December 17, 2012 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Al Shabaab militants withdraw from Dinsor town

16 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 64 words
Al Shabaab militants have retreated from Dinsor town, their stronghold in Bay region of southern Somalia, according to local residents.
Some residents told Bar-kulan that fighters left the town after Somali army and Ethiopian troops advanced.
Dinsor was under al Shabaab authority for the past four years.

Key Headlines

Somalia President in Djibouti to attend 40th anniversary of Somali writing (Bar-kulan)
AMISOM promises more security for the country (Radio Mustaqbal)
Somalia: Fowziya Summons Envoys for January conference (Somaliland Sun)
Ras Kamboni spokesman denies reports of clashes in Kismayo (Garowe Online)
Car bomb targets AMISOM convoy in Mogadishu (Radio Risaala)
Banana Export Company launched in Mogadishu (Source: Mareeg)
Kenyan President Kibaki honours soldiers for role in war on al Shabaab (Daily Nation)
Somalia minister resigns in protest (Africa Review)
Grenade attack hits Nairobi’s Eastleigh area (BBC)

SOMALI MEDIA

Somalia President in Djibouti to attend 40th anniversary of Somali writing

16 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mogadishu/Hiiraan Online/Jowhar Online- 119 words
Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is in Djibouti to attend the 40th anniversary since the Somali language was written down.
The President is leading a delegation of Somali linguists and other academics to the function which will be held from 17th- 22nd December according to a press statement from the Presidency.
Hassan was quoted by the statement saying he will do a lot to re-establish the use of the written Somali.
He added that it’s for the betterment of the Somali culture and the people’s unity.

Puntland forces seize truck full of goods en route to militants

16 Dec- Source: Garowe Online- 162 words
Puntland forces seized a truck full of supplies allegedly headed to militants cells in the Golis Mountains Thursday night, Garowe Online reports.
The owner of the vehicle and his truck full of medicine, food and boots was apprehended by Puntland forces.
The Puntland authorities said that the owner of the vehicle was under investigation and was apprehended at the Bossaso checkpoint on Thursday.

AMISOM promises more security for the country

15 Dec- Source: Radio Mustaqbal-426 words
African union mission in Somalia (AMISOM) briefed the journalists Saturday on the security situation of the country and the latest successive victories against the militant group al Shabaab which has been losing strategic towns to the government and the African union troops.
Col Ali Aden, AMISOM spokesman, told journalists that African union troops along with Somali national army have scored impressive successes against the group which has been wreaking havoc on the Somali nationals.
The spokesman also pointed out that the capabilities of the Somali national forces have been upgraded after rigorous trainings by the AU forces in Somalia.

Al Shabaab militants withdraw from Dinsor town

Ras Kamboni spokesman denies reports of clashes in Kismayo

15 Dec- Source: Garowe Online/Dhanaan Online- 395 words
Spokesman for the Somalia’s pro-government Ras Kamboni fighter stated that contrary to reports on Friday there were no clashes in the liberated port city of Kismayo, Garowe Online reports.
Many Somali media outlets reported, “heavy fighting” in the city of Kismayo between Somali troops backed by Kenyan forces and al Shabaab fighters.
Abdinasir Seraar, Spokesman for the Ras Kamboni Brigade who were incorporated into the Somali Federal government troops last month, said that the reports were false and that there was no fighting in Kismayo.

Car bomb targets AMISOM convoy in Mogadishu

14 Dec- Source: Radio Risaala/Radio Mustaqbal/Jowhar Online- 95 words
A car laden with explosives was Friday targeted on an AMISOM convoy in Mogadishu’s busy Makka al Mukaramah Avenue.
Eyewitnesses reported that two people were killed and seven others injured. AMISOM troops quickly sealed off the scene as the emergency services quickly responded, ambulances were seen rushing the injured to the nearest hospitals.

Somaliland’s Health Minister, WHO tour Daraweyne district

15 Dec- Somalilandpress-186 words
Somaliland’s Minister of Health and Labour Dr. Hussein Muhumed Mohamed (Hoog) made a working tour to the District of Daraweyne, north of Hargeisa.
The Minister of Health on his visit was accompanied by representatives from the World Health Organization and officials from the Ministry of Health who want to see on a first hand basis the health situation in Daraweyne District.

Somalia: Fowziya Summons Envoys for January conference

16 Dec- Source: Somaliland Sun-486 Words
Somalia’s Foreign minister Fowziya Yusuf has summoned all diplomatic representatives abroad for a consultative meeting to be held in Mogadishu on 10th January 2013.
According to a communiqué dispatched to the ambassadors and consular’s by the foreign minister, the envoys are expected to report on their activities as pertains to the country’s bilateral relations in each of their specific areas of domain.

Banana Export Company launched in Mogadishu

16 Dec- Source: Mareeg-164 Words
In a further sign of return of hope and booming trade in a city not long time dubbed the world´s most dangerous city, a banana export company has been launched in Mogadishu Somalia´s capital city today.
The founders of the new company, Fruit Som say that their plan is to be an umbrella for all Somali farmers so that it can export Somalia´s banana to the outside world.
Sheikh Osman, chairman of Fruit Som company who spoke at the launching ceremony of the company said that the company would bring all Somali farmers particularly those who grow banana under one umbrella.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenyan President Kibaki honours soldiers for role in war on al Shabaab

15 Dec- Source: Daily Nation- 426 words
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki has honoured soldiers for their role in the war against al Shabaab in Somalia.
Also honoured are pilots and crews of a helicopter and aeroplane that crashed outside the war zone while on missions to support Kenya Defence Force operations. The President also honoured commanders and officers currently on a mission to stabilise Somalia after taking over the port city of Kismayu.

Somalia minister resigns in protest

15 Dec – Source: Africa Review/Daily Nation- 269 words

A newly appointed Somalia Minister Mr Abukar Hassan Ali has resigned, citing clan expectations.

The resignation came a day after his appointment as Deputy Minister by the country’s Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon. The PM also nominated 5 state ministers on the same day.

According to Mr Ali, his clan Galje’el deserved more than the position of Deputy Minister of Finance and National Planning.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Grenade attack hits Nairobi’s Eastleigh area

16 Dec- Source: BBC-187 Words
At least one person has been injured in a grenade attack in a predominantly Somali district of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, police say.
Three grenades were thrown from a vehicle towards shops in Eastleigh, witnesses said.
No group has so far said it carried out the attack.
However, the area has suffered previous attacks that officials have blamed on Somalia’s al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militant group.
Kenya says al Shabaab is trying to destabilise the country.

Attempt to free ship taken by pirates

16 Dec- Source: BBC/Radio New Zealand- 62 words
Security forces in the Puntland region of Somalia are trying to free a ship seized by pirates more than two years ago.
A BBC correspondent reports the operation began several days ago.
Three pirates were killed on Tuesday when a pirate boat was intercepted carrying weapons and supplies to the vessel.
Piracy off the coast of Somalia has decreased significantly this year.

Kenyan police step up security in Mombasa after arresting al Shabaab suspects

16 Dec- Source: Xinhua/NZweek-646 Words
Kenyan police beefed up security in the coastal city of Mombasa and its environs on Sunday after four terror suspects were arrested for planning an imminent terrorist attack.
Regional deputy police commander Robert Kitur said the four are trained al Shabaab members who had sneaked into the country from Somalia.
“The four suspects, Adoti Wanjohi Waiganjo, Hamadi Ali, Oril Simiyu and Maingi are on terror radar by both local and international security agencies” Kitur said on Sunday.

Somalia: Potential goldmine for fishermen as piracy declines

14 Dec- Source: IRIN News- 754 words
Rusting hulks of capsized boats decorate the waters around Berbera, a port city in the self-declared republic of Somaliland. Further down Somalia’s coast, pirates raid freighters in the Gulf of Aden. Yet efforts are underway to help Somalis make better use of their 3,300km coastline – the longest on the African continent – by increasing fishing and seafood exports to lucrative markets in the Middle East and Europe.
In 2013, the European Union will spend US$6.5 million to help Somaliland pursue its long-term goal of netting 120,000 tons of seafood each year, the sale of which could generate $1.2 billion in foreign currency.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“From a longer perspective, Somalia may prove to be Turkey’s backdoor into the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. Turkey’s work in Somalia has earned it a reputation in Africa as a generous and effective rehabilitator of broken countries. The more Turkey accomplishes in Somalia, the greater its political capital will be throughout the region, improving its investment prospects and political alliances with countries from Mozambique to Gambia”.

Turkey Shocks Africa

14 Dec- Source: World Policy Institute-5753 words

Late one August night in 2011, Rifat Sarıcaoglu, the head of Turkey’s association of private universities, received a call from the office of the prime minister. Sarıcaoglu had three hours to gather as many university scholarship pledges for Somali students as possible. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was about to fly to Mogadishu, making the first visit to Somalia by a non-African head of state since the country’s last effective government was ousted in 1991, and Erdogan wanted to present a momentous gift.

“The power of education seen through the eyes of a Somali Refugee”.

Surviving Somalia

15 Dec- Source: International Political Forum- 844 words

My name is Faisal Hadj. I left my home, Somalia, in 1991. I remember it was around 11:00 pm when the civil war came to our house, and I was the one who opened the door and let it in.
I saw people with guns, militia, and they had a vehicle, too. They came inside but didn’t talk to me. Instead, they started talking to my dad. The first thing that they asked was “where is the money that you have been keeping for a long, long time?” And he said, “I don’t have any money.” They started shooting him, putting bullets in his chest. Shortly after my mother got very ill and also died. I lost my sister too. I was alone and Somalia was falling apart around me.