December 9, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Al Shabaab in Somalia exploited aid agencies during 2011 famine – report
09 Dec- Source: The Guardian/BBC -658 words
Al Shabaab militants in Somalia established a highly sophisticated system to monitor and squeeze money out of aid agencies before and during the 2011 famine that killed almost 260,000 people, according to a new report. Al Shabaab set up a humanitarian coordination office to demand payments of up to $10,000 to allow access into areas of Somalia devastated by famine. Humanitarian coordination officers were locally appointed to control access, collect “taxes” and monitor aid agency activities.
Key Headlines
- Fierce battle erupts in Beledweyne (Radio Shabelle)
- Speaker Jawari to visit Baydhaba town to encourage formation of new regional state (Radio RBC)
- Al Shabaab and Ahlu Sunna fighters clash in Gedo (Radio Bar-kulan)
- Jubba’s interim president appoint his second deputy forms cabinet (Radio Dalsan/Kismaayo News/Radio RBC/Garowe Online)
- Government forces take control of town from al Shabaab in Gedo Region (Radio Shabelle)
- Al Shabaab in Somalia exploited aid agencies during 2011 famine – report (The Guardian/BBC)
- Gunmen kill Ugandan lecturer in Mogadishu (Radio Bar-kulan)
- New association seeks to tackle challenges facing women journalists (Sabahi Online)
- Economic recovery will stabilise Somalia Foreign Minister says (Sabahi Online)
- Security Tightened in Baidoa to Prevent al Shabaab Attacks (Sabahi Online)
- State under pressure to expedite trial of 120 Somali pirates ( Mumbai Mirror)
SOMALI MEDIA
Fierce battle erupts in Beledweyne
09 Dec- Source: Radio Shabelle- 176 words
Heavy gunbattle broke out in Beledweyne, the capital of Hiiraan region between Somali government troops supported by Ethiopian forces and Al Shabaab militants, officials said on Monday.
The fighting erupted after heavily armed militants belonging to al Qaeda linked al Shabaab launched an ambush attack on bases manned by Somali and Ethiopian troops near Beledweyne Airport, causing unconfirmed casualties.
Somali officials in the town told Shabelle radio in Mogadishu by phone that the battle caused heavy casualties on both warring sides.
“They [al Shabaab militants] launched rocket propelled grenades and opened machine guns in a planned ambush against allied forces at the outskirts of Baladweyne airport, sparking fierce clashes that raged for several hours,” said the official.
The government official added that the Somali and Ethiopian forces repelled and forced the Shabab fighters to withdraw.
Al Shabaab fighters frequently carry out coordinated killings and roadside bombings against allied forces in Baladweyne town and other parts of Hiran region controlled by Allied forces.
Speaker Jawari to visit Baidoa to encourage formation of new regional state
09 Dec- Source: Radio RBC- 169 words
The Speaker of the Federal Parliament of Somalia Mohamed Osman Jawari is preparing to depart to his hometown of Baidoa ahead of a regional conference to form a regional state in the Southern Somalia.
According to sources at the Speaker’s Office, Jawari will be visiting Baidoa in the coming days to encourage the ongoing process to form the new Southwestern state of Somalia.
Hundreds of traditional elders, politicians and Members of the Federal Parliaments of Somalia have been pouring into the town to attend the regional conference which will a regional state for six provinces namely; Bay, Bakool, Lower and Middle Shabelle and Lower, Middle Jubba, and Gedo which are already claimed by the interim administration of Jubba.
On Saturday, former Parliament Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden reached the town to join the ongoing process whilst other politicians from different regions were invited to attend at the conference.
Al Shabaab, Ahlu Sunna fighters clash in Gedo
09 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Shabelle- 97 words
Al Shabaab and Ahlu Sunna fighters clashed on Sunday morning in an area called Siinka dheer between Garbaharay and Burdhubo districts in Gedo region.
Ahlu Sunna spokesman of Gedo region Sheikh Mohamed Hussein Ishaq Al-Qadi confirmed to Bar-kulan that the two sides have on Sunday morning clashed in the area which lies 15 KM from Garbaharay district.
He added that Ahlu Sunna forces attacked on an al Shabaab base in the area. He said that the fighting has not stopped yet and the casualties are unknown so far.
AMISOM forces come under attack in Afmadow
09 Dec- Source: Raxanreeb-148 Words
Somali militant group Al Shabab has attacked a military base belonging to the AMISOM’s Kenyan contingent in Afmadow, Somalia’s Lower Jubba region on Sunday night.
Locals say they have heard heavy bombardment followed by fierce gun shooting in the middle of the night when the militant group fighters attacked the Kenyan army base in Afmadow. The locals said both sides exchanged heavy weapons which ended within an hour.
Pro-al Shabaab website reported on Monday morning that the militants stormed the army base of the KDF [Kenyan Defense Forces] and killed six soldiers. The casualties of the attack could not be independently confirmed.
Jubba’s interim president appoint his second deputy, forms cabinet
08 Dec- Source: Radio Dalsan/Kismaayonews/Radio RBC/Garowe Online-133 Words
The leader of the interim administration of Jubba has announced the formation of a cabinet consisting of nine members ahead of a wider reconciliation conference which is expected to end the internal clan conflict.
In his first decree since the Federal Government of Somalia recognized the interim administration, Ahmed Mohamed Islan (Madobe) has formed his cabinet.
Suldan Abdukadir Mohamed (Lugadhere), a former rival clan elder was nominated as the second deputy president of the administration. At least three of Madobe’s close allies were given ministerial positions.
The move came days after the region established a private security forces to secure the town of Kismayo, the seat of the interim administration following several incidents in the past weeks where several individuals were assassinated.
Gunmen kill Ugandan lecturer in Mogadishu
08 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 97 words
Reports from Somali capital say that armed men attacked a Ugandan lecturer from Somali University in Mogadishu on Friday.
The victim, a lecturer in the Faculty of Economics at the Somali University was shot in the head.
The lecturer left Somali University Campus at KM4 junction and was heading to Bar Ubah Campus in the capital when the gunmen attacked her. She was rushed to hospital and later died of her injuries.
It is the second high profile assassination on Friday alone in Mogadishu following the murder of Somali MP Feisal Mohamed Warsame near the Presidential Palace.
REGIONAL MEDIA
EU winds up Uganda Somali Training Camp
08 Dec- Source: NTV Uganda-03:33mins
The European Union’s Training Mission has wound up its programme of training Somali soldiers on Ugandan soil following the relative peace prevailing in Somalia. The pronouncement was made by the Missions Commander Brigadier General Gerald Aherne during the passing out of 138 Somali soldiers at the Bihanga Army Training School in Western Uganda. The soldiers who underwent 10 weeks of training constitute the last batch of troops trained by the European Union Mission. Suhail Mugabi has more.
New association seeks to tackle challenges facing women journalists
06 Dec- Source: Sabahi Online- 1005 words
A new Somali journalist association aims to address the specific challenges women journalists face due to lack of education and training as well as family obligations and societal pressures.
The Somali Women Journalists (SWJ) was launched November 25th and has more than 70 members who work as journalists in south and central Somalia.
The association was formed to examine the needs of women journalists and the challenges they face, and prepare them to excel in the profession, according to SWJ chairperson Farhia Mohamed Kheyre.
Economic recovery will stabilise Somalia, Foreign Minister says
07 Dec – Source: Sabahi Online – 157 words
Somali Foreign Minister Fowsiyo Yusuf Haji Aadan Thursday (December 5th) called for foreign companies to invest in Somalia to aid economic recovery and restore stability. Aadan was speaking in Paris ahead of the two-day Élysée Summit for Peace and Security in Africa hosted by French President Francois Hollande.
“I encourage all foreign companies looking for commercial opportunities in new markets to give serious consideration to Somalia, a country that is recovering from conflict and is open for business,” Aadan said. “Our economic recovery is already under way and I invite dynamic, entrepreneurial companies to be a part of it.”
“A strong and stable Somalia will allow our natural entrepreneurial talents to flourish freely,” she added. “We must remember that a prosperous Somalia is the nail in the coffin for al-Shabaab.”
Security Tightened in Baidoa to Prevent al Shabaab Attacks
06 Dec- Source: Sabahi Online-152 Words
Somali security forces have scaled up security operations in Baidoa to prevent targeted terrorist attacks by al Shabaab, District Commissioner Hassan Moalim Ahmed told Sabahi.
“As an administration, we issued an order to strengthen security and prevent acts of terrorism when we received information that al Shabaab wants to carry out terrorist attacks in the district since some districts in Bay region still have an al Shabaab presence,” he said.
Since the operation began December 1st, police have arrested more than 250 suspects, Ahmed said. He said police were continuing investigations to separate al Shabaab suspects from innocent civilians.
“There are ongoing investigations on the people who have been arrested in the operations as it does not mean that those who were arrested are all guilty,” he said. “We want to meet our obligations regarding the security of the members of the public and we want to ask everyone to work with us on ensuring security.”
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Al Shabaab in Somalia exploited aid agencies during 2011 famine – report
09 Dec- Source: The Guardian/BBC -658 words
Al Shabaab militants in Somalia established a highly sophisticated system to monitor and squeeze money out of aid agencies before and during the 2011 famine that killed almost 260,000 people, according to a new report. Al Shabaab set up a humanitarian coordination office to demand payments of up to $10,000 to allow access into areas of Somalia devastated by famine. Humanitarian coordination officers were locally appointed to control access, collect “taxes” and monitor aid agency activities.
In pictures: Floods displace thousands people in Somalia
09 Dec- Source: The Independent-78 Words
Thousands of Somali have been left homeless following continued flooding in parts of Somalia’s Middle Shabelle region over the past couple of months, with large tracts of farmland being inundated, raising fears of livelihood losses
Shelter has been provided to more than 38,000 people. About 60,000 people have been reached by emergency medical services with a help from static and mobile health clinics. Other assistance has been provided in food and nutritional as well as in hygiene support.
State under pressure to expedite trial of 120 Somali pirates
08 Dec- Source: Mumbai Mirror-276 Words
Desperate to get eight Indians held hostage by Somali pirates free, the Ministry of Home Affairs has stepped up its pressure on the state government to expedite the trial of 120 Somalian pirates, said sources in Mumbai police and state government. The Indians were held hostage at different times over a period of two years.
In the state government, former chief secretary Jayant Banthia and additional chief secretary (Home) Amitabh Rajan have been vehemently opposing this proposal. The pirates were arrested by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard in 2011. Since the Yellow Gate police station has jurisdiction on the western coast, they were handed over to the Mumbai police and four cases were registered against them.
The pirates have been lodged in Taloja jail at state expense. India does not have proper laws regarding piracy. Admiral D K Joshi, while heading the western naval command, had taken a decision of not arresting the pirates but confiscating their arms and releasing them.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“We need change because the current administration failed to fulfill the promises it made before it came to office. There is a wide spread corruption where the community resources of the tax payers are diverted to individual accounts and pockets. The resources are allocated to politically favored areas.”
Somalia: Do we need change in Puntland?
08 Dec- Source: Horseed Media-645 Words
It is one month to the Puntland Presidential Election. Puntlanders are expecting to have violence-free election as their representatives/parliament elect the next President, Vice President and the Speaker of Parliament despite the fact that many citizens including the presidential candidates are skeptical in the way the existing state of affairs are handled by the current administration.
In response to, many technocratic presidential candidates are challenging the system in their attempt to search more transparent and democratic form of governance. A good example is the way the candidates expressed their dissatisfaction about the recently formed Conflict Resolution Committee which have been formed without consulting the other candidates, and the halted democratization process which failed due to many factors such as lack of voter education and voter registration.
Even though the constitution permits but it is obvious that the nomination of the Conflict Resolution Committee by one side is a unilateral decision which is captivating to some and confusing to many. This angered the other candidates who are demanding the Farole regime to comply with their popular demands.
“Forceful repatriation is a breach of our own laws since under the current Constitution any child born in Kenya automatically acquires the Kenyan citizenship. So what happens to those children who were born here, some of whom have even received their university degrees from Kenyan institutions and feel more at home here than in a country that many of them have never seen in their entire life?”
Do not force refugees to return to Somalia
08 Dec- Source: Standard Media-640 Words
The recent declaration by the Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku that the refugees from Somalia shall be forcefully repatriated was unfortunate and a total disregard of international human rights standards.
From my understanding, Kenya is one of the 148 states that are a signatory of the Geneva Convention of 1951, and its subsequent Protocol of 1967, that gives rights to people in need refuge. The sudden turn of events for these refugees was influenced by the recent unfortunate terrorist attack on the Westgate shopping mall.
Rumour has it that some of the people involved in that attack had lived in one of the refugee camps. Despite that incident the many hundreds of thousands of the refugee communities are innocent in as far as any form of organised crime is concerned. The Geneva Convention on refugee rights advocates for a case by case decision when dealing with such allegations when they are made against refugees.
Top tweets
@FCONeilWigan Well done Matt. RT Congratulations@fcomattbaugh on receiving his OBE for promoting peace and security in Somalia. pic.twitter.com/9GOAoJEuJ1
@BBCAfrica “Some aid agencies pay 500-10 000$ ‘registration fee’ to #Somalia‘s Al Shabaab”, @odi_development‘s Ashley Jackson tells #BBCNewsday
@robcrilly Hardly surprised to learn that aid agencies paid al-Shabab for access in Somalia. Been here before. Repeatedly. Often only way
@amisomsomalia#Somali doctor follows in #Mandela‘s footsteps http://bit.ly/1bpg5Wg This & more stories in the new AMISOM magazine http://bit.ly/1aI1a5b
@mukhtaryare A bomb was planted inside this car in Mogadishu, killing Somali lawmaker Mohamed Warsame Feysal. pic.twitter.com/PHEtP5lpWc
Image of the day
Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia Fawzia Yusuf Adam is greeted by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius at Elysée Summit for Peace & Security in Africa held in Paris, France. Photo: @FranceinSomalia