June 11, 2018 | Morning Headlines
Somali Forces Kill 25 Al-Shabaab Fighters In Southern Somalia
10 June – Source: Goobjoog News – 151 Words
According to the defense forces media, the forces of Jubbaland and international partners are said to have killed 25 Al Shabaab militants in Sanguuni, 50km from the port city of Kismayo. The 43rd division army commander, Ismail Saxaradiid, speaking to the media, said it was a successful operation in Baar Sanguuni area, noting that the operation was co-ordinate by the Somali National Army and international partners.
The commander added that “the Somali National Army with support from the American forces have attacked Sanguuni town from two different directions and we took over the town and eapons and military equipment left by Al-Shabaab fighters” He also noted that “the operation by Somali government soldiers with support from the the international partners have captured 35 Al-Shabaab fighters and took over the control of the town.” On Friday last week, Al-Shabaab fighters killed an American Soldier and wounded four others in an ambush.
Key Headlines
- Somali Forces Kill 25 Al-Shabaab Fighters In Southern Somalia (Goobjoog News)
- Massive Security Operation Carried Out Near Bardere Town (Shabelle News)
- Mogadishu Mayor Orders Demolition Of Building Owned By Private Company (Halbeeg News)
- Suicide Car Bomb In Somalia Injures Seven Soldiers (Reuters)
- Creating An Enduring Constitution For Somalia: A Roadmap For The Review Process (Hiiraan Online)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Massive Security Operation Carried Out Near Bardere Town
10 June – Source: Shabelle News – 132 Words
Somali military forces have carried out on Sunday a massive security operation in the small villages, near the town of Bardere in Gedo region located in the southwest of Somalia. The local officials say the operation which took place west of Bardhere city, was aimed at preventing possible Al-Shabaab attacks, against the government-controlled towns.
The crackdown follows an attack on Bardhere city by Al-Shabaab last week, which led to the deaths of several people, according to villagers who spoke to reporters . Al-Shabaab an Al-Qaeda allied militant group in Somalia, has intensified its attacks in the country since the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan. The Somali government has previously promised to step up the war on Al-Shabaab to restore peace and stability in the conflict-riddled Horn of Africa nation.
Mogadishu Mayor Orders Demolition Of Building Owned By Private Company
10 June – Source: Halbeeg News – 248 Words
Mogadishu local government has issued a directive to demolish a construction in Mogadishu following months of investigation. The building under construction belongs to a private company operating in the city. Abdirahman Omar Osman, Mogadishu mayor suspended the construction of building months ago, after allegations that the company occupied public land emerged.
The mayor called for an investigation into the allegations and the halted of the construction till the conclusion of the investigation. In a directive statement issued on Sunday, the mayor has earmarked the buildings in El-Gabta neighborhood for demolition, terming its construction illegal. “The Mayor of Mogadishu and the governor of Benadir region today directed the demolition of Piazza Libera building, as the land is meant for the public interest,” the statement reads in part.
There have been numerous allegations of corruption regarding the selling of public land with claims of fake title deeds finding a way into the official system. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo early this year halted the selling, leasing and allocation of public land. Land and property ownership in Mogadishu remains an emotive and complex issue, dating back to the collapse of the government in 1991 and even before.
It is not only the public land which is facing scramble, lack of legal precedents and multiple ownership of private land over time make it difficult to resolve land ownership in the city. Since the fall of Somalia’s central government in the 1990s, the public premises and government institutions had been occupied by individuals.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Suicide Car Bomb In Somalia Injures Seven Soldiers
10 June – Source: Reuters – 223 Words
A suicide car bomb explosion at a military base in Somalia injured seven soldiers late Saturday, a military official said, and Islamist group al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack. Al Shabaab fights to topple Somalia’s western-backed central government and impose its rule based on its own strict interpretation of Islam’s Sharia law.
Major Hussein Ali, a Somali military officer told Reuters the attack took place at a military base just outside the town of Kismayu in Southern Somalia. “We fired (at) the suicide car bomb before it entered the base. It exploded outside the base. Only seven Somali soldiers were injured,” Ali said.
The assault was on the same base where a U.S. soldier was killed in an attack late on Friday.
Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the Saturday attack and said they killed 40 Somali soldiers. “We killed 40 Somali soldiers in the base,” Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, told Reuters.
Al Shabaab is also fighting to drive out African Union mandated peacekeeping force AMISOM. “The foreign forces ran away from the base this morning because we attacked them on Friday. We targeted the Somali forces who were in the base,” he added. Abdullahi Ismail, a resident in the area where the attack occurred told Reuters he saw five casualties being taken to a local hospital.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Somali citizens need a constitution that responds to their political, economic and social interests. The constitution-making and review process has dragged on long enough and continues to present an obstacle to the building of state institutions and the delivery of better social services to the public.”
Creating An Enduring Constitution For Somalia: A Roadmap For The Review Process
09 June – Source: Hiiraan Online – 1465 Words
The process of drafting a federal constitution for Somalia dates back to 2004, when a Federal Charter and a federal system of governance were adopted in Kenya. The Transitional Charter mandated the formation of an independent commission that would prepare a new federal constitution in two and half years. However, the commission was only formed two years later, in 2006, by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of president, Abdullahi Yusuf.
The Independent Federal Constitution Commission (IFCC) produced the first draft constitution in July 2010. An additional 9-member Committee of Experts (CoE) was established alongside the IFCC in 2011, and the two commissions organized constitution conferences in Garowe (twice) and Galkacyo, and presented a Harmonized Draft Constitution in April 2012, to the six signatories of the 2011 Roadmap – TFG leaders President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Prime Minister Abdiweli M. Ali, Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, Puntland President Abdirahman M. Farole, Galmudug President Mohamed Ahmed Alin and Abdulkadir Moallim Nur of Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaaca.
However, a Technical Review Committee formed by the signatories revisited the constitution in Addis Ababa and Nairobi without the presence of IFCC and CoE members, and the signatories endorsed the constitution. Many Somalis believe that the current 2012 Provisional Constitution is the product of the Addis Ababa and Nairobi review meetings. The IFCC and CoE were subsequently dissolved by a decree and the protocol establishing the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), among others, was signed in Nairobi. On August 2012, 825 Constituent Assembly endorsed the 2012 Provisional Constitution.
As many issues were left unresolved, a new phase of a constitutional review started in 2012. The provisional constitution mandated a parliamentary oversight committee and an independent review commission to finalize the constitution. The Independent Constitutional Review and Implementation Commission (ICRIC) – which was formed in June 2014 — and the parliamentary Oversight Committee fell short of expectations for various reasons including insufficient resources, a limited timeframe, political instability and absenteeism of its members. The two commissions, however, hastily reviewed the constitution in the last months of the mandate of the 9th parliament [2016] and submitted to parliament a revised version which included options on some of the more contentious issues.
The Parliament, in turn, delegated the mandate of finalizing the constitution to the current 10th parliament. The content of the constitution which is under review is divided into two main categories: technical review and contested political issues. Parliamentary review is sufficient for the resolution of the technical issues. The parliament, especially the oversight committee with the support of the ICRIC, should prioritize reviewing the technical issues thoroughly.