November 3, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
Puntland Prepares To Assault ISIS Affiliates In Qandala, Foreign Warships Fires Them
03 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 153 Words
Puntland State of Somalia said on Wednesday that their forces are ready to move to the ancient port town after one week of ISIS affiliates full control. Addressing the media after trip back from Abu Dhabi, President Abdiweli Gas said Puntland troops are planning to go into Qandala as soon as possible.
“Qandala will be out of Da’ish control as soon as possible. Puntland troops are ready to go there and defeat them,” said President Abdiweli. Reports have also surfaced that unidentified warships hit several targets in and around Qandala on Wednesday. Near villagers heard several large explosions but could not tell further information.
Most residents have already fled Qandala. ISIS affiliates and a few residents are now remaining in Qandala. Goobjoog reporter in Bosaso says a convoy of military has left from Bosaso on Wednesday, but given the difficult mountainous roads it will take for a while to reach Qandala.
Key Headlines
- Puntland Prepares To Assault ISIS Affiliates In Qandala Foreign Warships Fires Them (Goobjoog News)
- 20 Arrested In Mogadishu Security Operation (Dhacdo.com)
- Interview with HirShabelle President (Radio Muqdisho)
- Somali PM: Elections Will Take Place As Scheduled (Jowhar.com)
- Three Men Charged In Alleged Hate Crime Against Somali Man (NBC News)
- US Supports Media Representatives on International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists(United States Mission To Somalia)
- Rival Terror Groups — ISIS And Al-Shabaab — Descend on Somalia Making Life Even More Perilous for Christians (Christian Today)
- The Perpetual Transition In Somalia (Institute for Security Studies)
NATIONAL MEDIA
20 Arrested In Mogadishu Security Operation
03 October 2016 – Source: Dhacdo.com – 173 Words
The Somali Federal Government security forces on Wednesday night carried out a big security operation in Mogadishu’s Wadajir district arresting up to 20 people, local residents reported. Security forces conducted a house to house-to-house search apprehending young men suspected to be members of Al-Shabaab. “Heavily armed security forces were deployed in our neighborhood and they said were looking for Al-Shabaab-linked members. They arrested 20 people and later left,” said one of the local residents of Hawa Tako neighborhood in Wadajir district. However, there was no official statement regarding the security operation from the government officials.
Wadajir district yesterday also saw the arrest of two suspected Al-Shabaab assassins who shot dead an elderly man. Somali police responded quickly and engaged gunfight with the armed men injuring one of them. Security forces were commended for their swift response. Just several days ago, security forces shot dead suspected Al-Shabaab assassin who killed a senior security official in Hodan district. Security branches continue to promise monetary awards for police members who either arrest or kill Al-Shabaab assassins.
Interview with HirShabelle President
03 November – Source: Radio Muqdisho – 99 Words
The President of HirShabelle State, Ali Abdullahi Osoble during an interview with the Radio Muqdisho, said HirShabelle communities are ready to stand with the new administration. The newly elected president said his administration has devised a strategy to develop the state and he affirmed he will do tangible services. Mr. Osobe also stressed that he will focus on security and development. After he was asked about his last visit to Beledwayne, the president said the communities there gave him a warm welcome. The president added that plans to construct a road connecting from Mogadishu to Beledwayne are under way.
Somali PM: Elections Will Take Place As Scheduled
03 October 2016 – Source: Jowhar.com – 134 Words
Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali has expressed optimism that the upcoming elections will take place as planned amid concerns over another delay to the presidential election. PM Sharmarke who is currently on a visit in Djibouti met with the Djiboutian president Ismail Omar Gelle and briefed him on the latest political situation in Somalia, particularly the upcoming elections.
The prime minister asked Djibouti to send election observers to Somalia since the current government was firstly established in Djibouti. He thanked Djibouti for its unwavering support to Somalia. He said the voting of the Lower House parliament elections will soon kick off in the regional states capitals. Regional states capitals are very busy hosting many activities related to the elections with dozens of candidates vying for the Lower House Parliamentary memberships gathering in such cities.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Three Men Charged In Alleged Hate Crime Against Somali Man
03 November – Source: NBC News – 338 Words
Three local men have been charged with a hate crime for allegedly beating a Somali man because of his race and religion at a pizza restaurant in Redwood Village, according to the San Diego District Attorney’s office. Sean Arevalo, Terrance Crow, and Scott Peretti allegedly beat a 20-year old Somali Muslim man with brass knuckles and a chair inside the lobby of Zappy Pizza on University Avenue. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon around 3:42 p.m., according to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD).
Police say an argument sparked after Arevalo, Crow and Peretti allegedly made degrading comments to the victim regarding his race and religion. The suspects then hit the man in the face with brass knuckles and slammed a chair onto his head. A woman, who wished not to be identified by name, says she is the girlfriend of one of the suspects. She said that this wasn’t a hate crime, but just a scuffle between the men–comparing it to a high school fight.
“Violence is not the answer but in this case, it is self-defense,” she told NBC 7. “But what are you going to do if someone is hitting you?” “Guys, guys. Just people talking crap. Somebody took offense to it and now there is a fight. That’s all that happened,” she added. The three men were arrested at a home on Hughes Street, near the pizza restaurant after they were identified by witnesses. The victim suffered minor injuries, police said.
US Supports Media Representatives on International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
03 November – Source: United States Mission to Somalia – 159 Words
On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, theUnited States honors the men and women of the Somalia media who, despite threats of intimidation and violence, continue to provide news and information to the Somali people.
Journalists working in Somalia face arrest, threats of violence, and at times, death, and news outlets are subject to government sanctioned closure. The United States salutes the courage of Somali journalists, who risk their lives exercising their right of freedom of expression on behalf of the Somali people, and urges the Federal Government of Somalia to act decisively to end the culture of impunity and violence that threatens the lives of journalists.
Somalia ranked number one on the 2016 global impunity index from the Committee to Protect Journalists, which spotlights countries where journalists are murdered and their killers go unpunished. We support President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s call to protect journalists and end impunity for crimes against journalists.
Rival Terror Groups — ISIS And Al-Shabaab — Descend on Somalia, Making Life Even More Perilous for Christians
02 November – Source: Christian Today – 383 Words
Last week, the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group gained its first foothold in the country located in the Horn of Africa, according Mission Network News. The Al-Shabaab, another Islamist militant group, has likewise reportedly taken over parts of the country. “These are perilous times” for Christians in Somalia, said Voice of the Martyrs, Canada’s Greg Musselman.
“Yet, in the middle of all that, we do hear these many stories of Muslims having visions and dreams of Jesus. They need that, really, in order to stand for their faith,” he revealed. Last week ISIS militants entered Qandala, a small coastal town in northern Somalia, which is Al-Shabaab territory. According to Reuters, the ISIS fighters flew their flag over a government building but then withdrew to nearby caves a day later.
“The militants left town early this morning but they are not far away,” Abdiweli Adan, an elder in a town close to Qandala, told AFP. “Some fishermen saw them staying close by in mountainous enclaves.” Just like ISIS, Al-Shabaab is also in the territory-grabbing business. Its militants reportedly seized several towns in Somalia after Ethiopia allegedly pulled out some of its troops from the country.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Moving in the right direction would certainly be helpful. But whether Somalia can become truly democratic by 2020 is doubtful, especially with Al-Shabaab still menacing.”
The Perpetual Transition In Somalia
02 November – Source: Institute For Security Studies – 1,303 Words
Somalia’s legislative elections missed a key deadline last week, risking a third delay and raising more serious questions about whether the deeply troubled country will ever make it out of its open-ended transition phase to become a real democracy. Four of the six federal states completed the election of members of the new upper house of the Somali Federal Parliament. But voting for the more important lower house – The People’s House – which was supposed to start on 23 October and run through to 10 November, had not begun.
This raised some doubts about whether or not Parliament would be able to perform its first duty of electing a new president on 30 November, who would appoint a new prime minister, who would in turn appoint a cabinet. The failure of clan elders and others involved to complete the process of choosing an electoral college, to elect the 275 members of the lower house, provoked a strong rebuke from the ‘international community’.
In a rare joint statement, the United Nations (UN), African Union, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ethiopia, Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, expressed ‘grave concerns’ over allegations of corruption and the intimidation of prospective candidates for Parliament, electoral college delegates and election officials.
Michael Keating, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, warned this week that: ‘The electoral process is reaching a pivotal moment’ and that the continual delays, intimidation and vote-buying ‘are now raising serious questions about the integrity and credibility of the process.’
It is not the logistical challenges familiar to many other African elections – of getting ballots and other materials to thousands of polling stations scattered around the country – which is causing the delay. Only 14 025 people out of Somalia’s population of some 12 million may vote in this election; and they are to do so in just a few federal state capitals.
TOP TWEETS
@FartaagConsult: The issue of public fund #diversion in#Somalia could go on and until a neutral party investigates the matter and provides greater clarity!
@Inomla : #Somalia: The Ancient Lost Kingdom of #Punt is Finally Found?
@ahmedwardigley : #Somalia: The battle for Oil in Khatuma,Somaliland,Puntland,..
@hiiraan : #Somalia to launch first offshore oil license round in 2017
http://hiiraan.com/news4/2016/
@alijira : Clock is ticking 27 days to go the biggest day of the#Somalia political history elections 2016 #Democracy @Ijabril@BorisJohnson @ipinst
@RadioErgo : #Somalia:Parents struggle to bring malnourished children from Lower Juba villages to health centrehttp://bit.ly/2fGLj5b @unicefsomalia
@engyarisow : #Somalia stresses the importance to end impunity and its readiness to implement definite measures countering the present culture of impunity
@Somaliupdate : Economic Solutions Are Crucial To Help Solve#Somalia‘s Political Woes
http://somaliupdate.com/
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Murders, intimidation of journalists usually go unpunished in Somalia. 31 killed since Aug. 2012.
Photo: UNSOM