February 15, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
Mortar Shells Hit Aiport In Kismayo
15 February – Source: Goobjoog News – 236 Words
Several mortar shells landed within the vicinity of Kismayo Airport on Sunday evening. Heavy explosions could be heard by residents living close to the airport: “The mortars landed inside and around the airport but I don’t know if there are casualties. There was a mortar attack at the airport last night and several rounds of mortar shells landed at the facility,” said Bashir Hussein, who lives close to the airport. Mohamed Abdalla, another witness, confirmed hearing several loud explosions.
There were no immediate confirmations on casualties. However, the airport is a heavily fortified area. Al-Shabaab militants claimed responsibility for the mortar attacks saying their attackers deliberately targeted Kismayo Airport for housing US soldiers and their drones: “Mujahideen targeted dozens of Western intelligence officials and US who are housed in Kismayo Airport with over ten motor shells,” said a statement issued by the group. Al-Shabaab has carried out a string of similar bombings in the past. The group claimed responsibility for a bomb blast on a Somali passenger plane on February 2.
The explosion ripped a hole in the fuselage of a Daallo Airlines plane shortly after it took off from Somalia’s main airport, killing the suspected bomber and forcing an emergency landing of the plane. The blast punched a one meter (three-foot) hole in the side of the Airbus A321 about 15 minutes after it had taken off from Mogadishu
Key Headlines
- Mortar Shells Hit Aiport In Kismayo (Goobjoog News)
- ISWA Head Shariff Hassan Holds Talks With UN Special Envoy Michael Keating (Wacaal Media)
- UNSOM Holds Awards Ceremony For Uniformed Personnel Serving In Somalia (Goobjoog News)
- Djibouti Delegation In Central Somalia (Garowe Online)
- Kenya Sucked Into Somalia UN Spat (Daily Nation)
- Somalia National Security Advisor Speaks (Deutsche Welle)
- Nigeria Boko Haram Fighters Trained In Somalia: President (Reuters)
- Somalia U-11 Show Fantastic Progress In Their First International Appearance (Soka 25 East)
- The Nexus Between Somaliland And Al-Shabaab (Kenyamedia.com)
NATIONAL MEDIA
ISWA Head Shariff Hassan Holds Talks With UN Special Envoy Michael Keating
15 February – Source: Wacaal Media – 76 Words
UN special envoy to Somalia Michael Keating yesterday held talks with the Head of Interim South West State Shariff Hassan Sheikh Adan in Baidoa. The two leaders discussed wide ranging issues including the upcoming elections and how the UN will help ISWA on matters of development and security. Keating’s trip is his first to Baidoa since taking over from his predecessor Nicholas Kay. He has also visited Jubbaland and Puntland in connection with the 2016 elections.
UNSOM Holds Awards Ceremony For Uniformed Personnel Serving In Somalia
15 February – Source: Goobjoog News – 334 Words
Uniformed personnel serving the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) were Sundayawarded medals and certificates for their distinguished service. A total of 18 uniformed personnel drawn from the military, police and corrections components of the Mission were awarded the Special Services Medal by Peter de Clercq, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (DSRSG), at a function held in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
The personnel serve in the Rule of Law and Security Institutions Group (ROLSIG) of UNSOM. The ceremony, the first of its kind, was attended by the OfficerinCharge of the Director of ROLSIG, Mitch Dufresne, top UNSOM officials, the UNSOM Police Commissioner Christoph Buik, police officers attached to the police component of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and senior Somali Police Force (SPF) officials, among others. “Most of these officers have served for over a year. They have displayed dedication and honesty of purpose in the tasks assigned to them and continue to forge ahead to ensure that the Mission’s mandate is honoured,” said Mr. de Clercq.
The DSRSG lauded the officers, particularly those whose tour of duty has come to an end, noting that they had served selflessly to ensure that peace returns to Somalia and to transform the country into a viable state. For her part, Ms. Dufresne said they have contributed enormously towards ensuring the Mission delivers on its mandate. “We are very pleased to have these government provided personnel from a number of different countries supporting the mandate of the Security Council here in Somalia,” she said.
“Without them, we couldn’t deliver on the mandate.” Mia Tuominen, a UN Police Advisor from Finland, expressed her joy over receiving the award. “In this one year we have already achieved some results with our Somali counterparts, and therefore this award today means a lot to me. I am very proud to work for the UN, and I am also proud to represent my country since we are the first Finnish officers here in Somalia,” she said.
Djibouti Delegation In Central Somalia
14 February – Source: Garowe Online – 117 Words
A delegation led by Djibouti’s Ambassador to Somalia Dayib DubadRooble has landed in central Somalia town of Beledweyne on Sunday. Rooble was accompanied by Djiboutian Army commanders on trip to Beledweyne. Addressing the reporters after cordial welcome, they said, one of the delegation’s chief aims is giving impetus to the formation of federal state consisting of Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle regions. He said, President Ismael Omar Guelleh and Djiboutians are committed to ongoing stabilization campaign in Somalia. The delegation will also assess the situation of peacekeepers serving with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The tour comes as delegates in Middle Shabelle regional capital of Jowhar ceased state formation convention over internal disputes.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Kenya Sucked Into Somalia, UN Spat
15 February – Source: Daily Nation – 544 Words
Kenya has been sucked into a tussle for airspace management between Somalia and a UN agency after it turned out that staff working there have no requisite papers. The claims emerged early this month when Somalia demanded the closure of a centre operated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao) in Nairobi, which was launched under a special deal between the agency and Mogadishu.
Somalia argues that though the centre was sanctioned by its government, Icao breached the arrangement by employing 47 Somalis who entered Kenya on student passes, hence cannot be given employment contracts. “For the last 20 years, Icao has been managing Somali airspace out of a small office in Gigiri. During those years, it has been exploiting Somali employees by bringing them to Kenya under student visas, which is illegal under Kenyan law,” Mr Gamal Hassan, Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya told the Daily Nation.
“We want this office closed and Somalis brought to Kenya illegally to return to their country.” Somalia has protested the inability by its citizens to get leave or take their families to Nairobi. Because they have worked in Nairobi using student visas since the 1990s, their bubble could burst if they attempted to leave the country and return. It also raises the question of how foreigners can work in Kenya illegally for more than 20 years. The Department of Immigration is charged with issuing work permits to foreigners, including those working for international organisations.
Somalia National Security Advisor Speaks
15 February – Source: Deutsche Welle – Video: 6:39 Minutes
At the Munich Security Conference, Somali National Security Advisor Sheikh Issa talks about globalization enabling terrorist groups to connect more easily, and about significant problems such as massive youth unemployment, drought, and malnutrition.
Nigerian Boko Haram Fighters Trained In Somalia: President
15 February – Source: Reuters – 205 Words
Fighters for the Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram have been trained in Somalia on Africa’s eastern coast before returning to West Africa, Somalia’s president told a security conference in Germany on Sunday. Somalia, plagued by political in-fighting, corruption and attacks by al Shabaab insurgents, has recently made limited progress towards creating a functioning political system, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said.
“Without a stable Somalia, the whole region of the Horn of Africa will remain unstable and by and large, the African continent. There are proofs and evidence that (for) some time Boko Haram has been trained in Somalia and they went back to Nigeria,” he said. “The terrorists are so linked together, they are associated and so organised, (that) we the world we need to be so organised,” he said, speaking in English.
Somalia U-11 Show Fantastic Progress In Their First International Appearance
15 February – Source: Soka 25 East – 181 Words
Somali U-11 children from Mogadishu Primary school, who are representing their homeland in the ongoing Jeem cup for Pan Arab schools champions in Doha, have made an impressive performance at the Jeem Cup despite being held to draws in all their group stage matches. On 5th of December 2015, when the children booked their place at the Jeem Cup in Doha after defeating their Nileyn school rivals by 1-0 in the final match of the Somali schools tournament which was organized by the Somali football federation with the help from the ministry of education and the Jeem TV.
This was the first time that Somali children who benefitted from the SFF’s grassroots programs make such an impressive performance at an international high profile tournament. The children who still remain in Doha will receive a national welcome when they return home after the tournament. “A national welcome ceremony has been arranged for the hero children who will also be invited to stadium. Banadir and will have pictures with the national league teams” Somali Football Federation president, Abdiqani Said Arab, said in a statement.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“In 2012, Somaliland police detained and released Al-Shabaab Emir Ahmed Godane, Al-Shabaab external operation leader Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulkadir (Ikrima) and operative Ismail Muse, reportedly now head of Al-Shabaab Mogadishu operations, who is one of the highest ranking in the movement below Al-Shabaab Emir Ahmed Umar. The group was in Burco to meet with al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula emissaries and Dahabshiil and other Al-Shabaab financiers.”
The Nexus Between Somaliland And Al-Shabaab
15 February – Source: Kenyamedia.com – 1,261 Words
Many accounts misapprehend the nature of the relationship between Somaliland and Al-Shabaab. The relationship, in fact, goes far beyond contact and coexistence, with significant financial assistance by Somaliland’s Ministry of Interior and Intelligence Agency providing the bulk of Al-Shabaab’s financing and weapons, according to sources and Al-Shabaab captured leaders. Somaliland intelligence is directly funded by foreign intelligence agencies, according to reports.
Somaliland Minister of Interior Ali Waran-Ade and other senior political, military, and business leaders including former ministers Mohamed Bihi Yonis, Hirsi Ali Hassan, and Suleiman Esa Ahmed as well as Colonel Muse Bihi Abdi and Abdirashid Duale, the CEO of Dahabshiil have actively financed and supported Al-Shabaab as part of a strategy to undermine political and security progress in Somalia and boost support for Somaliland recognition.
Somaliland uses western economic development and security funds to finance Al-Shabaab operations in Somalia. Waran-Ade, a former senior intelligence officer for the Siyad Barre’s National Security Services (NSS) directed financing and provided material support to Al-Shabaab operations.
Al-Shabaab has a strong support in Somaliland, according to captured senior Al-Shabaab commander and the government orchestrates, sustains as well as strongly influences the movement operations in Somalia. Somaliland also gives sanctuary to the families of senior Al-Shabaab and al-Qa’ida leaders, and provides support in terms of training, funding, munitions, and supplies for Al-Shabaab. In their words, this is ‘as clear as the sun in the sky’.
Directly or indirectly Somaliland appears to exert significant influence on the strategic decision-making and field operations of Al-Shabaab; and has greater away over operatives. According to recently defected Al-Shabaab commander, Somaliland intelligence controls Al-Shabaab’s counterintelligence units “Amniyat”, who are recruited from radical mosques in Hargeisa, Burco, Berbera Gabiley and Borama.
TOP TWEETS
@Omaar_nor : #Jubbaland confirms mortar attack on #Kismayoairport by #Alshabaab on Sunday afternoon,saying 3 civilians injured in the shelling. #Somalia
@RadioErgo : #Somalia:Nugal herders head towards the coast for water #Puntland #Nugal http://bit.ly/1XsA24C
@4CAConsulting : Immediate #aid & longterm investment needed to build up #resilience against #drought in #Somaliahttp://allafrica.com/stories/
@Eye_on_Somalia : #allAfrica UN Envoy for Somalia Meets With Iswa President in Baidoa: [Shabelle] The UN envoy for Soma… http://bit.ly/1oi8kMh #somalia
@Eye_on_Somalia : #hiiraan Somalia U-11 show fantastic progress in their first international appearance: Somali U-11 ch… http://bit.ly/1oi7jE5 #somalia
@Gobanimodoon: Experts Call for Comprehensive Approach Against Al-Shabab #Somalia
@amanobsiye : #Somalia MUST READ: “The Nexus between Somaliland and Al-Shabaab” by Stephen Kendy – February 15, 2016 http://www.kenyamedia.net/?p=
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Some of the 148 participants set off in a 5.1 kilometre road-race organized in Baidoa on February 12 2016.
Photo: AMISOM