December 15, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
Somalia’s Defense Ministry Calls For More US Drone Strikes
14 December – Source: Daily Caller – 359 Words
Somalia’s Defense Minister is calling for more U.S. support and drone strikes in the fight against al-Shabab because without more backing, the counter-terror effort is doomed. Local al-Qaida affiliate Al-Shabaab controls about 30 percent of Somalia’s territory, and international military efforts in recent years to rid the country of Islamic extremism have not produced any real results.
For Mohamed Ali Haga, Somalia’s Defence Minister, U.S. support will make or break anti-Al-Shabaab operations, and drone strikes are a particularly effective mode of support. “If we don’t have the support of the Americans, we cannot stand on our own feet, “Somalia’s deputy minister of defence told the world Street Journal.“The Somali security sector is still disorganized and we need more drone strikes because a drone can strike the snake in the head.”
Current military aid for the United Nations-backed Somali government from local sources amounts to about 22,000 African Union (AU) troops from nearby African countries, but that force has shrunk after taking serious hits from Al-Shabaab militants. About 1,000 troops will leave by the end of 2017, and the entire AU force is set to leave by 2020. The U.S. has in the meantime dramatically scaled up its efforts in Somalia as part of a renewed focus from the Trump administration. According to recent Pentagon releases, there are more than 500 U.S. troops now operating in Somalia, and the U.S. has also intensified the number of drone strikes against Militants.
A recent drone strike in late November obliterated more than 100 Al-Shabaab militants northwest of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, although the group mostly operates in the central and southern parts of the country. The U.S. has also elected to fund a new Somali National Army, which is about 27,000-men strong. But as in Afghanistan, U.S.-funded efforts to run a local army have run into near insurmountable problems. U.S. officials have admitted that many Somalis part of the Somali National Army simply don’t show up when called for duty. These troops aren’t as well trained as Al-Shabaab and often have to make do with inferior military equipment.
Key Headlines
- Somalia’s Defense Ministry Calls For More US Drone Strikes (Daily Caller)
- Mogadishu Female Police Officers Mourn Highest Death Toll In Week (Radio Dalsan)
- Former Al-Shabaab Deputy Commander Helping Somalia Government’s Fight On Terrorism Say Officials (Somali Update)
- Somalia Inaugurated A President Dealt With Terrorism & Reeled From Drought In 2017 (VOA)
- Egypt Condemns Deadly Anti-police Terror Attack In Somalia (Xinhuanet)
- US Is Cutting Some Military Aid To Somalia Amid Allegations Of Misuse (CNN.com)
- Graft Clanism Poor Training Hurt Somalia Security Takeover From AU (The Star)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Mogadishu Female Police Officers Mourn Highest Death Toll In Week
15 December – Source: Radio Dalsan – 215 Words
When a suicide bomber in police uniform detonated his bomb vest at the General Kahiye Police Academy on Thursday morning 18 bodies laid on the ground lifeless. They had been rehearsing for an upcoming ceremony and many of the officers present were female.
This was to be the highest number of female officers killed in an Al-Shabaab attack inside Somalia. Among the dead was Farhiya who had dedicated her life to serve and protect her country Somalia which is still struggling to deal with insecurity. Farhiya’s hopes, dreams and patriotism were all shattered by the action of the suicide bomber that morning.
This week has been a dangerous one for Somali female police officers. Earlier another female police officer identified as Ms. Rayan Salat was shot dead near her house in Seya Piano area in Mogadishu. The assailants fled from the scene and remain at large. It is the presence of the small number of female officers in the police force that has encouraged and attracted more women to join the forces. Somalia has a great history of serving Somali female police officers especially before civil war. But if the recent killings are anything to go by, it is most likely that women may be discouraged to join a force serving a dangerous capital city.
Former Al-Shabaab Deputy Commander Helping Somalia Government’s Fight On Terrorism, Say Officials
15 December – Source: Somali Update – 349 Words
Former Al-Shabaab second in command Mukhtar Robow Ali “Abu Mansur” who defected and surrendered to the Somali government following talks on August, is currently crisscrossing the country and meeting Somali military and African Union Mission (AMISOM) officials in Southern Somalia.
While many of previous Al-Shabaab defectors remained under house arrest in Mogadishu like the case of Mr. Hassan Dahir Aweys, Mr. Abu Mansur toured the big cities and met with senior regional officials. He was in Baidoa, Hudur, his hometown last month. He is currently visiting Kismayo. In Hudur visit on Nov. 29, Abu Mansur had discussion with the Ethiopian army officials serving under AMISOM.
Top national army (SNA) officials have confirmed to reporters, that Abu Mansur was working closely with the federal government security machinery to end armed group’s deadly battle against the government. In his visits to the regional towns, Abu Mansur was mostly accompanied by former Defense Minister Abdirashid Abdullahi Mohamed who resigned in October. On Wednesday, the two received high profile welcome in Kismayo by regional State President Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Ahmed Madobe) and AMISOM officials where they later convened a closed door meeting without media presence inside presidential palace in Kismayo.
Senior security officials who declined to be mentioned in this report because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said the meeting focused on the strategic fight against the armed group in the region. “Mr. Abu Mansur deeply understands how terror groups operate and tactics they employ, therefore his visit in Kismayo is very significant as far as the fight against terrorist group is concerned” said one official in Kismayo.
The government strongly welcomed Mr. Abu Mansur’s defection but he was several times quoted as saying that he “came on his own consent after years of negotiation with the government”. Mr. Abu Mansur usually rejects that he has surrendered. “We need to make use of the chance provided by those defecting. They know a lot. They can give good intel. So that the counter-terror operation will bear fruit” said a second official in Mogadishu who is familiar with Abu Mansur’s case.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia Inaugurated A President, Dealt With Terrorism & Reeled From Drought In 2017
15 December – Source: Voice of America – Video – 2:34 Minutes
In 2017, Somalia elected a new president as it battled severe drought and a resurgent al-Shabab. In October, the worst terror attack in the country’s history killed more than 500 people. Meanwhile, the U.S. military is ramping up its military operations as the African Union draws down its 10-year-old peacekeeping mission.
Egypt Condemns Deadly Anti-police Terror Attack In Somalia
15 December – Source: Xinhuanet – 148 Words
Egypt on Thursday condemned the deadly terrorist attack on a police academy in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu. “The Egyptian government and people stand in solidarity with the Somalian government and people against terrorism,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in the statement.
A suicide bomber disguised as a policeman blew himself up inside a police training camp in Mogadishu on Thursday, leaving at least 18 killed and 15 others wounded. Somalia’s terrorist group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.
Since January 2016, the armed conflict in Somalia due to Al-Shabaab’s rebellion has left over 2,000 people killed and more than 2,500 others injured, according to a recent UN report. Egypt also suffers from a wave of terror attacks at home that have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers as well as dozens of the Coptic minority since the army toppled former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
US Is Cutting Some Military Aid To Somalia Amid Allegations Of Misuse
14 December – Source: CNN.com – 364 Words
The US government is cutting aid to some Somali military units amid allegations of misuse of funds and corruption by the Somali military, a State Department official told CNN on Thursday. Aid will continue to Somali military units that are mentored directly by US military advisers or are actively engaged in fighting the al Qaeda affiliate al Shabaab and other extremist groups, the State Department official said.
The decision comes as the US has become increasingly involved in the fight against al Shabaab and ISIS with airstrikes and some 500 US troops in the country advising local forces. The US is also becoming increasingly dependent on the Somali military as thousands of troops from the multinational African Union mission in Somalia plan to withdraw by the end of 2020.
The story was first reported by Reuters. The State Department official stressed that aid would resume pending revisions by the Somali government, which the official said was cognizant of the need to change how it handled the assistance. “Both the United States and the federal government of Somalia fully agree that improvements in the delivery of US assistance to the Somali National Army are required, and both sides are committed to building greater transparency and accountability in the security sector,” the official said. The news of the adjustment to US aid comes as US Africa Command, which oversees military operations in the region, announced that it is reopening its investigation into the alleged killing of civilians in August during a joint US-Somali military operation in Somalia.
The initial investigation by US Special Operations Command Africa concluded that the only casualties during the operation were al Shabaab fighters. But Robyn Mack, a spokeswoman for Africa Command, told CNN that the commander of Africa Command, Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, had referred the matter to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service following media reports that alleged “misconduct by US personnel who participated in the operation.” Mack added that the decision to refer the case to NCIS was made “to ensure a full exploration of the facts given the gravity of the allegations.” US Special Operations Forces advisers, to include Navy SEALs, regularly accompany Somali units on operations against al Shabaab.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“We have been training and mentoring them but there are no basic resources like police stations, guns, handcuffs and stationeries,” she said. Alalo said most Somalia police activities are only found in Mogadishu, with other areas lacking in all aspects.”
Graft, Clanism, Poor Training Hurt Somalia Security Takeover From AU
15 December – Source: The Star – 1054 words
After decades of civil war and state collapse, Somalia is making rapid progress towards peace, stability and prosperity. Following the 2016 electoral process and with a new national leadership, there is renewed hope for consolidating the gains made and accelerating progress towards long-term recovery and stability. While progress has been made on state-building, institutional capacity remains weak on governance, justice, the rule of law, security, human rights and delivery of basic services. Insecurity remains a central fact of life for much of the population.
Last year, the African Union announced an exit strategy that would see some 22,000 troops withdraw and hand over control of security to the national army. In April this year, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and the Federal Member States (FMS) reached a historical agreement on Somalia’s National Security Architecture. This political agreement is meant to have a conditions-based transition of primary responsibility of security from the AU Mission in Somalia (Amisom) to the Somali security forces. However, mission head Francisco Madeira says Amisom will not leave Somalia until they are sure Somali forces are ready to take over. “We need Somalis to take the frontline in fighting the insurgency, but we cannot abandon them,” he told the Star.
By the end of this month, at least a 1,000 military troops will be leaving Somalia, with the same number leaving next year. “We need to empower the Somalis to make up for these numbers,” he said, adding that troop-contributing countries have already sent police officers to replace the army. Madeira says the enemy has gained more knowledgeable personnel, so transition has to be made in a responsible manner. “Al Shabaab is benefitting from the knowhow of ISIS agents, who find Somalia a safe haven after being defeated in other countries,” he said.
Despite losing its foothold in Mogadishu in 2011, al Shabaab has continued its fight. In October, it was blamed for the country’s worst-ever attack, in which a truck bombing left more than 500 dead and more than 600 injured in the capital. “Al Shabaab has no capacity for war. They wait until you are distracted and then they hit,” Madeira said. The capital has already been taken over by Somali police, who perform most of the activities, including patrols on the roads during the day and at night. “It is unfortunate that we lost so many civilians in that cowardly attack. We need to further tighten entry into the city by ensuring all people guarding entry points are incorruptible,” he said.
Sector one engineer Godfrey Isingoma says Amisom still has a big job to do in Somalia, going by the number of IEDs they have encountered since January. He says 80 IEDs have gone off, causing damage in sector one area, which is covered by Ugandan soldiers, while 44 were found before they exploded, with 17 missing the target. During those incidents, 50 soldiers were injured, nine died and 20 vehicles were destroyed. “The IED threat is real since it has become their weapon of choice, cutting through all sectors,” Isingoma said. He said in October’s attack, the bomb was an IED, in which sugar, fertiliser and gas cylinders were used to enhance the damage.
TOP TWEETS
@engyarisow: President @M_Farmaajo, @SomaliPM ordered the Operational Readiness Assessment (ORA) 2 show their commitments 2 transparency & accountability
@CanHCKenya: #Canada strongly condemns today’s cowardly attack on police academy in #Mogadishu. We stand in solidarity with #Somalia in the fight against terrorism and offer our condolences to the families of victims.
@GermanyinKenya: We would like to express our condolences to those affected by yesterday’s terror attack in #Mogadishu. Our thoughts are with the families and relatives of the victims, and we wish all those injured a speedy recovery.https://www.facebook.com/
@DalsanFM: Mogadishu Female Police Officers Mourn Highest Death Toll In Week – http://radiodalsan.com/en/
@falastiniman: ICE kept 92 immigrants shackled on a plane for two days in “slave ship” conditions, advocates and detainees say
@DalsanFM: Somaliland’s New President Announces Members Of His Cabinet – http://radiodalsan.com/en/
@AbdulBillowAli: Among the 18 police officers who lost their lives today, four of them were female officers trying to keep#Mogadishu safe. On 20th December, the Somali Police Force will be marking its 74th Anniversary. May Allah bless their souls. Amin. #Somalia
@moirbad: #Mogadishu recovering city from the ashes of the civil war & insecurity.
@S_M_Hunter: Sarah Ewing (Hunter) Retweeted Sarah Ewing (Hunter) Botched raids like this are fueling terrorism &#Alshabaab. The 14 October truck bomb in #Mogadishu, which killed 512 people, is widely believed to be retaliation for this raid. The truck carrying the bomb left from #Bariire and the suspected driver was a native of the town.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Photo: @DalsanFM
Somali military forces.