May 28, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Somalia: Military Chief survives bomb blast in Mogadishu
28 May- Source: Radio Shabelle/Radio Goobjoog/Radio Risaala- 136 words
The Commander in Chief of the Somali National Army was targeted in an explosionWednesday morning near the Milk Factory in Mogadishu’s Hodan district. An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) bomb was planted near the factory and exploded as his convoy was passing.
General Dahir Adan Elmi ‘Indhaqarshe’ was traveling in a three-vehicle convoy, 2 of which were pick-up trucks with armed men in uniform on the back and the other a bullet-proof car.
The convoy of the commander were heading to headquarters of the defense ministry where the command of Somali military is stationed.
The precise numbers of casualties are unknown but officials from the Ministry of Defence told Shabelle radio that the Chief of the Somali National Army survived the blast, although a few of his bodyguards were injured.
Witnesses described that there have been casualties in the blast, although they haven’t specified the numbers.
Key Headlines
- President condemns the killing of Turkish national in Mogadishu (Radio Mogadishu)
- AMISOM Concludes Intensive Training of Executive Leaders and Managers in the Civil Service in Somalia (AMISOM)
- Somalia: Military Chief survives bomb blast in Mogadishu (Radio Shabelle)
- Puntland President tours remote areas (Puntlandtv)
- UPDF names soldiers killed in Somalia (New Vision)
- 4 people killed in rural area near Galkayo Mudug region (Radio Bar-kulan)
- Mourning continue for the loss of young Somali footballer in Somalia (Radio RBC)
- Kenya: Terror alerts bite as 20 hotels close down at the Coast (Standard Media)
- Somali government sends two planes to Bula-burte to deliver aid (Radio bar-kulan)
- ATA US based airline lands in Somaliland (Somaliland Informer)
- Three Ugandan peacekeepers killed during Somalia attack (New Vision)
- Al Shabaab claims responsibility for Djibouti explosions & threatens more attacks (Harar24)
- Somaliland: Chairman & chief editor of Haatuf released (Somaliland Informer)
- Terror suspects nabbed on their way to Mandera (Star-Kenya)
- UN delegation arrives in Mahas district Hiiran region (Radio Bar-kulan)
- Kenya assures ‘security in shopping malls has been enhanced’ (Coastweek/ Xinhua)
- Djibouti out to nab weekend suicide bombers (Africa Review)
- Somalia pulls out of refugee talks in protest (Star-Kenya)
- Mystery of guns in al Shabaab attack (Daily Nation)
- Presidential pardon of former Somali official with al Shabaab ties creates furore (Sabahi Online)
- Somalia Warns Kenyan Refugee Expulsion Will Lead to ‘Chaos and Anarchy’ (IPS News)
- Tanzanian arrested en route to Somalia (News24/ Xinhua)
- AfDB reaffirms support to Somalia’s reconstruction (AFDB)
- Up to 200000 Somali children could die from malnutrition – UN (Reuters)
PRESS STATEMENT
AMISOM Concludes Intensive Training of Executive Leaders and Managers in the Civil Service in Somalia
28 May- Source: AMISOM- 494 words
The AU Mission in Somalia concluded a ten-day Intensive Training of 80 Executive Leaders and Managers in Somalia Civil Service at General Kahiye Police Academy in the country’s capital Mogadishu.
The training which was opened on May 17, 2014 by Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia His Excellency Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed and the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, covered courses on Public Finance Management, Patriotism, Project Planning and Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Strategic Planning, Policy Development and Human Resource Management. It benefited 80 Executive Leaders and Managers, ranging from Directors, Director Generals, Heads of Departments, as well as Heads of Sections in the various government institutions in the country, and the training covered.
The closing ceremony brought together all the participants from the training, and was attended by the Director General of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Mr. Aweis Haddad, as well as the AMISOM Senior Political Affairs Officer, Mr. Ssebirumbi Kisinziggo, and representatives from the Uganda Management Institute (UMI) led by the Director of Programmes and Students’ Affairs Dr S. Kasozi Mulindwa. Officiating at the closing ceremony and on behalf of UMI which conducted the training, Dr. Kasozi thanked AMISOM and Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs for giving UMI the opportunity of imparting skills to Somali civil servants.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Aweis appreciated the long-standing relationship between Ministry and AMISOM, and urged the participants to go out and use their newly acquired knowledge to improve and rebuild Somalia.
“We are very grateful to AMISOM for the continued support to our country. There is a lot to still do, and they have showed their commitment to the recovery of our country by further supporting us with so much more than just this training of our civil servants. They have renovated and erected buildings for our departments, fought with their lives to create security for our people to work, among so many other things,” he said.
In a speech read on his behalf, the AU Special Representative for Somalia, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif, said the training was meant to support of the Federal Government’s policy of rebuilding state institutions. “Somalia is currently undergoing positive economic and political transformation which needs not only financial and material support but also capacity building of its human resources. This training is in line with AMISOM Mandate and commitment to support capacity building in public institutions and especially for civil servants.” Added Ambassador Annadif. Further, the training is part of AMISOM’s stabilization efforts aligned to the Somali New Deal Compact, aimed at supporting Somalia to achieve long-term peace and stability, and realizing AMISOM Strategic End-State in Somalia.
AMISOM role in capacity building of Somali civil servants began four years ago, and so far has benefited hundreds of government employees, including senior Directors and Director Generals, some of whom have been promoted to higher positions following their notably improved performance.
SOMALI MEDIA
President condemns the killing of Turkish national in Mogadishu
28 May- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Goobjoog/Radio RBC/Radio dalsan/Radio Bar-kulan-158 words
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has strongly condemned the killing of a Turkish national in Mogadishu late on Tuesday. The Turkish national working as the chief of the security for the Turkish Airlines office in Somalia was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at the busy KM4 junction in Mogadishu.
The president of the federal republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ordered the security institutions in the country to fully investigate and bring to justice those behind the murder of Turkish national in Mogadishu.
President Hassan said he very much concerned about the attacks and murder against the Turkish national who came to Somalia to assist the government and its people. He sent condolence to the families, the embassy of Turkey in Mogadishu and Turkish airways where the killed man was working with.
The assassins immediately escaped from the crime scene before the police reached there, according to eyewitnesses. No group has immediately claimed the responsibility of the murder. Meanwhile, the police spokesman said they have started probing the case and already interviewed eyewitnesses.
Somalia: Military Chief survives bomb blast in Mogadishu
28 May- Source: Radio Shabelle/Radio Goobjoog/Radio Risaala- 136 words
The Commander in Chief of the Somali National Army was targeted in an explosion Wednesday morning near the Milk Factory in Mogadishu’s Hodan district. An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) bomb was planted near the factory and exploded as his convoy was passing.
General Dahir Adan Elmi ‘Indhaqarshe’ was traveling in a three-vehicle convoy, 2 of which were pick-up trucks with armed men in uniform on the back and the other a bullet-proof car.
The convoy of the commander were heading to headquarters of the defense ministry where the command of Somali military is stationed.
The precise numbers of casualties are unknown but officials from the Ministry of Defence told Shabelle radio that the Chief of the Somali National Army survived the blast, although a few of his bodyguards were injured.
Witnesses described that there have been casualties in the blast, although they haven’t specified the numbers.
Somali government sends two planes to Bula-burte to deliver aid
28 May- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 134 words
Two planes carrying food aid for the people of Hiiran region have today landed in the town of Bula-burte after al Shabaab militant group blocked truck drivers from using the roads leading to the town. The move forced the government to use all means available to deliver aid to the people of the region. The two planes loaded with aid consisting of rice, milk and medicine were sent by the Ministry of Interior.
Bula-burte Commissioner, Ahmed Abdi Weheliye told Bar-kulan that the Ministry of Interior has on Tuesdaystarted to airlift food aid and medicine to the people of Bula-burte town in Hiiran region. Hiiran region administration, Somali security officials and the African Union Mission in Somalia have jointly said that they are taking measures to clear the main road between Bula-burte and Beledweyne.
Puntland President tours remote areas
28 May- Source: Puntlandtv/ Horseed Media/ Universaltv/Garowe Online- 133 words
Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali along with cabinet members on Tuesday visited remote districts located in the Bari province of the semi-autonomous region. Residents of Hiriro and Iskushuban districts welcomed the President’s convoy massively.
Local elders and administrations of the remote areas passed several complaints to the Puntland leader, most of them related to the basic needs.
Some of the areas the President has visited were formerly Pirates bases. Efforts from residents and Puntland marine forces led to the eradication of Sea gangs who no longer reside in the area.
Since he was elected President in January this year, Dr Gaas has been touring extensively throughout Puntland, this was part of his campaign promises to improve the development of the infrastructure and the public services in the remote areas of the region.
4 people killed in rural area near Galkayo, Mudug region
28 May- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 120 Words
Four people have reportedly been shot dead on Tuesday night in a rural area north of Galkayo, the provincial capital of Mudug region. Some of the residents in the area who spoke to Bar-kulan have said that the killing of the four men who were livestock herders is believed to have been related to a family feud.
Officials are yet to comment on the incident, however, reports from the area indicate that community elders are making efforts to ease the tensions between the communities.
In 2013, two clan militias clashed in the same area which lies in the border between Somalia and Ethiopia, killing several people and injuring many more.
Mourning continue for the loss of young Somali footballer in Somalia
28 May – Source: Radio RBC – 163 words
The President of the confederation of African Football (CAF) Mr Issa Hayatou has expressed sadness at the news of the death of a child who died following a landmine explosion at an open ground in Somalia’s Balanbale town where children were playing football on Monday (26 May 2014).
“It saddens me to hear of such a loss of a young life that went out to enjoy a game that is so dear to all of us. It is particularly disheartening because it comes after we have over the past months witnessed very positive news on a number of development programmes that have given a lot of hope for the advancement of Somali Football” CAF president Hayatou said in a press statement on Tuesday.
“CECAFA and the Somali Football Federation have reported to CAF the death of a Somali child who was killed while playing football after an old landmine exploded in Balanbale. The city lies near the Somalia-Ethiopia border” CAF presidential statement noted.
UN delegation arrives in Mahas district, Hiiran region
28 May- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 132 words
A delegation from the United Nations agencies in Somalia has today arrived in Mahas district of Hiiran region in an attempt to assess the current humanitarian and security situation of the area.
The delegation was led by the head of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Somalia, Edem Wosomu and was included officials from UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF and UNDP.
On their arrival in the area, the United Nations representatives discussed Mahas district officials and the African Union Mission in Somalia officers on wide range of issues including ways to provide aid assistance to the people in Mahas district and its surrounding areas as well as the current security situation of the region.
A United Nations delegation paid a similar visit to the area less than ten days ago.
ATA, US based airline lands in Somaliland
27 May – Source: Somaliland Informer – 144 words
Egal Airport Authority in Hargeisa has welcomed to Somaliland new airline company announced that it will commence flights to Somaliland. The ATA is US based airline company that has established representative in Somaliland.
Egal airport authority along with the country representative of the airline has held a press conference at the airport in Hargeisa and has jointly welcomed the first flight that the company has started in Somaliland.
Mr. Mustafe Hassan Omar, ATA country representative has revealed that the lure of international airline companies to Somaliland is a sign of the progress that is going on in the country.
He added that having the airport has been revamped ATA airline company announced that it will kick off from Dubai to Hargeisa while another flight will leave from the UK to Dubai. The company will also launch local flights to all regions of the country.
Al Shabaab claims responsibility for Djibouti explosions & threatens more attacks
27 May- Source: Harar24/Somalimemo Online/Amiirnuur/Somali Current – 330 words
In a statement released to media outlets the militant al Shabaab organization claimed responsibility for the two explosions that took place at La Chaumiere café in Djibouti.
The statement, which Harar24 received a copy of, outlined that the al Qaeda affiliated group was behind the attack last Saturday night in the Djibouti capital, which they claim caused “35 casualties” from several NATO countries, including US, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. The group also confirmed it had killed “2 senior French commanders” in the attacks.
The insurgents justified the attack as a retribution for the French-backed atrocities against Muslims in the Central African Republic. “The attack was carried out against the French Crusaders for their complicity in the massacres and persecution of our Muslim brothers in the Central African Republic” the statement said. The statement also blamed France for training Djiboutian forces, who are currently stationed in Somalia under the AMISOM and for generally intervening in what they called “the affairs of Muslim lands” and “for their active role in training and equipping the apostate Djiboutian troops in Somalia”.
The statement also blasted the president of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Geelle, for his recent lease with the US extending their presence & keeping their military base in Djibouti and allowing what the militants called “crusaders” access to Djibouti and its facilities. After claiming that this was just the beginning, the militants threatened of further attacks, if the Djiboutian president refused to comply with their demands which included, pulling out Djiboutian forces from Somalia and “expelling all the Crusaders from Djibouti”.
The statement further urged Muslims in Djibouti to stay away from facilities frequented by Westerners and to avoid socializing with them or attending their gatherings, in case the insurgents strike again. “We advise our Muslim brothers in Djibouti to stay well away from the Crusaders as they are the main target of the Mujahideen’s attacks” cited the statement, while further adding: “Refrain from socializing with them or visiting their facilities and attending their gatherings for your own safety.”
Somaliland: Chairman & chief editor of Haatuf released
27 May – Source: Somaliland Informer – 134 words
Somaliland government has released on Tuesday the chairman of Haatuf newspaper Mr. Yusuf Abdi Gabobe and the editor in chief Mr. Ahmed Egge who were imprisoned in Gebiley main prison. The government recently closed the headquarters of the paper after accusing of defamations of public officials.
Somaliland opposition political parties, independent politicians, international human rights organizations, journalism associations and the public at large have played a lion’s share in brokering the release Haatuf Newspaper Mr. Yusuf Abdi Gabobe, the publisher and the editor in chief Mr. Ahmed Egge who were arrested after being alleged of reports on defamation of Somaliland public officials including the likes of Energy Minister, Interior Minister, the son-in-law of president Silanyo.
Somaliland Government has confirmed that the two has been released on bail according to sources that SomalilandInformer has contacted.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Three Ugandan peacekeepers killed during Somalia attack
28 May – Source: New Vision – 163 words
Three Ugandan AMISOM peacekeepers are among the victims of Saturday’s attack on the Somali Parliament by al Shabaab. Four Somali soldiers and a Police officer were also killed during the attack in which 13 militants were gunned down by a joint force of combined force of Somali National Army (SNA) and AMISOM.
An explosives-laden car was detonated near the main entrance to the parliament building in Mogadishu around 11:30am on Makka Al-Mukaramma Street while the House was in session.
Heavily armed al Shabaab fighters entered the parliament building where they engaged in a fierce fight with a joint force comprising Somali security forces and AMISOM troops. All the MPs were safely evacuated from the building, including one who was injured and admitted to AMISOM level II hospital.
Terror suspects nabbed on their way to Mandera
28 May- Source: Star-Kenya- 233 words
Two suspected terrorists have been arrested in Mandera county. Police said they believe Yunis Mohammed Osman, a Somali, and Mahabub Aden Adow, a Kenyan, are behind criminal activities in the region.
They were nabbed in Lafey town en route to Mandera town on Monday. Mandera county police commander Noah Mwivanda said the men, who “appeared suspicious”, were in a bus from Nairobi.
“One of our police officers was in the said bus and, according to him, any time the bus neared a police road block Adow would hide Osman under a seat,” Mwivanda told the Star on the phone. The officer on the bus informed the Lafey OCPD.
Mwivanda said the Lafey police boss gave chase, stopped the bus, and ordered all aboard to step out. All passengers and crew were searched before the two were arrested.
UPDF names soldiers killed in Somalia
28 May- Source: New Vision- 227 words
Burial arrangements are underway for the three Ugandan AMISOM peacekeepers killed during an attack on the Somali Parliament last Saturday.
Philip Baligeya (WO II), Albert Onzele (WO II) and Joseph Ochaya (Pte) were killed during a fierce fight in which 13 al Shabaab militants were gunned down. The al Qaeda-linked insurgents have since claimed responsibility for the attack.
The fighters, donning suicide vests entered the Somali Parliament building, shortly after detonating a car bomb near the main entrance, while parliament was in session.
Four Somali soldiers and a police officer were also killed during the joint response operation between AMISOM and Somali security forces that lasted for four hours.
Kenya assures ‘security in shopping malls has been enhanced’
28 May- Source: Coastweek/ Xinhua- 473 words
Kenya will enhance security in all major shopping malls across the country to thwart increased terror attacks in the country. Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo on Monday directed police commanders in the city to deploy armed police to supermarkets, hospitals and some strategic buildings within the city which could easily be targeted by terrorists.
“Managers in these supermarkets have insisted they need armed police officers as part of mitigating measures to address terror related threats,” said Kimaiyo who toured businesses and hospitals in Nairobi to assess the security threats in the wake of terror acts in Nairobi.
The police chief was disappointed by the level of laxity in some of the places which he said are not properly guarded against terror threats.
Djibouti out to nab weekend suicide bombers
27 May – Source: Africa Review – 128 words
Authorities in Djibouti said Tuesday they have published photos of two suspected suicide bombers as part of investigations into a weekend bombing at a restaurant popular with Westerners.
The suspected attackers, a man and a woman, were initially identified as Somalis, although Djibouti’s interior ministry said it was still trying to confirm where they were from.
Authorities also confirmed three people were killed, including the bombers and a Turkish national, and several foreigners wounded in Saturday’s attack on La Chaumiere restaurant — including seven French nationals, four Germans, three Spanish and several locals.
Somalia pulls out of refugee talks in protest
28 May- Source: Star-Kenya- 409 words
THE delayed repatriation of more than 500,000 Somali refugees suffered a setback after Somalia pulled out of talks in protest at Kenya’s deportation of refugees from urban centres. The launch of a 12-member tripartite commission that was mandated to oversee the gradual and voluntary repatriation process has now been suspended indefinitely.
Somalia was apparently angered by the recent arrests and subsequent deportation of Somalis from Kenya. The tripartite agreement signed in November last year now hangs in the balance. But according to Josphat Maikara, Kenya’s ambassador to Somalia, Somalia’s Foreign Affairs ministry sought a “postponement” of the launch of the commission to a later date.
Mystery of guns in al Shabaab attack
27 May- Source: Daily Nation- 207 words
The men who shot dead two Kenya soldiers in Lamu also stole their guns and then vanished, police sources have said. However, Lamu East police chief Samuel Obara said he was not aware that guns were stolen. “I don’t have any information concerning the theft of G3 rifles. Furthermore, we are not going to discuss sensitive security matters in the media,” Mr Obara told the Nation in a telephone interview yesterday. The soldiers were killed by suspected al Shabaab militia after they were caught resting while their colleagues enjoyed refreshments after their vehicle got stuck in the mud.
Kenya: Terror alerts bite as 20 hotels close down at the Coast
27 May- Source: Standard Media- 398 words
Over 20 hotels at the Coast have been shut after recent terrorist attacks and Western travel advisories. This is according to the latest report by the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers (KAHC) released in Mombasa yesterday. KAHC says up to 20 hotels may have been closed down in the north coast, while five are now shut in the southern coast, adding that the closures which began in April this year are unprecedented even during the low tourist season. However, not all the hotels affected are members of KAHC, which now says the advisories and insecurity have scared tourists away and led to loss of hundreds of jobs in the sector since last month.
Presidential pardon of former Somali official with al Shabaab ties creates furore
27 May- Source: Sabahi Online- 901 words
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s decision to pardon former chief of the Somali Custodial Corps Abdi Mohamed Ismail, who was serving a life sentence after being found guilty of having ties to al Shabaab, has sparked widespread reproach at a delicate time for the president.
The Somali Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested Ismail in October 2013, and he was tried in the military court, which handed down the life sentence after finding him guilty of releasing al-Shabaab inmates from Mogadishu Central Prison.
Mohamud, in an interview May 20th with Somalia’s Universal TV, said he pardoned Ismail after receiving an appeal from Ismail’s family that he was ill.
The president’s statement was brief and the government has provided no additional information on the decision or on Ismail’s illness. Somali political and legal analysts decried the pardon, expressing shock at the president’s decision.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia Warns Kenyan Refugee Expulsion Will Lead to ‘Chaos and Anarchy’
28 May – Source: IPS News – 150 words
Somalia’s State Minister for Interior and Federalism Affairs Mohamud Moalim Yahye has told IPS that the hasty repatriation and mass deportation of its citizens by Kenya could compromise recent, critical security improvements made by regional governments against the Islamic extremist group, al Shabaab.
“The unplanned and uncoordinated deportation of people, especially the youth, will create chaos and anarchy as there are no resources to support and create jobs for them,” Yahye told IPS by phone from Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.
The Somali government has asked that Kenya suspend the current mass deportation of its citizens, which began early April, until the Tripartite agreement for repatriation of Somali refugees is implemented.
Tanzanian arrested en route to Somalia
28 May- Source: News24/ Xinhua- 207 words
Anti-terrorism police officers are holding a Tanzanian national arrested in Mandera town en route to Somalia. A source in the unit told journalists Mbaraka Omar Ramadhani had evaded police roadblocks in Nairobi, Garissa and Wajir.
“Acting on a tip-off, we managed to nab him before he could get into Somalia and he has confessed being an al Shabaab member,” said the source who sought anonymity for fear of being victimized.
Mandera town has experienced a series of bomb, grenade and gun attacks for the past three weeks blamed on Somalia nationals who crossed the porous border through Bulla Hawa.
AfDB reaffirms support to Somalia’s reconstruction
27 May – Source: AFDB – 152 words
The African Development Bank has reaffirmed its support to Somalia’s reconstruction as the country embarks on the path of irreversible and durable peace and stability. This was during the roundtable on Somalia held on Friday, May 23, on the closing day of the 2014 of the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank in Kigali.
Speaking on behalf of the Bank, Gabriel Negatu, the AfDB’s Regional Director, Eastern Africa Regional Centre, said the Somali Country Brief for 2013-2015 was approved in April 2013 and lays out the Bank’s scaled up programme of reengagement, through the Somali Enhanced Programme (SEP) which will form the basis for the Bank’s Multi-Donor Trust Fund.
“An initial concept note for the AfDB Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Somalia has been prepared and is currently being reviewed by colleagues in the Bank’s Resource Mobilization and External Finance Department before being discussed with external partners and potential donors,” Negatu said.
Up to 200,000 Somali children could die from malnutrition – UN
27 May- Source: Reuters- 272 words
Up to 200,000 children under the age of five could die from severe malnutrition in Somalia by the end of the year unless the United Nations receives emergency funds to stave off mass hunger, U.N. officials said on Tuesday.
Only $15 million has been received in the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) $150 million appeal to donor states to provide vital health services to more than 3 million women and children in the Horn of Africa nation this year, the agency said.
“If funding is not received immediately, UNICEF will have to suspend essential life-saving health services within one month,” said spokesman Christophe Boulierac.
“Somalia has 200,000 children under the age of five at risk of death (by) the end of the year 2014 from severe malnutrition if they do not receive life saving therapeutic assistance,” he told a news briefing in Geneva.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“It is clear that piracy will continue, in Somalia or elsewhere, for as long as those who profit are left to pursue their criminal enterprises with impunity. Therefore the international community needs to move swiftly to close this loophole.”
Aiding and abetting: a critical loophole in the fight against maritime piracy
28 May- Source: The Global Intiative- 905 Words
Recent statistics from the International Maritime Bureau confirm that maritime piracy in Somalia is on the decline. From the 237 incidents reported in 2011, there were only 15 attacks in 2013. In May 2012 the MT Smyrni, a Greek-owned tanker, became the last merchant vessel captured and ransomed by pirates off Somalia until now.
However, this success comes at considerable cost: an intense international naval deployment, Operation ATALANTA, spanning 2,000,000 square nautical miles – an area 1.5 times the size of mainland Europe; application of Best Management Practices, and the use of private security on ships in the region, which together cost the international community and the shipping industry billions of dollars a year to maintain. Over $1 billion per year is spent on the naval operations that patrol the Gulf of Aden, and in their latest report, Ocean’s Beyond Piracy estimated that between $1.65 and $2.06 billion was spent on armed guards in the Gulf of Aden that year.
But for how long is this level of expense sustainable? A decision is expected in the coming week whether the EU will continue to finance ATALANTA. The Shipping industry has already been very vocal about the expense of the costs of private security and additional insurance to sail through piracy risk regions. As the perceived risk declines, so too do the precautions: the use of armed guards is already falling from the 50 per cent mark of 2012, to 35-40 per cent of shipping vessels in 2013. However, as vigilance drops piracy may once again re-surge.
“Al Shabaab is seeking to build support in Kenya via its media output, some of which is released in Swahili, to expand its influence over local radicals and sympathisers. This approach is already having some success, with Kenyan recruits well represented in al Shabaab. In time the group may start to influence the outlook of local militants, causing them to adopt a more global jihadist agenda. At that stage the direct threat to Western interests would increase further.”
Kenya: Evacuation of British tourists highlights growing militant threat
27 May- Source: Stirling Assynt Blog-456 Words
Tour operators have evacuated around 500 British tourists from some resorts in coastal Kenya in response to updated advice from the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The FCO now warns against all but essential travel to areas near the Somali border, to Mombasa and its immediate vicinity, and to low-income areas of the capital including the Somali-dominated Eastleigh slum. This comes as the US State Department issued a travel advisory indicating that Washington “continues to receive information about potential terrorist threats aimed at US, Western, and Kenyan interests”.
We have been warning of rising militant activity inside Kenya since Kenyan forces intervened in Somalia in late 2011. The principal source of the threat to Western interests is the Somali jihadist group al Shabaab, which was behind the Westgate Mall attack in September last year and at least two other subsequent plots against Western interests. This comes as al Shabaab issued a threat on 22 May to carry out suicide attacks in Kenya and Uganda – both Governments having troops in Somalia fighting the jihadists.
Top tweets
@UNSomalia PHOTOS: #Somalia Government endorses action plan for ending sexual violence in conflicthttp://bit.ly/1ospW5v pic.twitter.com/S2B5xXlHBU
@HLooyaan “About $1.6 million has been set aside to finance statistical capacity building in #Somalia as a whole, including PL and Somaliland. “- AFDB
@SeppBlatter After years of war, #Somalia is tirelessly developing football. Today, a young boy died after old landmine exploded where he played. So sad.
@NoelDukuzumurem Many thanks2 #Chinese naval to escort of @WFP ship carrying humanitarian relief materials 2#Somalia port, 2 #Africa. http://eng.mod.gov.cn/Photos/
@GI_TOC A loophole in the UN Law of the Sea Convention allows #Somali pirate financiers to enjoy impunity and their profits: http://www.globalinitiative.
Image of the day
Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, Fatiha Serour, dances as a band performs during a workshop where a draft national action plan on ending sexual violence in conflict was endorsed. Photo: UNSOM Flickr