January 22, 2015 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

National Security Agency warns Mogadishu residents against blocking suburban roads

21 Jan – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 167 Words

The spokesman for the National Security Agency, Kassim Ahmed Roble, has warned Mogadishu residents not to blocking roads that run through suburban areas, whilst main roads are closed for security reasons.This comes at a time when Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to visit Mogadishu and that the government has closed several main roads in the capital.

As a result, most of the city’s public and private verhicle operators have been using small roads that runsthrough the suburbs. Residents who felt harassed by the motorists opted to block the roads, saying their children might be in danger because of the unruly drivers.“There is no one, under any circumstances, who is not fulfilling government duties that can block a road. If this happens they should be reported to the police or the National Security Agency who will act on it; we have had cases where the law took measures against such people,” the spokesman said. He also apologized to the public for the inconvenience caused by the road closures.

Key Headlines

Anniversary of scripting of Somali language marked in Mogadishu (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Roadside bomb in Kismayo (Radio RBC)
Puntland security agencies thwart armed road blockers(Radio Bar-kulan)
National Security Agency warns Mogadishu residents of blocking suburban roads(Radio Goobjoog)
Puntland Govt blacklists Garowe Online amid media censorship (Garowe Online)
Kenya’s role in hosting refugees not appreciated says Swiss envoy( Daily Nation)
Somalia’s Shebab urge more jihadi attacks in Europe (AFP/Yahoo News)
Reflecting a changing community Columbia Heights police hire Somali Ethiopian officers
(Star Tribune)
The Antidote To Minn. terror recruitment seeks funding (CBS Local)

SOMALI MEDIA

Anniversary of scripting of Somali language marked in Mogadishu

21 Jan – Source:Radio Bar-Kulan/Radio Goobjoog -123 Words

An event to mark the 42nd anniversary of the scripting of the Somali language took place in Mogadishu on Wednesday. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, National Assembly Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari, and several key government officials attended the meeting. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud banned the use of foreign languages in official government documents, effective 21st January, 2015. “Foreign languages should only be used when communicating to foreign countries and nationals,” said President Mohamud.

“According to UNESCO Somali is in the cross-border languages category in the world, this is a big achievement, and we should uphold it. There is a no country in the world which achieved substantial development without the official use of its indigenous language.”
Efforts to have written Somali language started in the year 1922 when Osman Yusuf Kenedid, one of the Somali clan chieftaincies introduced his own alphabet for Somali, but it was only in 1972 when the written Somali word was officially introduced by the late President Siyad Barre. Barre enforced the use of Somali into almost everything, from official documents to educational books; even post stamps carried the written Somali words. But since the collapse of central government in 1991 there were little efforts to advance the use of the language.

President Mohamud encouraged the establishment of Somali academic centers in the country, and announced plans to enforce an education curriculum in which Somali is the language of instruction. He also announced plans to renovate the national museum, restore monuments of fallen Somali heroes, and to establish a regional Somali Language Academy which would be present in Somalia, Djibouti, and Ethiopia’s ethnically Somali region.

Roadside bomb in Kismayo

21 Jan – Source: Radio RBC – 104 Words

A roadside bomb targeted a car in Kismayo’s Fanole neighborhood today. The bomb, believed to have assembled underground, reportedly exploded alongside a Land Cruiser vehicle which was passing through the neighborhood. A majority of residents in Kismayo are believed to have heard the explosion, but there have been no casualties reported yet. The car was reportedly crushed following the blast. Interim Jubba Administration security forces have cordoned off the scene and commenced investigations. No person or group has claimed the attack yet.

Puntland security agencies thwart armed road blockers

21 Jan – Source:Radio Bar-Kulan – 81 Words

Puntland security agencies have attacked gunmen who harassed motorists on one of the roads leading to Galkayo.Mudug administration official Ahmed Muse Nur has confirmed to the media that two gunmen manning the illegal road blocks were wounded in the attack.Others reports indicate that one gunman has died during the attack.The gunmen were said to be extorting money from public service vehicles along the route, before security agencies intervened. Roadblocks by gunmen in Somalia is common particularly where the local administration is weak.

National Security Agency warns Mogadishu residents against blocking suburban roads

21 Jan – Source:Radio Goobjoog – 167 Words

Puntland Govt blacklists Garowe Online amid media censorship

21 Jan – Source: Garowe Online – 389 Words

A leaked Puntland Government blacklist reveals a blocking order that would have taken Garowe Online off air, amid concerns over the freedom of information and rife media censorship in the northeastern state, Garowe Online reports. A letter dated September 20, 2014 but leaked to the outlet on Tuesday asks the largest telecom operator in Puntland, Golis, to block Garowe Online, Galgalanews, Xaysimo, Puntlandtoday, Puntlandnow and Jidblaale from inside the regional state. The six sites with Garowe Online listed first were blamed for defaming high-ranking government officials, public incitement and turning local tribes against each other. Media Association of Puntland (MAP) has reacted at the web censorship, urging the government to lift ban on the five other websites that have been remaining banned since October when the decree came into effect.

“We call upon Golis Telecommunications Company to lift the ban on the websites unconditionally, the block of these sites is another black mark on freedom of press in Puntland, and it’s an attempt to silence freedom of press,” MAP Secretary-General Fatima Mohamed Mohamud said in a press statement from the association. Although the blocking order failed to affect Garowe Online, the sister station that broadcasts daily on FM stations in Garowe, Eyl and Bossaso has been affected. Management and the board of directors have vehemently condemned the blocking order. “Garowe Online Editors and Staff Writers who celebrated [its] 10th anniversary in February 2014 refute the false allegations mentioned in the presidential decree,” said the founder.” We are known for balanced coverage by peace-loving Somalis and the international community.” Garowe Online board members indicated that the order doesn’t comply with the constitution and runs counter to the right to freedom of expression.

No judicial writ was attached to the decree, with Garowe Online board members saying they are deeply concerned with the unilateral moves and have called on officials at the ministry of information to let the blocked sites resume operation. On December 11, Reporters Without Borders said it is worried about freedom of information in the autonomous northeastern region of Puntland. The concern by press watchdog came after Nugal regional police commander Ahmed Abdullahi Samatar threatened Radio Garowe journalist Ali Abdi Du’alle with arrest. Of 180 countries, Somalia was ranked 176th in the 2014 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenya’s role in hosting refugees not appreciated, says Swiss envoy

21 Jan – Source: Daily Nation – 454 Words

The international community is yet to appreciate Kenya’s role in hosting thousands of refugees, a senior diplomat said Tuesday. Speaking at Janju Village in Modogashe Sub-County, Garissa County, the Swiss ambassador to Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Somalia Mr Jacques Pitteloud said the international community has abandoned Kenya despite it suffering immensely by giving refugees a safe haven.
He noted that the international community needs to do more in supporting the Kenyan government to withstand the burden of hosting over 600,000 refugees. The ambassador who was handing over of water projects supported by the Swiss government to the county administration said Kenya took more than its share of international obligations to cater for refugees from Somalia and other parts of Africa. But it is however not recognised for its good work as it should have been, he added.

Mr Pitteloud said the Kenyan government has been generously hosting refugees from Horn of Africa has been bearing unbearable difficulties in terms of insecurity, food and accommodation in north-eastern region. “It is unfortunate that the international community has not been appreciating efforts the Kenyan government has done to people fleeing from war in Somalia. “The country’s security, environment and economic well-being have been disrupted by the refugees. The international community is not reciprocating the country’s generosity as required”, he said. The Swiss ambassador said his country which has been touched by Kenya’s extraordinary efforts in safeguarding the well-being of the victims of drought and conflicts fleeing from Somalia has initiated several development projects targeting both the hosts and the refugee communities in the north-eastern region.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somalia’s Shebab urge more jihadi attacks in Europe

21 Jan – Source: AFP/Yahoo News – 239 Words

Somalia’s Shebab militants, Al-Qaeda’s main affiliate in Africa, on Wednesday urged supporters in Europe to follow the example of Islamist gunmen who carried out attacks in Paris. The Shebab, who called the attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly in Paris a “heroic operation” against a “lair of evil and centre of disbelief”, offered specific warnings to France. “We warn France and those who tread her course about the implications of their hostility towards Islam and the consequences of their oppression and belligerence against Muslims,” the statement read. The Islamists said the attacks, in which 17 people died in three days of bloodshed, were “worthy of being emulated”.

“We also take this opportunity to thank our brothers, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, who have been — and continue to be — the pioneers of external operations that target the heart of the Crusader enemies,” the statement added. The Shebab, who control large areas of rural Somalia, are reported to have close links with Al-Qaeda fighters in neighbouring Yemen, where one of the two brothers who carried out the attack is believed to have trained. The Shebab were also linked to Mohamed Geele, a Somali man who was convicted of a 2010 axe attack against Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who had faced numerous death threats since his caricature of the Muslim prophet Mohammed appeared in the Danish daily Jyllands Posten in 2005.

Reflecting a changing community, Columbia Heights police hire Somali, Ethiopian officers

21 Jan – Source:Star Tribune -539 Words

Hashim Abdullahi grew up in Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, where he says police-community relationships are, at times, tense. Many of his friends and acquaintances had scuffles with the law over the years.“Truthfully speaking, I think minorities there feel they are being picked on, my community especially,” said Abdullahi, who immigrated from Ethiopia via a Kenyan refugee camp at age 10. “There is some distrust for police officers.”

Now, Abdullahi believes he can help change some of these perceptions. He is one of Columbia Heights’ two new police officers. The Columbia Heights Police Department has hired its first Ethiopian- and Somali-American officers.Abdullahi and Mohammed Farah were both sworn in on Thursday in front of a crowd of family, friends, city officials and fellow officers.The suburb of 20,000 on Minneapolis’ north border is about 35 percent minority. According to the U.S. Census, 15.5 percent of the city’s population is foreign born. Its police chief has stressed community policing and community outreach and said this is the natural progression hire officers who reflect the community the police serve. The small department has 27 sworn officers.

“We have an amazing team. We did have some gaps in our team in serving our community,” said Chief Scott Nadeau. The new officers bring cultural and language skills as well as the education needed to do the job. Abdullahi, 25, speaks four languages. He has an associate degree in law enforcement and has worked as a security officer at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. He owns a home in Brooklyn Park and is married, and the couple is expecting a child in two months.Farah, 27, speaks two languages. He immigrated to Rochester, Minn., from Somalia as a teenager. He earned his bachelor’s degree in law enforcement from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He served as a volunteer reserve officer with Mankato police, worked with troubled youth in a group home setting and worked at a school in Rochester before joining the Columbia Heights force.

The Antidote to Minn. terror recruitment seeks funding

20 Jan – Source: CBS Local – 344 Words – Video – 1:56 Minutes

Outside the State Office Building in St. Paul, a group of young men were snapping group selfies and smiling broadly. It was pure excitement as the Somali-Americans took a big step into American civics. They are with the group Ka Joog, and they had come to the Capitol to seek state funding for a vital cause — keeping the tug of foreign terror groups out of reach. “We’ve had success over the years in the Twin Cities, but really we’d like to take that across the state where a lot of [the] Somali community resides, like in St. Cloud, Rochester, Willmar and so forth,” Ka Joog’s executive director Mohamed Farah said.

Ka Joog is hoping to win $4.35 million in state funds to help support the group’s ongoing mentoring, job training and cultural activities. In addition, they will raise a total of $15 million over the next five years in private support. The phrase “ka joog” means “stay away,” referring to the group’s core mission to offer positive diversions from evil influences like drugs and terror recruitment. More than two dozen Twin Cities’ men have already been recruited by overseas terror organizations to wage war in the Middle East. St. Cloud’s Hamse Abdule credits Ka Joog for laying his path into professional soccer. “Without them I don’t think I would make it in terms of financially, in terms of encouraging me to play soccer,” Abdule said.

Besides seeking the state funding, Ka Joog is partnering with others non-profits such as the Minneapolis-based Wilderness Inquiry, which takes Somali-American girls on trips to national parks. They headed to Yellowstone National Park on a recent trip. It is all part of a careful strategy to win the hearts and minds of vulnerable Somali youth with the helping hands of many who care. “I never thought I’d make it, but now it’s just a dream come true,” Abdule said. Ka Joog is now working to secure House and Senate sponsors to introduce their outreach bill to the full legislature.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Somalia needs to complete its ambitious task of political engineering and recreate itself as a federal state with powers, revenues and resources shared between the centre and the emerging federal member states.”

Somalia’s year of delivery

21 Jan – Source: Al Jazeera – 950 Words

“Somalia” and “success” are not words often found in the same sentence. But as we look back on 2014 and forward to 2015, it is time for us all to catch up with reality; Somalia is succeeding in recovering from decades of internal conflict. From a failed state, it is now a fragile state on the path to stability and eventual prosperity. I am not blind to the challenges and risks. I have lived and worked in Mogadishu since June 2013. I have witnessed Somalia’s difficult march towards better governance and stability. I have heard, seen and felt the impact of the bombs and callous terrorist attacks. I have evacuated the dead and comforted the grieving.

Despite the challenges, Somalia has made impressive strides in 2014. Somalis have led the process, but much of this could not have been achieved without a strong international partnership. I am the first to acknowledge the enormous contribution and sacrifice made by the African Union and its mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The European Union, too, has had a key role in supporting AMISOM and in multiple other ways. The Intergovernmental Authorities on Development – IGAD’s political facilitation has been vital. And major states outside the EU, such as the US, Turkey and the UAE – to name but a few – have played a significant part.

But I would like to zero in on the role of the UN, which is often misunderstood. Some of our work is visible at first glance, other activities can only be seen when one takes a look behind the scenes. The UN is the largest international entity present in Somalia. In what is often termed one of the world’s most dangerous places, the UN is now in more areas and with more people than at any time since 1996. Every day we have, on average, 450 international staff across Somalia and 1,000 Somali staff. Our presence across Somalia, beyond Mogadishu, means we are able to provide vital political, logistical, humanitarian and development support nationwide.Somalia is a hard place to work and the needs are enormous, but the UN can be proud of its contribution. In 2014 the UN improved the lives of millions of Somalis in very practical ways.