June 8, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Somali opens Mogadishu’s first dry cleaners in decades

08 Jun- Source: BBC- 643 words

A businessman has opened a dry cleaners in Somalia’s capital – the city’s only one, and its first since the start of the civil war more than 20 years go.

Mohamed Mahamoud Sheikh decided to start it when he returned home recently to Mogadishu after years abroad.He told the BBC the city’s security had improved in the last 10 months, since Islamist militants were pushed out by African Union and government forces. Mr Sheikh also noticed businessmen would take suits abroad to clean them.

Key Headlines

AMISOM vows to capture town from al Shabaab (Shabelle)
Somali pirates free 21 Filipino sailors (Shanghai Daily/ Xinhua)
Ahlu Sunna welcomes U.S bounty on al Shabaab leaders (Radio Bar-kulan)
Somali cabinet ministers held their ordinary meeting in Mogadishu (Radio Mogadishu/OPM)
Ex PM: Somalia desires independent electoral commission for elections (Shabelle)
Kenya shells Kismayo; al Shabaab cordons city (Garowe Online)
UN lists Kenya’s buildings as al Shabaab targets (Standard)
Troops close to taking Somalia out of terrorists’ control (Washington Times)
Somali opens Mogadishu’s first dry cleaners in decades (BBC)

PRESS STATEMENT

The U.S. announcement on al Shabaab is a step on the right direction

08 Jun – Source: TFG/Jowhar Online – 283 words

The announcement from the United States Government today to put a price $7m bounty on the head of the terrorist leader of Al Shabaab will certainly help the Somali government efforts to end al Qaeda’s reign of terror in Somalia. As the leader of terror, Mr. Ahmed Abdi Aw-Mohamud Godane is responsible for the killing of innocent civilians across Somalia, including series of terror attacks that al Shabaab operated in neighboring countries.

In recent military operations, the Somali government dismantled strategic bases of al Shabaab in Afgoi town where terrorists used to plot attacks to the capital in Mogadishu. In the town of Afgoi, al Shabaab lost important sources of revenues that disrupted its terror activities in Southern Somalia.

The move by the U.S. government to place $33m on the heads of key Shabaab leaders is important as that remains significant incentive that will deny terrorists any chance to escape from justice. The members of Shabaab have now difficult finding safe havens in the country as government troops stepped up their offense to dislodge al Qaeda affiliates from the country.

This is an important juncture in Somali history, where the possibility of full recovery from years of chaos is within reach. The Somali government calls for the international community to continue supporting the institutions to ensure that Somalia wins the battle against al Qaeda, who are defeated with the support of Somali people.

Clearly, the Somali government has made significant strides in a number of areas, including the security, the governance and the commitment for the Roadmap to end the transitional period in time. To capitalize on the current momentum, the Somali government will soon take over Kismayo from the control of al Shabaab.

SOMALI MEDIA

AMISOM vows to capture town from al Shabaab

08 Jun- Source: Shabelle- 149 words

The command of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), declared their next military plan against the remained al Shababacontrolled regions in southern Somalia.

Speaking at a press conference at Buula-Low area, 5 Km west of Afgoye town, General Ugadi Kiki, the commander of AMISOM operations in locations between Mogadishu and Afgoye district in Lower Shabelle region of southern Somalia, said that Somali and AU soldiers are preparing an offensive against Bal-ad town, 30 Kilometers north of Mogadishu.

“After securing Afgoye corridor, crowded with internally displaced people, we are just setting up another major attack against the militants remained in Lower Shabelle region- that is our next step of our ‘Free Shabelle Operation’,” said the commander.

Ahlu Sunna welcomes U.S bounty on al Shabaab leaders

08 Jun- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 229 words

Ahlu Sunna administration in central Somali regions has welcomed the recent U.S move to offer millions of dollars in rewards for information leading to the capture of al Shabaab leaders in Somalia. It is the first time the US has offered money for specific members of the group, which announced its allegiance to al Qaeda earlier this year. The group’s advisory committee chairman Omar Sheikh Abdikadir said his administration welcomes the moves, calling it a step forward in the fight against the group.

He said such reward can create suspicion among the rebel fighters and lead to disintegration of the militant group. Omar further said such move could have been taken early enough, adding that the men on the hunt go by different names to disguise themselves.He was reacting to the US state department’s bureau of diplomatic security announcement to offer millions of dollars in rewards for information leading to the capture of al Shabaab leaders in Somalia.

Under its Rewards for Justice programme, the US is offering money for six other key members of Al-Shabaab in a total fund of over $30m. Among those it is seeking are the group’s co-founder Ibrahim Haji Jama, and the Swedish Somali Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, also known as Shongole, who is the group’s financier. Al Shabaab is known to have recruited a number of foreign fighters – many of whom have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Somali cabinet ministers held their ordinary meeting in Mogadishu

07 Jun – Source: Radio Mogadishu/OPM – 241 words

The Somali cabinet ministers have on Thursday convened in their ordinary session under the auspices of the acting Prime Minister who is also the Minister for Trade and Industry. The ministers discussed numerous issues including security matters, constitutional process and the operations of the allied forces.

Minister for defense Hussein Arab Isse briefed the session of the latest operations of the Somali National Army and AMISOM in the regions saying that the allied forces will soon capture the strategic town of Kismayu. Arab also said that a military court has been opened in Afgoye. The court will handle cases of misconduct by the soldiers. The salaries of the soldiers will be due and that 600 soldiers will be trained soon, the minister said.

The State Minister of Internal Affairs who also briefed the cabinet stated that the liberated areas from al Shabaab will soon have police and a semblance of administration in bid to set up control and avoid power vacuum.

Minister for Constitutional Affairs briefed the ministers of the constitutional process. He said that the traditional elders’ meetings are so far on the right truck and that they will soon select the representatives to approve the constitution.

The cabinet issued a warning that no one is allowed to use the national coffers and they should keep aloof of it. The cabinet lastly congratulated the Somali National Army and AMISOM for their victory in the fight against Al-shabab urging them to continue.

Ex PM: Somalia desires independent electoral commission for elections

08 Jun- Source: Shabelle- 122 words

Former TFG Prime Minister Mohammed Abdullah Farmajo, announced on Friday that Somalia wants an independent electoral commission for the upcoming presidential elections in August 20, 2012.

While giving an exclusive interview to Shabelle Media, Mr. Farmajo emphasized the need to set up a sovereign commission tasked to organize free and fear elections by August 20, the end of the current Transitional government and parliament of Somalia.

Lastly, Former TFG Prime Minister Mohammed Abdullah Farmajo, also spoke about the military operations going on in south and central the country against al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants. He welcomed the achievements made by coalition forces of the government army and AMISOM that have jointly reached victory in securing many areas in Somalia.

Kenya shells Kismayo; al Shabaab cordons city

07 Jun – Source: Garowe Online – 192 words

The al Shabaab controlled port city of Kismayo, was shelled by helicopters on Thursday, as Kenyan troops backed by Somali forces attempt to capture the city, Garowe Online reports.

According to local sources in the Lower Juba region, the airstrikes hit three districts under Bardera and Kismayo city. Bulohaji, Sadeh Lugood and Santaro districts were hit heavily by helicopters that belong to the Kenyan military, residents said. There have been no reports of casualties as of yet, but residents suggest that the size of the bombardment could result in many civilian casualties.

In an effort to cripple al Shabaab in Kismayo, Kenya has reverted to strikes from both naval warships and helicopters. Kenyan troops entered Somalia in October of last year, and as of yet have failed to capture the stronghold of Kismayo.

Naval warships patrolling the coast of Kismayo have targeted militant camps and bases in the port city. According to Kenyan military spokesman Emanuel Chirchir, 11 alleged al Shabaab militants were killed after long range naval guns targeted a suspected al Shabaab camp. However residents of Kismayo have expressed concern over the airstrikes which they say led to civilian casualties.

Somali MP lambasts previous governments over embezzlement

08 Jun – Source: Radio Risaala – 213 words

Abdiqadir Sheikh Ismail who had been in parliament throughout the previous governments of Somalia till today said that millions of dollars which were meant to build the country fell into the wrong hands of few who were in power.

The Member of Parliament said that he and his colleges had investigated this corruption and put their findings forward to the current government’s parliamentarian treasurers and suggested further investigation to be undertaken. But up to now the progress of this investigation is unclear since those who were in authority at the time of the corruption refuse to cooperate.

But all their effort was not futile for they were able to lay their hands on some incrementing documents which they used as evidence when they passed the case on to the authority, suggesting that the matter should be discussed in the parliament. Unfortunately the authority kept their silence.

He further stated that this forced them to pass their report to the international authorities who expressed their anger, and therefore the World Bank was able to address and give full details about the mismanagement of public funds in the Istanbul conference.

This comes as public management experts had been expressing doubts on the transparence in the management funds donated by international donors and local organizations.

REGIONAL MEDIA

UN lists Kenya’s buildings as al Shabaab targets

08 Jun- Source: Standard- 326 words

An internal UN security report claims the Kenya police has listed seven buildings including Times Tower, the headquarters for taxman, as being under immediate threat of a terror attack from al Shabaab militant group.The militant group last week threatened to attack Kenya’s skyscrapers within two weeks, a warning that followed a bomb attack along Nairobi’s Moi Avenue killing one person and injuring more than 30 others.

It was the third time al Shabaab has threatened to bomb Kenya after the country sent it troops into Somalia to pursue the militants in October.
The UN report circulated late Tuesday says police are restricting parking at the buildings listed and are screening all people going into them.

War on al Shabaab

07 Jun – Source: Citizen TV – 2:49 min

KDF forces are reported to have bombarded towns near the port of Kismayu as they make progress towards the Somalia port city, that is al Shabaab’s stronghold and economic hub. Fighter jets attacked the towns of Biibi and Fidigos, forcing al Shabaab fighters to flee towards Kismayu, according to sources within the Kenyan military. And as KDF and other AMISOM forces converge towards Kismayu, the U.S. government has offered 2.7 billion shillings for information leading to the capture of al Shabab leaders. Michael Njenga also reports on Kenya’s renewed efforts to enhance homeland security, as the war against the militia reaches a defining moment.

US offers Sh 602 m reward for al Shabaab’s founder

08 Jun – Source: Standard – 269 words

The United States has placed a Sh602 million reward for the capture of al Shabaab founder and Commander Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamud Godane.
According to BBC reports, it is the first time the US has offered money for specific members of the group, which announced its allegiance to al Qaeda earlier this year. Under its Rewards for Justice programme, the US is offering money for six other key members of al Shabaab.

These include, Ibrahim Haji Jama, co-founder, Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, also known as Shongole, financier, who President Barrack Obama’s administration has placed Sh430 million for his capture and arrest. Others with similar amounts on their heads include Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud, military commander and Mukhtar Robow, also known as Abu Mansur, the spokesman.

Last week Kenyan troops together with African Union and Somali government forces captured the town of Afmadow, a strategic militant base in the south of the country. Even though al Shabaab still controls much of the country but is under pressure from Ethiopian troops, pro-government militias and the African Union force, which has US and European funding.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali pirates free 21 Filipino sailors

08 Jun- Source: Shanghai Daily/ Xinhua- 126 words

Twenty-one Filipino crew members of a Greek-owned vessel were released by Somali pirates after eight months of captivity, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday.Their release reduces the number of Filipino sailors held hostage aboard five ships in the Gulf of Aden in Somalia to 45.

The Greek tanker MT Liquid Velvet was released on June 4. It was hijacked by Somali pirates in October last year. “The families of the crew members were already informed by the local manning agency about this development,” said Philippine Foreign Affairs Spokesman Raul Hernandez.

Hernandez noted that MT Liquid Velvet is already sailing toward Salalah, Oman.He said the Philippine Embassy in Muscat will assist the Filipino sailors once the vessel docks at the Port of Salalah.

Somali opens Mogadishu’s first dry cleaners in decades

08 Jun- Source: BBC- 643 words

A businessman has opened a dry cleaners in Somalia’s capital – the city’s only one, and its first since the start of the civil war more than 20 years go.

Mr Sheikh also noticed businessmen would take suits abroad to clean them.

Troops close to taking Somalia out of terrorists’ control

07 Jun – Source: Washington Times – 481 words

African troops are targeting the Somali port city of Kismayo, the last main town controlled by al Shabaab terrorists, after driving the al Qaeda-linked rebels out of strongholds across a nation afflicted by 20 years of instability, war and famine.

African Union troops ran al Shabaab out of Mogadishu in August, but the nearby town of Afgoye allowed the Islamist rebels to control traffic in and out of the capital and extort money from anyone who wanted to enter or leave.

Last week, Kenyan and Somali forces overtook Afmadow, the last main strategic crossroads between AU troops and Kismayo, about 70 miles to the south. Days earlier, Ugandan and Burundian troops had overrun Afgoye.

The town of Hayo also fell last week, with 17 al Shabaab fighters killed there and in Kismayo, according to Kenyan Defense Forces spokesman Emmanuel Chirchir. Al Shabaab still controls large parts of southern Somalia but has been losing ground steadily.

Kenya’s army chief, Gen. Julius Karangi, predicted Kismayo – al Shabaab’s main supply route and tax source – will be taken over by late August.

Turkish column views UN’s “Alliance of Civilizations”, Somalia conference

07 Jun – Source: constitutioncenter – 809 words

Last week, Istanbul hosted two major UN meetings. The Alliance of Civilizations Partners Forum and the Somalia Conference both revealed the challenges and hopes regarding the state of our humanity in the 21st century.

Over 100 states, dozens of nongovernmental organizations, international companies, academics, experts and intellectuals attended the meetings. Both events were opened by speeches by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The Alliance of Civilizations forum, co-chaired by the prime ministers of Turkey and Spain under the UN, seeks to achieve, as I understand it, both “civilization” and “alliance” in a world gone wild by extremisms of all sorts, consumerism, ego-centrism and growing injustices. Civilization is not an abstract concept for academic discussion. It refers to a state of law, ethics and humanity whereby human beings live a free and dignified life. It underlies our fundamental humanity and the need to create conditions in which our potential as rational and moral beings can be realized.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“It is time to break this sterile and corrupt mould of nation-building in Somalia in favour of a process that may actually re-establish political consent and so produce a truly legitimate government. In order to develop such a process, it is necessary to shift the focus from the creation of a ‘government’ to establishing the basis for political consent to a national state.”

Somalia must seize its chance to break sterile and corrupt mould of nation-building

08 June- Source: African Arguments-1886 Words

The impending expiry of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has occasioned an unseemly rush to establish a ‘permanent’, and therefore ‘legitimate’, administration in the country. This forms a severe test for the Somalia Policy of the Western Powers. That is, if we can use the term ‘policy’ to describe the alternating bouts of inertia/neglect and hyperactivity focused upon ill thought-out conferences at which donor representatives deliver bromides exhorting Somali ‘ownership’ of the ‘transition process’ and engage in earnest hand-wringing at the suffering of the people. The salary men TFG officials (paid by the donor countries) nod obediently and promise to deliver governance, even as they jockey for position at the trough of donor contributions.

The simple fact is that the Western Powers would dearly love the Somali Problem to just go away. However, the emergence of al Shabaab (the al Qaeda affiliate in the Horn of Africa) and the pirate gangs prowling the international sea lanes in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, have put paid to the easy option. Thus, the West is forced to seek some sort of ‘solution’.

“The catch 22 imbedded in the Istanbul II declaration is the reconciliation between the tainted and incredible process for ending the transition period of TFG and the expectation for the emergence of new democratic, functional, accountable, and legitimate political dispensation. The leaders accused of pilfering 130 million dollars in two years are in charge of setting up the new democratic political dispensation.”

Message from Istanbul II Conference to the Citizens of Somalia

07 Jun – Source: Hiiraan Online – 1257 Words

The Conference on Somalia which ended in Istanbul, Turkey on June 1st, 2012 has clearly demarcated thepathway to Somalia’s rebirth on the assumption that the Citizens of Somalia are willing and determined to unite and fulfill the first precondition of acomprehensive five (5) points planfor rebuilding the failed state of Somalia.

The first precondition point of the plan is thecreation of national unitywhich will facilitate the implementation of the second point which is theestablishment of a new political systemfor re-erecting state, government and public institutions throughout Somalia. The other three elements of the plan are acomprehensive economic reconstruction, therebuilding of the Somali national security forces, and thelifting the isolation of Somalia.

“The question is political: what kind of franchise should be given to al Shabaab members in the wake of their defeat? If, like Ethiopia in 2006, the Kenyans or the African Union tries to drive al Shabaab into the ground, they can expect just that: an underground “problem” in Somalia, Kenya, and potentially, throughout East Africa.”

Al Shabaab: Where Do They Go From Here?

07 June- Source: The Revealer-522 Words

Ever since Somali President Siad Barre’s government was removed from power in 1991, Somalia has lacked an effective central government. For the past 20 years the country has been sacked by myriad civil wars between competing local clans (see Jeff Sharlet’s 2006 post here for more on the West’s religious proxy wars in the horn), and more recently trans-national wars, including the current one with Kenya.

It would be incorrect to say that Somalia is at war with Kenya, however. Kenyan troops have been fighting, rather successfully, the terrorist group al Shabaab in southern Somalia. Al Shabaab (“youth” or “boy” in Arabic) emerged as an offshoot of the Union of Islamic Courts, which defeated the Ethiopian- and U.S-sponsored rulers of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, in 2006. After the infamous “Black Hawk Down” incident in 1993, the U.S. opted to privately fund African troops (the Pentagon’s budget was $45 million in 2011) and, as in Pakistan, deploy drone strikes that targeted militants. Al Shabaab formally joined forces with al Qaeda earlier this year.

Kenya’s Intervention in Somalia

07 June- Source: Official Blog of Amb. David Shinn

Lesley Anne Warner, Africa analyst in the Center for Strategic Studies at the Center for Naval Analyses in Washington, has written a useful analysis of Kenya’s intervention in Somalia for the most recent issue of PRISM, which is published by the National Defense University. Titled “In Somalia, Kenya Risks Death by a Thousand Cuts,” the author concludes that Kenya will have to expand both the scope and duration of its mission in order to mitigate the range of threats emanating from Somalia.

“Every time Kenya government becomes paranoid with any criminal activity and attributes it to al Shabaab, then Kenya is assisting al Shabaab’s intent. It will not be too late before al Shabaab spins propaganda that they have defeated the Kenyan government. Let us not built al Shabaab where they have not invested, it is important to look for solution elsewhere.”

How Kenya is helping al Shabaab objective

06 June- Source: The Star (Kenya)-750 Words

By attributing every criminal grenade attack to al Shaabab, Kenya is contributing massively to the intentions of the al Qaeda linked al Shabaab. As a terrorist group, al Shabaab requires publicity, recognition and they need their actions to be televised live. Surely, Kenya has fallen to this pitfall, as it vocally attributes the recent grenade attacks to al Shabaab. Sometimes even the al Shabaab themselves do not claim responsibility but Kenya still continues helping in building the reputation of al Shabaab by associating al Shabaab with activities that are at best criminal. As these pronouncements benefit al Shabaab, it is likely to reach a point when Shabaab will be calling the shots and at that time, Kenya would have lost the war on terror.

Attributing recent attacks is Kenya to al Shabaab is a misplaced search for truth. Statements related to Al Shabaab are fueling their propaganda machines, which are taking credit for what they have not planned. Terrorists plan and hit big targets after studying them well. Comparing recent al Shabaab related suicide bombings in Mogadishu, what has been happening in Nairobi or Wajir are child play. Last October, In Mogadishu, suicide bomber at education ministry killed over 70 students and their parents who had gathered to learn about scholarship to study abroad.

Top tweets

@agatume A very interesting and beautiful photo exhibition currently on going at AF Nairobi http://bit.ly/KV3P1c “Mogadishu then and now” #somalia

@mary_harper 1st drycleaner in #Mogadishu #Somalia for a quarter of a century. Until now suits were flown to Nairobi to be cleaned.

‏@NordicAfrica For #Mogadishu residents, a day at the beach brings a sense of newfound liberation after al Qaeda-linked rebels… http://fb.me/1H6uQBAZt

@vkibon An UN security report claims the Kenya police has listed 7 buildings including Times Tower,as unda threat of a terror attack frm #Shabaab .

@itskenyandude As #KDF #AMISOM #EPDF prepare to take#Kismayo, the #US is busy trying to stake a claim.http://bit.ly/NjAalU

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Image of the day

Image of the day Somali youth from Mogadishu districts participate in Music and Songs competition organised by Somali Youth League II. Photo: Radio Muqdisho.