August 3, 2015 | Morning Headlines
Over 20 Al-Shabaab Members Surrender To Somali Officials
02 August – Source: Mareeg Media – 167 Words
The Somali government troops launched an operation that nabbed at least 80 people in connection with Al-Shabaab members in Bakol region, officials said. Somalia’s deputy governor of Bakol region, Aden Abdi Mohamed, told Shabelle Media that its troops had arrested 80 people on suspicion of belonging to Al-Shabaab. Mr. Aden Mohamed stressed that 40 detainees were released after while others remain in custody for further interrogations. He added that 24 Al-Shabaab members with weapons had given themselves up to government officials in the Bakol region. He also urged fighters loyal to Al-Shabaab to surrender to Somali government and abandon extremist ideologies. The Al-Qaeda-linked fighters want to overthrow the UN-backed Somali government and frequently attack government targets as well as neighboring countries. Somalia army, along with AMISOM troops captured two strategic towns in a newly launched military offensive against Al-Shabaab in south and central Somalia.
Key Headlines
- Over 20 Al-Shabaab Members Surrender To Somali Officials (Mareeg Media)
- Puntland Grants Renewed Amnesty For Al -Shabaab Defectors (Garowe Online)
- IJA President Calls On MPs To Extend The Date Set For Presidential Elections (Goobjoog News)
- Puntland Marks 17th Anniversary Of Establishment (Horseed Media)
- We Can Thrive Through Rebuilding Our National Army: Defense Minister (Horseed Media)
- Somali Government Urges Ahlu-Sunna To Free Six Journalists (Goobjoog News)
- Somalia Region Leader ‘With 9 Lives Like A Cat’ (The Nation)
- Remains Of Chinese Guard Killed In Somalia Attack Returns Home (Xinhua)
- Somalia Receives More UAE Aid (The National UAE)
- Serious Fraud Office Investigating Oil Firm Soma (Reuters)
- Qurtuba Publishing House: Changing The Western Muslim Narrative (Muslimlink.ca)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Puntland Grants Renewed Amnesty For Al-Shabaab Defectors
02 August – Source:Garowe Online – 205 Words
The President of Somalia’s Puntland Government Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has renewed amnesty offer for Al-Shabaab defectors, admitting that terrorism harmed the state’s security, Garowe Online reports. In what appears to be ultimatum, Puntland leader has given youths fighting alongside Al-Shabaab the last chance, dubbed “30 days” by which the government will revive the military campaign against militants.“The indoctrinated Al-Shabaab [fighters] have thirty days to hand themselves in and this is the last chance,” Ali said during a ceremony held for the commemoration of Puntland’s founding Day.
He called on Puntland security agencies to streamline the amnesty offer for those who are willing to take advantage of. In January 2014, Puntland president has announced a 30-day amnesty period and advised fighters planning to desert to turn themselves in within the days specified. Puntland Defence Forces (PDFs) have been battling fighters from Al Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab group since mid 2010. Militants intensified night raids, grenade attacks and guerrilla warfare in the militant hotbeds along Golis Mountain Ranges and in the rugged terrain, Galgala in early 2015. As a result of intense military campaign by Somali government forces and African Union peacekeepers, militants are believed to have migrated northwards towards Puntland.
IJA President Calls On MPs To Extend The Date Set For Presidential Elections
02 August – Source: Goobjoog News – 190 Words
The President of Interim Jubba Administration, Ahmed Mohamed Madoobe has urged IJA assembly to extend the date set for the presidential elections. Speaking at the parliament, Ahmed whose mandated term will expire this month called legislators to extend the date saying that that elections are not viable given the state of preparedness. Earlier on, the speaker of the Interim Jubba Administration, IJA, assembly, Sheikh Abdi had declared that the regional assembly would conduct presidential elections on 15 August this year.
On 15th May 2013 Ahmed Madobe who is the incumbent president was elected as interim Jubbaland president by more than 500 delegates representing clans and subclans in the region. In August of the same year, the Federal Government of Somalia sent a high level delegation headed by ex-minister for Justice Farah Ma’alin to the Ethiopian capital to negotiate a deal with Jubba-land Administration to bring to an end the political circus which had been ongoing for some time. The state declared June of this year that it was severing ties with the Federal Government of Somalia after lawmakers in Mogadishu passed a vote of no confidence on the Jubbaland State Assembly.
Puntland Marks 17th Anniversary Of Establishment
02 August – Source: Horseed Media – 146 Words
August 1, 2015 marked the 17th anniversary of the establishment of Puntland, the autonomous region in Northern Somalia. Celebrations marking the event have taken place in several cities in the region including Garowe, Galkayo, Bossaso and among the diaspora across the globe. Since its establishment, Puntland has been presided over by five successive presidents, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, Mohamed Abdi Hashi, Mohamoud Muse Hersi, Abdirahman Farole and current President, Abdiweli Gaas who won parliamentary election in January 2014. Addressing crowds, President Abdiweli Mohammed Ali said that his administration was determined to work on the stability and unity of Somalia. Puntland declared itself to be semi-autonomous from Somalia in 1998 as fighting raged through most of the country. Unlike the self-declared state of Somaliland, Puntland is not trying to obtain international recognition as a nation. It seeks to become part of the united Somalia that is a federal republic.
We Can Thrive Through Rebuilding Our National Army: Defense Minister
02 August – Source: Horseed Media – 206 Words
Somalia’s Defense Minister has stressed the importance of rebuilding the country’s national army which has endured more than 20 years of chaos and war. General Abdulkadir Sheikh Ali Dini said that the rebuilding of the national army will play a great role in the development of the country which is recovering from decades of civil strife. Speaking at the recent High-Level Partnership Forum held in Mogadishu, General Dini mentioned tremendous challenges facing the rebuilding of the army which he says includes limited equipment, resources and underdeveloped national command and control system. “If the army sector is strengthened, then it will be an easy mission to eradicate the terrorists and take control of our country’s peace stability,” he said in his speech, which was attended by representatives from the international community. Once one of Africa’s largest militaries under the dictator Siad Barre, toppled in 1991, Somalia’s national army has been torn apart by decades of clan rivalries and the absence of any effective government to actually serve the country. Military experts believe that Somalia’s security forces have a long road to travel before they can take charge of the country’s security but many believe that with significant funding and training from the international community, they may be marching in the right direction.
Somali Government Urges Ahlu-Sunna To Free Six journalists
02 August – Source: Goobjoog News – 275 Words
Somali government has urged Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a to release six journalists arrested in Dhusa-Mareb town for last 24 hours. Minister for information, Mohamed Hayir Mareeye called for the group to unconditionally release the detained journalists and respect freedom of the press. “It is inappropriate to oppress [the] media, if something goes wrong it should be rectified but it is not suitable to cage journalists as animals. We call Ahlu Sunna to release the journalists,” Mareeye said. Fighters loyal to Ahlu-Sunna have detained six journalists after the journalists reportedly turned down an order from the group for journalists to register by providing questionnaire forms for the purpose of collecting personal data from the journalists. A move the the journalists refused citing privacy and security issues.
On May 18, 2015, the Ahlu Sunna administration in the town of Guriel in Central Somalia raided the premises of Radio Galgaduud in Guricel and closed its doors and briefly arrested the stations deputy director Abdulkadir Gure Barre after the radio station refused to comply with orders imposed by the group. Radio Galgaduud was allowed to resume operation after more than a week the radio was off air. Meanwhile the administration detained Osman Mohamed Adan, correspondent of the Somali National Television (SNTV) based in Guriel, for 24 hours and and ordered his immediate deportation. Ahlu-Sunna Waljama’a who controls part Galgaduud region has been engaging in gun battles with Somali government forces in a bid to extend its ruling areas. The group took control of Dhusa-Mareb town which is the designated capital of newly formed Galmudug state.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia Region Leader ‘With 9 Lives Like A Cat’
02 August – Source: The Nation – 737 Words
On the day US President Barack Obama was addressing Kenyans at Nairobi’s Kasarani Stadium Indoor Arena to mark the end of a historic visit to his father’s homeland, Somali government official Ali Khalif Galaydh was in Jazeera Palace Hotel in Mogadishu. Suddenly, the peace and quiet of the hotel near the airport that is popular with foreign diplomats, Somali government officials and sundry businessmen was shattered by a huge explosion that killed at least 13 people and injured many others. Dr Galaydh, a Somali regional administrator, survived the attack by Al-Shabaab terrorists and lived to tell his story. He relived a similar script on September 21, 2013, when he escaped a terror attack at Nairobi’s Westgate Mall that left at least 67 people dead.
The former Somali Prime Minister attributes his two miraculous escapes to “luck from God” and survival instincts of a cat. “I am an extremely lucky man. I think I have nine lives and I have the benefit of surviving until the ninth,” he told the Nation by telephone from Mogadishu on Friday. Dr Galaydh, 74, who is also a former MP of the Federal Parliament of Somalia and currently heads the administration of the northern Somali region of Khatumo that some consider autonomous, had been staying at the hotel for the past one month and was due to leave. In the hotel attack, Kenya’s ambassador to Somalia, Mr Lucas Tumbo, who was appointed in March, and a number of his staff, survived.
On the fateful day, Dr Galaydh was scheduled to meet friends at the hotel lobby. The meeting did not happen. “All of a sudden there was this massive explosion from the rooms overlooking the road and the airport. I fell on the ground. “Then I realised one of the boulders had hit my leg and landed on my chest,” he said. He stayed still for about five minutes. “I was bleeding on my right elbow and my left arm. “I knew it was nothing serious because I didn’t have any broken bone,” he said. The former premier realised the magnitude of the attack when he went down to the reception. A small refrigerator where he had kept his medicine had been split into pieces and some of the hotel rooms had collapsed. “It was a close call but I thank God. Many people in the hotel survived with injuries.
Remains Of Chinese Guard Killed In Somalia Attack Returns Home
02 August – Source: Xinhua – 153 Words
The remains of a Chinese guard killed in a terrorist attack in Somalia returned to Jinan, capital of east China’s Shandong Province, on Saturday evening, with another two wounded guards escorting his coffin. A suicide attack by Al-Shabaab was launched onto Jazeera Palace Hotel at around 4 p.m. local time on July 26 in Mogadishu, which killed more than a dozen people. The six-storey luxury hotel in the Somali capital houses embassies from China, Egypt, Kenya and Qatari, and hosts high-level government meetings. Zhang Nan, the fallen guard, was a security officer in Chinese embassy in Somalia. He had been serving in the army for 11 years. People came to the Jinan international airport to expressed their deep condolences to the guard and his family, including representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, senior military officers and local officials of Zhang’s hometown.
Somalia Receives More UAE Aid
02 August – Source: The National, UAE – 99 Words
A ship carrying 450 tonnes of humanitarian food supplies has arrived at the north-eastern port of Bosaso in Somalia. The shipment is part of the UAE’s efforts to help alleviate the suffering of the Somali people. The shipment included 11 varieties of basic food supplies. At least two regions in Somalia are suffering from famine, and 11.3 million people in East Africa need aid, according to recent reports from the United Nations. Somali officials expressed their thanks and appreciation to the UAE and commended the good relations the UAE shares with their country.
Serious Fraud Office Investigating Oil Firm Soma
01 August – Source: Reuters – 584 Words
Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched a criminal investigation into the British exploration firm Soma Oil and Gas, which has been searching for oil in Somalia. The SFO did not outline the corruption allegations against the company, whose London headquarters were searched on Wednesday. The United Nations last year called for a moratorium on any new exploration deals in Somalia, warning such agreements could fuel tensions and potentially spark new conflicts as rivals fight for resources in the fragile Horn of Africa nation. “The SFO confirmed today that it has opened a criminal investigation into SOMA Oil & Gas … in relation to allegations of corruption in Somalia,” the SFO said in a statement on Friday. Soma said it was “confident that there is no basis to the allegation” and was co-operating with the SFO. “Soma Oil & Gas has always conducted its activities in a completely lawful and ethical manner and expects this matter to be resolved in the near future,” the company said in a statement on Saturday.
A diplomatic source in Nairobi told Reuters the United Nations Monitoring Group for Somalia had also been investigating Soma, focussing on its “Capacity Building Agreement” with the oil ministry. In a presentation to oil investors in April, Soma said that agreement would see the British company “support salaries for ministry staff and experts, and (… provide a) contribution towards office equipment and outfitting”. Ibrahim Hussein, head of external relations for the Ministry of Petroleum, said the Somali government would continue working with Soma until the investigation was concluded. “If the (investigation) outcome is positive – nothing wrong – then the Soma Oil and Somali government relationship and cooperation will continue. If there is any wrongdoing (proven), then that’s another case,” he said. Hussein added that the oil ministry has been cooperating with the U.N. Monitoring Group during their investigations, but there had been no contact with the SFO yet. Somalia has been ravaged by warfare between warlords and competing clans since a civil war broke out in 1991.
An insurgency by Al-Qaeda-aligned al-Shabaab militants, who carry out frequent attacks in the capital and beyond, has meant change has been slow despite the presence of African Union peacekeepers and huge inflows of cash from Western donors. Soma in 2013 secured an exclusive contract to conduct seismic surveys on 12 offshore oil and gas blocks, totalling 60,000 square kilometres. The contract awarded Soma the right to subsequently pick other blocks it wanted to exploit. The company last year said it had invested $37 million as part of a programme to gather and digitalize old seismic information and collect new offshore data. Abdirizak Omar Mohamed, Somalia’s security minister who signed that deal in 2013 when he was the country’s resources minister, said the SFO investigation had come as a surprise. “It was a fair deal for Somalia. I don’t know how the investigation came about or what kind of corruption we are talking about,” he told Reuters.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“My sisters and I are first generation immigrant children. Our parents migrated to Canada in 1990 in hopes of starting a new life. Like many first generation immigrant children, it was a daily struggle balancing our traditional upbringing and our Western values. Coming from a Somali background, I can say that Somalis from the Diaspora have faced immense social, financial and spiritual challenges.”
Qurtuba Publishing House: Changing The Western Muslim Narrative
30 July – Source: Muslimlink.ca – 2, 255 Words
Muslim Link had an opportunity to interview Ilhan Ibrahim, who, along with her two sisters Hodan Ibrahim and Ayan Ibrahim, have co-founded Qurtuba Publishing House.
Tell us about yourself?
My name is Ilhan Ibrahim and I am a 20 year old Somali-Canadian born and raised here in Ottawa. I am currently a 4th year student at the University of Ottawa completing my undergraduate degree in Nursing. I am also the co-founder and CEO of Qurtuba Publishing House. Hodan Ibrahim is a 25 year old social entrepreneur, author, and publisher who specializes in capacity development for emerging businesses. Her passion lies in helping develop the next generation of social change makers and entrepreneurs by cultivating eco-systems to help them thrive. She is the co-founder and Marketing Manager of Qurtuba Publishing House.
Ayan Ibrahim is a 23 year old writer, aspiring photographer, and registered nurse. Her writings focus mainly on cultural/social, political and global health issues. As a fitness enthusiast and 1st Degree Black-belt in Taekwondo, she aims to cultivate a new generation of health-conscious Muslims through health education and fitness motivation. She is the cofounder and Managing Editor of Qurtuba Publishing House.
How did you come up with the idea for Qurtuba Publishing House?
It’s an interesting story. It was about a year before the idea for Qurtuba Publishing House arose, I attended an event run by two wonderful ladies called “Owning Our History”. This event was a panel discussion dedicated to inspire young Muslim woman to pursue positive changes in themselves and their communities. At the end of the event, they gave everyone a piece of paper, and asked us to write one goal that we promise to accomplish within one month’s time. I remember writing “Start changing our narrative”-and by ‘our’ I meant the Muslim narrative. The reason I mention this event is to acknowledge that such initiatives can have a lasting impact on its attendees, especially its younger audience. I cannot say what it was exactly that sparked a passion to work in media that night, however this goes to show that the power and influence of such events should not be underestimated.
My sisters and I have always had a passion to serve and support social growth and productivity in Muslim communities. As Muslims, we are facing challenging times. All over the globe, Muslims are suffering from social polarization, economic decline, and political turmoil. Mainstream media has immensely contributed to the negative portrayal of Muslims, creating a narrative that is neither factual nor representative of the global Muslim community. These challenges are increasing daily, and it is becoming exceedingly difficult for Muslims to reconcile what Islam teaches and the dynamic context of our world today. As any Muslim, we felt that we had a social and religious obligation to counter these growing challenges.