August 28, 2018 | Morning Headlines
Somali Spy Agency Arrests Al-Shabaab Suspect In Operation
27 August – Source: Halbeeg News – 163 Words
Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) on Monday said its forces apprehended suspected Al-Shabaab assassin. In a Twitter post, the agency stated the suspect was nabbed in a covert operation conducted by NISA forces. “On 27th August 2018, in an organised operation conducted by the security force of the federal government of Somalia, a member of Al-Shabaab hit squad was arrested,” reads the post.
NISA said no casualties occurred during the operation to hunt down the Al-Shabaab operative. The agency has not disclosed the number of forces who executed the operation and the area where the operation took place. The Somali government has intensified the fight against Al-Shabaab in several regions in southern Somalia.
In security operations in Lower and Middle Jubba, Lower Shabelle regions recently, the forces killed dozens of Al-Shabaab fighters. Al-Shabaab which once controlled a large swath of territories in South and Central Somalia was weakened by Somali forces backed by troops of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
Key Headlines
- Somali Spy Agency Arrests Al-Shabaab Suspect In Operation (Halbeeg News)
- Sudan’s Spy Chief Lands In Mogadishu (Goobjoog News)
- Somaliland Hands Over Looted Vehicles To The Somali Region In Ethiopia (Hiiraan Online)
- Somalia Signs Investment Deal With Japan (Halbeeg News)
- Two Soldiers Killed In Blast In Somalia’s Mogadishu (Xinhua)
- Efforts Underway To Scale Up Ethio-Somalia Ties: Ambassador Jemal (Ethiopian News Agency)
- Improved Internet Access Connects Somali Students To Each Other And Global Knowledge (World Bank)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Sudan’s Spy Chief Lands In Mogadishu
27 August – Source: Goobjoog News – 106 Words
Sudan’s head of intelligence, Major General Salah Abdalla Saleh arrived Monday on a working visit to Mogadishu unannounced. The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said in a tweet on their official twitter handle that, the Sudanese spy chief was received by his Somali counterpart Hussein Osman Hussein at Intelligence headquarters in Mogadishu.
Saleh’s arrival in the country comes days after the newly appointed deputy director general of the agency Fahad Yassin took office following his appointment by President Mohamed Farmaajo. Yassin was until his appointment chief of staff at Villa Somalia. Popularly known as Gosh, Saleh has served in Sudan’s intelligence sector since the 1980s.
Somaliland Hands Over Looted Vehicles To The Somali Region In Ethiopia
27 August – Source: Hiiraan Online – 164 Words
Somaliland authorities handed over 14 vehicles stolen from the troubled Somali region in Ethiopia to officials from the region. The vehicles were stolen during the height of the political tension in the Somali region and which made their way to various regions in Somaliland including Awdal, Togdher, Marodi Jeh and Gebiley.
The Somaliland police conducted successful operations that saw the seizure of the vehicles which are now given back to the Somali region authorities. A handover ceremony was held at the border town of Togwajale that was attended by officials from both administrations.
During the onset of the political turmoil, many vehicles and other property belonging to the regional administration and private companies were stolen and sneaked into parts of Somaliland and Puntland. Meanwhile, Somaliland released two former ministers from the Somali region who allegedly entered the breakaway republic illegally and were arrested as they were attempting to board a flight to Mogadishu. Their release came following sustained efforts made to ensure their release.
Somalia Signs Investment Deal With Japan
27 August – Source: Halbeeg News – 148 Words
Somali government and Japan on Monday signed an agreement on investment in the capital city of Japan, Tokyo. The director of International Cooperation of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Dahir Salad Hassan has met with officials from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on future cooperation between Somalia and Japan. Mr. Hassan who is currently in Japan for official business has penned the deal on behalf of Somali government.
In a statement, Somali ministry for Foreign Affairs said the sides discussed on the renewal of the previous agreement between Somalia and Japan. According to Japan, the Asian country has contributed about $300 million to the Federal Government of Somalia, out of which $100 million was directed to security since 2007. Some of Japan owned companies have restarted their operations in Somalia. Mid this year, the automotive motor giant, Toyota Corporation had resumed its operation In Mogadishu after 27-year hiatus.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Two Soldiers Killed In Blast In Somalia’s Mogadishu
27 August – Source: Xinhua – 259 Words
At least two Somali soldiers were killed in a road blast at Al-Baraka junction in Mogadishu’s Hodan district, police said on Monday. A police officer who declined to be named told Xinhua that a bomb placed along the road exploded as a military vehicle was passing by. “We can confirm that two soldiers died in the blast and we are establishing more details on the incident,” the officer said. Residents said that they also heard huge blast at the scene. “The blast was huge and we have learnt that military vehicle was hit by roadside bomb. Heavily armed security forces arrived at the scene.” a resident, Muna Ahmed, told Xinhua.
The residents said the blast resulted from an explosive device fitted into a vehicle. The police later cordoned off the scene and launched an investigation into the incident but no arrest has been made. No one has claimed responsibility for the latest attack although the al-Shabab militant group often stages such attacks in Mogadishu. The incident took place despite heavy security in Mogadishu on Monday where security officers blocked some major roads.
Security forces were deployed on the main roads, blocking public transport and private vehicles from using the roads. The motive behind such lockdown remained unclear as public commuter buses could be seen stuck on the main roads and many people walking along city roads. Somali forces backed by AMISOM ousted al-Shabab from the capital Mogadishu in August 2011, but the terror group is still in control of several areas in southern Somalia and capable of conducting attacks.
Efforts Underway To Scale Up Ethio-Somalia Ties: Ambassador Jemal
27 August – Source: Ethiopian News Agency – 208 Words
Efforts are underway to scale up Ethio-Somalia peace and security ties to economic sphere, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Somalia said. Ambassador Jemal Mustefa said Ethiopia will continue to intensify its political support until the government in Somalia gets strong-ground. According to the ambassador, from the onset Ethiopia has been supporting Somalia to take out from quagmire there by ascertaining peace and stability in the country.
Moreover, Ethiopia has undertaken various activities in collaboration with African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to rehabilitate Somalia. Under the umbrella of AMISOM and in collaboration with Somali, Ethiopia has accomplished successful missions in the fight against terrorism in the country. The political and other relationships between the two countries have already been strengthened, Ambassador Jemal said and adding that agreements have reached at higher level to further expedite the existing relations.
The Ambassador explained that in the efforts to build a strong Somalia, the support provided from partners will be strengthened. On the other hand, more than 20, 000 Somali students and employees received education and training, the ambassador pointed out. This would further accelerate the relationship between the two countries to a higher level, he said. After 16 years, Ethiopia has formally reopened its embassy in Mogadishu in 2007.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“The potential benefits of the project go far beyond the convenience and appeal of high-speed digital connectivity. By linking the country to a global knowledge network and bringing institutions together into one learning community, the Somali Research and Education Network will significantly contribute to modernizing higher education in Somalia.”
Improved Internet Access Connects Somali Students To Each Other And Global Knowledge
27 August – Source: World Bank – 442 Words
In this day and age, writing an academic thesis without access to scholarly research or the internet sounds virtually impossible. Yet this is the reality experienced by many university students in Somalia, which has one of the lowest internet penetration rates in the world. The lack of digital connectivity drastically inhibits learning across the country, and can prevent the education sector from fulfilling its role as a driver of economic and social development.
In an effort to change this circumstance, the Somali Research and Education Network has brought several higher education institutions together under a single umbrella to improve connectivity in education facilities, foster digital learning communities, and promote academic content for Somali students.
Launched on July 18, the Somali Research and Education Network is currently made up of 19 institutions. It maintains its own network operations center, and has already deployed a 155 Mbit/s connection to seven universities, translating into roughly 20 Mbps of bandwidth for each institution.
The Somali Research and Education Network is part of a larger consortium of global National Research and Education Networks known as NRENs, a group of specialized internet service providers dedicated to bringing universities together and supporting the needs of the research and education communities within their respective countries. Somali Research and Education Network has adopted a formal governance structure, provided trainings for its partners, and recently announced its annual internship program, which aims to develop the skills necessary to build, operate and maintain network and systems infrastructure for Somali higher education institutions.
The initiative has benefited from financial assistance under the World Bank’s ICT Sector Support Program (Phase 2) and the European Union’s Africa Connect 2 program, which has allowed Somali Research and Education Network to invest in internet connectivity, and provide access to the high-speed internet and open educational resources.
The potential benefits of the project go far beyond the convenience and appeal of high-speed digital connectivity. By linking the country to a global knowledge network and bringing institutions together into one learning community, the Somali Research and Education Network will significantly contribute to modernizing higher education in Somalia.
Moving forward, The Digital Development unit hopes to see the project expand beyond Mogadishu to the rest of the country, and facilitate greater collaboration among institutions within Somalia. There is also a need to extend support to secondary and even primary schools, so that young Somalis can acquire digital literacy skills from an earlier age, and be better-equipped to pursue opportunities in the digital economy.