November 6, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Three injured in Nairobi blast
06 Nov – Source: Standard – 118 words
At least three people have been injured in an explosion in Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate. The blast occurred on Tuesday at 7am as people were walking to work at a bridge in First Avenue.
One of the victims John Mutisya, 23, was walking along the bridge when he heard a loud explosion. He was injured on his left eye. Police and Army at the scene have confirmed an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was used but they are yet to know the motive.
St John’s ambulance team is currently at the scene attending to the victims. Roads from Jogoo road to Eastleigh have been blocked. Police have also cordoned off the area of the explosion and no one is allowed.
Key Headlines
- 3 injured in Eastleigh explosion (Bar-kulan/Radio Star FM)
- Welcoming ceremony held for new cabinets in Somalia’s presidential palace (Radio Dalsan)
- Government insists threat to recall troops stands (Daily Monitor)
- Former Somali PM hails new cabinet ministers (Shabelle)
- State Dept. Official Visits Somalia Amid Signs of Recovery (New York Times)
- Puntland Govt Forces Kill Terrorist in Gunfight (Garowe Online)
SOMALI MEDIA
Welcoming ceremony held for new cabinets in Somalia’s presidential palace
06 Nov – Source: Radio Dalsan – 131 words
A ceremony was held at the presidential palace, Villa Somalia in Mogadishu for the newly appointed cabinet ministers. The ceremony was attended by the country’s top officials including the President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, prime minister Mr. Abdi Farah Shirdon and parliament speaker, Professor Mohammed Osman Jawari with clan elders to welcome the appointed ministers. President Mohamoud said that it is necessary to work with the ministers in order to achieve success in the coming four years.
3 injured in Eastleigh explosion
06 Nov – Source: Bar-kulan/Radio Star FM – 125 words
Three people were injured on Tuesday morning in an explosion in Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The explosion, believed to be caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) happened on a bridge at Eastleigh neighbourhood.
The three victims have been taken to a hospital in the city for treatment. The motive behind the attack is not yet known. The incident came days after a police church was attacked in northern town of Garissa near the border with Somalia, killing a pastor and injuring 13 people mainly police officers.
Kenya has seen a number of grenade attacks since sending troops into Somalia mid last year to fight the Islamist al Shabaab militia who had been blamed for several insecurity related incidents in Kenya.
Former Somali PM hails new cabinet ministers
06 Nov – Source: Shabelle – 116 words
Former TFG prime minister Nur Hassan Hussein (Nur Adde) has welcomed the nomination of the new cabinet ministers by Abdi Farah Shirdon, Somali PM on Sunday, after weeks of in-depth consultations with the president and speaker of the parliament.
In an interview with Shabelle Media while he in Roma, Italy Nur Adde called upon Somali people to welcome the cabinet, including the two women—Fauzia Yusuf Haji Adan and Maryam Qasim who are among 10 politicians that comprised the cabinet.
Fozia Yusuf Haji Aden was named Foreign minister and deputy PM, for the first time in Somali history, also marking important milestone in the Somali political process.
Puntland Govt Forces Kill Terrorist in Gunfight
06 Nov – Source: Garowe Online – 127 words
Puntland Government’s Mobile Police Unit killed a terrorist in a gunfight on Monday in Dhahar town of Puntland State. After obtaining intelligence information, Puntland security forces approached Mr. Hassan Ismail Sardheye, 34, at a public location. Armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, he immediately began firing at security forces as they approached to arrest him.
Mr. Sardheye and one civilian were killed in the exchange of gunfire. Mr. Sardheye was a prominent member of al Shabaab group based in Golis Mountain Range and he was among the al Shabaab commanders during the Galgala conflict in mid-2010.
10 killed in Lower Shabelle clash
06 Nov – Source: Bar-kulan – 105 words
At least ten people have been killed in a deadly fight between government forces and al Shabaab militants in an area between Shalanbod and El-waregow on Monday.
The fight occurred after heavily armed militants launched attacked a government military base at the area, sparking a deadly confrontation between the two sides.
A government official told Bar-kulan they were alerted before of the impending militant attack saying that they were prepared to repel the attackers. All the dead were said to be al Shabaab militants. Reports say the attacked officers were heading to Mogadishu where they were transferred to after serving the region in the past few months.
Big rally held in Mogadishu in support of new cabinet
05 Nov – Source: Shabelle/Jowhar Online/Radio Mogadishu/SNTV – 118 words
Hundreds of demonstrators, including women and children took to the main streets in the capital, to show their support of the new cabinet ministers appointed by the Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon.
The rally happened on Monday in Mogadishu’s Hamar-weyne district where crowds chanting slogans and carrying Somali PM’s Posters gathered at a square in the district in support of the 10-member cabinet ministers proposed by Somali PM.
Al Shabaab arrest khat traders in Bardera
05 Nov – Source: Bar-kulan – 97 words
Al Shabaab militants have reportedly arrested 20 people in southwest Somali town of Bardera for allegedly selling khat, a narcotic leaves considered illegal in all militant held areas in Somalia.
A prominent khat trader Abdi Rukow is said to be among those in rebel custody. Area militant leader Barre Qoje reportedly threatened to punish those in their custody for defying the group’s order banning selling and consumption of Khat in the district. Khat is a mild narcotic leaves that is chewed by most of Somali men in and outside the country, but al Shabaab consider it as drug.
Somaliland troops clash with rebels in Hudun
05 Nov – Source: Somaliland Press – 124 words
Fierce clashes broke out on Monday between Somaliland troops and separatist rebels in Sool’s Hudun district, about 60 kilometres north of the main Las Anod town. It is believed several hundred rebels have been stationed in Hudun since June 2010.
Reports in the area said troops repelled an attack by the rebel affiliated with Khatumo state early Monday, inflicting “heavy” casualties. They added the clash lasted less than an hour and the troops, who were in full control, conducting searches in the area.
The situation is said to be tense with many fearing recurrence of further skirmishes in the relatively peaceful district. This is the first incident of violence in Hudun since early this year and has been relatively peaceful compared to other parts of Sool region.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Three injured in Nairobi blast
06 Nov – Source: Standard – 118 words
At least three people have been injured in an explosion in Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate. The blast occurred on Tuesday at 7am as people were walking to work at a bridge in First Avenue.
One of the victims John Mutisya, 23, was walking along the bridge when he heard a loud explosion. He was injured on his left eye. Police and Army at the scene have confirmed an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was used but they are yet to know the motive.
St John’s ambulance team is currently at the scene attending to the victims. Roads from Jogoo road to Eastleigh have been blocked. Police have also cordoned off the area of the explosion and no one is allowed.
Government insists threat to recall troops stands
06 Nov – Source: Daily Monitor – 559 words
Government yesterday said its threat to withdraw troops from Somalia is not political posturing intended to hold troubled Somalia at ransom and stampede the UN into shelving a report implicating the Ugandan military in supporting Congolese rebels.
The state minister for regional cooperation, Mr Asuman Kiyingi, told the Daily Monitor that it was a “matter of time” for government to recall Ugandan peacekeepers from Somalia if the UN continues and adopts the report. “If they think it’s a bluff, let them wait and see. The NRM government does not work like that. When we say something, we do it,” Mr Kiyingi said.
Somali insurgents, who have been chased away from their key bases and the capital Mogadishu, may regroup and overthrow the transitional federal government which has been largely kept in place by the UPDF contingent of AMISOM if Uganda withdrew.
Tough life of NEP’s police officers
06 Nov – Source: Standard – 385 words
A siren on a pole at the Garissa Police Station blares at startling decibels and it can be heard many kilometres away. The moment it goes off, every police officer at the station and the living quarters nearby makes a frenzied dash for firearms and hops into the next available vehicle in the yard in a matter of minutes.
The triggering of the sirens means only one thing these days — an al Shabaab militant related attack has been executed. Since the Islamist group began their terror attacks to protest the Kenya Defence Force incursion against them in Somalia a year ago, being a security officer in North Eastern Province has been a risky affair. This is because the group targets security officers.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
State Dept. Official Visits Somalia Amid Signs of Recovery
06 Nov – Source: New York Times – 424 words
Wendy Sherman, the under secretary of state for political affairs, visited Somalia on Sunday, becoming the highest-ranking American official to set foot in the country in more than 20 years, the State Department announced on Monday.
Ms. Sherman, the No. 4 official in the State Department, met with Somalia’s new president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who was selected in September, and other political and business leaders during her six-hour visit to Mogadishu, Somalia’s bullet-riddled seaside capital.
“Under Secretary Sherman stressed her conviction that Somalia is now a place of hope, not of despair,” the State Department said in a statement.
Medvedev opts for emergency aid to seamen fighting Somali pirates
06 Nov – Source: Voice of Russia/ TASS – 102 words
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has come out for providing emergency aid for the seamen fighting sea pirates off Somalia’s coast. When addressing the ASEM Asia-Europe summit meeting in the Laotian capital Vientiane earlier today, he said this was one of the key issues to discuss.
Medvedev suggested that the international effort to fight the pirates should comprise military escort of merchantmen, as well as joint efforts to free the seized vessels.
Medvedev also suggested continuing consultations on boosting this kind of cooperation and taking a final decision on the criminal prosecution of pirates, since the international community’s mechanism in question remains nonoperational.
Horn of Africa Security Brief
05 Nov – Source: Critical Threats – 580 words
Two suicide bombers killed at least four people and wounded several others in Mogadishu on November 3. Local sources reported that the attack occurred in Hodan district of Mogadishu, an area often visited by government personnel. U.S. nationals of Somali descent from Minnesota continue to fill the fighting ranks of al Shabaab militants in Somalia according to a report by ABC News. As recent as July 2012, two U.S. nationals identified as Mohammad Osman and Omar Ali Farah, left Minnesota to travel to Somalia to join al Shabaab.
Kyle Loven, chief division counsel for FBI’s Minneapolis field office, was quoted as saying, “recruits going to Somalia from Minnesota continue to be a matter of grave concern and the FBI remains fully committed to resolving this situation.” Al Shabaab posted a series of Twitter messages on October 31 stating that Hurricane Sandy is a consequence for rejecting Islam. Al Shabaab added that people should embrace Islam in order to find safety from Hurricane Sandy.
Al Shabaab spokesman Ali Mohamed Rage, also known as Ali Dhere, addressed Uganda’s threat to withdraw from Somalia in an interview on November 2. Rage called the Uganda’s threat to withdraw “purely hypocritical” and “intended to deceive the Ugandan public.” In the same interview, Rage accused the United Nations of trying to colonize Somalia.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The new cabinet, of course, will be approved by parliament. The Somali legislators are going to give the president and his prime minister the chance to rule. The likelihood of Mohamoud’s government being successful hinges on his future willingness to work with people who are neither his friends nor his ideological allies. If President Mohamoud keeps on conducting business as he does now, his administration will be the continuation of another sad chapter of the recent Somali governments.”
Somalia’s New Cabinet Is a Mixed Blessing
05 Nov – Source: Wardheer News – 946 Words
Finally, after a tortuous 27-day wait, Somali Prime Minister has unveiled his cabinet. The features of the new cabinet are the following:
Size
This is the smallest Somali cabinet in history at only 10 members. This is a lean cabinet, perhaps even a malnourished body. President Hassan Sh. Mohamoud was right when he said that many clans may not see themselves represented in it. The previous bloated cabinet ministries were, however, manifestations of tribal representation with no actual power. They gave false hope to many that they were indeed actual wielders of power when in fact many were names on paper.
The government ministries at times did not even have buildings and staff. This new cabinet represents a change in terms of both numeric composition and a consolidation of various portfolios into a single grouping. For instance, combining finance and planning is a smart move. Yet such consolidation also creates problems, for example, blurring certain responsibilities. For instance, education and health both fall under the Ministry of Social Services. Somalia needs two separate cabinets for education and health at this juncture of rebuilding.
Women Representation
Two women have been appointed to the new cabinet, and both have two major portfolios in foreign affairs and social services. The latter ministry is more important than the former due to the major tasks of reconstruction that still lie ahead. Prime Minister Shirdon has made history by appointing Fowsiya Yusuf Haji Adan as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign affairs.
This is the first time that a woman has been selected either as Deputy Prime Minister or Foreign Minister. Having 20% female representation in the cabinet is also a step forward because women now occupy two crucial ministries and hence are not merely token representatives to the political process.
“It makes me personally happy, that things have changed; today, we the Somali women are able to voice out our concerns to the civilized world and to the international community. Yet, one must admit that our voice could not have a meaning, had we been alone in our quest for justice.”
Congratulations: Women as the Way Forward
05 Nov – Source: Hiran Online – 569 Words
With regard to the 30% women’s quota in the Somali new government, for many years we could not balance the equation to seek our rights as women and as intellectuals who deserve to serve their country. Many women were not sure of what steps to take to pursue justice at those difficult days of the unpopular transitional governments.
However, most if not all the Somali women are clear about the Somali men who live in mediaeval times and will not cave in until they overcome all the obstacles that are set to marginalize their political rights in Somalia.
Our new Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ms. Fawsia H Adan is also known as one of the pioneers to stand for Somali Women’s political rights in Hargeysa. I hope through her personal experience she will make a difference and will make her country shine like the stars in the sky.
We welcome her nomination! We also equally welcome Dr. Maryan Qasim’s nomination she is a women beyond compare and we are proud to support them as they take their first steps to implement feasible strategic plans that can bring the much desired and long awaited positive impact to end the suffering of our people to the best of their ability.
“One night, my colleagues and I slept in the open air, solaced with “caano geel” (camel milk) and long lyrical songs. That night I developed a great sense of reverence for this place. I couldn’t help but acknowledge how fortunate I was to be immersed in such beauty — the people, the language, the vast landscape. For just those few moments, I forgot all the anguish and suffering the country has endured in the past 20 odd years of civil war and for that moment I experienced the Somalia my parents once knew.”
From Northern Virginia to Northern Somalia and Back
05 Nov – Source: Huffington Post Blog – 717 Words
A little over a year ago, I left Northern Virginia to travel to the small town of Badhan, situated in the Sanaag region of Somalia. Somalia was a country I belonged to by virtue of my lineage, but that I had yet to experience.
Although born in the U.S., I was three years old when my family fled Somalia. Growing up, I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to live there — especially the Somalia my mother and father would gush about. Somalia had changed over the years as conflict ripped the country apart. While Somalia might not be the country my parents remember, I always knew I would go back to experience it for myself.
I returned to Somalia to intern for Adeso, then still called Horn Relief. At the time, I had just graduate from college, and was working part-time at an architectural firm. The decision to leave my life in the U.S. and travel to Somalia was unequivocal — I just had to go. Here was an opportunity not only to return to my country of origin, but also to be able to give back.
“In my view, in Somali politics, we need a radical change at this time (not religious but political and social) because we have tried to entertain our clan system for the past 21 years but the result was more divisions, conflict, war, injustices and destruction.”
Somalia: Radical Change Needed
05 Nov – Source: Raxanreeb – 819 Words
Yes. There are mixture of feelings regarding the new members of PM Shirdon’s government and how they were selected. Many of us view this is a positive but radical change from 4.5 to 5 and from big cabinet to small cabinet. Others believe this selection does not reflect to the expectation of Somali people and its reconciliation process.
Whatever side you are I do believe that we must be architects of our change. Allah will never change today’s conditions unless we do make efforts to change our conditions toward positive. Allah said: “Truly, God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (Quran 13:11).
Top tweets
@ahmed_yassin1 Former PM of #Somalia #Abdiwelli has declared today #Puntland #President cannot extend his term to one year, election must be 08/01/13.
@Draz_DJ Diplomats on the #U.N. Security Council agree with #US: “#Uganda expected to keep peacekeepers in #Somalia“ http://tinyurl.com/d2zcdlu #Alshabaab.
@Shillinson Somali cabinet announcement was scheduled on the of hefty payment to the MPs. Each got 2000$. Coincidence or trade-off? #somalia.
@AbukarArman #Somalia The 3rd Annual Somali Diaspora Youth Conference. Cultivating Transformational Leadership. Presentation Q&A http://bit.ly/SvRuDm.
@SomaliaNewsroom Shabaab asks Hormuud for funding, temporarily shuts down phone service in Bay region after slow response: http://bit.ly/YA4s7R #Somalia.
Image of the day
Djiboutian military commanders, serving under African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia hold training session for Somali forces in central town of Beledweyne, Hiran region. Photo: Somaliweyn.