November 4, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report
Since publishing the story titled “Attacks By Al Shabaab Cause Casualties To Kenyan Forces”, this morning, we learnt that there has been no fight between Kenya Defense Forces and Al- Shabaab in Qoqani. Therefore, we are retracting that story.
National Intelligence And Security Agency (NISA), Unveils New Plans To Up The Fight Against Al-Shabaab
04 November- Source:Wacaal Media – 135 Words
Security agencies in Somalia are coming up with new plans to fight Al-Shabaab, head of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) has confirmed. Speaking in an interview with the VOA, Gen. Abdirahman Mohamed(Tuuryare), said that Al-Shabaab were now resorting to bombing residential areas after they were overpowered in the battle field. “Al-Shabaab is a weakened force that cannot now face our security forces in the battle field. They can only bomb residential areas such as hotels and other social places,” said Turyare. He said all vehicles entering Mogadishu will now be subjected to thorough searches in news plans aimed at curbing more terror attacks in the city. His sentiments come days after the militants carried out a deadly attack on Sahafi hotel in Mogadishu killing 15 people among them senior officials and politicians.
Key Headlines
- National Intelligence And Security Agency (NISA) Unveils New Plans To Up The Fight Against Al-Shabaab (Wacaal Media)
- Commission To Harmonise Tariffs And Taxation In The Country Federal Government And Regional States Agree (Goobjoog News)
- Al-Shabaab Sends Stern Warning To Members Who Pledged Allegiance To ISIS (Wacaal Media)
- 22 Kenyans Detained In Somalia For Being Illegally In The Country (Radio Dalsan)
- WFP Seeks 12 Mln USD For El Nino Mitigation In Somalia: UN (Xinhua)
- Former Somali Intelligence Director Questions Troops’ Capabilities (VoA)
- Ahmed Hussen: From Teenage Refugee To Rookie MP (CBC News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Commission To Harmonise Tariffs And Taxation In The Country, Federal Government And Regional States Agree
04 November – Source : Goobjoog News – 270 Words
The Federal government and regional administrations have agreed to form a national commission to oversee the harmonisation of tariffs and taxes in the country.The two levels of government have also agreed on implementation of a modernised financial management system to streamline public resource management and curb pilferage and mismanagement.The agreements are contained in a communiqué following a conference in Mogadishu bringing together the Federal Minister and finance ministers from the regional administrations.
Speaking after the inter-governmental conference on fiscal federalism, Finance Minister Mohamed Adan Farkeeti said the meeting was a step forward in harmonising public finance management and ensuring transparency in both levels.“It’s a pleasure for me today that after three days of meeting, we have agreed on very important points regarding public finance management in the country. These points are critical in working out a clear development policy for the country,” said Farkeeti.
The conference also agreed on equitable sharing of foreign aid, a thorny issue which has been coming up between the Federal Government and the Regional Administrations. However the conference did not put out a formula regarding the sharing and also what happens to foreign aid received by individual state administrations.
Other issues include sharing development ideas and that Federal Ministry will assist regional administrations on monetary issues.The issue of currency printing did not however come in the communiqué’ despite the proliferation of new Somali currency which is now in circulation in Adaado, Galmudug state. The government of Puntland had sometime this year printed the notes to offset its expenses but the central bank governor warned of inflation and destabilisation of the economy.
Al-Shabaab Sends Stern Warning To Members Who Pledged Allegiance To ISIS
04 November – Source: Wacaal Media – 104 Words
Somali based militants Al-Shabaab has sent a stern warning to a section of its members who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State fighters – ISIL. Speaking to pro Al-Shabaab media, spokesman Sheikh Ali Dheere said that there was no difference between these group and the ‘enemy’ that Al-shabaab was fighting adding that the terror group will not entertain any dissent within its ranks. His warning comes after a section of Al-Shabaab members in Galgala hills led by Sheikh Abdikadir Mumin announced their allegiance to ISIL. Mumin was later joined by 20 other senior militants who also pledged allegiance to ISIL head, Abubakar Al Baqdadi.
22 Kenyans Detained In Somalia For Being Illegally In The Country
03 November – Source: Radio Dalsan – 113 Words
22 Kenyans were brought before Banadir court in Mogadishu for being in the country illegally. Judiciary official have said the Kenyan nationals who were working with firm by the name Liber link didn’t have working permit and thus they violated the laws of the country.“Banadir court has found out after investigation the neighbouring state citizens didn’t possess working permit to operate,” Mogadishu court judge said. Justice Hashi Elmi Noor of Banadir court has postponed the hearing of the case to November 5 on Thursday in the presence of Kenyan embassy representatives during the court hearing.There are thousands of Kenyans working in Somalia mainly with international agencies such as UN and AMISOM.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
WFP Seeks 12 Mln USD For El Nino Mitigation In Somalia: UN
04 November- Source: Xinhua- 551 Words
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said Tuesday it requires 12 million U.S. dollars to help it mitigate effects of El Nino phenomenon in Somalia.The UN agency said in its latest report that between 500,000-900,000 people are likely to be affected by the El Nino floods in low lying areas of the southern and central parts of Somalia.”WFP has pre-positioned logistical assets, such as helicopter and boats in strategic locations to complement the existing logistical footprint,” the agency said in the report.
The heavy rains have destroyed several makeshift shelters, latrines and swept away belongings for thousands of people across the Horn of Africa nation.About 200,000 people are expected to be assisted by the WFP, the report says, noting that total resource needs for immediate El Nino response up tot the end of this year is 16 million dollars but only 4 million dollars has so far been received,”WFP is facing shortfalls of over 84 million dollars through March 2016 and has been forced to significantly reduce its assistance by cutting rations and suspending activities,” it said.The UN agency said the new emergency caseloads are of a magnitude that the operation will not be able to accommodate with current resources.”The food security and nutrition situation in Somalia continues to be extremely fragile; 855,000 people ar acutely food insecure and require assistance and an estimated 214,700 children under the age of five are acutely malnourished,” WFP said. Overall, 3.2 million people are in need of life-saving and livelihood support.
Former Somali Intelligence Director Questions Troops’ Capabilities
03 November – Source: VoA – 300 Words
Many people, including Somalia’s former director of national intelligence Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, are questioning the capacity of the Somali government to prevent incidents like this week’s deadly attack by Al-Shabab militants at a popular Mogadishu hotel.Fiqi accuses the country’s security forces of taking their eyes off the ball.“On the part of our troops, even if they are working hard, their strategy is not institutional; their priority is mostly to protect the group in power. They are losing focus in the fight [against Al-Shabab].”
Fiqi told VOA’s Somali service the militant group is changing its strategy because “their leadership and strength was spread across the country before; but now they have lost those towns and territories, which has given them the opportunity to come together in small areas to unite their leadership and power.” He said this has allowed the group to carry out specific planned attacks on selective targets such as recent hotel attacks. They have also recently overrun three African Union peacekeepers’ bases and detonated a bomb on the grounds of Somalia’s presidential palace. Somali Security Minister Abdirizak Omar Mohamed told VOA the attackers, all of whom were killed by security forces, were aiming at inflicting heavy casualties to the hotel residents, but Somali security forces were able to intervene early enough to prevent it from happening.” The minister also said the only way they can prevent such events from happening in the future would be to enhance their intelligence capabilities.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“The demands are piling up.”There’s a lot of pride but a lot of pressure and expectations because then people say, ‘Well, now you’ve got to solve the problem for 200,000 people,’ which is not the case.”Still, it seems Hussen plans to draw on his background in the days ahead. He has called his mother, who lives in Kenya, for advice.”She said, you know, ‘Don’t forget who you are, and don’t forget where you come from.’ So, pretty good advice.”
Ahmed Hussen: From Teenage Refugee To Rookie MP
03 November – Source: CBC News – 357 Words
He’s young and well-spoken. He has a telegenic family. He’s captured the excitement of voters. And no, he’s not Justin Trudeau.He’s Ahmed Hussen, a 39-year-old newly minted Ontario Liberal MP. And while he shares some attributes with the prime minister-designate, Hussen has had a remarkably different path to power. He arrived in Canada as a teenage refugee from Somalia. Just don’t call him a token Somali.Ahmed Hussen is the first Somali-Canadian elected to Parliament, but he resists being defined by his heritage. “I have a lot to contribute to Canada and I’m a mainstream guy,” he said. “I’m a mainstream guy,” Hussen said. “I’m not limited to my community.”I mean, everyone has a heritage, but we have a shared citizenship, right?”
Still, watching the excitement surrounding Hussen during a recent visit to a café in his Toronto riding of York South-Weston, it’s clear that many Somali Canadians see his background as hugely important and inspirational.”For Somali youth, it will be a new day,” said Ahmed Abdi, a supporter. “Maybe our youth [will] follow him and have hope they can be something in Canada.” High expectations, unfamiliar hurdles Such high expectations are likely trailing many MPs to Ottawa this week. There are 29 Liberal MPs who are born outside Canada, a record number in government. Judging by Hussen’s experience, the mantle comes with a double challenge of representing a community’s hopes while navigating all the unfamiliar hurdles of being a new MP. What’s the budget? How quickly can he set up a constituency office and hire staff? Where can he find wreaths for the two Remembrance Day events he’s to attend’?
TOP TWEETS
@Gobanimodoon:#Mogadishu will progress against the backdrop of the terror attacks. United we stand, divided we fall!#Somalia
@SalahOsman0:Good Morning From #Mogadishu Peace is the leading factor of the city’s ever changing developments#Somalia
@MarkTJones500:The mainstream media networks could surely spare some airtime to report the devastating cyclone that has hit #Somalia? @BBCr4today
@stability_fund:Putting the community first is key to stabilization. Community engagement by @NIS_F in #Barawe#ISWA #Somalia
@MogadishuNews:You won’t live forever, so leave a legacy.#Somali proverb.Waari maysidee War Hakaa haro.-Maah Maah Soomaaliyeed. #Somalia
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Two pupils walk through the school yard of the Al-Nor School for the Blind in Mogadishu, Somalia. Photo: AMISOM