June 12, 2012 | Morning Headlines.
Al Shabaab retakes another central Somali town
11 Jun – Source: Bar-kulan – 118 words
Al Shabaab militants on Monday regained control of Mahas town after Somali forces and their allied Ahlu Sunna militias pulled out of the town which was not defended. Heavily armed militant fighters from al Shabaab entered the town without facing any resistance and set up military bases inside the town, according to locals. Ahlu Sunna official Saney Mohamoud Farah confirmed that they lost the town to al Shabaab fighters after they felt military pressure from the militant fighters pitching tents on the outskirt of the town.
Key Headlines
- Somali cabinet agrees on the formation of a technical selection committee (Bar-Kulan)
- Al Shabaab behead two in El Bur town central Somalia (Shabelle)
- Al Shabaab retakes another central Somali town (Bar-Kulan)
- President Sharif returns to Afgoye amid security tied (Radio Kulmiye)
- Kenyan Equity Bank eyeing Somalia market (Daily Nation)
- Threat sanctions on Somalis who block peace plan (Standard)
- Turkey offers boat for fish to Somalia (Hurriyet Daily News)
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali cabinet nods for the formation of a technical selection committee
11 Jun – Source: Bar-kulan – 135 words
A 36 member technical selection committee (TSC) will soon be set up to oversee the selection of the National Constituent Assembly as agreed in Addis Ababa by the signatories of the Roadmap. The decision was made yesterday in a cabinet meeting in Mogadishu which was chaired by the Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali.
Al Shabaab behead two in El Bur town, central Somalia
11 Jun – Source: Shabelle – 100 words
Two dead bodies with their head ripped off by al Shabaab fighters were found lying in a rebel-held town in central Somalia, witnesses and officials said. El Bur residents said two headless bodies of young boys were seen in early hours on Monday in the heart of the city that are believed to been killed by the Islamist militants.
Al Shabaab retakes another central Somali town
11 Jun – Source: Bar-kulan – 118 words
Al Shabaab militants on Monday regained control of Mahas town after Somali forces and their allied Ahlu Sunna militias pulled out of the town which was not defended. Heavily armed militant fighters from the al Shabaab group entered the town without facing any resistance and set up military bases inside the town, according to locals.
Al Shabaab advances as Ahlusunna retreats in parts of central Somalia
11 Jun- Source: Radio Risaala- 133 words
Ahlusunna forces yesterday abandoned their fixed positions in parts of Mahaas district in Hiraan Province.As reports from the area indicate, al Shabqab forces immediately moved in to occupy the vacated areas of Mahaas. A senior Ahlusunna official, Saneey Mahamoud Farah confirmed the reports that their forces have pulled out of the town and in the process paving the way for al Shabaab occupation.
President Sharif returns to Afgoye amid security tied
11 Jun- Source: Radio Kulmiye/ Radio Mogadishu- 156 words
Somali president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed is returned to Afgoye again only few weeks ago when al Shabaab fighters had stormed ambush to the president’s convoy in Alamada area which lies alongside the Afgoye corridor. The president survived an ambush attack which was very serious when al Shabaab fighters launched the attack against the president as he was returning from Afgoye after addressing the soldiers and other commanders in the Afgoye.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Kenyan Equity Bank eyeing Somalia market
11 Jun- Source: Daily Nation- 187 words
Equity Bank is considering entry into Somalia, as it seeks to expand its regional business.This will make it the first Kenyan company to invest in what was until recently a war-torn country.The bank’s chief executive officer Dr James Mwangi noted that Somalia provides a good opportunity for Kenyan investors, saying the banks will lead the way.
Threat sanctions on Somalis who block peace plan
11 Jun- Source: Standard- 264 words
The United States has threatened to impose sanctions on Somalis who stand in the way of UN-supervised roadmap for peace in Somalia. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson was speaking after making the first visit by a top US official in two decades.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Turkey offers boat for fish to Somalia
11 Jun- Source: Hurriyet Daily News -352 words
Turkey’s trade efforts for defense equipment appear to be taking an unfamiliar turn: bartering with fish. For a generation, Somalia has been a byword for the sufferings of a failed state. It has lurched from disaster to disaster over the last 20 years since the central government was toppled by clan militias that later turned on each other. Year after year, Somalia has been ranked as one of the world’s poorest, most violent countries, plagued by warring militias, bandits, warlords and pirates.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The status quo will still exist and will be the largest obstacle to success. However, with the tide turning against the pirates on many fronts, and the specter of a stronger central government on the rise, even pirate masterminds will see the profitability in abandoning the trade for the increasing economic vitality of progress. There is also the issue of Islamist militants who maintain a rocky relationship with the pirates. While seasteads may resolve many issues like the practice of piracy, I concede that seastead farming off the coast of East Africa may not resolve the issue of jihad.”
How Can Seasteading End Somali Piracy?
11 Jun – Neptune Maritime Security – 705 Words
During the recent Seasteading Conference reports highlighted the benefits of different regions for proposed seasteads. Where some factors were favorable others were not – off the coast of East Africa is environmentally a very favorable location but the issue of piracy makes it forlorn.