25 Oct 2011 – Morning headlines
Key Headlines:
- Somali President Ahmed opposes Kenyan troop incursion
- TFG seize control of Busar Gedo region
- Deadly explosions hit Nairobi
- France calls on ‘al Shabaab’ to release body of kidnapped national
- France to help supply Kenyans fighting in Somalia
SOMALI MEDIA
President Sharif talk of Kenya’s military actions in Somalia
24 Oct- Source: Radio Bar-kulan, Mareeg Online, Hiiraan , BBC Somali Service- 187 words Somali president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Monday has said that Kenya’s military interventions in parts of Somalia are unnecessary. The president made the announcement during his visit to the recently government seized areas in Daynile, on the outskirts of Mogadishu. He said both his government and the Somali people disapprove Kenyan military deployment in parts of the country.
Somali president visits Mogadishu frontlines
24 Oct- Source: Radio Shabelle, Kulmiye, Risaala- 127 words
The president of Somalia Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Monday paid a fleeting visit to the battlefield in Mogadishu’s Daynile district. His visit was observe the latest developments that Somali forces with the help of AMISOM peacekeepers made during their battles with al Shabaab fighters in Daynile district.
Ahlu Sunna accuse gov’t of not helping central regions people
24 Oct- Source: Radio Shabelle-116 words
Ahlu Sunna Waljama on Monday accused the TFG of not helping the people living in central Somalia regions. Speaking to Shabelle, Sheikh Mohamed Yusuf Hefow, the executive chairman of Ahlu Sunna Waljama said that the government did give any educational, medical heath care or humanitarian support to the central regions.
TFG seize control of Busar, Gedo region
24 Oct- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 104 words
Government troops have on Monday seized control of Busar village, 40 km from El-wak town without facing any confrontations. The commander of the government troops who seized the area, Abass Ibrahim Gurey told Bar-kulan that they have peacefully seized Busar from al Shabaab rebel fighters who fled the area. Gurey said they are planning to establish military bases in the area.
3 people killed as combat breaks out in southern Somalia town
24 Oct- Source: Radio Shabelle, Kulmiye- 59 words
At least three people have been killed and several more injured after fighting between Somali government soldiers backed by the Kenyan military and al Shabaab erupted in the village of Busar outskirts of Elwak town in Gedo region of southern Somalia. The combat flared up after Somali soldiers and Kenyans attacked the village to flush out al Shabaab from village.
Government soldier kills IDP
24 Oct- Source: Somaliareport, Shabelle- 39 words
One person was killed and two others were wounded on Monday when Somali government soldiers opened fire on displaced people at a food distribution centre in Wadajir district, witness told Somaliareport. The reason behind the shooting is still unclear. No statement about the killing of the civilian was immediately available from the TFG so far.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Deadly explosions hit Nairobi
25 Oct – Source: The Standard – Daily Nation – The Star – 955 words
Two blasts separated by several hours hit downtown Nairobi on Monday killing one person and injuring as many as 32. The first attack at 1.15am was a grenade blast in a backstreet bar known as Mwaura’s on Mfangano Lane; it injured 14 people, four of them critically. The second blast occurred at the busy OTC bus terminus along Temple road near Jack and Jill Supermarket and the Salvation Army headquarters, killing one person and injuring 18.
http://www.standardmedia.co.
Kenya incursion: Somali President changes tune
24 Oct- Source: Africa Review- 259 words
Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed says Kenya’s campaign against al Shabaab rebels should not go beyond training Somali soldiers and provision of logistical support in specified and agreed areas. Speaking while on a visit to the the frontline of the war between his government’s forces and the al Shabaab, President Sharif stated that many Somalis were anxious to know more about the military operations reportedly being carried out inside Somalia by Kenyan troops.
Somalia goes up against Kenyan military intervention
24 Oct – Source: Middle-East – 622 words
Somalia’s president said Monday that he opposed Kenya’s week-old military assault against Islamists in the south of his country as a grenade attack on a Nairobi disco was linked to the rebels. While the Islamists had already threatened revenge attacks, the public opposition of Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed further raised the stakes over the controversial cross-border incursion.
http://www.middle-east-online.
France calls on ‘al Shabaab’ to release body of kidnapped national
24 Oct- Source: Coastweek, Xinhua-341 words
France has called on al Shabaab militants to release, for burial, the body of its national who was kidnapped on Kenya’s northern resort island of Manda in Lamu and taken to Somalia, where she later died. French Ambassador to Kenya, Etienne de Poncins said his country was still waiting for the abductors to release the body of Marie Dedieu so that her family can give her a decent burial.
http://www.coastweek.com/3442_
Kenyan women soldiers at the warfront
25 Oct – Source: The Standard – 633 words
Scores of women combatants have been deployed into Somalia, where they are fighting alongside men in the campaign to dislodge the al-Qaeda-linked militants. Are there Kenyan women soldiers battling al Shabaab? Curious people may want to know and the answer is yes. They are among Kenya’s gallant soldiers called on duty to defend the nation from al Shabaab, arguably one of Africa’s cruelest militia.
http://www.standardmedia.co.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali President Ahmed opposes Kenyan troop incursion
24 Oct- Source: BBC / VOA – 427 words
Somalia’s President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed has said his transitional government is opposed to Kenya’s military incursion into Somalia. Just over a week ago Kenya sent soldiers over its border into Somalia to pursue militants from the Islamist al Shabaab group. It blames the insurgents for a spate of recent kidnappings near the border, which al Shabaab denies. Nairobi said the deployment was done with the Somali authorities’ approval.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Grenade attacks in Nairobi kill one, wound 24
25 Oct – Source: Daily Times – 174 words
One person was killed and 24 were wounded in two grenade attacks in Nairobi on Monday, with police suspecting al Shabaab fighters in what could be retaliation for Kenya’s week-old incursion in Somalia. At least one person was killed and 10 were wounded when someone hurled a grenade during rush hour at a bus stop in the centre of the Kenyan capital, just hours after 14 people were wounded in a grenade attack on a pub.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/
UN council calls for criminalization of piracy
24 Oct- Source: AP – 253 words
All U.N. member states should make piracy a crime as the problem surges in Somalia, the Security Council said Monday. Council members unanimously agreed to ask all U.N. member states to issue reports before the end of the year on measures they have taken to criminalize piracy, and to support prosecution of people suspected of piracy off the coast of the eastern African country.
France to help supply Kenyans fighting in Somalia
24 Oct- Source: AP- 713 words
France’s embassy on Monday denied that French naval vessels had carried out any attacks in Somalia, but a military spokesman said France would soon help supply Kenyan troops fighting al-Qaida-linked militants. Col. Thierry Burkhard said French transport planes will fly supplies from Nairobi to an airport in northern Kenya beginning Monday or Tuesday, but he insisted the operation would be “limited in scope.”