24 Aug 2011 – Daily Monitoring Report
Key Headlines:
- Somali PM: The country is still in a state of drought and famine
- Unlawful money imposed on aid planes landing at Mogadishu airport
- Al Shabaab detain Imams in Baidoa town Bay region
- Tension is high in El-wak Gedo region
- Al Shabaab arrest young people accused of having links with TFG
- Measles vaccination campaign kicks off in Mogadishu
- Somalia deal could bomb Uganda’s investment
- Iran Somalia to pursue talks in Tehran
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali PM: The country is still in a state of drought and famine
24 Aug – Source: Radio Mogadishu, Shabelle, Kulmiye and Risala – 95 words
The TFG’s Prime Minister on Tuesday repeated the country is still in a state of drought and famine. Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali made the comments while addressing at a big rally celebrating al Shabaab’s withdrawal from Mogadishu and held at Konis Stadium north of the capital. The prime minister called for the international community and Islamic World to continue and redouble their support for the famine-ravaged Horn of Africa nation. He stated south-central regions of the country are undergoing the worst drought conditions and that people are in dire need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
Al Shabaab detain Imams in Baidoa town, Bay region
24 Aug – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 158 words
The al Shabaab led administration in Baidoa town has arrested imams from three mosques in the area for defying their recent orders banning the use of loudspeakers during Tahajud prayers. Abdishakur Sheikh Ali, a local resident in Baidoa told Bar-kulan that the rebel group descended on three mosques in the town and arrested the Imams. The Imams were said to be from the mosques of Towba, al Qudus and another one in Baidoa’s Howlwadag neighborhoods. But it is not yet clear whether the detained imams have defied the militia’s order to keep the nighttime prayer a secret.
Mogadishu re-liberation day: PM warns al Shabaab
23 Aug – Source: Radio Mogadishu, SONNA – 325 words
Peaceful demonstrations in support of the Somali government forces took place yesterday at the Konis Stadium in the northern part of Abdi Aziz district, which was represented by all 16 districts of Banadir administration. The demonstration was attended by the Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali and the Mogadishu Mayor Mohamud Ahmed Nur Tarzan Ahmed among other key TFG officials; the Konis stadium has been non-operational since 2007.
The demonstrators were waving Somali flags and singing the Somali national anthem as well as patriotic songs condemning the atrocities committed against them by al Shabaab. The demonstrators were a mix of small boys, women, youth groups, women organizations as well as elders who attended the peaceful demonstration with the attendants praising the TFG forces for freeing the people of Somalia from the al Shabaab rule.
Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has said that al Shabaab will be detached from the country and warned of any possible group planning to disrupt the peace of Somalia risks facing the full wrath of the law. The Prime Minister addressed thousands who turned up at the Konis stadium yesterday in a ceremony to show support towards the Somali government forces as well as AMISOM for battling hard al Shabaab.
Abdiweli Mohamed Ali praised the TFG forces that endured the prolonged anti-al-Shabaab crusade and passed his condolences to the families who lost their members while protecting the national interest of Somalia. The Premier also thanked the AU peace keepers for standing by the Somali people and for sacrificing their lives at the expense of Somali peace. The Somali Prime stressed that al Shabaab were popular in intimidating and harassing the innocent Somali women and children as well as youth with baseless and false ideology used to attract innocent youths.
Puntland police arrest 3 suspects in Bosaso for alleged murder case
24 Aug – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 96 words
Reports from Bari’s regional headquarter, Bosaso, say police have arrested three suspects for their alleged role in the death of police officer on Tuesday. Police official told Bar-kulan that security details of the deceased officer Hala’ Mohamed Jama helped them to arrest the suspects. Jama was shot dead while getting his hair trimmed at a nearby barber in Bosaso town. His assailants exchanged gunfire with his body guards and later fled the scene of the incident. Police have not yet disclosed when the three suspects will be arraigned in court to answer the said charges against them.
Somaliland seizes three people for allegedly robbing people
24 Aug – Source: Shabelle – 106 words
The security of the self proclaimed republic of Somaliland have seized at least three persons charged with being bandits and accustomed to rob the civilian people traveling inside Sool region north of Somalia. Reports said the operations conducted by the security forces of Somaliland took place inside and outside of Las Anod town on Tuesday night. Some of the bandits were said to have escaped even through three were captured and taken into custody. After several gangs escaped, the forces opened fire, causing the injuries of several civilians. Officials of Somaliland in the region said they will continue their operations battling against stick-up and armed robbery.
http://www.shabelle.net/
Tension is high in El-wak, Gedo region
24 Aug – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan and Radio Mogadishu – 100 words
Tension is reportedly high in El-wak town of Gedo region as local residents flee their homes in fear of imminent attack by al Shabaab rebels in the region. Reports say residents have been fleeing the area since yesterday afternoon to the neighboring Kenyan side of the border between Kenya and Somalia. The rebels vowed to attack the town held by government troops after they were defeated in the recent clashes with government troops in the area. The town was said to be tensed on Wednesday morning, with government troops on high alert to respond to any attack from the al Shabaab militia. Col. Abdikadir Sanka, who is an official with the government troops, said the rebels are planning to attack the town but their forces in the area are ready to face them.
Al Shabaab arrest young people accused of having links with TFG
24 Aug – Source: Shabelle, Mareeg Online and Somaliweyn – 109 words
Fighters loyal to the al Shabaab group on Tuesday night captured at least three young Somalis after search operations in Barawe district in Lower Shabelle region of southern Somalia. The group has accused the apprehended youngsters of having links with the TFG, which the group dubbed to be an apostate administration. All were seized while they were in their homes in the district, according to local residents and eyewitnesses. It is not known where the arrested people were taken so far. The incident comes only hours after the group executed three people in Mogadishu, charging them with being spies for the Somali government and Kenya.
http://www.shabelle.net/
Measles vaccination campaign kicks off in Mogadishu
23 Aug – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 158 words
A measles vaccination campaign aimed at vaccinating large number of Somali children in Banadir region has kicked off in Mogadishu on Tuesday. The campaign jointly funded by the World Health Organization, UN children body and Somalia’s health ministry, targets children in refugee camps in Banadir region.
Somalia Health Minister Dr. Abdiaziz Sheikh Yussuf who officially launched the campaign said it will continue for three days in order to reach all children in the region. Elsewhere, the minister received medical aid from Djiboutian ambassador to Somalia Dayib Dubad Roble. The ambassador stressed his government’s commitment in supporting the Somali population during this time of hardship in the country as drought and famine ravage the Horn of African nation.
While receiving the medical aid from Djibouti, Dr. Abdiaziz Sheikh Yussuf praised the Djiboutian government for its continuous support in aiding famine-gripped Somalia. Earlier last week, Djibouti president Islamail Omar Guelleh visited Mogadishu to assess the drought and famine situation in Somalia.
Unlawful money imposed on aid planes landing at Mogadishu airport
24 Aug – Source: Shabelle – 236 words
Planes carrying aid to famine hit Somalia have been imposed illegal fees to be paid when landing at Mogadishu’s Aden International Airport, an official said on Wednesday. Mogadishu airport authorities have reportedly started to take illegal money from the airplanes carrying aid food and medicine to the starving people in the refugee camps in the capital, according to an official at the Mogadishu airport who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
He said it is still not known where this money directly goes, adding that the aid planes landing at the airport were ordered to pay $ 2,000 for any flight into the capital. The aid officials in charge of the planes refused to heed the strict orders, the official said. He mentioned that one of the aid planes’ officials was jailed inside the airport after a long dispute and quarrel. However, TFG president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has released him from the jail as he was to fly from there.
Though the Minister of Finance does not take any tax from aid planes to Somalia, the official who asked his name not to be published in the news outlets said this move will be an obstacle to relief efforts in famine-hit Somalia. The move of taking a lot of illegal money from aid planes landing at Mogadishu airport is news as Somalia’s government leaders have previously stated that aid planes should not be taxed.
http://www.shabelle.net/
REGIONAL MEDIA
Somalia deal could bomb Uganda’s investment
23 Aug – Source: Daily Monitor – 439 words
Countries that are vulnerable to terror attacks, including Uganda, are according to the latest survey by the UK-based risk analysis and mapping, Maplecroft, likely to be snubbed by investors. The August 2011 report notes that Uganda faces a bigger terror threat today than last year because of UPDF involvement in the fight against the al Shabaab insurgents in Somalia. Uganda has been ranked 22 after jumping 20 places from 44th position last year, out of 197 countries sampled by the British firm annually. Its ranked number eight in Africa. Al Shabaab, which claims to have, links with the global terror network-al Qaeda, attacked Kampala on July 11, 2010, and killed 79 people. The attack marked the first strike by the Somali insurgents on a foreign soil.
Countries in the report are classified into: extreme, high, and low risk categories. The country is rated as ‘extreme risk’ primarily due to the high intensity of terrorist attacks, high number of historical attacks over five years and big risks relating to countries’ geographic proximity to terrorist hotspots.
Uganda, Kenya and Burundi are among the high risk countries while Tanzania is under the low risk group in East Africa. Kenya is in the “high category” because of its proximity to Somalia. The deputy police spokesperson, Mr. Vicent Ssekate, said they are aware of the terror threats, adding that they have alert system in place and are ready to mitigate the danger. The index draws on the latest and most comprehensive data available to calculate the frequency and lethality of terrorist incidents over the 12 month period prior to April 1.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/
Kingdom’s Somali fund crosses SR160 million
24 Aug – Source: Arab News – 570 words
The national fundraising campaign for famine-hit Somalia, which was opened by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on Monday, raised more than SR160 million in addition to tons of food. King Abdullah gave SR20 million to the fund.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, chairman of Alwaleed bin Talal Foundation, donated SR5 million. The donation was announced live during the televised campaign to help the famine victims in Somalia. The announcement was made by Ali Al Nashwan, board member of the foundation. Recently, Prince Alwaleed received at his office in Riyadh Somali Ambassador Ahmed Abdullah Mohamed, who briefed the prince about the situation in Somalia giving accounts of the affected people. Prince Alwaleed expressed his concern about the situation in Somalia and his readiness to assist the famine-hit people.
Mohamed thanked Prince Alwaleed and assured him that the Somali Embassy in Riyadh would extend its support and cooperation to the foundation on this matter. The ambassador also met with foundation vice-chairwoman Princess Ameerah in Riyadh. Many companies and banks have offered generous donations during the campaign. SABIC said it would give SR5 million while the Saudi British Bank (SABB) announced a donation of SR1 million. “SABB’s contribution to the campaign comes in line with the noble initiative taken by our government for the support and relief of the distressed people of Somalia,” said Khaled bin Suliman Olayan, chairman of the bank’s board of directors.
Saudi Aramco employees have donated SR3 million during the past 24 hours. “The amount is expected to increase given the enthusiasm shown by employees,” said Khalid Al- Falih, its president, adding that the company would donate an amount equal to the employees’ donation.
Arab News visited the campaign’s center at the Education Ministry stadium in the Faisaliya district and witnessed the good public response to the fundraising campaign as some Saudis and expatriates had come with their families to donate cash and other valuables.
http://arabnews.com/
Western province of Kenya crime linked to Somalia
23 Aug – Source: Nairobi Star – 117 words
Police in Western province of Kenya have attributed the rise in armed crime in the region to the proliferation of illegal firearms into the country from Somalia. The deputy Western police boss William Okello yesterday added also that criminals displaced from Nairobi and Kisumu cities also rushed to rural towns to hide. “This has also a direct link to the spate in use of guns by robbers in the province,” he said. Okello said the two AK47 rifles recovered from two robbers killed by police in Kakamega a fortnight ago were not registered in Kenya. “We suspect that robbers flee intensified police operations in the cities to seek hiding places in western and other rural towns,” added Okello.
http://www.nairobistar.com/
Somali Ambassador praises Kuwaiti support to his country
23 Aug – Source: Kuwait News Agency – 228 words
Ambassador of Somalia to Kuwait Abdulqadir Amin Abu Baker praised the “step” taken by the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah encouraging the world to shed light on hunger, famine and drought in Somalia. In a press release, Abu Baker stressed the instructions of the Amir that came to save the Somali people from this disaster and expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Government and people of Kuwait and to all who contributed to ease the plight of the Somali people and sought to extend aid and help and assistance.
Abu Baker also expressed special thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, which created the appropriate atmosphere for the Embassy and its members to continue to perform their mission and serve the citizens of Somalia in Kuwait.
Ambassador Abu Baker also lauded the role played by the Kuwaiti charities and associations to aid Somalia. He assured that the contributions are being handed to the beneficiaries, either by the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS), or by the charities or donors themselves, stressing that the Somali people have begun to feel the warmth of this relief. The Somali government is serious in delivering relief aid to all the regions in any way possible, including everyone in the camps inside and outside of Somalia, on the borders with Kenya and Ethiopia, Abu Baker concluded.
http://www.kuna.net.kw/
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia famine response faces access issue: OCHA
24 Aug – Source: Xinhua – 591 words
For UN agencies working to provide humanitarian aid to those suffering from famine in Somalia, gaining sufficient access to people in need is still an issue, a press officer from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told Xinhua in a recent interview. “I think that there are areas where we have so little access and the needs are so great and that our biggest challenge right now is getting to those areas where there are just not enough humanitarian activities on the ground,” Kirsten Mildren, a public information and advocacy officer for OCHA currently working in the Horn of Africa, told Xinhua in a phone interview.
The food crisis affecting Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti, and Ethiopia, caused by poor rainy seasons, has become a famine in five regions of south and central Somalia. The impacts on the country have been devastating, with some 3.7 million people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Many Somalis have fled to bordering nations, or become internally displaced within their own country.
The situation is complicated further by the weakness of the Somali central government and the presence of armed groups including Islamic militant organization, Al-Shabaab, which controls a large part of southern Somalia, and until recently was engaged in a struggle against Somali government forces and African Union (AU) forces for control of Mogadishu.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
Iran, Somalia to pursue talks in Tehran
24 Aug – Source: Press TV – 321 words
Iran and Somalia have agreed to follow up discussions in Tehran on continuation of the Islamic Republic’s humanitarian aid to the famine-stricken people in the Horn of Africa nation. Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed will pay a visit to the Iranian capital in the near future, Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said in Tehran early Wednesday after he wrapped up a day-long visit to Somalia.
Salehi lauded efforts by Iran’s Red Crescent Society (IRCS) to dispatch the country’s humanitarian relief to the famine-hit Somalia and noted that the IRCS is currently providing nearly 35,000 Somalis with aid, IRNA reported.
The Iranian minister pointed to the “painful” situation of Somali Muslims, including women and children, and expressed optimism that Iran’s aid will play a major role in relieving their pains. Salehi arrived in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Tuesday to review the latest situation in the famine-ravaged country.
During his stay in Mogadishu, he held talks with senior Somali officials, including Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, Foreign Minister Mohamed Ibrahim and Minister for Internal Affairs and Security Abdishakur Sheikh Hassan Farah. The Iranian foreign minister also visited some hospitals and the largest refugee camp in Mogadishu as well as the camp set up by the IRCS, which accommodates 200 households.
http://www.presstv.com/detail/
Turkish doctors to serve in Somalia for another six months
24 Aug – Source: World Bulletin – 131 words
Turkish doctors will stay in famine-stricken Somalia for another six months. A group of Turkish doctors from the International Association for Health and Education (USEDER) will keep providing health services to Somali people for six months more.
Doctors who started to serve in Mogadishu two weeks ago provided medical screening to 2,000 people in eight camps. Faruk Ozdemir, a member of USEDER, told AA correspondent that doctors first focused on extremely sick people and children suffering from diarrhea in the country.
Ozdemir said that they were serving Mogadishu with 2 tons of medicine. “We are eager to reach more patients, but conditions and security problems are preventing it time to time. We are doing our best,” he said.
“We are here for another six months to rescue more people,” Ozdemir added.