April 16, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Britain to help Somalia organize presidential polls by 2016

15 Apr – Source: Hiiraan Online – 143 words

UK’s minister for Africa Mark Simmons said Tuesday that his government was committed to helping Somalia organize public presidential polls by 2016. Talking to reporters at the Presidential Palace in Mogadishu after meeting with Somali President Hassan Sheik Mahmoud, the British Minister for Africa Mr. Mark Simmons said that his government was giving top priority to get Somalia stand on its feet once again. “Britain is one of the frontrunner international community members in the search for peace and stability in Somalia” the visiting UK minister said, adding that for the past two years his government organized international meetings on Somalia whose main aim was to turn the world’s attention onto Somalia. He said that Britain’s efforts lead the rest of international community to organize the Yokohama and Brussels conferences on Somalia which he said had all yielded positive results for Somalia’s reconstruction.

Key Headlines

Britain to help Somalia organize presidential polls by 2016 (Hiiraan Online)
Somali Prime Minister meets elders who hail from Gedo in Kismayo (Radio Goobjoog)
Somali police force spokesman dismissed (Bar-kulan)
Al Shabaab denies Kenyan argument of linking Somalis in Nairobi (Al Shahid)
Bomb targeting solar-powered light causes civilian casualties (Hiiraan Online)
Puntland vows hard response on Somaliland’s opression on Taleh (RBC)
34 arrested in Nairobi’s South C swoop (Daily Nation)
Long Forgotten Uranium Bonanza Rediscovered Kilimanjaro Unleashes Somalia Uranium Exploration Initiative (Wall Street Journal)

SOMALI MEDIA

Britain to help Somalia organize presidential polls by 2016

15 Apr – Source: Hiiraan Online – 143 words

Somali Prime Minister meets elders who hail from Gedo in Kismayo

15 Apr – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 140 words

The prime Minister of Somalia Abdiweli Sheikh who is in Kismayo had meeting with traditional elders who hail from Gedo region. Their meeting mainly focused on strengthening security and co-operation between the elders and the Interim administration of Juba in Southern Somalia led by Ahmed Mohamed Islam alias Ahmed Madobe. During the meeting the Prime Minister was accompanied by the top leaders of Juba administration Ahmed Madobe and his vice Abdullah Faratag. The elders agreed to co-operate and give a helping hand to administration of Juba. On the other hand the prime Minister called one of the rivals of Ahmed Madobe , Barre Adan shire to end the tensions in the region, but sources confirm that Barre Hirale turned down the mediation. Delegates from AMISOM and IGAD are expected to reach Kismayo today though the motive behind their visit is clear.

Somali police force spokesman dismissed

15 Apr – Source: Bar-kulan – 79 words

Spokesman of the Somali national police force General Mohamed Omar Madale has been removed from the post. Abdikassim Ahmed Roble is the new Somali police spokesman according to a statement that was signed and released from the office of the Somali police commissioner General Abdihakim Dahir Said. There are massive and visible improvement efforts in the Somali national police force in an effort to boost its capacity for the return of peace and stability in the war torn nation.

Bomb targeting solar-powered light causes civilian casualties

15 Apr – Source: Hiiraan Online – 101 words

At least a civilian has died and five others were wounded when a bomb assembled on a solar-powered light in Mogadishu’s Hondon district went off on Tuesday, officials confirmed. “A pharmacist has died while five others sustained different injuries when an explosive device assumed to be a bomb assembled on the lamp post exploded” an anonymous Hodon district official told the media, as he was not authorised to talk to journalists. The official said that those wounded or killed in the blast were civilians who were around the lamp post holding the solar-powered light when the bomb exploded earlier on Tuesday.

Puntland vows hard response on Somaliland’s opression on Taleh

15 Apr – Source: RBC – 80 words

Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland Tuesday declared that it will response hard against the Somaliland’s seizure of Taleh town in the Sool region, an area heavily disputed by both sides, RBC reports. Early on Tuesday, Heavily armed Somaliland forces entered the town this morning without resistance, a resident in Taleh told Raxanreeb Online. Puntland’s information Minister Abdiweli Hersi Indhaguran said the move by Somalilamd forces was a total provocation against Puntland and that Garowe will immediately respond hard on it.

60 children admitted at Kismayo hospital

15 Apr – Source: Bar-kulan – 100 words

More than 60 children suffering from measles have been admitted to Kismayo general hospital for the last 24 hours. According to the director of Kismayo general hospital Dr. Abdisamad Abukar Hajji all the children admitted are below five years old. He said the disease has also affected the children leaving the surrounding areas around the port city of Kismayo adding that there are some who lost their lives due to the disease but not specified the exact number. He urged the parents in the area to seek medical attention as soon as possible whenever they encounter symptoms of the disease.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Al Shabaab denies Kenyan argument of linking Somalis in Nairobi

15 Apr – Source: Al Shahid – 100 words

Ali Mahmud Rage, al Shabaab extremist spokesman, who spoke exclusively to one of the radios run by the group on Monday, denied Kenyan government allegations regarding what they call relationship between Shabab and Somalis in Nairobi. “Kenya is not looking for al Shabaab members but committed to harass Muslims, Muslim hood is the only thing of the crackdown. Are the young children, women and elder people part of al Shabaab? That is propaganda,”al Shabaab spokesman said. Kenya arrested thousands of Somalis accusing them of working closely with al-shabab, deporting some of them to Somalia while some others still detain in Kasarani stadium.

34 arrested in Nairobi’s South C swoop

15 Apr – Source: Daily Nation – 135 words

Police arrested 34 people Monday night in a crackdown on illegal immigrants in Nairobi’s South C Estate. The operation is an extension of what has been going on in Eastleigh estate, to flush out terror suspects and armed criminals in the city. Police say the operation will last for as long as they feel that there are still criminals. According to Nairobi County Deputy Police Commandant, Moses Ombati, those who were arrested during the South C operation had no documents at all to support their being in the country. “All of them were taken to Kasarani where the others who had been arrested in Eastleigh are being kept. They will all be vetted and we will deport those who ought to be deported of course after the court has dealt with them” Mr Ombati said.

Four killed, five injured in two explosions in Mogadishu

15 Apr – Source: Al Shahid – 107 words

Four civilians died and five others some of seriously were wounded in two explosions on Monday night at near Bakaraha junction, witnesses confirmed. Some reports say that two explosions targeted to solar lights caused four men one of them shopkeeper to die. Solar energy lights which were implemented in Mogadishu by last Banadir administration region were under al Shabaab attacks though no one knows the exact ideology that brought lights to be targeted. All the died people were the villagers of KPP resident in Hodon district as Hamdi Adan Abdulle, a mother who lives in the resident confirms to Al-shahid. No group claimed the responsibility of the attack.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Long Forgotten Uranium Bonanza Rediscovered, Kilimanjaro Unleashes Somalia Uranium Exploration Initiative

15 Apr – Source: Wall Street Journal – 208 words

The directors and management of Kilimanjaro Capital (GXG:KCAP)(OTC PINK:KIMJF) are pleased to provide an update on the Company’s evolving interests in Somalia where Kilimanjaro Capital currently has a 5% earn in interest in the 1,161,400 acres Amsas-Coriole-Afgoi (ACA) Block. It is all but forgotten that prior to the 1991 civil war, Somalia was one of Africa’s largest suppliers of uranium with tons of proven reserves and even more undiscovered. Somali uranium powered Iraq’s infamous nuclear program. Brazilian, UAE, American, and Italian companies scrambled for concessions and had big plans for the region including US major Westinghouse. Then the civil war broke out in 1991, the Ministry of Mines and its records were destroyed and all traces of uranium mining disappeared. US State Department declassified documents indicate the disastrous “Black Hawk Down” Mogadishu intervention in 1993 may also have been intended to secure uranium resources from falling into the wrong hands. Today, the emerging focus in Somalia is on oil and gas exploration with few remembering that uranium was once king here. Uranium deposits are scattered throughout northern and central Somalia. However, most regions have not been explored. Kilimanjaro hopes to change that trend by branching out into uranium exploration logistics and support services.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Rather than a blanket assault on Somalis and a mass eviction of refugees, Kenya should identify al Shabaab operatives through a targeted intelligence operation. These clumsy and indiscriminate security sweeps are causing long-term strategic damage to Kenya.”

Anti-Somali Sweeps Are Strategic Error

15 Apr – Source: Star-Kenya – 204 words

THERE are still an estimated 4,000 Somalis being held in Kasarani stadium. Government wants to first return all Somali refugees to Dadaab but and then move the camp back into Somalia. This is a colossal strategic error by government. Only a small minority of Somalis support al Shabaab yet they are all assumed guilty. During the Mungiki crackdown of 2007, the state did not cordon and search all Kikuyu neighbourhoods because it knew that Mungiki only represented a tiny fraction of Kikuyu. There is no reason to harass all Somalis. Somalis, including refugees, support the Kenyan economy. They have started businesses and keep their savings here. Eventually Somalia will stabilise. Then these Somalis will run away since we have treated them so badly, taking their savings with them. Kenya will be the poorer.