June 16, 2015 | Morning Headlines

Main Story

Kenya Says It Killed Al-Shabaab Commander

15 June – Source: The Gulf Today – 409 Words

Kenya’s military on Monday said they had killed the commander of Somalia’s Al Shabaab terror group responsible for two attacks a year ago that killed at least 60 people, as he led an attack on a military camp in the northern coastal region of Lamu County. Authorities are also trying to establish whether one of the bodies of two white men, among the suspected extremists killed in the Sunday attack on an army camp in Lamu County over the weekend, is that of Briton Thomas Evans. Eleven Somali militants and two Kenyan soldiers died when Al Qaeda-linked Shabaab fighters attacked a military base in Kenya’s northern coastal region of Lamu County on Sunday, officials said. Shabaab spokesman Abdiasis Abu Musab said 20 Kenyan soldiers died and “some of our fighters were martyred” in two attacks in Lamu, giving no details about the fighters or the second assault. Among those killed was Shabaab’s Luqman Osman Issa, also known as Shirwa, blamed for leading attacks on Kenya’s Mpeketoni area a year ago in which 65 people were killed, Kenya Defence Forces spokesman Colonel David Obonyo said on Monday. “This is a big victory for us and also a major setback for Al Shabaab because now there is no mainstream commander in the Lamu area,” he told Reuters, adding Shirwa’s body was in a morgue in Mpeketoni.

He also said the dead may have included Thomas Evans, also known as Abdul Hakim, a Briton in his mid-20s who had converted to Islam aged 19 and later joined Shabaab. Obonyo said data about Evans and pictures publicly available “point at him.” “All the available data, including photographs, points to it being Thomas Evans. There is an investigation going on with forensics and DNA to confirm his identity,” said Obonyo. “But we cannot be certain becomes sometimes looks can be deceiving. The necessary forensic investigations are being done including a DNA test I understand,” he said. If confirmed, Evans’ death would be the first reported case of a British Islamist militant being killed on Kenyan soil. Britain said it could not confirm whether Evans had been killed. “We are aware of reports of the death of a British national in Kenya,” said a British government spokesman. “We cannot confirm these at this time.” Obonyo said another man of apparently of Caucasian or Arab origin was among the dead, while the others killed appeared to be from the region.

Key Headlines

Kenya Says It Killed Al-Shabaab Commander (The Gulf Today)
Unitary National Examinations Begins In Somalia (Somali Current)
Somalia Football Federation Accused Of Fraud Mishandling Funds (Garowe Online)
Somalia Launches Campaign To Tackle Deforestation (Horseed Media)
Puntland President Convenes Parliament Warns Of Violation Of Constitution( Garowe Online)
Jubbaland Diaspora Welcome Constitution Establishment (RBC Radio)
Kenya Says It Killed Al-Shabaab Commander (The Gulf Today)
MP: Remove KDF From Somalia To Save Money (Standard Digital)
Mother of Al-Shabaab’s Thomas Evans Says ‘World Has Fallen Apart’ (BBC News)
Uganda Sends More Troops To Somalia (Star Africa)
President Abdiweli( Gaas) Has Failed To Honour His Promises To- SSC Region of Puntland (Wardheer News)

NATIONAL MEDIA

Unitary National Examinations Begins In Somalia

15 June – Source: Somali Current – 211 Words

The Somali government has today unveiled a unitary national examination, 25 years after such exercise was nationally executed in the country. Hundreds of candidates streamed into examination centers across Mogadishu. Similar exams took place in Galkaiyo and Baidoa. The students were compelled to carry special student identification cards to ascertain their identity. The national examinations was earlier communicated by the minister of Education, Khadra Bashir and the successful start of the examination exercise is seen as a return to normalcy.

After the results are announced in the coming months, the students will receive recognized certificates by the ministry of education.The security at the examination centers were tightened as contingent of security officers could be seen manning and combing the area. Also present to maintain security at the centers were the AMISOM and the national army who barricaded the roads that lead to the examination centers. Hamar Weyn and Tikniko were the only two centres in Mogadishu area. The acting Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice Abdullahi Ahmed Jama’a accompanied by his education counterpart, visited the some of the examination centers and assured the candidates and their examiners of government support. The examination was supposed to start on Saturday, but was delayed until today due to technical setbacks.

Somalia Football Federation Accused Of Fraud, Mishandling Funds

15 June – Source: Garowe Online – 447 Words

Somalia’s former football federation chairman has accused the current federation executives of fraud and stealing public funds, a significant accusation which comes at a time the world football governing body which funds Somali football stands accused of corruption which saw their top leaders being indicted by the US national attorney. In a rare press conference in Mogadishu, Muhyadin Hassan Darbaweyne who led Somalia’s SFF since 2007 said Somalia’s football suffers in the hands of corrupt officials, allegedly using public funds to purchase of personal properties. “It’s like do it and no one would come to question you about it at all because their mother body (FIFA) is corrupt too.” He told reporters in the Somali capital on Sunday. Mr. Darbaweyne says the scheme has caused an undue injury to the Somali football with football players are picked according to their clans, leaving behind vital players who could have brought favorable result for the Horn of Africa nation.

Somali football federation officials didn’t return our calls for comment. The allegation are significant at a time nine FIFA officials and four executives of sports management companies were arrested on suspicion of receiving bribes totalling $100m (£65m), according to the US Department of Justice. The officials are accused of taking in excess of $150m in bribes stretching back 24 years. However, Mr. Darbaweyne urged the world to intervene to save Somalia’s number one sport from what he described as ‘fraudsters’. “Corruption is rampant here, however the corrupt FIFA turns blind eye and deaf ears to act upon this it,” he angrily said. He also echoed previous corruption charges by the former prominent chairman of the Somali Football Association as well as the former Vice President of the Confederation of African FootballFarah Wehliye Addo Sindiko who was the first football administrator to reveal FIFA corruption scandal in 2007.

“No one lent his ears to listen to his words until it finally emerged this year.” Darbaweyne said. “Blatter has been the leader of a body of shame for decades.” Mr. Sindiko died of a sudden illness in 2008. Although the Somali national football team took part in international matches, it has never qualified for the final stages of a World Cup or African Cup of Nations. After the outbreak of the civil war in the early 1990s, FIFA-sanctioned games could not be played within the country. Qualifying matches for the Africa Cup of Nations, the Arab Nations Cup and the World Cup were instead contested away from home. However, following the pacification of the capital Mogadishu in 2011, the SFF began preparations for the first major sporting event held in years at the Mogadishu Stadium, in December 2012.

Somalia Launches Campaign To Tackle Deforestation

15 June- Source: Horseed Media – 337 Words

The Somalia Federal government has unveiled a joint program aimed at tackling deforestation in a bid to protect environment and reducing emissions. The new campaign which is funded by the United Nations, was launched by the Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Range in cooperation with other several ministries. Delivering his speech in the launching ceremony, Minister Saeed Hussein Iid underlined that the government is determined to fight against deforestation. “We want to put an end to this. In some places millions of trees have been cut down and no plantations have been made,” he said.

The campaign aims to boost U.N.-led effort called REDD, or reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, which provides incentives for developing countries to keep their forests standing rather than chopping them down. Regional states are part of the program and collaborating with the Federal government. Since the collapse of the central government in 1991, Somalia has been a haven for many environmentally destructive illegal activities such as nuclear and toxic waste dumping, overfishing and illegal fishing by international fishing enterprises, and the rapacious importation of Somali charcoal by the Gulf States.

While the charcoal industry has grown exponentially, the trees from which the charcoal is made are being decimated in the process. Mature trees have disappeared from the Somali landscape, leading to a decline in livestock herds and consequently affecting the general population by creating extensive poverty and famine. In a country with little electrical power, charcoal is the predominant domestic cooking fuel and is now managed by a network of more than 30 local brokers and was also controlled by armed groups such as Al-Shabaab before losing seaports they used to export. In a report, the UN monitoring group on Somalia and Eritrea says the Islamist group made up to 25 million dollars every year from charcoal trade.

Puntland President Convenes Parliament, Warns Of Violation Of Constitution

15 June – Source: Garowe Online – 372 Words

The President of Somalia’s Puntland Government Abdiweli Mohamed Ali on Monday convened a critical parliamentary session ahead of overhaul, Garowe Online reports. Accompanied by Vice President Abdhakin Abdullahi Haji Omar Amey and Parliament Speaker Saed Hassan Shire, Ali took a swipe at Mogadishu-based Federal Government, warning of constitutional violations at the expense of Federal Member States in his 23-minute long speech. Taking Puntland as a leading model in the country’s fledgling federalism, Ali said that federalism is by far the only genuine understanding that can bring Somalis together. “If the federalization process goes against the constitution, maligns the existing federal states, then there will be a time when everything will be reconsidered,” stressed Puntland leader, adding that Puntland doesn’t preclude federated Somalia. On offensives against Al-Shabaab militants in Galgala, just 50km southwest of the Gulf of Aden port city of Bossaso, Ali once again reiterated that Puntland Defence Forces are battling Islamist insurgents without external help.“Puntland Government is fighting Al-Shabaab terrorists. Unfortunately, it’s alone in this battle but here, I reaffirm that Puntland has a powerful army with the capability of securing our borders,” he added amid a heated debate over the compositions of central state. Bossaso, the most populous city saw quiet nights almost for weeks after unprecedented upsurge in raids, grenade attacks and targeted killings by Al-Shabaab militants.

Jubbaland Diaspora Welcome Constitution Establishment

15 June – Source: RBC Radio – 122 Words

Somalia’s Jubbaland diaspora had unanimously welcomed the interim administration’s efforts towards establishing draft constitution, RBC Reports. In an event held in Nairobi, Kenya, Jubbaland diaspora commended the interim administration of President Ahmed Madobe for the relentless efforts towards drafting a constitution. Senior Jubbaland officials including Presidential Palace state minister who is also the head of constitution drafting team Abdikani Jama and Minister of Water and Energy Mohamed Shiekh have also attended the event. The event was a consultation forum intended to collect the Jubbaland diaspora impression on the constitution establishment efforts and governance in Jubbaland regions.The diaspora community welcomed the move, calling the interim administration to catalyst these efforts.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

MP: Remove KDF From Somalia To Save Money

16 June – Source: Standard Digital – 112 Words

Imenti North MP Rahim Dawood has called for the withdrawal of Kenyan troops from Somalia, to save on money paid to United Nations Operation in Somalia (Unisom). Mr Dawood said this year’s budget was not friendly to the ordinary Kenyan after security docket was allocated a whooping Sh224 billion to boost war against terror group Al-Shabaab. “What we need is to buy more equipment and establish more command centres along the border once we remove our troops from Somalia,” he said. Dawood also warned the country could plunge into recession as a result of the ripple effect in the face of the falling shilling.

Mother of Al-Shabaab’s Thomas Evans Says ‘World Has Fallen Apart’

15 June – Source: BBC News – 459 Words

The mother of a British man killed while fighting for Islamist militant group al-Shabab in Kenya has told the BBC her “whole world has fallen apart”. Sally Evans, from Buckinghamshire, said a journalist had phoned to tell them Thomas, a Muslim convert, had died. Her other son Michael said when he looked on Twitter, the first thing he found was a picture of Thomas’s body. “We remember him as being my brother, your son,” he told the BBC. “But to everyone else he’s just a terrorist.” Kenyan officials have confirmed the 25-year-old was killed on Sunday when al-Shabab fighters attacked a military base in the north of the country.

Militants armed with AK47s and grenades raided the base in Lamu County, close to the Somali border, and then stormed a nearby village. Eleven gunmen were killed in total and two Kenyan soldiers also died. Evans, who changed his name to Abdul Hakim, contacted his family in 2012 to say he had travelled to Somalia to join the militant group. At least 50 British citizens are believed to have joined al-Shabab – an al-Qaeda affiliate based in Somalia – which has been behind a series of high-profile attacks in Kenya and Somalia.

Ms Evans, from Wooburn Green, said she would remember Thomas as “the little boy who had a bright future before he went down the path he went down”. She said he had met “some people with some very twisted, warped ideas of Islam” in the local area to begin with, and was later influenced by online material. “I’m very angry that they were prepared to put my son on the line but they are still here,” she said. “They are not brave enough to go out there themselves.” At the age of 21, Evans announced he was moving to Kenya and bought a single plane ticket. He was turned back at the airport by police, but later sold his CDs and other possessions and told his family he was travelling to Egypt.

Uganda Sends More Troops To Somalia

15 June – Source: Star Africa – 84 Words

About 2000 soldiers of the Uganda Defense Forces (UDF) have on Monday left for Somalia under the African Union Mission (AMISOM). The soldiers, under battle group UGABAG 16, are to replace battle group UGABAG 13+ and UN Guard Unit that are scheduled to return to Uganda. The contingent will stay in Somalia for a year. Uganda has since 2007 been supporting Somalia in its war against Al Shabaab militants and currently contributes over 6,000 troops to AMISOM.

OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE

“Celebrations, fireworks and live rounds until the air smelled gunpowder. That jubilant gathering has quickly turned into disappointment, largely because of the President’s continued use of evasive and euphemistic terminology to obscure the disastrous mistakes committed by his predecessor…Regrettably, despite the much-hyped expectations of Abdiweli’s ascendency to power, little has changed in regard to Puntlands’ state policies towards Sool, Sanaag and Cayn.”

President Abdiweli( Gaas) Has Failed To Honour His Promises To- SSC Region of Puntland

15 June – Source: Wardheer News – 1112 Words

This article will attempt to cover a wide range of topics. Before I delve into this potentially contentious theme though, I reaffirm my political stance in regard to Puntlands’ unity. Having clarified my personal position on Puntlands’ territorial unity, it is crucial that we assess the political disillusionment of the Dhulba-hante masses to the entire political establishment in Garowe. This piece of writing presents a discussion that I had with community members inside the aforementioned regions as well as a large portion of the diaspora communities. The vast majority of Dhulba-hante populace hold deeply cynical attitude towards the idea of unitary Puntland and to put it at its crudest, not only do they question the validity of SSC being as part and parcel of Puntland state, but, they broadly assert their unequivocal contempt of the whole concept.