September 11, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

UN delegation arrives in Kismayo for talks with IJA leaders

10 Sept – Source: Bar-kulan – 98 words

A United Nations delegation led by UN Deputy Special Envoy to Somalia, Fatiha Serour has visited Kismayo, the administrative capital of Interim Jubba Administration. Serour is accompanied by other UN officials and are due to meet with leaders from the Interim Jubba Administration. The visiting officials and the leaders of the interim administration are expected to discuss various important issues including the upcoming reconciliation conference and the fight against al Shabaab militant group. Serour is now meeting with the second deputy leader of Interim Jubba Administration Abdulkadir Lugadhere along with other officials from the interim administration.

Key Headlines

UN delegation arrives in Kismayo for talks with IJA leaders (Bar-kulan)
Huge security operations undertaken in the capital (RBC)
Court terminates case against Lamu Governor Issa Timamy (Daily Nation/Capital FM)
Wajir lawmakers issue ultimatum over IDs ban (Capital FM)
Over 400 students graduate from Admas University College (Bar-kulan)
Australian to provide a further $5 million in humanitarian assistance to Somalia (Australia Minister of Foreign Affairs)

SOMALI MEDIA

UN delegation arrives in Kismayo for talks with IJA leaders

10 Sept – Source: Bar-kulan – 98 words

Huge security operations undertaken in the capital

10 Sept – Source: RBC – 94 words

Somali federal government security forces have commenced operations in the the capital, Mogadishu at dawn on Wednesday. As an answer to a tip-off of retaliation attacks from the al Qaeda affiliated militants al Shabaab, Somali security forces have started huge operations in the capital’s main highways where private and public transport as well as passengers are being searched. These operations are ongoing in Mogadishu’s main roads KM-4, the presidential palace road and Banadir Junction. The security forces are reported to be carrying out searches on all vehicles traveling in these roads and also on their passengers.

Over 400 students graduate from Admas University College

10 Sept – Source: Bar-kulan – 105 words

More than 400 students have graduated from Admas University College in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. Speaking at a colorful ceremony held at Admas University College in Hargeisa where over 400 newly graduates received their honors, Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud Silanyo urged the students to work for their communities and to contribute to the development of their country. The new graduates, among them women, completed degree courses in various fields including Information Technology, Accounting, Economics, Management and Business Studies. This is the 6th graduation since the inception of Admas University College in Hargeisa, a branch of Addis Ababa based Admas University College in 2006.

Cleaning campaign starts in Wadajir and Hodan districts, Banadir region

10 Sept – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 124 words

Women from Hodan and Wadajir districts in Banadir region have launched cleaning campaign to beautify and sanitize the capital. The commissioners of the districts where the sanitation campaign started said the campaign will lead to the removal of garbage in the city. Wadajir district commissioner Ahmed Abdulle Afrah warned the traders who sell things along the road and dump the garbage in the streets adding that the campaign would make a big difference in the sanitary conditions in the districts and will bring back the beauty of the city. On the other hand Hodan district commissioner Abdulkadir Ali Kulane on his part urged the locals in Hodan district to take part in the cleaning campaign in the district as well as the capital city.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Court terminates case against Lamu Governor Issa Timamy

10 Sept – Source: Daily Nation/Capital FM – 143 words

The High Court in Mombasa has thrown out the case against Lamu Governor Issa Timamy after it rejected a request by the state to be granted more time to continue with investigations against him. Justice Martin Muya rejected the request for extension by the state, saying it was not serious or grounded in law. The Judge said it would be prejudicial to Mr Timamy’s rights to be ordered to attend court without charges against him. Justice Muya said the Director of Public Prosecution has not been prevented from charging Mr Timamy in future when investigations are complete. “The respondent was arrested on June 25, it is close to three months, the period is deemed adequate bearing in mind the initial request (to have him detained) was 14 days,” said Justice Muya.

Wajir lawmakers issue ultimatum over IDs ban

10 Sept – Source: Capital FM – 138 words

Wajir North Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Saley has given the Wajir County Commissioner a two-week ultimatum to overturn a decree stopping the issuance of identity cards to Wajir residents most of whom are Kenyans of Somali origin. During a press conference in the company of Balambala Member of Parliament AbdiKadir Adan, Saley accused the County Commissioner for slapping an embargo on the registration of the residents, saying the decision had curtailed their rights as enshrined in the Constitution and that the only way out was through the courts. “If registration of persons doesn’t start in Wajir North constituency in the coming two weeks, I will institute court proceedings against the County Commissioner for Wajir for violating the rights of my constituents. He is the one who has placed the embargo; the county security committee has no legal basis.”

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Australian to provide a further $5 million in humanitarian assistance to Somalia

10 Sept – Source: Australia Minister of Foreign Affairs – 153 words

The Australian Government will provide a further $5 million in humanitarian assistance to Somalia. The funding will be delivered through the United Nation’s Somalia Common Humanitarian Fund to provide Somalis in need with emergency food, water, sanitation, shelter and medical assistance. This contribution brings Australia’s total humanitarian and state-building assistance for Somalia to $15 million in 2014. A combination of delayed rains and ongoing conflict has had a devastating impact on food security in Somalia. Almost three million people require humanitarian assistance and over 200,000 children under five are acutely malnourished. There are 1.1 million internally displaced people in Somalia and one million Somali refugees in neighbouring states. As well as responding to urgent humanitarian needs, supporting stability and state building in Somalia is consistent with Australia’s strategy to combat global terrorism, piracy and people trafficking. Enhancing security in the Indian Ocean Rim also helps to protect major Australian trading routes.

Kenya on high alert over al Shabaab attacks

10 Sept – Source: Xinhua – 136 words

Kenyan authorities said Tuesday the country is on high alert over possible retaliatory attacks by al Shabaab after its leader was killed last week in U.S. military airstrikes in southern Somalia. Kenya Defence Force (KDF) spokesman Bogita Ongeri told Xinhua that the military personnel have increased surveillance at the Kenya-Somalia border in Lamu and northern Kenya to avert cross border incursion by the insurgents. “We have put elaborate security measures and strengthened our operations within Hindi and vast Boni Forest near the Somalia border in. More personnel have been deployed to prevent militants sneaking into the country,” Bogita told Xinhua. The heightened security follows the killing of Ahmed Godane. The military airstrike killed a total of 11 al Shabaab militants, including five senior commanders. The group has since appointed Ahmed Omar Abu Ubaidah as the new leader.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Let the leadership of the region pray that the reported emerging power wrangles inside al Shabaab might escalate to shift the group attention from retaliation to reconciliation or else it will be difficult to contain the al Shabaab’s an imaginable attacks.”

Godane is gone but al Shabaab is still strong?

10 Sept – Source: Somali Current – 547 words

A dark chapter may have opened for the al Qaeda linked Somali militant group al Shabaab after US drone strike killed their overall and spiritual leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane last week but the group strength depends on the steps taken by the newly appointed leader Ahmed Omar alias Abu Ubeida like Godane did after coming to power five years ago. During his leadership as the al Shabaab overall leader Afghan trained fighter Abdi Godane succeeded in uniting thousands of fighters from various Somali warring clans while recruiting new jihadist as far as united states, UK and Scandinavian countries. Godane reforms lead to groups’ recognition by al Qaeda, globalization of the group threat and finally warnings and surprise sophisticated and well coordinated attacks on Kampala, Uganda in July 2010 and most recently Nairobi Westgate Shopping mall attack on September 2013. Regional countries such as Kenya have thanked the west (US) for eliminating Al Shabaab leader but as Swahili proverb says “kuvunjika kwa mwiko sio mwisho wa kusonga ugali” which translates to the breakdown of the cooking stick is not the end of cooking, neighboring states that contributed to peacekeeping troops in Somalia e.g Kenya and Uganda should stop thanking the west but instead pull up their socks to prevent another possible al Shabaab attack for retaliation of their leader Ahmed Godane.