December 29, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report
11 Militants Killed As Al-Shabaab Ambushes KDF Convoy, Says Police
29 December – Source: Shabelle News – 135 Words
A senior police officer says at least 11 Al-Shabaab fighters were killed in an ambush attack on a military convoy belonging to Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF) near the town of Bardhere located in Gedo region. Bardhere Deputy Police, told Radio Shabelle that Kenyan military pushed back Al-Shabaab after the heavily armed militants attacked their convoy at Jungal area, 30 kilometers west of Bardhere.
He said Al-Shabaab suffered defeat as its militants attempted to attack KDF escorting a convoy transporting military supply from El Wak and heading to Bardhere town. “At least 11 Al-Shabaab combatants were killed in the counter-attack outside Bardhere and three KDF soldiers were slightly wounded in the gunfight,” said the police officer. Neither Al-Shabaab nor Kenyan military issued a statement on the surprise attack.
Key Headlines
- 11 Militants Killed As Al-Shabaab Ambushes KDF Convoy Says Police (Shabelle News)
- Top Al-Shabaab Militant Surrenders In Bay (Baidoa News)
- Somali Parliament Passes Controversial Media Bill (Hiiraan Online)
- Puntland Officials Dismiss Shia Doctrine Claims (Garowe Online)
- Brilliant Start For Dekedda As They Beat Heegan In Somalia Premier League (Hiiraan Online)
- Puntland Toiling To Improve Justice Sector (Villa Puntland)
- Somalia President Pays Tribute To The Outgoing Nicholas Kay (CIHAN)
- Eastleigh Boycotts Levies To Nairobi From 2016 Over Poor Services (The Star)
- Minnesota Prepares To Receive More Refugees In 2016 (Star Tribune)
- New “Breakaway” Administration Forms In Somalia In Latest Federalism Dispute (Somalia Newsroom)
- A Tale Of Two Alis (BBC)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Top Al-Shabaab Militant Surrenders In Bay
29 December – Source: Baidoa News – 130 Words
Col. Abdirahman Sheikh Mohamed, a military official in the South-west administration, who spoke to Baidoa News, said that a top Al-Shabaab militant in Dinsoor has surrendered to the authorities. The Al-Shabaab defector has been identified as Mohamed Ibrahim Dhuubow. The Colonel also said that this is not a new development because they have been in talks with Mohamed Ibrahim Dhubow who was not sure whether to defect at the time, and now that he has decided to, he is in safe hands with the government. “Mohamed Dhubow was part of the militants in the villages that come under Dinsoor district in the Bay region, now we are very elated that he has surrendered and seeked government amnesty,” said the Colonel. So far, Al-Shabaab has not released a statement about it.
Somali Parliament Passes Controversial Media Bill
29 December – Source: Hiiraan Online – 350 Words
Somalia’s parliament passed a controversial media bill proposed by the government, saying it aims to regulate the nation’s media industry. The 42-article new bill, passed Monday is seen as ‘restrictive’ which gives authorities wide-range of options to prosecute and arrest journalists for disseminating ‘false’ news, and slap fines on journalists and media houses that infringe the bill.
Announcing the vote results, Somalia’s Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari said that out of the 142 MPs who were present at the session, 139 voted in favour of the bill while three others abstained from voting. “Because of the overwhelming endorsement, the media bill is approved.” he said. The bill which needs the president’s signature to take effect also creates a watchdog that would regulate the media operating in the country.
It also instructs media outlets including newspapers to register with the government and pay annual license fees. The development comes after the bill drafted by the information ministry failed to pass numerous times after an outrage by journalists who said that the law introduced strict media restrictions and heavy fines. Somalia is one of the most dangerous places for journalists as 18 journalists have been killed last year.
Despite government’s promises of prosecution of perpetrators for media workers killings, yet criminals walk freely without facing justice that provoked international calls demanding justice. Human rights groups demand that Somali authorities and the international community take action to reestablish the rule of bill in Somalia, following the killing of many journalists in the country. The country is emerging from decades of war that shattered its governmental system. As usual, reporters in Somalia must watch for attacks from militants and criminals and know that such deaths have been met with judicial inaction in a capital city with crippled government institutions. Most of the killings have taken place in areas of Mogadishu under the Somali government’s control. Despite government promises of prosecutions, no arrests have yet been made for any of the killings.
Puntland Officials Dismiss Shia Doctrine Claims
29 December – Source: Garowe Online – 121 Words
Officials in Somalia’s Northeastern State of Puntland have dismissed the baseless reports by National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) of Shia indoctrination in Qardo on Tuesday. Karkaar regional administration and Qardo Mayor, Abdi Saed labeled NISA report ‘ungrounded propaganda’, threatening those responsible for its spread with legal action. In attendance at Qardo meeting were also clan elders and community leaders.
They denied that shady NGOs indoctrinate people with racist religious ideologies. Somalia has cracked down on Iranian networks allegedly involved in spread of Shia Islam in the traditionally Sunni nation. Shiite power Iran—believed to be introducing Shia sects in Africa– has sought to gain foothold in the East African country with a pledge of scholarships for Somali authorities.
Brilliant Start For Dekedda As They Beat Heegan In Somalia Premier League
29 December – Source: Hiiraan Online – 356 Words
It has been a good starting point for Dekedda FC after when they defeated the Somali police side [Heegan] 1-0 in the inaugural match of the Somali National league on Monday 28th of December. This was the 3rd defeat for Heegan in less than two weeks, but this time they are under a new manager Sheik Saleh Farah who took over the team over the weekend, when their former coach Ahmed Abdirahman Omar stepped aside due to two successive failures.
The police side were reduced to 10 men when Mohamed Ahmed Mahmoud was sent out in the 45th minute of the match, but they fought hard until close to the end of the match when Abdulkader Mohiyadin Hassan AKA Yariis scored the winning goal for his team in the 90th minute only few seconds before the end of the match whistle was blown. However, with this late goal Abdulkader Mohiyadin Hassan AKA Yariis, was inaugurated the scorer of the first goal in this season’s Somali National league.
Two of Dekedda’s players Abbaa Amin Mohamed No 14 and Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali No 11 were awarded with yellow cards in the 34th and 71st minutes of the match. Apart from those at the stadium, hundreds of thousands of Somalis in and outside the country were enjoying the match which was broadcast live on the privately-owned Universal TV whose owner decided to join hands with Somali FA to promote football in the country.
Somali Football Federation Technical representative in UK, Abdirashid Islow whose job is to recruit talented Somali footballers across Europe for the national team, was one of the Somalis who were watching Monday’smatch while staying abroad. Islow said he was happy with the new progress made in Somalia adding that there were some tangible changes he could see. “In comparison with how our football was years before and the when we look back to the hard circumstances Somalia experienced, I can see that there is some progress. I am really very hopeful that Somali football will approach high level in the years to come” Islow said during a telephone conversation with Somali FA Media from London.
Puntland Toiling To Improve Justice Sector
28 December – Source: Villa Puntland – 117 Words
A joint meeting that brought together stakeholders in the justice sector was today held in Garowe and attended by the Ministers of Internal Security, Home Affairs and the Justice. The meeting was organized by the Justice Ministry and is aimed at bringing together government agencies and ministries that have a stake in the justice sector. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice who graced the forum explained to the press about the forum’s objectives which was to create seamless operations in the justice sector by bringing together all stakeholders. Participants lauded the justice ministry for the move which they said will go a long way in improving dispensation of justice in the country.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia President Pays Tribute To The Outgoing Nicholas Kay
29 December – Source: CIHAN – 317 Words
The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, paid tribute to the outgoing Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, Nicholas Kay for his contribution in supporting Somalia’s stabilization and political processes. Speaking at a farewell luncheon in capital Mogadishu, President Hassan Sheikh said Nicholas Kay worked closely and tirelessly with the Federal Government, in his two-and-a-half year tour of duty, in rebuilding Somalia.
He praised Kay for being instrumental in changing the perception of the international community about Somalia. He said “I salute Ambassador Nicholas Kay for his braveness in convincing the UN to shift the offices and start operating in Somalia, making them accessible to the citizens,” President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud noted.
Quoting directly Ambassador Kay’s words, the head of state said; “Somalia is not a failed state anymore but a recovering fragile nation,” concurred the President. Kay thanked the Federal Government of Somalia, the Federal Parliament, civil society, AMISOM, the Diplomatic Corps, and his UN colleagues and expressed his optimism for Somalia. He said “They can try to destroy you but each time they do, you build again, you build better, you build stronger. Somalia is back and back to stay.”
Eastleigh Boycotts Levies To Nairobi From 2016 Over Poor Services
29 December – Source: The Star – 189 Words
Eastleigh business owners and landlords have resolved not to pay dues to the Nairobi government over the lack of basic services. The decision not to pay fees including licence charges and land rates from 2016 was reached on Monday after meetings with business owners. Eastleigh North MCA Osman Ibrahim notified the business owners of the resolve in a memo in which he said he has asked a lawyer to seek a court order stopping the payments.
Noting “the constitution allows peaceful protests for one’s rights”, he assured the traders of support. Kenyans on Twitter had earlier criticised Governor Evans Kidero over heaps of uncollected garbage in several parts of the city including Eastleigh. In June, area residents took to the streets in protest against the filth that has blocked parts of some roads. The Nairobi garbage collection department stepped up but not for long.
Eastleigh business owners have made efforts to reverse the area’s bad reputation, including launching a business summit early in December. Thousands of shoppers throng the area where some poor roads have been tarmacked but a profile of terror, contraband and piracy continues to haunt it.
Minnesota Prepares To Receive More Refugees In 2016
29 December – Star Tribune – 1,059 Words
Minnesota is poised to receive more refugees in 2016 than in any year for almost a decade, a ripple effect of the historic migration wave sweeping across the Middle East and Europe. After dropping precipitously in the late 2000s, the number of refugees arriving in Minnesota has begun to rebound, with about 2,340 this past fiscal year. Now, as the federal government aims to admit 15,000 more refugees next year over the 70,000 it typically accepts, Minnesota is gearing up for larger numbers as well.
But while the national rise stems from a hotly debated Obama administration commitment to aid Syrian refugees, the mix of nationalities in Minnesota is expected to stay unchanged. “The reality is that it is unlikely many Syrian refugees will come to Minnesota, since refugees most often resettle where there is an established community,” said Bob Oehrig, executive director of Arrive Ministries, a resettlement agency that contracts with the federal government to help arriving refugees.
Minnesota received about 60 more refugees during the fiscal year that wrapped up in September, compared with the previous year, according to numbers the state recently finalized. Roughly three-quarters of the newcomers settled in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Of the 2,338 total, almost 45 percent hailed from Somalia, and about 40 percent were Karen refugees from Myanmar, also known as Burma. Iraqis, Ethiopians and Bhutanese made up significantly smaller contingents. Overall, 26 countries were represented.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Though Puntland is often displeased with those who support the Khaatumo breakaway administration in its own claimed territory, Puntland president Abdiweli Gaas supported the decision to establish Upper Bakool because he believed Sharif Hassan had not addressed the grievances of the Aulihan. Gaas’ statement may not be a clan-linked decision based on Darod affinity. It could simply be a shrewd political move to encumber a wile national figure and political rival in Sharif Hassan.”
New “Breakaway” Administration Forms In Somalia In Latest Federalism Dispute
29 December – Source: Somalia Newsroom – 745 Words
In late December, three districts in Somalia’s Bakool region formed a breakaway administration after claiming its communities were marginalized by the Interim Southwest Administration (ISWA). Upper Bakool (aka Bakool Sare) – including representatives from Yeed, Aato, and Ceel Barde districts —defiantly selected Ahmed Nur Sheikh Mohamed as its regional president. Areas of northern Bakool — have been the unfortunate target of economically stifling Al-Shabaab blockades in the past and reportedly have not received much outside assistance.
According to Somali media, the plan to create Upper Bakool was lead largely by a faction of Darod-Ogaden-Aulihan clan members. Throughout Somalia’s federalism process, stakeholders in dispute over state formation processes have varied in responses from violent conflict to political protests to forming an “autonomous” administration. In March, Sharif Hassan finally succeeded in reeling in opponents who wanted to expand the southwest administration to include the Jubaland region. In addition, ASWJ is largely operating independently in some parts of central Somalia amid an ongoing dispute with the Interim Galmudug Administration.
In Bakool region, the Ogaden-Aulihan clan is not satisfied with representation in ISWA. In early December, Ogaden communities felt short-changed with the clan distribution of seats in the regional parliament. In a mid-December meeting in Mogadishu, ministers of parliament (MPs) from the Ogaden clan and former finance minister Hussein Abdi Halane allegedly berated ISWA president Sharif Hassan for creating a regional parliament that would abide by his wishes.
“What the two Alis share, what most of these people on the move have, is that burning desire to seek peace and security, a future that is better than the past. For children, the dangers are even more profound. The law is for the most part on their side, but they have to reach Europe first to understand what that means.”
A Tale Of Two Alis
29 December – Source: BBC – 1,221 Words
Of the roughly one million migrants who arrived in Europe by sea this year roughly a quarter, according to the UN refugee agency, were children. British barrister Hashi Mohamed, once a child refugee himself, went to Italy to meet some new arrivals – and with one in particular he made an immediate connection. On an Air France flight from Nairobi to London, 10-year-old Ali is excitedly marking a piece of paper with crayons. He feels a little panic when the flight arrives in London – he wants to return the materials, but where is the flight attendant? When she finally appears she assures him that he can keep them. “Take them with you,” she says.
That was my elder brother, Ali, and his most enduring memory of our arrival to the United Kingdom. It was July 1993. A year or so before, Ali and my other siblings and relatives had fled from Somalia to neighbouring Kenya, on the outbreak of war. A year younger than him, I had been born in Kenya and we had met for the first time not long before our flight to the UK, to start a new life as refugees. We were without our parents. Our father had died just months before this and our mother would join us four years later.
We barely spoke any English but we were treating the whole experience as an adventure. This is how it used to be for some of those fortunate enough to flee war. Looking back now it feels seamless, though it certainly didn’t feel that way then. Fast forward 22 years and the situation in Somalia is little changed. Not all are fleeing conflict now, but people continue to seek a better life abroad, whether that be in Europe or North America – often by any means necessary. Their journeys now are far more frightening and treacherous.
TOP TWEETS
@hiiraan: #Brilliant start for Dekedda as they beat Heegan in#Somalia Premier #league
http://hiiraan.com/news4/2015/
@UNSomalia: #FarewellSRSGKay @UNPeacekeepingcelebrating @Somalia111 as he departs from #Mogadishu#Somalia
@Abdi_AlSheikh: Somalia president pays tribute to the outgoing Nicholas Kay – Cihan News Agencyhttp://dlvr.it/D7N5NM #Somalia
@AndreasBWest : Interesting piece by @xmohmud on#Somalia studies epistemology & the ivory balcony of research#CadaanStudies http://www.warscapes.com/
@Somaliupdate : #Somalia : #UAE Ambassador in Somalia Meets Minister of Islamic Affairs http://somaliupdate.
@MercedesRosello : Why the protection of Somali fisheries from IUU fishing must start with action at the domestic levelhttp://mediaforsocialchange.
@ORC35: #Somalia: Ethiopia arrests and detains two of its former spies in #Hargeysa. They are detained in Jigjiga,#Ogaden region. #Somaliland
@blicqer : VID: Over 130 Med Students Graduate In #SomaliaReigniting Healthcare Hopes @UrbanIntellectshttp://ow.ly/WnLjk
IMAGE OF THE DAY
UN Peacekeeping bidding their farewell to SRSG Nicholas Kay who departed from Mogadishu, Somalia today.
Photo: @UNSomalia