May 24, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
Somali PM Appoints New Ministers
24 May – Source: Halbeeg News – 160 Words
Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire on Wednesday appointed 13 portfolios to complete his cabinet, after several ministers and assistants vacated offices for various reasons. Among the appointed Ministers, Assistants and State Ministers are new individuals and several others who were moved from other dockets. The names of the ministers appointed are as follows: Hassan Moalim Hussein – Minister for Religious Endowment, Hassan Ali Mohamed – Minister for Defense, Dahir Mohamud Guelleh – Minister for Information, Abdiaziz Abdullahi Mohamed – Minister for Energy and Water. Hamza Saeed Hamza- Minister for Humanitarian and Disaster Management and Abdifatah Mohamed Ibrahim – Minister for Public Works.
The Assistant Ministers are: Adan Isack Ali – Minister for Information, Isack Mohamed Mohamud – Minister Interior, Abdirahman Iidan Yonis – Minister for Posts and Telecommunication, Mohamed Saed Abdullahi – Minister for Health and Abdirashid Mohamud Hassan – Minister for Humanitarian and Disaster Management. The Prime Minister also appointed State Ministers; Dahir Abdi Abdullahi – State Minister for Commerce and Mohamud Mohamed Bunow – State Minister for Security.
Key Headlines
- Somali PM Appoints New Ministers (Halbeeg News)
- Fighting Between Puntland And Somaliland Forces Reignites In Tukaraq Town (Hiiraan Online)
- “ISIS Assassin” Behind Policeman Shooting Arrested In Mogadishu (Radio Dalsan)
- Harsh Conditions Push Kenyans Al-Shabaab Recruits To Suicide (The Star)
- Decades Of War Ruined Somalia But It Is Now Picking The Pieces (The Star)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Fighting Between Puntland And Somaliland Forces Reignites In Tukaraq Town
24 May – Source: Hiiraan Online – 98 Words
Fighting between forces loyal to Puntland State and the breakaway Somaliland escalated in the disputed region of Sool in northern Somalia. The battle which broke out early Thursday morning in Tukaraq town is reported to be ongoing.
Reports say both armed factions from Puntland and Somaliland are engaging in heavy artillery fire as hundreds of the residents started fleeing from their homes. Leaders from both sides have traded accusations over the conflict. The clashes come barely ten days after over 20 combatants from both sides, were killed with dozens of others sustaining injuries in Tukaraq town following fierce fighting.
“ISIS Assassin” Behind Policeman Shooting Arrested In Mogadishu
24 May – Source: Radio Dalsan – 160 Words
Somali authorities have arrested a man believed to have appeared in an Islamic State ISIS propaganda photo, shooting a policeman on the streets of Mogadishu. Reports indicate that the man police arrested was dressed in a light blue shirt and sky blue tracks, similar to the one the assassin appears in, in the ISIS propaganda photos.
The so called Islamic State ISIS claimed responsibility for the killing of the traffic policeman, at the busy Bakara market on Tuesday afternoon. This was the first assassination to be claimed by the group in Mogadishu. Pro ISIS militants are attributed to at least 4 other assassinations mainly in Afgoye some 30 kilometers from Mogadishu, the capital.
In April, a suspected ISIS militant identified as Mr. Jama Hussein Hassan, was arrested in Mogadishu and found with bomb making equipment. Pro ISIS militants in Somalia are led by Mr. Sheikh Abdiqadir Mumin, and are mainly based in the remote parts of the Galgaal mountains in Puntland region.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Harsh Conditions Push Kenyan Al-Shabaab Recruits To Suicide
24 May – Source: The Star – 296 Words
A body of a Kenyan fighting for the al Shabaab was found in a camp in Jilib, Somalia. The deceased’s body identified as Abdi Kimani was found dangling behind a house in the camp that houses new foreign recruits. Sources say Kimani killed himself after being in the camp for only three weeks.
“It is alleged that Kimani is the third foreign fighter, among five who have killed themselves at the camp with an unknown number having run away.” The source who did not want to be quoted said. Harsh living conditions is one of the unrealistic expectations faced by the new recruits when they arrived at the camp. “Those that joined recently are mostly affected after joining when the group it was riddled with many challenges including the flooding that brought water borne diseases as well as the succession woes that are affecting the group,” said the source.
The source further added that last week a Tanzanian female recruit, identified as Amina killed herself after she reported to have been sexually assaulted several times by the militants. “She spent the whole morning crying and groaning screaming that she wanted a doctor, no one came to her aid and when the cries went silent at midday, she was found dead next to one of the leader’s house.” It is alleged that she stabbed herself.
Unconfirmed reports from the al shabaab camp in Af-madhow says two female recruits had attempted suicide over rape allegations, the two were however subjected to lashing by the militants as punishment for attempting suicide. The loss of foreign fighters through suicide is a new phenomenon as opposed to when they were executed publicly for allegedly spying for the Somalia and Kenyan intelligence services, whilst other were killed in engagements with AMISOM forces.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“This is because our people are entrepreneurial and resilient. That’s why a place al Shabaab has bombed, within a week, a shop will be up and business going on. This is the strength we are banking on to rebuild Somalia, as the public continues to denounce al Shabaab and its ideology in entirety,” he said.
Decades Of War Ruined Somalia But It Is Now Picking The Pieces
24 May – Source: The Star – 1244 Words
War. It opens the floodgates of violence and unlimited brutality. The aftermath is death, displacement, shattered social fabric and collapse of governance. Somalia in Africa is one of the countries that know too well the cost of war. A booming Somalia descended into anarchy after strongman Siad Barre was overthrown in the 1990s. The armed conflicts pitted warlords and clan militia that led to the collapse of the official state. All institutions shut down, rendering the once-vibrant country a failed state. It defied UN and US intervention.
For about 10 years from 2006, the Union of Islamic Courts had control over Mogadishu until it was ousted by Ethiopian forces with US support. Ethiopia, however, was unable to exert full control, leaving the country and capital a battleground for the then UN-backed government and al Shabaab militants.
The preceding years saw al Shabaab gain control of large swathes of Somalia, including its capital Mogadishu and major sea ports. Piracy bloomed in Gulf of Aden, with the International Maritime Bureau recording over 200 hijackings annually. The pirates operating in the sea lanes of the horn of Africa hijacked ships, stole cargo and extorted billions in ransoms, which in turn financed anarchy, exploiting the collapsed judicial, law enforcement system and the black market.
But the armed conflict and its effects wasn’t confined to Somalia territory. It was exported to neighbouring countries, with refugees fleeing the war and al Shabaab militia carrying out attacks in Kenya and Uganda. International trade and security also suffered a major blow. Al Shabaab’s frequent abduction of several foreign tourists and aid workers on Kenyan soil triggered the country to deploy its troops to Somalia in October 2011, under Operation Linda Nchi. At the time, only Uganda People’s Defence Forces was in Somalia, controlling less than 10 percent of Mogadishu. After Kenya’s entry, other neighbouring countries sent in their contingents, which were later merged to operate under the African Union Mission for Somalia (AMISOM).
It is now 10 years since the operation began, but what used to be a war-torn country is seeing slow but sure silencing of its guns, with zero incidence of piracy since 2012 after pirates were vanquished. “This is the first time we are seeing some semblance of development and institutions forming, and now are even we talking about transition,” said Major General Tai Gitaui, AMISOM’s deputy force commander for operations and plans.
“Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) war is a war of cowards, which we are seeing much often used by al Shabaab, which means they are losing ground.” AMISOM head Francisco Madeira said the country is moving forward with the help of Amisom forces. “The government that used to operate from Nairobi and later Baidoa now operates not in secrecy or at night but openly in Mogadishu today,” he said, adding that even though al Shabaab sometimes still launches attacks, they were ejected from the city.
TOP TWEETS
@MoPIED_Somalia: Roundtable meeting for Recovery and Resilience Framework is taking place today in #Mogadishu. FGS, Donors & implementing partners are all attending.@MoPIED_Somalia will present a presentation regarding the#RRF. Current floods would be discussed. @AmbGamal & #EUco-chairs.
@SSCVoices: Intense fighting underway in and around Tukaraq between #Somaliland and #Puntland communication lines have been cut very hard to get information but people close to military report mounting casualties on both sides
@HarunMaruf: BREAKING: Intense fighting taking place between Somaliland and Puntland forces in Tukaraq village area; the two sides are accusing each other of starting the fighting.
@AbdullahiHamud: The @SomaliPM, ministers & OPM staff, joined to a farewell & a thank you iftar for the OPM’s outgoing PS @Mohamedkeynan. It was an occasion 2 recognise his +ve contribution to the office, & to wish him well for his future endeavours. @AmbGamal @MinisterWHRD @Salahjama10@uleeh1
@SahraCabdi: #BREAKINGNEWS: #SOMALI PM appoints several minister. including the humanitarian and defense.
@AbdirizakOm: Kudos to our security forces for arresting the#ISIL killer and his accomplice who took pictures while he was gunning down a law enforcement officer in Bakaraha market in Mogadishu.
@DalsanFM: BREAKING: A man who appeared in ISIS news agency photos shooting a Somali policeman in Bakara market on Tuesday has been arrested. ISIS claimed the man is their assassin.
@ld_sff: SFF-LD of @MofSomalia with World Bank@mpfsomalia Support has Successfully Rehabilitated War-Adey Water Pan which is the main water supplier of Hudur Town, given the local population access to strategic water source all year round! @AliHajiAdan2 @ahmedvision1@kassimmohamed14
@SIPAMinstitute: As long as #Somali girls are less likely to be hired or to progress to senior roles, the civil service is not making the most of its talent pool. https://mck.co/2lvVXjd @SomaliaMolsa @MinisterWHRD @mpfsomalia @swasomalia@UNWomenSomalia @UNDPSomalia @TheVillaSomalia@ILOSomalia
@DalsanFM: BREAKING:Somalia Parliament’s opposition figure MP Abdullahi Nur escapes unhurt in a gunfight between NISA agents and his guards. Nisa agents are said to have shot at his vehicle after he passed through Mogadishu’s Fiat security Checkpoint and his guards responded.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire presenting a certificate of appreciation to the outgoing Permanent Secretary – Office of the Prime Minister, Mr. Mohamed Keynan.
Photo: @SomaliPM