February 12, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Fighting reignites in Guri’el
12 Feb – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 108 Words
Another battle has ensued between Somali Government forces and Ahlu-Sunna fighters in Guri’el town, when Government forces launched an attack on the town they were forced to abandon two days earlier. There are no immediate figures available regarding casualties of the clashes, but residents are reporting heavy artillery fire and the use of anti aircraft weapons by both sides. At least 10 people were killed in clashes on Tuesday morning when Somali government forces and members of Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a fought for control of Guri’el town in Central Somalia. This comes amid disagreement around the formation of a new state in the region.
Key Headlines
- Fighting reignites in Guri El (Radio Goobjoog)
- Prime Minister Sharmarke calls for the cessation of fighting in Guri’el
- Youths take to the streets in Baladweyne (Radio Danan)
- Two people die of hunger in Raaga Elle Middle Shabelle (Radio Goobjoog)
- UN agrees to pay Somali forces like AMISOM (Dalsan Radio)
- 10 Al Shabaab Militants Killed in Somalia – UPDATE (Coastweek.com)
- Somali Petroleum Minister sees start of oil gas output by 2020 (Bloomberg)
- Mpls. City Council member aims to help Somalis send money back home (KSTP.com)
- Somali food truckers open Queen St. W. takeout shop (Toronto Star)
SOMALI MEDIA
Fighting reignites in Guri’el
12 Feb – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 108 Words
Another battle has ensued between Somali Government forces and Ahlu-Sunna fighters in Guri’el town, when Government forces launched an attack on the town they were forced to abandon two days earlier. There are no immediate figures available regarding casualties of the clashes, but residents are reporting heavy artillery fire and the use of anti aircraft weapons by both sides. At least 10 people were killed in clashes on Tuesdaymorning when Somali government forces and members of Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a fought for control of Guri’el town in Central Somalia. This comes amid disagreement around the formation of a new state in the region.
Prime Minister Sharmarke calls for the cessation of fighting in Guri’el
12 Feb – Source: Somali Current – 188 Words
Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashiid Ali Sharmarke, has described the fighting in Guri’el town of Galgudoud region as unfortunate, saying that this fighting will be opportunity for Al-Shabaab group to re-organize themselves, and take advantage of this meaningless fighting. The Prime Minister blamed warring groups inside the populated areas, while the Somali People and their government are committed to eliminating terrorists from their strong hold areas. “I am so sorry about these idle wars in Guri’el district, the government calls upon warring parties to seize fire without condition” Prime Minister said. “I call again upon all parties to stop the fighting in which many Somali people are dying, as I remind the parties involved in the conflict that Somalia is passing now through a new era based on peace and consultations. The era of animosities has been left behind, and the people are looking forward to a better future and development”. The Prime Minister confirmed that the government will investigate who is behind the eruption of the violence and everyone involved will be accountable for the consequence of it.
Youths take to the streets in Baladweyne
12 Feb – Source: Radio Danan – 107 Words
Youth organization members demonstrated against Djiboutian forces in Baladweyne town. Mohamed Olaad, a member of that organization, explained how things unfolde; he said the youth organization was protesting against the Djibouti AMISOM contingent in Hiiraan whom he said have created violence in the region. Mr. Mohamed Olaad threatened that protest would intensify, and that the organization will soon take to the streets in high numbers if the Djibouti forces fail to stop involving themselves in regional violence.Clan clashes recently affected several parts of Hiiraan including Deefow, Kabxanley and parts of Baladweyne town.
Two people die of hunger in Raaga Elle, Middle Shabelle
12 Feb – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 106 Words
At least two people died due to hunger and thirst in Raaga Elle Area, Middle Shabelle Region. Abdullahi Mohamed Amiin, one of the elders in the area, told Goobjoog News that the resident’s of Raage Elle localities are widely affected by the hunger and thirst. He also urged the government, and international and local NGOs to help those residents so as to prevent more deaths. Persistent drought and shortfall of rain in parts of Somalia have caused many human disasters, and this is made worse lack of access to the affected areas by aid agencies.
UN agrees to pay Somali forces like AMISOM
11 Feb – Source: Dalsan Radio – 91 Words
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has revealed that the United Nations has agreed to pay Somali security forces. President added that his government and the United Nations have settled to pay Somali forces “what they deserve.” “Somali soldiers in the frontline will be paid like their AMISOM counterparts,” he said. Once one of the powerful troops in the continent, Somali security forces are poorly paid unlike the African Union troops in the country an issue that experts have attributed to insecurity in the country.
REGIONAL MEDIA
10 Al-Shabaab militants killed in Somalia (UPDATE)
11 Feb – Source: Coastweek.com – 213 Words
At least 10 Al Shabaab militants were killed and scores of others injured early Wednesday in heavy fighting between African Union (AU) forces and the Al Qaeda-affiliated militant group in southern Somalia’s Barawe town, an official said. Lower Shebelle’s Governor Abdulkadir Mohamed Nor Sidii confirmed the killings, saying the Somali National Army (SNA) and the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) clashed with Al Shabaab militants. “The fighting ran into the night and early hours of today. The combined force of AMISOM and SNA killed 10 militants, but we also lost a regional officer who was killed at his home,” Xinhua news agency quoted Sidii as saying. “The fighting happened in the outskirts of the city (Barawe) at night, and we could hear a lot of shelling and gunfire,” Omar Nor, a businessman in the area, told Xinhua over phone. Barawe, which was considered the last stronghold of Al Shabaab, fell into government control late last year after a joint AMISOM-SNA assault, dubbed the Indian Ocean Operation.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali petroleum minister sees start of oil, gas output by 2020
12 Feb – Source: Bloomberg – 306 Words
Somalia may start producing oil and gas by 2020 after exploration work showed the potential for “huge” deposits of the resources in the Horn of Africa country, outgoing Petroleum Minister Da’ud Mohamed Omar said. “We expect that Somalia will produce oil and gas in 2020 and the nation will reap enormous benefits such as alleviating the poverty and leading the country into prosperity,” Omar told reporters Wednesday in the capital, Mogadishu. He didn’t identify which oil companies are carrying out exploration work in the country. Somalia is considering its first bidding round for oil blocks since 2009 as increasing stability begins to attract more foreign investors.
African Union-backed government forces have regained control of about 70 percent of the country that had fallen under the control of al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-linked militant group seeking to create an Islamic state in Somalia. The government is in talks with companies including Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Exxon Mobil Corp., BP Plc and Chevron Corp. about reactivating dormant contracts in the country, according to J. Jay Park, managing director of Petroleum Regimes Advisory, who provides legal advice to the government. Oil companies haven’t operated in the country since civil war erupted in 1991 and they were forced to declare force majeure.
Minneapolis city council member aims to help Somalis send money back home
12 Feb – Source: KSTP.com – 170 Words
Minneapolis City Council member Abdi Warsame is taking on the initiative to help the Minneapolis Somali residents that are trying to send money back to relatives in Somalia. The last American bank, Merchants Bank of California, announced that they would not be wiring the funds to Somalia anymore on Friday. Warsame says that federal agencies should still continue to help the American Somalis get their money through to their families back home. “It would be a mistake to allow the only regulated networks for sending money back to Somalia to absorb such a crippling blow,” Warsame said in a media release. “Unless emergency measures are taken, many families will be cut off from their only source of income.” A council committee approved the measure Wednesday, and the full council will vote on Friday. Merchant Bank is the last bank to follow the string that has cut off services since Wells Fargo ended the transfers nearly a decade ago.
Somali food truckers open Queen St. W. takeout shop
12 Feb – Source: Toronto Star – 1, 168
If you need a personal invitation to eat Somali food, here it is. Aisha Mohamed and Ahmed Duale, the couple behind the Kal & Mooy food truck, now have a takeout spot in the Queen Live Fresh Food Market and want you to come. They have a measly 160 square feet of space, but it’s more than enough room to create their signature samosas and shawarma-style sabaya wraps along with a cornmeal “grits” dish called soor, anjeero wraps, quinoa-lentil salad and cinnamon-raisin rice, all with your choice of chicken, beef, goat or vegetables. “We do a lot of good food,” promises Mohamed. “We go back to the basic style and flavour. It’s hard work, but we’re happy to do it.”
The hard work often begins with a mortar and pestle, the very tools that the company is named after. “Kal” is the pestle, the club-shaped heavy object that crushes and grinds food. “Mooy” is the mortar, or bowl. Mohamed grabs a kal and mooy to make soor, African-style polenta made with coarse white cornmeal from Somalia. She’s also going to show me how to make squash “sauce” and beef stew to go with it. She starts by mashing garlic cloves and cilantro leaves into a paste, saying “when you do it with a machine, it doesn’t compare to the flavours you get when you do it this way.” The paste gets tossed in a hot saucepan full of red onions. Instant perfume. Somali cuisine is a fusion of African, Middle Eastern and European (particularly Italian) influences.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“If young folks don’t have food or education or job opportunities, then al-Shabab will promise to give them all those things. They’ll do it to deal with the poverty that they are experiencing.”
Why Seattle should give a damn about Somali remittances
12 Feb – Source: The Stranger – 870 Words
“It feels like our relatives back home are being sentenced to starve,” says Somali American and Capitol Hill resident Ifrah Ahmed. “Everyone is in shock.” Thousands of families across Seattle are in a panic, trying to find a way to keep their loved ones alive. This is a crisis that has been brewing for three years, and February 5 was the day that the worst-case scenario became a reality. Payments sent by relatives living abroad is a vital part of the world economy. But for the Somali American community, these remittances have come to an end. The largest processor of remittances in the country and the only one to process transactions from Washington State to Somalia, Merchant Bank of California, announced last week that as of February 5 it is no longer going to be doing business in Somalia. This change resulted from pressure by the US government, which fears that money from remittances could be used to finance the terrorist group al-Shabab.
Al-Shabab is a real threat not only to Somalia but to the whole of East Africa. However, these remittances don’t currently appear to be a significant part of that threat. Of the $1.3 billion in remittances sent each year to Somali families, there have been only two prosecutions in the US and none in the UK for using any of the banks handling remittances to fund al-Shabab. Blocking remittances will do more to support terrorism than the actual remittances ever could. There are no banks in Somalia. It is a cash economy. In this war-torn and poverty-stricken country, remittances account for up to 40 percent of Somalia’s GDP (PDF). The Somali economy will go further underground. Any money that is dispersed is likely to be forced to go through the very terrorist groups the world is trying to defeat.
Top tweets
@NadiraMahamoud Sarah Ahmed advocates for a better life for young Somali girls http://bit.ly/1FdKwvw #endFGM #Somalia via@amisomsomalia
@MOALIMUU Bakool Governer “People who were killed near Rabdhure were Alshabab armed men who ambushed to a joint military convoy not civilians”#Somalia
@UNSomalia “Time to turn hope into reality” in #Somalia, says@FCONeilWigan in this Op-Ed: http://horseedmedia.net/2015/
@MOALIMUU Omar Abdirashid #Somalia PM’s mother Rukia Moalim Dahir passed away in Canada. All government officials are sending to him condolences
@SomaliaNewsroom #Somalia‘s ex-Defense Minister says army lacks equipment/money to continue advance against#Shabaab, but is improving http://baidoanews.com/
@kimkoo: #Somalia : #UN & partners welcome new Cabinet, especially inclusion of #women http://www.un.org/apps/news/
@AmbAmerico : Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu at night, #Somalia is going forward.pic.twitter.com/RNoATHY7nh
Image of the day
Congratulations to Somalia’s Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, the new Vice President of the International Court of Justice.
Photo: UNSOM