29 Sept 2011 – Daily Monitoring Report
Key Headlines:
- Somali president says they will handle corruption of scholarships
- Somali leaders set to clean trash al Shabaab stragglers from capital
- Int’l community to discuss Somalia today in Copenhagen
- TFG and ASWJ ready to hunt for remnant militant fighters in Southern Somalia
- K’Naan gets Bill Clinton’s seal of approval for Somalia famine relief efforts
- Somali pirates release Greek-owned ship
SOMALI MEDIA
Int’l community to discuss Somalia today in Copenhagen
29 Sept – Source: SONNA – 283 words
The International Contact Group for Somalia (ICG) will meet in Copenhagen today to discuss the current political situation in Somalia and the process towards stabilization and peace in the country. National, regional and international stakeholders – including representatives from Africa, Europe, US and regional and international organizations – will participate in the discussions on the latest developments in Somalia and the implementation of the Road Map for ending the transitional process.
Over the past couple of months the focus of the international community has been on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa. Ending the humanitarian crisis and stabilizing the volatile security situation in Somalia will only be possible through a long term political solution.
The centerpiece of the meeting will be the Road Map outlining the priority tasks, which include security, the constitution, reconciliation and good governance, to be accomplished over the coming 11 months. The meeting will also address key issues such as the ongoing humanitarian crisis, the present security situation and the withdrawal of al Shabaab from Mogadishu as well as the continuous challenge of piracy off the coast of Somalia.
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Dr. Augustine Mahiga, will chair the meeting which will bring together national, regional and international stakeholders, including the Somali Prime Minister Mr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali and U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Mr. Mark Bowden.
Among the Somali government delegation present in Copenhagen include Somali Deputy Prime Minister and the country’s Defense Minister H.E Hussein Arab Isse and the Interior and National Security Minister H.E Abdisamad Maalim Mahmoud who will join the Somali Prime Minister and other Somali government delegation in the International Contact Group session.
http://sonnanews.net/en/read.
Somali trade minister meets int’l officials in Europe
28 Sept – Source: Radio Mogadishu, Sonna – 177 words
Somali Deputy Prime Minister who is also the country’s Minister of Trade and Industry Abdi Wahab Ugas Huseen has arrived back to Mogadishu after being away on official duty in several European countries. The Deputy Prime Minister addressing journalists upon his arrival in the country said that he held a series of meetings with the Swedish and Polish officials where they discussed several issues of concern to Somalia.
Abdi Weli Ugas Hussein said that the Poland officials pledged massive assistance for Somalia at the same time assured the Somali Trade Minister of positive changes to be made soon to Somalia industry that have been badly affected by the two decade war.
The Deputy PM also met with the Swedish Minister for Cooperation and International Relations Gunilla Carlsson who paid a visit to Mogadishu earlier in the month. Abdiwahab Ugas Hussesin said that he and Gunilla Carlsson discussed many issues pertaining Somalia with top on the agenda being how Sweden can improve its assistance to Somalia that is suffering the worst drought in sixty years.
Somali government, al Shabaab claim victory over Gedo battle
29 Sept – Source: Mareeg Online – 115 words
Officials of rebel group of al Shabaab and Somali transitional federal government have both claimed victory over heavy fighting which occurred in the south of Garbaharey city in Gedo region, reports said. Mohamed Abdi Kalil, chairman of the TFG forces in Gedo region said that their forces killed 6 and wounded 10 members of al Shabaab. Kalil added that they lost two soldiers and that only one was injured and that their forces now control the areas. A spokesman of al Shabaab for military operations called Abdiaziz Abu Mus’ab said they the extremists captured a large number of weapons from what he called soldiers trained by Ethiopians.
http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.
WAMY issues aid to IDP’s in Middle Shabelle
28 Sept – Source: Somali National News Agency SONNA – 179 words
World Assembly of Muslim Youth Somali Office (WAMY) has distributed food aid to the drought hit victims through Mudul charity in the districts of Mahadaay and the village of Elma’an of Middle Shabelle province.
The number of households that benefited from the relief are 400 families, equaling to 2,400 people. Each family received and includes materials received by the families of the following articles: Each family received approximately 25 kg of rice, 25 kg of flour, 10 kg of sugar and 6 liters of oil from the World Assembly of Muslim as a part of the ongoing assistance being accorded to the displaced persons in Somalia.
The Islamic countries are continuing to show their response to the Somali people who are suffering from a severe famine that has hit Somalia, with the south and central regions of Somalia being the worst affected.
Somali president says the gov’t will handle the corruption of scholarships
29 Sept – Source: Mareeg Online – 72 words
Sheikh Sharif Sh. Ahmed, Somali president of the TFG said that his government would handle something about the diversion of scholarships offered by Turkish government. Somali president, Sharif Ahmed said that Somalia’s Ministry of Education would listen to complaints from students about corrupted education scholarships given by Turkish government. This comes as the Somali government faces many corruption charges.
http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.
TFG and ASWJ ready to hunt for remnant militant fighters in Southern Somalia
28 Sept – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 162 words
The recently trained government and its allied Ahlu Sunna troops in Gedo are set to launch fresh attacks on rebel strongholds in southern Somalia in efforts to seize these regions, according to officials. The troops were deployed to the border town of Beled-hawo, south west Somalia, where they are set to kick-start a crackdown on remnant militants in areas between Beled-hawo, Garbaharey, Luq and Elwak.
Speaking to the newly trainees in Beled-hawo, Gen. Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail alias Fartag of the Somali government said they are expected to execute their works as assigned and hunt for remnant militia fighters engaged in hit-and-run attacks in the area. He urged them to sacrifice their lives and time in liberating Southern Somalia from al Shabaab rebel group and justified the fight against the militia as a holy war.
Famine displaced people start eating cactus
29 Sept – Source: Shabelle – 165 words
Some of famine hit people who recently arrived at the Somali capital started eating cactus because of hunger. Shabelle has learnt that some of famine victims in Mogadishu’s Hodan district started to eat cactus. In those makeshifts made of old clothes, sticks and cartoons, old people, weak women and malnourished children dwell. With aid food flooding in to Mogadishu by the seaport and airport, hunger forced those people to feed prickly pears and cactus. They said they had been there for twenty days and have yet to receive any aid food so far. A 70 year old woman at the IDPs camp told Shabelle, while holding a cactus with spines in her hand, that hunger is forcing her to eat it. During droughts, Somalis sometimes burn off the spines and feed prickly pears to their livestock.
http://www.shabelle.net/
REGIONAL MEDIA
Now that al Shabaab has retreated, is Somalia safe?
29 Sept – Source: Daily Monitor – 539 words
With the withdrawal of al Shabaab from Mogadishu in July, there are high hopes that the Somalis will have a new government in place in August 2012. The elections, which were supposed to take place this year in July, were postponed because of fighting. But with the defeat of al Shabaab, the election will end the transition government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed who has been in power for three years.
President Ahmed and the speaker of Parliament, Sheikh Sharif Agade, have also decided to bury their differences and are now working on ending the transition. However, with even high expectations, the war against the insurgents is still complicated. It was supposed to enter its second phase of spreading out of Mogadishu but there are not enough boots on the ground to do the job.
AMISOM spokesperson, Lt Col Paddy Ankunda says the current force of 9,000 is not even enough to occupy the whole of Mogadishu. They need 10,000 more troops to accomplish the task. Although al Shabaab has abandoned the conventional front line in Mogadishu, they still pose a security threat to the peacekeepers and Somalis.
They have now adopted guerilla tactics of hit and run and roadside bombs. Lt Mugisha Katobo of the UPDF armored brigade was the first victim of these tactics on Sunday September 18. The delay to follow them might give them time to reorganize and come back and attack government positions. They still control a large part of rural Somalia including towns, ports and airports in the south of Mogadishu.
But Col Ankunda says this won’t happen. “I think we overestimated their strength. They are now weak. If they were a strong force, they would not have abandoned their bases,” he said. Failure to deploy fully in some areas which the al Shabaab fled, has created power vacuum and according to the residents of Mogadishu, this presents a risk of reawakening the warlords who had joined government.
There are still concerns that if the government does not quickly bring the former al Shabaab areas under its control, the warlords who once ruled these areas could take the chance to end their silence in hibernation and seize control.
“When al Shabaab left, we were happy but government needs to deploy heavily because they might come back or the District Commissioners who have militias might takeover,” Mohamed Salim, a resident of Karaan district said.
But the African Union spokesperson, Col. Ankunda says all the warlords are happily working with the Transitional Federal Government of Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. “That won’t happen because some of them are Members of Parliament and others are ministers, it won’t happen,” he said.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/
Mombassa court denies suspected pirates bond
29 Sept – Source: Nairobi Star – 52 words
A court in Mombassa has dismissed an application by seven suspected pirates to be released on bond. Senior resident magistrate Timothy Gesora delivered his ruling yesterday. The seven were brought to Kenya by the US Navy in 2009, after being arrested in the high seas on claims that they attacked MV Polaris.
Platform offers fresh hope for refugees to trace missing relatives 29 Sept – Source: Business Daily Africa – 504 words Abdikadir Hareg Abdi, a Somali refugee, has spent the last ten years searching for his siblings from whom he got separated while fleeing war-torn Somalia.
So far, the search has yielded no positive leads. But his fading hopes have been revived by a recently launched online forum that helps refugees reconnect with missing family and friends. “Previously, I had to write to the Kenya Red Cross, to use its global network to assist me find my brothers and sister. However, with the online platform that has a wider reach and is accessible to many, I have high hopes that we are soon going to reunite,” said Mr. Abdi.
His is a story echoed by most refugees worldwide and a dilemma that motivated telco infrastructure provider Ericsson, Refugees United, an NGO, the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) and Safaricom to partner and create a mobile platform, www.refunite.org or m.refunite.org for tracing refugees and other internally displaced persons.
The concept – developed by Refugees United (RU) with the help of Ericsson, and supported by the Safaricom network – applies a mobile web interface to reconnect separated refugees and other displaced people.
The platform includes the use of mobile Internet (wireless application protocol or WAP) and also Android technology while allowing millions to use short message texting to find their loved ones. Refugees and displaced people can use entry level mobile phones to register and search for loved ones via an anonymous database, and subsequently to connect using SMS or the Internet.
Refugee’s united co-founder, Mr. Christopher Mikkelsen, affirmed that his organization’s mission was to help refugees searching for loved ones and praised mobile technology for providing the critical link to people who need help.
Oman distributes aid in Somalia
29 Sept – Source: Oman Tribune – 321 words
The Oman Civil Relief Initiative team continued distributing relief aid materials to the starving and drought-hit people in Somalia. Oman Tribune spoke to Ahmed Bin Abdullah Borham, Alawi Bin Omar Taher Borham and Eng. Mosalam Bin Salim Qatn, the members of the Omani Civil Initiative Team in Somalia to make sure that the relief aid reaches the needy people. This campaign emphasized that Oman belongs to the Arab and Islamic world and stressed the importance of coherence and solidarity within these countries.
Ahmed Bin Abdullah Borham said the idea of the civil initiative was launched from Dhofar governorate and soon became Oman peoples’ initiative. Alawi Bin Omar said the pictures and reports of the starvation in Somalia was the main reason for this campaign to take off. He said that after getting approval from the Oman Charitable Organisation, they started collecting the materials at Aqil Mosque Square in Salalah East during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Eng. Mosalam Bin Salim said the initiative reflects the love of Omani citizens as children parted with their money and women donated their jewelry.
He added that they could load a ship with 1,300 tones of food. The ship arrived in Mogadishu south and the aid was distributed to the refugee camps while part of it was distributed to the interior places in the south. Another ship with 700 tones of food arrived at Bosaso Port North of Somalia with financial aid of 100,000 rails.
The team members expressed their thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its efforts in coordination with the Somali embassy in Muscat for the visit, during which a number of Somali officials received them and helped them in their mission.
http://www.omantribune.com/
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali leaders set to clean trash, al Shabaab stragglers from capital
28 Sept – Source: All Headline News – 247 words
In instituting a campaign to collect garbage from the main streets of this capital city, government officials are urging residents to restore the image of Mogadishu. “We belong to Mogadishu and we should have to maintain it and restore its security and cleanness,” Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said during the start of a garbage sweep-up throughout Mogadishu on Wednesday.
Residents in Mogadishu hailed the return of peace and security in many parts of the capital after al Shabaab insurgents retreated from their main strongholds in the city in early August. Many people are now able to return to their abandoned homes.
“I am happy. Currently I have returned to my original residence after nearly two years in agony living in a shanty house in an Internal Displaced People camp in Dharkenley,” said Farhia Mohamed, a mother of three children. President Sharif also noted that his government has plans to attack al Shabaab fighter still in parts of the capital.
“Al Shabaab did not fully pull out and their remnants still pose danger to the security. We have plans to attack them and oust them from Mogadishu and the rest of the country,“ said the president. The militant group recently started sending more troops into the capital from the regions under their control.
“We are due to launch attacks in Mogadishu against apostate government and foreign troops deployed in Mogadishu,“ Sheikh Ali Mohamed, a spokesman of al Shabaab, recently told reporters at the outskirts of the capital.
K’Naan gets Bill Clinton’s seal of approval for Somalia famine relief efforts
28 Sept – Source: Spinner – 495 words
Rapper K’Naan has made great strides in terms of his musical career in recent years, but lately it’s his efforts as a global ambassador that have thrust him into the spotlight alongside Bono and most recently former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
On Sept. 22, K’Naan – who’s campaigning to raise awareness of the devastating famine in homeland of Somalia – took part in the Clinton Global Citizens Awards ceremony in New York City, where he performed ‘Take a Minute’ and shared the stage with Clinton who spearheads the annual meeting of global leaders trying to create solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.
“I said we were just going to have fun tonight but when I saw the film and I heard him singing and I heard what he said, I felt like a schmuck,” Clinton said to the audience before passing the microphone to K’Naan. “I had to ask you to do more.”
“It’s a good moment to be in service of people and I don’t know what better life really to lead than to lead that life which is in service of others,” K’Naan said. On Sept. 25, the New York Times published an opinion piece K’Naan wrote entitled ‘Returning to Somalia after 20 Years.’ In it, the hip-hop star, who was raised in Canada, described his return visit to his hometown of Mogadishu to see the suffering firsthand in displacement camps and in the Banadir Hospital.
“I hoped that my presence would let me shine a light into this darkness,” he wrote. “Maybe spare even one life, a life equal to mine, from indifferently wasting away. But I am now statesman, nor a soldier. Just a man made fortunate by the power of the spotlight. And to save someone’s life I am willing to spend some of that capricious currency called celebrity.”
The article and appearance at Clinton’s event are the latest in a string of activities by K’Naan to further the cause of famine relief in his homeland. In late July, the rapper met with Bono in Minneapolis — home to one of the largest Somali populations outside the African nation – to address how Bono’s ONE anti-poverty charity could assist ongoing relief efforts. Bono acknowledged K’Naan’s efforts by bringing him onstage to perform a cover of Ben E. King’s ‘Stand by Me’ while describing him as a “very special spirit” and “wise man.”
But it didn’t stop there. An ensuing CNN report by Anderson Cooper featuring both musicians revealed more information about the dire situation and possible solutions. And the duo joined forces again during the Toronto International Film Festival in early September for an exclusive roundtable discussion on the crisis with some of Canada’s business elite, among others, listening. It’s quite something for a “dusty foot philosopher” to draw so much attention but expect K’Naan to continue his efforts. Meanwhile, he’ll perform at Toronto’s Massey Hall on Oct. 1 with Bedouin Sound clash as part of Canada’s Walk of Fame Festival.
http://www.spinner.com/2011/
Do Muslims really care about Somalia?
29 Sept – Source: Foreign Policy – 382 words
a young, rail-thin, and gaunt Somali woman, cradling her starving child in her arms, looks straight into the camera. Her eyes are dead; she has seen too much suffering. “Where are the Muslim countries?” she asks. “We are dying.”
The image is haunting, and her words keep coming back, though they were broadcast on the BBC a few weeks ago now. Her plea is real. The richest Muslims in the world live just across the waters in the Gulf States, where billions of dollars are spent on indoor skiing facilities, artificial islands to host luxury hotels and water parks, and frolicking in yachts and faux European villas. There is never a dearth of funds for magnificent mosques, but when it comes to alleviating the mass starvation of a people, Muslims are coming up short.
The only head of state or government to have visited Somalia since the famine began is Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As if to emphasize the need to show support, he brought along his wife and his foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu. Erdogan also demonstrated that instability is no excuse for not aiding Somalis; he presided over the reopening of Turkey’s Mogadishu embassy after two decades of its being shuttered. Other Muslim leaders, however, are conspicuous by their absence, ignoring the Quranic command to show charity and compassion to the poor and needy.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/
South African fans score big for Somalia
29 Sept – Source: Sowetanlive – 357 words
Bafana Bafana fans will have a unique opportunity to help in worldwide efforts to alleviate famine in Somalia. Safa has announced that it will channel 10% of the gate takings from the keenly awaited Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on October 8 towards the Horn of Africa Relief Effort.
The fund has been established by the Safa and PSL joint liaison committee and will see the football organizations working closely to achieve one goal. The Confederation of African Football has requested that each of its 53-member associations organize friendly matches to generate solidarity funds for contribution towards Somalia. But due to Bafana’s schedule, Safa opted for the joint liaison committee, comprising Safa finance committee chairperson and Vice-president Mandla Mazibuko, chief executive Robin Petersen, PSL head of finance Kaizer Motaung and chief executive Zola Majavu, to lead the initiative.
“We’ve decided not to have a friendly match but instead came up with the idea of this committee involving the PSL,” said Mazibuko. “We are looking to raise a minimum of R1-million, and the PSL has already pledged R500 000 to the fund.
“We are looking at ways to add our bit to this noble cause and that includes taking some of the proceeds from the Bafana game. We’ve also asked our stakeholders and partners to come on board,” he said. The initiative should go some way towards mending relations between the two football organizations.
“Urgent humanitarian support is needed for these countries. The African football family cannot stay without reacting to this severe food crisis,” said CAF president Issa Hayatou in a statement. “I would like you to mobilize football clubs in your country to help fight this challenge.” Safa was expected to officially hand over the cheque to the continental football governing body at their executive committee meeting in Egypt yesterday. “We have a responsibility for the well being of our fellow brothers and sisters on the African continent,” said Majavu.
Meanwhile, Mazibuko said he has had a fruitful meeting with SABC head of sport Sizwe Nzimande and he was quite confident Bafana’s match would be beamed live on television.
http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/
Somali pirates release Greek-owned ship
29 Sept – Source: Xinhua – 434 words
Somali pirates have released a Greek owned bulk carrier with 24 crew members in the Gulf of Aden, about 490 nautical miles southwest of Oman, EU anti-piracy task force said on Thursday. EU Naval Force spokesman Harrie Harrison said the Cypriot flagged MV Eagle was attacked and pirated early on January 17 by a single skiff, with pirates firing small arms and a Rocket Propelled Grenade before boarding the vessel.
Harrison said the ship which is now on her way to a safe port was released on Wednesday off the coast of Somalia following payment of a ransom. “The Cypriot flagged and Greek owned MV Eagle, dead weight of 52, 163 tones and a crew of 24 Filipinos was on passage from Aqabar (Jordan) to Paradip (India) when it was attacked,” Harrison said.
Meanwhile, the EU warship disrupted a pirate group earlier on Wednesday some 70 nautical miles South West off Mogadishu, Somalia, 30 miles off the coast of the Horn of Africa nation. Harrison said the warship, FGS KOLN, stopped and boarded a suspicious group of two small boats, a whaler and skiff.
“A helicopter was sent to inspect the group of boats and 12 people with equipment usually associated with piracy were seen on board. The boats refused to stop when hailed. KOLN’s helicopter fired warning shots ahead of the skiff which caused the boat to stop,” he said.
Harrison said before the boats could be boarded by teams from FGS KOLN, the crew of the boats started to throw weapons and other items overboard. He said the skiff, whaler and their engines were destroyed to prevent any potential future use for piracy and the men released close to the shore.
“This disruption has undoubtedly hampered potential pirate action on merchant shipping and vulnerable vessels in the area,” Harrison said. The pirates have intensified their action in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden and most of hijackings end without casualties when a ransom has been paid, but often after several months of negotiations.
http://www0.chinadaily.com.cn/