December 24, 2012 | Morning Headlines.

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Joint Communiqué issued by Presidents of Kenya and Somalia

22 Dec- Source: Somali News Agency SONNA- 412 words
The two Heads of State held wide ranging consultations on various issues of bilateral and regional interest and at the end of their meeting yesterday on Friday and issued the below communiqué

1. Welcomed the recent political developments in Somalia which culminated in the installation of a new Parliament and Government and congratulated the people of Somalia for this historic milestone.

2. Acknowledged that Kenya and Somalia shared a common destiny and hence the importance of enhancing and deepening bilateral ties between the two countries for the mutual benefit of the two peoples.

3. Emphasized the need for regular bilateral consultations on various issues of mutual concern and interest.

Key Headlines

President Hassan meets Somali community in Nairobi (Radio Mogadishu)
International Agencies to open offices in Beledweyn (Radio Bar-kulan)
Somali defense minister to meets his Kenyan Uganda counterparts (Radio Bar-kulan)
Amnesty opposes State decision to confine refugees (Daily Nation)
Call to extend AMISOM mandate (Daily Nation)
Puntland Forces Safely Rescue 22 Hostages of MV Iceberg 1 (Garowe Online)
Kenya Somalia presidents meet in Nairobi address refugee crisis (Radio Risaala)
Kenya Somalia to revive cooperation pact (Capital news)
Kenyan PM appoints political advisor on Somalia (Standard)

PRESS STATEMENT

Joint Communiqué issued by Presidents of Kenya and Somalia

1. Welcomed the recent political developments in Somalia which culminated in the installation of a new Parliament and Government and congratulated the people of Somalia for this historic milestone.

2. Acknowledged that Kenya and Somalia shared a common destiny and hence the importance of enhancing and deepening bilateral ties between the two countries for the mutual benefit of the two peoples.

3. Emphasized the need for regular bilateral consultations on various issues of mutual concern and interest.

4. Stressed the need to revitalize the Joint Commission for Co-operation (JCC) signed between the two countries in September, 2005 as the key framework upon which bilateral engagements between the two countries will be based on.In this regard, they mandated their respective Foreign Ministers to commence immediately the preparatory work which will culminate in the re-launch of the JCC.

5. Underscored the need to co-ordinate and co-operate both at the bilateral, regional and international levels efforts geared towards consolidation of peace and security in Somalia as well as reconstruction of the country and building of new institutions of governance.

6. Noted with concern the situation of Somali refugees who live in crowded conditions in camps in North Eastern Kenya and pledged to work together and with the international community to come up with modalities for their orderly return to Somalia to rebuild their lives and participate in the development of their motherland.

7. Commended the role of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in the Grand Stabilization Plan for South Central Somalia and other liberated areas and stressed the need to support this process which has been endorsed by the IGAD Heads of State and Government, the African Union and the UN Security Council.

8. Noted with appreciation the role of AMISOM in liberating large parts of Somalia from al Shabaab militants and called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to consider
favourably the extension of the mandate of AMISOM when it expires on 7thMarch, 2013, so that AMISOM can continue helping in the process of consolidation of peace and security in Somalia.

9. Recalled the negative impact on the sub-region of the breakdown of law and order in Somalia over the years and acknowledged as legitimate the consensus and interest of the sub-region in ensuring peace, security and stability in Somalia.

SOMALI MEDIA

President Hassan meets Somali community in Nairobi

23 Dec- Source: Radio Mogadishu/SONNA- 137 words
President of the Somali Federal Government, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held meeting with Somali community at Eastleigh neighboirhood in Nairobi, Kenya where several attacks occurred recently.

President Hassan told Somali people in Nairobi that he was with them in this testing times, adding that his government signed an agreement with Kenyan government during his official travel to ease their problems, according to Somali National News Agency SONNA.

“We Somalia and Kenya agreed to cooperate in the security, strengthen ties between the two governments and return Somali refugees back,” he said.

On the other hand, President Hassan had talks with other diplomats and ambassadors from China and Arab league in Nairobi Kenya.

International Agencies to open offices in Beledweyn

23 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 105 words
Two International Agencies are on January set to open offices in Beledweyn, the main town in Hiran region.
Delegates from United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) and Mine Action visited the town on Sunday and met with the local administration.
Hiiraan Provincial Commissioner, Abdifatah Hassan Afrah told Bar-kulan that the two agencies will bring their services to the people of Hiiraan.
Mr Abdifatah welcomed the move and urged other agencies to follow suit.
Meanwhile, the PC said three of the four soldiers wounded in the Friday grenade attack were airlifted to Mogadishu.
He thanked the Somalia Federal Government for arranging the airlift.

Puntland Forces Safely Rescue 22 Hostages of MV Iceberg 1

23 Dec- Source: Garowe Online- 210 words
Puntland government forces conducting a humanitarian rescue operation have safely rescued 22 hostages on board the MV Iceberg 1 vessel.
Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) units laid siege to the MV Iceberg 1 vessel beginning on Dec. 10 near Gara’ad coastal village of Mudug region and the operation concluded successfully today when all 22 hostages were released, after a two-week period of fighting pirates and laying siege to the vessel.

Somali pirates threaten to kill hostages if ransom is not paid

22 Dec- Source: Radio Risaala-128 words
Somali pirates have threatened to kill all hostages if their demands were not met and ransom not paid on time.
The group had hijacked the Dubai owned vessel, Royal Grace, while it was heading to Nigeria on 2nd March, this year.
At least 17 Indian nationals, 3 Nigerians, Bangladeshi and Pakistani crew members were all on board of this vessel, according to The Nation.

Somali defense minister to meets his Kenyan, Uganda counterparts

23 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 128 words
Somalia defense minister Abdihakin Mohamud Haji Fiqi is set to meet with Kenya and Uganda counterparts in their respective countries.
According to a statement from the ministry of defense, Fiqi will meet with Kenya’s Mohamed Yussuf Haji in Nairobi.
The two ministers are to discuss about their military cooperation and scaling up the AU troops operation in Juba regions.
Afterwards, the minister will depart for Kampala where he will meet with Karisbas Kyongo, Uganda’s defense minister.
“We will discuss about the change in Somalia and how best we can cooperate in defeating al Qaeda and her affiliates in Somalia.” The minister said in the statement.
The minister recently went to Ankara, Turkey and signed a deal on reforming Somali armed forces and a police institution with Turkish government.

Kenya, Somalia presidents meet in Nairobi, address refugee crisis

21 Dec- Source: Radio Risaala-195 words
Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mahamud visited Kenya where he held talks with his Kenyan counterpart, Mwai Kibaki.
The Somali Head of State was accompanied by ministers, diplomats and envoys.
The two leaders held a closed door meeting where they are said to have discussed various pressing issues like the status of the Somali refugees currently living in Kenya, trade, AMISOM operations and other security related topics affecting the East African region.
Later they released a joint communiqué where President Hassan praised his Kenyan counterpart for the crucial role the Kenyan government has played in stabilizing Somalia.
“The two leaders noted with appreciation the role of AMISOM in liberating Somalia from Al-Shabab militants,” the statement read in part.
The two leaders also said that they acknowledge the situation of refugees living in camps that were crowded.
They said they will work with the international community and refugee agencies to find out modalities of returning them to Somalia.
Somalia is more peaceful now, and the two leaders seem to have agreed to relocate these refugee camps to safe areas inside Somalia.
However, this move is strongly opposed by the International Community and the Refugee Agencies.

Somaliland: Riots Rock the Port city of Berbera

23 Dec- Source: Somaliland Press- 173 words
The massive demonstrations have today rocked the port city of Berbera as discontent youth rampaged through the city.
The rioters barricaded all roads leading to and from the port city in an effort to express their dissatisfaction with the President decision to fire the administrator which was based on tribal interest and not national.
Berbera town came to a standstill as thousands of youth burned tires and fought running battles with the riot Police in the major streets of the port city with most business in the town been closed the whole day.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenyan PM appoints political advisor on Somalia

23 Dec- Source: Standard- 158 words
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has appointed Ibrahim Ahmed Rashid as Political Advisor on Somalia. The PM noted the problem of Somalia continues to be a major regional challenge.
“It is my intention to bring the people of Somalia together in order to find a lasting solution to the conflict,” he said.
Rashid who will be a liaison between the PM’s and the Government of Somalia is no stranger to the goings-on in Somalia.

Call to extend AMISOM mandate

22 Dec- Source: Daily Nation- 438 words
Kenya and Somalia have asked the UN Security Council to extend the mandate of African Union troops in the war-torn Horn of Africa country.
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) should also be given more authority to sustain the fragile Mogadishu government in the road to stability, President Kibaki and his Somalia counterpart Hassan Mohamoud said on Friday in Nairobi.
Mr Mohamoud is in the country for a two-day state visit.
Two leaders said Amisom had already contributed to Somalia’s pursuit of peace and that it would be important for the forces to continue staying in Somalia.

Amnesty opposes State decision to confine refugees

23 Dec- Source: Daily Nation- 190 words
The government’s plan to confine Somali refugees and asylum seekers to camps is a “discriminatory and unlawful restriction on freedom of movement,” Amnesty International has said.
In a report released last week, the UK-based international human rights group said that although it recognised that the Kenyan government’s action was a reaction to security concerns across the country, including several bomb attacks in Nairobi, the restriction on freedom of movement was “likely to lead to other serious human rights abuses in already overcrowded, insecure refugee camps.”

Kenya, Somalia to revive cooperation pact

21 Dec- Source: Capital news- 449 words
Kenya and Somalia have stressed the need to revitalise the Joint Commission for Co-operation (JCC) signed between the two countries in September 2005 as the key framework for their bilateral engagements.
In a joint communiqué issued after a bilateral meeting at State House Nairobi, President Mwai Kibaki and Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud mandated their respective Foreign Affairs Ministers to immediately commence the preparatory work which will culminate in the launch of the JCC.
The two leaders maintained that the Joint Commission for Co-operation will go a long way in enhancing their co-operation in security, cross border issues, economic cooperation, trade, immigration, education as well as cultural exchanges.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali troops ‘free’ 22 hostages held by pirates

23 Dec- Source: BBC- 222 words
Twenty-two hostages seized by pirates nearly three years ago have been freed, the authorities in Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland say.
They said their maritime force began the operation to free the hostages – and their ship – nearly two weeks ago.
The hostages are showing signs of having suffered physical torture and illness, their statement said.

Men accused in NY of tie to Somali terror group

22 Dec- Source: wsj/AP- 115 words

Three men who were arrested months ago in Africa have been charged in New York City with training with a terrorist group in Somalia.
The New York Times reports that Ali Yasin Ahmen, Mahdi Hashi and Mohamed Yusuf appeared in a federal court in Brooklyn Friday to face charges that they trained as suicide bombers with the Islamic militant group Al Shabaab.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“A terror-free Somalia should have been the legacy of the U.N. mission in Somalia but now it’s left up to AMISOM to finish what UNOSOM and UNITAF started. AMISOM’s legacy must be the end of the evil scourge of terrorism in Somalia and the promotion of good governance and democratic ideals in the country.”

Lessons Learned Twenty Years After Operation Restore Hope

23 Dec- Source: Wardheernews-1970 Words
Twenty years ago, on December 5th, 1992, the United Nations launched a major peace-enforcement mission into Somalia, approving the deployment of nearly 30,000 troops. The U.S.-led Unified Task Force (UNITAF) was mandated to protect and deliver humanitarian relief into the Southern regions of Somalia, most notably the ‘triangle of death’ (the inter-riverine region) which was the site of one of the greatest tragedies of the Somali civil war, a tragedy that was once again repeated in 2011.

“Sailing just outside Bossaso, we came across a suspiciously overloaded skiff, and so Cornwall despatched a speedboat full of Marines to investigate. A man steering the skiff waved them away, as if to say “nothing to worry about here”, only for the tarpaulin to suddenly ripple, and various people’s heads to start poking out one by one, to see what was going on. It was very clearly a people-trafficking skiff.”

The horror of human trafficking in East Africa: why the Royal Navy is forced to turn a blind eye

23 Dec—Source: Telegraph Blog-530 Words
Bossaso in northern Somalia is a place that does a rip-roaring trade in human misery. A lawless shanty-town-cum-port on the south side of the Gulf of Aden, it’s a centre for piracy, arms trading, drug smuggling and human trafficking, the one feeding off the other in very profitable fashion for local warlords. The UN describes it as one of the main exit points for illegal immigration in the whole of East Africa, with skiffs ferrying migrants across to Yemen, and then returning back equally laden with weapons.