April 4, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

More than 40 Somali legislators reach Kismayo

03 Apr – Source: Raxanreeb/Shabelle/Garowe Online – 110 words

More than 40 legislators from Somalia federal parliament are currently visiting the port city of Kismayo in Somalia’s Lower Jubba region where a conference to form a new administration is underway. The MPS numbered 44 have left Mogadishu and reached Kismayo on Wednesday by air as they were warmly received by officials from the interim administration of the region and local elders. The members of the parliament who have reached Kismayo town, mostly from Jubba clansmen will hold meetings with the local administration in Kismayo aimed to show their support to the ongoing Jubbaland formation conference despite the central government opposition to the process which it said as “unconstitutional gathering”.

Key Headlines

Prime Minister on a mission to boost relationship with neighbouring countries( Prime Minister’s Media Office)
Johnnie Carson retires as top US envoy for Africa(Africa Review)
“AMISOM Welcomes Deployment of Sierra Leone Troops”(AMISOM- HQ)
UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict visits Mogadishu(UNPOS)
Main Action Organization starts demining operations in Mogadishu( Radio Shabelle)
Al Shabaab clamps down on big Somali remittances firm(Africa Review)
Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia and its proven success at recruiting Canadians(Global News)
Puntland shuts down three radio stations(Raxanreeb)

PRESS STATEMENT

Prime Minister on a mission to boost relationship with neighbouring countries

03 Apr – Source: Prime Minister’s Media Office – 305 words

Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon today started the first leg of his regional trip to Djibouti with a mission to boost relationship with neighbouring counties and strategic allies in the region.

After concluding the second face of his “Listening Tour” in the country the Prime Minister immediately took a regional tour to Djibouti, Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi and possibly Kenya. Prime Minister stated that the new Somalia highly regards the strong and healthy relationship with its neighbours.

“Time has come to thank and congratulate AMISOM and IGAD member states on their efforts to stabilize the county. Because of their vital peace mission, Somalia is back on track and is ready to play an important role on regional development,” Prime Minister said. “We want to improve our cooperation and discuss with our friends on issues including: regional security, trade, improving human rights, greater partnership and development,” Prime Minister said at a news briefing in Djibouti.

This regional trip titled “Strengthening Relationship Tour” is the Prime Minister’s first trip outside the country since taking office on October 2, 2012. Accompanying with him is the first lady Madame Asha Haji Elmi who is a member of parliament and a long time human rights advocate. This is a high-level delegation and travelling with the Prime Minister are the Interior Minister Abdikarim Hussein Guled, Defence Minister Abdihakim Mohamed Haji Fiqi, and Deputy Minister of Commerce H.E. Mahamed Ali Hagaa.

The Somali delegation was warmly welcome at the Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport by the Djiboutian Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed and was right away transported to the presidential place to meet the President Ismail Omar Gelle. Advanced consultations with Djibouti government are scheduled to take place tomorrow and the delegations are expected to travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Friday this week.

“AMISOM Welcomes Deployment of Sierra Leone Troops”

03 Apr – Source: AMISOM- HQ – 203 words

The African Union Mission in Somalia has welcomed members of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) who have joined AMISOM. An advance team from the Sierra Leonean contingent arrived today in Somalia. The battalion-strong contingent will be deploying shortly into southern Somalia where they will operate alongside the Kenyan contingent.

The Sierra Leonean deployment will permit the Kenyans to withdraw one battalion from the sector as per UN Security Council Resolution 2036 (2012). The Special Representative welcomed the deployment of the contingent and said that their integration into AMISOM signifies the commitment across Africa to stabilizing Somalia, adding that their involvement will be invaluable in consolidating security in south central Somalia.

The Sierra Leoneans will constitute AMISOM’s fifth contingent, after Burundian, Djiboutian, Kenyan and Ugandan contingents. “The contributions made by these African countries for our Somali brothers and sisters are an indication of the importance of this mission to continental and regional security,” the Special Representative said.

The AU Peace and Security Council authorized the integration of a Contingent of RSLAF into AMISOM early last year. Since then AMISOM troops in support of the Federal Government of Somalia have pushed al Qaeda affiliated al Shabaab terrorists from much of south-central Somalia.

UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict visits Mogadishu

03 Apr – Source: UNPOS – 298 words

The United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura, arrived in Mogadishu to raise awareness and discuss ways of addressing sexual violence in Somalia.

SRSG Bangura met with UN officials, civil society partners and a range of stakeholders to listen and learn about the challenges faced in tackling sexual violence. SRSG Bangura’s first trip to Somalia is intended to focus on information gathering to help inform future conversations with the government.

“I decided to make a trip to Somalia because I believe the country is embarking on an important and exciting journey after many years of conflict. I want to offer the support of my office in helping the government achieve its stated goals of building an equitable society in which human rights are respected and communities are free from sexual and gender-based violence,” SRSG Bangura said.

“The government has been engaged in this discussion and has expressed openness to developing a framework of cooperation to address sexual violence,” SRSG Bangura added. At a press briefing in Mogadishu on Wednesday morning, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict also praised Somali journalists covering the subject, stating that they had an important role to play in raising awareness:

“Journalists who research, write and report these stories are an integral part of achieving this goal. Without a free press to investigate and shine a light on these issues so that people know what a devastating problem this is worldwide, we can never hope to eradicate this scourge”.

SRSG Bangura said a team of experts from her office would be deployed to Somalia in July 2013 to work alongside the Police Commissioner and the military to carry out a needs assessment for training and prosecution and would provide assistance as requested.

SOMALI MEDIA

More than 40 Somali legislators reach Kismayo

03 Apr – Source: Raxanreeb/Shabelle/Garowe Online – 110 words

Main Action Organization starts demining operations in Mogadishu

03 Apr – Source: Radio Shabelle – 121 words

This exercise, to clear landmines and other explosives from Mogadishu area, started at former government military bases around Deynile district in Mogadishu. Main Action is the United Nations representative branch that deals with eradication of landmines and explosives around the world. This exercise was conducted by the Somali police and experts from the organization. They discovered several unexploded landmines and other explosive devices. The land mines were confisticated at an open area.

Puntland shuts down three radio stations

03 Apr – Source: Raxanreeb – 112 words

The authorities in Somalia’s northern region of Puntland have ordered closure of three radio stations in its region, a decree from the Puntland ministry of information said on Wednesday. The three local radios namely Radio Daljir, Radio One Nation and Radio Voice of Peace were ordered to close their offices and stop airing programmes around 12:00 pm (local time) alleging that these radios violated the region’s internal media regulation and also threatened the security.

Speaker sends condolence to famous politician’s family

03 Apr – Source: Shabelle/Radio Mogadishu – 77 words

The Speaker of the Federal Republic of Somalia Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari sent his condolences to friends and family of Hassan Mohamed Nur (Shaati Gaduud ) who passed away last night in Germany. The speaker of the federal government said in a statement “Early morning, on Wednesday we received the news that famous politician Hassan Mohamed Nur (shaati Gadud ) passed away at a hospital In Germany. May the Almighty Allah rest his eternal soul in peace”

REGIONAL MEDIA

Johnnie Carson retires as top US envoy for Africa

03 Apr – Source: Africa Review – 141 words

Johnnie Carson, the head of the State Department’s Africa Bureau, formally retired on March 29, ending a 44-year career. Soon after taking office in 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Mr Carson as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. He was the US point-man in Africa during a momentous four-year period that featured the rollback of Al-Shabaab’s control over a large swath of Somalia; the passage to independence of South Sudan; undiminished mayhem in eastern Congo; civil conflict in Mali and the Central African Republic; and economic advances and greater democratic stability in several countries, including Kenya.

Al Shabaab clamps down on big Somali remittances firm

03 Apr – Source: Africa Review – 124 words

Al Shabaab has ordered the offices of largest money transfer company in Somalia closed in areas still controlled by the al Qaeda-allied extremist group. According to information released Monday through somalimemo, a website that supports the radical Islamists, the ban on Dahabshiil was because the Hawala firm had gone against the norms stipulated for businesses operating in its sphere of influence. Hawala is an informal value based transfer system that operates through brokers and handles billions of dollars every year. The firm was also conducting operations that were a security threat, the militants said without elaborating.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia and its proven success at recruiting Canadians

03 Apr – Source: Global News – 133 words

Canada’s top spy says he’s concerned about home grown terrorism as a key risk to Canadian security.

“The radicalization of Canadians continues to be of concern to the service,” reported CSIS director, Richard Fadden to the Senate on February 11th of this year. “CSIS is currently aware of dozens of Canadians – many in their early 20s who have travelled or who have attempted to travel overseas to engage in terrorism- related activities.” One terrorist organization that has been notably successful at recruiting young Canadians is called “Al-Shabaab”. It’s an al Qaeda affiliate in Somalia, mainly comprised of young men. “Al Shabaab were a minority, they were just raising up. But they used that nationalism to gather support from the young,” says Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, a Canadian man who says he once fought alongside al Shabaab.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“One of the reasons Omar’s support as grown is that al Shabaab under Godane has been in retreat. If Shabaab were ascending rather than descending, Omar would likely be alone in his complaints.”

New Season of al Shabaab’s Game of Thrones in Somalia: Hammami’s re-ascension?

03 Apr- Source: Selected Wisdom-1117 Words

A little over a year ago, Andrew Lebovich and I published a short article detailing the plight of Omar Hammami amongst al Shabaab’s Game of Thrones in Somalia. In this March 2012 piece Lebovich and I made several hypotheses:

Hammami’s plea reflected serious divisions inside al Shabaab with Ahmed Godane (Abu Zubeyr) on one side and Mukhtar Robow on the other, likely supported by Sheikh Hassan Aweys.

AQAP was an important conduit to al Shabaab.

Shabaab’s leader Godane killed off old al Qaeda members, namely Fazul, in his attempts to consolidate power in Somalia and become the single conduit with al Qaeda.

Zawahiri overreached officially aligning with Shabaab and entangled al Qaeda with an ally plagued with internal dissension.

Thanks to the revelations published by Omar Hammami, these hypotheses all seem to have some merit, although some evidence is suspect or unconfirmed.