February 9, 2012 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Suicide car bomb blast rocks Somalia capital

08 Feb – Source: Shabelle, Bar-kulan, Radio Mogadishu – 108 words

A huge suicide car bomb explosion on Wednesday targeted at Muna hotel in Mogadishu, killing at least 15 people while dozens wounded, witnesses said. The car bomb went off near the hotel in Hamar-weyne district, which is the base of tens of Somali Parliamentarians and government officials. All casualties were confirmed to be civilians and MPs.

Key Headlines

Somali Prime Minister received EU envoy to Somalia (TFG)
The Mothers’ House is in our possession says Women Affairs minister (Radio Bar-Kulan)
7 al Shabaab fighters defect to Ahlu Sunna group in Mataban (Radio Bar-Kulan Radio Mogadishu)
Round table discussion with U.K minister (Hiiraan Online)
Dead bodies were found in central Somalia town (Radio Shabelle)
Top al Shabaab commander believed killed (Capital FM)
Arab envoys to hold extraordinary meeting on Somalia soon (KUNA)

PRESS STATEMENT

Somali Prime Minister received EU envoy to Somalia

08 Feb – Source: Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) – 211 words

Somalia’s Prime Minister Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali received the European Union envoy to Somalia Alexander Rondes in his office in Mogadishu today. The envoy was accompanied by EU officials and others while Somali minister for defence Hussein Arab Isse and minister for foreign affairs were also present in the meeting.

The premier warmly received the EU envoy and thanked him for visiting Mogadishu. He requested the EU to double its efforts in the restoration of peace and stability in Somalia.
The two leaders discussed the strategic plans of setting up control and authority in the areas reclaimed from Al-shabab in order to deliver the much needed public services and humanitarian aid to the people.

The meeting by the premier and the EU envoy also highlighted the upcoming London meeting which aims at delivering a new international approach to Somalia. The premier stated that the prevalent security made by the government provides an opportune time for consolidation of such gains.

The special envoy, who was appointed by EU to represent the horn of Africa region, stated that he will give priority to Somalia. It seems the international community is making concerted effort to the Somalia issue after the government made important strides in security, the new constitution, restructuring the parliament, local administrations’ cooperation and good governance.

SOMALI MEDIA

Suicide car bomb blast rocks Somalia capital

08 Feb – Source: Shabelle, Bar-kulan, Radio Mogadishu – 108 words

Somali Islamists claim responsibility for blast in capital

08 Feb- Source: Radio Shabelle, Radio Kulmiye- 71 words

A suicide car bomb exploded near Hotel Muna in Mogadishu. At least 15 people died while more than 25 others, including two members of parliament, were injured in the blast. Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the explosion, saying it used a car to carry out the explosion. A number of government officials arrived at the scene of the explosion and confirmed that a car laden with explosive devices had exploded.

The Mothers’ House is in our possession, says Women Affairs minister

08 Feb – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 323 words

Somalia’s Women and Family Affairs Ministry on Wednesday refuted claims that the recently repossessed Mothers’ House in Mogadishu was handed over to the National Women Group.
Women and Family Affairs minister, Drs. Maryan Aweis Jama dismissed media reports that the building was handed over to the Women Group, blaming the media for distorting the information. The building was repossessed by the Somalia government last Saturday after removing people illegally occupying it.

7 al Shabaab fighters defect to Ahlu Sunna group in Mataban

08 Feb – Source: Radio Bar-kulan, Radio Mogadishu – 101 words

Ahlu Sunna officials in Mataban district have today received seven al Shabaab defectors, reports say.
Some of the rebel defectors were quoted as saying that they were part of the rebel fighters in Beledweyne whose administration was ousted last December by Ethiopian troops. They also reportedly confessed that they were made to believe what they said was “wrong ideology” after they were brainwashed by their immediate former rebel group.

Round table discussion with U.K minister

08 Feb- Source: Hiiraan Online- 281 words

A round table discussion took place on Tuesday between the representatives of Midlands Somali community and Minister for Security at the Home Office James Brokenshire. He is primarily responsible for Policing and Crime Prevention in Birmingham UK. He thanked the Birmingham City Council for facilitating the meeting and assured the panel that he was representing the British government as a whole in preparation for the upcoming Somali Conference hosted by PM David Cameron.

Dead bodies were found in central Somalia town

08 Feb – Source: Shabelle – 150 words

At least two dead bodies of young men were seen on early on Wednesday morning lying at Bundo-Weyn village found in the town of Beledweyne, the capital of Hiran region in central Somalia, about 350-Km north of Mogadishu, witnesses said. The dead bodies who were all civilian men were reported to have been shot dead as they were sleeping at home in the Village of Bundo-Weyn, east of Beledweyne town by unknown gunmen, according to locals.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Top al Shabaab commander believed killed

08 Feb – Source: Capital FM – 584 words

One of the top al Shabaab commanders is believed to have been killed alongside 13 other militants in the latest attack by Kenya Defence Forces in Southern Somalia. Military Spokesman Emmanuel Chirchir said Abu Yahya who is al Shabaab’s field commander in the Southern sector might have been killed during the Tuesday afternoon raid at Dalayat region.

Arab envoys to hold extraordinary meeting on Somalia soon

08 Feb- Source: Kuwait News Agency KUNA- 93 words

Permanent delegates at the Arab League are set to hold an extraordinary meeting here on February 19 to discuss the latest developments in Somalia. During their meeting, the Arab representatives will seek to coordinate positions ahead of an international conference on Somalia due in London on February 23, a diplomatic source of the Arab League said in a news release.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Mogadishu car bomb explodes near cafe

08 Feb – Source: BBC – 103 words

At least 10 people have been killed and more than 20 people injured when a car bomb exploded near a cafe in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, police say. A police commander told the BBC it was a suicide attack. The vehicle was parked close to the Hotel Muna, often frequented by Somali politicians and itself the target of an attack by militants in August 2010.

INTERVIEW-EU envoy talks tough to Somalian leaders

08 Feb – Source: Reuters – 193 words

Somalia’s leaders must press ahead with political reforms or risk losing aid from the European Union, its biggest donor, the EU envoy to the Horn of Africa said on Wednesday.
While significant military gains have been made in the battle against al Qaeda-linked rebels in Somalia, foreign powers are frustrated at the slow pace of change in a political system plagued by corruption and infighting.

Somalia wants SL help to combat piracy

08 Feb- Source: Daily Mirror -326 words

With the need to prepare an international action plan to curb piracy on the high seas, Somalia has sought inputs from Sri Lanka on how it curbed the Sea Tiger menace, Minister Rajitha Senaratne said in Parliament today. The minister read out the letter written by the Puntland State Government in Somalia to the Defence Minister.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“In recent weeks, there has been a scramble to return to or visit Mogadishu. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon dropped in. After many years, the UN moved its Somalia office from Nairobi back to Mogadishu. The Chinese and Europeans have knocked on doors in Mogadishu and left cheques behind. The Turks settled in much earlier. The politicians in Mogadishu are just loving it.”
“The short of it is that Somalia is now “ripe” and the carving knives are out. The players who have put in money or fought the Al-Shabaab militants are beginning to share the spoils.”

Somalia seems ripe for the picking; bring out the knives and chop it up

08 Feb- Source: Daily Nation- 703 Words

On February 23 something very important for East Africa, and indeed all of Africa, will happen in London.
There will be a big conference on Somalia by the British Government. For good measure, Britain’s Foreign minister William Hague was in Mogadishu a few days ago, installing a new UK envoy.