April 16, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Somali judges need protection from Islamist rebels

16 Apr – Source: Reuters – 115 words

Somalia’s judges and lawyers at the vanguard of judicial reforms need protection from al Qaeda-linked militants, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday after deadly bomb attacks targeted law courts in Mogadishu at the weekend.

The al Shabaab rebel group, which has waged a six-year insurgency to impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law, or sharia, on Somalia, killed about 30 people on Sunday in a wave of suicide bombings and shootings aimed at the courts.

The rights groups described the attacks as a “war crime”. Somalia’s new government has made reforming the judiciary and imposing the rule of law a priority in its campaign to shake off the country’s “failed state” tag.

Key Headlines

Somali government announces security operations to adjust the security of Mogadishu (Radio Mogadishu)
Mogadishu Central Prison boss talks about prison conditions (Radio Ergo)
2500 displaced in south Somalia as security forces pullout (Radio Risaala)
Mogadishu district commissioner escapes bomb blast (Raxanreeb)
Puntland district elections set for June 30th (Garowe Online)
President Silaanyo arrives in London (Qaran News)
Somali refugees reluctant to return due to insecurity: UNHCR (Xinhua)

PRESS STATEMENT

President Hassan condemns the Boston attack

16 Apr – Source: Office of the President of Somalia – 227 words

The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia H.E. Hassan Sh. Mohamud and the Government of Somalia condemns in the strongest possible terms the bombing attack that took place 15th of April 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts, US.

On behalf of the people and the Government of Somalia the President sends his heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families, those who lost lives or were injured in the wake of the cowardly attack on innocent runners and civilians. “Our hearts go out to the families of those who lost their lives and to the victims, including many children, who were horrifically injured.

“Marathons around the world raise millions of dollars for charity and so an attack on innocent athletes, and their supporters, including so many children, is the most depraved and vicious act of cowardice.

“No matter what the motivation or the personal circumstances of the perpetrators, a bombing such as this is designed to instill fear in the world’s population and as such is an act of terrorism.

“However, we shall all come together and we will defeat those terrorists who use violence to pursue their cause. The terrorist, whoever they might be, has no space in our world. “America will awake today stronger than ever, and such attack cannot shake the spirit and morale of the great people of the United States of America.”

197 Somali Police Officers Formally Graduate from a Specialized training in Public Order Management

16 Apr – Source: AMISOM – 289 words

The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and its partners formally closed today a three months training course in specialized Public Order Management facilitated by AMISOM with funding support from the Italian government for Somali Police Officers at the Djiboutian National Police Training Academy. 182 Men and 15 Women successfully graduated from the training which was conducted by 32 Italian Carabinieri trainers and 5 AMISOM Police Trainers.

“The training course ending today represents an important contribution of the African Union, Djibouti and Italy to the process of strengthening the new political dispensation in Somalia”, said H.E Rosso Renzo, Ambassador of Italy to Ethiopia and the African Union.

The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif appealed to the participants to make the most of the training and return home ready to implement their newly acquired skills in improving the security of Somalia.

“The training that you have received will help fill a key gap in the Somali Police Force after years of civil war and armed conflict. I have no doubt that the skills and capability attained during this intensive training will increase your ability to protect civilians and enforce the rule of law on your own,” he said.

On his part the Somali Minister of State for Internal Security, H.E Mahdi Mahamud Ali thanked all parties for their cooperation and support while reaffirming the success of this initiative.

So far, over 1000 Somali Police Officers have been trained by AMISOM Police with support from partners. The skills and knowledge acquired by the officers have been able to make positive and concrete impact towards the improvement of service delivery by the Somali Police Officers to the public.

Progress in Somalia will not be derailed by terrorists, Prime Minister declares

15 Apr -Source: Prime Minister’s Media Office – 409 words

His Excellency Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon today vowed the government would continue restoring peace and security to Somalia, despite the futile efforts of its enemies to stand in the way of progress. Visiting the Mogadishu Courts complex and the Madina Hospital to speak to those who had been wounded in the attack, the Prime Minister repeated his condolences to the victims and said national security remained the country’s number one priority. He promised the government would be taking the fight to Al Shabaab.

“We cannot and will not let this despicable attack derail us from our programme of reform. Yesterday was a tragedy but security has been this government’s greatest priority and its greatest success. There will be absolutely no let-up on this front. I have ordered a security and intelligence investigation to understand how this happened and we are tightening security around key infrastructure.”

The Prime Minister said the latest figures were 29 dead with 58 injured. He said those killed in the terrorist attack would be honoured with a state funeral. There were seven wounded in a serious condition and the government was seeking urgent advanced medical assistance for them. The presence of several experienced foreign fighters among the attackers was a clear demonstration that this was an international, not just a Somali conflict.

“We are concerned about the foreign involvement in this attack and this is why we are working so hard with our international partners on security and intelligence sharing. Once again we see that terrorism is an international problem. Countries with far greater resources than ours are having to face this fight.” Calling on the public to be vigilant and cooperate with security forces, whom he praised for their effective response, the Prime Minister said Al Shabaab was at is weakest point and had been reduced from controlling most of Mogadishu to conducting sporadic guerilla operations. It was, by its own admission, in retreat and decline.

“Our enemies are suffering from a complete collapse of morale from loss of territory, loss of support and loss of fighters. Don’t just take my word for it. Listen to what Al Shabaab itself is saying. A day before the attack they published an Open Letter to Al Qaeda’s leadership – I advise anyone interested to read it. It reveals the desperate crisis they are facing and the huge internal divisions that are decimating their ranks. This letter has already been described as ‘Al Shabaab’s death certificate’.”

SOMALI MEDIA

AMISOM should take over our security, says Somalia chief justice

16 Apr – Source: Raxanreeb/Radio Bar-kulan/Shabelle – 270 words

Somalia Supreme Court Judge Aydiid Abdullahi Ilkaxanaf has asked the African Union forces [AMISOM] to take over the security of Somali court judges following Sunday’s deadly attack on the main court’s building for which the extremists of al Shabaab took responsibility.

Speaking a day after the attack, the country’s chief justice recalled how he survived the most serious assault in the capital since the Islamist group was forced out in 2011. “I managed to hide myself inside a small room in the courtroom. It took two hours before the security forces saved us.” Aydiid Ilkaxanaf said in the first radio interview with the state-run radio.

He said he did not use his cellphone during the two-hours attack in order to prevent the attackers targeting him. “I would never thought about such an attack, but I had always my feeling towards the negligence of security at the courts building. There were no enough security guards. ” he added.

Mr. Ilkaxanaf blamed the African Union forces in Mogadishu for not taking care of the security of the country’s judiciary. “AMISOM only cares about the security of the political institutions of the government. I would say AMISOM should take our security” he raised.

Somali government announces security operations to adjust the security of Mogadishu

16 Apr – Source: Radio Mogadishu/SNTV/al Shahid/Universal TV – 130 words

Somali government announced that the Somali security forces will start an extensive operation to adjust the security of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, after the recent attacks in Mogadishu on Sunday, killing more than 20 people and injuring others.

Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said in a statement to reporters in Mogadishu yesterday evening that the Somali government is doing its best to adjust the security of the capital, Mogadishu.

He added that Somali Special Forces will start a range operations in parts of the capital Mogadishu and beyond, and it is believed that the attackers set off them. The Prime Minister called the Somali people to help the Somali security authorities in their operations against al Shabaab.

Mogadishu Central Prison boss talks about prison conditions

16 Apr- Source: Radio Ergo- 489 words

An outbreak of cholera was reported among inmates at Mogadishu’s central prison in the city’s Hamar Jajab section in March. A number of prisoners died in the outbreak, which turned the spotlight on the poor health and hygiene conditions in the biggest prison in the country.

Mohamed Hussein Ahmed, the prison administrator, was interviewed by Radio Ergo in Mogadishu. He was asked first what happened when cholera broke out behind the bars:

MHA: There was an outbreak of cholera in this is correctional facility, caused by the hot temperatures. The ministry of health of the federal government, and aid agencies dealing with health issues, were quick in responding to the emergency, and their efforts were successful. Now, the situation is under control.

Ergo: Are there still any cases of cholera or diarrhea in the prison? And since the start of the outbreak until now, how many people died and how many were hospitalized from it?

MHA: The disease is still here, but not as prevalent as before. Military doctors and nurses are doing their best to improve the sanitation in the prison. Since the start of the outbreak to date, four people died and eight others were hospitalized.

Ergo: How many inmates are there in the prison now?

MHA: The actual number of inmates in the prison cannot be determined, because new convicts are brought in and others are released all the time, so I don’t have an exact figure that I can give you

Ergo: As you said, there is a congestion problem in the prison, how many inmates are there in each cell?

MHA: The overcrowding will end. We have forwarded reports [on the matter] to the government and we expect it will embark on building incomplete sections of the prison facility, and making renovations. This would include the juvenile rehabilitation section and the remand section. The cells are of different sizes and vary in space; each cell accommodates a prescribed number of inmates depending on the capacity for it.

2500 displaced in south Somalia as security forces pullout

16 Apr – Source: Radio Risaala – 282 words

UN and international humanitarian aid agencies in Somalia say thousands of families have been displaced in the southern town of Hudur massive pullout of security forces. In its latest humanitarian bulletin on Somalia, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that in the month of March, 2,500 people fled Hudur in Bakool region after Ethiopian and Somali troops withdrew on the 17th of March. “We have recorded 2700 displaced families so far. The figure is bound to rise as the situation worsens. All these families fled from Hudur following the massive pullout of Ethiopian and Somali forces”.

The report says that aid agencies have only been able to distribute limited humanitarian supplies, mostly by air. Now the UN says it’s unable to reach out the needy families due to an economic blockade imposed by al Shabaab fighters. “Now with the pullout there is absolutely no way these people can receive aid from agencies. The al Shabaab will not allow UN agencies access to these poor families and therefore we forecast a possible humanitarian crisis for many families in South Somalia and especially those in Bay & Bakool region”.

Humanitarian partners report that the livelihood programs in Bakool and Bay may be harmed by insecurity. Bay is one of the regions considered as a breadbasket for Somalia but humanitarian experts fear the planting and harvest season could be affected if the situation deteriorates.

Mogadishu district commissioner escapes bomb blast

16 Apr – Source: Raxanreeb – 122 words

A district Commissioner in the Somali capital, Mogadishu has narrowly escaped a roadside bomb explosion targeted his vehicle during anti-al Shabaab demonstration on Monday, RBC Radio reports.

Heliwaa district commissioner, Omar Abdulle Jacfan confirmed that a landmine hit his 4WD car shortly after he returned from a public gathering that denounced the extremists’ attack on Somali courts building in Mogadishu on Sunday which killed at least 32 people.

“I heard a heavy explosion at the backside of my car after I left the demonstration scene at the district office, but luckily none of my team was hurt.” the district commissioner said. “I am almost safe, even my car was not damaged.” he added. “We will not stop eliminating the anti-peace elements.” the commissioner vowed.

Puntland district elections set for June 30th

15 Apr – Source: Garowe Online – 109 words

The Transitional Puntland Electoral Commission (TPEC) stated that the Puntland district elections will take place on June 30th. TPEC Chairman Mohamed Hassan Barre who gave a press conference on Monday in Garowe stated that the district elections have been delayed until June 30th. Initially scheduled for May, the TPEC Chairman said that after evaluations the commission decided to reschedule the date.

“After extensive evaluations, we [TPEC] reached a decision to reschedule the Puntland district elections for the 30th of June 2013,” said Chairman Barre. After the decision, Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole endorsed the rescheduling of district elections, circulating a Presidential decree for the elections date.

President Silaanyo arrives in London

15 Apr – Source: Qaran News – 81 words

The President of Somaliland, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud “Silaanyo” has arrived in the United Kingdom on an unannounced visit. The president arrived from Turkey where he held talks with the head of the government in Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

According to sources, the president is expected to meet with senior UK figures during his visit, and there are unconfirmed reports that the United Kingdom government hopes to persuade Somaliland to attend the London Conference on Somalia scheduled for May 2013.

REGIONAL MEDIA

India’s ‘dhow’ shipbuilders sunk by anti-piracy rules

16 Apr- Source: .Kuwait times/AFP- 287 words

Shailesh Madiyar forlornly surveys the giant shipyard in the Indian port of Mandvi. A place synonymous with wooden boat-building for centuries, it now lies largely deserted. “Four years ago, around 20 ships were being made at any one time, now there are just two,” says Madiyar, of the Mandvi shipbuilders’ association.

“These days, no more than five or six are made in a year,” he said, gesturing towards around a dozen half-built boats which have been shored up like carcasses after construction was abandoned. Mandvi stands on the banks of the Rukmavati river which flows into the Arabian Sea. A sleepy town located in western Gujarat state, it’s a place where shipbuilding and sea trading have traditionally gone hand in hand. But both industries have been pummelled by a ban from sailing in the pirate-infested waters off Somalia, once a lucrative trading destination.

The restriction on certain Indian-registered vessels was introduced in 2010 shortly after Somali pirates captured eight boats from Gujarat and almost 100 Indian crew members in a flurry of attacks over a period of several days. Small cargo boats, or ‘motorised sailing vessels’, are now prohibited from sailing south of Oman, effectively blocking trade not only to Somalia but other African countries such as Kenya and Tanzania, as well as Yemen.

Kenya varsity to set up campus in Somaliland

15 Apr – Source: Business Daily Africa – 158 words

Mount Kenya University has been awarded an interim letter by the Somaliland government to set up a campus in the country, making it the first institution from Kenya to have its operations there.

Somaliland is a democratic and stable country that broke away from Somalia in 1991 and it is located in the horn of Africa. Somalia, on the other hand, has been rocked by civil war and piracy. Mount Kenya University chairman Simon Gicharu said the institution wanted to make a footprint in the East African region as part of its expansion strategy.

He however said the first step would be the introduction of English literacy programmes that will eventually open more avenues for other programmes that will redefine the country’s learning model.

Somali refugees reluctant to return due to insecurity: UNHCR

15 Apr – Source: Coastweek/Xinhua – 700 words

The number of Somali refugees willing to relocate back home has decreased due to insecurity in some parts of the Horn of Africa nation, the UN refugee agency said on Thursday.

In its latest report released in Nairobi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the refugees living in northern Kenyan camp are particularly reluctant to return to areas where Ethiopian troops pulled out and which have been taken over by Al-Shabaab.

“No increase was noted in the number of refugees interested in the service provided by the Return Information Desks. Refugees expressed concerns over security in Somalia specifically naming incidents on the way and Ethiopian troops’ withdrawal from Xudul and its immediate takeover by Al-Shabaab,” the report said.

The UN refugee agency said the Somalis are also expecting more information on the assistance package that may be available in 2013 before formally approaching UNHCR.

Swedish Patrol Vessel Joins E.U. Somalia Anti-Piracy Naval Force

15 Apr – Source: Coastweek – 723 words

Swedish Ocean Patrol Vessel (OPV) HSwMS Carlskrona joined the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta, in Djibouti. HMS Carlskrona is a 106 meter long OPV with a crew of 139, including the boarding team and helicopter crew. She is a former flagship of EU NAVFOR (2010) and has re-joined the EU’s counter-piracy operation off coast of Somalia.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali judges need protection from Islamist rebels

16 Apr – Source: Reuters – 115 words

Somalia: New Al-Shabaab Attacks are War Crimes

16 Apr – Source: Human Rights Watch – 583 words

The attack on the court consisted of a suicide bombing followed by additional explosions, and several assailants stormed the court complex shooting live rounds. Shortly afterward a car bomb detonated hitting several cars carrying Turkish aid workers on the airport road several kilometers from the court complex. An al-Shabaab spokesman who claimed responsibility for the attacks told the media that the court was a legitimate military target as they were ruling contrary to Sharia, or Islamic law.

“Al-Shabaab’s attacks on a courthouse and aid workers’ convoy show utter disregard for civilian life,” said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director. “The laws of war protect all civilians and civilian buildings from attack, and courthouses are no exception.”

The laws of war, which are applicable in Somalia, protect civilians and civilian objects from deliberate attack. Government buildings, such as courthouses, that are not being used for military purposes are protected civilian objects. Aid workers are also protected as civilians. People who order or commit deliberate attacks on civilians or civilian objects are responsible for war crimes, Human Rights Watch said.

The number of fatalities from the attacks has continued to rise. Medina Hospital, one of the city’s main hospitals, told Human Rights Watch that it received at least 18 bodies and 4 people died at the hospital. International and Somali media reported that at least 30 people died and dozens were wounded.

Injured Red Crescent personnel brought in Turkey from Somalia

16 Apr – Source: Anatolia News Agency – 78 words

Three personnel of Turkish Red Crescent who were wounded during the bomb attack in Somalia were brought in Turkey by an ambulance plane late on Monday. The plane landed in Ankara’s Esenboga Airport at 11:20 p.m.

Kenan Kongur, Murat Demirbas and Fatih Celik, who earlier had received the first aid from Doctors Worldwide’s Turkish volunteer doctors, were in good health. They were transferred to Ataturk Training & Research Hospital.

UNICEF says genital mutilation on decline in Somalia

16 Apr- Source: CTV News – 132 words

UNICEF has been working with community leaders in northern Somalia to try to change attitudes toward female genital mutilation.

Susannah Price, a spokeswoman for UNICEF, said the figures are encouraging but that progress is slow. She credited changing awareness among religious leaders and increased awareness of the health risks the practice poses to girls as reasons behind the decline. Tuesday’s survey also found that the literacy rate among women is on the rise.

Somali militants threaten more attacks after killing 30

15 Apr – Source: Reuters – 588 words

Somali militants linked to al Qaeda warned on Monday of further attacks in the capital, a day after killing at least 30 people in a wave of coordinated bombings and shootings that exposed the fragility of security gains in Mogadishu.

African peacekeeping troops blocked streets and searched houses across the city at dawn to flush out suspected members of the Islamist militant group al Shabaab, which claimed responsibility for the strikes.

But the rebels warned of more attacks and taunted the Mogadishu government, which they consider a Western stooge, over its trouble securing the city as Somalia struggles to emerge from more than two decades of conflict and anarchy.

Mogadishu attack a ‘show of force’ by Shebab: analysts

April 16 – Source: AFP – 771 words

A spectacular attack Sunday by Shebab Islamists in Mogadishu, unprecedented in Somalia in terms of its operational complexity, has enabled the extremists to show they remain a serious threat. Though they are widely described as severely weakened, the attack by the Al-Qaeda linked militants shows that the authorities have not restored security to Mogadishu as they like to claim.

Nine assailants, wearing police or army uniforms and likely all wearing explosive belts, attacked the main courthouse in the Somali capital. Three of them blew themselves up to clear the way for the six others, who took hostages and started battling the Somali and African Union troops guarding the courthouse. The gunfight lasted for several hours.

Thirty minutes into the attack, as military reinforcements were arriving and the wounded were being evacuated, a car bomb was detonated in the zone. The attack, which left at least 34 people dead, is the bloodiest since October 2011, when more than 80 people were killed some two months after the Shebab abandoned fixed positions in Mogadishu.

Female genital mutilation down

April 16 – Source: AP – 122 words

A new survey from Somalia says the practice of female genital mutilation is on the decline. The survey released Tuesday by UNICEF and the governments of Somaliland and Puntland found that 25 percent of girls ages 1 to 14 have undergone the practice, compared to 99 percent of women. UNICEF has been working with community leaders in northern Somalia to try to change attitudes toward female genital mutilation.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“For better or worse, we are now facing reality and we should come in terms with the outcome of the Ankara meeting and get prepared for the change and the way forward. Not the way Somalia wants and not the way Somaliland wanted. It is somewhere in between and that is the future shape of the Horn of Africa”.

The fourth point of Ankara Communiqué by Somalia/Somaliland Carries the Weight

16 Apr – Source: Hiiraan Online – 583 words

I would like to express my earnest gratitude to the Turkish Government for hoisting the Somalia and Somaliland Governments dialogue which has been finalised in Ankara on 13 April 2013. All the members in the dialogue for Somaliland and Somalia which led have been by the two presidents; Hon. Ahmed M Mohamoud (silanyo) and Hon. Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud also deserve compliments.

The fourth point of the communiqué prompted me to write is short analysis or comment to the effect that this agreement may entail in the setting of Somaliland and Somalia both in the short and long term.

From my point of view the seven points of the communiqué of Ankara Agreement between Somalia and Somaliland, the fourth point of the agreement that reads ‘Agreed to encourage and facilitate the international aid and development provided to Somaliland’’ is the master key of the new door of the Horn and to me at least it has the interpretation of endorsing and accepting the powers of the Federal Government of Somalia over Somaliland and thus equates the Somaliland Government to other regional governments of Somalia. All other points, except number seven, could be fitted in under the fourth which is the mother of all as usual business.

“More needs to be done to insulate these government institutions against cyclic political changes”.

How politics hamper poverty fight in Sahel, Horn of Africa

12 Apr- Source: Citizen Daily – 863 words

That there is a food security issue in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel is not in doubt. Thanks to the population growing much faster than agricultural yield, drought and famine remain a perennial problem in the two regions. It is for this reason that early warning mechanisms were established to detect drought and famine months prior to it occurring so as to manage the potential loss of human life and livelihoods.

However, it has been noted that there is a missing link between early warning and early action. A report, “Managing famine risk: Linking early warning to early action,” released by the think-tank Chatham House, found that despite warnings of looming drought from organisations such as Fews Net, international humanitarian agencies only chose to get involved at the emergency level.

For example, in 2010 and 2011, FEWS NET and FSNAU increasingly issued urgent early warnings of a looming crisis in Somalia for up to 11 months before a famine was eventually declared in July 2011. Humanitarian organisations and systems only began to mobilise after this declaration. The irony is that it is actually more cost efficient for the international humanitarian aid agencies and home governments to mitigate a looming famine before it becomes a disaster.

Why is it that despite having the tools to manage risk no one seems to act to prevent a humanitarian crisis? Drawing on lessons from the disaster in Somalia as well as other regions in the Sahel, there are several reasons for this, the main one being political risk. Decisions by donors and local governments do not happen in political vacuums. There are political factors that go into the decision over whether to fund or not to fund, making the broader political context among the most crucial factors affecting donor decisions.

In Somalia’s case, many international aid agencies were afraid that aid given to the country could end up in the hands of Islamic militant group Al-Shabaab, which was by then controlling large swathes of the country.

Top tweets

@gcmcSomalia #Somalia Somalia: New Al-Shabaab Attacks are War Crimes http://bit.ly/108G1mm #crisismanagement.

@albanyassociate Mogadishu Attack an ‘Act of Desperation’ for Al-Shabaab http://allafrica.com/c/-4no0d #somalia via@allafrica.

@Abdi_AlSheikh Canadian reportedly involved in Somalia terror attack – Toronto Sun http://dlvr.it/3DzL8n #Somalia.

@MattBryden #Somalia #Puntland opposition may boycott municipal elections scheduled for 30 Junehttp://goo.gl/KQYlI.

‏@Hamza_Africa Two days on and some roads in the city still remain closed. #Mogadishu #Somalia.

@BeenThereSawIt 2 in US arrested trying to join#AlShabaab #Somalia sentenced to 20 years prison. News story http://ow.ly/k6u30.

@Daudoo Suspected grenade attack targets #Djibouti troops in Baladweyne , Hiiraan region. Casualties reported. Residents say. #Somalia.

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Image of the day

Image of the day Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamoud Silanyo (left), Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (center) and Turkey PM Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan. Photo (Ibrahim Baafo, HOL)