February 28, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somalia makes first livestock exports in 22 years

27 Feb- Source: Africa Review-263 Words

Somalia has made its first livestock exports in 22 years as it continued its recovery from decades of internal conflict.
Some 549 head of cattle were loaded onto a ship destined for Oman, according to officials at Mogadishu’s port.
Mr Abdulkadir Sheikh Ismael, the country’s deputy minister for commerce and industry, said the shipment was due to the close links between the new Somali government and traders.
Last year, Somali businessmen established a pre-export livestock facility at Jazeera settlement on the edge of the Indian Ocean, south of Mogadishu.

Key Headlines

PM urges govt troops to be updated well with security ( Shabelle)
EU mulls shifting Somali military training mission from Uganda (KUNA News)
Somalia: IOM presents Guidelines on ‘New Deal Process’ for aid Effectiveness (IOM News)
American al Shabaab fighter urges Muslims to join the ‘fronts’ of jihad (Long War Journal)
Al-Shabaab leader sentenced to death in absentia (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Al-Shabaab says they will renew the fighting in Galgadud province (Radio Kulmiye)
Al-Shabaab releases a new threat to Kenyan government ( Radio Kulmiye)

SOMALI MEDIA

PM urges gov’t troops to be updated well with security

27 Feb – Source: Shabelle – 78 words

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Somalia urges Somali forces to be strong and updated with security issues. The PM said: “yesterday our forces fought shoulder to shoulder with al Shabaab and removed them from Burhakaba which is situated in lower Shabelle”. The prime minister also assured that if the security improves to a high standard, members of the diaspora will come back to the country.

Mogadishu seaport exports livestock for the first time in two decades

27 Feb – Source: Mareeg Online/Radio Kulmiye/SNTV – 152 words

Mogadishu’s main seaport has officially launched the exporting of livestock for the first time in two decades in a ceremony attended by ministers of the Somali federal government and traders, reports said. Manager of Mogadishu seaport Abdullahi Ali Nor said the export of Somali livestock at Mogadishu seaport shows the progress made in the business field, saying it is open for all traders wanting to export cattle, camel and sheep.

Al-Shabaab leader sentenced to death in absentia

27 Feb – Source: Bar-kulan – 127 words

A court in Northeastern Somalia on Wednesday sentenced to death Al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane popularly known as Abu Zubeir who was tried together with other in absentia for allegedly masterminding the 2011 assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Hajji Abdirahman in Bosaso. Sheikh Ahmed Hajji Abdirahman was shot dead on December 5, 2011 by unknown assailants armed with Pistols outside a mosque in Bosaso, shortly after attending Morning Prayer in the mosque. Although no group has claimed responsibility of the assassination, Puntland accused Al-Shabaab rebel group of being behind the incident, a charge repeatedly denied by Al-Shabaab.

Al-Shabaab says they will renew the fighting in Galgadud province

27 Feb – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 98 words

The Chairman of the Galgadud region for al Shabaab Hassan Ya’kub Ali has called for the Galgadud residents to get prepared for a war in which he said that the region will enter a new phase. Sheikh Hassan Ya’kub Ali said some members of al Shabaab went to visit a number of schools located in the province they administer, telling pupils that they will be supervised.

25 arrested in Beledweyne

27 Feb – Source: Bar-kulan – 96 words

Police in the central Somali town of Beledweyne on Wednesday arrested 25 people on suspicion of being Al-Shabaab militant fighters. The suspects, all youth, were arrested inside the town aboard a truck from Mogadishu. The officer commanding area police station Col. Ali Abdi was quoted as saying that some of the suspects claimed they were heading to Puntland and Somaliland in a bid to travel abroad.

Al-Shabaab releases a new threat to Kenyan government

27 Feb – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 141 words

A press release by the movement of the Al-Shabab were explained that when Al-Shabab were administering the areas of the boundaries the Al-Shabaab brought a peace and stability for the residents. The press release also mentioned that the Kenyan government and the somali neighbourhood both had a peace. The news adds that the peace and stability introduced by Al-Shabaab were destroyed by the government of Kenya that crossed its border with Somalia and kenya has started to deploy forced inside Somalia, The press release complained. “Your country were enjoying with peace an stability, there were no Kenyan prisoners kept inside Somalia, so although there is regrets of the decision of your government, your country’s situation is worsening, your economy is falling down, and your security status is failing as it is now getting out of the hand.

REGIONAL MEDIA

EU mulls shifting Somali military training mission from Uganda

27 Feb – Source: KUNA News – 134 words

The European Union is preparing to transfer part of its training mission of Somali security forces from Uganda into Somali capital Mogadishu, Brigadier General Gerald Aherne, the new commander of the European Union Training Mission for Somalia (EUTM Somalia), told a news conference in Brussels on Wednesday. EUTM Somalia headquarters is located in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, and currently training is mainly carried out in Bihanga and Kampala. “The ambition is to migrate part of the mission into Mogadishu and to embrace advising, mentoring and training advice oversight for the Somali security forces in Mogadishu,” he said. Aherne presented to the EU Political and Security committee and to the EU military committee in Brussels this week a draft plan for EUTM Somalia’s new mandate which runs from 1 February 2013 until 31 March 2015.

Somalia makes first livestock exports in 22 years

27 Feb- Source: Africa Review-263 Words

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali Islamists threaten Kenyan voters

27 Feb- Source: AFP/Reuters-306 Words

Somalia’s Al Qaeda-linked Shebab on Wednesday issued a stark warning to Kenyan voters ahead of next week’s general elections, threatening them with a “long, gruesome war”.
The Islamist group argued Kenya was safer when it ruled bordering southern Somalia but stopped short of saying who Kenyan voters should choose in the March 4 polls.
Kenyan troops, who have since become part of the 17,000-strong African Union force fighting the Shebab, invaded southern Somalia in October 2011 to attack the insurgents’ bases after a string of killings and kidnappings inside Kenya.
“If you put a government in place, then be willing to endure the consequences of your actions, for you will bear the full brunt of its follies,” the Shabaab said in a statement.

IOM presents Guidelines on ‘New Deal Process’ for aid Effectiveness

27 Feb – Source: IOM News – 149 words

The Federal Government of Somalia briefed the international community on its priorities for resource allocation and coordination of development partners engaged in state building, at a high level Somalia donor group meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya on Wednesday 20 February 2013. Addressing UN agencies, the World Bank, the European Union, international organizations and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that were present, the Government stressed the need to improve coordination of donor-funded technical assistance programmes across Somalia by creating an overall framework that will bring all partners under one umbrella.

American al Shabaab fighter urges Muslims to join the ‘fronts’ of jihad

27 Feb- Source: Long War Journal-540 Words

A previously unidentified American who fights in the ranks of Shabaab, al Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia, appeared on a videotape and urged Muslims to join one of the numerous fronts of the global jihad.
The American, who is identified as Abu Ahmed al Amriki, is seen on a videotape that was produced by Shabaab’s media arm and posted on jihadist Internet forums on Feb. 25. The video was obtained and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Somalia has made remarkable progress in a short period of time and the UN Political Office remains committed to working with the government of Somalia to strengthen the rule of law and protect human rights, even as we work to facilitate the strengthening of the security sector and promote accountable and transparent governance and promote the dignity of the Somali people. Somalia’s long suffering people deserve nothing less.”

Somalia must strengthen the rule of law and investigate sexual violence

27 Feb- Source: Aljazeera English-531 Words

On February 5, 2013, a court in Mogadishu handed down a one year imprisonment sentence to a Somali journalist and a woman he had interviewed who claimed she had been raped by members of the Somali security forces.
The case itself is most troubling on many levels. Human rights and women’s groups, international legal organisations, media outlets and the donor community at large pointed to a number of irregularities including lengthy pre-trial detention without charge, gaps in access to legal assistance even during interrogation and reliance on Sharia law for sentencing but not for charging the suspects. Monitoring groups also suggested that the trial judge rejected hearing the evidence of three witnesses who were due to testify for the defence of the journalist. The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) said the trial was an attack on press freedom in the country and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay issued a statement stating that the sentence risked seriously undermining the fight against sexual violence.