June 25, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report
Bomb Attack Will Not Deter Us From Supporting Somalia, Says UAE Minister
25 June – Source: Arabian Business – 568 Words
A car bomb targeting military instructors from the United Arab Emirates exploded in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Wednesday, injuring no UAE citizens but killing at least three Somali soldiers, security officials said. The officials said the UAE ambassador was travelling in the same convoy as the instructors, which was attacked in Mogadishu’s Hodan District. He was unhurt. Seven other people were wounded, police said. The Islamist militant group al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack and said it had “inflicted casualties”. Hussein Afrah, a Somali military officer, said the car bomb targeted the UAE trainers, who were in a bullet-proof car. Those killed were Somali soldiers, he said.
“The incident took place near the military hospital where UAE trains Somali military. Three Somali military … died and several other civilians who were passing by were injured,” Afrah told Reuters. A wounded soldier identified only as Ahmed said the UAE ambassador to Somalia was also in the convoy and was unharmed. “The UAE ambassador was in a bullet-proof car ahead of us and the car bomb missed its target,” he told Reuters. The ambassador, Mohammed Othman al-Hammadi, said in a statement carried by UAE state news agency WAM that the attack targeted a relief convoy. “A terrorist car bomb targeted an Emirati relief convoy (which was) in … Mogadishu for the blessed month of Ramadan, resulting in the death of three Somalis and wounded others,” al-Hammadi was quoted saying.
UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash condemned the attack. “This terrorist act will not away the United Arab Emirates from its principled commitment to support Somalia and its brotherly people in confronting terrorism,” WAM quoted Gargash as saying. Al Shabaab put the number of those killed at 17, but this was not independently verifiable. In the past, al Shabaab has exaggerated the number of casualties it has inflicted and government officials have played down losses. Nicholas Kay, the special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, also confirmed the attack on the convoy but gave no details of who was in it. “I condemn today’s appalling attack against innocent civilians and dedicated international officials who are providing critical peace-building and state building support to Somalia,” Kay said in a statement.
A Reuters witness saw the ruined car in which the bomb had been detonated, a damaged military pickup and a pool of blood. The Al Qaeda-aligned group has in the past stepped up attacks during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began a week ago. On Sunday, al Shabaab fighters detonated a car bomb in the capital and shot their way into a national intelligence agency training site. Four Islamist gunmen were killed, the internal security ministry said, adding that the government did not suffer any casualties during the attack. Al Shabaab said more than 10 intelligence officials were killed. An African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and Somali army offensive last year pushed al Shabaab out of major strongholds, but the group still controls some rural areas. It launches regular attacks in Somalia and neighbouring Kenya, which also has forces with AMISOM. On Monday and Tuesday, police said the group had killed six soldiers and an elder in separate incidents in the capital, the south central town of Beledweyne and the seaside town of Marka. Al Shabaab put the number killed at nine.
Key Headlines
- Bomb Attack Will Not Deter Us From Supporting Somalia Says UAE Minister (Arabian Business)
- Jubbaland Head Of State Arrives In Addis Ababa As State Seeks Deployment Of Ethiopian Forces In Its Territories (Wacaal Media)
- Government To Register Private Sector Employees For Security Reasons (Goobjoog News)
- Ahlusuna Set To Hold Own Version of ‘Adaado Conference’ In Dhuusamareeb Today (Wacaal Media)
- EU Developmental Projects To Somalia To Be Managed By Government (Goobjoog News)
- Minister Holds A Series Of Regional Aviation Dialogues With ICAO (Geeska Afrika)
- 62 Convicted Somali Pirates Repatriated (The Star Kenya)
- UPDF Officer Killed In Somalia Laid To Rest (New Vision Uganda)
- Sitting Down With Somali Nomads (Garowe Online)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Jubbaland Head Of State Arrives In Addis Ababa As State Seeks Deployment Of Ethiopian Forces In Its Territories
25 Words – Source: Wacaal Media – 176 Words
President of the Interim administration of Jubbaland Ahmed Mohamed Islam has arrived in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa yesterday ahead of an important meeting with the country’s leadership. Wacaal Media has learnt that the President and his delegation will seek to convince Ethiopia to join AMISOM sector two which was tasked with operations Gedo and Jubba regions which form the Jubbaland State. Even though Ethiopia has previously pledged to deploy 800 personnel to Jubbaland territories, the plan has not materialize after the AMISOM leadership objected to it. On arrival, Madoobe and his delegation were received by Somalia’s envoy to Ethiopia, IGAD’s special envoy to Somalia Mohamed Abdi Affey among other officials. The Jubbaland delegation includes Health Minister Dahir Hassan Yarowe and the Governor of Middle Jubba region Abdirashid Jire Qalinle. A senior official in the office of the head of State of Jubbaland confirmed to Wacaal media on condition of anonymity that the trip will last for five days.
Government To Register Private Sector Employees For Security Reasons
25 June – Source: Goobjoog News – 120 Words
The ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, together with the security agencies has embarked registration exercise of private sector employees.The ministry has urged all companies to submit the names of their fulltime and part time employees, while the security agencies, including the Police and The Intelligence would use the data for security purposes according to the Police chief Mohamed Sheik Hamoud. A gathering to discuss this was held in the ministry of labour. It was attended by Minister Abdiweli Mudey and Deputy Minister Osman Libah Ibrahim and Somalia’s Intelligence Chief Abdirahman Turyare. It’s not yet clear how this might infringe upon the privacy and the rights of the citizens and how their personal data would be used by the security agencies.
Ahlusuna Set To Hold Own Version of ‘Adaado Conference’ In Dhuusamareeb Today
25 June – Source: Wacaal Media – 223 Words
A senior official of Ahlusuna Waljamea has announced that the group will hold their own version of the Adaado conference in Dhuusamareeb starting today. Speaking to the local press, Sheikh Mohamed Mursal said that the conference will form a regional administration for Mudug and Galguduud regions, akin to the one that was in the final stages in Adaado. Mursal added that the official opening of the conference will be graced by a section of members of the Federal Parliament as well as traditional elders from all the settlements in the region that were under their control.
The planned conference by the group will rival the one that is about to conclude in Adaado which is recognized by the Federal government and the International community. The announcement adds to string of demands and actions by the group that led to a stand-off even as the Federal government sought to diffuse tension by engaging them on more than one occasion. They however proved adamant and refused to cede grounds to the Federal government which has termed their demands as unrealistic. Ahlusuna walked out on the Adaado conference and later forcefully took over Dhuusamareeb from government forces. When the Federal government opened talks with them, they tabled a raft of demands that the government saw as unrealistic. Amongst them were the naming of the upcoming state after the group.
EU Developmental Projects To Somalia To Be Managed By Government
25 June – Source: Goobjoog News – 117 Words
For the first time in 25 years Somali government is posed to manage the EU developmental projects in the country according to the deputy Prime Minister Mohamed Omar Arte and his planning minister Abdirahman Aynte. In a meeting attended by EU officials, the Deputy Prime Minister has said ‘For the past 25 years all developmental projects came through the EU envoy in Somalia, but from now on there are plans afoot for the ministry of planning to manage the funds as we are training experts to execute the funding allocation’. EU’s funding allocation for Somalia amounts to staggering of 286 Million Euro. Government wants to take charge and feel the ownership of all aid coming to Somalia.
Minister Holds A Series Of Regional Aviation Dialogues With ICAO
24 June – Source: Geeks Afrika – 237 Words
The current Federal Minister Ali Ahmed Jangali met with president of the ICAO Alumuyiwa Bernard, general secretary Dr. Fang Liu and the outgoing general secretary Raymond Benjamin, and Minister Jangali gave them an update about the current Somalia aviation security and safety issues in Mogadishu. Minister Jangali diplomatically show that Somalia aviation has lost much treasured experts to terror attacks in the capital signaling the challenging situation they are working under. Minister Jangali also made a point the significance of transferring the air control operation to Somalia so that the government could fully take ownership and accountable for the country’s airspace.
The Somali airspace has been under the control of United Nation’s Civil Caretaker Aviation Authority for Somalia known as CACAS since 1996 in Nairobi, Kenya. The UN Agency CACAS signed last year December to handover the airspace control to Somalia Federal government in Mogadishu, but this is yet to be done for lack of necessary facilities and skilled staff in Somalia. According to the Somali government, CACAS generates $6 to $7 million dollars annually from Somalia of over-flight fees; this could be much needed injection to suffering budget for the Somali government. Minister Ali Ahmed Jangali on the other hand raised the issue of wrangles between federal government and semi-autonomous region of Somaliland over the control of airspace, and urged that this should not be politicized.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
62 Convicted Somali Pirates Repatriated
25 June – Source: The Star, Kenya – 292 Words
Sixty-two Somali pirates have been repatriated from Shimo la Tewa Maximum Security Prison in Mombasa as part of the Piracy Prisoner Transfer Programme. According prison authorities, 164 pirates are still held at Shimo la Tewa and Kamiti prisons after they were captured at sea over alleged hijacking of vessels in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden since 2008. Eighty-three were convicted, while four are remandees who have appealed their cases at the High Court in Mombasa. Meshack Okiya, the deputy officer in charge of Shimo la Tewa Prison, said 14 pirates will be handed over to Somalia’s embassy in Nairobi next week for repatriation after they completed their jail terms.
They are at the Kamiti Prison. Okiya said the government is working with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to facilitate the transfer of pirates who have completed their jail terms. He spoke on Tuesday after receiving a Ramadhan donation from the Somali community in Mombasa. UNODC has set up the Garowe and Hargeisa detention facilities in Puntland and Somaliland respectively as part of the Piracy Prisoner Transfer Programme. “The pirates are handed over to Somalia embassy to transfer them to Puntland, where they can integrate with their relatives,” Okiya said. He said the Kamiti Prison has been mandated to prepare repatriation orders to ease their transfer once they are about to complete the jail terms. Okiya said most prisoners are serving jail terms of between five and 20 years. Somalia has been pushing for the signing of an MoU to enable convicted Somalis to be repatriated. Former Somalia ambassador Mohamed Ali Nur said the agreement will see pirates repatriated to Somalia to serve out the remainder of their sentences in their country’s prisons.
UPDF Officer Killed In Somalia Laid To Rest
25 June – Source: New Vision – 575
A former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) Commander turned UPDF officer who was June 17 killed in an ambush in Somalia by Al-Shabaab militants has been laid to rest at his home in Boroboro Parish, outside Lira town. Maj. Geoffrey Kyomuhendo, an officer from Task Force 21 of UGABAG 15 (21Bn) in Somalia who escorted the casket told mourners that Lt. Denis Okech Okello died as a result of a bomb that hit his vehicle that was traveling in a convoy he was commanding from Tortorow to Baledogle. “We are deeply saddened by the death of our gallant officer which occurred on June 17 on Tortorow Baledogle road,” he said.
Maj. Kyomuhendo said Lt. Okello died in line of duty as a loyal and courageous commander. He said Okello played a pivotal role in the capture of Tortorow town from Al-Shabaab militants two weeks before his death. Early this month, the Somali National Army supported by African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops under the ‘Operation Western Sweep,’ captured Tortorow, a town located in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia from Al-Shabaab militants. AMISOM said in a statement that the repulsed militants resorted to using Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) to attack soft targets such as supply convoys. The army apologized for late delivery of the remains siting constraints in resources.
Maj. Gen. Mohammedesha Zeyinu who wrote for force Commander AMISOM said Okello “was exemplary in the conduct of his duties, always at the forefront during the difficult time and showing dedication to the mission mandate. His loss will not be in vain, but rather a justification for continued effort by the officers and men serving in this mission to attain the objective for which he demonstrated such selfless dedication, courage and strength.” Uganda Contingent Commander Brig. Gen. Sam Kavuma said the UPDF have misswed him but shall continue with the resolute to achieve what he sacrificed his life for.
The UPDF Chief of Personnel and Administration Brig Joseph Musanyufu noted that Okello was a true patriot, his valor and bravery are evident. He said the family and the UPDF as an institution has incurred a big loss. Lira District chairperson Alex Oremo Alot said he does not want Uganda to be very happy across the board yet there is pain North, East and West. “I would like everybody to feel comfortable in their areas of operation.” Adekokwok Sub County LC III Chairperson Alengo urged the youth not to be discouraged by the death of Lt. Okello from joining the army. Okello was born on December 10, 1975 to Willy Okech of Ngilaacel clan. First born, Okello went to Canon Lawrence Demonstration School for P1 to P7. He then joined Apala Secondary School in 1994 but was abducted by LRA two years later.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“When questioned on his interests in facebook, he replied: “I closely follow the latest events, I have friends and relatives abroad…More recently, when two female camels gave birth, I snapped them and sent the photos to my brother”.
Sitting Down With Somali Nomads
25 June – Source: Garowe Online – 434 Words
I went out on a week-long trip to chat with Somali nomads on livelihood and any substandard living conditions. I was interested in joining a new programme ‘Reporter and the News’, and funded by Puntland Development Research Center (PDRC). So what has impressed me much about the modern lifestyle of Somali pastoralists nowadays? Did I see mobile health and schools? But the rare glimpse inside life is never told here. I found the beautiful nature surrounding villages of Kalabayr, Remanti, Awr-Ulus, Qaf-qaris and Yombays so daisy, something I couldn’t predict. In some areas, people complain of lack of mobile health, veterinarian services and shortage of water as well.
Large amounts of vegetation that seemed untouched natural beauty covered tracts of land. You can’t drive over these, you may get busted by young men, locally known as ‘vigilantes’. There was some law reinforcement and you will end up before a court if you are caught red-handedly for degrading environment. Having reeled under devastating cyclonic storm, pastoralists have a lot to share now and they couldn’t bow to charcoal profiteers; a good yet voluntary endeavor to preserve Somalia’s hidden treasure, just a country belted by spectacular pageant.
Access to potable water is still a worry for rural communities. Limited health personnel is another burden, and nomads have called on Puntland government to give much attention to their plight. Elders who traditionally play a vital role in decision-making process in remote rural areas want that new health centres be constructed and nurses and midwives be dispatched very soon. They are dependent on farm animals- cattle, camels and goats- for their livelihood. Apart from search of pasture and watering holes, nomadic communities are up in arms over a strange disease that affected camels most. This exposes how far Somali nomads have gone with the new technology [From the possession of smartphone to the introduction of third generation]. I saw a male herder with a smart phone, his waists were wrapped with sarong (Macawis) but he was sharing something of heedful.
TOP TWEETS
Live From Mogadishu @Daudoo Clashes erupts in Qoryoley town after #AlShabaab attacked 3 Govt troop’s bases incl Police station last night, Casualties reported. #Somalia
@Aynte Thank you Congressmen @keithellison &@RepTomEmmer for forming the ‘Congressional #SomaliaCaucus’. It’s a huge step forward. #Hope
@IlwadElman I’m always disappointed when #Somalia is discussed as the source of terrorism in the region & not a country fighting it as well #CVE2015
@SomaliaNewsroom ASWJ continues its quest to form its own admin in central #Somalia, despite the official process going on in Adado https://www.youtube.com/watch?
@ElmanPeaceHRC Ilwad Elman is Representing #Somaliaand the #Elman Peace & Human Rights Centre at the East Africa… https://instagram.com/p/
@radiogarowe #Somalia: Sitting down with Somali nomadshttp://bit.ly/1GISDly
IMAGE OF THE DAY
A view of Adan Adde Mogadishu Airport from the Lounge. The new airport terminal was opened in January 2015.
Photo: @ActForSomalia