December 11, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
Government Forces Captures Villages From Al-Shabaab
11 December – Source: Garowe Online – 197 Words
Somali government forces on Monday recaptured key villages in southern Gedo region as the military intensified attacks against the militant group Al-Shabaab. Colonel Ahmed Ibrahim, a Somali army commander, told Garowe Online that their forces launched a major offensive against the militants early in the morning, capturing strategic areas between Baardheere and Garbaharey.
Mr. Ibrahim said Monday’s operation was launched to secure main supply routes in the region, which has witnessed the surge in Al-Shabaab attacks against government- controlled towns near the border with Kenya. “There was no major resistance, and the extremists fled when our troops approached. They have emptied their rural pockets between Garbaharey and Baardheere towns,” he added. The latest takeover came amid increased military operations in the southern regions of the country, conducted jointly by African Union forces (AMISOM) and the Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers.
The allied forces hope to flush out Al-Shabaab militants and liberate the whole country ahead of the AMISOM’s planned withdrawal of 1,000 troops by the end of this month. The group, however, has bounced back from similar defeats in the past maintaining its capacity to conduct ambushes in rural areas as well as high-profile raids inside Mogadishu.
Key Headlines
- Government Forces Captures Villages From Al-Shabaab (Garowe Online)
- South West State Shrugs Off Reports Of New Vice President (Goobjoog News)
- Galmudug Leaders Hold First Meeting After Recent Historic Deal (Jowhar.com)
- Somalia UN Seek To Vaccinate Over 700000 Children Against Polio (Xinhuanet)
- Somalia’s Membership Of COMSATS Celebrated (Thenews.com)
- What Do Quintessential Somali Politicians And Violent Extremist Groups Have In common? (Hiiraan Online)
NATIONAL MEDIA
South West State Shrugs Off Reports Of New Vice President
11 December – Source: Goobjoog News – 267 Words
South West state has dismissed claims the state president Sharif Sheikh Adan has appointed a new vice president. Speaking to Goobjoog News, state presidential spokesperson Nuradin Abukar Gama described the information circulating in the social media ‘as mere rumours that was not officially endorsed by the state leader.’ “This document which is circulating in the social media these days is a false one with people who have personal interest with a fabricated signature of the state president” said Gama.
Gama said the administration had identified the people behind the information noting they forged the president’s signature and use the state logo to distribute false information. “Our extensive investigation led us to the people who used to spread false information though we cannot disclose them now,” added Gama. Gama stated that the lack of state deputy president is due to ongoing reconciliation process in the state where such an appointment needs full consent of the many clans living in the region. State president Sharif Sheikh Adan was elected in November 2014 and no deputy president was appointed for the last three years.
Separately the South West state minister of agriculture has started the distribution of seed to local farmers in 18 areas in the state and a food for work initiative to dig boreholes in collaboration with international agencies. “We are giving out seeds and farm tools in the 18 locations that make up South West state with the exception of Sablale location. Food for work also is implemented towards digging water boreholes under the collaborated sponsorship of FAO and World Vision” agriculture minister Mohamed Hassan Fiqi said.
Galmudug Leaders Hold First Meeting After Recent Historic Deal
11 December – Source: Jowhar.com – 122 Words
Top Galmudug leaders along with Members of parliament from the region met in Mogadishu to show unity and commitment to ending the political conflict in the region. The meeting was attended by Galmudug president Ahmed Du’ale Gelle Haaf, his deputy, regional assembly speaker and deputies and Chief of Ministers, Sheikh Mohamed Shakir.
Sheikh Shakir said unity of the people of Galmudug is essential and underscored the need to unite in the fight against Al-Shabaab. Galmudug regional assembly speaker and his deputies welcomed the recent deal between the Adado-based administration and Ahlu Sunna Wal-Jama’a and the end of all previous rifts. President Ahmed Haaf also shared similar sentiments and promised to implement the outcome of the recently signed agreement between the two sides.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia, UN Seek To Vaccinate Over 700,000 Children Against Polio
10 December – Source: Xinhuanet – 387 Words
Somalia’s health ministry and two United Nations agencies on Sunday launched a three-day oral polio vaccination campaign, targeting 726,699 children under five years of age in two districts. A joint statement issued in Mogadishu said the campaign backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF is taking place in Banadir and Lower and Middle Shabelle regions.
Ghulam Popal, WHO Representative for Somalia said the campaign will be conducted in two rounds through house-to-house visits by vaccination teams, noting that no cases of polio have been detected in Somalia since August 2014. “However, as a preventative measure; it is imperative that all children under five years of age in targeted locations, whether previously immunized or not, receive two drops of oral polio vaccine,” Popal said.
Banadir region reported the highest number of wild poliovirus cases in Somalia (72 out of 199) during the Horn of Africa outbreak in 2013-2014. “We urge all families to get their children vaccinated to protect them against this dangerous disease,” he added. The UN health agencies said the first and second round will involve the use of oral polio vaccine for children under five years of age.
Somalia’s Membership Of COMSATS Celebrated
11 December – Source: Thenews.com – 451 Words
A number of foreign dignitaries, representatives of a number of Pakistan-based and international organisations and Pakistani ministries of Science and Technology and Foreign Affairs gathered to celebrate induction of Somalia as the 26th Member State of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS).
The Federal Republic of Somalia formally became COMSATS member during a signing ceremony held last month at COMSATS Secretariat, when the Minister for Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, and Higher Education, Somalia Abdi Dahir Osman and Executive Director COMSATS, Dr. S. M. Junaid Zaidi, signed Somalia’s accession agreement.
With a Eurasian country, Turkey, as its member, COMSATS has a presence in four continents, the other two being Latin American and Africa. Inclusion of Somalia has further strengthened COMSATS’ presence in Africa. Somalia is the 12th African State to join the organization. Besides COMSATS, Somalia currently holds membership in African Development Bank (ADB), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), G-77, IDA, IDB, IFAD, NAM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, WTFU, WHO, and WTO.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“While we are at war with violent extremist groups, we seem unable to concur on how to deal with these saboteurs whose sole objective is to hold Somalia hostage, and keep its people under persistent mayhem and misery until they realise their venal political ends.”
What Do Quintessential Somali Politicians And Violent Extremist Groups Have In common?
09 December – Source: Hiiraan Online – 1257 Words
I know it might seem bit odd, absurd and hyperbole, to some of you, to suggest that the typical Somali politician’s behaviour borders with that of violent extremist groups. Distinctions between them is that the latter’s primary objective, is to impose its perverted interpretation brand of Islam through violence across the entire country if not the entire region whereas the former’s goal is to hold the whole country hostage through sustained political subversions, which often come in the form of motions of no confidence against incumbent government until they realise their venal political ends.
In this context, I argue that quintessential Somali politicians, especially some of the current crops of MPs, appear that they are in collusion course, and to that effect have in common interest with violent extremist groups in preventing Somalia from ever realizing any semblance of peace and normalcy. This is not surprising though: partial diagnosis to ascertain the current state of affairs has found that some members of the political class who are now agitating for change either at the floor of the house of parliament or outside the parliament are suffering a rare kind of syndrome known as “Relevance Deprivation Syndrome,” which strikes persons in higher positions of influence when they fall from grace and find very difficult to come to terms with it. To be fair however, there are some exceptions and not all of whom fall into that category.
Setting aside the above synopsis, and adding yet another cursory analysis indicating that the functions of the legislative body has lately lost touch and focus with pressing needs, and has been geared towards solely in political point-scoring and unnecessary disruptions, in which if current trends are sustained, run the risk at reversing all the progress that has been made over the past eight months. Federal lawmakers, instead of scrutinising and legislating policies, holding the government to account, advancing constructively the interest of their local constituencies, and among others, proved incognizant of their core responsibilities.
Members of Parliament, through the use or more aptly abuse of their authority, blindly pursue their self-interests to a point where they became undisturbed from the impact of their political machinations having on ordinary civilians. Proving their true colours and business trademark at which is too often demonstrated through senseless motions of no confidence against a perfectly functioning government: a government for which continues to improve in great deal the security situation, delivers vital social services, and with limited resources, carries out massive infrastructure projects to create jobs for the young people.
Not only does Nabad and Nolol government deserves to be lauded for its tremendous achievements, especially in terms of delivering political stability and good governance, over a short period of time, but it should be critically and constructively scrutinised to speed up progress.
TOP TWEETS
@Goobjoognews: Electoral commission body @NIECsomaliapresents its five year action plan
@HarunMaruf: U.S. strikes against Al-Shabab to continue for at least two more years: American officials
@DalsanFM: A Policewoman Killed In Mogadishu –http://radiodalsan.com/en/a-
@DalsanFM: Somali’s Parliament To Discuss Budget For The Year 2018 – http://radiodalsan.com/en/
@HarunMaruf: U.S. strikes against Al-Shabab to continue for at least two more years: American officials
@Goobjoognews: OVER 700,00 children under five to be vaccinated in new polio campaign –
@CBSNews: How drones could be game-changer in Somalia’s fight against al-Shabab http://cbsn.ws/2AFBFHz
@MoArshaad:#SomaliYouth come together in a colourful event to mark #HumanRightsDay and summarise #16DaysOfActivism. The message was clear: That youth will work to advance women’s rights and #EndViolenceAgainstWomen.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Galmudug regional state leaders hold their first meeting in Mogadishu after the recent historic deal.
PHOTO: Jowhar.com