April 11, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Two crew members killed in rescue operation
11 Apr – Source: Gulf Times – 172 words
Two Filipino crew members of a hijacked Iranian-owned cargo ship were killed in an Iranian rescue operation, the Philippines said yesterday. Twenty-one other crew members of the MV Eglantine, including eight Filipinos, were rescued unharmed in the operation by the Iranian navy on April 2, foreign affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said. Twelve pirates were captured, he said. The surviving Filipinos were to return to Manila later, he added.
Hernandez said one Filipino died from a gunshot wound to the head while the other suffocated in the engine room where he hid during the rescue. The crew said that during the raid, the pirates tied their hands behind their backs and used them as shields, he said. The MV Eglantine, owned by Tehran-based KISH Shipping, was hijacked on March 26 off the south-western coast of India.
Key Headlines
- President Sharif: no more al Shabaab by august this year (Risaala)
- Somali PM: We’re winning this fight ( Foreign Policy)
- Internal affairs Minister to expose those behind national theatre bombing (Risaala Raxanreeb Jowhar Online)
- Ksh83bn sought to ease refugee crisis in region ( Daily Nation)
- Renewed fighting in Gedo region (Radio Kulmiye)
- Two crew members killed in rescue operation ( Gulf Times)
- Armed groups raid Police station in Mogadishu ( Shabelle)
- 33 killed in al Qaeda violence in Yemen (AFP)
- Somali defense minister military chief travel to Addis Ababa for security talks (Radio Mogadishu SNTV Somalia Report)
SOMALI MEDIA
Internal affairs Minister to expose those behind national theatre bombing
11 Apr – Source: Risaala, Raxanreeb, Jowhar Online – 165 words
The Somalia’s Minister for Internal Affairs and National Security Abdi Samad Maalin Mahmud Sheikh Hassan Farah gave a media briefing today in Mogadishu where he said he will soon expose those who facilitated and are responsible for the National theatre explosions. Farah said they are conducting an extensive investigations to identify who were behind the deadly theatre bombings.
Meanwhile, Members of Somalia parliament have strongly condemned what they described as negligence of security forces during the National Theatre suicide bombing on last Wednesday, RBC reports. The parliamentarians called for urgent investigation to be carried within seven days or else demanded the cabinet to resign.
“This is another shameful on the executive branch of the government; we call the government full investigation within a week.” MP Salad Ali Jelle told reporters after the meeting “Or else the cabinet and the prime minister must resign” he added. He said no one is willing to hear the misleading reports by numerous ministers who blamed each other on the security lapses.
Gunmen kill Young boy in Mogadishu
11 Apr – Radio Mogadishu, SONNA – 73 words
Gunman last night (Tuesday) killed a 12 year old boy in Bondhere district in the Somali capital Mogadishu during attempted robbery, residents confirmed. The young boy was killed after he rejected to hand his cell-phone over to the man armed with AK47, the boy’s brother and residents confirmed Radio Mogadishu. Residents in Bondhere district have expressed concern about the killing as this is new to their environment.
Armed groups raid Police station in Mogadishu
11 Apr – Source: Shabelle – 115 words
A heavily armed group launched an overnight attack on a Somali police station in the chaotic capital, Mogadishu, locals and officials said Wednesday. Mohammed Abdirahman Qasim, a police chief of Galbed police station in Dharkenley district told Shabelle Media by telephone that some suspected al Shabaab fighters raided the station, sparking fierce exchange of fire between the security forces and the attackers.
“The militants attacked us at mid last night. We repulsed them from the area and now the situation has returned to normal. There were no fatalities on our side, but the attackers suffered casualties during the attack,” the police chief added.
President Sharif: no more al Shabaab by August this year
11 Apr – Source: Radio Risaala – 212 words
President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed Tuesday declared that his government will eradicate al Shabaab elements from the entire Somalia by the end of August this year. The President noted that al Shabaab has already lost several towns and cities, urging his TFG forces and AMISOM to double their efforts and liberate the remaining parts and set up government administrations for each of the liberated regions.
The president insisted that people must cooperate with the security agencies so as to stabilize the country. “Mogadishu residents must cooperate and take responsibility in order to safeguard their own security,” he said. He urged the security officials to deal with anyone who tries to destabilize, harass or terrorize the citizens.
President Ahmed also revealed that (the break-away region of) Somaliland has agreed to enter into talks with his administration, for the first time in 21 years. Somaliland has already formed a committee that will spearhead the talks with the TFG.
Renewed fighting in Gedo region
11 Apr – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 111 words
Fighting erupts again in Somalia’s southwestern region of Gedo as government troops along with Ahlu Sunna Waljamaa clash with al Shabaab fighters in the region. Al Shabaab spokesman says the fighters had carried out number of attacks which were successful, but government officials and Ahlu Sunna Waljamaa militias in the region denied the claims, saying they will oust al Shabaab from the region.
Somali defense minister, military chief travel to Addis Ababa for security talks
10 Apr – Source: Radio Mogadishu, SNTV, Somalia Report – 52 words
Somali Defense Minister Hussein Arab Isse and Chief Commander of Somali National Forces General Abdukadir Dini on Tuesday flew to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The two officials will attend an AMISOM meeting, to be held in Ethiopia. The Defense Minister stated that the meeting will discuss how to rebuild the Somali National Forces.
Somaliland Health Minister Denies Re-Emergence of Polio
10 Apr – Source: Somaliland Press – 177 words
The Minister of Health Dr Hussein Mohamud Mohamed (Hussein Hog) has staunchly refuted reports of polio re-emergence in Somaliland contrarily to reports carried by local media outlets. Dr Hussein Mohamud Mohamed speaking to the media during a press conference held at the Ministry of Health said that is polio free and not even a single case of the disease have been reported for the last five years.
The Minister of Health said the recent reports of polio re-emergence had caused panic and alarm both locally and internationally alleged that the recent reports carried in Haatuf and Saxansaxo newspapers were false and baseless; he urged the media outlets to refrain from falsely reporting and that they should verify the information before highlights the news.
Armed men rob civilians in Yaqshid district
11 Apr – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 114 words
Armed gangs dressed in government military fatigue Wednesday at dawn robbed civilians in parts of Mogadishu’s Yaqshid district, reports say. The gangs stopped a minibus ferrying passengers to Hamar-weyne market at Manabolyo neighbourhood and frisked the passengers, robbing them of all valuables including money and mobiles, according to some of the victims who spoke to Bar-kulan shortly after the incident. The incident is said to be the first of its kind in the area since al Shabaab pulled out of the city early last August.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Two crew members killed in rescue operation
11 Apr – Source: Gulf Times – 172 words
Two Filipino crew members of a hijacked Iranian-owned cargo ship were killed in an Iranian rescue operation, the Philippines said yesterday. Twenty-one other crew members of the MV Eglantine, including eight Filipinos, were rescued unharmed in the operation by the Iranian navy on April 2, foreign affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said. Twelve pirates were captured, he said. The surviving Filipinos were to return to Manila later, he added.
Hernandez said one Filipino died from a gunshot wound to the head while the other suffocated in the engine room where he hid during the rescue. The crew said that during the raid, the pirates tied their hands behind their backs and used them as shields, he said. The MV Eglantine, owned by Tehran-based KISH Shipping, was hijacked on March 26 off the south-western coast of India.
Ksh83bn sought to ease refugee crisis in region
10 Apr – Source: Daily Nation – 348 words
The United Nations requires about Sh83 billion to deal with the refugee crisis in Somalia and Sudan. The funds will be ploughed into life-saving responses, internally displaced persons/returnees and cholera preparedness, among other things.
In Somalia, the UN is grappling with internally displaced people and refugees who fled to Daabab in Kenya while in Sudan it faces problems of returnees following the creation of the new state of South Sudan.
A report by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) says the money will also ease hunger caused by a drought in Somalia. It says about 2.5 million people will need food aid if the long rains fail.
IIROSA Sends Foodstuffs Aid To Somalia
10 Apr – Source: Saudi Press Agency – 70 words
The United States will provide roughly $50 million in additional funding to fight hunger in the Horn of Africa over concerns that persist despite the official end of famine in Somalia, the State Department said Thursday. The State Department said it would give nearly $50 million for refugees and communities facing a drought in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya, in addition to approximately $1 billion the United States provided last year.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Indian Ocean tsunami watch issued for Aceh quake
11 Apr – Source: AP – 242 words
A tsunami watch was issued for countries across the Indian Ocean on Wednesday after a large earthquake hit waters off Indonesia, sending residents pouring from their homes in panic. The U.S. Geological Survey said the 8.7-magnitude quake was centered 20 miles (33 kilometers) beneath the ocean floor around 269 miles (434 kilometers) from Aceh’s provincial capital.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said a tsunami watch was in effect for Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Maldives and other Indian Ocean islands, Malaysia, Pakistan, Somalia, Oman, Iran, Bangladesh, Kenya, South Africa and Singapore. A tsunami watch means there is the potential for a tsunami, not that one is imminent.
33 killed in al Qaeda violence in Yemen
10 Apr – Source: AFP – 469 words
At least 133 people were killed in 48 hours of clashes pitting Yemeni soldiers backed by tribesmen against al Qaeda militants, officials said on Tuesday, as the extremists vowed to retake a strategic town. At least 124 people were killed in battles in the southern town of Loder in Abyan province, sparked when militants linked to al Qaeda raided an army barracks there on Monday.
“One hundred and twenty-four people were killed in two days” of clashes around the city of Loder which is besieged by al Qaeda, said a military official. The toll, which was confirmed by tribal sources, comprised 102 al Qaeda militants — among them 12 Somalis and many Saudis — 14 soldiers, and eight tribesmen fighting alongside the army.
Twenty-eight of the militants and two armed civilians were killed on Tuesday, while the rest died on Monday. A government official in Loder said on Tuesday that al Qaeda militants have surrounded the area in preparation for the complete takeover of the town.
Somali PM: We’re winning this fight
05 Apr – Source: Foreign Policy – 800 words
The prime minister of Somalia, present at yesterday’s deadly bombing in Mogadishu, on why terrorism won’t disrupt his country’s turn for the better. I was at the National Theater in Mogadishu yesterday, and witnessed the despicable terrorist attack by a suicide bomber in which more than six people were killed — including two of the country’s dearest sporting heroes. Seeing first-hand the appalling loss of life and harm done to my countrymen was a savage reminder of what is at stake in Somalia.
On the one hand, we have an internationally recognized government, one that is growing in strength and steering the country through the last four months of transition towards a new constitution, a new parliament, and presidential elections; on the other, we still face a nihilistic terrorist group, influenced by foreign ideologies, that delights in killing Somalis and has nothing positive to offer.
Although violence has become tragically endemic in Somalia in recent years, it doesn’t have to be like this. Conflict is not inevitable here. Go back to 1966, for instance, when an Associated Press news report described Somalia as “the most democratic country in Africa. Half a dozen political parties contest free elections. Government officials get modest salaries and drive modest automobiles.” In those days, Mogadishu was a peaceful city of elegant avenues shaded by palm trees, handsome villas, and graceful architecture that combined the best of Africa and Europe.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Askar, 36, of Minneapolis, says he is running because he thinks he can help his native country. A familiar face among many Minnesota Somalis, he is the former host of Somali Media, a cable-access TV program. These days, he’s working as the show’s producer.”
Cultures & immigration beat: A local runs for Somalia’s top office
10 Apr – Source: Star Tribute – 314 Words
There are no bumper stickers. No campaign buttons either. But make no mistake about it, Abdimalik Askar is serious about his bid to become the next president of Somalia. The “Askar 2012” campaign, launched earlier this year at a news conference in Minneapolis and broadcast online around the world, includes a slogan he coined himself: “Rebuilding Somalia.” That Askar lives here in Minnesota and not in Somalia, where the next president will be chosen in August, doesn’t trouble him.
“With their own economies now being affected by sea piracy, African countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia have proposed a multi-pronged offensive against the terrorists. This includes supporting a UN-led international military effort against the terrorists on sea, hunting them down on land and prosecuting them in court. The details of this operation will be further discussed at the annual conference of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium in Cape Town, South Africa kicked off on April 10.”
Fighting Somali piracy: Military offensive at sea, prosecution on land
11 Apr – Source: Daily Pioneer – 450 Words
The recent proposal to take military action against the notorious Somali pirates and initiate legal proceedings against them on land in Somalia must be welcomed as an important step towards neutralising the grave threat that these sea brigands pose to the international community. Full-scale military action against the pirates under the UN mandate has long been favoured by many countries, including India. However, given the legal, political and diplomatic complications that could potentially arise out of such an international armed intervention, African nations have in the past been especially reluctant to give their consent.
“It is in the economy where Somalia’s strengths and perhaps many of the answers to the region’s problems lie. The key to unlocking Somalia’s potential is international investment in social entrepreneurship and education. It will help Somalis help themselves by teaching them how to create new business opportunities, more jobs and as a result a more sustainable economy.”
Somalia: The Path To Prosperity
10 Apr – Source: Awdal Press – 1406 Words
The past eight months have seen Somalia and the rest of the Horn of Africa in the global media spotlight. The drought which began in July last year affected large areas, and led to acute food and water shortages, mass displacement and tens of thousands of deaths.
These hardships are not new to Somalis, but the 2011-2012 famine was the worst in living memory. As a result, the region has been the focus of extensive and largely negative media coverage.
Top tweets
@SeamanOnlinePH Somali pirates extend their modus operandi to attack further from #Somalia– in particular near Fujairah and the… http://fb.me/X37xSouE.
@SomaliaReport Obama says #Somalia poses ‘unusual and extraordinary threat to US. http://bit.ly/HZb2IZ via @
@dailynation KENYA TAKES no. 2 slot at Amisom as Kibaki names Maj Gen Karanja Deputy Commander of AU forces in #Somalia.
@Jamalmorgan Dear USA, your 9/11 is our 24/7. Sincerely, #Somalia P/s Leave us alone we can fix our problems which you started.
@abdullassayid RT @anesk16: #
@SagalBihi No matter how tragedy it is for you its a political game for another one that is “politics” http://j.mp/HALm8h
@SteveAskinsInce @seamarshal
Image of the day
Somali students sitting on the floor for the morning Assembly. Somalia’s Minister for Education, Ahmed Aidid Ibrahim said on Wednesday that his ministry will embark on development projects for schools in Mogadishu. Photo: Aljazeera.