February 13, 2013 | Morning Headlines.
Hundreds detained following major security crackdown in Mogadishu
12 Feb – Source: Hiiraan Online/Bar-kulan – 95 words
Security forces detained 217 suspects in a major security crackdown in Mogadishu. Security officials say they intend to get rid of armed militants in the capital which is reviving after decades of civil war. “We have arrested 217 suspects, , 18 still remain in custody for allegedly having links with al Shabaab, others were released” said the National security chief Khalif Ahmed Ereg.
Key Headlines
- PM Shirdon meets Burundian MPs visiting Mogadishu (Bar-Kulan)
- Herders al Shabaab clash in parts of Lower Juba (Bar-Kulan)
- Journalist Du’ad Abdi Da’ud released (Radio Kulmiye)
- Karangi praises KDF work in Somalia (The Standard)
- Somaliland “committed ready” to start talks with Somali government (Shabelle)
- An American jihadist in Somalia with few friends left (AFP)
PRESS STATEMENT
Prime Minister urges due process in detention of journalists
12 Feb – Source: Office of the Prime Minister – 146 words
His Excellency Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon today called for due process to be observed both in a forthcoming appeal case and in the detention of a radio journalist in Mogadishu. “We have an independent judiciary in Somalia and although the government cannot and must not be involved in the administration of justice, I am urging due process to be followed at all times.”
The Prime Minister said that the Independent Task Force on Human Rights, which was launched on 5 February and will be looking at human rights abuses committed during the past 12 months, was a big step forward and a clear reflection of the government’s priorities.
“I reiterate my government’s commitment to a free press and freedom of speech. Journalists should feel that they are not alone. It is essential that they are able to work freely and effectively without facing additional difficulties.”
SOMALI MEDIA
PM Shirdon meets Burundian MPs visiting Mogadishu
12 Feb – Source: Bar-kulan/Radio Mogadishu/Jowhar Online – 100 words
Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon on Tuesday hosted a group of Burundian legislators in his office in Mogadishu. The visiting Burundian legislators led by the Chairperson of the Burundian Parliament Defence Sub-committee, Emalein Hakizima, have been in Mogadishu since Sunday. During their meeting with Prime Minister Shirdon, they discussed enhancing collaboration between the two governments. They also discussed security cooperation between the two countries and the current Burundian efforts towards stabilizing Somalia by contributing to AU mission in the country.
Somaliland “committed, ready” to start talks with Somali government
12 Feb – Shabeelle Media – 149 words
Somaliland President Ahmad Muhammad Mahmud Silanyo has told the UK foreign secretary, William Hague, that the break-away region is ready and committed to resuming unity talks with Somalia’s federal government, the website of the privately-owned Shabeelle Media Network reported on 12 February. “President Silanyo told the UK foreign secretary that Somaliland is committed and ready to continue talks with Somali government, which recently got full recognition from the US, the European Union and Britain,” the website said.
A Kenyan police officer shot dead in Mandera ambush
12 Feb – Source: Hiiraan Online/Bar-kulan/Shabelle – 55 words
Gunmen have shot dead a Kenyan police officer in the border town of Mandera. Assailants fled the scene before the police surrounded the area said North- Eastern provincial police chief Charlton Mureithi. “We cannot give further details , police investigations are underway” he added. Witnesses say security forces arrested several people in connection with the attack.
http://www.hiiraan.com/news4/
Herders, al Shabaab clash in parts of Lower Juba
12 Feb – Source: Bar-kulan – 102 words
Al Shabaab militants in Lower Juba region on Tuesday clashed with local herders in Abdi-dore settlement, some 20 kilometres west of Kismayo town, after armed herders attacked the rebel group for allegedly confiscating their animals. Reports say the clash occurred after al Shabaab fighters forcefully took animals from the herders, prompting confrontation between them and the herders who wanted to reclaim back their animals. There are reports of casualties on both side of the fight, but the exact figure could not be established.
Hundreds detained following major security crackdown in Mogadishu
12 Feb – Source: Hiiraan Online/Bar-kulan – 95 words
Security forces detained 217 suspects in a major security crackdown in Mogadishu. Security officials say they intend to get rid of armed militants in the capital which is reviving after decades of civil war. “We have arrested 217 suspects, , 18 still remain in custody for allegedly having links with al Shabaab, others were released” said the National security chief Khalif Ahmed Ereg.
Journalist Du’ad Abdi Da’ud released
12 Feb – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 93 words
After 7 days of detention by the CID, the journalist Da’ud were yesterday released from custody and got his freedom back while he was arrested without sentence.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Karangi praises KDF work in Somalia
12 Feb – Source: Standard Media – 273 Words
Kenya’s Chief of Defence Forces General Julius Karangi has hailed Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) for their role in restoring stability in Somalia. Karangi said Kenya forces involvement in the Somali operation with the UN-backed African Union force Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) had enhanced the country’s territorial integrity and bolstered its image regionally and internationally. He said KDF continue to be a symbol of nationhood with officers drawn from different communities working together in unity.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
An American jihadist in Somalia with few friends left
12 Feb – Source: AFP – 139 words
Once his reputation was of a feared fighter, an American-born extremist who left small town of Alabama to wage war alongside Al-Qaeda-linked Somali Islamists and who called on other foreigners to join. Today, Omar Hamami – better known as Abu Mansoor al-Amriki or “the American” – has split from the insurgents, who want to kill him. He cuts a forlorn figure: homesick, stuck somewhere in Somalia, and telling anyone who will listen about his apparently doomed career path.
U.N. probe shows N. Korean weapons found their way into Somalia
12 Feb – Source: Japan Economic – 295 words
A U.N. investigation has found North Korean-made weapons and ammunition made their way into Somalia, which has been beset by suicide bombings conducted by Islamist insurgents, apparently brought in from Libya, a Security Council diplomat said Monday.
The diplomat cited investigations by the U.N. monitoring group on Somalia and its Horn of Africa regional neighbor Eritrea, tasked with overseeing violations of weapons embargoes mandated by the U.N. Security Council.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Fishermen often catch sharks out to sea which are sold at market and it is not uncommon to see them walking through the streets carrying their catch on their shoulders. Much of the shark meat is dried and salted for export.”
Gone fishing, Somalia style: Man carries his eight-foot shark back through the streets of war-torn Mogadishu
12 Feb- Source: Daily Mail-358 Words
A young Somali fisherman walks nonchalantly through the streets of the war-torn capital Mogadishu carrying an enormous eight foot long shark on his head. With the crumbling and pock-marked buildings in the background a grim and constant reminder of the city’s troubled past, the man is seen making his way to market under a hot African sun to the obvious delight passers-by.