December 11, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report
Al-Shabaab Militants Ambush Army Convoy In Southern Somalia
11 December – Source:Garowe Online – 83 Words
Unconfirmed reports have indicated to Garowe Online that Al-Shabaab gunmen ambushed a Somali National Army (SNA) convoy in Bay region of southwestern Somalia on Thursday. Initial reports indicate that at least three government soldiers may have been killed in the assault, which occurred in a village near Bay regional district of Diinsoor, Loon. Nonetheless the Al-Shabaab attackers encountered heavy resistance from the SNA soldiers, who according to witnesses, repulsed them from the region. Other sources added that the militants seized AK-47 rifles during the raid. Garowe Online was however unable to independently confirm these claims. After a series of setbacks on the war frontline, Al-Shabaab militants have resorted to hit-and-run tactics in territories south of the country.
Key Headlines
- Al-Shabaab Militants Ambush Army Convoy In Southern Somalia (Garowe Online)
- Somalia Observes International Human Rights Day (Horseed Media)
- Galmudug Deploys Heavy Forces Near Towfiq District (Villa Puntland)
- Elimination Of Female Genital Mutilation And Sexual Gender Based Violence Key For Somalia As World Marks International Human Rights Day (AMISOM)
- Four Al-Shabaab Women Face New Terror Related Charges (Daily Nation)
- 8 Months No Progress On Somalia Wall (The Star)
- 200 Police Recruits Are Vetted In Baidoa By Somali Police Force And AMISOM Police (AMISOM)
- The Secret History Of Somali Breakfasts In Harlem (Roads & Kingdoms)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia Observes International Human Rights Day
11 December – Source: Horseed Media – 180 Words
Somalia yesterday joined the rest of the world to mark the International Human Rights Day which falls on December 10 every year.This date marks the anniversary of the presentation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, adopted and proclaimed on that day by the General Assembly of the United Nations, at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, France.“Somalia has made a huge progress in the situation of human rights but there are still things need to get fixed,’’ said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in a press statement issued on the occasion.
For more than two decades, Somalia has been ravaged by human rights abuses, war crimes and the lack of a developed justice system to deal with these issues. Human rights violations include indiscriminate attacks against civilians, displacement of persons, restrictions on humanitarian aid, rape, recruitment and use of child soldiers, unlawful killings and torture by armed groups and armed piracy off the Somali coast. Various treaties including the Geneva Convention and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights forbid the indiscriminate use of force against civilians.
Galmudug Deploys Heavy Forces Near Towfiq District
10 December – Source: Villa Puntland – 154 Words
Reports from Towfiq District of Mudug region indicate that convoys of heavily forces loyal to Galmudug were this morning seen trooping to the area. Area District Commissioner Mohamed Abdulkadir Ahmed said the presence of the heavily armed personnel outside the town had sparked fears among residents of the area. He however gave an assurance that the situation will calm down.
The DC said Puntland forces in the area were aware of the presence of their Galmudug rivals after herdsmen reported the same to the authorities.He ruled out fears of fresh armed conflict in the area.Puntland state’s Security minister, Abdi Hersi Ali, said they were aware of the presence of Galmudug forces in Towfiq District. He warned that the move could jeopardize peace initiatives and subsequent agreements that had been agreed upon by the two states following the recent clash in Galkayo.The latest development comes only a few days after locals started thronging back to their homes in Galkayo after being displaced by the conflict.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Elimination Of Female Genital Mutilation And Sexual Gender Based Violence Key For Somalia, As World Marks International Human Rights Day
11 December – Source: AMISOM – 606 Words
Somalia marked International Human Rights Day against a backdrop of rising cases of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) and a near universal prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM). At least 300 students, women and civil society members gathered in the capital Mogadishu, to enhance awareness and rally support for an end to the retrogressive practices.
Attorney General Ahmed Ali Dahir attended the event convened by IFRA Foundation, a civil society organization which is educating and sensitizing students and youth on the negative impact of FGM and SGBV: “There are all kinds of abuses in Somalia, including early marriages, as well as domestic violence. We have to focus and take concrete action in addressing these brutal acts against our daughters. We have to face this and show no mercy to anyone abusing our girls. There are cases of rape especially in the IDP camps and wrongdoers escape without being punished, which needs to be stopped immediately,” said the Attorney General who also urged young girls to shun harmful traditional practices. Founder of IFRA Foundation, Ifrah Ahmed, said she targets young people with her advocacy campaigns because they are the most vulnerable when it comes to abuse. The IFRAH Foundation, supported by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), recently mobilised and sensitized university students on the consequences of FGM and the negative impact of SGBV, as part of the 16-days of Activism Against Sexual Gender Based Violence.“The 16 days of activism campaign was supported by AMISOM, enabling us as Ifrah Foundation to move to the different universities and high schools speaking to young people. During these 16 days, we were educating the young people on the dangers of FGM, sexual violence and how the youth can lead the campaign to counter these vices, because Somalia needs youth leadership,” she stated.
The meeting discussed the need to debunk myths surrounding outdated cultural practices, often perpetuated by people who falsely use religion to entrench it. According to Dr. Walters Samah of AMISOM, “Somalia, with an FGM prevalence of 95-98 percent and where the practice is deep-rooted in tradition, eradicating the scourge will be a long and tedious haul”.Dr. Samah adds, “this is because activists like young Ms Ifrah Ahmed are not only fighting against FGM but are also fighting against public opinion which overwhelmingly views the practice as a cultural value to honour and preserve. But ultimately it will be a combination of grassroots efforts that will make a difference. That’s why AMISOM decided to partner with Ifrah Foundation to embark on a 16-Day campus.” Hon. Khadija Mohamed Dirie, a member of parliament and a former minister for Women Affairs encouraged women and young girls to use the law to defend themselves against such practices.
Four Al-Shabaab Women Face New Terror Related Charges
11 December – Source: Daily Nation – 406 Words
Four Kenyan women suspected of being members of Al-Shabaab could face new terror related charges. The Director of Public Prosecutions made the application in a Mombasa court on Wednesday evening a few hours after the High Court declined to revise or cancel the Sh500,000 bond imposed on Ms Ummulkheir Sadri Abdalla, Ms Khadija Abubakar Abdulkadir, Ms Maryam Said Aboud and Ms Halima Adan.
The four appeared before Chief Magistrate Julius Nang’ea for a plea that was deferred. Defence lawyer Chacha Mwita questioned why the women were taken to court late in the evening yet the prosecution had time to file the case during the day. Prosecution Counsel Lydia Kagori said the plea was a matter of urgency. The magistrate directed that the women be remanded at Shimo la Tewa Maximum Prison.
One of the new charges says the women organised a meeting in Nairobi on March 26, 2015 to plan how to cross into Somalia to support the Al-Shabaab terror group. The second charge says on the same day, the four and some foreigners outside Kenya, including a Tanzanian, Ms Abdalla, conspired to carry out terrorist attacks in the country. The women were arrested at El Wak border point in Mandera County on March 27 while allegedly trying to sneak into Somalia.
Earlier, the Mombasa High court declined to revoke their bond: “Having deliberated on the reasons for the application to cancel the bond and the circumstances surrounding the case, I found nothing illegal, improper, irregular or incorrect in the orders by the trial court in which the accused were granted a Sh500,000 bond each with one surety of a similar amount,” Justice Dorah Chepkwony said.
8 Months, No Progress On Somalia Wall
11 December – Source: The Star – 264 Words
Eight months after construction of the Kenya-Somalia anti-terror wall was announced, virtually no progress has been made. Mandera leaders said on Wednesday there is a lot of tension in Northeastern, especially along the Somalia border. Since the two governments have not agreed on the way forward, the NYS staff, deployed to build the wall, were recalled.
Kenya announced construction of an 860 km buffer consisting of walls, electrified fences, ditches and barriers, as well as CCTV cameras and foot and aerial patrols. It is to stretch from the Mandera border post to Kiunga Island in Lamu. The government has not estimated the cost, but one unofficial estimate places the cost at Sh20 billion, another at Sh203 million a kilometre.
Mandera county assembly speaker Abdikadir Sheikh said since the government announced the construction of the wall in March, Somalia has distanced itself, saying it was not consulted: “Somalia incited its people against the plan, which caused unnecessary tension among the communities sharing the border,’’ Sheikh said. He and other leaders were with Cord leader Raila Odinga, who toured the county to see the progress of the project. All that was visible were weeds and a trench: “We want the Interior CS to tell us why the project has stalled,” Sheikh said. He said the delay encourages more Somalis to enter Kenya illegally. Raila said the plan has suffered a setback as many Somalis have settled on no man’s land. Foreigners have invaded Kenyan soil, he said.
200 Police Recruits Are Vetted In Baidoa By Somali Police Force And AMISOM Police
10 December – Source: AMISOM – 339 Words
Somali Police Force supported by AMISOM Police have started the process of selection of 200 more police officers in Baidoa, who will be trained and deployed in the south west region. The new recruits underwent vetting, screening and selection on Thursday 10 December 2015. AMISOM Chief Superintendent of Police Saleh Samaila is leading the team that is conducting the vetting and screening exercise.
The exercise, which is happening after the passing out in November 2015, of 200 police officers who had successfully completed their training, aims to have recruited and trained 600 officers for the Interim South West Administration. General Ibrahim Maalim Kutub, the Police Commissioner for the south west region, thanked AMISOM and the international community for supporting the training. “We are here today to screen and vet the second batch of police recruits comprising of 200. A team from AMISOM Police is here in Baidoa carrying out the screening and selection process. We are in the final stage today,” he stated. The commissioner expressed optimism that the new recruits will be a boost to the Police in the south west region. He said: “We hope the new recruits will maintain security and enhance law and order, and will be a boost to the capacity of the Somali Police Force.”
The process of vetting, selection and screening of the potential officers, includes analysis and documentation of their biometric data, essential medical tests, as well as written exams to gauge their proficiency in writing. This is an important skill for them, as it determines their capability to take statements and record keep their work.“We have screened 218, out of which 22 are female. We are hoping to get more female recruits because in environments like this, we need female officers who will take care of children, who will search women and help women in need,” explained AMISOM’s Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Saleh Samaila. The vetting exercise, part of the mandate of AMISOM Police, in which it builds capacity of Somali police, will be completed within 10 days.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Very little of the Somali story was captured in text, much less in photographs. Aside from the handful of Somalis still in Harlem, the only remaining testament to the story is Safari, serving forth this history one breakfast at a time,”
The Secret History Of Somali Breakfasts In Harlem
10 December – Source: Roads & Kingdoms- 454 Words
Safari, located on West 116th St. in Harlem, proudly stands as the only Somali restaurant in New York City today. The shaah (tea), a staple of the African Horn nation, is brewed with enough ginger to make you wince and enough cardamom to make you sneeze. And served alongside Malab iyo Malawaax, a crepe-style flatbread smeared with honey and butter, it represents a traditional Somali breakfast. Though it sits on the dessert menu at Safari, it can also be served withsuqaar—beef or liver cooked in a savory soup—a staple of the local diet.
The stretch of Harlem on which Safari sits is traditionally known as Le Petit Senegal, and plays host to recently arrived Malians, Guineans, and Ivorians. But under the dashiki-ed mannequins and international calling posters that line the storefronts on 116th lies a deeper history of African influence, one that Safari struggles to keep alive in Harlem’s current ethnic landscape. Coming over on Italian cargo ships as coal men in the early 1900s, Somalis settled in the Bowery before moving up to Harlem as subway lines were laid, in part by Somalis themselves. This community represented the first African immigrant group and the first Islamic group in the United States.
The voyage was harsh, taking 18 months from Somalia to New York around the southern tip of Africa. Women did not often make the journey and the community slowly dissolved into its surroundings. It was not until the 1950s that the Harlem Somali heyday was in full swing, precipitated in part by the harsh regime under Siad Barre and growing numbers of foreign-transfer students. The space that Safari currently occupies was, in the 1950s, a popular tea and smoke joint frequented by Somali immigrants. And just next door was the community center that, depending on the day, served as a place to pray or play cards.
1991 saw the collapse of the Somali state as Siad Barre’s dictatorship gave way to Islamic fundamentalism and clan warfare. Refugees began flowing into the U.S. and settled in the new Somali hubs of Toronto and Minneapolis. The arrival of West Africans coincided with the exodus of Somalis and the vacancies were quickly filled, leaving little trace of the neighborhood’s previous occupants.
TOP TWEETS
@JamalMOsman:Making #Somalia work: a lack of govt meant Somali society stepped into gaps left by absence of state institutions: https://www.foreignaffairs.
@Somalia111 :#HumanRightsDay in #Somalia: much done, but so much more to do on freedoms: of expression, from fear & from want
@MosheikHz:Failed refugee in jail 5 years in #Canada for refusing to sign paperwork that would mean deportation to#Somalia.http://natpo.st/
@SomaliaJunkie:Photographers awarded.They display#Somalia media never portrays in bounds-I wrote this…http://bit.ly/1VkL0JA
@HussienM12:#Somalia @HarrietLMathews hosted ambassadors based in the town of Mogadishu#Peaceisreturning #Mogadishu #Somalia
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Participants attend the closing ceremony of 16 Days Activism and International Human Rights Day commemoration.
Photo:UNSOM