July 28, 2015 | Morning Headlines

Main Story

Somalia Minister Calls For Parliament To Approve New Anti-terrorism Bill

27 July – Source: Horseed Media – 191 Words

Somalia’s Minister of Internal Security has called for the country’s Federal Parliament to approve the new anti-terrorism bill, which is aimed at beefing up powers to confront the threat of extremist militants following a spate of deadly attacks. The new law was submitted to the parliament and was read to lawmakers by the Minister of Internal Security Abdirisack Omar Mohamed. The minister said that the new bill will help the government to deal with the terror group and other threats. “We are determined to work on the peace and stability of our country. If we want to deal with the groups such as Al-Shabaab who are a threat to the national security, this kind of laws should come in to accelerate the security agencies duties,’’ he said. The new laws that would boost the powers of security officials and police could pass through parliament within weeks. It is expected to ensure government is able to punish groups engaged in terror related acts. Anti-terror law was first introduced by the former cabinet in 2014 but it failed to proceed to the country’s parliament for approval due to undisclosed reasons.

Key Headlines

Somalia Minister Calls For Parliament To Approve New Anti-terrorism Bill (Horseed Media)
Bu’aale: Al-shabaab Executes Man In Public (Wacaal Media)
Jubaland Refuses To Attend Mogadishu Leadership Forum (Garowe Online)
President Obama Recognises Jamila Abass For Her Contribution In Community Development (Somali Current)
UN Envoy Kay Condemns Terrorist Attack On Jazeera Hotel In Mogadishu (RBC Radio)
Obama Vows To Keep Up Pressure On Somalia’s Al-Shabaab (Associated Press/Al-Arabiya)
UK Pledges To Deepen Support To Somalia (Public Finance International)
‘German-Somali’ Behind Mogadishu’s Jazeera Hotel Blast (BBC)
Seattle-area Somalis Seek To Shape Politics Back Home (The Seattle Times)

NATIONAL MEDIA

Bu’aale: Al-shabaab Executes Man In Public

28 July – Source: Wacaal Media – 122 Words

Somali militants Al-shabaab killed a man in the public on Sunday afternoon in Bu’aale town, eyewitnesses told Wacaal media. The slain man was identified as Samow Mohamed and was executed for allegedly killing another man in the town, identified as Ali Ibrahim Osman. Local residents, most of them women and children were summoned by the militants to witness the execution of the man after a local militant judge gave the green light. Although the militants are currently losing ground to the allied forces of government and AMISOM, they still have formidable presence in the Middle Jubba region where such executions, beheading, as well chopping off the limbs of those they accuse of sinning is carried out.

Jubaland Refuses To Attend Mogadishu Leadership Forum

27 July – Source: Garowe Online – 213 Words

Somalia’s Jubaland administration has refused to attend a leadership forum set to get underway in Mogadishu on July 29 following a two-day visit to Kismayo by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Garowe Online reports. Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe) is said to have rebuffed to agree to President Mohamud’s blueprint meant for crafting strategies ahead of 2016 Election. Mogadishu leadership forum will bring together Southwest state President Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, Galmudug President Abdikarin Hussein Gulled and the Federal Government leadership, sans Puntland and Jubaland. Multiple independent sources told Garowe Online that pressure by international community representatives is mounting on Puntland about reservations over Mogadishu meeting. Both Puntland and Jubaland unveiled that they have no plans to jet off to Mogadishu for the key leadership forum. President Hassan Shiekh Mohamud Sunday arrived in Kismayo for the opening of military training for 1200 Jubaland soldiers to be integrated into Somali National Army (SNA). Relations soured after parliamentary session marred by lack of quorum and delays voted in favor of controversial vote of no confidence against Jubaland regional assembly on June 6. On the same day, Jubaland broke off all ties with UN-backed national government over the passing of the motion. With a day left to the date slated, President Mohamud returned to Mogadishu empty-handed on Monday.

President Obama Recognises Jamila Abass For Her Contribution In Community Development

27 July – Source: Somali Current – 315 Words

When President Obama visited Kenyatta University in Nairobi Sunday afternoon, Jamila Abass from Wajir County was a little known techpreneur from the northern part of the country. She was among select few entrepreneurs and civil society members invited to address the United States President on ongoing efforts in their respective areas of engagement. Jamila Abass, a software developer, has come up with a software called M-Farm that educates farmers on farming techniques and market prices. “I am hopeful because of Jamila Abbas. She built an app to help farmers double their sales,” President Obama said at Kenyatta University. Jamila said she felt good about the recognition and that she would continue to push for more women to join her in uplifting the community.

“M-Farm connect farmers and farm produce consumers and give price information of Kenyan markets,” she said. She continued, “M-Farm is basically a software solution and agribusiness company. Our main aim is to act as a transparency tool for Kenyan farmers.” The application updates the farmers on the prevailing market prices and the best quality farm and farming inputs on sale. The farmers can access the information by sending a short message code. Jamila is not only an entrepreneur, but a women’s rights campaigner. In a blog post she wrote on her personal blog space, she said women were more placed to develop a community when empowered. She also called on women to break the ice-ceiling and join the male dominated professions . She wrote “Being a female techpreneur, I often get asked the question: how’s it like to be a woman in a male dominated field? Of course I understand am asked that question so I can speak about the difficulties of being a woman in tech but my answer has always been the same. it’s the best time to be a woman in tech.” Jamila Abass is a Software Engineer and a Wajir resident.

UN Envoy Kay Condemns Terrorist Attack On Jazeera Hotel In Mogadishu

27 July – Source: RBC Radio – 170 Words

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia (SRSG), Nicholas Kay, condemned today’s terrorist attack on Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu that resulted in several deaths and injuries. “I condemn the terrorist attack in Mogadishu today. The killers will not succeed in impeding the progress and extraordinary efforts of the Somali people and government,” SRSG Kay said. “I commend the swift response of Somalia’s security and first responders. The perpetrators need to be brought to justice swiftly.” SRSG Kay offers his sincere condolences to the family and friends of all those who have suffered, as well as to the Federal Government of Somalia. He also extends his condolences to the family and friends of Abdulahi Hussein Mohamud, a Member of the Federal Parliament and lawmaker, and Sai’d Ali Saleh, a government official, who were shot and killed in separate incidents yesterday. “The United Nations and international partners will stand firm in our efforts to help the Somali people to realize their aspirations for a secure and stable future,” SRSG Kay added.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Obama Vows To Keep Up Pressure On Somalia’s Al-Shabaab

27 July – Source: Associated Press/Al-Arabiya – 562 Words

U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday praised recent advances by Somali and African Union troops against Al-Shabaab militants, but said it was important to keep up the pressure. Speaking in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, Obama said the al-Qaeda-affiliated militants offer nothing but “death and destruction”. “Ethiopia faces serious threats,” Obama said. “We’ve got more work to do.” The comments followed a bloody attack on one of Mogadishu’s most secure hotels, which severely damaged the building killing 15 people including a Kenya diplomat, a Chinese embassy guard and three journalists. The scale of the truck bomb used against the Jazeera Hotel has stunned Mogadishu, a capital long used to conflict and raises fears of an escalation of force by the al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabaab group battling the government. Somalia’s foreign minister Abdisalam Omer told The Associated Press by phone from Djibouti that a Kenyan diplomat was also wounded in the attack. The attack was claimed by the al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabaab group and also wounded some 20 people. The walled, luxury Jazeera Hotel is considered the most secure in Somalia’s capital and is frequented by diplomats, foreigners and visiting heads of state.

“This is really scary – destroying the Jazeera hotel like this means no blast walls can make anyone safe,” said bystander Yusuf Mohammed. The use of huge truck bombs is a relatively new phenomenon and throws into doubt whether any place in the capital is now adequately protected. While blast destroyed at least eight rooms and stunned the residents of the Somali capital, it wasn’t as bad as it might have been because the truck, which contained a ton of explosives, was stopped at the blast walls outside the hotel. “The damage is big but a lot less because the truck bomb couldn’t go beyond the walls that lay a few meters from the hotel’s perimeter walls,” said Mohammed Abdi, a police officer. Nervous soldiers fired in the air to disperse a crowd who surged toward the hotel after the blast as medical workers transported wounded victims into waiting ambulances. The attack comes as Somali forces backed by troops from the African Union have launched an offensive, dubbed Operation Jubba Corridor, to push Al-Shabaab out of its last strongholds. The coalition already has driven the group out of the capital.

UK Pledges To Deepen Support to Somalia

27 July – Source: Public Finance International – 286 Words

British government minister Grant Shapps has told the Somali people that the UK will increase its humanitarian and development support to Somalia. Shapps, who is minister of state at the Department for International Development (DFID), met with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke and other Somali government ministers at the weekend. The UK minister, who visited Mogadishu and Hargeisa for the first time, pledged new support for renewable energy in Somaliland. A DFID-backed green energy programme will pilot mini hybrid grids, which will combine solar power with existing diesel generators to provide up to 2,000 households with access to reliable, affordable and clean power. Another pledge will increase access to clean, fresh water in the Hargeisa region which is “important for any country to pull itself out of poverty”, Shapps said during his visit. “Somalia remains at the heart of the UK government’s foreign policy priorities, which includes meeting the country’s crucial humanitarian and development needs,” he continued.

“Supporting the creation of a secure, stable and prosperous Somalia is vital for the Somali people, the region and the wider world. This is not only the right thing to do: it is firmly in the UK’s own national interest.” In 2016, Somalia will hold its first democratic election in more than 40 years, but there are obstacles, among them is the attempted disruption by the extremist Islamic terrorist group al-Shabaab. Shapps stressed the importance of a stable and inclusive electoral process, emphasising the critical role the Federal Government has in developing Somali National Security Forces. The Somali government is also making strides in improving its public financial management with authorities attempting to build a more transparent system to attract additional budget assistance.

‘German-Somali’ Behind Mogadishu’s Jazeera Hotel Blast

27 July – Source: BBC – 593 Words

A German of Somali origin is suspected to have been the suicide bomber who struck in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, on Sunday, a Somali intelligence officer has told the BBC. The male bomber was believed to have come from Bonn city, said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity as investigations were continuing. The attack on the five-star Jazeera Palace Hotel killed 15 people. Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, said it carried out the bombing. A number of people from the US and Europe are known to have previously travelled to Somalia to join the group. US President Barack Obama, who is visiting neighbouring Ethiopia and Kenya, condemned the attack.

Ali Khalif Galayd, former Somali Prime Minister, told BBC Focus on Africa, I was present in Westgate [shopping centre in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi when militants attacked on 21 September 2013] in the Art Cafe, and I was staying in this Jazeera hotel… I was about to leave my room before 4pm when all hell broke loose. Somebody was teasing me saying that I’m like a cat and I have nine lives – I didn’t like that, but I was pleased, thank God, to be alive. I was standing when the explosion happened and I fell and then about three doors and probably two windows blew into the room. The door that led to the balcony fell on my chest and my left thigh – I have a few cuts and bruises but, thank God, I’m alive. Westgate was more troubling because there was shooting everywhere. Here it was a massive explosion, so if you survived that, there was nothing else. It will probably be part of my emotional baggage to carry round in terms of trauma – but I’m very happy and thank God it was not as destructive in terms of human lives.

OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE

“With as many as 20 percent of native Somalis spread around the world, support for the candidates of their liking — financial and electoral — is crucial. If they are allowed to vote, they would be more inclined to open up their wallets,” said David Shinn, a lecturer in African affairs at George Washington University and a former ambassador to Ethiopia.That would make Seattle an important campaign stop for Somali politicians. Mohamed, who isn’t making his personal political aspirations known, isn’t the first to come here. Fadumo Dayib, a Harvard University fellow who is braving death threats and challenging cultural mores as she seeks to become Somalia’s first female president, made a stop in Seattle in April.”

Seattle-area Somalis Seek To Shape Politics Back Home

26 July – The Seattle Times – 2,089 Words

In a vast banquet room at a DoubleTree Suites in Tukwila, former Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed made his way down the aisle. The crowd of several hundred — men in dark jackets on one side, women in brightly colored headscarves on the other — had been waiting for hours. As their ancestral national anthem began to play, they leapt to their feet, singing along, clapping and waving little Somali flags bearing a white star on a background of sky blue. In the crowd was Abdulkadir “Jangeli” Aden Mohamud, who had greeted the former prime minister at the airport and had him to his Renton home the next morning for breakfast. They had nothing less than the future of Somalia to discuss, and Mohamud, once head of Somalia’s development bank and more recently the owner of a local MaidPro janitorial franchise, was poised to help the former leader carry out his agenda. Now, the former prime minister, ousted in December amid a standoff with the president, took the stage, raised his fist and urged the crowd to be part of history.

In 2016, Somalia is supposed to hold its first democratic election in more than 40 years. There are obstacles, to be sure, among them attempted disruption by the extremist Islamic terrorist group al-Shabaab. But if it comes off, the election could bring a measure of stability and order to one of the most chaotic, corrupt and violent countries in the world.Washington state could play a vital role. Its Somali community is thought to be the third largest in the U.S., after Minnesota and Ohio, and to number anywhere from roughly 13,000 (according to the latest Census figures, which tend to underreport immigrant populations) to 30,000 (as estimated by community leaders). Mohamed, among others, believes Seattle-area Somalis — indeed all of the country’s emigrants around the world — should get a vote. And he wants them to pressure the Somali parliament, as well as influential U.S. officials, to make that happen. Some have taken up his call. Meeting in living rooms and suburban malls, teleconferencing with their compatriots around the globe, they are brainstorming about people to talk to and petitions they might start. You wouldn’t necessarily know it from their current occupations, but back in their homeland, many had impressive, even exalted, pedigrees.