September 16, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

President arrives in Kismayo for Jubba Reconciliation Conference

16 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan/Kismaayo Online/Dhanaan Online- 133 words

A delegation led by Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Tuesday arrived in Kismayo, the provincial capital of Lower Jubba region ahead of the opening of the Jubba reconciliation conference.

The president and his delegation are expected to attend the opening ceremony of the reconciliation conference for Jubba and Gedo communities later on Tuesday.

The president and his delegation were received at the airport by the leader of the Interim Jubba Administration Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madoobe, AMISOM officers, Somali ministers, IGAD officials and civil society groups.

Shortly after his arrival in Kismayo, the president and his delegation were escorted to the conference venue.

The security of the city has been heightened by Interim Jubba Administration security forces with the help of African Union forces in Somalia.

Key Headlines

President arrives in Kismayo for Jubba Reconciliation Conference (Radio Bar-kulan)
Government forces arrests dozens of people in wadajir district (Radio Goobjoog)
Somali president to officially open Jubba Reconciliation Conference (Radio Mogadishu)
Jubbaland State Forces on high alert ahead of Jubba reconciliation conference (Radio Dalsan)
Media outlets submit complaints over media bill to president (Radio Mogadishu)
Madobe Nunow’s administration accuses IGAD of interference (Radio Goobjoog)
How al Shabaab entered Uganda (Daily Monitor)
Two die after quarry collapse (Radio Dalsan)
Al Shabaab denies Ugandan officials foiled planned attack (Somali Current)
“President Silanyo Is Compromising The Constitution” Hon. Saeed Elmi Roble (Horn Newspaper Online)
Kenya: Police find al Shabaab MRC direct link in Mpeketoni attack (Star-Kenya)
Fury over State’s mosques closure threat (Standard Media)
Somalia Kenya leaders to meet regarding maritime dispute (Sabahi Online)
DOJ extremism fight could take cue from Minnesota (AP)
In Somalia emergency airlifts supply towns unreachable by road (UNICEF)
Somalia ambassador forgives daughter’s killer (BBC Africa)
Counselor Thomas A. Shannon’s Travel to Mogadishu Somalia (US Somalia Unit)
Holder unveils program to counter recruiting by extremist groups (CNN)

SOMALI MEDIA

President arrives in Kismayo for Jubba Reconciliation Conference

16 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan/Kismaayo Online/Dhanaan Online- 133 words

A delegation led by Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Tuesday arrived in Kismayo, the provincial capital of Lower Jubba region ahead of the opening of the Jubba reconciliation conference.

The president and his delegation are expected to attend the opening ceremony of the reconciliation conference for Jubba and Gedo communities later on Tuesday.

Shortly after his arrival in Kismayo, the president and his delegation were escorted to the conference venue.

The security of the city has been heightened by Interim Jubba Administration security forces with the help of African Union forces in Somalia.

Somali president to officially open Jubba Reconciliation Conference

16 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Risaala- 202 words

Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to officially open the reconciliation conference for Jubba communities in Kismayo, the provincial capital of Lower Jubba region on Tuesday.

Somali government officials, representatives from IGAD, traditional elders and members of civil society groups in Lower Jubba, Middle Jubba and Gedo regions are all expected to attend the reconciliation conference.

Speaking to Bar-kulan, Abdi Balley Hussein, the chairman of Interim Jubba Administration reconciliation committee urged politicians, intellectuals and society groups from the region to participate in the conference.

The security of the city has been heightened ahead of the opening ceremony of the conference. Interim Jubba Administration security forces and AMISOM troops are patrolling major roads around the conference venue.

Bar-kulan correspondent in Kismayo reported that businesses and schools are closed while traffic movement has been restricted for security purposes ahead of the conference.

Col. Barre Shire Aden Hirale, a former warlord who recently agreed to join the peace process in Jubba regions said in press conference on Sunday that the reconciliation conference will be held on October 1.

He added any conference held before October 1 is meant to mislead the peace process for Jubba communities.

Government forces arrests dozens of people in wadajir district

16 Sept- Source: Radio Goobjoog- 119 words

Federal government forces backed by AMISOM troops in Mogadishu conducted dawn operations in Wadajir district of Banadir region on Tuesday. Dozens of people mostly youth were apprehended by the forces from the villages affected by the dawn operations.

Public transport was disrupted after the forces blocked the main streets in the district during the operations, the students and business people were going to schools and markets on foot. The arrested people were taken to the police stations in Wadajir district where their investigations in underway.

Wadajir district commissioner Ahmed Abdulle Afrah said the operations in the district are part of the government’s plans to maintain the security of the city.

Jubbaland State Forces on high alert ahead of Jubba reconciliation conference

16 Sept- Source: Radio Dalsan- 223 words

Ahmed Mohamed Abdi aka Dagacadde, one of the security officials of Jubba in Kismayo told Dalsan Radio that security is tight in Kismayo ahead of the Jubba Reconciliation Conference. He added that the Jubba State forces were all put on high alert. He added that the KDF contingent of AMISOM was also alerted so that the security of the delegates can be enhanced.

He said the security forces did operation in some neighbourhoods of Kismayo including Alanley and near the airport from where al Shabaab have in the past infiltrated and from where they have thrown rockets. He said the security forces arrested suspects. He however declined to mention the number of the suspects that were caught during the operation at that particular time.

“We are trying to make sure that no security problem happens during this conference. We need the delegates to converge peacefully and the conference to end in peace,” Dagacadde said. “..due to the conference, security has to be tightened. We will keep it tight up until the end of the conference insha Allah”. He added.

Col. Barre Adan Shire, former rival of Ahmed Madoobe accepted to embrace peace and will be attending the conference in Kismayo. He however accused IGAD that they don’t want the conference to be held. He said the conference is very important for the communities in Jubba regions.

Media outlets submit complaints over media bill to president

16 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan- 174 words

Owners and directors of the media outlets in the Somali capital, Mogadishu on Sunday night submitted complaints over a new media bill drafted by Somali cabinet to the Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at the presidential compound.

Media representatives expressed their concerns over the new media bill and recent crackdowns against media which saw the arrests of several journalists and closing down of a number of radio stations in Mogadishu to the president.

Director of Radio Bar-kulan, Mohamed Dahir Farah, who was among the media representatives in the meeting said the president stated that the new media bill will be reviewed and promised that they will be notified when new changes are made to the bill.

Meanwhile, the president urged media outlets in the Somali capital to side with the government in its war against al Shabaab militant group to restore peace and security.

Somali security forces early this month arrested several media owners and directors in Mogadishu after they rejected government decree calling media outlets not to broadcast al Shabaab related news.

Madobe Nunow’s administration accuses IGAD of interference

16 Sept- Source: Radio Goobjoog- 122 words

The administration of South West Somalia, six regions led by Madobe Nunow warn of IGAD’s interference to the affairs of the region. Transport minister of Nunow’s administration Mohamed Idiris accused IGAD of hindering important decisions they agreed with the government leaders that visited Baidoa.

He added that their administration wants the federal government and international community to honour the will of the people.

His remarks comes a time when Baidoa conference has entered its third day and the administration of South West Somalia, the six regions said it will not give up its decisions of establishing regional state comprising six regions.

On Monday hundreds of protesters against Baidoa conference took into the streets of Baidoa.

Two die after quarry collapse

16 Sept- Source: Radio Dalsan- 135 words

Two casual workers died after quarry collapsed near Keydsaney Hospital in Mogadishu’s Kaaraan District, according to the chairperson of the Cooperation of Quarry Workers Mr. Mohamud Mohamed.

Mr. Mohamud told Dalsan Radio that the incident happened on Monday. Rescue teams said it took them two and half hours to reach the bodies of the two and to recover them from the rubble. The chairperson of the Cooperation of Quarry Workers requested from the government and the authorities of Banadir Regional Administration to provide the quarry workers protective equipment.

It is not the first time, quarry workers lost their lives after quarry collapse. The chairperson of the Cooperation of Quarry Workers said at least 38 quarry workers had lost their lives after quarry collapse in the last two years only.

Al Shabaab denies Ugandan officials foiled planned attack

15 Sept – Source: Somali Current – 131 words

Al Shabaab militant group has denied that Ugandan security forces have foiled planned attack by the militant members. In a statement the group strongly denied the claims by US and Uganda officials on planned attacks in Ugandan soil.

“Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahideen strongly deny the purported claim by the … United States and their subordinate Ugandan officials that they’ve foiled an attack that was supposedly being planned in Uganda by the Mujahideen,” Ali Mohamud Rage, the spokesman of al Shabaab, said in a statement released on Monday.

Ugandan Information Minister Rose Namayanja said on Saturday that security agencies seized an extraordinary amount of explosives from a suspected al Shabaab cell that was planning an attack.

Namayanja said the government believed the Kampala cell had links to al Shabaab, without giving further details.

“President Silanyo Is Compromising The Constitution” Hon. Saeed Elmi Roble

15 Sept- Source: Horn Newspaper Online- 130 words

The chairman of constitutional and judicial affairs committee in the house of representatives Hon. Saeed Elmi Roble , has termed the comment by the Somaliland president Ahmed Mohammed Mohamud (Silanyo) that the minister in the office of the president Mr. Hirsi Ali Hassan is the prime minister in his government has elicited intense debate within and without.”We are going look into this matter to ascertain if the president sentiments undermine the constitution in a special meeting by the judicial committee”. Hon. Saeed went on to state that the country has a binding constitution which vividly reinforce the chain of command from the top president, vice president and nowhere in the nation’s laws is a first minister or prime minister enshrined.

REGIONAL MEDIA

How al Shabaab entered Uganda

16 Sept- Source: Daily Monitor-540 Words

The 19 arrested terror suspects, who intended to hit Kampala, entered the country between Monday and Saturday last week, security sources said yesterday.

According to the sources, the suspects were staying in rental houses they had turned into cells in Kampala suburbs of Kisenyi, Nakulabye, Kasubi, Busega and Lungujja to assemble the explosives. Security sources say the suspects entered the country without passports through unofficial border posts along the borders with Kenya and South Sudan and boarded vehicles to Kampala.

The International Police (Interpol) yesterday wrote to the Uganda police requesting for identities of some of the arrested al Shabaab terrorist suspects who are on the global list of wanted terrorists.

“It is true that Interpol has asked for those identities and we are working on that. Interpol has a database of all criminal records and they want to work with us as we investigate,” said Mr Assan Kasingye, the director Interpol.

Kenya: Police find al Shabaab, MRC direct link in Mpeketoni attack

16 Sept- Source: Star-Kenya- 519 words

Police have established a direct link between slain al Shabaab leader Ahmed Godane and the killer gang that massacred 48 people in Mpeketoni in June.

Investigators have discovered that some of the attackers who raided the area communicated with a central location in Somalia believed to be the hiding place of top al Shabaab leaders.

Kenyan security agencies shared the intelligence with the US forces that attacked the port city of Barawa, where al Shabaab leaders were holding a meeting, and killed Godane and other top terror masterminds.

CID investigators are now convinced that Godane organised and coordinated the attacks targeting specific communities in the area using Kenyans trained by al-Shabaab inside Somalia.

Latest investigations into the Mpeketoni massacre reveal that some of the men suspected to have butchered people in Mpeketoni are known members of either the Mombasa Republican Council or radicalised youths who were trained in Somalia.

Fury over State’s mosques closure threat

16 Sept – Source: Standard Media – 117 words

Muslim leaders have protested against threats to shut down what the State says are mosques that offer radical teachings, saying this would undermine the war against terrorism.

They were reacting to Sunday’s threat by Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Director Ndegwa Muhoro to close mosques he claimed were preaching extremism and promoting al Shabaab ideologies.

Mr Muhoro said a mosque was, recently, shut in Machakos for recruiting youth to al Shabaab and the suspects are facing charges.

But yesterday the CID boss was accused of not only lacking the theological depth to understand Islam before deciding for muslims what is radical but also laying the ground for mosque invasions such as the February 2storming of Musa Mosque in Mombasa.

Somalia, Kenya leaders to meet regarding maritime dispute

15 Sept- Source: Sabahi Online- 249 words

The presidents of Kenya and Somalia will meet in New York this week to discuss the long-running maritime border dispute between the two countries, Kenya’s Daily Nation reported Saturday.

The Kenyan government has re-opened negotiations with its neighbouring country after Somalia appealed to the International Court of Justice to settle the dispute following a breakdown in diplomatic negotiations.

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Amina Mohammed said Saturday that her country would prefer to settle the dispute out of court, adding that Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will meet in New York during the UN General Assembly next week to sort out the issue.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

DOJ extremism fight could take cue from Minnesota

16 Sept- Source: AP- 663 words

When young men from Minneapolis began traveling to Somalia seven years ago to join a terror group in the midst of a civil war, investigators trying to stop the recruiting went straight to the city’s large Somali community to build trust and gain understanding.

The nationwide effort to stop a new wave of Westerners being recruited, this time for Islamic State militant groups in Syria and Iraq, could take some cues from Minnesota. Attorney General Eric Holder said Monday the Justice Department is launching a series of pilot programs to help detect American extremists looking to join terror organizations in countries like Syria and Iraq.

Locations for the programs weren’t announced and few details were released, but Holder said they would bring together religious leaders, prosecutors and community representatives. Such a program would be welcomed in Minnesota – where authorities also are now investigating how a handful of people were recruited to travel to Syria and take up arms with militants. Several Somalis have been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury – some back in June and others as recently as last week.

In Somalia, emergency airlifts supply towns unreachable by road

15 Sept- Source: UNICEF-732 Words

Habiba Ahmed Mohamed has walked more than 7 km to reach the Maternal and Child health clinic in Hudur, capital of the Bakool region of south-western Somalia. As she arrives, she shades her sick baby from the scorching heat.

Her 7-month-old daughter, Suleeqa Mohamed is pale, breathing heavily, and her face is covered with a spotty rash.

“My child is sick. I don’t know the problem,” Habiba says softly, still recovering from the long walk from her village. “For ten days, she has had a high fever, has been sick with diahorrea, then spots appeared and spread everywhere.”

A quick examination by the clinical officer, Mr Abdullahi Abdul, leads him to suspect that Suleeqa has measles, which has affected some 7,000 Somali children this year.

Somalia ambassador forgives daughter’s killer

15 Sept- Source: BBC Africa-04:12mins

Imagine coming face to face with someone who killed your daughter… What would you do? Well that’s the situation Somalia’s current ambassador to Kenya, Mohammed Nur has recently faced. He was approached by one of the perpetrators of the crime. Ambassador Nur told the BBC’s Veronique Edwards what happened.

Counselor Thomas A. Shannon’s Travel to Mogadishu, Somalia

15 Sept- Source: US Somalia Unit-152 Words

The Counselor of the Department, Thomas A. Shannon, visited Mogadishu on September 14. He was joined by Special Representative for Somalia James P. McAnulty and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Steven J. Feldstein.

In meetings with senior government officials and representatives of the international community, he reiterated the commitment of the United States to Somalia’s security and development. With President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud and Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed he discussed the latest military and political developments, including the successful strike against al Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane and the military campaign by the Somali National Army (SNA) and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) against al-Shabaab’s remaining strongholds.

Additionally, the Counselor was briefed by representatives of the Somali cabinet and representatives of the international community on state-building initiatives, including judicial development, reconciliation in recently-liberated areas, and preparations for the 2015 review of the Constitution and the 2016 elections.

Holder unveils program to counter recruiting by extremist groups

15 Sept – Source: CNN – 123 words

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday announced a Justice Department program to try to thwart recruitment by extremist groups such as ISIS, attempting to involve social and mental health workers as well as religious leaders and police to spot radicalization early.

This effort is an outgrowth of existing community outreach programs that in recent years have linked Justice Department prosecutors, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security with imams and local organizations hoping to prevent young people from joining terror groups.

Despite those efforts, authorities say more than 100 Americans have traveled in recent years to join groups involved in the Syrian civil war. More than a dozen are believed to have joined ISIS, which calls itself the Islamic State.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“To write a new chapter, we must look into the plight of the officers who risked their lives to save hundreds at Westgate that day. A reward or State recognition, a medal for valour or even a promotion would lift the morale of the security teams.”

Westgate: Let’s salute those who risked life and limb

15 Sept- Source: Standard Media-618 Words

The common narrative that has come out of the painful memories of last year’s Westgate Mall terror attack on September 21, 2013 was that several brave police officers, reservists and KDF soldiers responded to a very grave situation. Many arrived at the mall without the faintest idea of the enormity of the task that awaited them.

But like the brave officers they were trained to be, they responded with bravery and tenacity. In the end, these heroes managed to rescue hundreds from the Al-Shabaab attackers who had descended on the mall and started firing indiscriminately at the shoppers and other people who were in the building.

The first group of armed officers was overwhelmed by what they saw. Dead bodies were strewn across the parking area and mall walkways. People were groaning in pain, nursing serious gunshot wounds needing urgent medical assistance. The real story of the security officers who entered the mall and fought with the attackers has not been told until now.

“What Somaliland desperately needs is holding a credible, free and fair election on time without delay .In 2012 local elections, there was massive rigging in many districts. The Somaliland people deserve a credible election for their own future.”

Can Somaliland Hold a Credible Election Without Delay?

15 Sept- Source: SomalilandPress-873 Words

With the upcoming Presidential and legislative elections less than a year away, Somaliland decided to launch a new biometric National ID program for its approximately 4 million people from scratch. According to Somaliland’s interior Minister, Mohamed Ali “Warran-Adde” , the whole registration and issuing digital ID cards would take six months, even though Somaliland does not have a paper based ID system.

No doubt, a modern and secure Somaliland ID card would effectively help the country to fight election fraud and related identity issues. But many Somalilanders have a serious concerns about President Silanyo’s National ID card project .And their main concerns are whether it is feasible to register close 4 million people within six months, cost and the timing of the National ID system.

Moreover, Silanyo circumvented unilaterally the parliament to enact by decree the National ID system, the primary form of citizen identification, which is a massive undertaking. It is assault on Somaliland’s constitution which gives the Parliament power to write laws-and it is a blatant power abuse.

Top tweets

@OCHASom In #Somalia, emergency airlifts supply aid to towns unreachable by road: http://bit.ly/1nZpBCX via@unicefsomalia pic.twitter.com/gWc0HTbZ6B

@amisomsomalia #PeaceDay A strong SNA is essential for sustained peace in Somalia. #AMISOM working for a stronger & professional SNA pic.twitter.com/8SvVAEwKA0

@UNLazzarini Over 1 million ppl face acute food insecurity in#Somalia. Latest snapshot: http://bit.ly/1oBv17k pic.twitter.com/h2zG95JBZu

@UNSomalia WATCH: A young #Somali in #Uganda talks via#Skype about what #peace means to him and his plans for#PeaceDay: http://bit.ly/1AQciut

@SomaliPM Off to London to meet our development partners, UK Officials & Somali Diaspora in UK.Serving Day & Night for My PPL. pic.twitter.com/24aAuu1Lfp

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Image of the day

Image of the day A dance troupe welcomes Prime Minister Abdweli Sheikh Ahmed at the opening of the Baidoa reconciliation conference on 14 September 2014. Photo: UNSOM