November 10, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
US Airstrikes Target Al-Shabaab In Somalia
09 November – Source: Voice of America News – 191 Words
U.S. forces conducted an airstrike against Al-Shabaab in Somalia on Thursday, killing “several militants,” according to the U.S. military.The drone strike hit targets in the Bay Region of Somalia, about 160 kilometers west of the capital, Mogadishu, Pentagon spokeswoman Audricia Harris told VOA. No civilians were killed in the strike, Harris said.
According to a statement from U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), the strike occurred about 3 p.m. local time in Somalia in coordination with the Somali government.”U.S. forces will continue to use all authorized and appropriate measures to protect Americans and to disable terrorist threats,” AFRICOM said.
The strike came less than a week after U.S. airstrikes targeted Islamic State fighters in the country’s north. Jama Mohamed Qurshe, the chairman of the town of Qandala, told VOA Somali that the U.S. strikes last Friday hit a base for IS militants at Buqa village, about 60 kilometers south of his town, in the semiautonomous region of Puntland. An AFRICOM official told VOA those two strikes killed “fewer than five” IS fighters. They were the first U.S. airstrikes against IS militants in Somalia.
Key Headlines
- US Airstrikes Target Al-Shabaab In Somalia (Voice of America)
- Council Of Ministers Discuss Security And Somali Prisoners Held In Other Countries (Goobjoog News)
- President Farmaajo Met With Galmudug MPs Who Ousted President Haaf (Hiiraan Online)
- DP World’s Berbera Port Gets Election-Year Attention (The Maritime Executive)
- Mogadishu Blast Could Bring About Renewed Conflict Prevention (The Daily Maverick)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Council Of Ministers Discuss Security And Somali Prisoners Held In Other Countries
09 November – Goobjoog News – 316 Words
The Council of Ministers of the Somali Government held their meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheyre, the matters that was discussed included security, Somali prisoners held in different countries and approving of national policies. At first, the Council of Ministers received a report on security of the country by Internal Security Minister Mohamed Abukar Islo Duale, stating that the security situation is very good, and that steps were taken to further tighten the security as well as arresting groups that are involved in acts of violence. The minister noted the security cameras were installed in main roads. Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Kheyre has ordered the Ministry of Finance to immediately pay $1 US million dollar from the government coffers to the victims of 14 October explosion.
The Council of Ministers issued a statement on the situation of Somali prisoners detained in various countries provided by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice Yusuf Garad Omar and Mr. Hassan Hussein Haji, saying that Somalia has completed the necessary steps to implement treaties for the prisoners in India, but still needs to meet certain obligations. Also, the minister said they are still talking with were other countries in connection with Somali prisoners, including UAE, Tanzania, Sudan, Uganda, Libya and Oman.
The Minister of Interior, Abdi Farah Saeed (Juha) briefed the cabinet of the Federal Government on the meeting of the Federal Republic Government, stating it to be success and the concluded in a very positive note, he further stated that the establishment of local councils and local governments administration is underway. The Council of Ministers at last, listened to and debated over national policies of youth and disaster management, which was submitted by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Disaster Management. These policies will help to address the challenges faced by young Somali and the volatile crisis inside the country.
President Farmaajo Met With Galmudug MPs Who Ousted President Haaf
10 November – Source: Hiiraan Online – 182 Words
Galmudug MP, Yusuf Ahmed Eyow who was also the chair of the Galmudug MPs who claimed to have ousted the President Ahmed Duale Geele Haaf spoke of a meeting with President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo. MP, Eyow stated that the president discussed with other MPs the crisis in Galmudug, and resolving the matters through dialogue. The MP however said they told the President they followed the law in the ouster of the President. “We explained to the president the manner in which we removed him from the office, and we want to resolve the matter through dialogue however we will not discuss the legal manner in which we ousted” said MP Eyow.
Eyow further added that complaints of the MPs who ousted the President Haaf was welcomed by President Farmaajo who agreed to meet them again. “The constitutions does not favour anyone, ousting President Haaf was legitimate and we will not accept to debate about said MP Yusuf Ahmed Eyow. Somali President Mohamud Abdullahi Farmajo recently resumed negotiations with Galmudug officials and previously met with the vice president and parliamentary speaker of Galmudug.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
DP World’s Berbera Port Gets Election-Year Attention
09 November – Source: The Maritime Executive – Words
The Port of Berbera’s future may depend in part on the results of Somaliland’s upcoming presidential election. Opposition party candidate Abdirahman Irro has criticized the current government’s $440 million deal with DP World for a 30-year lease on the port, and he has promised to review the agreement – along with other privatization efforts – if he should win the election. “Our party is welcoming of all investment projects in Berbera, but investment deals shouldn’t be conducted under the table,” Irro said. “We promise to review all the deals that were signed by the [current] administration.”
Faisal Ali Waraabe, the candidate of incumbent party UCID, is broadly supportive of the port concession and the economic opportunities it brings. “The port will be expanded and upgraded, we are currently entering the first phase. The second phase of its expansion will follow,” he said in a speech on November 2. “When I am elected president, I will complete these projects for you all, god willing.”
On November 6, one week before election day, DP World announced that it would invest in the development of a four square kilometer free trade zone at Berbera, which will be modeled on its own Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) in Dubai. The proposed Berbera Free Zone (BFZ) would target a wide range of businesses, including warehousing, logistics, import/export, manufacturing and related industries. The details of the BFZ would be negotiated with Somaliland’s new government after the elections.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“The public anger surrounding the 14 October attack will contribute to pressure to step up the military fight against al-Shabaab, which the Somali government has already promised to do. Yet such reactive responses limit the scope to deal proactively with complex longer-term causes of terrorism. Despite the entrenched risk factors in Somalia, and the immediate responses, it is worth considering whether the 14 October attack can in fact lead to local innovation in Somalia that sees more coordinated and unified conflict prevention efforts.”
Mogadishu Blast Could Bring About Renewed Conflict Prevention
10 November – Source: The Daily Maverick – 750 Words
The attack in central Mogadishu on 14 October that killed more than 350 people has not drawn much attention from traditional or social media. Despite being the largest terror attack in Somali history, the now-common supportive hashtags disseminated globally after such deadly incidents such as #PrayforMogadishu – are still not trending. Nevertheless, indications are that the scale of the attack by al-Shabaab could serve as a game changer for innovative conflict prevention in Somalia – both for local and international actors.
The 14 October attack was far from surprising, despite the horrific death toll. Just two weeks later, al-Shabaab militants again assaulted Mogadishu, laying siege to a hotel and killing nearly 30 people. Since being pushed out of many urban centres after a series of offensives by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) between 2012 and 2014, al-Shabaab has countered by engaging in asymmetric violence similar to the recent Mogadishu attacks. As a result, Somalia has become one of the countries most affected by terror attacks worldwide.
Al-Shabaab has achieved success due to several factors. For example, the Somali security sector has struggled to contain the extremist group. Four top security officials have either resigned or been dismissed in the past month, while nascent efforts to develop a coherent national army are hindered by the fact that soldiers are rarely paid on time, if at all. But at its core, al-Shabaab has thrived because of deep-rooted structural factors. These include the constant divisions among political actors, and the challenge of extending government presence in rural areas after decades of state collapse (this is all the more pertinent given the need to compete with the services provided by al-Shabaab itself).
This shows that al-Shabaab is more a symptom of the conditions conducive to conflict in Somalia than the cause. The public anger surrounding the 14 October attack will contribute to pressure to step up the military fight against al-Shabaab, which the Somali government has already promised to do. Yet such reactive responses limit the scope to deal proactively with complex longer-term causes of terrorism.
Despite the entrenched risk factors in Somalia, and the immediate responses, it is worth considering whether the 14 October attack can in fact lead to local innovation in Somalia that sees more coordinated and unified conflict prevention efforts. The outpouring of anti-al-Shabaab sentiment after the attack indicates that the Somali public has already made its feelings known; Somali leadership should set aside their squabbles and unify around this objective. A failure to do so could mean that in the future the public’s wrath is directed more towards the country’s leaders than al-Shabaab.
Genuine local conflict prevention efforts could include a greater focus on clan reconciliation, especially among minority clans. The grievances of potential spoilers left out by Somalia’s incipient federalisation system need to be addressed, to ensure al-Shabaab doesn’t target aggrieved parties for recruitment. On another front, the aftermath of the 14 October attack could also potentially alter international efforts to manage and prevent conflicts in Somalia. It may ultimately influence the nature of the withdrawal of AMISOM at a time when the mission is grappling with the specifics of its funding-induced drawdown.
The current global climate and reduced European Union funding for AMISOM troop payments has signalled a degree of donor fatigue regarding Somalia, despite an outpouring of support after the deadly al-Shabaab attack. If such donor fatigue resumes after the shock of the attack wears off, the future of conflict prevention in Somalia may suffer.
TOP TWEETS
.@DalsanFM 2h2: Al-Shabaab Figthers Killed In US Airstrikes In Bay – http://radiodalsan.com/en/al-
@SnaradioNet: In coordination with the Federal Government of@Somalia, U.S. forces conducted an airstrike in Somalia against al-Shabaab killing over 25 al-Shabaab.
.@Goobjoognews: OP-Ed: Partnering with #Somalia’s Police to Build Counterterrorism Capacity
.@SahraCabdi: #Somali Defensive ministry plans a huge offensive against Alshabab, as the African Union Mission (Amisom) will departure soon from Somalia
.@ahmedvision1: I haven’t seen before such eagerness for change and readiness to volunteer, so ambitious#SomaliaWIllRIse time to get links for all the Somali youth in all over the world.
@joaoscarpelini: In #Somalia, communicating about reforms is just as important as implementing themhttp://tinyurl.com/y974n4ow via@WorldBankAfrica
@Mette_Bakken: Monday’s #elections in #Somaliland will use iris recognition to identify voters – first worldwide! #tech &#democracy
@SSSLtd_Response: #AlShabaab increase #terror #attacksthroughout#Somalia as the #battle between #AlQaeda and#IslamicState in #Africaintensifies. The story so far…
@WariyeRooble: Update: Last 24 hours #US has conducted airstrikes in#Somalia against #Alshabaab, and killed unknown numbers by Alshabaab militants.
@issafrica: Somalia is one of the countries most affected by terror attacks worldwide. ISS Today https://issafrica.org/iss-
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Somaliland’s ruling party, Kulmiye Candidate Musa Bihii Abdi Concludes his campaigns in Hargeisa ahead of the elections next week.
Photo: Hiiraan Online