20 Dec 2011 – Morning headlines
Key Headlines:
- Somali President in Garowe for UN consultative session (Source: Radio Mogadishu)
- Somalia: UN and partners urge leaders to end stand-off over Speaker (Source: UN News Centre)
- Al Shabaab militants vow to attack Garowe conference (Source: Shabelle)
- U.S. considers combating Somali militants’ Twitter use (Source: New York Times)
- Int’l press body condemns murder of prominent journalist in Somalia (Source: Kuna News)
- Al Shabaab beheads three people suspected of working for Kenya (Source: Radio Shabelle)
- Lawmakers support government stand on parliament dispute (Source: Radio Mogadishu)
- Somaliland: New political party Hizbullah leader arrested (Source: Hadhwanaag Press)
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali President in Garowe for UN consultative session
19 Dec – Source: Radio Mogadishu – 81 words
Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has traveled to Garowe town, capital of semi-autonomous state of Puntland, to take part in the second phase of the UN sponsored consultative session. Sheikh Sharif received a warm welcome in Garowe with the session set to commence on 21st to 23rd December.
The first phase of the UN consultative session was held in the Somali parliament buildings on September 4th- 6th in Mogadishu with participants from TFG, TFIs, regional authorities and Ahlu Sunnah wal Jamaa.
Al Shabaab militants vow to attack Garowe conference
19 Dec – Source: Shabelle – 197 words
al Shabaab on Monday vowed to attack the planned Somalia Consultative Conference, which is scheduled to be held in Garowe town of Puntland state on 20th December. Mo’alin Hashi, one of the senior al Shabaab officials in Lower shabelle region, told the media that they are planning to launch attacks and explosions against the UN sponsored meeting on Somalia due to open in Garowe by this weekend.
http://www.shabelle.net/
Landmine claims life of Kenyan policeman in Dadaab refugee camp
19 Dec – Source: Somalia Report, Radio Star FM – 115 words
A landmine explosion has killed a Kenyan policeman and left two others wounded in the world’s largest refugee camp of Dadaab, in northeastern Kenya. Witnesses said that the police vehicle hit a landmine in Hagardere, a refugee camp in the Dadaab complex. The policeman died on the spot, while two of his colleagues were admitted to an NGO-ran medical facility in critical condition. The explosion site and the medical facility have been cordoned off while Kenyan soldiers carry out a security operation in the area.
Al Shabaab beheads three people suspected of working for Kenya
19 Dec – Source: Radio Shabelle – 78 words
The bodies of three people beheaded by al Shabaab were found last night in lower Jubba Region, causing panic among the residents of the area. The bodies of the three men at Afgaduud area in Lower Jubba Region, which is under the control of al Shabaab, are said to be of two young men and an old man. Area residents say the three people had been accused by al Shabaab of “having links with Kenyan armed forces”.
Galmudug President dissolves the regional parliament
19 Dec – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 171 words
Galmudug President, Mohamed Ahmed Alin, on Monday dissolved the state’s parliament for “failing to executing its duties as expected”. The regional president made the announcement in an unusual presidential decree issued from his office early on Monday. In his decree, Alin cited incompetency among members of the parliament, saying the lawmakers also failed to conduct their normal sessions since they assumed office two and a half years ago.
Somaliland: New political party Hizbullah leader arrested
19 Dec – Source: Hadhwanaag Press, Jamhuriyah, Somali Midnimo – 100 words
The leader of new political party Hizbullah Sheikh Mohmud Abdullahi Rage was arrested by Somaliland police on Sunday. The leader of the party was arrested while he was giving a lesson at a school. It is not still known why he was captured. No comments about his arrest were immediately available from the government of Somaliland.
Lawmakers support government stand on parliament dispute
19 Dec- Source: Radio Mogadishu- 122 words
More than 210 Somali lawmakers met in Hotel Nas Hablod 1 located in the capital Mogadishu and welcomed the Somali government stand on the parliament conflict.
A Senior Somali lawmaker Omar Finish told journalists that the MPs met in a show of unity following a press release from the office of the Somali president that called for respect of the transitional charter and the Kampala Accord.
Al Shabaab imposes curfew on Mahaday residents
19 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 123 words
Al Shabaab have imposed an indefinite nighttime curfew on Mahaday town of Middle Shabelle, reports say. Reports say the curfew which came into effect last night will be effective as from 7:00 pm till in the morning every night until the group lifts it.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Blast kills Kenyan policeman, injures 2 in northern Kenya
19 Dec – Source: Daily Nation, The Star, Xinhua – 286 words
At least one policeman was killed and two others seriously injured following a landmine explosion at the Hagadera refugee camp in northern Kenya on Monday. Regional police commander Leo Nyongesa said the midday explosion occurred as the security officers were patrolling the Dadaab refugee camp in a Land Cruiser vehicle.
One killed as explosion rocks refugee camp
19 Dec – Source: The Standard – 250 words
A police officer was killed and two others injured in yet another explosion at the Hagadera refugee camp in North Eastern Province. The Hagadera camp is one of five that hold close to 450,000 refugees from Somalia and it is manned by 220 officers. The incident is the latest to target security personnel in the region.
Africa seeks solutions after worst drought in decades
20 Dec – Source: The Standard, Xinhua – 500 words
One of the most defining moments for the Horn of Africa in 2011 was the hunger and famine that affected 18 million people – a catastrophe that has seen initiatives seeking long-term solutions like weather-indexed insurance and research on disease and drought resistant crops put in place. As of November, the food situation in the Horn of Africa remained critical.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UN and partners urge leaders to end stand-off over Speaker
19 Dec- Source: UN News Centre- 401 words
A joint delegation of the UN, the AU and a regional organization has urged TFIs to quickly resolve a political stand-off triggered by last week’s passing by Parliament of a vote of no-confidence against the Speaker, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden. “We appeal for moderation to the leadership of the TFIs, parliamentarians and to all stakeholders [to] … avoid any statement or action that could exacerbate the already tense situation and further aggravate the crisis,” said a statement by the delegation.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/
Int’l press body condemns murder of prominent journalist in Somalia
19 Dec – Source: Kuna News – 180 words
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Monsday urged the TFG to launch an immediate investigation to identify the killer of Abdisalan Sheikh Hassan, a prominent Somali journalist who was gunned down in Mogadishu on Sunday.
The IFJ said in a statement that that this incident will serve as a test case for the Government’s commitment to combating the impunity for crimes targeting media in Somalia.
http://www.kuna.net.kw/
U.S. considers combating Somali militants’ Twitter use
19 Dec – Source: New York Times – 528 words
The US government is increasingly concerned about the Twitter account of al Shabaab, with American officials saying Monday that they were “looking closely” at the militants’ use of Twitter and the possible measures to take in response. American officials would not disclose what action they were considering but some said the government was exploring legal options to shut down al Shabaab’s new Twitter account.