August 24, 2012 | Morning Headlines.
U.S. commander: Al Shabaab weakened
23 Aug – Source: UPI – 126 words
U.S. military assistance to the government of Somalia has helped cut the amount of territory under al-Shabaab control, the U.S. commander in Africa said. Forces from African Union countries have also performed in an “extraordinary” manner, Army Gen. Carter F. Ham told Soldiers Radio and Television during closing ceremonies for Southern Accord, a joint military exercise. ”
Key Headlines
- Turkey pleased after Somali Parliament convenes (Bar-Kulan)
- Al Shabaab is accused of beheading a woman in a rebel-held town (Mareeg)
- Zenawi’s death a blow to fight against al Shabaab (The Star)
- Al Shabaab resorts to selling hyena meat to fund military operations (Sabahi Online)
- Activist group presses Uganda to pull its troops out of Somalia threatens demonstrations (AP)
SOMALI MEDIA
Turkey pleased after Somali Parliament convenes
23 Aug – Source: Bar-kulan – 89 words
Turkey on Wednesday announced that it was pleased to see the new Somali parliament convene as an important step to finalize the period of transition. In a written statement released Wednesday, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said: “We appreciate the efforts of Somali politicians and wish that the election of the members of the Somali parliament takes place in a just and transparent manner in the shortest time possible”.
Al Shabaab is accused of beheading a woman in a rebel-held town
23 Aug – Source: Mareeg Online – 114 words
Officials in Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a (ASWJ) accused al Shabaab of beheading a woman in their stronghold town of Awdiinle, south of Somalia. Yonis Mo’alin, an ASWJ official, confirmed that the woman was taken out from a bus by the militants of al Shabaab as she had been traveling from Bardale en route to Baidoa town; the reason behind her execution is yet unclear.
Gov’t official in custody for guns disappearance in Dusamareb
23 Aug – Source: Bar-kulan – 79 words
Ahlu Sunna administration in central Somalia regions Wednesday detained government’s Dusamareb deputy district commissioner Abdullahi Abdinoor Barre for failing to account for guns under his security after standing for a former Ahlu Sunna militiaman who ditched the group and disappeared with the guns.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Zenawi’s death a blow to fight against al Shabaab
23 Aug – Source: The Star – 134 words
The death of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in a Belgium hospital after months of speculation about his health has dealt a big blow to the fight against Somalia’s al Qaeda-linked insurgent group al Shabaab. Zenawi has been playing a crucial role of incapacitating the insurgent group.
Al Shabaab resorts to selling hyena meat to fund military operations
23 Aug – Source: Sabahi Online – 146 words
Al Shabaab has begun pushing the sale of hyena meat in the southern Somali port city of Kismayo as a means to raise money for its military operations ahead of the impending battle against Somali and allied forces. Somali clerics for centuries have considered the consumption of hyena meat prohibited by Islam since the animal eats the dead flesh of humans and animals.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
U.S. commander: Al Shabaab weakened
23 Aug – Source: UPI – 126 words
U.S. military assistance to the government of Somalia has helped cut the amount of territory under al-Shabaab control, the U.S. commander in Africa said. Forces from African Union countries have also performed in an “extraordinary” manner, Army Gen. Carter F. Ham told Soldiers Radio and Television during closing ceremonies for Southern Accord, a joint military exercise. ”
Activist group presses Uganda to pull its troops out of Somalia, threatens demonstrations
23 Aug- Source: Washington Post/AP – 110 words
A Ugandan activist group is threatening demonstrations if the country’s military doesn’t withdraw its troops from Somalia, where they form the bulk of an African Union peacekeeping force. The threat comes more than a week after three Uganda army helicopters crashed in Kenya en route to Somalia, killing seven soldiers and raising fresh questions about why Uganda has 6,000 troops in the troubled Horn of Africa nation.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Somalia’s corrupt leaders and politicians have found it easy to outmanoeuvre the UN and the international community in the conduct of what locals call ‘business as usual’. Despite claims that they are struggling for peace, democracy, and reconciliation, these leaders and their cohorts continue to use the country’s institutions for personal profit.”
Somali Elections: politicians continue to use country’s institutions for personal profit
23 Aug – Source: African Arguments -784 Words
Somalia’s upcoming permanent government is feted as a model for national reconciliation and good governance. The signatories are largely former militia members, intellectual Diasporans, and members of Puntland and Galmudug states. These corrupt leaders have been quick to set aside their differences in favor of future power sharing, where the bitter pill of sovereignty is bypassed, and the result is mere legal fiction. Doing so helps them to strategize in how to share the potential spoils in post-transitional government, signing away the country’s future in return for personal financial gain.