September 3, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

African leaders seek fund to fight militant groups

02 Sept – Source: Reuters – 130 words

African leaders proposed on Tuesday creating a special fund to combat Islamist militant groups growing in strength from Kenya to Nigeria. African Union (AU) states announced the idea after Nairobi talks on a problem highlighted on Tuesday by capture of a town in north-eastern Nigeria by Boko Haram militants. Fighting killed scores of people, according to security forces, and sent at least 5,000 fleeing. President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, where al Shabaab gunmen last September killed 67 people in a raid on a shopping mall, said African countries should stand together against the threat of Boko Haram and al Shabaab. “No single state can tackle this threat alone,” he said. “It is particularly worrying in Africa today that terrorist organizations have grown both in terms of number and capability.”

Key Headlines

Al Shabaab denies leader killed in US drone strike (Radio Dalsan/Somalia Current)
Two civilians killed on the outskirts of Marka town (Bar-kulan)
Kenya says lack of funds delaying repatriation of Somali refugees (Somali Current)
Govt hails Somalia for peace-building (New Vision)
African leaders seek fund to fight militant groups (Reuters)
US forces target al-Shabab in Somalia (Al Jazeera)

SOMALI MEDIA

Al Shabaab denies leader killed in US drone strike

02 Sept – Source: Radio Dalsan/Somali Current – 109 words

Al Shabaab militant group has denied that its leader Abu Zubeyr, whose real name is Ahmed Abdi Godane, was killed in the convoy hit by US drone strike on Tuesday but confirmed that their convoy come under attack. Unidentified al Shabaab leader said Abu Zubeyr left the area moments before the airstrike. However, the details of the attack which happened in Sablaale area near al Shabaab’s stronghold of Barawe still remains unclear. The US military has since said it is assessing the results of its attack. It is not the first time senior al Shabaab leaders come under drone attack in the region.

Two civilians killed on the outskirts of Marka town

02 Sept – Source: Bar-kulan – 91 words

Two civilians have been killed in El-wareegow village near Marka town, the administrative capital of Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region. Eyewitnesses in El-wareegow village told Bar-kulan that gunmen who set up an illegal roadblock at the spot where the incident occurred were behind the killing of the two civilians. Conflicts reports are emerging from the area regarding the reasons behind the killing of the civilians. One report says that the killing of the two is believed to have related to a blood feud. No one has so far commented on the incident.

Kenya says lack of funds delaying repatriation of Somali refugees

02 Sept – Source: Somali Current – 101 words

The Government of Kenya is facing challenges to raise almost $ US 9.2 million needed to fund the voluntary repatriation of Somalia refugees back home country. Harun Komen of department of refugees Affairs has said that the response to requests for donor funding have been below expectations. According to Kenyan officials about 5000 Somali refugees who are ready to return home voluntarily will be assisted to repatriate once their final dates are agreed upon by the Somali government and UNHCR. They include 2,200 refugees from Kakuma Camp and 2800 from Dadaab, who will be repatriated using the available UNHCR funds.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Govt hails Somalia for peace-building

02 Sept – Source: New Vision – 108 words

Minister of Information and National guidance Rosemary Namayanja has hailed Somalia’s Federal Government for efforts towards rebuilding their dilapidated nation. Namayanja specifically praised the existing government addressing issues of women rights and children protection among others. She said Somalia has experienced 22 years of in fighting and there is need to draft a policy to address gender and child protection. Namayanja made the remarks during an awareness raising workshop on Gender Issues for Somali media practitioners at Speke Resort Munyonyo on Monday.bShe advised the practitioners to promote gender issues in society. “Media is virtual tool in community mobilization national development and mainstreaming gender related issues, “Namayanja said.

US forces target al-Shabab in Somalia

02 Sept – Source: Al Jazeera – 95 words

The US has said its military forces have carried out an operation against al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab fighters in Somalia. “We are assessing the results of the operation and will provide additional information as and when appropriate,” said spokesman John Kirby on Monday. A senior Somali intelligence official said a US drone targeted al Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane as he left a meeting of the group’s top leaders, according to the AP news agency. Godane, also known as Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr, is the group’s spiritual leader under whose direction the Somali fighters forged an alliance with al Qaeda.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

African leaders seek fund to fight militant groups

02 Sept – Source: Reuters – 130 words

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Somalia was supposed to have a permanent rather than a transitional government as a result of the parliamentary and presidential selection process which took place in 2012. Not surprisingly, the new order had two major liabilities: a) it was financially bankrupt and virtually depended on the disingenuous international community; and b) it inherited little institutional capacity. The only asset it had was the goodwill of Somalis.”

From a failed elite to a farce in Somalia

02 Sept – Source: Al Jazeera English – 1049 words

Two years ago Somalia’s current members of parliament and the president were nominated through a corrupt process. Somalis willingly ignored the scandal ridden affair and accepted the emerging dispensation hoping that a decent leader would emerge who would have the wisdom and courage to lead the nation out of the failures of the previous twenty-five years. Somalis were exuberant when it became apparent that the president was new to politics and was not tainted by the civil war. The president and his team faced daunting challenges such as re-establishing state institutions from scratch as a result of the endless years of civil war, hostile external interventions, and little revenue sources of its own. But the new regime had one vital asset at its disposal: the goodwill of the Somali people who were impatient for progress, and intolerant towards another failed leadership. This essay has two objectives. It evaluates the regime’s political performance and its ability to sustain public support over the last two years; and postulates what can be expected during the regime’s remaining two years.