April 27, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
Mogadishu Bound Flights To Resume Upon Completion Of Security Assessment, Turkish Official
27 April – Source: Goobjoog News – 172 Words
Turkish Airlines will resume direct flights to Mogadishu once the security situation in the city improves, Turkish Deputy under Secretary in the Turkish foreign ministry has exclusively told Goobjoog News. Ali Kamal Aydin told Goobjoog News in Ankara his country was still assessing the security situation in the city and will issue a green light for the airliner to resume direct flights. “We are taking the security issue very seriously within the airport and its environs. Once we are satisfied with the assessment then Turkish airlines will soon be flying direct to Mogadishu,” said Aydin.
Turkish Airlines suspended its direct flights to Mogadishu following a botched bomb attack on a Dallo Airliner in February which forced the plane to revert to Mogadishu 35 minutes after takeoff. Turkish Airlines started direct flights to Mogadishu in 2012, the first airline to connect Somalia to the rest of the world besides the East African region. Passengers travelling to Turkey now have to connect a flight to Nairobi where the Turkish Airlines operates direct flight to.
Key Headlines
- Mogadishu Bound Flights To Resume Upon Completion Of Security Assessment Turkish Official (Goobjoog News)
- Lawmaker Calls On Mogadishu Residents To Work With Security Forces (Shabelle News)
- ISIS Publishes New Video Claiming Presence In Somalia (Radio Dalsan)
- Somali Foreign Minister Meets With His UEA Counterpart (Shabelle News)
- El Nino Could Cause Famine To Return In Somalia (Voice of America)
- Somali Activists Use Social Media To Warn Of The High Costs And Risks Of Seeking Refuge In Europe(PRI)
- Puntland: To The Lighthouse On The Tip Of The Horn Of Africa (RBC Radio)
- Refugee Goat Project Growing By Leaps And Bounds Thanks To Investment (Deseret News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Lawmaker Calls On Mogadishu Residents To Work With Security Forces
27 April – Source: Shabelle News – 122 Words
A Somali lawmaker named Dahir Amin Jesow has called on Mogadishu residents to work closely with the security personnel in restoring peace and stability of the war-recovering seaside capital. Giving an exclusive interview with Radio Shabelle, Mr Jesow said security forces of the Federal Government of Somalia could not accomplish their security responsibility, without the collaboration of the citizens.
The MP also welcomed the arrest of the Al-Shabaab commander Hassan Fanah who was captured by the National Intelligence and Security Agency of Somalia (NISA) in Mogadishu early this week. In the past few weeks, Somali security forces have been carrying out operations aimed at securing Mogadishu, following several Al-Shabaab attacks targeted on law enforcers and foreign nationals.
ISIS Publishes New Video Claiming Presence In Somalia
27 April – Source: Radio Dalsan – 125 Words
Islamic state of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) has produced what is seen as its first video showing presence inside Somalia. The largely propaganda video shows fighters training in undisclosed location inside recuperating state of the horn of Africa. Self proclaimed ISIS leader in Somalia Abdikadir Mumin,who appeared in the video, said he is happy in his new front to realize the agenda of his group in Somalia.
Mumin defected from Al-Shabaab where he served as a senior figure before pledging allegiance to ISIS late last year. There is still infighting between armed group Al-Shabaab members for those willing to pledge allegiance to ISIS global khilafah agenda and those who are opposed and continue what they believe as establishing sharia in Somalia.
Somali Foreign Minister Meets With His UEA Counterpart
27 April – Source: Shabelle News – 144 Nights
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, received today at the ministry, Abdusalam H. Omer, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Investment Promotion of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Sheikh Abdullah welcomed the Somali FM and his accompanying delegation, and discussed with him bilateral relations between the UAE and Somalia and ways to promote them.
The Somali foreign minister commended the humanitarian and charitable efforts by the UAE to help Somalia and its people amid the current calamities they face. He appreciated the initiatives and projects carried out by the UAE in this context. The two sides discussed the latest developments in Somalia, and reviewed the areas of co-operation and bilateral co-ordination. They also exchanged views on a number of issues of common concern. The meeting was attended by Mohammed Ahmed Al Othman, UAE Ambassador to Somalia.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
El Nino Could Cause Famine To Return In Somalia
27 April – Source: Voice of America – 243 Words
The weather changer known as El Nino has left countries in east Africa in danger of famine, according to a group of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The Somalia NGO Consortium said Tuesday that El Nino is creating drought and food shortages. The group released the statement to coincide with a United Nations meeting on humanitarian needs related to the effects of El Nino.
El Nino is the natural warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean that changes weather worldwide. El Nino occurs every several years and lasts close to a year, according to the Associated Press. El Nino impacts weather systems around the globe. For example, some places receive more rain, while others receive no rain or snow.
Last year, El Nino mostly helped conditions in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania by creating more rainfall. But this year, El Nino has severely reduced rainfall in Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti. As a result, close to 19 million people in the Horn of Africa region face food shortages, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Somali Activists Use Social Media To Warn Of The High Costs, And Risks, Of Seeking Refuge In Europe
27 April – Source: PRI – 377 Words
Hundreds of Somalis drowned in the Mediterranean Sea while trying to escape from Egypt to Europe earlier this month. They’re not the first from the region, or even their country, to die making the perilous crossing. A group of young Somali activists heard that a friend’s brother was among the dead. They decided to launch a social media campaign, #DontBuyDeath, to raise awareness of the risks of trying to gain refuge in Europe.
“We were consoling the family and praying for the deceased,” says Abdunir Mohamed Ahmed, an activist and journalist based in Mogadishu. “We wanted to raise the public awareness of youth, because most of the people emigrating to Europe nowadays are using social media and they are seeing beautiful pictures from Europe and America and that will tell them that is a better place to live and this is a better life.”
Later, the group found out their friend’s brother survived, but 400 Somalis, mostly young people, died in the incident. So they pressed on. “They are buying death because they are paying at least $10,000 to get to Europe,” he says. “That money could be invested in the country and could establish small businesses. And at the end of the day, some of them are going to die and be washed away by the Mediterranean Sea.”
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
Puntland: To The Lighthouse On The Tip Of The Horn Of Africa
27 April – Source: RBC Radio – Video: 12:36 Minutes
“Late last year, the project competed in the Community Foundation of Utah’s fourth Social Investors Forum. It was among five finalists selected to pitch innovative ideas for solving social problems to Venture Philanthropy Utah, a group of investors committed to innovation and sustainability in the nonprofit sector.”
Refugee Goat Project Growing By Leaps And Bounds Thanks To Investment
26 April – Source: Deseret News – 565 Words
The goat project was launched three years ago by Somali Bantu, Burundi and Somali Bajuni community leaders with help from the state Refugee Services Office. International Rescue Committee’s Salt Lake office, one of two primary refugee resettlement agencies in the state, is the umbrella nonprofit organization for the project. It is also assisted by nonprofit, church and corporate partners.
Matt Kennedy, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, helps with the daily work of the herd.
What started with a herd of about a 40 goats has grown into a social enterprise of some 160, with 45 new arrivals expected in May. In addition to leasing the goats for grazing for weed control and fire suppression, another goal of the project is to sell goat meat, which is in growing demand in Utah.
“Our goal is over 300 goats, maybe even 1,000,” said goat project coordinator Gustave Deogratiasi. Proceeds from the microenterprise are targeted for programs for East African refugee youth and women and to provide college scholarships. The project also creates jobs and a sense of unity for the three communities that help tend the goats.
Last summer, Deogratiasi’s sons showed goats from the project at the Salt Lake County Fair. There are plans for nine youths to show goats at the fair this year, with children from each community taking part, he said.
TOP TWEETS
@Mogadishu_News : BREAKING: Three foreign Jihadists from#AlShabaab have surrendered themselves into #AMISOMtroops in Lower Shabelle – sources. #Somalia
@Bogorad_Olga : #Somalia: #alShabaab affiliated media says “dozens” of SNA soldiers killed in attack on military base near#Baidoa
@GovernorKalil : I welcome Agreements between #MarehanClan #Jubbaland largest indigenous populations & #Kenya it was long overdue.
@MikaelLindvall : More than 100 CSO participants from all Somalia took part in constitution outreach event, with Swedish support!
@UNOCHA : #ElNino #infographic shows a major global food security crisis. 60m ppl already affected, worst is yet to come.
@MinisterMOFA: Last week, I joined President@TheVillaSomalia while he was briefing #UNSC on #Somalia‘s current situation.
@Mogadishu_News : #UPDATE: Two #British citizens & a#Netherland national, who were fighting for #AlShabaab has fled the group over unknown reasons. #Somalia
IMAGE OF THE DAY
The port city of Kismayo is experiencing a construction boom.
Photo: Zahra Arte