October 10, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Allied forces capture Jameeca, near Bur-hakaba
10 Oct – Source: Bar-kulan – 129 words
Somali and African Union forces on Tuesday said they have taken control of Jameeca area, some 12 kilometres east of the rebel held Bur-Hakaba town, Bay region.
Gen. Adan Yabarow of the Somali National Army told Bar-kulan they are now advancing towards Bur-hakaba and hoped to reach there in the next few hours without facing resistance. Al Shabaab militants have reportedly pulled out of the town on Tuesday evening following reports that allied forces were advancing towards them.
Gen. Yabarow said they will continue their onslaught against the militant group in the region until several other districts including Dinsor, Wajid and Tiyeglow will fall. The al Shabaab group has been losing several strategic towns since mid last year following government led offensive aimed at restoring law and order in the country.
Key Headlines
- President Hassan meets with Somalis in Uganda (Radio Kulmiye/Radio Mogadishu)
- Allied forces capture Jameeca near Bur-Hakaba (Bar-kulan)
- KDF mandate in Somalia nearing its end (Standard)
- Tension high in southern Somali port city (Radio Shabelle)
- Kenyan President Kibaki Calls on Somalia to Manage al Shabaab (Citizen TV)
- Somali govt official survives assassination attempt (Shabelle)
- UNHCR lauds establishment of university in Kenya’s refugee camp (Xinhua)
- Ahlu Sunna blames former Somalia’s TFG officials (Radio Mustaqbal)
- Somali humanitarian radio works to alleviate flooding effects (Relief Web)
SOMALI MEDIA
Allied forces capture Jameeca, near Bur-hakaba
10 Oct – Source: Bar-kulan – 129 words
Somali and African Union forces on Tuesday said they have taken control of Jameeca area, some 12 kilometres east of the rebel held Bur-Hakaba town, Bay region. Gen. Adan Yabarow of the Somali National Army told Bar-kulan they are now advancing towards Bur-hakaba and hoped to reach there in the next few hours without facing resistance.
Al Shabaab militants have reportedly pulled out of the town on Tuesday evening following reports that allied forces were advancing towards them. Gen. Yabarow said they will continue their onslaught against the militant group in the region until several other districts including Dinsor, Wajid and Tiyeglow will fall.
The al Shabaab group has been losing several strategic towns since mid last year following government led offensive aimed at restoring law and order in the country.
Tension high in southern Somali port city
10 Oct – Source: Radio Shabelle – 179 words
Tension is high in the southern Somali port city of Kismayo after a disagreement between government troops and the Raas Kaambooni forces. Reports say the Raas Kaambooni group, led by Sheikh Ahmad Islan alias Ahmad Madobe, has “taken control of most of Kismayo”, added the radio.
Government forces have also “set up bases near the city’s airport and port”. There are also “clan militias in the city who fear atrocities from Raas Kaambooni fighters”, the report said.
A spokesman for the Somali military in the region, Ahmad Adan Hirsi Rufle, told the radio that Kismayo “was now in the hands of clan militias. He called on Kenya, Ethiopia and the Somali government to draw their attention to Kismayo which “is no longer in government hands”.
Raas Kaambooni is active in southern Somalia’s Jubba regions and is opposed to the al Qaeda-allied al Shabaab militants. Somali government forces and Raas Kaambooni backed by Kenyan troops captured Kismayo from al Shabab in September this year.
President Hassan meets with Somalis in Uganda
10 Oct – Source: Radio Kulmiye/Radio Mogadishu – 78 words
Somali president met with Somali diasporas and refugees in Uganda after attending Uganda’s national independence day. President Hassan promised Somalis in Uganda to start good governance in Somalia for the next four years of civilian rule. He thanked the Ugandan government and the people of Uganda for their support and contribution to the peace in Somalia.
US journalist fears to be handed to al Shabaab
10 Oct – Source: Shabelle – 95 words
A US journalist held hostage by pirates in central Somalia town said on Wednesday that he fears to be handed to the al Qaeda linked militants of al Shabaab by his current kidnappers.
Micheal Scott, an abducted American journalist in Hobyo town of Mudug region said his captors are planning to transfer him to al Shabaab, if their ransom demand is not paid three days. “I appeal to the news agency i worked for and my government to save me from falling to al Shabaab hand,” he appealed.
Ahlu Sunna blames former Somalia’s TFG officials
10 Oct – Source: Radio Mustaqbal – 193 words
Sheikh Omar Sheik Abdirahman, who is the chairman of Consultative Committee of Ahlu Sunna, the moderate administration in Somalia blamed former Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) officials for not honoring deal ink in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Speaking to Mustaqbal Radio on the telephone, Sheikh Omar said they expect the new federal government to honor it in order to facilitiate collaboration for the common interest of the country.
“We worked with former TFG officials, we know who they are,…we look forward to the new officials leading the new government and see how they deal with us” he said. Ahlu Sunna is part of the administration established in the country as al Shabaab emerged in the country. It has been fighting al Shabaab fighters linked to al Qaeda for the last three years.
Somali govt official survives assassination attempt
10 Oct – Source: Shabelle – 109 words
A Somali official has narrowly escaped an assassination plot to take his life overnight by unknown gunmen in the volatile town of Afgoye, some 30 Kilometres north-west Mogadishu, reports said.
Local sources told Shabelle Radio that assailants armed with AK47 and pistols tried to assassinate Mohamud Elmi Arabey, an official in Lower Shabelle region administration.
“Al Shabaab elements last night stormed my residential house in Afgoye district with the aim of killing me, but my security guards fended them off from the area and I was unhurt in the attack,” the official told Shabelle Media Network by phone.
Guerrilla warfare threatens southern Somali region
10 Oct – Source: Dalsan Radio – 128 words
Al Shabaab fighters have resorted to waging guerrilla warfare against the allied forces of Somali Military and AMSOM in lower Shebelle region of Somalia. Hit and run attacks targeted on the bases of Somali military and AMISOM forces have become constant. In addition, the gunfire exchanged affects the residents.
Afgoye, Merka and the newly seized town of Wanlawayn are the most affected zones. Lower Shebelle region consist of eight districts and the allied forces control only three of them and their surroundings.
Somaliland Information Minister Meets Turkish Delegation
09 Oct – Source: Somaliland Press – 145 words
Somaliland’s Minister of Information Abiib Diriye Nuur (Abiib Timacade) received officials from the Turkish Prime Minister office at his office in Hargeisa. The Turkish delegation who are part of “TIKA, the Turkish International Cooperation and Coordination Agency, which fall under the Turkish Prime Minister’s Office were given a tour of the various departments of the Ministry of Information and National by the Director General at the Ministry of Information Rashid Jibril Yusuf who briefed them on the workings of the Different departments.
Nuur said that he reckoned that the Turkish Foreign Policy toward Africa is not only based on economic and trade objectives but also incorporates a comprehensive approach which includes initiating much needed development through project assistance. He thanked the Prime Minister and the people of Turkey for the brotherly support to Somaliland.
Al Shabaab ambush Somali, AU troops outside Mogadishu
09 Oct – Source: Shabelle – 98 words
Al Shabaab militants on Tuesday ambushed a convoy of military vehicles carrying Somali soldiers and their allied African Union forces outside the capital Mogadishu, reports said. A witness told Shabelle Radio that the ambush took place at Bufow area, just some 100 Km south of Mogadishu as the allied forces were travelling to the port city of Marka, the provincial capital of Lower Shabelle region. There was no information on the figures of the casualties as a result of the fierce fighting that ensued after the ambush.
REGIONAL MEDIA
KDF mandate in Somalia nearing its end
10 Oct – Source: Standard – 263 words
The Kenya Defence Forces’ (KDF) mandate to enforce peace in Somalia ends on October 31 but its future functions in that country will be determined by the current political road map of the new Somali Government.
If the mandate of the KDF together with the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is not renewed or extended, the mission will transit into a Peace Mission, Chief of Defence Forces General Julius Karangi has said.
Karangi said so far KDF and AMISOM occupy 200,000 square kilometres of Somalia after taking over key towns ending with Kismayo, which had been the lifeline of the al Shabaab militia. He said the purpose of the KDF mission in Somalia was to degrade al Shabaab who have been posing a threat to Kenya and safeguard the Kenyan borders.
Kenyan President Kibaki Calls on Somalia to Manage al Shabaab
10 Oct – Source: Citizen TV – 04:20 min
Calls for the managing of al Shabaab threat marked President Kibaki’s first meeting with his newly elected Somalia counterpart during their meeting in Kampala yesterday.
Al Shabaab heads towards dissolution after loss of Kismayo
09 Oct – Source: Sabahi Online – 716 words
Al Shabaab finds itself on the verge of collapse after the group fled the strategic city of Kismayo at the end of September ahead of advancing Somali National Army and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops.
The al Qaeda-allied group lost Kismayo at a time when its top leaders are fighting over power, influence and money, and the group’s fighters are suffering from plummeting morale, particularly those who feel deceived by the group’s senior leadership.
Kismayo is the fifth regional capital that al Shabaab has lost in recent months after Marka ,Beledweyne, Baidoa and Hudur, but Kismayo was the most significant because it was the group’s main stronghold for years and served as a key source of revenue.
Troops not coming home yet, says KDF
09 Oct – Source: Daily Nation – 316 words
Kenyan troops could stay longer in Somalia after the African Union mission’s mandate ends this month, Chief of Defence Forces General Julius Karangi has said.
Saying the troops’ withdrawal would not be delayed unnecessarily, Gen Karangi said the mandate was likely to be extended beyond the October 31 deadline due to the security situation there. He was speaking at the Military Headquarters during a visit by Brand Kenya Board that was delivering 5,000 letters written by pupils and students to the troops in Somalia.
“There is a possibility, and I have no doubt in my mind, there will be an extension depending on the security situation. KDF is not an occupation force, but is there to liberate the Somalis from al Shabaab,” he said.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UNHCR lauds establishment of university in Kenya’s refugee camp
10 Oct – Source: Xinhua – 355 words
The UN refugee agency on Tuesday welcomed the establishment of a university in Dadaab refugee complex for the 470,000 refugees living in northern Kenya.
UNHCR Head of Operations in Northeastern Kenya Dominik Bartsch said the first university campus being set up for the benefit of a refugee community, worldwide, is of enormous importance not only for the population in Kenya’s North Eastern Province but also for the refugees in Dadaab/Alinjugur.
“This is a big leap forwards, it is a win-win situation — a win for Kenya and a win for the refugees,” Bartsch, who was speaking at Tuesday’s official opening of Kenyatta University’s Dadaab Campus said in a statement issued in Nairobi. Dadaab University will receive its first students in January 2013 and is welcoming members of the host community as well as refugees.
Somali humanitarian radio works to alleviate flooding effects
10 Oct – Source: Relief Web – 417 words
As floods in Somalia displace thousands, the IMS-supported Radio Ergo works to reduce possible disasters. Several people have been killed and thousands displaced after heavy rains in central Somalia’s Hiiraan region caused the Shabelle River to burst its banks on September 28.
The IMS-supported humanitarian radio service Radio Ergo is broadcasting special information on how to lessen possible disasters from the floods in the riverine areas of the Jubba and Shabelle rivers.
Somalia: Grappling with road-accidents toll
09 Oct – Source: IRIN News – 475 words
The self-declared republic of Somaliland is grappling with an upsurge in traffic accidents, and officials say the trend will likely continue unless the government puts in place measures to curtail them.
“About 1,251 road accidents [occurred] in 2004 compared to 2,199 in 2011, causing 75 and 142 deaths respectively,” said Abdi Moussa, the Commander of Somaliland’s Traffic Police department.
“Several factors cause the increasing road traffic accidents, including poor driving knowledge, poor roads, overloading passengers and goods, high speeds and lack of road signs,” Mouse told IRIN. Officials say truck drivers ferrying khat, a popular narcotic, are the biggest violators of traffic laws. According to Horn Watch, a local NGO, passengers account for 90 percent of road accident victims, while the rest are pedestrians and drivers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Think of Somalia as a child ruled by irresponsible parents, with the UN as its social services. Jamal Osman asks if the strife-torn country can convince investors it is now ready to look after itself.”
Can 2012 offer a happy ending for Somalia?
09 Oct – Source: Channel 4 – 1034 Words
Since the beginning of the year, Somalis have been saying: “This is our year.” They wanted a change, saw the chance, and overcame the first obstacle. With a new president, prime minister and parliament in place, the situation looks promising for the first time in over two decades.
Somalis are tired of the conflict and are generally willing to solve their differences peacefully. More importantly, the timing couldn’t be better. For decades, with the help of the west, neighbouring countries – especially Ethiopia and Kenya – have been working against the interest of the Somali people.
After all, they funded, trained and armed the rebel groups that overthrew the last functioning government of Somalia, in 1991. And they continue their obstruction by supporting various warlords and clan militias. Simply, they want a weak and divided nation, and to some extent have achieved that. You may ask yourself: why?
“With increased knowledge and a more consistent on-the-ground presence, the aid system in Mogadishu can become more transparent and accountable. And with careful attention, this can lead to better services for IDPs. But the current situation cannot be changed by the humanitarian community alone. Rather, there must be political pressure from the top to mitigate the power of gatekeepers and to hold accountable those who steal aid. Whether Somali leaders can effectively address this problem is an open question.”
Stealing From Those Who Have Nothing: The ‘Gatekeepers’ of Mogadishu
09 Oct – Source: Refugee International – 622 Words
Mogadishu is being revitalized. During the five days I spent in the Somali capital last week, I saw first-hand the city’s development and increasing vibrancy. New businesses are popping up around every corner, local markets are buzzing with commercial activity, and there are traffic jams on the streets again.
But the trauma of the last 20 years is still very much in evidence: the al Shabaab terrorist organization remains a threat, and local political leaders and journalists continue to be targeted for assassination at a devastating rate. With myriad armed militias operating throughout the city, United Nations staff and aid workers rely on heavy security details as they go about their business.
Nowhere are the city’s problems more apparent than in the camps where Somalis displaced by food shortages and fighting cram into every open space. Tens of thousands of new internally displaced persons (IDPs) from southern Somalia began arriving in Mogadishu last year, seeking refuge from famine and drought. They have joined the many IDPs living in the city’s camps for years, due to protracted insecurity and repeated bouts of violent conflict; an untold number have been displaced multiple times.
Kismayo Street Scenes – Video
09 Oct – Source: UNPOS Flickr – 1:30 mins
Somalia’s port city of Kismayo is trying to get back on its feet after the ousting of the al Shabaab militia group that had rule it for over four years. The Somalia National Army (SNA) and pro-government forces with support from AMISOM troops from the Kenyan contingent, captured the port city last week.
Top tweets@UNHCRSomalia Inspiring!! ‘Education is extremely important… the means to development and this is what Somalia needs .” http://bit.ly/TucP46. @UNPOSomalia #UN Envoy #Mahiga meets with new #Somali Prime Minister-designate Abdi Farah Shirdon in #Mogadishu today #UNPOS http://pic.twitter.com/ @dailynation #Kenyan troops could stay longer in #Somalia after the African Union mission’s mandate ends this month http://bit.ly/SOaBNw #Amisom #KDF. @UNOCHA #Somalia: displaced people in Mogadishu receive support through a mobile phone-based money transfer service – http://buzz.mw/-cBL_y. @Ziya_Meral ICG : #Turkey’s presence on the ground in #Somalia is relatively small.. but its contribution is seen as colossal.. http://bit.ly/RcOIW4. Image of the day
|
The UN Special Envoy to Somalia, Dr. Augustine Mahiga , left, shakes hands with new Prime Minister-designate Abdi Farah Shirdon after meeting in Villa Somalia. Photo: UNPOS.