January 23, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report.

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Somali president says: “Al-Shabaab Seek To Thrive On Headlines: Tomorrow We Will Give You Better Headlines”

23 Jan – Source: Al Shahid – 373 words

The President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, today spoke to the media on a terrorist attack that took place at the SYL Hotel in central Mogadishu yesterday. HE the President spoke to the media from the hotel itself. “The security forces have confirmed that, at 2.45 PM two terrorists crashed a car into the gate of the SYL Hotel in central Mogadishu and then detonated an explosive device, killing the driver and two guards,” he said. “I offer my sincere condolences to the families of the two guards who were killed in the attack. The driver’s accomplice was shot and killed by members of the Somali security forces who were in the area and responded quickly to the incident.”

“The attack coincided with a meeting in the hotel between Somali government staff and the visiting Turkish delegation ahead of the Turkish President’s [visit.] There were no further casualties and the Federal Government of Somalia has already launched an investigation into the attack. That is all the information that I can share with you at the moment but I will update you as more details become available,” the President added. “As we have pointed out on many occasions, these days al-Shabaab seek to thrive in the headlines and in our imaginations. But they have little real presence in real terms, like providing security or services or education or jobs. I am sad, though, that a young man had to give his life for a headline that will be forgotten by tomorrow morning. It is a tragic waste and I condemn the leaders who exploit young men to the extent that they commit acts such as this.”

HE the President concluded: “But rest assured, the momentum is with the Federal Government of Somalia and with the people of Somalia, not with the terrorists. The acts of the terrorists are becoming more and more irrelevant by the day, as today’s incident proves – but we must still be watchful, and I remind the citizens of their role in securing the country. And tomorrow we will welcome a great friend of Somalia, the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to Mogadishu and we will provide you with considerably better headlines.”

Key Headlines

Somali president says: “Al-Shabaab Seek To Thrive On Headlines: Tomorrow We Will Give You Better Headlines” (Al Shahid)
Somali President says Al Shabaab attack will not scare them (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Measles affects many people in Mahadaay (Radio Danan)
Puntland condemns Somaliland leader’s visit to Lasanod (Radio Danan)
Somali PM condemns Al Shabaab attack (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Jowhar clashes cause farmers to flee (Radio Ergo)
Somali elders defy al-Shabaab order to stay away from Central State conference (Sabahi Online)
Mogadishu locked down ahead of Erdogan visit (Anadolu Agency)
Erdogan delays Somalia trip to attend Saudi king’s funeral (Reuters)
Somalia president hails Turkey’s ‘remarkable support’ (World Bulletin)
Calgary police working to recruit more officers from city’s Somali community (Metro News)

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali president says: “Al-Shabaab Seek To Thrive On Headlines: Tomorrow We Will Give You Better Headlines”

23 Jan – Source: Al Shahid – 373 words

Somali President says Al Shabaab attack will not scare them

22 Jan – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 120 words

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said the Al Shabaab attack near a Mogadishu hotel where the Turkish delegation was meeting will not scare his government, and that they continue to plan to welcome Turkish President. President Mohamud, who visited the scene of the suicide bomb attack, said the attack was the last kicks of a dying horse. Sheikh Mohamud has urged Somali citizens to unite against Al Shabaab to ensure peace and security in the country.Turkish President Reccep Tayyip Erdogan is expected in Mogadishu on Sunday. Major roads in the city were closed for security reasons and Turkish Special Forces and Somali security agencies patrol the streets.Three Somali security personnel lost their lives in the Al Shabaab suicide car bomb attack near the presidential palace hotel.

Measles affects many people in Mahadaay

22 Jan – Source: Radio Danan – 168 words

The district commissioner of Mahadaay in Middle Shabelle, Shariif Abukar Zabriye, said there has been a serious break out of measles in the area. He said the disease has affected many people, but lamented that currently there is no functioning hospital in Mahadaay. He added that there have been deaths resulting from measels, and that his administration will soon announce the death toll. Shariif called on the federal government and aid agencies to assist the people in his district to curb the spread of the disease at this critical time when there is no functional hospital in the district. The nearest hospital is said to be in Jowhar which is too far away. There are often recurrent diseases, some of them being epidemics or communicable diseases in Middles Shabelle. Such diseases include measles and malaria which claimed the lives of many people in the region.

Puntland condemns Somaliland leader’s visit to Lasanod

22 Jan – Source: Radio Danan – 178 words

Somalia’s Puntland Government has condemned a surprise visit by Somaliland’s separatist administration leader to the Sool regional capital of Lasanod, Garowe Online reports. On Thursday, in a press statement from the office of the President, Puntland called President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud (Siilaanyo)’s tour an apparent provocation. “Puntland State of Somalia condemns the apparent provocation of Hargeisa administration [Somaliland] in some parts of the state,” read the presidential statement. Puntland also notified the Somalia Federal Government, regional countries and international community of the presence of Somaliland troops in the Sool by coercion.”Hargeisa administration [Somaliland] will unilaterally shoulder the grim consequences of the provocative measures,” warned Puntland.The rebuke has come after Somaliland leader arrived in Lasanod on unofficial visit Wednesday. On March 16, 2014 President Siilaanyo paid similar visit to the coastal town of Laasqoray which is situated 108 km from Bossaso. Puntland and Somaliland, both located in northern Somalia have long engaged in sporadic battles over the ownership of Sool and Sanaag regions. Somaliland forces wrested control of Lasanod in October 2007.

Somali PM condemns Al Shabaab attack

22 Jan – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 71 words

Somali prime minister, Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke, strongly condemned the Al Shabaab suicide attack in Mogadishu on Thursday. A suicide car bomb targeted a hotel where a Turkish delegation was meeting in Somali capital. Three Somali soldiers and civilians were killed in the attack.The prime minister sent his condolences to the families of the victims who lost their lives. He said the attack will not affect the peace and stability already experienced in the country.

Jowhar clashes cause farmers to flee

22 Jan – Source: Radio Ergo – 204 words

Six hundred families have fled their homes in Tugarey and Gashanley villages, 15 km east of Jowhar, following clashes there between two armed clan militias that broke out on 19 January. The clashes were reportedly triggered by a long-standing dispute over farmland. The families, mostly farmers, fled to Raqayle village, south of Gashanley .Hajji Tarah Issa, a local elder in Gashanley, told Radio Ergo the ownership of the 2,300 hectares of farmland had been disputed by the two communities since the Italian colonial era and first erupted into violence in 1965. Aways Nunow Ibrahim, another village elder, said almost all families had fled due to the fighting.Hantey Ali, an elderly woman among the displaced people, said she and her grandchildren were now in Raqayle village. “We need peace, we don’t need war, I am an elderly person, I can’t run away and I can’t stay with other families,” she said. Yahya Mohamed Ali, one of the peacemakers in Tugarey village, said elders and local police had managed to end the fighting. He said seven elders from the two sides were detained by the police over their role in the fighting.Elders from Raqayle and Mukaydere are involved in mediation efforts to restore peace.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Somali elders defy al-Shabaab order to stay away from Central State conference

22 Jan – Source: Sabahi Online – 674 words

Al-Shabaab has warned traditional elders in the towns of Harardhere and El Dher against attending a state formation conference for Somalia’s central regions and related consultation meetings.Four al-Shabaab commanders met with more than 150 elders in the town of Harardhere in Mugud region on January 16th, threatening harsh punishment to anyone who attends the conference, said 56-year-old Harardhere traditional elder Mursal, who withheld his real name for fear of reprisal.

“When we were at the meeting we were not in the position to refuse anything as we had been coerced [to attend] and then threatened,” he told Sabahi. “We told al-Shabaab that we accepted their order fearing they would kill us; however, the truth of the matter is that there has been no change in our decision to attend the conference.”Al-Shabaab issued its edict after learning that some elders from Harardhere and El Dher, both areas under the group’s control, had travelled to Adado and Dhusamareb to take part in consultative meetings ahead of the state formation conference, traditional elders told Sabahi.
The al-Shabaab commanders told the elders the conference is being sponsored by the Ethiopian government as a ploy to occupy central Somalia and compared participating in the state formation process to committing treason, a claim the elders collectively rejected, Mursal said.Despite the threats, Mursal said that he and other elders from Harardhere are planning to sneak out of town so they can attend the conference.

“What is pushing us to attend that conference is the desire to represent our people and become a part of the administration,” he said. “When fighting for one’s rights, a person must show patience in order to overcome some situations that might be dangerous, such as the one we are facing now with the terrorist group al-Shabaab.”Stakeholders are still debating where and when the conference will be held.
‘We will not let al-Shabaab stop us ‘Traditional elder Jama Muse, 65, from El Dher town in Galgadud region, located 138 kilometres south of Harardhere, said al-Shabaab issued a similar order to the town’s elders in hopes of scaring people away from self-determination.”These men do not want a government administration,” he told Sabahi. “They are terrorists and they want to prevent us from getting our rights [and becoming] people who have an administration and order.””As the elders of El Dher, we will not let al-Shabaab prevent us from getting what we want,” he said.

Mogadishu locked down ahead of Erdogan visit

22 Jan – Source: Anadolu Agency – 294 words

Security in Somali capital Mogadishu has been beefed up significantly ahead of the scheduled arrival on Friday of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.”We are ready for Erdogan’s visit,” Mohamed Osman, a senior official at the Interior Security Ministry, told The Anadolu Agency.”The police, army and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have been deployed at various points in the city to improve security,” he said.For one, the main road linking Mogadishu to Aden Abdille International Airport has been closed. “The road will remain closed until the conclusion of President Erdogan’s visit,” Osman said. Erdogan arrived in Addis Ababa Wednesday on an official visit to Ethiopia.He was welcomed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and senior officials.According to Somali presidential spokesman Daud Aweis, Erdogan is expected to arrive in Mogadishu on Friday.He is scheduled to hold talks with his Somali counterpart, Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, along with other top government officials.

Erdogan is also expected to visit several Turkish projects in the capital, including the Mogadishu Port and a new, ultra-modern hospital.The Turkish leader is also expected to inaugurate Mogadishu’s newly-renovated airport.It will be Erdogan’s second visit to Somalia. He first visited the country in 2011 at the height of the Somali famine.Turkey has since been the most visible foreign country to help war-torn Somalia rebuild its crumbling infrastructure. Somalia has remained in the grip of on-again, off-again violence since the outbreak of civil war in 1991.Last year, the fractious country appeared to inch closer to stability after government troops and African Union forces – deployed in Somalia since 2007 – drove Al-Shabaab from most of its strongholds.The militant group, however, has continued to carry out regular attacks on government forces and African peacekeepers.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Erdogan delays Somalia trip to attend Saudi king’s funeral

23 Jan – Source: Reuters – 198 words

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan has postponed Friday’s planned trip to Somalia to attend the funeral of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, Somali and Turkish sources said, a day after a bomb targeted a Turkish delegation in the capital Mogadishu.”It’s just a postponement. He will be coming to Somalia after the funeral but we don’t know the exact date or the time,” Daud Aweis, spokesman for the Somali presidency, told Reuters.

Sources in Erdogan’s office said the Turkish leader would go to Riyadh for the funeral on Friday but would continue his Africa program on Saturday with a visit to Djibouti, and is expected to go to Somalia on Sunday. A suicide bomber on Thursday rammed a car laden with explosives into the gate of a Mogadishu hotel where Turkish delegates were meeting their Somali counterparts, killing two security guards.
Islamist al Shabaab militants, who have in the past attacked Turkey’s embassy in Mogadishu, claimed responsibility for the attack.Turkish delegates were unharmed and sources within Erdogan’s office said the attack would not deter Erdogan from returning to Mogadishu for the first time since 2011, when he became the first non-African leader to visit Somalia in nearly 20 years.

Somalia president hails Turkey’s ‘remarkable support’

23 Jan – Source: World Bulletin – 724 words

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has hailed what he described as “strong and unwavering commitment” shown by Turkey to developing his embattled country which has been gripped by violence for decades, asserting that he looks forward to meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday in Mogadishu.”Turkey showed remarkable support to Somalia during a time when the world seemed to have forgotten about us,” Mohamud told The Anadolu Agency in an interview by e-mail.”The friendship and support Turkey has shown is something that will be forever cherished by every Somali, all over the world,” he added.Erdogan is expected to arrive in Mogadishu from Ethiopia on Friday, according to Somali presidential spokesman Daud Aweis. He is scheduled to hold talks with his Somali counterpart along with other top government officials.

“The agenda for bilateral talks will focus on ongoing economic, military, social, infrastructure partnership and humanitarian aid initiatives that Turkey is supporting in Somalia,” Mohamud said, noting that he is “very pleased” to meet with the Turkish leader.”Turkey is renowned for ‘getting things done’, and this visit will involve visits to various completed projects, including the opening of the Somalia-Turkey Education and Research Hospital and the new international Aden Adde Airport,” the Somali leader said.
A range of agreements will be signed, detailing Turkish support for various development initiatives focusing on military and security cooperation, youth and sports initiatives, marine transportation, police support and cooperation between Turkish National Radio TRT and Somali National TV, he noted.The Friday visit is the second to Somalia by the Turkish leader in four years. He first visited the country in 2011 as prime minister at the height of the Somali famine.Turkey has since been the most visible foreign country to help war-torn Somalia rebuild its crumbling infrastructure, a stance that has been highly valued by Mohamud.

Calgary police working to recruit more officers from city’s Somali community

22 Jan – Source: Metro News – 411 words
The Calgary Police Service says recruiting officers from the city’s Somali-Canadian community is a high priority for the force. Since the beginning of 2015, two members of the Somali-Canadian community were killed by violence and religious leaders in the community say the sooner they have a larger representation on the force, the better. “It’s very important, it’s crucial and it will tackle … the lack of the co-operation between police and the community members,” Imam Abdi Hersy told Metro “We cannot take any more time before another young life is taken away,” he said. “We need police officers that share many common grounds with the Somalian young people on the streets.” Hersy said he believes having officers on the force will provide police insight into the inner workings of the Somali-Canadian community and help youth feel a sense of belonging within Canadian society.

CPS reaching out to Somali youth Officials with the CPS said the service is currently trying to target Somali youth and young adults through its Junior Police Academy, Calgary Police Cadets and the Calgary Police Auxiliary Cadet mentorship program.“ This is giving these youth opportunities,” said Staff Sgt. Clare Smart, with the youth intervention and mentorship unit. “With this cadet core or the junior police academy, we’re not trying to make all of these youth police officers. We’re trying to make them good citizens within the community and the surrounding areas. ”She explained these programs allow youth a safe space to ask questions, learn about one another and different cultures, while also learning more about the CPS.

Const. Raul Espinosa, a member of the diversity resource team handling the African portfolio for the Calgary Police Service, said police are also in communication with a number of community leaders and elders.“ We need to build that trust and bridge those gaps that exist,” Espinosa said.“ We understand that these folks … they come from areas in the world that have been going through lots of unrest, so they see police officers as a branch or an arm of the government.” “So I kind of see how they come to a new country like Canada and also come with that distrust for people like us, for the police,” he said. “It takes time and it takes a lot of reaching out to bridge those gaps.” Smart noted the CPS is working with members of the Somali community to coordinate activities like open houses and presentations on policing in the future.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“One of the problems Sada has had to deal with is how to define mobile, nomadic heritage. In Somalia they carry cultural heritage in their heads. It’s not something you can point to and say, ‘Isn’t this a fantastic building?’ Their cultural heritage is much more difficult to define.”Sada Mire regards national heritage as a human right, crucial to a nation’s sense of itself even during a time of conflict and famine.”

Uncovering Somalia’s Heritage

23 Jan – Source: Warya Post – 895 words

Sada Mire fled Somalia’s civil war as a child, and lived as a refugee in Sweden. But now she is back in the Horn of Africa as an archaeologist; making some incredible discoveries. Sada Mire has already revealed a dozen sites that could be candidates for Unesco world heritage status.She received a fellowship in the department of art and archaeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and headed the department of antiquities in the breakaway territory of Somaliland, in the north-west region of Somalia. It’s a remarkable journey for a girl who fled Mogadishu in 1991, aged 14, as Somalia descended into the chaos of civil war.

Driving her forward is the urge to uncover and preserve a cultural heritage that has been systematically looted, both in colonial times and by warlords trading national heritage for guns. Sada Mire travels with armed guards. The region has proved to be rich in archaeological wonders, which Sada Mire has been logging for the last four years with a team of 50 helpers.She has recorded ancient rock art at 100 sites, medieval Islamic towns, and pre-Islamic Christian burial sites. More than 1,000 such sites, she estimates, are still out there waiting to be put on the archaeological map of Somaliland. The most stunning of Ms Mire’s discoveries is a vast series of rock art sites in Dhambalin, outside the seaside town of Berbera. The brightly coloured and beautifully preserved rock paintings, depicting domesticated animals, could be up to 5,000 years old.

Men are depicted riding on the back of some of the animals, or with raised arms, as if worshipping the cattle. Wild animals such as giraffes – which no longer exist in this rocky, arid climate – also appear, suggesting a shift in weather patterns since the paintings were made.“We all agree that this is an important discovery,” says Lazare Eloundou Assomo, chief of Africa at the Unesco World Heritage Centre.But as Somaliland is not recognized by the UN, and Somalia has not ratified the 1972 World Heritage Convention, there is no question of the site getting world heritage status in the near future.

Top tweets

@amisomsomalia ·The SRCC urges the people of #Somalia, the international community and all friends of Somalia to not to be deterred by these extremists.

@EsraKirecci Somali President: “Turkey showed remarkable support to Somalia during a time when the world seemed to have forgotten about us”

@Taxaan Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Somalia has been postponed until due to the sudden death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia

@AfricanewsIT_ES Joint statement by the UN, IGAD, EU, AMISOM US and UK Envoys to Somalia / International partners express concerns… http://wp.me/p1suoZ-5Md

@omabha Police Say Suicide Attack in Somalia Targeted Turkish Government Convoy – Wall Street Journalhttp://dlvr.it/8CBYc0 #Somalia

@amisomsomalia‘With this attack, Al-Shabaab has demonstrated once again that it has no interest in #Somalia’s positive development’ @MamanSidikou1

@omabha: Medical supply prices for Somalia aid group costs State Department $1.6 … – Washington Timeshttp://dlvr.it/8CFYJL #Somalia

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Participants at a consultative meeting to discuss more collaborative ways to promote human rights in Puntland with the Office of Human Rights Defender in Garowe. Photo: UNSOM