25 Jul 2011 – Morning headlines
Key Headlines:
- AMISOM supplies vehicles to Somali Transitional Federal Government
- Extremists deliberately starving Somalis to death
- Parliament approves new cabinet
- UK Minister for Africa visits Hargeisa Somaliland
- Al Shabaab militia arrest five men in Awdhegle Lower Shabelle
- Aid reaches drought-ravaged Somalia
- Government could liberate Somalia in the next one year – Farmajo
- Security beefed up at Burundi and Uganda missions over terror threat
PRESS STATEMENT
AMISOM supplies vehicles to Somali Transitional Federal Government
24 Jul – Source: AMISOM Force HQ – 216 words
AMISOM has donated three vehicles on behalf of the African Union to the Transitional Federal Government as part of its ongoing mission to stabilize Somalia.
Extremists deliberately starving Somalis to death
22 Jul – Source: TFG – 268 words
The Transitional Federal Government of Somalia has condemned the reinstatement by extremist insurgents of a ban on international humanitarian agencies at a time when the country is suffering catastrophic famine.
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali government condemns al Shabaab’s ban on aid agencies
24 Jul – Source: Radio Mogadishu, Radio Bar-kulan – 89 words
The government has condemned the al Shabaab militia’s decision to ban international aid workers in areas under their control, despite a worsening famine in the region.
Parliament approves new cabinet
23 Jul – Source: Radio Mogadishu – 47 words
The parliament on Saturday approved the new cabinet ministries appointed by the Prime Minister, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali.
Al Shabaab, herders clash in southern Somalia
23 Jul – Source: Radio Shabelle, Radio Kulmiye, Radio Risala – 122 words
Al Shabaab fighters and herders briefly clashed near Laanta Buuro locality in Afgoi district, southern Somalia.
Former Somali president, Abdulahi Yusuf endorses new cabinet
23 Jul – Source: Mareeg Online – 103 words
Former Somali president Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed who is in Yeman has warmly welcomed to the new cabinet ministers announced by prime minister, reports said.
http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.
Galmudug state rejects appointment of new cabinet
22 Jul – Source: Diirad Online – 120 words
Mohamed Ahmed Aalim, the president of Galmudug semi-autonomous region has rejected the newly appointed cabinet.
Al Shabaab arrests local traders in Beledweyne
24 Jul – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 148 words
Al Shabaab has arrested ten local traders for reportedly shipping in the new Somali currently into Beledweyne.
Al Shabaab militia arrest five men in Awdhegle, Lower Shabelle
23 Jul – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 44 words
Al Shabaab militia in Awdhegle district of lower Shabelle region arrested five young men for listening to music and watching inappropriate films on their mobile phones.
10 people arrested in central Somalia security crackdown
24 Jul – Source: Radio Shabelle, Radio Risala – 41 words
Puntland security forces have apprehended at least 10 people suspected of destabilizing the security of Galkayo town in central Somalia.
UK Minister for Africa visits Hargeisa, Somaliland
24 Jul – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 135 words
Britain’s Minister for Africa, Henry Bellingham, on Sunday visited Hargeisa, where he is expected to hold talks with the Somalia’s self declared republic of Somaliland’s president and members of the House of Representatives.
Tension high in Gadon area, Galgadud region
22 Jul – Source: Radio Bar-kulan , Radio Mogadishu – 127 words
Tension is reportedly high in Gadon area, 40km north of Dusamareb town in Galgadud region, following a heightened tension between al Shabaab and locals in the area.
Senior al Shabaab officer surrenders to TFG
22 Jul – Source: Radio Mogadishu, Somaliareport – 75 words
A senior al Shabaab officer, Liiban Hassan Abdiwahid, has surrendered to TFG troops in Mogadishu.
Commercial boat sinks off Bosaso, Puntland
25 Jul – Source: Radio Kulmiye, Raxanreeb – 54 words
Officials in Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland on Sunday confirmed that a commercial boat capsized off the coast of Bosaso.
Hormuud telecom joins ongoing relief efforts
22 Jul – Source: Hiiraan Online – 232 words
The private sector in Somali on Friday joined the ongoing relief efforts in aid of millions of drought-displaced families in parts of Southern Somalia.
http://www.hiiraan.com/news2/
Deported Somalis from KSA arrive in Mogadishu
22 Jul – Source: Shabelle – 229 words
Sixty Somalis deported from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Friday arrived at Mogadishu’s Adan Adde International airport.
http://www.shabelle.net/
Two young men beheaded in Afgoi town
24 Jul – Source: Radio Shabelle, Bar-kulan, Radio Kulmiye, and Radio Al Risala – 129 words
The bodies of two beheaded young men have been found dumped in parts of Afgoi town in lower Shabelle, a day after al Shabaab militia in Lanta-buro area took away five men including those found beheaded.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Government could liberate Somalia in the next one year – Farmajo
24 Jul – Source: Daily Monitor – 1427 words
In an interview with the Monitor, the former Somalia Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, states that the international community should intervene in the ongoing humanitarian crisis and (…) he hopes with the help of AMISOM, the TFG can liberate the country from al Shabaab in the next one year.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/
Security beefed up at Burundi and Uganda missions over terror threat
23 Jul – Source: Daily Nation – 669 words
Because of their active role in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Uganda and Burundi have become targets of al Shabaab terrorists. And Kenya is paying the price by having to deploy extra security to protect the missions in Nairobi.
Al Shabaab tells ‘banned’ relief agencies to keep off Somalia
22 Jul – Source: Africa Review – 163 words
Radical Somali Islamist group al Shabaab has said organizations already banned in the war-torn country will not be allowed back. Al Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamoud Raghe alias Sheikh Ali Dhere, said the said organizations were not welcome to Somali, currently facing severe humanitarian crisis.
Kenyan youth seek jobs in Somalia
23 Jul – Source: Standard – 691 words
Osman Abdi sits at a cyber cafe in East Leigh, Nairobi, browsing for jobs in Somalia. Abdi, 24, has a diploma in logistics and procurement. He says landing a job in Kenya is difficult and now prays to find one in the war-torn country. Next-door is a coffee shop. Inside, Hussein Mohamed carries a cafeteria and takes it to two middle-aged men, a table separating them.
http://www.standardmedia.co.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Aid reaches drought-ravaged Somalia
24 Jul – Source: AFP – 749 words
The International Red Cross said it had handed out 400 tones of food in drought-hit parts of rebelheld southern Somalia as the UN prepares to host emergency talks on the crisis in the region.
Somalia central government condemns militants’ famine denial
23 Jul – Source: VOA, AFP – 372 words
Somalia’s U.N.-backed central government is condemning the decision by al-Qaeda-linked militants to keep international aid workers out despite a worsening famine.
Aid groups can’t reach 2 million drought-hit Somalis
23 Jul – Source: Reuters – 146 words
Aid agencies cannot reach more than two million Somalis facing starvation in the famine-struck country where Islamist militants control much of the worst-hit areas, the U.N.’s food agency said on Saturday.
WHO: Five more regions in southern Somalia on brink of famine
22 Jul – Source: VOA – 449 words
A senior official of the World Health Organization says five more regions in southern Somalia are on the brink of famine. In a telephone briefing from Nairobi, WHO’s Representative for Somalia tells journalists in Geneva conditions for millions of people in the country affected by drought and violence are continuing to deteriorate.
CULTURE/BLOGS/EDITORIAL
Somalia’s hungry need urgent help
25 Jul – Source: Daily Monitor – 380 words
As thousands of hungry Somalis continue trekking to neighboring countries, the country’s radical al-Shabaab Islamists have denied lifting a ban it had placed on some Western aid agencies. They also claim reports of famine in Somalia are “sheer propaganda”.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/