July 27, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
SNA Kills Several Al-Shabaab Fighters In Southern Somalia
27 July – Source: Halbeeg News – 169 Words
Several Al-Shabaab fighters have been killed in a battle with Somali soldiers in Bay region. The soldiers raided the militia group’s camp on Thursday, forcing a number of the Al-Shabaab fighters to abandon their camp, according to Southwest state spokesperson, Nuradin Yussuf Ga’ma.
Ga’ma, who spoke to the media, said among those killed were two Al-Shabaab ringleaders: “During the operations, the government forces killed several Al-Shabaab members. Among those killed include Al-Shabaab’s Furow village chief and another Al-Shabaab commander identified as Dufow.” He said a number rifles, magazines, hand grenades, car batteries, rolls of cables, mobile phones, and assorted foodstuffs, were found at the Al-Shabaab camp. Also found were bomb-making materials.
Al-Shabaab, which wants to topple the internationally recognised Somali government, is yet to comment on the raid on their camp. Despite losing many towns to the Somali government, the group still conducts deadly attacks in and around the capital city of Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab also carries out raids on military bases manned by African Union and Somali troops.
Key Headlines
- SNA Kills Several Al-Shabaab Fighters In Southern Somalia (Halbeeg News)
- PM Khaire Receives Educational Experts Who Attended Recent Education Conference In Mogadishu (Jowhar News)
- A Former Lawmaker Shot Dead In Mogadishu (Hiiraan Online)
- Outgoing Ugandan Troops Receive Service Medals (AMISOM)
- Somaliland Eyes Key Red Sea Trade Role With Berbera Port (Daily Mail)
NATIONAL MEDIA
PM Khaire Receives Educational Experts Who Attended Recent Education Conference In Mogadishu
27 July – Source: Jowhar News – 205 Words
Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire has received a group of foreign educational experts, who participated in a recent annual “International Conference on Higher Education in Post-conflict Societies” jointly organized by the Somali National University and the Federal Ministry for Education. The PM complimented the educational experts for attending the conference and sacrificing their time and energy to contribute towards the enhancement of the country’s educational system.
He briefed them about the state of the country’s education and the various stages it had undergone. The PM expressed optimism over its gradual improvement despite challenges in the sector. The academic elites, on the other hand, thanked the Prime Minister for the warm welcome accorded to them. Some of them, who also participated in last year’s conference, observed a noticeable change in the education sector and urged for the maintenance of the standards.
Prime Minister Khaire asked Education ministry officials and those of the Somali National University present at the meeting, to double their efforts in enhancing the country’s educational situation as well as cooperating with international stakeholders. The meeting took place on the same day the Somali Prime Minister fired his Education Minister Abdirahman Osman for reportedly remarking that local universities had poor academic standards.
A Former Lawmaker Shot Dead In Mogadishu
27 July – Source: Hiiraan Online – 148 Words
Gunmen shot dead a former legislator in Mogadishu on Thursday evening. Ali Mohamed Abdi, who was a member of the 9th Federal Parliament of the country, was shot dead by gunmen who attacked him at his home.
According to MP Ali Jowhar, who was a friend of the slain politician, gunmen stormed Abdi’s residence where they killed him before escaping from the scene. Abdi was husband to current MP in the 10th Parliament, Mrs Hiis Hassan. This is the MP’s second husband to be killed in Al-Shabaab related attacks. Earlier on, her husband was killed in a hotel attack in Mogadishu.
At least six people including a journalist, a rickshaw driver and a cameraman were shot dead in Mogadishu city alone over the last 48 hours. Security agencies are yet to comment on this latest spate of killings in the capital, especially the murder of the former lawmaker.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Outgoing Ugandan Troops Receive Service Medals
26 July – Source: AMISOM – 339 Words
The African Union has awarded service medals to a contingent of troops from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), in recognition of their role in furthering the mandate of AMISOM in Somalia. The troops from UPDF Battle Group XXII (UGABAG XXII) have completed a year’s tour of duty in the Horn of Africa country.
Deployed in August 2017, the outgoing battle group has been conducting anti-insurgent operations against Al-Shabaab in the Lower Shabelle region that include areas of Celjaale, Ayub, KM50, KM67, Buffor, Shalambot, Marka, Masla and Quoryoley.
The group will be replaced by Battle Group XXV (UGABAG XXV), which will assume security responsibility of the same areas. “Go back and exhibit the expertise. Show the discipline and I wish you well,” AMISOM Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Jim Beesigye Owoyesigire, told the soldiers during the medal awards and send-off ceremony.
The Force Commander commended the soldiers for exhibiting discipline in the course of duty, sentiments echoed by Brig. Paul Lokech, the Commander of the Ugandan contingent in Somalia. Brig. Lokech noted that the Ugandan troops had shown a deep sense of commitment and sacrifice, while operating in tough conditions on the frontline. He lauded their efforts at reconciling rival clans in their areas of responsibility and encouraging restoration of peace.
“In the struggle to pacify this country, we have lost comrades. In the struggle to pacify this country we have the wounded in Mubende. We still look at the scars of what we went through. But all this has been to help our African brothers and sisters, the Somalis,” he said.
“One of the pillars in our doctrine which you know very well, is about pan-Africanism. And that’s the agenda that drew us into this mission. We have no other interest beyond this. The main focus of our coming to Somalia is to help the Somalis get back to where they were some 30 years ago,” Brig. Lokech added.
Present at the ceremony was the Deputy Ambassador of Uganda to Somalia Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha, who asked the outgoing commanders to document lessons learnt during their tour of duty, in order to inform the Mission’s leadership during transition period. He further expressed gratitude to AMISOM and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), for the support they extended to the officers, which expedited their contribution to Somalia’s stabilization.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“The facilities are far from modern, but Somaliland hopes its position on one of the world’s busiest shipping routes will turn the state into a job-creating dynamo — and encourage international recognition 27-years after it split from Somalia.”
Somaliland Eyes Key Red Sea Trade Role With Berbera Port
27 July – Source: Daily Mail – 773 Words
The soporific seaside town of Berbera is slowly changing as it takes on a major role on the Red Sea shipping route, allowing breakaway Somaliland to dream of prosperity and even recognition. At the Berbera port, dozens of containers are stacked on a sun-scorched platform and a few cranes creakily transfer sacks of sorghum and other goods from a rusting cargo ship.
The facilities are far from modern, but Somaliland hopes its position on one of the world’s busiest shipping routes will turn the state into a job-creating dynamo — and encourage international recognition 27-years after it split from Somalia. Somaliland’s ambitions were boosted in March when it struck a deal giving Dubai port giant DP World a 51-percent stake in the port and Ethiopia 19 percent.
DP World says it plans to invest $442 million (377 million euros) to modernise the port, with a first extension of 400 square metres (4,300 square feet) to begin in October that is expected to take 24 months. “The benefit we expect from the development of the port is jobs. We expect to get many foreign investors to … generate employment and income for us,” said Saad Ali Shire, the Somaliland minister of foreign affairs.
He said the port has long been the main source of revenue for the government of the breakaway state. Nevertheless the arrival of DP World has been a “cultural shock” for those used to the slow pace of business at the port, admits Said Hassan Abdullahi, director general of the port authority. “There has been a big change … in terms of volume of containers. Since they took over we got more customers,” he said.
The deal has seen the number of containers transiting through Berbera double to 100,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs), a standard measurement in shipping. Abdullahi predicts that the investment will cause throughput to increase fivefold — a figure that will bring Berbera closer to the capacity of nearby Djibouti’s ultra-modern ports which handle around 980,000 TEU per year.
The development will be a boon not only to Somaliland but also its landlocked neighbour Ethiopia — a fast-growing economy with a population of 100 million people that is eyeing new ports across the region to export its goods. Cut off from the coast since former province Eritrea won independence in 1993, prompting a violent border conflict, Ethiopia funnels 95 percent of its trade through Djibouti.
But now a breakneck peace process with Eritrea has also opened up new trade routes through its ports of Massawa and Assab, which with the developments in Berbera could reshape trade in the Horn of Africa region. Somaliland, which avoided the anarchy and chaos Somalia has experienced over the past three decades, “is well positioned to have a more influential role when it comes to economic and trade issues,” said Ahmed Soliman, a researcher at the London-based Chatham House think-tank.
TOP TWEETS
@DalsanFM:Cabinet Approves Replacement Of Mogadishu Stabilization Force By Civil Defence Forceshttps://www.radiodalsan.com/
@AbdulBillowAli: A Somali TV cameraman Abdirizak Kasim Iman has been killed by a government soldier at a #Mogadishucheckpoint near @TheVillaSomalia. According to the National Union of Somali Journalists, the late filmmaker was shot twice on the head while riding in a rickshaw. #Somalia #AUN
@MoPIED_Somalia: A very good discussion on rehabilitation of selected VTC, quality and institutional framework. @AmbGamal@giz_gmbh @ADirshe @Mohamedfarah_MN @Salahjama10
@DalsanFM: #KENYA: Al-Shabaab militants attack a Kenya Police convoy between Ndeu and Milihoi on mainland #Lamucounty. A Police officer identified as Bentine Kudoyi was killed in the attack.
@DalsanFM: Education Minister Osman Sacked After Public Protest Over His “Poor Varsity Standards” Remarkshttps://www.radiodalsan.com/
Abdiqani Dirie @AbdiqaniDirie: The future is ready for the#SomaliYouth. 10 mobile apps which r possible solutions 4 some social issues in #Somaliland 2b launched soon in #Hargeisa@joaoscarpelini . Thanks 2 @UNDPSomalia @Microsoft @Shaqodoonorg @GoodUpHQ @SPARKorg
IMAGE OF THE DAY
President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo addressing residents of Mogadishu last night.
Photo: @TheVillaSomalia