January 4, 2012 Morning Headlines.
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Somali Parliamentarians elect new speaker04 Jan- Source: Radio Shabelle, Radio RBC, Radio Kulmiye- 146 words The Transitional Federal parliament of Somalia on Wednesday appointed Madowe Nunow Mohamed as the country’s new speaker, ending the long-running dispute and deadlock among the MPs over the controversial vote to oust the Ex-speaker Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden. Nearly 290-MPs had gathered at the session of the parliament which was held in the parliament house on Wednesday in Mogadishu. Madowe Nunow Mohamed was appointed as the new speaker with 258 votes. |
Key Headlines
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SOMALI MEDIASomali Parliamentarians elect new speaker04 Jan- Source: Radio Shabelle, Radio RBC, Radio Kulmiye- 146 words The Transitional Federal parliament of Somalia on Wednesday appointed Madowe Nunow Mohamed as the country’s new speaker, ending the long-running dispute and deadlock among the MPs over the controversial vote to oust the Ex-speaker Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden. Nearly 290-MPs had gathered at the session of the parliament which was held in the parliament house on Wednesday in Mogadishu. Madowe Nunow Mohamed was appointed as the new speaker with 258 votes. African Union mulls new strategy to take out al Shabaab04 Jan- Source: Radio Voice of Mudug- 140 words The African Union is set to “launch” a new integrated military strategy to fight the radical Islamist al Shabaab militias in Somalia. According to the radio, defence ministers and army chiefs of six African countries are due to meet today in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, to discuss a “new approach” to drive al Shabaab militants out of the country. Galmudug police arrest alleged kidnappers in Galkayo04 Jan- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 134 words Galmudug police have arrested three suspected men who were allegedly part of gangs that kidnapped Galmudug’s Education minister from Galkayo town on Tuesday. The suspects were arrested following security operations in the city. Police official, Mohamud Elmi Gulase told Bar-kulan the suspects will be charged soon for kidnapping the minister. Somaliland police detain local journalists04 Jan- Source: Somalia Report- 125 words Police in Somalia’s breakaway state of Somaliland on Tuesday arrested three journalists in Lascanod district of Sool region, local officials and residents said yesterday. According to local authorities, the journalists were picked up alongside four other youths suspected of being involved in criminal activities. The scribes were later released on the same day, officials added. Al Shabaaab denies Kenya military spokesman’s report on seizure of Fafrah-dhun04 Jan- Source: Radio RBC- 148 words A spokesman for al Shabaab fighters in Somalia denied yesterday that Kenyan forces had taken over Fafrah-dhun, a small village near Kenyan-Somali border. On Wednesday Kenyan media reported that Kenyan and Somali government troops had seized Fafrah-dhun village late Tuesday after a heavy gun battle. Somali IDPs in Mogadishu camps complain of food aid corruption04 Jan- Source: Shabelle- 148 words Drought and famine displaced families, who fled from southern parts of Somalia, are facing tough and appalling living conditions in Mogadishu as a result of temporary camps and looting of food aid intended for them. Hundreds of internally displaced families who are currently living in makeshift shelters in Mogadishu’s Waberi district said that they are complaining of widespread humanitarian aid corruption and expressed greater concern. REGIONAL MEDIAThree al Shabaab killed as troops capture key town04 Jan- Source: Daily Nation-400 words Kenyan forces have killed a top al Shabaab commander and captured one more town in the latest onslaught on the militants’ strongholds in Southern Somalia. The Kenya Defence Forces, assisted by Somalia government fighters stormed the al Shabaab stronghold of Fafadun on Wednesday evening and destroyed the militants’ base during a fierce exchange of fire. Three Al Shabaab fighters including one of the commanders in charge of the Gedo region were killed during the exchange. Incursion: more towns fall to Kenya, TFG forces05 Jan – Source: The Standard – 600 words Blow to insurgents after 15 fighters surrender05 Jan – Source: The Standard – 300 words INTERNATIONAL MEDIAAU Prepares big anti-Shabaab military push in Somalia04 Jan – Source: VOA News The African Union is preparing to intensify its military campaign against Somalia’s al-Qaida inspired al-Shabab militants. The United Nations Security Council is being asked to upgrade the size and the firepower of the AU mission in Somalia, AMISOM. Britain: parliamentary report questions policy on Somali piracy05 – Jan – Source: AP – 171 words Too little is known about what has become of millions of dollars in ransom money paid to Somali pirates, and too few hostage takers are being prosecuted, British lawmakers said in a report released on Thursday. Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee warned that not enough work was being done to trace the route of payments, which topped $135 million in 2011, amid worries that some of the money might be making its way into Britain’s financial system. E.Africa ministers want to expand troops in Somalia04 Jan- Source: Reuters- 261 words East African defence ministers want the United Nations to endorse a plan that boosts the size of an African Union force trying to stabilise Somalia by including Kenyan troops, an AU official said on Wednesday. The ministers met in the Ethiopian capital to try to forge a strategy to defeat the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group, which has been driven out of the capital Mogadishu and is now facing a new front after Ethiopia joined Kenya last week in unilaterally deploying troops. 20 Somali migrants found dead in Tanzania04 Jan – Source: AFP / VOA – 240 words Twenty Somali migrants were found dead last week in eastern Tanzania, likely thrown out of the smuggler’s truck and into the bush after asphyxiating, police sources said Wednesday. “We are still conducting investigations. We are going to give details later but the deceased included three women,” Morogoro regional police commander Adolphina Chialo said. Aid groups lobby US not to shut off remittances to Somalia04 Jan- Source: The Guardian- 865 Words Aid groups are lobbying the US treasury to provide assurances to a community bank that it will not be prosecuted for resuming remittance services to Somalia, where 250,000 people are still affected by famine. Sunrise Community Banks in the state of Minnesota last week announced it would stop processing remittances to Somalia because it risked violating government rules designed to block the funding of terrorist groups. Q&A: Somali advocate represents refugee community at UNHCR ministerial meeting04 Jan- Source: Relief Web- 716 Words Fatima Elmi, a resettled refugee from Somalia, recently attended an international conference on the world’s forcibly displaced and stateless organized the UN refugee agency.The meeting took place last month at the organization’s headquarters in Geneva. For the past 15 years, Elmi has worked at Lutheran Social Services in Minnesota, helping new refugees find jobs and education opportunities in the United States. SOCIAL MEDIACULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDSThe Invasion of Somalia03 Jan- Source: In Homeland Security Two months ago, Kenyan forces invaded southern Somalia with the ostensive purpose of creating a buffer region between al-Shabaab and the Kenyan border. The Kenyan military has thus far not stated how far into Somalia they will go, but it is widely expected that they are intent on attacking the port city of Kismayo. This past weekend Ethiopian forces, at the invitation of Somalia’s nascent Transitional Federal Government (TFG), entered central Somalia and captured the town of Beledweyne. In the surrounding areas of Beledweyne, there are reports that the Ethiopian backed Ahlu Sunna is fighting al-Shabaab as well. Other nations such as Burundi, Uganda, and Djibouti have pledged to increase their troop contributions to Mogadishu as part of the African Union peacekeeping mission. As I stated a few months ago, Somalia’s neighbors have been getting nervous, but also see an opportunity to do real damage to al-Shabaab in the middle of a famine. It’s not just Somalia’s neighbors that are contributing to the battle against al-Shabaab either. The U.S. has been active in Somalia for many years now and has an incentive to back the African Union’s mission there. The degradation of a capable fighting force such as al-Shabaab could have an effect on al-Qaeda and other associated terrorist groups that have taken refuge in Africa. Although there appears to be wide cooperation within Somalia, the region has a long and troubled history with militancy. The goal of destroying al-Shabaab is unlikely; however if this most recent attempt degrades the group sufficiently, then the TFG may actually have a chance to move forward. Shameful politicking cannot undue Garowe Conference outcome04 Jan- Source: Garowe Online In reading between the lines of the open letter, it is clear to see that the “opportunistic politicians” who signed the document could not find their name or a role in the Garowe Principles. An open letter, dated 31 Dec 2011, and signed by 85 persons was sent to the UN Security Council Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon with copies given to the African Union and the Arab League. This open letter aims to depict a negative image regarding the success of the Garowe constitutional conference (Dec. 21-24, 2011), which led to the signing of the Garowe Principles by Somali stakeholders, as part of the Roadmap process. It is disheartening to see self-styled “Somali intellectuals” try their best to undue a historic event through a mere open letter. It shows the weakness of their position and the futility of their effort. It is not lost upon anyone that, Mr. Abdiqassim Salad Hassan and Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, the first two names who signed the open letter, are former politicians who failed during their terms. In refreshing our memories, it is suffice to say that Mr. Abdiqassim, during his term as TNG President (2000-2003), funded and armed clan warlords (i.e. Indhacade) to seize, terrorize and subjugate the civilians belonging to the unarmed clans of the Shabelle and Jubba regions of southern Somalia. While receiving favorable press coverage, Mr. Farmajo still managed to lose his job after serving seven months as TFG Prime Minister. Even if he did not fail administratively, he still failed politically and he still yearns to resurface one day as Somali President.
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