13 Oct 2011 – Daily Monitoring Report
Key Headlines:
- Hundreds of residents return to their homes after four years
- Puntland president to attend anti-piracy forum in London
- Mogadishu residents rebuild after al Shabaab departure
- Turkish high school to open in Mogadishu
- Chinese donation supports WFP’s food distribution in famine- stricken Somalia
- Somali politician calls government to have peace talks with the rebel groupWar is not over says al Shabaab
SOMALI MEDIA
Hundreds of residents return to their homes after four years
12 Oct- Source: Radio Mogadishu, Somaliareport- 59 words
Families who were displaced by the fighting in Mogadishu four years ago have started coming back to the districts of Kaaraan, Heliwaa, Yaaqshiid and Wardhigley after the Somali National Forces and AMISOM chased the extremist from the Capital. Vehicles carrying many people were seen in the streets of Mogadishu, which is a sign that the security of the capital has been restored.
Puntland president to attend anti-piracy forum in London
12 Oct- Source: Radio Bar-kulan, Garowe Online- 168 words
Somalia’s breakaway Puntland president Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud Farole has on Wednesday travelled to Britain, where he is expected to attend an anti-piracy forum in London. Speaking to reporters at Garowe Airport, president Farole said he would attend the forum as part of the Anti-Piracy Week-in London, where participants will deliberate more on piracy, its impact and ways to tackle it. He said the forum will be attended by international dignitaries, international agencies, marine insurance companies and vessel owners from around the globe. The president added that his administration will deliver a speech detailing how piracy off the Somali coast has emerged. President Farole and his entourage will first make a stop in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, where he will hold talks with representatives of Somalia and other concerned countries before proceeding to London. Meanwhile, Puntland vice president Abdisamed Ali Shire has returned to Garowe after paying visit to the neighbouring Ethiopia to secure the release of Puntland legislator who was earlier arrested in Ethiopia.
Al Shabaab release three from Jowhar custody
12 Oct- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 115 words
Reports from Jowhar, Middle Shabelle, say al Shabaab have set free three people, all of them men, who had been in custody for a couple of months. Locals told Bar-Kulan that one of the detainees has been in custody for the last five months for allegedly refusing to comply with unspecified rebel orders. Elders and family members of the detainees pleaded with the rebel leaders in the area and secured their release.The rebel group accused the detainees of breaching their rules in the area but gave no further details.The rebel group is known for its arbitrary detention of their critics and those who defy their orders in areas under their control.
Somali politician calls government to have peace talks with the rebel group
13 Oct- Source: Radio Shabelle, Mareeg Online, VOA Somali Service- 91 words
Abdullahi Ahmed Addow, one of Somali veteran politicians in Washington, the United States of America has called for the TFG to open peace talks with al Shabaab, reports said. Giving an interview to Shabelle radio station in Mogadishu and VOA Somali service in Washington, Mr Adow called for the Somali government to negotiate with al Shabaab, saying it was an opportunity.
http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.
Malaysia mulls legal action against killers of cameraman
13 Oct- Source: Somali National News Agency SONNA – 433 words
The Foreign Ministry of Malaysia is looking into the kind of legal actions that can be taken to impose the appropriate penalty on the four Burundian peacekeepers responsible for the death of a BernamaTV cameraman in Somalia on Sept 2nd, the Dewan Rakyat was told today. Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman told the Malaysian parliament that the four soldiers were sent back to their country for trial after the African Union Mission for Somalia (AMISOM) held them responsible for the killing of Noramfaizul Mohd Nor in Mogadishu. The Malaysian mission in Nairobi, Kenya has been asked to monitor the trial until its conclusion and the ministry would send an official request to AMISOM and the Burundi government to keep the ministry posted on the developments in the case, he said. Anifah was replying to 10 questions raised by MPs on the developments in the fatal shooting of Noramfaizul who had been in the media team of a humanitarian mission of the Putera 1 Malaysia Club in Somalia.
War is not over says al Shabaab
13 Oct- Source: Radio Kulmiye- 164 words
Somali’s Al-Qaida inspired group of al Shabaab has vowed that the war against the TFG and AMISOM was not yet over after they made final withdrawal from major parts of the capital Mogadishu. ”We aim not to vacate from Mogadishu only, but we were looking to see soldiers coming to new locations and spread their power to the entire capital so that we can be able to change our combat against their soldiers (and wage) a new hot war which (will be) stronger then past one” said one of the Shabab leaders in the statement. Al Shabaab vacated from major positions in August this year saying it was a tactical removal and that they will remain in large swathes of the south and central regions in the country.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Mogadishu residents rebuild after al Shabaab departure
12 Oct- Source: Al Jazeera- 56 words
On October 11, African Union troops and soldiers from the TFG pushed al Shabaab rebels out of their last remaining stronghold in Mogadishu. One day later, traders and families have begun moving back to rebuild lives deeply affected by violence. Al Jazeera’s Peter Greste reports from Bakhara Market, in the capital Mogadishu.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Brothers in Arms launched at the National Museum
12 Oct- Source: Nairobi Star- 173 words
One of the worst and longest running conflicts in the world has to be the Somalia one that began two decades ago with the end of the Siad Barre reign. The country imploded into fiefdoms and has never come together since. The international community has come up with several suggested solutions over the years without much solution. The most recent and promising has to be the Amisom, a regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations.
A photo exhibition ‘Brothers in Arms’ was recently opened at the National Museum in Nairobi. It showcases images taken from the conflict centre Mogadishu. The event was graced by several interested parties including the ambassadors of some of the countries contributing troops including Ugandan High Commissioner Angelina Wapakabulo and Burundi Ambassador Emmerence Ntahonkuriye. Also in attendance was the Somali Ambassador to Kenya Mohamed Ali Nur. The images in the exhibition show a battered and bruised Mogadishu and the soldiers as they navigate the extremely dangerous terrain and closes on October 16.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/
UN lifts security warning on Kenya
12 Oct- Source: Daily Nation- 296 words
The United Nations has lifted a security advisory in northern Kenya, paving the way for relief work to resume. However, UN aid agencies have been advised to be cautious of the insecurity in southcentral Somalia region of Dobley. The lifting of the advisory means UN aid groups can now operate in Liboi near the Kenya- Somalia border. Consequently, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has started transporting 2,252 refugees from Liboi to Dadaab camps on request from local authorities effective from October 9. A UN report from IOM says the population in Dadaab had increased to 458,636 as of October 6. The camp was built to host 90,000 people only. “As of October 9, IOM had transported up to 41,337 refugees to Dadaab since July 31,” the report says.
The agency also relocated more than 24,900 refugees from the outskirts of Dagahaley Camp to Ifo II East Camp and transported 16,435 refugees from Liboi to Dadaad. The IOM had, according to the report, completed Phase I of shelter construction at the recently created Ifo II East Camp for scheduled 7,500 refugees. The lifting of the UN advisory is due to improved security surveillance on the Kenyan coastline and on the Kenya-Somalia border.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/
Balala joins tourism ministers to appeal for peace in Somalia
13 Oct- Source: the Standard- 256 words
Tourism Minister Najib Balala has appealed to the International Community to intervene in efforts to restore peace in the war-torn country of Somalia. Speaking at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Conference currently underway in South Korea, Balala said instability in Somalia was posing a serious threat to security in neighbouring countries, Kenya included. The minister told a ministerial roundtable meeting that the problem in Somalia was also causing a a serious international problem and thus requires an international solution that will permanently restore regional peace and security. Balala’s sentiments were also echoed by other African leaders from Mozambique and Tanzania. The minister told tourism ministers from the UNWTO member countries that the recent kidnappings and killings of tourists in Kenya were just few of the threats that insecurity in Somalia was causing to Kenya. The incident, he said, has greatly affected cruise tourism but was optimistic it would be normalised.
He asked the United Nations to take the issue of insecurity in Somalia as a priority and intervene in order to find a lasting solution to the problem, adding that cases of insecurity were greatly affecting tourism in neighbouring countries.
http://www.standardmedia.co.
Foreign forces said to strike pirate base near Kenya-Somalia border
13 Oct- Source: Coastweek, Xinhua- 397 words
Foreign security agencies on Wednesday launched an attack at a pirates’ base situated a few miles from the Kenya-Somalia border, killing and injuring several unknown suspected pirates. The base, near the Kenyan coastal town of Lamu is suspected to be used for holding abducted victims briefly especially before they are transferred to the main bases inside Somalia. According to reliable information from Lamu, the forces from the United States and France are suspected to have carried the aerial attacks early on Wednesday. The moves come a day after Kenya forces established a military base in Kiunga area in Lamu in new efforts to combat militia groups from Somalia. The joint U.S. and France military forces launched an attack early Wednesday morning, according to the sources.
http://www.coastweek.com/3440_
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Chinese donation supports WFP’s food distribution in famine- stricken Somalia
13 Oct- Source: Xinhua- 454 words
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) on Wednesday began the distribution of food assistance purchased using a 16 million U.S. dollars donation from China to hungry families in Somalia, WFP statement said. This is also China’s largest single donation to WFP humanitarian operations, the statement added. Officials from the Chinese government and the United Nations World Food Program on Wednesday arrived in the Somali capital Mogadishu for a one-day visit to attend the hand-over ceremony of China’s donation towards WFP’s relief in the famine stricken horn of African country. Han Chunlin, the Economic Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, represented the Chinese government while Stefano Porretti, WFP’s Somalia Country Director, represented the UN food agency at the hand over ceremony in Mogadishu. Following the hand-over of hundreds of tones of white maize, part of China’s donation to the humanitarian effort in the famine- stricken horn of African country, Han said the donation marks the Chinese people’s stance with people of Somalia.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
Turkish high school to open in Mogadishu
13 Oct – Source: Today’s Zaman – 197 words
A Turkish high school will be opened in Mogadishu in the next month, proof that Turkey is continuing to make good on its promise to invest in Somalia’s infrastructure, according to an Anatolia news agency report. Bilal �‡elik, chairman of Turkish charity the Nil Organization, said on Wednesday that an admission exam had been devised and more than 1,000 prospective students have applied to the school. �‡elik, adding that 120 students would be boarders, said they would give textbooks to Somali students free of charge. Math, physics, chemistry and computer lessons will be taught in English, social studies lessons will be taught in Somali and religion lessons will be in Arabic. The students will also have Turkish language lessons 11 hours per week. A total of nine Turkish teachers will work at the school, �‡elik said. Turkey has been a leader in the international community for its impressive and ongoing aid to Somalia, where approximately half of its population has yet to receive aid. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Mogadishu and several refugee camps in Somalia, pledging more aid in cash and infrastructure.
http://www.todayszaman.com/
Soldiers, not soccer, in Somalia’s national stadium
12 Oct- Source: AFP- 631 words
Somalia’s national stadium has not hosted a football match for decades, instead, the bullet-scarred building has served as a strategic base for the multiple armies that have battled for control of this anarchic city. In what were once changing rooms, blood oozes down plastic tubes as its latest residents — Ugandan soldiers — donate supplies ready for battles to drive out diehard Islamist Shebab insurgents from war-torn Mogadishu. “If my friends need my blood, or if I need extra blood, then it is good to be ready,” said James Muasa, a Ugandan soldier with the African Union force, which fights alongside Somali troops from the weak Western-backed government.
The imposing stadium has been out of service ever since then-president Siad Barre was toppled in 1991, and Somalia slid into repeated rounds of civil war. Its grim history is marked by graffiti on its crumbling walls left by the various soldiers, warlords and rebels who have put the sports stadium to alternative use. On one entrance, military badges painted by Pakistani units colour the walls, left by peacekeepers based here in the 1990s when — like today — famine zones were declared in southern Somalia. It was those Pakistani soldiers who in 1993 welcomed in US troops, who had fought through the city after battling Somali fighters when their helicopters were shot down, scenes made famous by the Hollywood film “Black Hawk Down.” “To survive you need balls,” reads one slogan in English, spray-painted in a changing room turned military barrack.
Elsewhere, names carved into walls are written in the Amharic script of Ethiopia, messages left by troops in the 2006 US-backed Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, toppling an Islamist movement that briefly controlled the country. Recently, the Al-Qaeda linked Shebab fighters used the 35,000-seater stadium as a training centre, turning the pitch into a firing range to test homemade armour piercing bullets, with an iron block as thick as a thumb riddled with holes. More recent graffiti left by Shebab fighters includes pornographic scrawls, as well as childlike charcoal images of men with guns, or of pickup trucks mounted with machine guns, the vehicle of choice for Somali militiamen. Seized by Ugandan troops two months ago, the stadium today is a key forward base for assaults on rebel holdouts, with battle tanks parked outside and machine gun posts surrounding the perimeter.