February 12, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Galgudud administration calls for deployment of AMISOM forces in the region
12 Feb – Source: Jowhar Online/ Al Shahid/Mareeg Online – 141 words
Governor of Galgudud region in central Somalia called on the Somali government to deploy troops from the African Union in the region. Ahmed Hassan Iyow said in a statement to the local media that there was a need for the deployment of the AU forces in Galgudud region.
Iyow added that their administration have discussed with Somali government officials regarding the deployment of the peacekeepers in the region to enhance security and stability. Djiboutian forces units within the African Union forces were deployed in the central Hiiran province.
Members of the Somali parliament recently went for an inspection tour to the areas in the province, to assess the security situation and social developments in the region. The Galgudud region witnessed during the past years, fierce battles between Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama`a and the al Shabaab militia linked to al Qaeda.
- Galgudud administration calls for deployment of AMISOM forces in the region (Jowhar Online/ Al Shahid/Mareeg Online)
- Burundi MPs visit Somalia (Daily Monitor)
- Somalia: Second Journalist Detained Without Charge (Human Rights Watch)
- Al Shabaab expels 27 from Galgadud (Bar-kulan)
- Pain of families whose sons joined al Shabaab (Standard Media)
- Puntland Finance Minister explains Yemen petroleum ban (Garowe Online)
- Immigration Service ready to send Somali asylum seekers back (Copenhagen News)
SOMALI MEDIA
Galgudud administration calls for deployment of AMISOM forces in the region
12 Feb – Source: Jowhar Online/ Al Shahid/Mareeg Online – 141 words
Governor of Galgudud region in central Somalia called on the Somali government to deploy troops from the African Union in the region. Ahmed Hassan Iyow said in a statement to the local media that there was a need for the deployment of the AU forces in Galgudud region.
Iyow added that their administration have discussed with Somali government officials regarding the deployment of the peacekeepers in the region to enhance security and stability. Djiboutian forces units within the African Union forces were deployed in the central Hiiran province.
Members of the Somali parliament recently went for an inspection tour to the areas in the province, to assess the security situation and social developments in the region. The Galgudud region witnessed during the past years, fierce battles between Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama`a and the al Shabaab militia linked to al Qaeda.
Al Shabaab expels 27 from Galgadud
12 Feb – Source: Bar-kulan – 96 words
The al Shabaab group in central Somali region of Galgadud has expelled 27 people from the region for allegedly having links with the federal government, according to an Ahlu Sunna group official in the region.
Abdi Hassan Mohamed told Bar-kulan that al Shabaab expelled the 27, among them businessmen, farmers and youths from Ali-Yusuf, Shador and Bargal settlements of Galgadud region.
Mohamed claimed the accused were forcefully sent to Galkayo, Mogadishu and ASWJ controlled areas in central Somalia. The al Shabaab group is yet to officially comment on the expulsion of the locals from their home area in Galgadud.
Somali militants vow to take control of south-central towns
12 Feb – Source: Radio Mustaqbal – 105 words
Somalia’s militant group, al Shabaab has vowed to recapture south-central town of Balcad and Jowhar in Middle Shabelle Region. The militant’s representative for the region, Sheikh Yusuf Isse alias Kaba ku Tukade has confirmed that there plan is to take back control of the towns
“Our fighters now operate parts of the region and dispersed street bandits on some roads in the region,” said the representative He also mentioned that they will deliver Zakah alms in parts of the region. This is coming at a time when AU backed government forces had taken control of Jowhar district in 2012.
Somaliland Vice President receives Turkish trade delegation
11 Feb – Source: Qaran News – 160 words
The Somaliland Vice-President, Abdirahman Abdillahi Ismail “Saylic” received a delegation from the Turkish Commerce Union “Tuskow”. The delegation currently on a fact finding mission in Somaliland were given a tour of several ministries, including, Livestock, Education, Commerce, Agriculture, Water, Civil Aviation and Planning in order to give them a background into possible areas of investment and assistance in Somaliland.
Turkey which has recently come to the fore front on the situation in the Horn of Africa and is keen to get involved in the development of both Somaliland and Somalia. Politically, Turkey has become a major force in the talks between Somaliland and Somalia, and a recent “quasi” talks were held in Istanbul last year.
Puntland Finance Minister explains Yemen petroleum ban
12 Feb – Source: Garowe Online – 327 words
The Puntland government passed a law banning all petroleum imports from Yemen. In an exclusive interview with Puntland Minister of Finance Farah Ali Jama, Garowe Online asks the reasons behind that ban.
Minister Farah can you explain why the Puntland government banned petroleum imports from Yemen?
The law was passed January 24 2013 and the reasons for doing so are many. The economic implications of petroleum being imported from Yemen have affected the market in Puntland. Many businessmen/women have informed the Puntland government of the economic implications of petroleum from Yemen. Small fishing boats that are registered as fishing boats have been found to import petroleum from Yemen without going through the proper channels. These fishing boats are sometimes owned by Somalis or Yemenis and operate in Puntland waters, these boats have begun unlawfully importing and occasionally lawfully importing petroleum.
So how do these boats unlawfully import the petroleum to Puntland?
The boats come into Puntland through the port of Bossaso on occasion or dock on the vast coast of Puntland. The fishing boats that usually bring the petroleum in from Yemen are registered from Puntland as fishing boats but carry petroleum which they bring in without going through the proper channels or tax system. The close proximity between Yemen and Puntland makes it easier for them to bring in the petroleum without being caught. The boats use both Yemeni and Puntland flags whenever it is convenient to do so. They also load the boats with other goods when arriving in Puntland.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Burundi MPs visit Somalia
12 Feb – Source: Daily Monitor – 164 words
Legislators from Burundi who arrived in Mogadishu at the weekend have met Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Speaker of the Federal Parliament Mohamed Osman Jawari.
Speaker Jawari said on Monday, during one of the meetings that the government is happy to establish links with the legislative house of Burundi. Burundi is one of the African nations that deployed troops to Somalia to keep peace under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
Mr Emalein Hakizima, the Chairperson of the Burundian Parliament Defence Sub-committee, stated that the visit would enhance collaboration between the two governments. The ten-man delegation also met President Mohamud at Villa Somalia, the country’s State House in Mogadishu.
Pain of families whose sons joined al Shabaab
12 Feb – Source: Standard Media – 1302 words
Eastleigh’s labyrinth of numerous high-rise buildings bustle with heightened activity as Kenya’s ‘Little Mogadishu’ draws thousands of consumers searching for a bargain.
The roar of traffic and chants by roadside hawkers belie the sense of unease in the area. It was not too long ago that riots raged in these streets over insecurity. Located in the eastern part of Nairobi, Eastleigh estate has a reputation as one the more dangerous places in the city, thanks to the influx of refugees from Somalia, among them an armed and radical element.
Their role in several terror attacks, including the bombing of a Kariobangi-bound matatu last November, has soured relations between Eastleigh residents and their neighbours. In some parts there is palpable fear and unease.
Illicit gun trade barrels ahead in Mogadishu
12 Feb – Source: Al Jazeera – 1027 words
The car barely came to a stop when a hand softly knocked at the tinted passenger seat window. The window rolled down, revealing a tall, skinny figure wearing a half-buttoned, baggy polyester shirt, a red sarong, and pink sandals – and holding a rusty AK-47 in his left hand.
“Seven-hundred fifty dollars,” he said in a firm voice, barely making eye contact, before dropping the fully loaded gun onto this reporter’s lap. Another 10 men came rushing from nearby shops and sheds, each screaming out the price of the weapon they were trying to sell.
To the untrained eye, the scene may have looked like a kidnap-in-progress. In fact, this is the traffic-congested, heavily potholed Zobe area of Mogadishu, a new arms market just a short walking distance from the offices of Somalia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Before the al Qaeda-linked group al Shabaab retreated from Mogadishu, weapons were sold in the open at Bakara Market, the city’s main business hub that was then under their control.
Women’s handball tournament concludes in Mogadishu
11 Feb – Source: Sabahi Online – 267 words
Somalia’s fourth women’s handball tournament concluded in Mogadishu on Friday (February 8th), with the police women’s Heegan team beating Horseed 12-5 at July 1st Stadium..
Thousands of spectators attended the final match between the two teams, including National Olympic Committee (NOC) President Duran Ahmed Farah and Somalia’s first international basketball referee Hajji Mohamed Ahmed Olow.
“Today Somali women are freely back to sport. The peaceful atmosphere here is encouraging an uncountable number of young Somalis, both boys and girls, to show up for sport,” Farah said. “On behalf of the Somali NOC, I promise that we will do our utmost to help the promotion of fully developed sport in our country.”
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia: Second Journalist Detained Without Charge
12 Feb – Source: Human Rights Watch – 184 words
Somali authorities should immediately charge or release Daud Abdi Daud, a journalist who has been in custody since February 5, 2013, Human Rights Watch said today. On February 11, he was transferred from police custody to Mogadishu Central Prison. Daud Abdi, who works for Kulmiye Radio, is secretary general of the Somali Media for Environment, Science, Health, and Agriculture.
Credible sources said that following the February 5 sentencing of another journalist, Abdiaziz Abdinur Ibrahim, and a woman who had alleged rape by the security forces, Daud Abdi spoke out in court, saying that journalists have the right to interview people. After he reportedly added that he would even seek to interview the president’s wife, the police arrested him. On February 6, the attorney general ordered Daud Abdi’s continued detention at the Police’s Central Investigation Department.
“Detaining Daud Abdi without charge is sending a broader message to journalists to stay silent,” said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should charge or release him, but they should not be shutting down free expression by jailing journalists and throwing away the key.”
Immigration Service ready to send Somali asylum seekers back
12 Feb – Source: Copenhagen News – 137 words
Immigration officials are contending that the security situation in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, has improved to such an extent that Somali asylum seekers can be sent back.
Immigration Service (Udlændingestyrelsen) made its decision on the basis of a joint Danish-Norwegian delegation that visited Mogadishu in October 2012, and reported that the Somali capital was safe to the point that rejected asylum seekers would not face persecution if sent back.
”The joint fact-finding mission to Somalia gave us new information that indicated that the security has been vastly improved,” Jakob Dam Glynstrup, the head of asylum at Udlændingestyrelsen, said in a press release. ”There is also a new government in place and a rising number of Somalis are returning home.” Udlændingestyrelsen pointed to Norway, which has already changed its protocol in regards to asylum seekers from Somalia.
Somalia: veterinary help for 43,000 livestock herders in the north
11 Feb – Source: ICRC – 311 words
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), working with the Somali livestock and animal husbandry authorities, has just completed a major animal-health campaign in the north of Somalia.
Around 700,000 head of camels, sheep and goats were examined and if necessary treated for parasites or other health problems in the Togdheer, Nugaal, Sool and Sanaag regions. The campaign benefited over 43,000 people economically dependent on these animals.
Many herders find their livelihoods at risk because a lack of reliable veterinary services, together with conflict-related security concerns and natural disasters, is forcing them to stay on the move.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The embargo must be lifted only, and only if, the government in Mogadishu agrees to create a viable, competent and inclusive national army recruited from all corners of the country. Government must first establish centers of training and military bases in strategically located areas throughout the country.”
Arms Embargo should only be Lifted When Government Creates Viable National Army, Recruited from All Corners of the Country
11 Feb – Source: Somali Page – 1030 Words
It is official. This week’s news is that US government will not oppose if UN arms embargo on Somalia is lifted. In fact US have urged other Security Council members to agree to demands by the newly elected post transitional Somali government in Mogadishu to lift arms embargo on Somalia.
Lifting arms embargo on Somalia will allow the government in Mogadishu to beef up its fledgling and almost nonexistent security forces. If the Security Council grants this government its wish the event will mark the first baby steps of the government to wrest sovereignty away from the armed marauding clannish groupings, religious fanatics and yes even AMISOM.
From that perspective it is good and positive step and many Somalis welcome this new development with great delight. As of today the embargo is still firmly in place. Whether UN Security Council agrees to lift or not is something to be seen.
If and when the arms embargo is lifted, however, existing balance of power within Somalia will be severely disturbed. And if the fallout of this seismic change (in Somali political meter) is not managed with much care or left unchecked there are fears that may lead to a repeat of civil wars of nineties. This is an area of great concern to many Somalis.
“The keys to success lie in keeping up the momentum, clarity in priorities and confidence in the new found Somali capacity to build its own future. The government of Somalia has a plan that will reconcile the nation, build a new federal state, establish the rule of law, ensure transparent financial management and thus provide the assurance to its neighbours that it is no longer an exporter of insecurity but a guarantor of regional stability.”
Somalia is no longer a failed state
11 Feb – Source: The Star/Hiiraan Online – 1081 Words
Few would have expected, a few months ago, that Somalia would supply an example of progress in the struggle to bring a country out of the misery of civil war and destitution. And yet this is the case. Somalia is no longer a failed state. Instead of furnishing the world’s media with terrifying headlines about piracy at sea and bloodshed on the streets, Somalia is providing an example of the old saying, that no news is good news. Working with the European union and other international partners, a new Somalia is defying the cynicism of outsiders. Spoilers may bark but Somalia’s caravan of peace moves on.
How come? In short, we have set out to tackle a number of separate but linked issues. A successful military campaign has succeeded in asphyxiating al Shabaab while, daily, defectors seek to give up violence and find a future in this new Somalia. Piracy in 2012 was 95 per cent down on 2011. Somalis are returning from exile, investing and helping build a new state.
Mogadishu, the capital, is bustling. The aroma of coffee has replaced the whiff of cordite. Militias, once the instruments of warlords, are now negotiating their integration into a national army. Regions that had to survive on their own through twenty years of civil war are now engaged in a debate over how they will become part of a federal system. It is not the stuff of dramatic headlines – but it IS the stuff of human progress.
Is Somalia ever going to get its act together?
11 Feb – Source: Yahoo Answers – 55 Words
All you hear about is war and rape and murder and anarchy over in that area, which is a shame considering that it has a lot of heritage, and its capital Mogadishu used to be so beautiful that people called it The Pearl of the Indian Ocean. Forgive me if I’m making any mistaken assumptions.
Top tweets
@KenRoth #Somalia detains 2nd journalist for complaining of sentencing of 1st for interviewing alleged gang-rape victim: @HRW. http://trib.al/NFlN4m1.
@Hamza_Africa About 15km outside #Kismayo this is where River Jubba meets the Indian Ocean. Extremely beautiful place. #Somalia pic.twitter.com/Wh4k4kvV.
@WilliamJHague Meeting with President of #Somaliland was to prepare ground for conference on #Somalia in London in May.
@KhusaafMan Video : Even after 22 years of war, #Mogadishu still looks beautiful. #Somalia http://goo.gl/gGnTH.
@WFP_Students What’s the impact of @WFP nutrition in #Somalia? Meet one mom who can now give her baby a healthy start to life http://bit.ly/WeZjk4.
Image of the day
Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud ‘Silanyo’ meets with UK Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon William Hague, at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London on 11 February, 2013. Photo: Somaliland.org.