March 30, 2012 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somalia JSC assent AMISOM to replace Ethiopian troops

29 Mar – Source: Jowhar Online, Kulmiye – 107 words

Somalia’s joint security committee has agreed to deploy African Union troops to areas of central and southern Somalia captured recently from militant group al Shabaab by Ethiopian forces. The announcement came Wednesday at a meeting in Mogadishu.
The decision to replace Ethiopian troops with AU forces was agreed by Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, and representatives of the U.N., the African Union, the European Union and regional Somali factions. Ethiopian troops recently re-entered Somalia and helped Somali government forces capture the town of Baidoa.

Key Headlines

President Sharif attends Arab summit in Baghdad (Source: Radio Bar-kulan BBC Somali Service)
Somali PM flies to Nairobi for meeting ( Source: Radio Mogadishu)
Somalia JSC assent AMISOM to replace Ethiopian troops (Source: Jowhar Online Kulmiye)
Drafting Somalia’s Constitution Opens Debate on Religion Law ( Source: VOA)
Somalia government says will deport British national(Source: Africa Review)

SOMALI MEDIA

President Sharif attends Arab summit in Baghdad

29 Mar – Source: Radio Bar-kulan, BBC Somali Service – 200 words

Somalia’s president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Thursday attended a landmark Arab summit held in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. Several Arab leaders met to discuss Syrian crisis, Somalia, Palestine and Yemen during their meeting in Baghdad.

President Sharif held talks with his Iraqi counterpart Jalal Talabani in Baghdad a head of the summit and discussed range of issues including the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Somali PM flies to Nairobi for meeting

29 Mar – Source: Radio Mogadishu – 194 words

Somali Prime Minister Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali and his delegate today flew to Nairobi, Kenya where they are expected to participate in a meeting organised by United Nations Political Office for Somalia UNPOS which will discuss the progress made on politics, security and the roadmap.

Before the premier left the Adan Adde International Airport, he told the media that the meeting will be a day-long one that will be attended by representatives of international community and UN agencies.

Somalia JSC assent AMISOM to replace Ethiopian troops

29 Mar – Source: Jowhar Online, Kulmiye – 107 words

Gangs kill young boys in Mogadishu

29 Mar- Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 122 words

Two young boys were reportedly killed on Wednesday night in parts of Mogadishu’s Wardigley district after they were attacked by unknown gangs.The two boys who were brothers were reportedly university students.

Locals say the gangs armed with pistols attacked the duo while in some parts of Hamar-Jadid neighbourhood, killing them on the spot. The motive and the identity of the assailants are yet to be established. The assailants immediately fled the scene of the incident, according to locals who spoke to Bar-kulan.

Nomads and farmers clash in Gedo region

29 Mar – Source: Somalia Report – 234 words
Nomads and local farmers fought in the village of Khararey in the Gedo region on Wednesday. Some local reports indicated that the fighting started when nomadic cattle-herders tried to drill a well, which was opposed by farmers who believe their crops will be destroyed by grazing animals. Locals have told Somalia Report that eight people died and fifteen others sustained injuries, although these are as yet unsubstantiated. It has been a year since such conflicts between nomads and local farmers have broken out in the Gedo region.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Somalia government says will deport British national

29 Mar – Source: Africa Review – 132 words

Somalia’s immigration department will deport a British passport holder seized at Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport on Tuesday. But the department’s director, Gen Abdullahi Gafow Mohamoud did not say when the UK national would be deported.

At a press conference Thursday at the airport, Gen Mohamoud accused Dennis, 45, of being in Somalia to aid al Shabaab militants. “Through investigations, we realized that Clive Dennis came to this country to fuel the hostilities orchestrated by al Qaeda,” he said.

The Briton was apprehended at the airport after declaring a suspicious travel itinerary. He had no entry visa to Somalia and claimed that he was a Muslim trying to help fellow Muslims in Somalia.

British man arrested in Mogadishu claimed he was heading on vacation to Kismayo

29 Mar – Source: Al Shahid – 237 words

A British man who was Monday arrested in Mogadishu airport claimed to have been heading on vacation to the rebel-held town of Kismayo.

Somali police are holding Clive Dennis, 45, from London, on suspicion of entering the country illegally and plotting to join al Shabaab militants waging a war to control the country.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Drafting Somalia’s Constitution Opens Debate on Religion, Law

29 Mar – Source: VOA – 161 words

In a country torn apart by civil war, piracy and terrorism, many hope a new constitution will bring some amount of stability to Somalia. Since the fall of the last government in 1991, a succession of interim governments have failed to establish rule of law. Millions of people have been displaced or exiled by fighting and famine.

Somalia is now under pressure to produce a draft of a new constitution by April 20, according to the guidelines agreed to in the “Roadmap” to end the donor-backed transitional government and to hold new elections this year. Prime Minister Abdiwelli Mohammed Ali pleaded with participants at a constitutional conference in February to find a solution to the few challenges remaining.

Pirate transfer to Somaliland eases jail quandary

29 Mar – Source: Reuters – 435 words

The United Nations has transferred 17 convicted Somali pirates to a jail in the breakaway enclave of Somaliland, the first transfers of their kind that could help resolve a dilemma over where to hold criminals seized in international waters.

International navies have been fighting a surge of pirate attacks that have disrupted a vital shipping route off the coast of lawless Somalia and deep into the Indian ocean.

But it has long been unclear where pirates captured on the high seas should be imprisoned, particularly while Somalia itself remains locked in chaotic conflict.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“It is imperative that as a leader, you should have a plan of action to secure the area you are controlling. Clearly, if you don’t set the agenda, other countries and organisations will do it for you. By this I mean those countries that have interests in Somalia, as well as the United Nations and its agencies.”

Somalia needs a new leader with vision

29 Mar – Source: Daily Nation – 544 Words

One of the reasons why Somalia is a failed state is lack of leadership. We have been ruled in the last 20 years by the wrong people.

When a country plunges into civil war, people who should run it are either former ministers or those who played a role in the previous administration, meaning they have some experience about managing government. To become a leader, you require certain qualities.