country as detrimental. He also underlined the need for the international community to act fast in coordination with the Somali government to transport as much as needed of humanitarian assistance in order to tackle the worst drought to have hit the region in ten years.
For his part, KRCS chief spokesperson, Abdulrahman Al-Aoun expressed the organization’s readiness to supply relief assistance to the victims, including food and medical aid and tents. The UN World Food Programme has estimated that around 10 million people require food aid in the country, due to the extreme wave of drought and heavy armed conflict, he said. Also, according to UNICEF, as close as two million children are affected by malnutrition and are in desperate need of this aid.
http://www.kuna.net.kw/
UAE oil tanker may be taken to Somalia
19 Jul – Source: Gulf News – 734 words
The fate of 16 crew aboard a hijacked UAE-owned oil tanker is unclear as the pirates are reported to be taking the oil-laden vessel toward the northern coast of Somalia. Flying UAE colors, the tanker MV Juba XX was hijacked on Saturday morning by Somali pirates in the northern Indian Ocean, confirm authorities with the European Union Naval Force Somalia (EUNAVFOR).
The attack is the latest in a long string of acts of piracy on commercial shipping lanes in the region in recent years that have targeted particularly valuable oil tankers given their cargoes are worth millions of dollars.
Pirates descended on the tanker midway between Somalia’s northeastern most tips, better known as the Horn of Africa, and the coast of Yemen. The 4,831-tonne vessel is much smaller than the giant tankers that haul millions of barrels of crude oil around the world.
The crew comprises one Sri Lankan, five Indians, three Bangladeshis, one Sudanese, one Myanmarese, one Kenyan and four Somalis, naval officials said.
http://gulfnews.com/business/
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Mary Robinson to visit Somalia
19 Jul – Source: RTE News – 96 words
Former President and UN High Commissioner Mary Robinson is traveling to Somalia today for the first time since her 1992 visit brought famine and war there to worldwide attention. Before crossing from Kenya into Somalia, Mrs. Robinson told RTÉ News that she was extremely concerned about the growing seriousness of famine in the country and said world leaders needed to take greater action to ease the crisis.
The United Nations is expected to declare officially tomorrow that there is a famine in parts of Somalia. Mrs. Robinson is returning to Somalia with representatives of Trocà¡ire, Concern and Oxfam Ireland.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/
Minnesota man admits Somalia terror plot
19 Jul – Source: BBC, CNN and Reuters – 123 words
A man from the US state of Minnesota has admitted helping men of Somali origin travel to the African country to join the al-Shabaab militant group.
Omer Abdi Mohamed admitted one count of conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim others in a foreign country. The 26-year-old’s plea came on the eve of what would have been the first trial in a federal probe into the recruiting of US fighters for al-Shabaab. Mohamed faces up to 15 years in jail when sentenced later. His lawyer, Peter Wold, said his client chose to admit the charge of providing material support to terrorists because he has a family and faced a much longer sentence if convicted. An 18th person was charged last month as part of the long-running US investigation.