December 18, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Somali, Kenyan troops capture more areas from al Shabaab militants
18 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mustaqbal/Somaliweyn Onile-98 words
Somalia national army (SNA) and Kenya defense forces have Tuesday morning took control of Kudha and Madhawa islands which are some 130 KM (81 miles) to the West of Kismayo. The capture of Kudha and Madhawa was confirmed to Bar-kulan by col. Hassan Makhtal, an SNA commander in Juba regions.
Al Shabaab militants withdraw from Kudha island before the allied forces entered. But there was a fight in Madhawa. Col. Makhtal said the troops are securing the island.
The militant group is being pushed out of towns and villages in southern and central Somalia by SNA and AU forces.
Key Headlines
- Somaliland ready to resume talks with Somalia says foreign minister (Shabelle)
- Somali Kenyan troops capture more areas from al Shabaab militants (Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mustaqbal)
- AMISOM to leave soon says Somalia’s minister of defence (Radio Risaala)
- Government-community coordination meeting held in Garowe (Garowe Online)
- Somalia parliament forms 15 committees (Radio Bar-kulan)
- Al Shabaab member? Not me man now tells court (Daily Nation)
- World must not let up pressure on Somali pirates-NATO (Reuters)
- Weakened al Shabaab regroups in Somalia’s ‘Tora Bora’ (the Star)
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali, Kenyan troops capture more areas from al Shabaab militants
18 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mustaqbal/Somaliweyn Onile-98 words
Somalia national army (SNA) and Kenya defense forces have Tuesday morning took control of Kudha and Madhawa islands which are some 130 KM (81 miles) to the West of Kismayo. The capture of Kudha and Madhawa was confirmed to Bar-kulan by col. Hassan Makhtal, an SNA commander in Juba regions.
Al Shabaab militants withdraw from Kudha island before the allied forces entered.But there was a fight in Madhawa.Col. Makhtal said the troops are securing the island.
The militant group is being pushed out of towns and villages in southern and central Somalia by SNA and AU forces.
Somaliland ready to resume talks with Somalia, says foreign minister
18 Dec- Source: Shabelle- 131 words
The self-declared republic of Somaliland in north Somalia has repeated its readiness to have talks with the Somali federal government. Speaking to the BBC Somali service from Djibouti where both the leader of Somaliland and the president of Somalia are present, the foreign minister of Somaliland Mohamed Abdullahi Omar has reiterated that Somaliland is ready to restart the talks with Somalia which began under the transitional government led by Sheikh Sharif. The minister has said the time and the venue for the resumption of the talks has not been agreed yet.
AMISOM to leave soon, says Somalia’s minister of defence
17 Dec- Source: Radio Risaala- 119 words
Somalia’s Minister for Defense, Abdihakin Haji Mahamoud Fiqi has reiterated that the African Union peacekeepers will leave the country soon and will be replaced by the Somali National Army.
Though the Minister acknowledged that his government receives a lot of military support from AMISOM, he said it was necessary to have a Somali army to take over that responsibility in the near future.
He said building a strong Somali army was facing hurdles due to the fact that the country is still under UN imposed arms embargo.
Mr. Fiqi said efforts were underway to have the Somali army trained and well equipped and once that is achieved, they will resume their responsibility and take over the country’s security matters.
Somalia parliament forms 15 committees
18 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 137 words
Somalia’s federal parliament has on Monday formed 15 committees that will help do its job properly. The members of the committees were selected from the lawmakers. The 15 committees are: Judicial and religious affairs committee, National security and federalism committee, Reconciliation and justice committee, Finance and planning committee, Foreign relations and cooperation committee, National defense committee, Human rights committee, Health, education, labour and sports committee, Rural development and agricultural committee, Natural resources committee, Information culture and communications committee, Infrastructure and energy committee, Economic, Industrialization and trade committee, The committees were endorsed by 155 present members of the parliament. It was the 34th session of the new parliament and was attended by 158 members.
Gunmen kill security officer in Mogadishu
17 Dec- Source: Garowe Online- 104 words
A lieutenant in Somalia security forces was killed by gunmen near the busy Bakara market in Mogadishu on Monday, Garowe Online reports.According to local sources, gunmen shot the lieutenant named Aflow on Monday on a busy street in Mogadishu.
Mogadishu authorities said that gunmen fled the scene after the shooting. The authorities told media that they were investigating the murder of Aflow.
Newly upgraded Somali district starts tax collection process
17 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 111 words
Hanan-bure district in central Somalia, which was recently upgraded in status, has started collecting tax from local residents. Aidid Mohamed Osoble, the commissioner of Hanan-bure told Bar-kulan that the tax is imposed on local goods and market places. Hanan-bure was upgraded to a town by former Somalia’s TFG President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
“Many residents welcomed the move, and hope it will improve the security of the district,”Aidid said. He added that a special police will be formed to collect the tax which will be used to improve security and develop the town. The DC also said his administration has solved disputes between local pastoralist communities who were to fight over water points.
Government-community coordination meeting, held in Garowe
17 Dec- Source: Garowe Online- 218 words
A community meeting was held in Garowe, Puntland regarding security, democratization and youth, and was attended by Governor of Nugal region Abdi Hersi and Puntland ministers, Garowe Online reports.
The meeting on Monday was held in the capital of Puntland and was attended by 250 youth. Governor Ali and Deputy Minister of Labor, Youth and Sports Yusuf Ali Saeed were speakers at the event.
Governor Ali spoke to youth about assisting the Puntland authorities in strengthening security in the region. “We need the youth to support its authorities in strengthening security in every village and every city in Nugal,” said Governor Ali.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Ethiopian FM holds talks with his Norwegian counterpart
18 Dec- Source: Walta Information Centre- 222 words
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Dr. Tewodros Adhanom held talks on Monday with his Norwegian counterpart in Addis Ababa on bilateral and regional issues.
The two Ministers discussed bilateral issues as well as issues related to the two Sudans, Somalia and Eritrea.
Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister, Espen Barth Eide said his country would work to foster international support for Somalia and the peace deals that Sudan and South Sudan have recently reached in Ethiopia.
Foreign Minister Tewodros also held discussion same day with the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibe. The two discussed current issues of Somalia Sudan and South Sudan.
According to ERTA, Dr. Tewodros said Ethiopia would continue the necessary support for the peace and stability of Africa.
Al Shabaab member? Not me man now tells court
18 Dec- Source: Daily Nation- 63 words
A man who had admitted to being a member of Somali terror group al Shabaab has denied the charge before a Mombasa court. Mr Kasim Ali also denied being in a possession of a pistol and eight rounds of ammunition. He is alleged to have committed the offences in December 7at Mombasa County. The court will rule on this bond plea on January 17.
Licensed to kill: The world of Kenya’s elite forces
18 Dec- Source: Daily Nation- 574 words
In 2009, Captain Xavier Omondi of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) led a team of six to the US Army National Guard (ARNG) Warrior Training Center at Fort Benning, Georgia. Their mission was so secretive that not even their closest friends in the military knew about it, and their arrival on US soil on August 8, 2009 was the second time is as many years that Kenyan soldiers had stepped out for specialised Ranger training.
Those six members of the elite mission would, months later, pioneer the Kenyan Pre-Ranger Programme. Both RSF and SF were relatively unknown until Operation Linda Nchi was launched and they were deployed for special operations in Somalia.
Their performance at the war front was so brilliant that President Mwai Kibaki, during the recent Jamhuri Day celebrations, and as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, awarded a number of the outstanding fighters. Among those honoured with a Silver Star (SS) was Captain Boniface Waithaka, the Officer Commanding (OC) Ranger Company that is currently based at Beles Qooqani, Somalia.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
World must not let up pressure on Somali pirates-NATO
17 Dec -Source: Reuters /AP – 561 words
Pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia have dropped sharply this year but piracy remains a viable “business model” and could bounce back if international naval forces in the region are cut back, the outgoing commander of the NATO mission said on Monday.
Hijackings of ships in a vast area of the Indian Ocean off Somalia have dropped to seven in the first 11 months of this year compared to 24 in the whole of 2011, although Dutch Commodore Ben Bekkering said 136 hostages were still being held.
In the past six months, there has been no successful hijacking of a merchant vessel off Somalia, said Bekkering, who has handed over command of NATO’s Ocean Shield anti-piracy force to Italian Rear-Admiral Antonio Natale.
Pirates operating from the Somali coast have raked in hundreds of millions of dollars in ransoms from hijacking ships, leading NATO, the European Union and other nations to dispatch warships to patrol the area. Merchant ships responded with tighter security measures, including greater use of private armed security guards.
Weakened al Shabaab regroups in Somalia’s ‘Tora Bora’
18 Dec- Source: the Star – 937 words
Somalia’s al Shabaab may have fled their southern stronghold, but the group’s fighters are reportedly regrouping in a northern safe haven in the mountainous Galgala region, creating a “Tora Bora-like” environment as they forge closer ties to their al Qaeda counterpart in Yemen.
Intelligence sources that closely track the movement of the Somali group and spoke to the Toronto Star on the condition of anonymity, say fighters have spent the past eight months using small explosives to dig tunnels and bunkers in the mountain range.
Afghanistan’s Tora Bora was the site of the famous battle three months after 9/11, when al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden managed to elude capture and slip into Pakistan.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Several factors, including military and political developments, have indeed aligned to produce in Somalia better security in the short term and possibly better governance in the medium to long term. Moreover, there are coming into place some key circumstances and structures that might allow Somalia to progress gradually toward something like a viable nation-state again.”
Ask the Expert: Africa Center’s Dr. Benjamin Nickels on Somalia and the Way Forward
17 Dec- Source: African Centre for Strategic Studies-1930 Words
Major shifts, both internal and external, have greatly enhanced the likelihood for Somalia to consolidate peace and start rebuilding the country, according to Dr. Benjamin P. Nickels, Associate Professor of Counterterrorism and Transnational Threats at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS). A new president was elected in September 2012, and a new government was installed two months later. The militant Islamist group al Shabaab has been militarily weakened and there is a growing will amongst international stakeholders to put an end to piracy on the Somali coast. In an interview with Serge Yondou, staff writer at ACSS, Dr. Nickels, provides some insights about the status of al Shabaab, efforts to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia, the role of the Somali Diaspora in the country’s transition, and the prospects for peace and stability in the region.
Q: Is al Shabaab definitely out of Somalia?
DR. NICKELS: The ultimate disposition that the terrorist group al Shabaab will assume remains to be seen, but its prospects certainly don’t look good at the moment. From the significant force of a few years ago that was able to effectively control considerable swaths of territory in the center and south of the country, proclaim connections to al Qaeda, and carry out regional attacks, the group has been greatly disrupted and degraded over the past year or 18 months, in terms of reach, capacity, and structure.
“Could a country’s global diaspora not be a lost resource? Instead, could it be the greatest asset available for building a humanitarian response? The ARC puts these questions to the test with the Somali diaspora, and the results may surprise you.”
Diaspora & NGO Partner to Help Somalia, Interview with Daniel Wordsworth
17 Dec- Source: Diaspora Alliance-1319 Words
I recently had the opportunity to interview with Daniel Wordsworth, President of the American Refugee Committee (ARC) about his organization’s “I AM A STAR” program, which serves as a grassroots platform to address famine relief for Somalia by connecting the Somali community with the global community. “I AM A STAR” uses an innovative and collaborative approach to engage the Somali diaspora community and to convene a diverse audience towards humanitarian relief in Somalia.
The ARC is headquartered in metropolitan region that is home to the United States’ largest population of Somali immigrants and Americans of Somali descent: Minneapolis, Minnesota. Working with the local diaspora community, the ARC developed the “I AM A STAR” program 2010. ARC’s model is based on a simple premise: “A country’s global diaspora is not a lost resource but, rather, the greatest asset available in building a humanitarian response in that country.”
Leveraging a range of multimedia tools which include videos, social media, and merchandising, the program has raised awareness and directed support for the people of Somalia. Rather than seeking one-time donations, this campaign utilizes a long-term engagement strategy with those who seek to make a difference in the country. “I AM A STAR” provides a toolkit of innovative ideas for social enterprises and NGOs worldwide to help facilitate grassroots mobilization and results.
Top tweets
@UNPOSomalia #UNPOS hands over technical equipment to the #Ministry of #Information. Watch video http://bit.ly/MfRyFe @UN_DPA @TheVillaSomalia
@amisomsomalia #AMISOM‘s #Uganda Marineshttp://goo.gl/KNL9R at work securing sections of #Somalia‘s coastline! @observerug #UPDF
@Aynte “World Donkey Day” commemorated in #Mogadishu,#Somalia – local NGO billing the event as ‘another sign of peace” lol! pic.twitter.com/D55sSbkE
@UNDPSomalia #Mogadishu police officers receiving their stipends at #Somalia Police HQ. They play a crucial role in keeping peace. pic.twitter.com/0stfLi5A
@IngyIngram Richard Dowden’s recollections of US marines landing in Mogadishu, #Somalia in 1992 launching Operation Restore Hope http://bbc.in/V4oCWD
Image of the day
Somali police officers receiving their stipends at Police Headquarters in Mogadishu. Photo: @UNDPSomalia