May 15, 2015 | Morning Headlines.
At Least Two Arrested Over Bomb Attack In South Somalia
14 May – Source: Shabelle News – 135 Words
Somalia National Army arrested at least 2 people in connection with bomb attack which injured over 6 people including Elwak district commissioner and government soldiers, according to police. Elwak deputy police boss told Shabelle Media that one of the 2 detainees was arrested for being the mastermind of the bomb explosive that was hidden inside coffee bar and exploded, injuring 6 people including at least 3 government soldiers. Elwak district commissioner, Mr. Ibrahim was airlifted to Mandera hospital in northeast of Kenya for further treatment. Somalia forces continue to hunt down perpetrators.
Key Headlines
- At Least Two Arrested Over Bomb Attack In South Somalia(Shabelle News)
- South Africa Considers Deporting Immigrants Including Somalis (Radio Danaan)
- Hope As Jowhar Residents Turn Out In Large Numbers To Clean Town (Somali Current)
- SIMHA Condemns Assassination Attempt On Female Radio Journalist (Radio Dalsan)
- Somali Retired General Warns Burundi Turmoil Affecting Somalia’s Peace Efforts (Somali Current)
- Puntland Seeks International Help To Resettle Yemen Refugees (Garowe Online)
- UN Refugee Chief Visits Kenya And Somalia To Discuss Future Of Dadaab Camp (UN News Centre)
- Iran Rejects Capture Of Its Sailors By Somalia ‘s Armed Group (Trend.az )
- Hundreds Of Refugees Arrive In Somalia From Yemen (The East African)
- Cardiff Community Calls For Republic Of Somaliland To Be Recognised As A Country In Its Own Right(Wales Online)
- Disgrace As A Commodity: Gabre And Yusuf ( Wardheer News)
PRESS STATEMENT
AMISOM Engages Partners On Civil-Military operations
14 May – Source: AMISOM – 269 Words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and partners have today concluded a consultative meeting aimed at reviewing the AMISOM Civil-Military (CIMIC) structures and strategizing on improved coordination with humanitarian actors in Somalia. The three-day meeting follows the adoption of the Somalia Country Specific Humanitarian Guidelines by AMISOM and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in November last year.
The guidelines stipulate principles and practices for AMISOM and humanitarian actors operating in the same environment. It is in this context that the meeting was organized to examine challenges and propose enhanced civil-military structures. Speaking during the meeting, AMISOM Senior Humanitarian Liaison Officer Mr. Abdul Diabagate reiterated the importance of developing appropriate tools for delivery of the mission’s CIMIC obligations.
The Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission in Somalia Hon. Lydia Wanyoto, speaking on behalf of the Head of Mission Ambassador Maman Sidikou commended participants for the positive outcomes of the meeting and appealed for concerted efforts towards better execution of CIMIC activities. “Civil-Military Cooperation is an extremely important force enabler and one of the mechanisms through which the mission can assist the Federal
Government of Somalia in stabilizing the country. As such, it is imperative that an implementation plan be developed, taking into consideration the outcomes of the meeting,” she said. The meeting was attended by the senior leadership of the African Union Mission in Somalia military and Police, representatives of various Troop Contributing Countries, the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as well as UK partners.
NATIONAL MEDIA
At Least Two Arrested Over Bomb Attack In South Somalia
14 May – Source: Shabelle News – 135 Words
Somalia National Army arrested at least 2 people in connection with bomb attack which injured over 6 people including Elwak district commissioner and government soldiers, according to police. Elwak deputy police boss told Shabelle Media that one of the 2 detainees had arrested for being masterminded huge bomb explosives that was hidden inside coffee bar exploded and injured 6 people. Meanwhile, at least 3 government soldiers who injured in Elwak district commissioner, Mr. Ibrahim was airlifted to Mandera hospital in northeast of Kenya for further treatment. Somalia forces continue to hunt down perpetrators who were accused of coordinated killings.
South Africa Considers Deporting Immigrants, Including Somalis
14 May – Source: Radio Danan – 247 Words
As the xenophobia attacks against immigrants increased, the South African government faced critical questions over its failure to stop attacks that forced it to come up with a different plan: deporting immigrants, mostly Somalis. However, South Africa’s High Court on Wednesday halted the deportation of hundreds of African immigrants who were arrested in the wake of the recent wave of xenophobic violence, according to the local media. David Cote, the lawyer for Human Rights Organisation, said that the migrants, believed to number between 280 and 400, were detained at a Johannesburg Church and in the central business district on Friday.
He said that a court order was obtained on Tuesday to halt their deportation for two weeks and to gain access to them to discuss their situation. Cote said “the court order does not concern hundreds of others who have been arrested in Johannesburg and Durban in recent weeks. “We don’t know if any of them have already been deported, but it will obviously be difficult for the government to deport such large number of people.” He criticised the arrest as an “inappropriate response” to xenophobic attacks on immigrants from Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Congo and other countries in April. “At least, seven people were killed and thousands left homeless and foreign-owned shops looted,” he said. Cote said South African government was responding to concerns about the presence of illegal immigrants, stressing, however, that “some of those arrested are asylum seekers.”
Hope As Jowhar Residents Turn Out In Large Numbers To Clean Town
14 May – Source: Somali Current – 172 Words
Residents of Jowhar turned out in large numbers to participate in an ongoing street-cleaning activity aimed at community integration and reconciliation. Led by senior officials from the local council, the residents took up cleaning tools and marched to clear away heaps of garbage in the major roads and residential areas. Men and women armed with nothing but spades, shovels and brooms could be seen marching in pairs as they took on garbage-dumping sites in the district. The mayor of Central Shabelle region Ali Guud-Laawe thanked and the same time challenged the residents of Jowhar to do more to integrate and clean-up the remaining part of the district.“I really liked how you manage the garbage here (Jowhar),” he said The programme runs under the theme “Community Integration and Cooperation” is first of its kind in the Central Shabelle region. The local authority dropped leaflets in the town urging the resident to support the initiative, a call that they seemed to have answered.
SIMHA Condemns Assassination Attempt On Female Radio Journalist
14 May – Source: Radio Dalsan – 128 Words
Somali Independent Media Houses Association strongly condemns the attempted assassination on Radio Journalist on Tuesday. Former Radio Barkulan reporter Nimo Hassan narrowly escaped death when two gunmen armed with pistols with intentions of killing attacked the Tuk-Tuk she was travelling in Mogadishu’s Waberi district. She told SIMHA that she is in hiding to avoid another possible attack on her life. Radio Baidoa journalist Daud Omar and his wife were shot dead by gunmen who broke into their house in Baidoa last week. No one was arrested in connection to both cases involving attacks on journalists. The association calls upon the Somali government to take measures to protect the journalists against threat on their lives.
Somali Retired General Warns Burundi Turmoil Affecting Somalia’s Peace Efforts
14 May – Source: Somali Current – 107 Words
Retired Somali general Abdullahi Adan Iro has warned Burundi turmoil is affecting Somalia’s peace efforts and called on the international to quickly respond and restore order in the East African nation. Burundi has over 5,000 soldiers in Somalia as part of African Union peacekeeping mission in the country. The retired general urged the opposing sides to solve their difference in amicable way and criticized the Coup saying it will throw the country into mayhem. On Wednesday, Army general has announced the overthrow of Nkurunziza’s government with thousands of protesters flooding the streets of the capital, Bujumbura in support of the Coup.
Puntland Seeks International Help To Resettle Yemen refugees
14 May – Source: Garowe Online – 200 Words
Somalia’s Northeast State of Puntland made a plea for international assistance as hundreds of people fleeing from Yemen conflict continue to arrive in by boats, Garowe Online reports. Speaking at a press conference in the state capital of Garowe on Thursday, Puntland Interior Minister Ahmed Elmi Osman (Ahmed Karash) acknowledged that the large influx is beyond the capacity of local authorities, asking UN bodies to step in. The calls for external involvement have come after a boat carrying more than 1,700 refugees from Yemen docked at Bossaso port on Wednesday. He said, Puntland government is worried about the substandard conditions and waits for donors and aid agencies to intervene in the humanitarian situation on the ground. Karash has also held talks with Yemeni Ambassador to Somalia on the influx of refugees seeking safe haven in Puntland. Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has insisted on the evacuation of Somalis caught in Yemen cross-fire by planes and ships. Over 5,000 people including Somalis, Yemenis, Ethiopians and Djiboutian have come ashore since early April. Yemen was once a destination for Somalis fleeing from danger at home.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UN Refugee Chief Visits Kenya And Somalia To Discuss Future Of Dadaab Camp
14 May – Source: UN News Centre – 601 Words
The United Nations refugee chief has completed a visit to Kenya and Somalia where he held successful meetings with the Presidents of both countries and discussed issues related to refugees and returnees, particularly regarding the hundreds of thousands of people in Dadaab camp. “We reached a common understanding with the Presidents of Kenya and Somalia on three things,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres in Nairobi. “Firstly, the need to ensure return from Dadaab is voluntary and that it takes place in safety and dignity, and in accordance with the Tripartite Agreement; secondly, on cooperation to boost security in Dadaab; and thirdly, the expansion of additional areas for people to return to in Somalia.”
Mr. Guterres expressed deep appreciation to President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta for his “courage and wisdom” in handling the refugee situation, even as emotions in the country run high following the attack on Garissa University. Shortly after that 2 April assault on the campus, for which Somali-based Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility and which reportedly left scores of people dead, the High Commissioner’s Office (UNHCR) urged Kenyan authorities to reconsider their decision to shut down within the next three months Dadaab refugee camp, which lies along Kenya’s border with Somalia. Following the recent visit, which wrapped up on 9 May, UNHCR said Mr. Kenyatta was committed to the aim of making return to Somalia an attractive and sustainable option for those in Kenya, while Mr. Guterres said he would mobilize the international community to boost security in Dadaab, where nearly 350,000 people are living.
Mr. Guterres also met Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, as well as Prime Minister Sharmarke, in Mogadishu where the possible future return of Somali refugees in Kenya was also discussed. He also travelled to Kismayo, in south central Somalia, which is a key refugee return destination. There he met regional leader Ahmed Madobe and discussed scaling up the current voluntary return project and ensuring that returns are sustainable. To enable people to return, investment needed to be scaled up to improve socio-economic conditions for refugees, displaced people and local communities. Mr. Guterres said he would mobilize the international community to improve access to shelter, education, health and other basic services as create realistic livelihood opportunities.
Iran Rejects Capture Of Its Sailors By Somalia’s Armed Group
14 May – Source: Trend.az – 192 Words
Iran’s ports and maritime organization has rejected reports about the capture of 15 Iranian sailors by Somalia ‘s Al-Shabaab armed group. Hadi Haghshenas, deputy director of the organization said that the report is not true and no official body in Somalia has confirmed it. “Maritime organizations in the region have data and information communication and we have not received any information on the issue from other maritime organizations in the region,” Haghshenas said, Iran ’s Fars news agency reported May 14. “The Islamic Republic’s ports and maritime organization officially rejects kidnapping of the Iranian sailors,” Haghshenas emphasized. Asghar Mohammadpour, an official with the Shipping Lines of the Islamic Republic had earlier confirmed the report. On May 13 Omar Abdisamad, a Somali government official said that several Iranian sailors – along with their fishing boat are being held by Al-Shabaab armed group in the port town of El-Dheer in Somalia ‘s Galgadud region. “The Puntland Coast Guard has been alerted to the capture of the boat in El-Dheer,” Abdisamad said. El-Dheer is one of the few remaining seaports still controlled by Al-Shabaab.
Hundreds Of Refugees Arrive In Somalia from Yemen
14 May – Source: The East African – 308 Words
Hundreds of people fleeing the war in Yemen reached the port town of Bossaso, 1500 km northeast of the Somali capital Mogadishu, by boat on Wednesday. Officials working with Puntland, a semi-autonomous authority in north-eastern Somalia, said that the new arrivals, all of them Somali refugees in Yemen, comprised of 763 children, 581 women and 379 men, totalling 1723 persons. With the help of locals, the Puntland government representatives helped the arrivals with foods and drinks after their voyage. Puntland’s Deputy Minister for Interior Affairs Abdullahi Qobdeero underlined the burden his authority was facing with the sudden influx of the refugees.
“The issue of the refugees arriving in Puntland seems sliding out of control,” said Mr Qobdeero. “Puntland has no capacity to meet the needs of the refugees,” he added. The refugees who spoke to local media said they came from the Yemeni cities of Sanaa, Aden, Ta’izz and Mukalla. Ms Layla Mohamed Mohamoud, one of the arriving refugee, said that the situation in Yemen was worsening by the day. “My family and I are from Sanaa where we spent most of the time in the house to avoid the heavy bombardment by the warring sides,” she said. “When possible, I would sneak out to stay in a queue for 5 pieces of chapatti (unleavened flatbread).” Ms Mohamoud complained of lack of water, electricity and other basic amenities in the Yemeni capital.
Cardiff Community Call For Republic Of Somaliland To Be Recognised As A Country In Its Own Right
14 May – Source: Wales Online – 515 Words
Leading members of Cardiff’s Somali community are calling on the British and Welsh governments to recognise Somaliland as a country in its own right. Speaking ahead of Somaliland independence day next week Eid Ali Ahmed, a founder member of Wales Refugee Council, and Abdikarim Abdi Adan, who runs Cardiff’s Somali Advice Centre, said recognising Somaliland would give it the investment and help it needs to be a stable area in a troubled region.Such a move could even help address the current migrant crisis as people from across Africa risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean for Europe, they said.
‘If the economy grows why would people need to come here?’“If it is recognised as a country it will have access to international aid and UN agencies and businesses will be more willing to invest,” said Mr Ahmed “If the economy grows why would people need to come here?“Migrants from across Africa coming from Libya to Italy are facing all these problems finding jobs. Western powers need to look at other ways to address this.“We are building and investing in people in Somaliland but not getting the recognition to help us further our aims.” Since declaring independence in 1991 Somaliland now has its own constitution, universities, currency, police and military and there has been no fighting in the area for six years.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“ Gabre slapped Yusuf four times until the president fell to the ground. Then, Gabre placed his pistol against Yusuf’s head and threatened to kill him. Yusuf’s bodyguards were left disarmed and Yusuf had to seek protection from the African troops in Mogadishu (AMISOM). The next day, Yusuf’s spokesman denied the whole incident.”
Disgrace As A Commodity: Gabre And Yusuf
14 May -Source : Wardheer News -566 Word
At an international conference in Europe three years ago, I met General Gabre Heard, former supreme leader of the Ethiopian military forces in Somalia. A friend, then a cabinet minister, introduced me to the general, and I was caught off guard. We stood in a big halI for a few minutes where dignitaries from many countries had convened to discuss the situation. The first thing that came to my mind was not the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia “to fight terror” but an incident in 2007 that involved Gabre and Abdullahi Yusuf, Somalia’s president at the time. Yusuf had invited Ethiopia to enter Somalia and root out the regime of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU).
Gabre had become angry when Yusuf repeatedly complained about his indiscriminate pounding of civilians in Mogadishu.Gabre slapped Yusuf four times until the president fell to the ground. Then, Gabre placed his pistol against Yusuf’s head and threatened to kill him. Yusuf’s bodyguards were left disarmed and Yusuf had to seek protection from the African troops in Mogadishu (AMISOM). The next day, Yusuf’s spokesman denied the whole incident. Gabre told a Somali delegate at the European conference how Somali politicians and intellectuals continued to beg him for government jobs.“They ask me if I can help them get appointed as ministers or ambassadors,” said Gabre. “I do not have such power.” When I first heard of that infamous slap, I was neither disgusted nor surprised. I simply saw it as another manifestation of how Somalia had degenerated.