March 3, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report

Somali PM, Security Chiefs Grilled In Parliament Over Security Failures

03 March – Source: Hiiraan Online – 424 Words

Somali prime minister and the country’s intelligence chief have endured hours of marathon grilling by legislators over security lapse after series of attacks by the Al-Qaeda linked Al Shabab group which stepped up its guerrilla attacks in the country in recent months.Al Shabab fighters have carried out at least three deadly attacks in Mogadishu and Baidoa town since last week. Both attacks have killed at least 50 people. The group has also targeted the hilltop presidential palace with mortar shelling, killing three people in a nearby residential area.

Having appeared before the parliament during a rowdy session on Wednesday, prime minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke has defended his government against criticism by MPs that it failed to come up with a ‘comprehensive’ security plan that would help to prevent attacks by militants.Mr. Sharmarke has insisted that despite attacks, his government had put all ‘necessary’ security arrangements in place including the deployment of troops across Mogadishu, a move he said had helped to prevent attacks.
However, parliamentarians have also argued that the attacks happened as result of ‘poor’ intelligence gathering, turning their focus to the intelligence chief Abdirahman Turyare who had to answer many questions directed at him.Mr. Turyare has nonetheless defended the agency, saying that its troops and secret agents ‘tirelessly’ worked around the clock, an action he said helped to foil ‘several’ attacks and dismantled ‘terrorists’ networks.Wednesday’s lengthy session continued until evening as legislators repeatedly raised their hands to question the prime minister and the intelligence chief, indicating strings of security ‘failures’ they said could have helped preventing attacks if handled properly.

Despite efforts by the security forces, security remains a major issue in the horn of Africa nation especially the capital Mogadishu which has seen an increase in the number of attacks by Al Shabab group which despite being ousted from its key strongholds stepped up its guerrilla attacks across large parts of the country.
The group which security experts say shifted its military tactics also carried out three major attacks on three African Union force bases in Somalia, which saw fighters overrun bases and killed ‘scores of soldiers. Militants have also confiscated a large amount of military armaments and vehicles, raising fears among AU officials that the group would use to them to carry out attacks disguised as African Union forces.On Tuesday, Somali government has unveiled a new security plan which aims to secure Mogadishu in response to the latest attacks, with fears of more attacks are being raised despite the large security presence across the city.

Key Headlines

Somali PM Security Chiefs Grilled In Parliament Over Security Failures (Hiiraan Online)
Dhusamarreb Residents Return To Their Homes Amid Unstable Situation (Goobjoog News)
Erigavo Residents Take To The Streets Over Killing Of Saahil Regional Police Commandant (Hiiraan Online)
German Navy Ship Trains Somaliland Coast Guard ( Naval Today)
EU And UN Donate Equipment To Somalia Police Force (Relief Web)
Somalia’s First Independent Trust Fund Offers Hope To Unemployed Youth Raises Concerns Of Corruption (International Business Times)

NATIONAL MEDIA

Dhusamarreb Residents Return To Their Homes Amid Unstable Situation

03 March – Source: Goobjoog News- 424 Words

Tens of displaced families from last two days intense fighting in Dhusamareb town of Galmudug state began to return to their homes amid fears that clashes could re-erupt between warring sides at any moment.Yesterday ten people including civilians were killed and 30 others wounded in an intense fight between Ahlu Sunna forces and defected Somali army officer called Liban Madahweyne.Galmudug State forces were deployed at stations outside Dhusamarreb while Ahlu Sunna fighters tightened their hold of the town. Goobjoog reporter in Dhusamarreb said he saw displaced residents returning to their homes as movement of people and business gradually resumes.

Erigavo Residents Take To The Streets Over Killing Of Saahil Regional Police Commandant

02 March – Source: Hiiraan Online – 183 Words

Residents of Erigavo town of Sanag region on Wednesday turned out in large numbers protesting against the killing of Saahil regional police commander Abdirizak Aseyr.
The placard waving residents of the town from where the slain officer hails called for the immediate arrest of the culprits behind his killing.
Angry protesters clashed with the police deployed in the area to stop the processions.Governor of Sanaag region Ahmed Fallaay confirmed to the media that several officers sustained injuries after rowdy protesters stoned them. The governor said normalcy was later restored.“The situation is now under control although the protests turned ugly. I am deeply saddened by the death of my good friend Aseyr whom we worked together for years. I knew him as a patriotic and hardworking officer,” eulogized the governor.
Fallaay called on the local people to desist from taking the law into their own hands and instead work with security agencies to ensure the culprits were brought to book.
Additional reports indicate the government has on Wednesday shut down communication lines in Saahil region to interrupt the activities of the assailants.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

German Navy Ship Trains Somaliland Coast Guard

03 March – Source: Naval Today – 223 Words

Germany Navy corvette FGS Erfurt, part of Operation Atalanta, provided specialist training to Somaliland Coast Guard students in coordination with EUCap Nestor under the Local Maritime Capacity Building efforts.
EUCap Nestor is a civilian mission which is mandated to support the development of maritime security in Somalia. It works closely with Operation Atalanta to train and encourage a self-sustaining maritime security capability in Somalia.The topic for this training package was maritime radio communication. Subjects covered included radio communication, the Automatic Identification System (AIS) used by many modern vessels and how to operate navigational radar.
The students will ultimately be manning the Operations Centre in the harbour town of Berbera and will be required to supervise shipping routes and pass on safety information to vessels transiting through the area.Erfurt’s Deck Officer, Nils F., was one of the trainers during the 3-day event: “It is a pleasure to share my knowledge with trainees and a good feeling to pass on my own experiences to the local people, helping them to create their own Coast Guard.”The Chief of Training at EUCap Nestor said: “One of the most challenging aspects is to create an understanding of the responsibility of the Coast Guard and the link between illegal fishing and piracy.” Operation Atalanta has been involved in maintaining maritime security in the region since 2008.

EU And UN Donate Equipment To Somalia Police Force

03 March – Source: Relief Web – 386 Words

The European Union Delegation to Somalia and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) have today donated an assortment of equipment to the Somalia Police Force to help them in areas of bomb disposal and maritime and inland security which will assist the police in better performing their work and generally help to improve security.The EU Special Envoy and Ambassador to Somalia Michele Cervone d’Urso and the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Somalia Raisedon Zenenga presented the items, which included communication devices, vehicles, office equipment, bomb disposal kits and a boat to the Somalia Minister of Internal Security Abdirizak Omar Mohamed.
“The EU is pleased to jointly hand over essential working tools and bomb detection equipment to the Somalia Police Force which complements our wider capacity building effort to support, train and equip the police to better protect the Somali people. Every life counts, and I am glad to see that the Police Force now have important new tools to help save lives in Somalia especially by detecting and detonating explosive ordnance and old bombs which can cause fatalities if not managed in a professional manner,” Ambassador Michele Cervone said.
“This was a very timely decision by EU to hand over this equipment. As the United Nations, UNMAS and all others involved, we are very grateful to the EU, we are very grateful to Canada, Italy, Japan, UK and grateful to the Ministry of Internal Security and the Somali Police Force leadership for the cooperation that they extended to us in making this happen”, said DSRSG Zenenga.
The bomb disposal equipment was donated by UNMAS which was originally funded by the European Union. The equipment will also support the training and operations of 5 Police bomb squad units who now lead the Somali effort to clear unexploded ordnance left over from decades of conflict.
“Somalia appreciates the support by the European Union and the United Nation Mine Action Service as well as the UN in general. UNMAS through the use of donor funds has developed a Somalia Police bomb squad that is trained to detect, detonate and safely remove ordnance to save lives. I urge the Police to take care of the equipment and other donations and to continue protecting lives of our people,” said Internal Security Minister Abdirizak Omar Mohamed.

OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE

“Fursad Fund has the opportunity to build trust between the Somali people and government officials. But with so much excitement surrounding Fursad Fund and its plans for creating opportunities, it also runs the risk of letting down thousands of youth who are desperate for jobs,”

Somalia’s First Independent Trust Fund Offers Hope To Unemployed Youth, Raises Concerns Of Corruption

02 March – Source: International Business Times – 1762 Words

Nadir Sharif Maqbul loves to play soccer and has dreams of one day joining the Chelsea Football Club in London. But his reality is less bright in Somalia, where the majority of the country’s youth are unemployed. Maqbul is one of them. The 20-year-old, who has failed to find a full-time job for the past several years, needs a steady income to support his widowed mother and marry his girlfriend.“No job opportunities exist in this country,” said Maqbul, who lives and attends secondary school in the capital, Mogadishu.

That could all change with Fursad Fund, which launched last weekend and aims to establish “Somalia’s first independent trust fund” through donations from citizens and the Somali diaspora, rather than foreign aid. The money raised is meant to help create jobs and other opportunities for impoverished and disadvantaged communities across the East African country, where youth are often otherwise lured by piracy or armed groups.
But while residents and the government hailed the homegrown campaign’s intentions, Somalia analysts were concerned about Fursad Fund’s board of directors and its links to the government. They also warned that success will ultimately be determined by the organization’s ability to deliver on its lofty promises and remain transparent in a country that has been dubbed the world’s most corrupt.“It’s going to face the predictable challenges in a place like Somalia,” said Ken Menkhaus, a political scientist at

North Carolina’s Davidson College who focuses on the Horn of Africa. “Any trust or foundation like this does run the risk of abuse if there isn’t very good governance or oversight. That falls on the shoulders of the board of directors in a country which routinely ranks No. 1 of corrupt cultures on Earth.”
Fursad Fund is targeting 5,000 Somali donors for the first year, with each one paying $1 per day, $7 per week, $30 per month, $365 per year. That will total $1.825 million in donations, and the finances will be allocated to the fund’s “three core joint targets,” as determined solely by a board of directors. These priorities will address issues nationwide in Somalia’s past, present and future: social reconciliation and trust-building encouragement, job creation and poverty reduction as well as education and infrastructure development.It also sets out to recruit a thousand volunteers from across the country to support the implementation of proposed projects, which include a vocational training program, community infrastructure development, a teacher training program and a capacity and salary support program for various industries in both the public and private sectors.

TOP TWEETS

@Nabad_Somalia: I asked myself what i have done 4 #Somaliaand realized the culture of blaming others doesn’t help. Actions MUST do the talking. @FursadFund

@engyarisow: #Somalia: Military court sentenced Hassan Hanafi Haji, Senior official of Alshabaab, to public execution for killing journalists

@abdirashidmd: #Puntland trains office engineers on hybrid roads N bridges manuals for 1st time-it will benefit districts#Somalia.

@AmbAmerico:Hope for peace and prosperity are in the eyes of this young beautiful future leader of #Somalia. Photo by Ato.

@Zoe_Flood :Al-Shabaab claims #Baidoa attack on people watching Man U-Arsenal game NW of #Somalia capital, killing 30: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35 685648 …

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IMAGE OF THE DAY

ISWA Officials meet AMISOM political team.

Photo: AMISOM