August 15, 2018 | Morning Headlines
Somali Forces Foil Major Attack, Arrest Five Al-Shabaab Suspects
14 August – Source: Halbeeg News – 160 Words
Somali forces have foiled a major attack after, fighting with gunmen and arresting five Al-Shabaab suspects in the outskirt of Mogadishu. The officers also detained the suspect’s car, that was laden with explosives. According to officials, the forces found a cache of arms including grenades and automatic rifles inside the car.
An official who spoke with reporters said, that the forces apprehended the men on their way to carry out an attack on military base in Alamada district. “After receiving intelligence reports, that the men were planning to conduct an attack on the base, we successfully foiled the attacks and captured the men after brief gunfire exchange,” said the official, who sought anonymity because he was not authorised to speak with the media.
He pointed out that one of the attackers was injured during the brief gunfire. Al-Shabaab which frequently carries out attack on Government installations and military bases has not yet commented on the claims by Somali forces
Key Headlines
- Somali Forces Foil Major Attack Arrest Five Al-Shabaab Suspects (Halbeeg News)
- PM Khaire Declares War On Graft (Radio Dalsan)
- Two People Dead In Blast In Mogadishu (Caasimada Online)
- Four Al-Shabaab Returnees Hiding In Malindi For Fear Of Elimination (The Star)
- Somali Sheep In Great Demand Somali Sheep Priced Between BD65 And BD75 Are The Cheapest Available For Sacrifice In the Livestock Market (Daily Tribune)
- Somali Women Divorce Violent Husbands Addicted To Chewing Narcotic Leaf Khat (Radio Ergo)
NATIONAL MEDIA
PM Khaire Declares War On Graft
14 August – Source: Radio Dalsan – 142 Words
Somalia Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire has put government officials on notice over corruption. A tough-talking Khaire said he will not condone graft, cautioning government officials against stealing public wealth. “I will not allow this country to be governed through corruption. I hereby send a stern message to every Somali national, whether a minister or a member of the public, and who intends to loot the public resources, that will not happen,” PM Khaire said.
His remarks come amidst a crackdown against corruption that has so far has seen several senior government officials arrested or suspended from duties, the latest being the sacking of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mukhtar Mahad Da’ud. Prime Minister Khaire said no officials in the government who engages in corruption or abuse of public resources, will be excused. Khaire was speaking at a youth summit in Mogadishu.
Two People Dead In Blast In Mogadishu
14 August – Source: Caasimada Online – 147 Words
Two people were killed and a soldier injured in a roadside bomb explosion on Tuesday in Mogadishu, according to witness. The explosion targeted government soldiers near SOS junctions in Somalia’s capital, leaving two people dead, including a driver of a rickshaw, said Nour Mohamed. Mohamed told reporters, that the blast killed a soldier, a civilian man and injured another soldier heading to police station in the area. The injured soldier was taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
Somali security forces arrived at the scene after the bomb explosion and launched an operation. No group has so far claimed responsibility of the attack. Such attacks are often carried out by Al Qaeda inspired group of Al-Shabaab, battling with the government. The group has also carried out similar attacks targeting hotels, government installations, restaurants and popular eateries in Somali capital Mogadishu, leaving dozens of people dead.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Four Al-Shabaab Returnees Hiding In Malindi For Fear Of Elimination
14 August – Source: The Star – 301 Words
Four al Shabaab recruits, all women, have returned from Somalia but are hiding in Malindi for fear that the Anti-Terror Police Unit will eliminate them. They crossed to Somalia more than a year ago after being promised house-help jobs in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.The point of departure was Lamu but they were diverted midway. One resisted and was killed.
A source said the four are frail and that “it seems like they underwent military training”. One who is sick used to work at a hotel in Malindi town. On Monday, Coast Regional Coordinator Bernard Leparmarai said the four should not fear. “There is no one who will kill you,” he told them. Leparmarai said all returnees must be debriefed because “they are traumatised after experiencing horrors and beatings”.
They should not fear coming out and surrendering. Nothing will happen to them. We want Kenyans to be involved in building their country, not escaping,” he said. Leparmarai said “so many” recruits are coming back after being misled. “These people hardly eat … there is no money … there is nothing. Some narrate their horrific ordeals and the treatment they get in those parts.”
Despite assurances of safety, the amnesty and reintegration support the government announced in 2015 has been criticised by lobby groups at the Coast. In May, two suspected al Shabaab returnees were shot dead in Kwale after surrendering. One of them had just attended a hearing at Kwale Law Courts and was heading home when they were attacked.
Speculation about the killings has seen different theories advanced to justify the killings: it has been said that al Shabaab conducted the attack after being betrayed or that the suspects were killed for being a threat to national security. Police said the returnees were killed by unknown assailants who were on a motorcycle.
Somali Sheep In Great Demand, Somali Sheep Priced Between BD65 And BD75 Are The Cheapest Available For Sacrifice In the Livestock Market
14 August – Source: Daily Tribune – 129 Words
Amidst Eid Al Adha fast approaching, livestock traders are expecting higher demand for Somali sheep and goats in the Kingdom. They say over 25 percent of sheep used for sacrifice will be Somali as they are cheaper compared to other breed.
Speaking to Tribune, Mohammed Al Zayani, a livestock trader, said the festival coincides with school opening increasing the financial burden on middle-income families. “When they apply budgeting to the rituals, they are left with no other option but to buy Somali sheep as they are comparatively cheaper.”
Somali sheep and goats are priced between BD65 and BD75 while the Arab sheep ‘Naaimi’ is sold between BD125 and BD145. Livestock is an important mainstay in Somalia’s economy, contributing to about 40 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“This new cheap supply has apparently driven a greater demand for Khat among men like Farhiya Adan Ali’s husband. Farhiya, a mother of eight children, told Radio Ergo that her husband started to chew Khat six months ago and from that time on ceased to play his part in the family.”
Somali Women Divorce Violent Husbands Addicted To Chewing Narcotic Leaf Khat
14 August – Source: Radio Ergo – 767 Words
An upsurge in divorce cases being brought to court by Somali women against their violent, abusive husbands high on a local narcotic drug is causing concern in the northern Somali town of Lasanod. According to the director of Lasanod District Court, Judge Hassan Mohamud Warsame, 360 cases of violent assault have been brought before the court this year by local women. Most of them complain that their husbands are not providing a living for the family because they have become users of the popular narcotic leaf Khat that makes them unable to hold down a job.
Samira Sheikh Mohamud sought legal redress from the court when her domestic life became unbearable. She told Radio Ergo that her husband took up regularly chewing khat six months ago and then began violently assaulting and abusing her at home. “He would come home late at night, and he would start beating me up with electrical wires. This happened more than 14 times over the last three months. I have wounds on my chest and right eye,” Samira said.
She said her husband had previously been working on construction sites, but due to the Khat habit he stopped bringing home the financial support needed to feed the family. The judges looked into Samira’s case over a period of three months, before the court made its final order for the couple to divorce after four years of marriage.
The price of Khat has fallen sharply in recent months in the markets of Lasanod, making it more affordable to those on lower incomes. More men have begun to chew as a result of the lower price and this is widely believed to be the key factor in the high numbers of breakdowns in marital relationships.
Khat users tend to stay up late into the night chewing. One effect of the narcotic is to make people feel extremely chilled out – some describe it as inducing indolence, leading to an inability to earn a living. According to local businessmen, eight tonnes of Khat have been arriving in Lasanod every day from farmers in neighbouring Kenya. The businessmen say they used to receive around six tonnes daily to sell locally.