July 24, 2012 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

UN special envoy to Somalia, ambassador Mahiga says coming parliamentarians extended

23 Jul – Source: All Voices – 156 words

United Nations Special Representative to Somali’s Political Affairs, Ambassador Augustine Mhiga on Monday revealed that the number of new Somali parliament members was 275, as suggested by Somali traditional elders in the capital Mogadishu. Ambassador Augustine, UN special envoy to Somalia, told traditional clan elders that his office and officials of the Somali transitional federal government had agreed to increase the number of parliamentarians to 275 (instead of 225).

Key Headlines

Somali president defends Roadmap signatories (Hadhwanaag Times)
Dispute over constituent assembly delays national summit (Radio Kulmiye)
Galgadud locals urged to fight al Shabaab (Bar-Kulan)
Kenyan security firms said “recruiting” for Somalia’s al Shabaab (The People)
Turkish Red Crescent sets up first playground in Mogadishu (Anatolia News Agency)
Somalia’s Shahab executes three CIA MI6 ‘spies’ (Daily Times)

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali president defends Roadmap signatories

23 Jul – Source: Hadhwanaag Times/Hiiraan Online – 100 words

TFG president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Monday defended the signatories of the Roadmap. He denied charges against the signatories, noting that they were baseless and false allegations. Speaking at the Somali National Television, the president talked the short time for his government tenure and spelled out that the constituent assembly, which currently has a meeting in Mogadishu, will approve the draft constitution.

Galgadud locals urged to fight al Shabaab

23 Jul – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 110 words

Locals in central Somali region of Galgadud were told to fight al Shabaab militant group in order to liberate themselves from the rebel group. TFG’s newly appointed Guri’el District Commissioner Osman Isse Noor said locals in the region should defend themselves from the militant group, who he said is a threat to their lives. Noor added that Somalia will enter what he called “the darkest period in history” if the group is not adversely fought with and cleared out of the country.

Dispute over constituent assembly delays national summit

23 Jul – Source: Radio Kulmiye/Shabelle – 99 words

A dispute continues between Somali elders and the government leadership over draft constitution. Some of the elders responsible to select the approving members of the constitution are currently urging that the draft constitution cannot be approved unless a few points are corrected; these elders also repeatedly accused the leadership of interfering with the constitution affairs.

Puntland gov’t seizes explosives, weapons smuggled from Yemen

23 Jul – Source: Horseed Media – 103 words

Puntland security forces, in collaboration with local communities, seized a boatload of explosives materials and weapons on 20 July 2012 in Alula District, Bari Region. The boat was attempting to smuggle explosives and weapons from Yemen into Puntland State . The confiscated materials consist of: 1 speedboat with two motors; one sack of TNT explosives powder weighing 40 kilograms; two sacks full of wires, fuses and switches and five pistols.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenyan security firms said “recruiting” for Somalia’s al Shabaab

23 Jul – Source:The People (Kenya) – 303 words

Local security companies may be involved in the recruitment of youth to the Al-Qa’idah-linked al Shabaab terror militia, it has now emerged. Credible claims have emerged from among security guards in Nairobi and Mombasa that some of them were being lured into joining terrorist activities due to poor pay. Officials in a security workers union have now appealed to the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) to investigate all security firms to establish whether they were in genuine business.

Two terror suspects charged in Kenyan court

23 Jul – Source: Daily Nation – 454 words

Two suspected terrorists have been arraigned before a Kitale court with a charge of being in possession of ammunition contrary to the penal code. The court heard that Abraham Kemoi Setot, 34, and Caleb Anyela Onyango, 30 were on Saturday night found in possession of two Chinese made stick hand grenades at a room in Kitale Guest House, within Kitale Town with an intention to cause harm. The two denied the charges before Kitale Chief Magistrate Maxwell Gicheru.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

UN special envoy to Somalia, ambassador Mahiga says coming parliamentarians extended

23 Jul – Source: All Voices – 156 words

EU urges Somalia to meet August 20 Deadline for political transition

23 Jul – Source: RTT News – 195 words

The European Union has urged the Somali leadership and all other stakeholders to implement their commitments to end the current transition on August 20, and to demonstrate they are acting in the interests of the Somali people as a whole. At its meeting on Monday, the Foreign Affairs Council welcomed the agreement of the Somali Roadmap Signatories made in Nairobi last month on the final draft Provisional Constitution that will be handed over to the National Constituent Assembly (NCA).

Turkish Red Crescent sets up first playground in Mogadishu

23 Jul – Source: Anatolia News Agency – 101 words

Turkish Red Crescent set up the first playground in Somali capital Mogadishu after 21 years. First playground opened at Cezire Hayat Tent City of Red Crescent following the civil war which has been continuing in Somalia for 21 years. The opening of the playground was made by Red Crescent Chairman Ahmet Lutfi Akar and Somali children on Monday.

Somalia’s Shahaab executes three CIA, MI6 ‘spies’

24 Jul – Source: Daily Times – 120 words

Mogadishu:Somalia’s Al-Qaeda linked Shahaab insurgents have executed three members for “spying” for Western intelligence agencies, officials said Monday.

Two of the men were accused of having in January attached a satellite tracker device to a car used by Al-Qaeda operatives, which was later struck by a missile, killing two. “The three defendants were found guilty of spying one of them worked for the British intelligence agency MI6 and the two others were spying for the CIA,” said Sheikh Abdalla Al-Haq, the Shahaab’s chief judge.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Dozens of American and British citizens, usually of Somali origin, have joined the ranks of the Islamist militia, while officials in both countries worry that al Shabaab members holding US or UK passports could return to carry out a terror attack in those countries, the report said. My question is: Why would a Lebanese man fight for al Shabaab?”

A Lebanese in Somalia

23 July- Source: Now Lebanon Blog-174 Words

What would a Lebanese man do in Somalia? This news story about the al Shabaab militia [publicly] executing three members suspected of spying on the Somali Islamists shows what Lebanese-British Bilal al-Berjawi was doing in Somalia: fighting for the Somalia-based al Qaeda cell.