February 25, 2015 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Fighting Erupts In Guriel Between Somali Forces And Ahlu Suna Militants

24 Feb – Source: Radio Dalsan – 66 Words

Fighting erupted in the central Somali town of Guriel between Somali security forces and Ahlu Suna Waljama militants. Today was the last day of a ceasefire signed between the two sides few weeks ago. 17 people were killed, and scores were wounded earlier this month when similar fights for control of the town broke out in the area. The Somali government has called for an immediate end to the bloodshed.

Key Headlines

Fighting Erupts In Guriel Between Somali Forces And Ahlu Suna Militants (Radio Dalsan)
Authorities in Middle Shabelle And Elders Discuss Clearing Road Blocks (Radio Goobjoog)
Two Children Died Of Thirst In Yeed Bakol (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Mahas Administration: “Government Forces Killed Al-Shabab Ring Leader” (Radio Goobjoog)
Government To Come Up With A Plan To Reduce Fire Incidents (Radio Danan)
Fishermen In Eyl Complain About Illegal Vessels (Garowe Online)
Al Shabaab Kills Somali Soldiers In Puntland Ambush (World Bulletin)
Democracy Exposes Kenya To Terrorism – Nkaissery (Star Kenya)
Al-Shabaab Getting Publicity It Wanted Somali Leaders Say (CBS Local)
Somalia: Majority Of Capital Residents Surveyed Feel Safer Than In 2013 (Christian Science Monitor)
The Oscar-Nominated ‘Pirate’ Working To Bring Good Fortune To Somalia (CNN)
Hawala Closure: Anti-terrorism Regulation That Boosts Radicalization (Somali Current)

SOMALI MEDIA

Authorities In Middle Shabelle and Elders Discuss Clearing Road Blocks

24 Feb – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 87 Words

Government authorities in Middle Shabelle and local elders held meetings discussing ways to clear road blocks in the region, especially roads linking Balcad district to Jowhar and Mogadishu. Deputy Governor of Middle Shabelle Ahmed Meyre Makaran said that it’s unacceptable that armed militias rob passengers and motorists using the regional roads. The deputy governor called on elders to help discourage militias from doing such criminal acts. Elders are important pillars in the Somali society, and are called upon to help when a problem arises.

Two Children Died Of Thirst In Yeed, Bakol

24 Feb – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 97 Words

Dehydration and starvation have killed at least two children in Yeed district in Bakol region. Yeed District Commissioner Abdikani Tawane said a severe water shortage is threatening the lives of people and livestock in the area. He said the water crisis began when the water pumping machine for the only water well in the area broke down. He also raised concerns over the worsening health situation in the area. The commissioner has called for urgent humanitarian support from the Somali government, the new Southwest regional administration and aid agencies in order to prevent more deaths.

Mahas Administration: “ Government Forces Killed Al-Shabab Ring Leader”

24 Feb – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 150 Words

The administration of Mahas district has detailed a security sweep conducted by government forces backed by AMISOM troops in the areas surrounding Mahas town. The local administration said that they killed a ring leader of Al-Shabaab during these operations. Mohamed Muumin Sanay, Mahas District Commissioner, speaking to Goobjoog News said government forces attacked Al-Shabaab “alms (Zakat) collector” (according to the term the group used for the position) and killed him after a gunfight. “The operations were successful and the forces are still tracking others who were involved in violent crimes on behalf of the group,” the DC said. Mr. Muumin called upon the people of Mahas district to collaborate with the security forces and take part in peace restoration in the district. Al-Shabab did not comment on the claims made by the Mahas administration. Government troops have been conducting operations to wipe out Al-Shabaab fighters in many parts of Hiraan region

Government To Come Up With A Plan To Reduce Fire Incidents

24 Feb – Source: Radio Danan – 177 Words

The Somali Minister of Information, Mohamed Abdi Hayir, said the government will soon implement a plan taking precautions against the infernos starting from petrol stations in the country and other places where petroleum products are sold. “There [have been] many fires that broke out at different times. There is a plan to separate premises where fuel is sold from the rest of the business premises such as food hotels,” the minister said. “The business people should take good care of where they place fuel.” The minister also said the structures of market places will be reviewed during the implementation of the plan. “The government is planning to categorize businesses in a suitable manner, so that filling stations and food hotels can be separated. The government is coming up with a plan to address those problems.” Yesterday, an inferno razed property in Howlwadaag District. The fire reportedly started at a premises where fuel is sold. Wealth worth millions was lost in the fire incident.

Fishermen In Eyl Complain About Illegal Vessels

24 Feb – Source: Garowe Online – 165 Words

Fishermen in Eyl, a coastal town in north-eastern Somalia, have complained about illegal fishing vessels that are proliferating at an alarming rate, Garowe Online reports. On Tuesday, Eyl fisherman Abdidahir Mahad Bulhan said on VOA Somali Service that trawlers, dhows and other fishing vessels have begun to maintain increased presence in territorial waters. He added that trawlers are not only depleting marine resources but have destroyed fishing gear and the nets of local fishermen. Puntland’s Ministry for Fisheries has in turn called for domestic cooperation to end illegal fishing by Asia-flagged trawlers. In late 2014, Garowe Online learned that South Korean, Chinese, Iranian and Yemeni vessels plundered tonnes of fish, some of them licensed by the Fisheries and Marine Resource Ministry. Last year, Puntland President Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali labelled illegal fishing a ‘National Disaster’, threatening intruders with firm action. Lack of effective legislation over the last two decades coupled with a weak central government is said to have encouraged extraordinary pillage on Africa’s largest coastline.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Al Shabaab Kills Somali Soldiers In Puntland Ambush

24 Feb – Source: World Bulletin – 342 Words

At least two Somali soldiers were killed on Monday in an ambush laid by Al-Shabaab militants in the semi-autonomous Puntland region. “Al-Shabaab militants attacked two of our army bases in the Galgala Mountainson Sunday and Monday,” Abdulkadir Samaysane, a senior official in the Puntland regional government, told The Anadolu Agency by phone.

He said government forces had survived Sunday’s attack.”But we lost two soldiers in today’s attack,” he admitted, “while four to six were injured.” Radio Andalus, a pro-Shabaab radio station, meanwhile, claimed that five soldiers were killed in Monday’s ambush.
Northeastern Somalia’s rugged Galgala Mountains region has recently been a theater of conflict between the Somali army and the militant group. Last week, five militants were killed in an army offensive carried out in the region.

In the past, the mountains have provided a refuge for Al-Shabaab fighters fleeing African Union peacekeepers and Somalia troops.Meanwhile, at least five people were killed Monday in a bomb blast targeting government forces in the southern Somali town of Afgoye, a Somali official has said.
“For now I put the death toll at five. Four soldiers and one civilian,” Mohamed Mascud of the Lower Shabelle authority told The Anadolu Agency.

“We are still waiting for any updates on the critically wounded,” he said. The bomb went off as a convoy moving from Mogadishu to Marka made a stopover at a tea kiosk. According to the Internal Security Ministry, the Mogadishu-Afgoye road has recorded the highest number of roadside blasts targeting government troops and African Union peacekeepers. Al-Shabaab, which in recent years has waged an active insurgency against the Mogadishu government, has recently suffered several significant blows, including the loss of most of its strongholds in southern and central Somalia.
Several group members have also recently been killed in U.S. drone strikes. Nevertheless, the group has continued to launch deadly attacks on government officials and security troops. On Friday, at least 12 people – including several top government officials – were killed in a twin suicide blast that targeted a Mogadishu hotel.

Democracy Exposes Kenya To Terrorism – Nkaissery

23 Feb – Source: Star Kenya- 324 Words

The democratic space has exposed Kenya to the threat of terrorism and violent extremism, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery has said. He said Kenya’s acceptance to host more than 600,000 refugees from Somalia, the base of the al Shabaab terror group, has made the country a radicalisation centre. Nkaissery said refugees in camps, especially young people, are a soft target for radicalisation.
The CS said extremists have targeted protected spaces like educational institutions, mosques, prisons, welfare and assistance centres to advance their agenda.

“We see a growing use of electronic media to recruit, incite and train candidates for extremism,” he said. Nkaissery said youth who desire better lives have been lured into extremism.
“Hordes of youth have ended up in training camps in Somalia after being promised better opportunities,” he said.“While some of them have returned and seek normal lives, others have become agents of radicalisation.”

Nkaissery was speaking during the ministerial session of the White House Summit on Countering Extremism in Washington DC on Friday.He said the government has developed a national counter radicalisation strategy to end the menace.Nkaissery said the government is investing in programmes that will enhance the synergy of all actors dealing with violent extremism and the management of foreign terrorists.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Al-Shabaab Getting Publicity It Wanted, Somali Leaders Say

24 Feb – Source: CBS Local – 275 Words

Local Somali leaders are worried about reaction to al-Shabaab’s recent video, calling for attacks on western malls such as Mall of America. Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, condemned the video from the Somali terror group, and said he fears repercussions from other Americans. “I think there’s a general fear of backlash,” he said. With all the publicity the video is generating, Hussein said al-Shabaab is getting what it wanted. He said the terror group has been losing influence in Somalia, and this was a desperate attempt not only for relevance, but also to make Minnesotans and Somali immigrants more suspicious of each other.

“These organizations are a threat to all of us,” Hussein said, “and we all need to work together as a community to overcome their tactics.” He said Somalis and Muslims in general have been victimized by al-Shabaab. The group has recruited in Minnesota heavily, especially in 2007 and 2008. Minneapolis mental health professional Hodan Hassan spoke in Washington last week at the summit on Countering Violent Extremism. She said she had nieces at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, which al-Shabaab attacked in 2013. “One of them suffered major injuries,” she said, “and we’re still struggling with accepting this fact.” The video released over the weekend is designed to get more recruits from a state where dozens have already left to fight in Somalia. “They haven’t been recruiting anybody here in the last few years,” said Hussein, “and that’s a good indication that our community has been resilient and not responding to their call.”

Somalia: Majority Of Capital Residents Surveyed Feel Safer Than In 2013

24 Feb – Source: Christian Science Monitor – 672 Words

After decades of war and failed attempts by international actors to establish peace and create a working administration, the political situation in Somalia seems to be improving. In a recent study by the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies, the majority of the 1,600 residents of the capital, Mogadishu, who were surveyed said they feel safer now than they did in 2013, and that they witness less conflict between clans and fewer attacks by rebel groups. Abdirahman Yusuf, who grew up in Somaliland and cofounded a post-resettlement agency for Somali refugees in Boston in the 1990s, returned in September to Mogadishu for the first time in more than three decades. He acknowledges this headway and attributes it to the waning presence of one faction in particular.

“You could say people are a little bit more optimistic than they were before,” says Mr. Yusuf. “And the main reason for that is that the terrorist organization Al Shabab has been weakened.”Other signs of normalcy are returning to the capital. In October, United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon, who had just visited Mogadishu, said conditions there were improving. That same month, the government relaunched a postal service that had been absent since 1991. A hotel became host to the country’s first ATM. Although the government isn’t fully functional at this point, the changes in the capital are significant, says Michael Woldemariam, an assistant professor of international relations and political science at Boston University. “Things are better than they were,” says Professor Woldemariam. “Mogadishu is making a comeback. People are buying land … [and] the diaspora is coming back.” One jolting setback for the diaspora came in early February. Because of Somalia’s lack of a functioning central bank – and because of concerns about the financing of terrorism – a California bank announced plans to drop the accounts of firms that transfer funds on behalf of Somali immigrants in the United States.

The Oscar-Nominated ‘Pirate’ Working To Bring Good Fortune To Somalia

24 Feb – Source: CNN – 418 Words

In 2013, Barkhad Abdi shot to fame for his portrayal of a Somali pirate in the blockbuster film “Captain Phillips”. Abdi, who starred opposite Tom Hanks, was nominated for an Oscar that same year. Despite his gripping performance, it wasn’t an easy role for Abdi to play. “I couldn’t relate (to my character), honestly, but I could empathize with him. He was a young man lacking an opportunity who had basically grown up in a shattered country, and he saw the gun as the solution,” says Abdi. Though he was born in Mogadishu, Abdi left Somalia at the age of six following the outbreak of a civil war that is still ongoing. His family fled to Yemen and ultimately settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota after winning a visa lottery. “I knew how Somalia was, even though I was a kid. I witnessed the worst part: the civil war,” he says.

“I could imagine a guy that is around my age that was in Somalia the whole time, and now just so happens to be a pirate.” Abdi returned to his home country for the first time this year. CNN’s Inside Africa accompanied him on the emotional journey. The pirate dilemma Pirating around the coast of Somalia has decreased in recent years, thanks in part to multinational patrols. Still, some of the problems within the country that led to piracy in the first place exist. During his journey, Abdi spoke to some fisherman, who explained that large foreign fishing boats have made it hard for them to earn a living.

“There are foreigners heavily fishing around this place. And they have big ships and machines and they are taking all the fish. And there is nothing we can do about it,” complained one fisherman he spoke to. Another former fisherman named Omar said he fears for the possible repercussions of Somalia’s fledging fishing industry. “It’s possible that piracy could come back because all the fishing workers are out of work,” he told Abdi. Sense of pride One of the biggest surprises for Abdi was how much the country has grown in his absence.”When I was in Hargeisa at the airport, I bought a Coca Cola, and I decided to read and see where this thing came from. I realized it was bottled there in Hargeisa, Somalia,” he recalls.”It shows that there is a lot of rebuilding, and the country is coming back slowly one step at a time. I want to be part of the change,” he says.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

Even though prolonged man-made and natural disasters impoverished Somalia, some recent signs showed that people were recovering from the conflicts, massive terrorism, drought, abject poverty, famine, poor education and unemployment. Since the birth of Somali Federal Government in 2012, a large number of young students went back to privatized schools and job industries blossomed.”

Hawala Closure: Anti-Terrorism Regulation That Boosts Radicalization

24 Feb – Source: Somali Current – 628 Words

Many times, I get asked why Somalis in America connect with their relatives back home. My answer to this question is simple and clear: Somalis in Europe and in North America play an important role in the survival of their relatives living in Africa. Even though Somalis were exposed to the individualistic Western culture, people retain connection with those family members back home. This type of close family relationship is an entrenched traditional values that uphold preserving family ties. This also is embedded in the Islamic principle. In Islam, cutting off relations with relatives is a great sin. In Western culture the concept of upholding the ties of kinship is limited or almost non-existent. For Somalis, many think it is their responsibility to take care not only of their parents, but also their uncles, aunts, cousins and nephews back home.

From Saint Cloud to Seattle, Somali Americans are worried about the closure of money transfer agencies. As a result, a series of protests and community meetings happened in many States this week over a decision by the US to suspend Hawala services. As reported, 40 percent of Somalis depend on money sent from abroad. Hawala services that have been a lifeline to war-weary Somalia for two decades now is hanging in the balance. After federal pressure, Merchant Bank suspended and severed ties with Somali money transfer agencies that serve Somalis. The only rationale the US regulatory agencies stated was that they feared money launderers and radical groups might exploit the informal Hawala services. If all services of money remittance are suspended, many hardworking and law-abiding Somali-Americans are facing hard time sending money to their loved ones in Africa.
We are aware of the fact that Western Union and MoneyGram have no branches in Somalia. Therefore, Merchant Bank declared a moratorium on the informal Hawala system that has handled money transfer for over two decades. The question that we need to answer is what is the other alternative approach to take if the closure of Hawala takes effect? The US is concerned about money sent back home may fall into the wrong hands. I think the best way to prevent it is that some regulatory structures should be put in place to make sure people send money to the needy ones. I believe a crackdown on those authorized money remittance companies will contribute to the rise of illicit Hawala dealers and more cases of radicalization in Somalia. If the families who live in abject poverty fail to receive money from overseas, their youth may start to join extremist networks. The money sent back home helps youth pay school fees and rent. I argue that unemployment and poverty are socioeconomic challenges that make youth vulnerable to radicalization and street gangs.