March 1, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
30 Al-Shabaab militants injured air strikes in Gedo region, official
01 Mar – Source: Shabelle – 134 words
The Spokesman for Somali government troops in Gedo region, southern Somalia said at least 30 Al Shabaab militants have been wounded in an air strike at Burdubo village in Gedo region. Ahmed Hirse confirmed to Shabelle Media that fighter jets targeted militant-held positions in Burdubo village and many neighbourhoods, injuring 30 al Shabaab fighters while their camps were destroyed during the raid. He noted that the injured militants have been evacuated from the area and taken to the hospitals run by the militant group in the region.
Key Headlines
- Somali Prime Minister meets with his Swedish counterpart (Radio Mogadishu)
- AMISOM hands over two generators to Banadir Hospital in Mogadishu (AMISOM)
- 10 died as TFG soldiers al Shabaab clash in Gedo region (Bariga Afrika)
- Al Shabaab withdraws from parts of Galgadud region (Radio Bar-kulan)
- 30 Al-Shabaab militants injured air strikes in Gedo region official (Shabelle)
- Al Shabaab militants killed as KDF strikes convoy (Star Kenya)
- UN condemns murder of Somali radio director (UN Centre)
- Minister for Africa condemns the murder of Somali journalist (UKUN)
- Amnesty International: Somali Journalists must be Protected After third Murder In two months (Amnesty International)
PRESS RELEASE
AMISOM hands over two generators to Banadir Hospital in Mogadishu
01 Mar – Source: AMISOM – 271 Words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has handed over two generators to Banadir Hospital. Presenting the generators, the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Honorable Wafula Wamunyinyi said AMISOM is making good progress in the implementation of projects in support of the people of Somalia as outlined during its press briefing on February 17th, 2012.
“The two generators are 110 KVA and 60 KVA respectively and have been purchased at a cost of 91,300 United States Dollars. The donation of these two generators is part of AMISOM’s Humanitarian Support to the people of Somalia and is a clear demonstration of our commitment to alleviating the suffering of Somali civilians.” Said Honorable Wamunyinyi.
The donation of the two generators will help provide reliable electricity for water pump, x†ray, laboratory and operating theatres as well as facilitating training of medical students and help in improving security due to the presence of functioning security lights. The Minister of Health of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia, H.E. Abdiaziz Sheikh applauded AMISOM for the donation of the two generators saying it will help in reducing some of the problems the hospital was facing regarding inadequate electricity supply.
He said; “I’m happy to witness the handover of the generators to Banadir hospital as it demonstrates once again AMISOM’s strong commitment to improving the lives of the people of Somalia through the enhancement of capacity for medical institutions.” AMISOM’s Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer, Mr. Abdul Diagabate said; “AMISOM hopes to contribute to efforts aimed at uplifting people’s living standards in achieving the millennium development goals.”
Somali physician nominated for 2012 nobel peace prize
28 Feb – Source: The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Nobel nominee
Philadelphia – Dr. Hawa Abdi of Somalia has been nominated for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) for her decades of humanitarian service to, and peace building work with thousands of Somalis fleeing civil war and, most recently, famine induced by the recent drought, the worst in 60 years.
Through the Hawa Abdi Foundation , http://www.dhaf.org/ Dr. Abdi, 63, and her two physician daughters, provide medical care and refuge to all regardless of clan, religious or political affiliation. “Dr. Abdi is a woman of extraordinary strength, courage, and tenacity, who has created a safe haven for internal refugees from the protracted conflict in her country,” the AFSC wrote in its nomination letter.
Her work began in 1983, when she opened a one-room women’s clinic on her family’s farm, frequently using her own resources to provide care free of charge. Since then her operation has grown to include a 400-bed hospital and an 800-student school and adult education facility which offers literacy and health classes for women. The community of about 90,000 mostly women and children is one of the largest camps for internally displaced people in Somalia.
Even as major international aid agencies have fled the country when workers were kidnapped, tortured and killed, she has chosen to stay and provide some measure of safety, food, water, medical care, and education for those living in the compound. The women are taught to farm and fish, and the young men are trained as nursing assistants and security workers as well.
Dr. Abdi has demonstrated the strength of nonviolent resistance through decades of upheaval, facing down armed forces despite imprisonment and death threats. She has co-created with the residents a community that models self-sufficiency, inclusion and cooperation as an alternative to a militarized society built on exclusion, exploitation and domination. “The Somali people are in dire circumstances. Dr. Abdi and her daughters have rallied international support … to rebuild their facilities and to establish feeding centers… but it is not enough,” wrote the AFSC.
“The timeliness and visibility afforded by the recognition of Dr. Abdi by awarding her the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize may well help her ‘keep hope alive’ for millions of Somalis who have had to leave their homes and homelands.” In 1947, AFSC and the British Friends Service Council accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of “Quakers everywhere.” Peace Prize laureates have the privilege to nominate candidates for this honor.
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali Prime Minister meets with his Swedish counterpart
01 Mar – Source: Radio Mogadishu – 161 words
Somalia’s Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali who proceeded to Stockholm, Sweden after strings of meeting with the Norwegian authorites finally met with this Swedish counterpart.
The Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt is the 32nd Premier of Sweden while Abdiweli Mohamed of Somalia is the 5th Prime Ministers of the Transitional Federal Government. The two leaders discussed about the relations between the two countries, the London meeting, the best way the two countries can work together for better relations, how to consolidate the progress made by the TFG, ending the transitional period and the implementation of the roadmap and the Garowe agreements.
The Premier also had a meeting with the special representative of Sweden to the Horn of Africa Regions and other officials from the ministry of Foreign affairs of Sweden. The Prime Minister Abdiweli is expected to meet with the Somali Diaspora in Sweden. He has been paying visits to Brussels, EU, London, Norway and now in Sweden.
10 died as TFG soldiers, al Shabaab clash in Gedo region
01 Mar – Source: Bariga Afrika – 204 words
At least 10 people were confirmed dead and dozens injured in a battle between Somalia government soldiers allied with Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a and al Shabaab insurgents in the town of Garbaharay in Gedo region, southern Somalia, officials say on Thursday.
According to the local residents, the fighting occurred after fighters from the militant group linked with al Qaeda launched overnight mortar attacks on residential areas and military targets in the town of Garbaharay, the provincial capital of Gedo region, causing sever damages to hospitals and schools.
“The fighting was fierce and both warring sides used both heavy and light weapons. Al Shabaab militants attacked the town from different direction and TFG and Ahlu Sunna forces in the city fought back to defend their bases. I can confirm to you the casualty of ten soldiers from both sides,” a resident told the media by phone.
Al Shabaab withdraws from parts of Galgadud region
01 Mar – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 93 words
Reports from Galgadud region indicate that al Shabaab militias have last night withdrawn from Eel-garas and Eel-lahelay districts in Galgadud region. The militiamen who vacated their bases in Eel-garas and Eel-lahelay districts are said to have moved to other parts of Galgadud region. The reasons for al Shabaab’s withdrawal are not fully established but reports say the militiamen feared a wave of military activities carried out by Ahu-Sunna Wal-jama’a in Galgadud and Hiiraan regions who are extending their military activities there. Recently the Al Qaeda linked al Shabaab militia lost key towns in Hiran and Bay regions.
30 Al-Shabaab militants injured air strikes in Gedo region, official
01 Mar – Source: Shabelle – 134 words
The Spokesman for Somali government troops in Gedo region, southern Somalia said at least 30 Al Shabaab militants have been wounded in an air strike at Burdubo village in Gedo region. Ahmed Hirse confirmed to Shabelle Media that fighter jets targeted militant-held positions in Burdubo village and many neighbourhoods, injuring 30 al Shabaab fighters while their camps were destroyed during the raid. He noted that the injured militants have been evacuated from the area and taken to the hospitals run by the militant group in the region.
Airstrikes Slam al Shabaab Base in Afgoye
29 Feb – Source: Somalia Report – 295 words
Unknown aircraft struck al Shabaab bases in the Afgoye district of Lower Shabelle on Wednesday afternoon, residents told Somalia Report. Afgoye, which is 30 kilometers south of the capital, is an al Shabaab stronghold and where their officials are situated, according to government officials. Residents in the city said that powerful explosions were heard late on Wednesday airstrikes hit positions where fighters loyal to al Shabaab had barricaded the road linking Afgoye and Burhakaba. “In the morning, there were planes flying over the city and some of them took pictures from different parts in the city especially the bases of al Shabaab,” said Ahmadey Isak.
An independent journalist in Afgoye who declined to be named confirmed the air strikes to Somalia Report. He said that the warplanes targeted the al Shabaab military camp called Beerta-Kuwait, where hundreds of fighters and their leaders gather.
“At least four missiles hit in the area, and I saw black smoke rising from the scene. In the aftermath, al Shabaab fighters responded by firing into the sky with anti-aircraft weaponry. No civilians were harmed in that air attack, and I am not sure about al Shabaab casualties,” said the journalist. He added, “al Shabaab generally don’t use public hospitals.”
Commerce Minister invites bids for management of Somaliland’s oil storage facilities
29 Feb – Source: Somaliland Press – 122 words
Commerce Minister Mr. Abdirisak Ahmed Khalif announced today Wednesday February 29th 2012 said that the government of Somaliland will hold tender bidding on the management of the country’s fuel tank depot located in the port town of Berbera. Mr. Khalif acknowledged that it was the recommendation of the committee that the president appointed to manage the fuel tanks depot eight months ago after terminating TOTAL oil license that decided it would be better to have private company manage the fuel tanks.
It was in May of last year when President Ahmed Silanyo suspended the license of the French foreign oil company Total Oil’s management of Berbera port’s oil storage facilities. Interested bidders may obtain more information and bidding documents from Somaliland Commerce Department.
Two al Shabaab officers surrendered to TFG forces in Hiiraan region
29 Feb – Source: Radio Mogadishu, Somalia Report – 43 words
At least two al Shabaab officers have surrendered themselves to the Somali National Forces in Hiiran region over the last 24 hours. TFG officials in Hiiraan told Radio Mogadishu that they will present the officers to themedia and the Somali people as soon as possible.
50 Somalis were arrested after Kenya police operations
01 Mar – Source: Shabelle – 108 words
Reports from the refugee camps in north east Kenya say on Thursday that at least 50 Somali shave been detained by the Kenya police after massive security operations. Witnesses told Shabelle Media that the crackdown came after explosive device was discovered near a police station in Hagarder refugee camp which is home to tens of thousands of Somalis who fled from the conflict and drought in Somalia.
“A number of business people were among those arrested while their businesses were looted by the Kenyan police during their operations. They have been taken into custody in Hagarder by the police,” a witness told Shabelle Media.
Puntland to begin issuing vehicle licenses
29 Feb – Source: Garowe Online – 158 words
Puntland highway authority has announced that it will be issuing driver licenses next month, Garowe reports. Director of vehicle licenses for Puntland Qassim Abdulkadir Sefle spoke to Feedback; a call in program hosted by Radio Garowe had the chance to announce to Puntland residents the initiation of driver licenses by March 1st 2012. The director spoke about the requirements which include health, experience, and age amongst other requirements. Mr. Sefle added that candidates that do not meet the requirements could attend a driving school sponsored by the Puntland Highway authority.
Mr. Sefle spoke about the advantages that the driver license brings including accountability on both the driver and the government for the safety of pedestrians and other drivers.” Increasing car accidents in Puntland have forced the government to act because we do not want unqualified drivers operating vehicles on our roads,” said Mr. Sefle.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Al Shabaab militants killed as KDF strikes convoy
01 Mar – Source: Star (Kenya) – 90 words
An unknown number of al Shabaab fighters were yesterday afternoon killed when Kenya jet fighters struck a convoy of heavily armed militia heading towards the Kenya border from Baidoa in Somalia.The fighters, who are suspected to have been driving to a refugee camp in Kenya were struck by several bombs, which destroyed the vehicles.
Some of the injured fighters are reported to have arrived at Bardhere hospital in critical condition. Kenyan military spokesman Emmanuel Chirchir yesterday afternoon confirmed the attacks and said most of the fighters had been neutralised.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UN condemns murder of Somali radio director
29 Feb – Source: UN Centre – 304 words
The United Nations envoy for Somalia today strongly condemned the murder of radio director Abukar Mohamed Kadaf, who was shot dead last night in the capital, Mogadishu, and called on the authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice. Mr. Kadaf, the Director of Somaliweyn Radio, is the second media professional in Somalia to be killed in the last month. Hassan Osman Abdi, the Director of Radio Shabelle, was shot dead on 28 January.
“I call for the Transitional Federal Government to conduct an immediate, full and independent investigation in order to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Augustine P. Mahiga, stated in a news release.
Mr. Mahiga paid tribute to the brave Somali journalists who are working in “incredibly difficult” conditions to keep the pressure on the criminal elements trying to intimidate the people of Somalia – one of the most dangerous places in the world for media professionals.
“I call on all those defending the fundamental right to freedom of expression not to be deterred by these cowardly acts of terrorism,” said the Special Representative, who is also head of the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS). “The Transitional Federal Institutions must redouble their efforts to end the culture of impunity and halt this unacceptable cycle of violence,” he said, adding that UNPOS stands ready to assist them in any way possible.
Somalia has not had a functioning central government for the past 20 years, during which it has been torn apart by factional fighting and has faced a series of humanitarian crises, the latest being a food crisis that has left more than two million Somalis in need of aid.
Somali insurgency threatens oil exploration in northern Somalia, announces new members
29 Feb – Source: The Washington Post /AP – 153 words
The al Qaeda-linked Somali insurgency says all oil exploration contracts in northern Somalia are void, and announced a new group in the region had joined its forces. The announcement by al Shabaab comes weeks after a consortium of oil companies announced they were drilling a well in the semiautonomous northern region of Puntland.
Al Shabaab said in a messages posted to websites this week and on its twitter feed late Tuesday that “Somali oil carries death” and that a group in the northern region had joined their forces. The messages come as al Shabaab is being squeezed on three sides in southern Somalia. Kenyan and Ethiopian troops have both crossed into Somalia, and an African Union force has mostly taken control of the capital.
7/7 widow: Al Qaeda off-shoot linked to investigation
29 Feb – Source: Telegraph – 433 words
That threat has increased as the militant group, affiliated to al Qaeda, has come under pressure in Somalia from African Union troops and a Kenyan incursion. Despite fighting a war on several fronts, the extremists control vast swathes of southern Somalia and have launched a tech-savvy PR campaign to attract more recruits from the West. The 100,000-strong Somali ex-patriot community in Britain is of sufficient concern, but those that have been making the journey have also included young men of Pakistani, Bangladesh and West African origin.
Three suspected British al-Shabaab members who had arrived in Kenya through Mombasa were arrested in Garissa County in the North East of the country in May last year. The three men were of Bangladeshi origin but holding British passports, according to reports. Once they have connected to al Shabaab, at least one young man, a university student from Ealing, West London, blew himself up as a suicide bomber in Somalia four years ago.
Many recruits do not return, but there is an established facilitating organisation of intermediaries coming and going from the country that have caused MI5 concerns. Al Shabaab professes to global ambitions but so far its attacks have been mainly limited to Somalia.
Amnesty International: Somali Journalists must be Protected After third Murder In two months
29 Feb – Source: Amnesty International – 478 words
Amnesty International said today the killing of a third journalist in two months in Somalia is another stark reminder of the dangers faced by journalists and activists alike in that country. Abukar Hasan Mohamud Kadaf, the former director of private radio station Somaliweyn, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Tuesday evening in front of his home in the Wadajir district of Mogadishu. He was buried on Wednesday in the capital.
He was reportedly working with a youth and peace organization after Radio Somaliweyn was raided and closed down by the al Shabaab armed group in May 2010. He is the third journalist to be killed in a targeted attack in the last two months in Mogadishu, despite the city now being under the control of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and African Union forces. At least 25 Somali journalists have been killed in Somalia since 2007, and many others have been injured.
At the London international conference on Somalia last week, the international community highlighted the need for journalists to operate freely and without fear. It called for action to address human rights violations and abuses and committed to focus more on supporting the Somali justice and security sectors.
Minister for Africa condemns the murder of Somali journalist
29 Feb – Source: UKUN – 171 words
Minister for Africa Henry Bellingham has condemned the killing of the Director of Somaliweyn Radio, Abukah Hassan Mohamoud. The Foreign Office Minister said:
“The UK strongly condemns the killing of the Director of Somaliweyn Radio, Abukar Hassan Mohamoud, known as Kadaf, yesterday in Mogadishu. Sadly this shocking murder is yet another example of the ongoing intimidation of journalists in Somalia. It follows just over a month after the killing of the Director of Radio Shabelle, Hassan Osman Abdi, who was better known as Hassan Fantastic. I call for a full and urgent independent enquiry into the killing of both journalists and urge Somalia’s Transitional Federal Institutions to end the culture of impunity.
“I pay tribute to the vital work of independent journalists in Somalia, described by Reporters without Borders as the deadliest country in Africa for journalists. And I reiterate the call by all participants of the London Conference on Somalia, repeated in the conference communiqué, which emphasised that journalists in Somalia must be able to operate freely and without fear.”
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“But at this stage it would be very difficult to imagine some kind of grand bargain for all Somalia. Even if the two northern entities wanted to talk, the southern and central regions are still in complete chaos and have nothing to offer. Therefore, the essential task is to rebuild governance, and the interesting suggestion in the International Crisis Group (ICG) briefing is to work with the local administrations and build these “sub-national entities into a quasi-national governmental framework that respects the [regional] suspicion that Mogadishu will try to assert direct control”.”
Somalia needs global help
01 Mar – Gulf News – 889 Words
Somalia is the Arab world’s one complete failure. Following the end of the rule of the former dictator, Mohammad Siad Barre, in 1991, all semblance of national government collapsed, tens of thousands of people have been killed in fighting over 20 years of civil war, and hundreds of thousands have starved to death and more than 13 million people have been affected by famine and drought over Somalia and its neighbours.
The country has become a byword for disaster, and numerous attempts to restore national governance have totally failed. Given this miserable situation, it is surprising that last week’s London Conference on Somalia raised any expectations of improvement.
“Britain has recently taken the lead in the international campaign to stabilize Somalia. On February 1, Britain announced that it had appointed the first envoy to Somalia in 21 years. Foreign Secretary William Hague said on a visit to Somalia on February 2 that dozens of British citizens were attending al-Shabaab terrorist training camps in Somalia. Hague said it was only a matter of time before the militants strike in Britain. He said that the objective of the London conference was to “strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation to make it easier for countries in the region to disrupt terrorist networks” and restrict their movements and financing.”
UK Takes the Lead in Somalia
29 Feb – Source: Foreign Policy in Focus – 1524 Words
The much-ballyhooed conference on Somalia hosted by UK Prime Minister David Cameron on February 23 was long on grandstanding but short on new substance. The meeting was clearly more about crowning a new leader (Britain) and celebrating the limited military successes against Islamist militants than about building a foundation for peace.
Conference attendees included Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Presidents Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, and other dignitaries from 40 countries. Also represented were regional organizations such as the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the European Union. Notable newcomers to the Somalia scene included Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
“On the face value, one can describe Somalia as largely desolate land connected to world by a sea gateway through the Indian Ocean and positioned in close proximity to Middle East and the horn of Africa. It is inhabited by a single group, the Somali tribe who are fully Islamic by faith. Although Barre introduced socialist ideology in 1970, Somalia was surrounded by neighbors such as Kenya and Ethiopia that are secular and heavily leaning towards the West. Somalis are genetically designed to question their conscience and are prone to dissent to the extent of self-destruction.”
Somalia as Seen in the Binoculars
29 Feb – Source: Mwakilishi – 490 Words
The urge to repair the fault line in the analytical domain of Somalia’s case is irresistible in the backdrop of the unfolding situation defining the current affairs in Somalia. With the launch of Kenya’s onslaught on the notorious Al shabaab forces late last year, to the relocation of United Nation’s Somalia political office to Mogadishu, the heightened and growing operational momentum of AMISOM forces and the recently concluded international forum on Somalia in London, all systems seems ready for the rehabilitation of Somalia from a failed state to a self-governing entity.
There are many people who are animated and upbeat to acknowledge that efforts to fix Somalia are long overdue and have come in handy to swiftly provide remedies for the challenges facing her for two decades. While appreciating the increased tempo of these newly charged interventions into Somali crisis, it is baffling, difficult to believe the levels of ignorance on display by people who do not comprehend the undertones, subtle yet intrinsic factors that feed Somalia’s debilitating and long run instability.
Top tweets
@jadeling2003 #Somalia
@CeynteJr Apparently, ending the #TFG has become linchpin for even #Somalipoliticians. natio
@mariam09 Stability and an end to drought in #Somalia. #myprayers
@NastasyaTay Deja vu in #Somalia. Will the world listen to the #drought warnings this time round? bit.ly/yi33qo
@Abdihalim115 overview of Baidoa town….. It is the land of natural resource and the bread basket of #Somalia…. May Allah… fb.me/19c1rUal1
@Q_Ayy Strong we are mentally and physically but teared up and damaged at the same time. #somalia
@UKinSomalia Interesting film on #Somalia here, featuring Matt Baugh: vimeo.com/37270274
@Fatima_Kassim Cuz Turkey are helping out #Somalia, I’m just imagining.WHAT IF in 100 yr. time there will be new gen.Mixed Turkish/Somali & theyd be Surkish.
Image of the day
A Somali government delegation led by Somali Deputy PM Hussein Arab Issa on Wednesday paid a visit to ‘liberated’ city of Baidoa, following al Shabaab ouster.