March 8, 2016 | Morning Headlines
US Kills 150 Al Shabaab Militants In Somalia
08 March – Source: The Telegraph – 307 Words
The US has carried out an airstrike in Somalia, killing more than 150 fighters with the al Qaida-linked Islamist group Al Shabaab, following intelligence on preparations for a large-scale militant attack, the Pentagon said today. The weekend strike using both manned and unmanned drone aircraft targeted Al Shabaab’s “Raso” training camp, a facility about 120 miles north of the capital Mogadishu, the Pentagon said.
The US military said it had been monitoring the camp for several weeks before the strike and had gathered intelligence, including about an imminent threat posed by the trainees: “We know they were going to be departing the camp and that they posed an imminent threat to the US and to Amisom (African Union mission in Somalia) forces that are in Somalia,” said Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis.
Davis declined to disclose any specific information the US might have about the group’s intended target.
The al Qaida-linked Al Shabaab was pushed out of Mogadishu by African Union peacekeeping forces in 2011 but has remained a potent antagonist in Somalia, launching frequent attacks in its bid to overthrow the western-backed government.
The group, whose name means “The Youth,” seeks to impose its strict version of Sharia law in Somalia, where it frequently unleashes attacks targeting security and government targets, as well as hotels and restaurants in the capital.Al Shabaab was also behind deadly attacks in Kenya and Uganda, which both contribute troops to an African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia. Davis expressed confidence there were no civilian casualties.
Key Headlines
- US Kills 150 Al Shabaab Militants In Somalia (The Telegraph)
- Hiiraan Elders Snub New Round Of Inter-Regional State Formation Talks (Hiiraan Online)
- Fugitive Former Warlord Abdinur Siyad Detained By Somali Security Forces (Goobjoog News)
- Al Shabaab Commander Arrested In Qoryooley Town (Goobjoog News)
- Australian Naval Vessel Seizes Weapons Cache Bound For Somalia (Deutsche Welle News)
- Somali Women Seek More Political Participation As the Country Marks International Women’s Day(AMISOM)
- EU Ambassador Unveils Model School In Kismayo (AMISOM/UNSOM)
- Hydro Industries Brings Clean Water To Troubled Mogadishu (Wales Online)
- In Somalia Al Shabaab Far from a Spent Force (The Atlantic Council)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Hiiraan Elders Snub New Round Of Inter-Regional State Formation Talks
07 March – Hiiraan Online – 372 Words
Elders in the central Somali region of Hiiraan have boycotted another round of inter-regional state formation conference with the neighboring Middle Shabelle region, in a latest standoff related to the initiative being pushed by the Somali President. The council of the regional elders earlier declined to attend the conference which was held in Jowhar, the regional capital of Middle Shabelle region, accusing Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of disregarding their conditions of attendance to the talks.
“The way they are managing the process is wrong. They are pushed by a hidden political agenda which is being planned contrary to the interests of the people in the region.” said Ugas Abdirahman Ugas Abdullahi, one of the region’s clan leaders at a meeting in Beledweyne, the region’s capital. The development has dealt a potential blow to the President’s efforts, seen as the best chance to form an inter-regional state for the neighboring regions.
No comment could be reached from Somali government on the development which underscores challenges facing its efforts aimed at spreading the new federalism system initiative across the country. Political analysts have pointed out complexities surrounding the states’ formation process, given lack of consensus, mistrust and rivalry among clans in the two regions. The elders had earlier set tough terms for their endorsement of the formation of an inter-regional state with its neighbouring Middle Shabelle region. They demanded the allocation of the proposed state’s capital and conference’s venue to their region, a suggestion dismissed by its neighboring region.
Fugitive Former Warlord Abdinur Siyad Detained By Somali Security Forces
07 March – Source: Goobjoog News – 91 Words
Abdinur Nouri Siyad, popularly known by his nickname (Abdiwal), has been detained by Somali secret service at the Adan Ade International Airport. The man first stopped by Kenyan security Authorities who then extradited him to Somalia at the request of Somali Federal government. Goobjoog News has reliably established that Abdiwal fled Mogadishu August 2014 to his hometown Dhusamareb in central region after he clashed with Somali security forces. Ever since, he has been a most sought after fugitive by Somali Security Forces. The former warlord was a member of once feared warlords of Mogadishu and believed to have commanded clandestine hitmen for several years.
Al Shabaab Commander Arrested In Qoryooley Town
07 March – Source: Goobjoog News – 180 Words
A senior Al Shabaab commander was arrested by Government forces in a security operation in an area close to Qoryooley town in lower Shabelle of southern Somalia. Somali government’s police commander in Qoryooley, Amaadi Gabow Bule confirmed to Goobjoog News that the government forces captured Mohamed Ali Gele, Al Shabaab’s commander, who was operating in many areas in lower Shabelle region after a long search.
“We have arrested Ali, Al Shabaab commander in the area, who has been forcefully collecting levies from herdsmen and farmers. There was no other casualty. We will continue to wage war against Al Shabaab,” Amaadi said, adding that they will never allow the Al Shabaab militants to collect unjustified levies on citizens. He said the Somali and AU troops will intensify the war against Al Shabaab militants to undermine their capacity to launch attacks against civilians in the Horn of Africa state. Al Shabaab insurgents has lost key towns including Qoryooley town to AMISOM forces.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Australian Naval Vessel Seizes Weapons Cache Bound For Somalia
07 March – Source: Deutsche Welle – 320 Words
A multimillion dollar cache of weapons bound for Somalia was intercepted by an Australian naval ship near the coast of Oman on Monday. The weapons supply, which included almost 2,000 AK-47 rifles, 100 rocket-propelled grenades launchers and 49 PKM machine guns, violates a UN Security Council arms embargo against Somalia.
“The weapons were seized under United Nations sanctions, which authorize interdiction on the high seas of illicit weapons destined for Somalia,” the navy said in a statement. The East African nation has been mired in conflict and civil war since 1991. The arms embargo, first imposed in 1992, was eased in 2013 to allow the Western-backed government in Mogadishu to buy light weapons to bolster its armed forces.
The embargo is intended to keep weapons out of the hands of militant groups such as the Islamist al-Shabab insurgents, who are aligned with al-Qaida. The Australian Navy patrols much of the Indian Ocean as part of an international seafaring force. The navy said sailors from the HMAS Darwin boarded a fishing vessel 170 nautical miles (196 ‘statute’ miles) off the coast of Oman to verify the flag the ship was sailing under. They determined the vessel was stateless.
The Darwin is patrolling the region as part of the Combined Task Force 150, which responsible for counter-terrorism operations, curbing piracy and drug smuggling. Also seized from the fishing vessel were 39 PKM spare barrels and 20 mortar tubes. One Western security expert estimated the street value of the entire cache to be in excess of $2 million (1.8 million euros). It was not immediately clear who, in Somalia, was the intended recipient of the weapons cache, which was found hidden under fishing nets. Besides Al-Shabab, there are regional states in Somalia that operate and equip their own militias without the approval of the central government. No Somali government spokesman could immediately be reached for comment on the Australian Navy’s seizure.
Somali Women Seek More Political Participation As the Country Marks International Women’s Day
07 March – Source: AMISOM – 805 Words
Somali women are calling for more involvement in the country’s political and decision-making processes, as the country joins the rest of the world to mark International Women’s Day tomorrow. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Pledge for Parity” and “Planet 50 – 50: Step It Up for Gender Equality” which roots for equal opportunities for both gender.
In Somalia, women are rising up following more than two decades of civil war and a culture impediments to participate in the country’s stabilisation efforts including playing roles in the country’s security and political growth. To date, Somalia has mainstreamed gender issues into the country’s Provisional Federal Constitution; with discussions to better cater for women in the new constitution that is currently being written.
Asha Abdulle Siyad of the Somali Women Leadership Initiative (SWLI), says there has been tremendous progress regarding the status of women: “There was a culture that said that Somali women cannot participate or be part of the political processes but the last four years of this government, we have lobbied. When the regional administrations were being formed, we participated. We went to every region to mobilise the women, to reconcile them and to show them how to unite as women and advocate for their rights together as women,” she said.
Ms. Asha emphasizes that the voices of women need to be heard, adding that they need to be among the decision makers, if their views are to be taken seriously: “It is very important because in Somalia, it is estimated that women and girls constitute 70% of the population. So if women are not part of the decision making process, then who will speak for their needs or their rights? They have to be part of the political administration; they have to be on that decision making table so that they can voice the needs women, the needs of girls, everything about women.”
Despite efforts to improve the lives of Somali women, they still face challenges that negatively impact them. Amina Arale is the Executive Director of Somali Women Development Centre, an organisation that provides assistance to disadvantaged women. She says there are critical issues that require urgent attention. The African Union has declared 2016 the African Year of Human Rights with particular focus on the rights of women. It is the year when African countries who are member states of the AU are expected to expedite policies and laws that create gender parity and equal opportunities for women.
EU Ambassador Unveils Model School In Kismayo
07 March – Source: AMISOM- 428 Words
European Union Ambassador to Somalia Michele Cervone D’Urso presided over a groundbreaking ceremony for a model school in Kismayo on Sunday 6 March 2016. Ambassador D’Urso and his delegation comprising of the Federal Minister of Planning Hon. Abdirahman Yussuf Aynte and Federal Minister of Education Mrs Kadar Bashir Ali, was received by Jubbaland President H.E Ahmed Mohamed Islam -‘Madobe’ on arrival in Kismayo.
The EU ambassador said the model school would be a premier education institution in Somalia: “For the EU, what Jubbaland has been doing is very much the beginning of a model for the federal Somalia, it all starts here. And I am even more delighted that we are here today with the Federal government. I think it is the first time donors have come to Jubbaland with the Federal government in a full trilateral partnership,” stated Ambassador D’Urso.
He pledged the European Union’s support to the education sector. “The reason why we are here today, let me just emphasize, is bigger than this project. I will say there are three fundamental things, which are very unique. First is the trilateral partnership of Jubbaland, Federal Government and European Union; secondly and very important is that the EU is back, supporting education after twenty years. This is significant and; thirdly, I come here often for political reasons, security co-operation and stabilization, but today and the coming days, we will be discussing mainstream development co-operation, beyond stabilization,” he added.
The Federal Minister of Education Mrs Khadar Bashir Ali expressed satisfaction with the support that the Federal Government has received from the European Union. She said when complete the school would introduce an evening programme for those who cannot attend school during the day.
Hydro Industries Brings Clean Water To Troubled Mogadishu
07 March – Source: Wales Online – 362 Words
It’s one of the world’s most hostile and dangerous environments but now a Welsh company is bringing clean water to the capital of Somalia. Water technology company Hydro Industries is taking part in a project that will see its water purification system delivering a reliable and affordable source of clean water and waste management to people in Mogadishu.
The Carmarthenshire-based company is joining forces with Chelsea Group which is constructing secure living and working accommodation next to the new Mogadishu International Airport terminal. The compound provides a safe port of call for visiting aid workers, business people, politicians and diplomats.Hydro Industries’ CEO Wayne Preece said the company’s technology and staff had already proven their capability to partner with an organisation as demanding as Chelsea Group.
He said: “This collaboration will enable Hydro Industries to further deliver our products and services to some of the most challenging and hostile environments in the world.” The hi-tech water treatment firm was set up at Llangennech, near Llanelli, in 2011 and secured a partnership worth more than £1m to support water treatment plant developments in the United Arab Emirates in 2014.
Mr Preece added: “Hydro’s knowledge and expertise is founded on many years experience in the water and environmental industries. Our team here has successfully pioneered a number of firsts in environmental electrochemistry, for process-design and adaptive software-control: “We have designed, built and installed electrochemical water and effluent treatment plants for a range of global blue-chip companies worldwide for a variety of applications such as drinking water, ground water remediation and oil and water separation.”
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“The airstrike, which is reported to have killed 150 al Shabaab militants, is quite significant for two reasons: some good news and some bad news. The good news is that someone in the United States was keeping an eye on the ball. We had good enough intelligence that the group had assembled, and we were able to react quickly and eliminate the terrorists. The bad news is that the group could assemble 150 people in one spot and was not afraid to do so. These are not signs of a group that is supposedly on the run or defeated.”
In Somalia, Al Shabaab Far from a Spent Force
08 March – Source: Atlantic Council – 877 Words
A US airstrike that killed more than 150 Al Shabaab fighters at a training camp in Somalia over the weekend emphasizes the extent of the terrorist threat in a country that US President Barack Obama once cited as a counter-terrorism success story, said the Atlantic Council’s J. Peter Pham.
“The airstrike was a tactical and operational success, but it also underscores that there is a very serious strategic challenge,” said Pham, who is Director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center. The airstrike hit a training camp about 120 miles north of the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said a “large-scale” attack was being planned. “We know they were going to be departing the camp and they posed an imminent threat to US and [African Union] forces,” he said according to reports.
While Al Shabaab has not managed to carry out attacks in the West, it has attacked Western targets in Somalia as well as, indirectly, in the region. In a video posted online in early 2015, it did, however, call for attacks on shopping malls in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The video listed the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, as a target. Minnesota is home to the United States’ largest Somali community.
Al Shabaab appeals to a “very small minority” of the Somali diaspora in the United States, said Pham. Nevertheless, it does have a network that has facilitated people traveling from the United States to Somalia to fight alongside the group:“Unlike the isolated, so-called ‘self-radicalized’ ISIS sympathizer, this is a group that has a network that has successfully served as a pathway from the United States, and presumably, and this is a risk, a path back to the United States,” he said.
Shirwa Ahmed, the United States’ first suicide bomber in the modern era, came from the Somali-American community in Minnesota. Al Shabaab’s leader Ahmed Abdi Godane pledged allegiance to al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in February of 2012. Godane was killed in a US airstrike in September of 2014. Al Shabaab also has ties to two al Qaeda affiliates—al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).