27 Jun 2011 – Daily Monitoring Report

Key Headlines:

• Somali new PM asks MPs to give him and his cabinet “vote of confidence”
• Radio closed by al Shabaab reopens
• Lawmakers prepare for hard session this week
• Security Council calls for inclusive and comprehensive peace strategy
• US taps $45M in gear for terror fight in Somalia

Titres Principaux:

• Le nouveau premier ministre Somalien demande à des membres du parlement d’accorder à son cabinet un ‘vote de confiance’
• Une station de radio forcée de fermer par al Shabaab réouvre ses portes
• Des membres du parlement se préparent à une session difficile cette semaine
• Le Conseil de Sécurité appelle à une stratégie de paix inclusive et compréhensive
• Les E-U mettent en place $ 45M afin de combattre le terrorisme en Somalie

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali new PM asks MPs to give him and his cabinet “vote of confidence”

27 Jun – Source: Radio Mogadishu – 112 words

Somali new Prime Minister, Abdi Weli Mohamed, has requested Somali members of parliament to accept his coming cabinet in order to drive al Qaeda from Somali territory.

Addressing a ceremony commemorating the Somali Independence Day, Somali new Prime Minister has sent a message to Somali MPs: “I am asking Somali honorable MPs to give me and my cabinet a vote of confidence, unanimously, to drive al Qaeda out our country and to develop peace (…)’, Abdi Weli Mohamed requested.

Al Qaeda assassinated TFG’s Security Minister, not al Shabaab

25 Jun- Source: Raxanreeb- 250 words

A security report has revealed that the assassination of the TFG Interior and Security Minister, Abdishakur Sheikh Hassan on June 10th was the work of al Qaeda rather than of al Shabaab.

The report obtained by RBC Radio says that the death of Fazul Abdullah Mohamed, the top Al- Qaeda operative in East Africa, killed at Afgoye checkpoint just outside Mogadishu weeks ago with a Somali Kenyan, Musa Hussein, had created a state of disorder and confusion within al Shabaab, increasing mistrust and suspicions among its top commanders.

“The speed and sophistication employed in the assassination of the Minister, within three days of Fazul’s death, suggested that the killing was the work of al Qaeda rather than of al Shabab”, the report said.

The information minister of Somalia, Abdikarin Hassan Jama said that with the help of foreign agents, Somali intelligence confirmed the killed man was Fazul, after DNA examination was carried in Nairobi, Kenya.

“The impact of Fazul’s death is expected to put further strain on al Shabaab’s capacity for short term operations and its overall resilience if the momentum of the current AMISOM and TFG offensive is maintained”, the report explained.

The report also revealed that al Shabaab was unable to take advantage of the demonstrations to try to reclaim any of the territory it has lost in recent weeks in Mogadishu, suggesting its forces there remain significantly disorganized.

http://www.raxanreeb.com/?p=100962

Al Shabaab detain more than 10 young men in Kismayo

27 Jun – Source: Mareeg Online – 158 words

More than 10 people have been detained by al Shabaab militias in Kismayo, Lower Jubba region for charges of creating insecurity activities in southern Somalia, witnesses said today.

At least 10 al Shabaab members were killed and several others wounded in an air strike targeting the strongholds of al Shabaab and foreign leaders hiding in parts of the region recently.

Locals said that the arrested people were picked up from several neighborhoods in Kismayo town where al Shabaab militias continued search operations to capture people they said were involved in air strikes.

Al Shabaab officials said they had conducted operations in different areas in Kismayo, adding that the people were those who were also pursuing insecurity activities in the Kismayu.

The militias said they would continue operations in the town until they identify the people fighting against their Jihad.

http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?sid=20167&tirsan=3

Radio closed by al Shabaab reopens

27 Jun – Source: Radio Kulmiye, Shabelle and Risala – 86 words

An independent radio in Beledweyne, the capital of Hiiraan region which was recently raided by al Shabaab resumed operations on Sunday, a senior manager said. According to the manager’s station, the station resumed normal operations after the militant group reversed their initial order.

According to the station’s manager, ‘al Shabaab officials ordered us to reopen it, but they told us “we will talk about this radio in the next few days”’. Pfficials at the station raised fears over a possible takeover by the Islamist militants.

Somali president pardons six foreigners

27 Jun – Source: Radio Mogadishu, Shabelle, Barkulan, Kulmiye and Risala – 144 words

Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has granted pardon to six foreigners who were convicted for bringing more than $3m in cash illegally into the country.

The foreigners received long jail sentences and heavy fines from a Mogadishu court on June 18. The Chief Judge of the Regional Court, Hashi Elmi Nur had stated that the six received jail sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years as well as fines varying from $10,000 to $15,000.

The six men, who have not been officially named, included three Britons, one American and two Kenyans. They left Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport yesterday afternoon on board two aircrafts that were seized on May 24.

Somaliland forces, local clan militia clash in northern Somalia

27 Jun – Source: Radio Shabelle, Kulmiye – 112 words

Heavy clashes between forces loyal to the breakaway Republic of Somaliland and local clan militias from Puntland broke out on Sunday night in parts of Sool region in northern Somalia.

The confrontation, which was extremely fierce, erupted after the local clan militias attacked key military bases manned by Somaliland forces in the Widh-Widh area.

At least one person was confirmed dead and three others injured during the confrontations.

Lawmakers prepare for hard session this week

27 Jun – Source: Raxanreeb – 182 words

Members of the Somali federal parliament are getting prepared for hard session in their seat in Mogadishu this week as the new prime minister awaits a vote of confidence.

According to some lawmakers, the parliament will sit on Monday to discuss the appointment of the new prime minister but many of the parliament members are willing to produce a motion against the speaker and the Kampala accord.

“We are getting ready for the opening of a parliament session. This meeting will be more difficult than previous ones,” lawmaker Mahamud Gedi told RBC Radio.

He says that nearly 157 legislators signed the motion against the Kampala accord which he described as disloyal to the interest of the nation and will not be passed by the parliament. “We can not call it an agreement but we can say it is a national treason against our people and the interest of our nation” he added.

Meanwhile the speaker of the parliament, Sharif Hassan was holding a unique meeting with some of his closest members of the parliament, amid activities to slow down the strong antagonism within the parliament.

http://www.raxanreeb.com/?p=101284

Puntland’s governor of Bari Region resigns

27 Jun – Source: Shabelle – 79 words

Puntland’s governor of Bari region today resigned from his position. Abdihafid Ali Yusuf, the governor of Bari region said that he stood down because he has failed to ensure the security and tranquility of the region, Bosaso port town in particular.

Mr. Hafid was working as governor of Bari region in Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland.

During his term in office, a number of Puntland officials, peace activists and prominent elders were killed by unknown gunmen and roadside bombs.

http://www.shabelle.net/article.php?id=8060

REGIONAL MEDIA

Together we must fight piracy

27 Jun – Source: Arab news – 757 words

Piracy is a breach to the most fundamental principles of the modern civilization. In the worst-hit areas off the Horn of Africa no seafarers — be it on a merchant ship or even a yacht — can be safe at sea.

Today more than 600 seafarers are being kept as hostages by Somali pirates. They are all innocent victims to the unscrupulous hijackers operating at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Indian Ocean. Their families are afraid that they will never see their beloved ones again. Piracy is unacceptable not only by all humanitarian, security and legal standards. On top of this come the economic impacts on the global trade and traffic. Though it is difficult to calculate, experts estimate the total cost of piracy to be approximately $16 billion in 2010.

From 2007 to 2010 the number of attacks and hijackings by pirates at sea has more than quadrupled. The authorities of Saudi Arabia report that piracy is also a growing and a serious challenge to the security and business of the commercial fleet of Saudi Arabia.

Even though the growing number of pirate attacks is centered in the area off the Horn of Africa and in the Indian Ocean, it takes a global concerted effort to fight it. No single country could or should carry the burden alone. We all have a responsibility. As Danish minister for foreign affairs I encourage all governments and parties to take part in the global fight against piracy.

Today a broad range of countries around the world as well as multilateral and regional organizations are engaged in handling the challenges, e.g. UN, NATO, EU and IMO. However — let’s be honest — there is still room for improvement in our joint efforts. More needs to be done — and it needs to be done with comprehensive, concerted and international action.

http://arabnews.com/opinion/columns/article462123.ece

Pirates push newspapers to the wall

26 Jun – Source: New Vision – 563 words

Sophisticated sea piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali Coast in the Indian Ocean has raised the cost of shipping raw materials used in the newspaper and printing industry.

Up to 70% of newsprint is purchased from Asia and Europe and shipped through the eastern coast of Somalia, a haven for deadly sea pirates.

Freight costs have increased as shippers factor in piracy risk and port delay surcharges, affecting the container turn-around.

“Newsprint shipments are delayed (usually at Salala) for fear of hi-jacking,” Sam Aderubo, the Vision Group procurement manager, said.

“As a result, we must work out a means of avoiding stock-outs. So we must keep high stocks. This results into high stock carrying costs (in terms of tied up capital, warehouse space, insurance and security).”

Newspaper production requires many other imported inputs, such as printing inks and pre-press consumables. This is in addition to the usual labour, energy and distribution costs.

The option of using the West African coast route via the Cape of Good Hope has not been explored because it is three times longer for a vessel to arrive at Mombasa Port or Dar-es-Salaam from Europe or Asia. “This means freight costs would increase by that proportion, which will be uneconomical,” Aderubo said.

He, however, warned that ultimately the skyrocketing costs will force media houses to find ways to stay in business.

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/220/758586

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Three Britons pardoned by president

26 Jun – Source: BBC News – 316 words

Somalia has pardoned three Britons caught illegally bringing more than $3m (£2m) in cash into the country to pay a ransom to Somali pirates.

The three of them, together with an American and two Kenyans, were arrested on 24 May shortly after flying into Mogadishu airport with the money.

All six, who have not been officially named, were sentenced to jail but the president has since pardoned them.

The group has left Somalia without the money which the government confiscated. They were also told to pay $100,000 (£62,000) to get their planes released. The Foreign Office has not commented on the pardons.

Government spokesman Abdirahman Omar Osman said: “Because of their illegal arrival, the two planes were each fined $50,000 [£31,000]. And the $3.6m in cash has been taken by the government.”

The two men accused of carrying the cash received 15-year sentences and were also fined $15,000 (£9,000) each. The other four men – two pilots and their assistants – received 10-year sentences and fines of $10,000 (£6,000). On Sunday however, President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, of the interim government, pardoned all six men. This was the first time Westerners have been sentenced for involvement in delivering ransoms. The Somali government officially opposes the payment of ransoms but the practice has become routine. It is not clear why this group of men fell foul of the authorities. The BBC’s East Africa correspondent Will Ross said: “Almost all the ships to have been held by Somali pirates have only been released after the payment of a hefty ransom – often several million dollars.”

He said ransoms were usually air-dropped onto hijacked ships by secretive security firms. “One government minister said the episode was proof that westerners were fuelling the piracy off the Somali coast,” he added.

The UN says more than $110m in ransoms were paid to Somali pirates last year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13918991

Security Council calls for inclusive and comprehensive peace strategy

24 Jun – Source: UN News Centre – 463 words

The Security Council today reiterated the need for a comprehensive and inclusive strategy to encourage the restoration of peace and stability in Somalia, stressing that a peace agreement signed in neighbouring Djibouti in 2008 remains the basis for resolving conflict in the Horn of Africa country.

Under the Djibouti Peace Agreement, the Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the opposition Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) agreed to end conflict and form an inclusive government to end two decades of factional warfare and instability in the country.

After a Security Council meeting on the situation in Somalia today, the UN body, in a presidential statement, reaffirmed “its support for the Djibouti Agreement and peace process in Somalia.” It also reiterated the need for “a comprehensive strategy to encourage the establishment of peace and stability in Somalia through the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders.” The Council welcomed the signing on 9 June of the Kampala Accord, which provides for the extension by one year of the tenure of the current president, the term of Parliament, and the appointment of a new prime minister.

The Council urged signatories to the Kampala Accord to honour their obligations. It took note of the naming of a new Prime Minister, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, adding that it looked forward to a prompt appointment of a new cabinet.

It called for cohesion, unity and focus on the completion of the transitional tasks set out under the Djibouti Agreement and Somalia’s Transitional Charter. The Council urged the country’s Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) to build broad-based representative institutions through an inclusive political process, taking into account the need to ensure the participation of women in public life.

Members of the Council welcomed the upcoming consultative meeting, with the participation of the TFIs and all Somali stakeholders, they said should agree on a roadmap of key tasks and priorities to be delivered over the next 12 months, with clear timelines and benchmarks, to be implemented by the TFIs.

In a related development, the international Joint Security Committee on Somalia (JSC) also recognized the major territorial gains made by TFG security forces, with the support of AMISOM and commended the support of all international partners actively engaged in the so-called Somali Security Sector Development initiative.

At the end of its meeting in Entebbe, Uganda, yesterday, the JSC stressed the need for the TFG to improve its security partnership with regional administrations and friendly forces, and urged all partners to provide the necessary support, including logistical, technical and financial, to the security sector development efforts in Somalia.

A JSC communiqué issue after the meeting noted that there are still a number of outstanding tasks requiring support, including support for the ministries of defence, interior and national security, justice and religious affairs, parliamentary oversight and civil society.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38839&Cr=somali&Cr1=

Somalia frees six foreigners

26 Jun – Source: The New York Times – 215 words

And in Washington, the Pentagon has notified Congress that it plans to send nearly $45 million in military aid to Uganda and Burundi to help battle the growing terrorist threat in Somalia. The spokesman said the country’s president had pardoned the foreigners. The three Britons, an American and two Kenyans were freed after the court processed their release, he said.

The men were arrested in Mogadishu last month after two planes were found to be carrying millions of dollars in cash. On June 18, two of the defendants were sentenced to 15 years in prison and a $15,000 fine, and the others were sentenced to 10 years and a $10,000 fine. Pirates have been receiving millions of dollars in ransoms for several years, but this was the first time Westerners were sentenced for their role in paying out the ransoms.

The conflict and instability that has allowed piracy to flourish has also led an insurgent group with ties to Al Qaeda to gain control of large parts of the country.

26 Jun – Source: AP – 713 words

The Pentagon is sending nearly $45 million in military equipment, including four small drones, to Uganda and Burundi to help battle the escalating terrorist threat in Somalia.

The latest aid, laid out in documents obtained by The Associated Press, comes as attacks intensify in Somalia against the al-Qaida-linked terror group al-Shabab, including an airstrike late Thursday that hit a militant convoy, killing a number of foreign fighters, according to officials there.

No nation immediately took responsibility for the latest airstrike, though U.S. aircraft have attacked militants in Somalia before.

U.S. officials, including incoming Pentagon chief Leon Panetta, have warned that the threat from al-Shabab is growing, and the group is developing stronger ties with the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. Panetta told lawmakers earlier this month that as the core al-Qaida leadership in Pakistan undergoes leadership changes, with the killing of Osama bin Laden, the U.S. needs to make sure that the group does not relocate to Somalia.

The Pentagon plan is aimed at helping to build the counterterrorism capabilities of Uganda and Burundi, two African Union nations that have sent about 9,000 peacekeeping forces to Somalia. The military aid includes four small, shoulder-launched Raven drones, body armor, night-vision gear, communications and heavy construction equipment, generators and surveillance systems. Training is also provided with the equipment.

In addition, the Pentagon will send $4.4 million in communications and engineering equipment to Uganda. Somalia has not had a fully functioning government in two decades. The government had controlled just a small slice of the capital Mogadishu, but officials have said that the peacekeeping offensive is enabling them to wrest swaths of territory in the city and in southern Somalia from the insurgents.

The aid is part of a $145.4 million package that Pentagon officials approved and sent to Capitol Hill last week as part of a notification process before the equipment can be delivered.

Up to $350 million in military aid can be distributed this year to support counterterrorism operations in other countries. The Pentagon routinely releases the military aid in three or four installments each year, and the first package approved earlier this year was for about $43 million. So far, none of the assistance this year has gone to Yemen — which has been a top counterterrorism priority for the U.S.

Last year, the Pentagon allocated $155 million for aid to Yemen, and military leaders had proposed as much as $200 million for this year. But U.S. officials have become increasingly alarmed about the violent anti-government protests and unrest rocking the country. Protesters are demanding that President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s powerful sons and other members of his inner circle leave the country, even as Saleh remains in Saudi Arabia receiving treatment for injuries he suffered in an attack on his palace earlier this month.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said that aid to Yemen has been interrupted by the chaos there, and once that ebbs the U.S. will consider what next steps to take. But U.S. officials consider AQAP in Yemen one of the most serious and immediate terrorist threats, fueled in part by radical American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has been linked to a number of terror attacks in the U.S., including the Christmas Day 2009 attempted airliner bombing.

The Pentagon aid package also includes funding for a number of other North African countries, including several where there is a continuing terror threat from al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. The plan includes:

—$22.6 million for Mauritania for a turbo prop aircraft for troop transport and surveillance, and necessary maintenance and training; and $8.1 million for airfield systems and construction and communications equipment to develop a forward operating base in the country.

—$17.7 million for an aircraft for Djibouti, where the U.S. has its only Africa military base.

—$12.1 million for helicopter upgrades and training for Kenya.

—$1 million for Mali for mine detector kits.

Also included in the aid package is $12 million for small boats and communications equipment for Maldives; $12 million for six patrol boats and trailers, body armor and communications equipment for Philippines; $8.4 million for communications equipment and weapons for Bangladesh; $900,000 for biometric data collection devices for Oman; and $850,000 for radar installation services for Malaysia.

There is also about $600,000 in the plan for human rights training in the countries.

St. Paul soccer tournament celebrates U.S., Somali independence days

26 Jun – Source: Twincities (Minneapolis-US) – 447 words

To some, it’s guys kicking and chasing a ball on fake grass – just a game. To a group of Somalian refugees from across the U.S., it’s a soccer tournament in St. Paul, but also an opportunity to share stories of the ongoing strife in the east African country they fled as boys and the community celebration of upcoming independence days in their homeland and adopted home.

The more than 150 young Somali men from Owatonna, Dallas, St. Cloud, Boston, the Twin Cities and elsewhere fled the humanitarian crisis caused by tribal militias in Somalia for the freedom and safety of the U.S.

“Here it doesn’t matter what tribe you are from,” said player Abdi Fatah, 20, whose family fled Somalia when he was 2 and settled in Minneapolis. “It’s what they say about sports; it unites people.” As goals were scored between the lines on the green synthetic turf at St. Paul Central High School, others kneeled in prayer under the red scoreboard. Meaty sambusa wraps and sugary tea were served at the concession stand, and players and fans shared what the tournament means.

Guled Dalmar, 27, of Dallas said he was in Somalia working on an exam in his fourth-grade classroom one day in 1991, and the next day, refugees had set up in the school as militias battled for control of the country.

“It went from this,” said Dalmar as he pointed to St. Paul, “to 100 percent chaos.” At age 9, Dalmar fled with nine members of his family, but he didn’t have to give up his boyhood game.

With tournaments like the one held in St. Paul through July 4, he and the majority of players who were born in Somalia can compete against their countrymen.

“We are not coming here to play the best players in the world or the best in the United States, we are coming here to play with people that have a common identity with us,” he said. “We are Somalia, and we are American now.”

That shared heritage will be marked with a July 2 celebration in Minneapolis, which splits independence days in Somalia (July 1) and the U.S. (July 4).

The interconnected cultures are also displayed on the backs of the McKnight team. The St. Paul Police Department and the Ramsey County sheriff’s office supplied the team with jerseys and equipment.

Sheriff’s office member Pete Baldwin,who grew up playing hockey and basketball in Roseville, was snapping photos and cheering for McKnight on Sunday afternoon.

“I’m not a soccer guy, but I understand the mentality,” Baldwin said. “If you are looking to connect with kids, sports are the best way to do it.”

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_18359013?nclick_check=1