April 7, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

President Mahmoud in Nairobi for the Somali community in kenya

06 Apr- Source: Somalicurrent/Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan/SNTV- 161 words

Somali federal government president Hassan Shiekh Mohamud in Nairobi met with his counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta to discuss the ongoing mass arrests in the Somali-inhabited Eastleigh estate on Somali community. President Mohamud said that al Shabaab is losing on the ground battle and they are now making their last kicks. Somali Ambassador to Kenya Mohamed Ali Americo stated that hundreds of Somalis still in Kenyan jails after they were arrested in the ongoing mass detentions in Eastleigh and they expect the government of Kenya to free them from the jails though he had not mentioned the exact date they will be freed. Somali government led by president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stepped up to halt the increasing tensions emerging from Somali dominant eastleigh village after several bombs blew up in the village causing the death of six lives. Leaders and Kenyan residents of Somali origin accused Kenyan security authorities of carrying out mass arrests on Somali community whenever explosion happens in Nairobi.

Key Headlines

SNA AMISOM capture Wabho town (Radio Goobjoog)
Somali president vows his govt will root out al Shabaab (hiiraan online)
Somali citizens without legal residence in Kenya to return to their home country (Radio Mogadishu)
President Mahmoud in Nairobi for the Somali community in kenya (Radio Mogadishu)
More than 30 al Shabaab militant group killed in central Somalia (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Villa Somalia receives new special guards (Radio Goobjoog)
Berlin gives go-ahead for military instructors for Somalia (: Deutsche Welle)
Mass arrests continues in the Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate (Radio Star)
Police recover bomb-making materials at a house in Eastleigh Nairobi (Standard Media)
Jubba administration cites that Kismayo is peaceful (Radio Shabelle)
Puntland President heads to Galkayo (Radio Goobjoog)
Galmudug president dissolves cabinet members (Radio Kulmiye)
President Kenyatta says war against terror targets no religion (NTV)
Ethiopian army attack al Shabaab bases near Wajid town (RBC)
Kenya: Muslim leaders criticise security swoop as Coast remains calm (Daily Nation)
Somali Community Leaders’ Plea For Calm ( Citizen TV)
Son of former “financier” of al Shabaab’s predecessor killed in Nairobi (Standard Media)
Somali religious scholars to hold a second conference on countering extremism ( Sabahi Online)
Insecurity in Somalia may slow down refugee returns says UN (Xinhua)
Somaliland Hails British Step Forward in Independence Bid (VOA)
US Marines training Burundi soldiers for Somalia deployment (Defence Web)

SOMALI MEDIA

SNA, AMISOM capture Wabho town

06 Apr- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Goobjoog- 112 words

Somali National Army and AMISOM forces have captured Wahbo town which is 42 kilometer west of Elbur town in Galgadud province. Abdihakim Abdullahi government official in the area has told Bar-Kulan that the militants fled the area and there was no any resistance from the group. He said the normalcy has returned in the town saying that the business has opened. He urged the humanitarian organizations to come into the rescue of people in the surrounding areas saying they are in need of help. al Shabaab militant group has lost key strategic areas since a major offensive was launched against them by Somali National Army and AMISOM forces.

Somali president vows his govt will root out al Shabaab

06 Apr- Source: Hiiraan Online- 140 words

President Hassan Sheikh Mahamoud of Somalia vowed that his government will thrash the al Qaeda-linked Al Shabab militants in the country, urging the international community to provide more assistance to help his government erase the group from existence. The president was speaking in Nairobi after meeting with his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday. President Hassan demanded Kenya to release nearly thousand Somalis including women and children who were arrested in Nairobi for the past several days. “Al Shabaab have lost more lands since last month—solely they are awaiting for the last kick and hopefully they will come to an end thereafter” the president said adding he was very hopeful that the Somali forces and Kenyan contingent of AMISOM were capable of removing the terrorists from the far southern regions in the country.

President Mahmoud in Nairobi for the Somali community in kenya

06 Apr- Source: Somalicurrent/Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan/SNTV- 161 words
Somali federal government president Hassan Shiekh Mohamud in Nairobi met with his counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta to discuss the ongoing mass arrests in the Somali-inhabited Eastleigh estate on Somali community. President Mohamud said that al Shabaab is losing on the ground battle and they are now making their last kicks. Somali Ambassador to Kenya Mohamed Ali Americo stated that hundreds of Somalis still in Kenyan jails after they were arrested in the ongoing mass detentions in Eastleigh and they expect the government of Kenya to free them from the jails though he had not mentioned the exact date they will be freed. Somali government led by president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stepped up to halt the increasing tensions emerging from Somali dominant eastleigh village after several bombs blew up in the village causing the death of six lives. Leaders and Kenyan residents of Somali origin accused Kenyan security authorities of carrying out mass arrests on Somali community whenever explosion happens in Nairobi.

Somali citizens without legal residence in Kenya to return to their home country

06 Apr- Source: Radio RBC/Radio Mogadishu- 287 words

Somali citizens without legal or permanent residence in Kenya will return back to their home country,says Somalia’s Ambassador to Kenya, Mohamed Ali Nur. Mr Nur said the Somali Embassy in Nairobi is currently monitoring the plight of the thousands of Somalis arrested by the Kenyan police in Nairobi and will guide for their return. “In the past days the Kenyan Police went on massive security operation in which they arrested thousands of Somalis. We are working for the release of those who hold any legal document to stay and live in Kenya, but those who do not have any documents will be taken back to their country.” Amb. Nur said. On Saturday President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Nairobi and met with his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta. The discussions of the two Presidents mainly focused on the matter of the security and the Somali refugees in Kenya. Ambassador Nur says, President Mohamud asked President Kenyatta for the respect of the rights of the Somalis who are currently in the hands of the Kenyan authorities and to allow those who have legal documents to stay and live in Kenya. “We are worried what is going on here. But I want to make sure that we are working hard to serve for those arrested by the Kenyan Police, we will help them through discussions with the Kenyan authorities.” he added. Somali government is planning to order several chartered flights to allow the Somali citizens willing to go back to their country to be flown from Nairobi to Mogadishu.

Puntland President heads to Galkayo

06 Apr- Source: Radio Goobjoog- 55 words

The president of Puntland Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas and delegates headed to Galkayo, the headquarters of Mudug region. Preparations to welcome the president is going on in Galkayo as the security of the city was tightened. Delegates of Ministers, parliamentarians and security officials reached the town yesterday who took meeting with the administration of Galkayo.

More than 30 al Shabaab militant group killed in central Somalia

06 Apr- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 129 words

At least 30 al Shabaab militants killed and more than 20 others wounded in Galgadud in central Somalia. Abdihakim AbdulLahi government official in the area has told Bar-Kulan that Somali National Army and AMISOM forces have fiercely fought in the area. He said the government forces and AMISOM peacekeepers launched offensive in Adow Urumo which is 18 kilometer west of Wabho town. He added that Al-Shabaab was strong in the area after withdrawing from other areas driven out from by AMISOM and SNA after the offensive. SNA and AMISOM are said to be in full control of the area now. Al Shabaab has lost several key strategic areas since the launch of a major offensive by Somali government forces and AMISOM.

Jubba administration cites that Kismayo is peaceful

06 Apr- Source: Radio Shabelle- 80 words

Sultan Luga Dheere, the deputy President of the Interim Jubba Administration (JIA) has conveyed that the security conditions in Kismayo, the provincial capital city of the Lower Jubba region is fine. Dheere denied accusations that Kismayo’s security circumstances are deteriorating by saying that they were fabricated. “Kismayo is as peaceful as can be. One can freely wander around the city without fear of being a target of a terrorist attack.” Said the Sultan.

Galmudug president dissolves cabinet members

06 APr- Source: Radio Kulmiye/RBC- 142 words
The President of Galmudug State in central Somalia Abdi Hassan Awale known as Qeybdid has dissolved the region’s cabinet members and promised to form a new cabinet. In a press conference in southern Galkayo town, Mr Qeybdid said he has decided to dissolve the cabinet members due to its poor performance and lack of complacency to provide what it promised to do. “I decided to dissolve the cabinet for the poor performance. We shall nominate effective ministers soon.” Mr Qeybdid said. “We need change and development and that is the force behind this move.” he added. Raxanreeb’s reporter in central Somalia says, the move came as Galmudug president has been lobbying to include individuals from central regions into his regional administration to create a bigger Galmudug in accordance with the more increasing critics ahead of the formation of the country’s federal states.

Two civilians injured in a landmine blast

06 Apr- Source: Somaliland Informer- 82 words
Two civilians were injured on Sunday in the west of Buhodle when a landmine detonated underneath the vehicle they were travelling in. The landmine blast occurred just the border between Somalia and Ethiopia. Witnesses said that although the blast was very powerful but the civilians who were traveling sustained minor injuries. Mr. Mohamud Khadar Abdi, the driver and Mr. Yasin Yusuf Mohad were injured in the landmine explosion that occurred just west of Buhodle.

Villa Somalia receives new special guards

05 Apr- Source: Radio Goobjoog- 117 words

A special force that is meant to guard Somali presidential palace Villa Somalia arrived Mogadishu Saturday. Over fifty special forces and senior officers trained in United Arab Emirates landed at Adan international airport. The forces were welcomed by senior government officials. The deputy director of Villa Somalia Abdi Mohamed Ahmed while holding press conference in the airport stated that United Arab Emirates have been training the special forces for two months. He encouraged the forces to courageously defend their country. African union peacekeeping forces guard the most important areas especially villa Somalia, Mogadishu airport and seaport. Despite heavily guarded, villa Somalia Somalia’s presidential palace was attacked by al Shabaab, claiming the lives of more than ten people.

Mass arrests continues in the Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate

05 Apr- Source: Radio Star/Somali Current/Frontierfm- 104 words
Mass arrests entered fourth day in the Somali-inhabited Eastleigh estate after several bombs targeted civilians in the village, where the last one left at least six dead and many other injured in a food kiosk. Following the bombings, Kenyan security forces launched mass arrests targeting refugees and illegal immigrants of whom many of them are of Somali origin in Eastleigh suburbs. Like never before, Kenyan government deployed large number of security officers in Eastleigh while carrying out search operations inside every building in Eastleigh. Eastleigh residents alleged the police of arresting people who seem to be of Somali origin regardless of the identity produced.

Puntland President sacks PMPF director

05 Apr- Source: Garowe Online/RBC- 158 words
Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali fired Mohamed Abdurahman Farole from the position of the director of Puntland Maritime Police Force (known as PMPF), a UAE funded strong marine force based in Bosasso. Mohamed Abdurahman Farole, the son of former Puntland President Abdurahman Farole has been the director and the sole decision-maker of the agency’s operation since its establishment in 2010. In a decree signed today, President Abdiweli Gaas sacked Mohamed Farole as he appointed the new leader of the Abdinasir Bihi Sofe from Mudug region. The replacement of the leadership of the locally recruited marine police of Puntland came days after members of the agency were arrested in an attempt of internal protest related to payment disputes. Source said, the newly appointed leader of the agency, Mr Bihi will serve as coordinator of PMPF. The move could now be seen as a clean up campaign against the sympathizers of the former administration from the offices of the authority.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Police recover bomb-making materials at a house in Eastleigh, Nairobi

06 Apr- Source: Standardmedia/Capital News- 213 words

The ongoing police swoop in Eastleigh, Nairobi bore fruits when police recovered what they termed as bomb-making materials in a house Sunday morning. Police carrying out the operation said they recovered chemicals and materials that are used to manufacture Improvised Explosive Devices ( IEDs) and other paraphernalia from a house on Seventh Street. Nairobi police boss Benson Kibue who is overseeing the exercise said they are looking for a Somali refugee identified as Ibrahim Aden Ibrahim, 30, in connection with the recovery. Kibue said Ibrahim is supposed to be in Dadaab refugee camp but resided at a rented house where the materials were found.

President Kenyatta says war against terror targets no religion

05 Apr- Source: NTV- 1:01min
In a show of solidarity in the war against terrorism, Somali president, Sheikh Mohamoud has expressed support for president Uhuru Kenyatta in ongoing efforts to rid the region of it’s tag as a terrorist hub…these remarks come at a time when Kenya has been the center of retaliatory attacks from the al Qaeda linked terror group al Shabaab whose base is in Somalia. Reading from the same script Deputy President William Ruto, while touring kenya’s northern region pledged the government”’s commitment to securing the nation through the deployment of more security personnel..

Kenya: Muslim leaders criticise security swoop as Coast remains calm

06 Apr- Source: Daily Nation- 381 words

A section of leaders from the Somali community have opposed the police operation in Mombasa and Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate, which they say is unfairly targeting Muslims. The leaders who were drawn from various political, business and religious circles accused the governments of profiling Muslims in general and Somalis in particular following a spate of security incidents. “The government has sent security agencies in Eastleigh and they are killing and robbing residents,” said former deputy speaker of the National Assembly Farah Maalim.

Ethiopian army attack al Shabaab bases near Wajid town

05 Apr- Source: Walta/RBC- 134 words

Ethiopian army of the African Union Forces in Bakool region, along with Somalia government forces, attacked bases of the militant combatants of al Shabaab on Friday following a clean up operation.
The confrontation between the joint forces and the militant fighters occurred in Bar village near Wajid town where the al Shabaab fighters set up their bases and used to continue a ban against the liberated towns in the south and central regions. A spokesman for the regional administration said the joint forces destroyed the bases of the militants and took their area to secure. The operation came days after al Shabaab banned the local transportation to operate in the towns seized by the government forces which forced civilians to flee from the towns due to shortage of food and water.

Somali Community Leaders’ Plea For Calm

05 Apr- Source: Citizen TV- 64 words

Religious and political leaders from the Somali community have urged members of the community to support the government in the fight against terrorism. The leaders led by majority leader Adan Duale held a meeting in Eastleigh where they dismissed claims that the terror attacks are religiously instigated. The leaders also appealed to the government to safeguard the rights of Kenyans while pursuing terror suspects.

Son of former “financier” of al Shabaab’s predecessor killed in Nairobi

05 Apr- Source: Standardmedia- 204 words

Police are investigating an incident which a son of a prominent Mogadishu businessman and ex-chief “financier” of Islamic Courts Union (ICU) Abukar Omar Addaan was shot dead in Nairobi Friday. The victim Sacid Abukar Adaan was shot dead outside his shop along Mombasa Road in Nairobi by gunmen who escaped with his mobile phone. Witnesses said he was shot at close range at about 11am as he talked on his mobile phone. He was planning to get into his shop when the gunmen who were on a motorbike struck and later sped off.

Somali religious scholars to hold a second conference on countering extremism

04 Apr- Source: Sabahi Online- 129 words

Nearly seven months after the National Conference on Tackling the Phenomenon of Extremism in Somalia came out with a ground-breaking, seven-point fatwa condemning al-Shabaab, the Somali Islamic Scholars Association (SISA) is finally in the planning stages to follow up with another meeting of religious scholars. The first conference, held in Mogadishu last September, closed with calls for the government to establish a national agency to fight the spread of extremist ideology in Somalia within 30 days, and to organise a follow-up conference with Somali and international Islamic scholars within 90 days. But SISA chairman Sheikh Bashir Ahmed Salad said the security situation in the country and changes in the political landscape delayed the meetings that were supposed to follow.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Insecurity in Somalia may slow down refugee returns, says UN

06 Apr- Source: shanghaidaily/ Xinhua 217 words

The UN humanitarian agency said the planned spontaneous returns of Somali refugees mainly from Kenya is likely to be affected by the insecurity in central and southern parts of the Horn of Africa nation. The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest report for Somalia that the returns will decline due to the ongoing military offensive on the militant- controlled areas in southern and central regions. “Following the mid-March launch of a military offensive by the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to recover al Shabaab-controlled areas in southern and central Somalia, humanitarian agencies remain concerned about possible consequences,” OCHA said in a report on Saturday.

Somaliland Hails British Step Forward in Independence Bid

05 Apr- Source: VOA- 314 words

A city in Britain has become the first to officially recognize Somaliland’s claim to independence. The vote — which is purely symbolic and carries no legal weight — is nevertheless being hailed by Somaliland leaders as a big step forward in their decades-long campaign to break away from Somalia. Somalilanders celebrated outside Sheffield city hall after the council voted Thursday to recognize the region’s right to self-determination. Thousands of people of Somaliland origin live in the northern British city.

US Marines training Burundi soldiers for Somalia deployment

04 Apr- Source: defenceweb- 316 words

U.S. Marines from the Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa (SP-MAGTF AF) have been training Burundi National Defence Force (BNDF) soldiers in preparation for deployments to Somalia. The deployments are in support of the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), a regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations. Burundi is the second largest Troop Contributing Country (TCC), with six battalions deployed to Somalia at any given time. Burundi also airlifted a seventh battalion into the Central African Republic in December 2013, as part of the peace-keeping mission for the African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA.)

Berlin gives go-ahead for military instructors for Somalia

04 Apr- Source: Deutsche Welle- 338 words

Parliamentarians in Berlin have given approval for the dispatch of military instructors to Somalia on a training mission mandated by the European Union. Opposition deputies voted against the deployment. Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, have been training Somali soldiers since 2010, but up until now the training has taken place not in Somalia, but in Uganda (picture). In this latest move, parliament has given its consent to a change in policy, approving the deployment to Somalia of a maximum of 20 German troops. This German contingent will be training Somali army specialists and military instructors as well as giving the Somali army advice on organizational matters in the Somali capital Mogadishu. So far some 3600 Somali army personnel have taken part in this training – in which nine EU states are participating – since its inception in 2010.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Throughout the week, there has been heavy police presence thoroughly engaged in full-scale operation in Eastliegh. All the usually booming business has drastically slowed down. A number of police trucks were seen driving the streets fully loaded with people arrested including breastfeeding children with their mothers.”

Kenyan Somalis are Guilty until Proven Innocent

05 Apr- Source: Hiiraan Online-577 Words

Hundreds of ethnic Somalis living in Nairobi’s Eastliegh neighborhood have been arrested following Mondayattacks that killed six people in the Somali populated neighborhood. The explosion targeted a food kiosk and a bus stop during rush hour as people made their way home in the evening. In response to the bombings, Kenya security forces launched a robust crack down knocking through the doors of the residential apartments and hotels and arresting the people indiscriminately. “They arrest even those of us who have national identification cards only because we are Kenyan Somalis. They only listen to you when you start bargaining on how much money you have to be released,” said Kaltumo Ahmed, a mother of 5 children. Kenya has seen a spate of deadly attacks in the past few years, which prompted the government to take stern measures to handle the deteriorating security situation. These attacks were always blamed on the Somalia’s al Shabaab rebels, a group that is linked to al Qaeda who claimed the Westgate attack that killed 67 people in September last year.

“There is no doubt Kenya faces genuine security threats emanating from Somalia and al Shabaab. Also, there are indisputable instances of radicalization among the Muslim youth, especially new converts along the Kenyan coast, in the North-East, as well as in the Nairobi slums. But the massive use of force and the profiling of innocent Somalis and Muslims, in general, could be counter-productive; it runs the risk of eroding community and security force relations.”

Is Kenya’s heavy-handed response to security threats justifiable?

04 Apr- Source: Al Jazeera English-203 Words
The Kenyan police raid of Masjid Musa in February and the April 1 assassination of Islamic preacher Abubakar Shariff in the coastal city of Mombasa reveals the pernicious cost of the aggressive counter-terrorism campaign led by an unreformed Kenyan police. The police forces have, over the years, accumulated a tattered reputation because of their use of excessive force, allegations of corruption and extrajudicial killings. For instance, during the 2007-2008 post-election violence in which about 1200 people were killed, and of those, the Kenyan police was accused of killing close to one-third. While since then some efforts at reforming the police have been undertaken, there remains systemic institutional deficit within the police hierarchy. A lack of political will has also stymied police reform. The mosque raid came against the backdrop of killings of imams suspected by the police to be allegedly involved in recruiting and radicalising young Kenyans. This parallels the profiling that occurs within Kenyan Muslim communities, especially among Kenyan-Somalis. Such heavy-handed approaches could prove counter-productive and stymie the long-term efforts at reforming the police.