April 25, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
AU troops deny reports of refusing to treat wounded Somali counterparts
25 Apr – Source: Jowhar Online – 287 words
The Spokesman for AMISOM [African Union Mission in Somalia] troops, Lt. Colonel Paddy Ankunda, has denied reports that they have refused to offer treatment to wounded Transitional Federal Government of Somalia [TFG] soldiers at their Halane base in Mogadishu due to security reasons. In an interview with Mogadishu based Radio Dalsan, the spokesman for AMISOM troops said wounded TFG soldiers were as of now receiving treatment at their hospital and denied reports of refusing to admit wounded Somali soldiers in their facility.
“It is a lie; wounded Somali soldiers are undergoing treatment at our hospitals. We do not have the exact number but civilians are also equally treated in our hospitals everyday,” said Paddy Ankunda. The spokesman also said AMISOM troops plan to soon extend operations to areas outside Mogadishu adding that their soldiers would soon be deployed in the town of Afgoye.
Speaking generally on the operations in the country, Paddy Ankunda, said their soldiers have already been deployed in Baidoa, Bay Region [south western Somalia] which was third phase of their deployment [CORRECTION] phase two which is the expansion phase. He said their soldiers are as of now based at the town’s airport. “Baidoa is the third phase second phase of our deployment. There are some soldiers there already, they are based at the town’s airport. The plan is to deploy up to 2500 and they are to spread to Bay and Bakol Regions,” said Ankunda.
The Spokesman for AMISOM troops also said soldiers from Sierra Leone are to be deployed in southern Somalia regions in June of this year to join Kenyan troops who are already carrying out operations there. African Union has recently set a new strategy for operations dividing it to four geographical areas: Mogadishu, the headquarter for operations, Kismayo [Lower Jubba], Baidoa and Beled Weyne.
Key Headlines
- Somali President Sharif: I am a presidential candidate (Raxanreeb)
- AU troops deny reports of refusing to treat wounded Somali counterparts (Jowhar Online)
- Somali People do not die of starvation anymore Turkish Ambassador says (Turkish Weekly)
- Former Somali defense minister says al Qaeda should not be given chance to regroup (Radio Mogadishu/SONNA)
- Somali PM says director generals will remain in office end of transition period (Radio Mogadishu/S/ Report)
- Piracy: UAE seeks regional solutions (Khaleej Times)
- Somali moderates call for dialogue over contentious issues in draft constitution (Jowhar Online)
- Al Shabaab leader features in annual time 100 lists (Hiiraan Online)
- President Kibaki says terrorists threaten national security (KBC)
- Security forces kill four al Shabaab members after slaying civilians (Raxanreeb/Bar-kulan)
- Statement by the Press Secretary on the Horn of Africa Humanitarian Crisis (White House)
PRESS STATEMENT
Press release on al Shabaab threat directed at RSLAF
25 Apr – Source: Cocorioko, State House Communications Unit – 266 words
The attention of the Government of Sierra Leone and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) has been drawn to media reports that the al Shabaab group has threatened to attack the contingent of RSLAF personnel scheduled to be deployed in Somalia as part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
Government therefore wishes to remind the public that its participation in the deployment of troops under the auspices of the AMISOM was not just as a result of Sierra Leone being a member of the United Nations and the African Union, but a fulfillment of her responsibility to contribute to international peace and security just as how other countries around the world had contributed their troops to UNAMSIL and ECOMOG to help keep peace in Sierra Leone during our civil war.
Government further wishes to inform the public that the al Shabaab threat directed at RSLAF is taken seriously and that necessary security measures are being put in place to ensure a successful mission by our deployed troops.
Government therefore wishes to renew its unflinching commitment to the maintenance of international peace and security whilst re-assuring citizens and foreign nationals that Government’s security apparatus are fully engaged and will provide the necessary security in ensuring that the lives and properties of our deployed troops are fully safeguarded.
Recognising that the security of the state is also the collective responsibility of all Sierra Leoneans and foreigners alike, the public is therefore encouraged to cooperate and collaborate with the security forces and agencies by reporting any suspicious activity that may compromise the interest of our national security.
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali President Sharif: I am a presidential candidate
25 Apr – Source: Raxanreeb – 198 words
Somalia’s interim president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has announced for the first time that he is intending to run for the presidential office after the end of the transitional period on August 2012, RBC reports. “I want to declare that, if you allow me I will be a presidential candidate in the coming August.” Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said during the 52nd anniversary of Somali national defense forces on Monday.
The president criticized that some local politicians and traditional elders were contrasting the draft constitution and the process of the roadmap, sponsored by the international community as he urged the people not to wary on the new constitution which he said was the only means to end the transitional period.
“We want elections to held and to jump to full system of governance in Somalia and end this period so if you oppose all these then how is possible to move forward” he asked. The president called for the divided Somali parliament to hold the split and continue to implement the process of the roadmap to end the transitional period of the government. “If the parliament maintains the rift then we do not need to halt the process of the roadmap” he added.
AU troops deny reports of refusing to treat wounded Somali counterparts
25 Apr – Source: Jowhar Online – 287 words
The Spokesman for AMISOM [African Union Mission in Somalia] troops, Lt. Colonel Paddy Ankunda, has denied reports that they have refused to offer treatment to wounded Transitional Federal Government of Somalia [TFG] soldiers at their Halane base in Mogadishu due to security reasons.
In an interview with Mogadishu based Radio Dalsan, the spokesman for AMISOM troops said wounded TFG soldiers were as of now receiving treatment at their hospital and denied reports of refusing to admit wounded Somali soldiers in their facility.
“It is a lie; wounded Somali soldiers are undergoing treatment at our hospitals. We do not have the exact number but civilians are also equally treated in our hospitals everyday,” said Paddy Ankunda. The spokesman also said AMISOM troops plan to soon extend operations to areas outside Mogadishu adding that their soldiers would soon be deployed in the town of Afgoye.
Speaking generally on the operations in the country, Paddy Ankunda, said their soldiers have already been deployed in Baidoa, Bay Region [south western Somalia] which was third phase of their deployment. He said their soldiers are as of now based at the town’s airport. “Baidoa is the third phase of our deployment. There are some soldiers there already, they are based at the town’s airport. The plan is to deploy up to 2500 and they are to spread to Bay and Bakol Regions,” said Ankunda.
The Spokesman for AMISOM troops also said soldiers from Sierra Leone are to be deployed in southern Somalia regions in June of this year to join Kenyan troops who are already carrying out operations there. African Union has recently set a new strategy for operations dividing it to four geographical areas: Mogadishu, the headquarter for operations, Kismayo [Lower Jubba], Baidoa and Beled Weyne.
Former Somali defense minister says al Qaaeda should not be given chance to regroup
25 Apr – Source: Radio Mogadishu/SONNA – 121 words
Former Defense minister of Somali Transitional Federal government, Abdulhakim Haji Mohamud Fiqi has urged TFG officials not to give chance to the al Qaeda-linked group of al Shabaab to regroup and rearrange itself, calling on the national forces to continue their operation against the group.
Speaking to Radio Mogadishu while in the United States, Fiqi said that national forces removed al Qaeda militants from most of the regions in the south and central Somalia and encouraged them not to relent on their tasks of clearing al Shabaab. Mr. Fiqi urged government forces to have good cooperation with public in order to gain the confidence of the people still under the rule of the ruthless group.
Somali PM says director generals will remain in office end of transition period
24 Apr – Source: Radio Mogadishu/Somalia Report – 55 words
Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Ali met with the director generals (DGs) of government ministries and informed them that they will remain in their positions and it will not impact their designated official positions the ending of the transition period. The Somali PM announced that the goal is to make sure government functions are not disrupted in this crucial period.
Al Shabaab leader features in annual time 100 lists
25 Apr – Source: Hiiraan Online – 186 words
The self styled Emir of the radical insurgent group al Shabaab, Sheik Moktar Ali Zubeyr (also known as Ahmed Abdi Godane) has been featured in the TIME magazine’s annual list of 100 most influential people. He appeared in the “rogues” section alongside embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, North Korean dictator Kim Jung as well as Taliban leader Mullah Omar who both share a common allegiance to al Qaeda.
Godane, a veteran of the Afghan jihad, succeeded Sheikh Mukhtar Robow who led them after the previous Emir Sheikh Adan Hashi Farah “Eyrow” was killed in a US Airstrike in May 2008. He first made international headlines in 2009 when he released a video urging Somali’s to fight against the TFG and its newly elected leader President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed.
In early 2010 he released another statement on behalf of al Shabaab in which he voiced his support and allegiance to al Qaeda and that he and his fighters “agreed to join the international jihad of al Qaeda”. He is a designated terrorist by the United States. Time Magazine has said he is driven by a “hypnotic appeal of establishing God’s kingdom on Earth.
Gunmen attack civilians in Bakara market
24 Apr – Source: Somalia Report/Raxanreeb – 249 words
At least two people were killed in two separate shootings in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, on Tuesday night. Three gunmen shot and killed a civilian in Mogadishu’s Bakara Market, near Barubax junction, and wounded two others, including the editor of Radio Simba.
Abdiaziz Dirie, the wounded journalist, told Somalia Report he was shot in the leg while sitting in a tea shop near a center where youth gather to play video games, known as a play station, with two other men. “I was wounded in the left leg, but the bullet has been removed. It hurts now and I hope there are no broken bones. I am in shock that the man died right next to me,” said Mr. Dirie.
Although al Shabaab militants, battling for control of the country, have targeted journalists in recent months, Mr. Dirie may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time and not the intended target. “We were gathered at a tea shop near a play station in Bakara when it happened. I am hearing that al Shabaab believed that he was a member of the government intelligence agency and that was the reason that they have attacked us,” Mr. Dirie told Somalia Report. In a separate incident only minutes later, witnesses said gunmen killed Osman Dayib, a local shop owner, in Hodon district. It is not yet known if it was the same gunmen that attacked Mr. Dirie and his friends. Government soldiers stepped up security patrols in the area after the shootings.
Somali moderates call for dialogue over contentious issues in draft constitution
25 Apr – Source: Jowhar Online – 171 words
Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a Executive Council has issued a statement cautioning against the speedy endorsement of the new draft constitution and comes at a time when there has been some serious concerns from various sections of the Somali public.
The religious scholars urged the committee on constitution to present the draft document before the Somali public so that contentious issues can first be resolved, adding that is important that the new constitution be made compliant with the Islamic Shari’ah.
In its statement, Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a said traditional elders and the Somali public should equally be involved in the endorsement of the new constitution and that public’s concern on the document be addressed first. The cleric also said Somali traditional elders, when appointing individuals that are to represent them in parliament, should do so with care, ensuring that they appoint people who are sincere in their dealings, fair and able to perform as MPs.
Security forces kill four al Shabaab members after slaying civilians
25 Apr – Source: Raxanreeb/Bar-kulan – 160 words
The security forces of Somalia government have shot dead four al Shabaab members who assassinated civilians in different districts of Mogadishu on Tuesday night, officials said. Two of the militia armed with pistols were shot in blacksea village Of Hodan district shortly after they assassinated a man returning from a nearby mosque. Hours later the forces then shot dead two others who killed a young man in KPP village in Hodan district.
“The security forces managed to shoot four criminals (believed to be) al Shabab members after they killed civilians in the capital.” A statement from the National Security Service NSS said on Wednesday morning. The statement added that the murderers were killed after they rejected to surrender to the security agents and tried to escape.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Piracy: UAE seeks regional solutions
25 Apr – Source: Khaleej Times – 360 words
The UAE is pushing for a comprehensive regional strategy to combat maritime piracy while promoting private-public partnerships to contain the phenomenon which cost the world $7billion last year.
Dubai will be the venue for the second counter-piracy conference on June 27 and 28, and Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nayhan is looking at a long-term, sustainable solution to end the two-decade old problem. He said Somalia must be helped to mount an effective national challenge to beat back the sea brigands.
‘‘Our collective counter-piracy strategies must emphasise a long-term, sustainable solution. This must include empowering regional states to mount an effective national challenge to disrupt and defeat piracy groups operating off their shores through supporting the development of national response capacity.
It must also include long-term strategies of humanitarian support that address the root causes of maritime piracy,’’ said Shaikh Abdullah in a statement. The UAE is also taking the issue to the Arab League to help formulate a common response.
President Kibaki says terrorists threaten national security
24 Apr – Source: KBC – 222 words
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki on Tuesday said that terrorists and criminal groups posed threat to the national security and have violated the country’s territorial integrity that led to military intervention in Somalia. He commended the soldiers for their bravery and sacrifice as they confronted the criminals and for their commitment to secure the citizens and the country’s borders.
“I particularly pay a special tribute to those who have paid the ultimate price in the line of duty. Security matters must never be politicised and government will not allow anyone to seek political capital from criminal elements,” he said. He added, “The Kenya Defence Forces are now part of the Africa Mission in Somalia. The nation of Somalia is today at a defining moment. After 20 years of internal strife, the people of Somalia have an opportunity to embrace peace and rebuild their country.”
President Kibaki expressed Kenya’s commitment and that of the regional as well as the international partners to support the people of Somalia during the reconstruction of their country. He, however, stated that the ultimate responsibility of stabilizing and spearheading political transformation of the war ravaged country lay with the people of Somalia and their leaders. At the same time the Head of State appealed to all Kenyans to remain vigilant and continue taking precautionary measures in the course of their day to day activities.
Trouble with Somalia: Ex-premier’s view on elusive peace process
24 Apr – Source: Business Daily Africa – 550 words
For a man who was right in the hurly-burly of Somalia’s first attempt at uniting the country after the warlords’ reign of terror that followed the collapse of the central government in 1991, former prime minister Ali Khalif Galaydh cuts a laid-back if self-effacing figure, with a suaveness no doubt shaped by decades of travel and life in the United States.
Having attended close to all national conferences called to chart a way out of the ‘Somali mess’, the erudite Dr Galaydh is under no illusion where the current peace effort, lauded internationally and increasingly seen as viable with an envisaged election later this year –the first in decades –is headed. “It is rushed, and an exercise in futility.”
Dr Galaydh says that the international community has failed to wrap its head around the complexities that have for years stalked the elusive search for a functioning government in Somalia. One of the first Somalis to achieve a doctorate in the early 70s, he says the top-down approach that has been applied in Somalia fails to capture why a country rightly or wrongly believed to have few of the tribal or religious divides that haunt other African nations just cannot get its act together.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali People do not die of starvation anymore, Turkish Ambassador says
24 Apr – Source: Turkish Weekly – 168 words
People in Somalia do not die of starvation any more, Turkish ambassador in Mogadishu said. Social needs of the people, who were living in camps, have been met, Ambassador Kani Torun told AA correspondent. After Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had visited Somalia, destiny of the country has been changed, he said.
“Thanks to assistance by Turkey, children don’t die of starvation in Somalia. When we first arrived here, famine was killing many people. They were living under poor conditions. Now there is no famine here thanks to support by Turkey. UN said that famine conditions have ended in the country,” he said.
Torun said that economic recovery has started in Somalia after investments made by Turkey, stating that there has also been progress in security conditions there. Recalling that the 1st Somalia Conference was held in Turkey in May 2010, Torun said the the second one would be held in Mogadishu on June 1. Torun said Turkey would keep investing in Somalia and assisting Somali people.
Al Shabaab beheads businessman
24 Apr – Source: UPI – 98 words
The beheaded body of a businessman was found in the outskirts of the Somalian town El Adde Tuesday morning, officials said. Al Shabaab, a terrorist group in Somalia, has claimed responsibility for the slaying, Shabelle Media Network reported.
Witnesses said militants pulled the man from his car as he traveled from Jowhar to his home town El Adde overnight. His body was found decapitated in El Adde in the morning. Al Shabaab claimed the man, whose name had not been released, was a spy for the Somalian government, though locals denied the claim saying he was a well-known livestock trader.
Statement by the Press Secretary on the Horn of Africa Humanitarian Crisis
24 Apr – Source: White House – 246 words
In 2011, the worst drought in 60 years struck the Horn of Africa. The United Nations declared famine in six regions of Somalia, threatening the lives of over 250,000 Somalis, and requiring urgent humanitarian assistance for more than 13.3 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and other parts of Somalia. The international community responded and famine conditions abated in January 2012. Nevertheless, today, more than 9 million people still remain in need of emergency assistance in Horn of Africa.
To prevent a worsening of the fragile humanitarian situation and more people requiring emergency aid, the United States Government is providing an additional $120 million to those in need of emergency assistance in the Horn of Africa. This assistance is targeted to avoid the crisis from escalating in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia where the lateness and insufficiency of rains are expected to have a significant negative impact on crop production.
We commend Ethiopia and Kenya for building the resiliency of their nations to mitigate the shock of food insecurity and drought, as well as their effort to host and provide a safe place for Somali refugees. This contribution brings the total U.S. assistance for the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa to more than $1.1 billion since the crisis began in 2011. We urge the international community to continue their support and assistance to those in need of emergency assistance in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia with the objective of building resiliency in order to save lives.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“With two full length albums already under his belt, his impressive roster of collaborations features a wide array of high-profile names, including rapper Nas and Mos Def, singer Nelly Furtado and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett. In his latest offering, he also joins forces with Rolling Stones legend Keith Richards and rapper Will.i.am.”
Somali rapper K’naan makes songs in the key of love
24 Apr – Source: CNN Showbiz Blog – 875 Words
His name means “traveler” and Somali-born poet, rapper and musician K’naan has certainly come a long way. The hip-hop sensation, who’s been compared by critics to both reggae hero Bob Marley and rap star Eminem, fled war-torn Somalia as a teenager to eventually settle down with his family in Canada.
Strongly influenced by his native country, his socially conscious lyrics stem from life as a refugee and memories of civil war. Yet, the talented rhymesmith says today that he is more interested in emotional journeys, penning songs about the battles of the heart instead of street ones.
“Their shared Islamic faith provides an underpinning for strong Somali-Turkish relations. But it is also the Turks’ understated approach to working in Somalia, and their willingness to provide direct assistance (even, according to several aid workers, in the form of hard cash), and Ankara’s engagement at the highest levels — especially with Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) — that has gone far to earn Turkey favored status in Somalia.”
Saving Somalia
24 Apr – Source: Foreign Policy – 2410 Words
For the United Nations, the war-torn Somali capital is one of the ultimate “hardship posts.” The U.N.’s few foreign employees based there are entitled to lucrative hazard stipends in exchange for living in one of the world’s most dangerous cities. But for Turkish aid worker Orhan Erdogan, it is his family’s home base.
Erdogan, a 45-year old veteran of crisis zones such as Darfur, moved from Istanbul to Mogadishu last August as the aid group he works for, Kimse Yok Mu, ramped up its efforts in response to the severe famine in the Horn of Africa. His four teenage children are now in school in neighboring Kenya, but Erdogan and his wife live together in Mogadishu. “My family lives here to share the reality with me,” Erdogan said. He doesn’t downplay the risks. “Our lives are always in danger; one can expect to die any time in Somalia. However, the satisfaction of delivering aid to starving people who face death keeps us working, whatever the security situation is.”
Erdogan is far from alone. Turkish Ambassador C. Kani Torun, Ankara’s first Somalia-based envoy since 1991, estimates there are between 150 and 200 Turkish nationals currently based in the country. At least 500 more Turks — many of them with little experience abroad — came to volunteer in the months after the famine was declared, a period that corresponded with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice.
“Through UPDF’s participation in the stabilisation of Somalia, Uganda has reclaimed its rightful position within the international community as a major player in international geopolitics. From a Pariah State of the 1970s and part of the 1980s, Uganda has now emerged from ‘grass to grace’, thanks to UPDF.”
UPDF Somalia mission evokes national pride
24 Apr – Source: Observer – 691 Words
The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) is indeed a national pride, thanks to the far sightedness, visionary leadership and good stewardship of the Commander in chief, General Yoweri Museveni, over the years. The armed forces have metamorphosed from being a ragtag guerrilla force (NRA) to a fully-fledged disciplined national army. In the spirit of Pan Africanism, the UPDF has served in the Horn of Africa (Somalia) with distinction and this involvement has led to the ejection of al-Shabab, a cousin to Al Qaeda, out of Mogadishu.
The gallant sons and daughters of Uganda need to be patted on their backs for a job well done, from both the citizens of our country and the international community, but most of all by the simple citizens of Somalia, particularly residents of Mogadishu, who have now been gifted with a semblance of normal life. The benefits of deploying UPDF in Somalia can be enumerated as follows:
“With limited funding, almost everyone who works on the films is a volunteer. The production sets are often crewmembers’ homes and the actresses double as singers. Though Eastleighwood is not turning a profit yet, many see opportunity in Somali-language programming. The audience is global. In Somalia’s two decades of statelessness, millions have fled the country and settled abroad. There are now more Somalis living outside Somalia than within.”
Somali Film Company Launches in Kenya
24 Apr – Source: VOA/Mask Africa – 456 Words
Somalia, with help from its African neighbors, is trying to re-establish a central government in Mogadishu. But since the state’s collapes in 1991, many citizens of the country have had to establish roots elsewhere. A pair of Somalis in Nairobi are trying to establish a film company in neighboring Kenya. In the Somali neighborhood of Eastleigh, in the eastern suburbs of Nairobi, two businessmen have launched a Somali film production company called Eastleighwood.
Top tweets
@AbukarArman Here is why Turkey matters for #Somalia: http://bit.ly/
@Xarbi #Somalia: Probably, but still the solution has to come from within. Saving #Somalia – By Laura Heaton | Foreign Policy: http://bit.ly/Iic2tr.
@KarimRoundi Imagine if #Somalia had a football team. Abdi Mohammed passes to Mohammed. Mohammed crosses to Mohammed then to Mohammed. Mohammed scores!
@SomWarMonitor “The big question will be whether #Turkey will learn [the context of #Somalia] quickly enough to not get duped by the #TFG,”.
@mukhtaryare #Somalia enjoys using more mobile phone banking than most African countries http://econ.st/
@cyard10 There are more Somalis living outside #Somalia than Inside #Somalia.
@tresthomasiii #Turkey wants to mediate b/w #Shabaab & #Somalia. But Sheikh Mumin and others might still see them as neo-colonialists. http://bit.
Image of the day
Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Ali meets with the director generals from government ministries to discuss the ending of transition period. Photo: Radio Mogadishu.