April 11, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Kenya army ‘rescues aid workers’ from Somalia’s al Shabaab

11 Apr – Source: BBC – 139 Words

Two aid workers have been rescued by the Kenyan army after being kidnapped by Somali militant group al Shabaab in 2011, the military says. Daniel Njuguna and James Kiarie, both Kenyans, are now in hospital in the Somali town of Dhobley, the army says. They were rescued by Kenyan troops working with the African Union force in Somalia, Amisom.

Kenya sent troops into Somalia in 2011 following a spate of kidnappings in border areas. AMISOM troops are helping government forces battle al-Shabab, an Islamist militia which is part of al-Qaeda and which controls much of southern and central Somalia.

Dhobley is under the control of Kenyan troops and is near the border. The Kenyan army says the rescued pair will be transferred to Nairobi on Saturday. Mr Njuguna works for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and James Kiarie for Care International.

Key Headlines

The Prime Minister visited Bulo Burde and Jowhar (Office of the Prime Minister)
Somali Government calls on Kenyan authorities to stop crackdown on Somali refugees in Kenya (Radio Mogadishu/SNTV/RBC)
Kenya army ‘rescues aid workers’ from Somalia’s al Shabaab (BBC)
More Somalis deported in security swoop (Standard Media)
Somali government appeals to Humanitarian organizations to aid its citizens in Kenya (Bar-kulan/SNTV/Universal TV)
Victims of attack at embassy construction site taken to Turkey (Radio Shabelle)
Government troops clash with militants in Galgadud region
Piracy reduced in Indian Ocean off Somalia: Norwegian diplomat (Shanghai Daily/Xinhua)
Kenya’s Main Opposition claims security crackdown a ploy to please the West (Daily Nation)
Security operation underway in Galgadud (Radio Bar-kulan)
Kenyan Deputy President: Why terror crackdown is necessary (Capital News)
Somaliland FM meets with Swedish ambassador to Somalia (Horn Cable TV/Somaliland Informer)
Police say they won’t intervene in mosque takeover and name change (Daily Nation)
Fiji Somalia establish diplomatic ties (Xinhua)

PRESS STATEMENT

The Prime Minister visited Bulo Burde and Jowhar

11 Apr – Source: Office of the Prime Minister – 583 words

Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed along with Council Ministers, the Ambassador of Djibouti and officials from the Somali National Army, visited Jowhar and Bulo Burde to honor both districts recent liberation.The Prime Minister began his visit with Bulo Burde district which is one of the recently freed towns by the Somali National Army in a joint operation with AMISOM against al Shabaab Militia Group.

The Prime Minister thanked the Somali National Army and AMISOM for their bravery in eradicating al Shabaab from the town. He sent his condolences to the families and relatives of those innocent lives lost in the deplorable Hotel explosion. The Prime Minister also touched on the strategic importance of Bulo Burde politically and economically to the nation.

Traditional elders of Bulo Burde have stated that they lived under pressure, torture and oppression for the last six years and regained their freedom on the twelfth of last month. The elders have requested the government to bring back basic services such as education, health and the establishment of a police force. The security sector of their region must be prioritized. The Minister of National Security, Abdikarim Hussein Guleed, promised the renovation of police stations as well as the CID.

Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, said:

“I am very pleased this morning that Bulo Burde has become the first district I’ve visited outside Mogadishu. Once again, I would like to send my deepest heartfelt condolences to the families and relatives who have lost loved ones at the hands of cowards who committed heinous acts of terrorism”

“Al-shabaab is a national destructive force who have brainwashed the youth to follow their incorrect ideology.

They have an agenda that goes against Somalia and the Somali people. Al Shabaab has denied our nation a chance to grow, for our people to develop and escape poverty. We must urge the people of Bulo Burde to lead in the elimination of al Shabaab from their hideouts in the region. Henceforth, Bulo Burde will receive government services”.

The Prime Minister also visited Jowhar in the Middle Shabelle district. He was greeted with overwhelming support by local residents led by the provincial administration. He also met with traditional elders, assembly of women, provincial administration and the youth of Jowhar.

Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, said:

“The government has and will continue fighting by your side. I have arrived today to express my joy and gratitude with you in regards to your liberation. There have been many Ministers including the Minister of Agriculture, who have arrived and shown their support. The Minister of Agriculture has presided over renovating the watering farm canals and we must work together as a people and a government in rebuilding those canals.”

“Any member of the Council of Ministers will come to Jowhar and must make it a national duty to perform community service development. The ministries will be judged based on their engagement and work with the community. My government will not be limited to Mogadishu alone and I will ensure every region has access to basic services”

The Prime Minister affirmed that members of the Council of Ministers will come to Jowhar. The Ministries will be judged based on their engagement and work within the community.

He also emphasized that his government will reach throughout the regions and aide them. Furthermore, the Prime Minister informed the people of Jowhar that this visit will not be his last one. He stated that he will return in order to consult with the people and assist them towards development.

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali Government calls on Kenyan authorities to stop crackdown on Somali refugees in Kenya

11 Apr – Source:Radio Mogadishu/SNTV/Radio RBC – 119 words

Somalia’s Federal Government called on the Kenyan authorities to stop crackdown on the Somali refugees in Nairobi following wicked targeting operating against Somali ethnics in Kenya in the last two weeks.

A statement released Thursday after the cabinet of the ministers met, the Deputy Prime Minister Ridwan Hersi Mohamed said the government sent official letter to call the Kenyan authorities to halt the crackdown and the targeting against Somali refugees in Kenya.

“Somalia Federal Government is deeply concerned about the Kenyan police crackdown on the Somali ethnics in Nairobi.” Mr Mohamed said. The cabinet expressed its concern on the fact that Kenyan security forces were targeting the ethnics Somalis in their latest crackdown in this week.

“Somalia asked Kenya to change the nature of its operation in Nairobi, and refrain any hatred action against Somali citizens living in Kenya.” the Deputy Prime Minister reiterated.

Somali officials say that not only the Somali refugees were those deported, but also Somali ethnics born in Kenya were among the people targeted by the police of Kenya. On Wednesday, Mogadishu received the first 86 Somali refugees deported from Nairobi. The deported people were held in police detention places in Nairobi for a week.

Victims of attack at embassy construction site taken to Turkey

11 Apr – Source: Radio Shabelle – 111 words

Two Turkish nationals who were seriously injured in a rocket attack on the construction site of a new Turkish embassy building in Somalia, were transferred to Ankara.

On Thursday evening, militants fired rockets at the embassy building site in the Somali capital city of Mogadishu on Thursday, hitting a container that houses Turkish construction workers. The rockets caused a fire in the container, wounding at least two workers named Recep Keskin and Muhammed Yakup Saraç.

At around 3:30 a.m., the workers were taken to an ambulance plane. The plane took off at Ankara EsenboÄŸa Airport. The injured men were transferred to Ankara Atatürk Research and Training Hospital for treatment.

Residents of Matabaan face dire water shortage

11 Apr – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 82 words

The administration of Matabaan district in Hiran region reports dire water shortage that has affected the lives of many people in district and nearby areas.

The commissioner of Matabaan district stated that people are in desperate conditions as the prices of water doubled. He added that many people fled from their homes in search of water for themselves and their animals.

The commissioner called on the federal government of Somalia and international aid agencies to intervene and save the lives of the people.

Security operation underway in Galgadud

11 Apr – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 102 words

Somali National Army backed by AMISOM peacekeeping forces are conducting security operation in the areas between Elbur and Wahbo towns in Galgadud province.

The Deputy Chairman of Galgadud region Abdihakim Abdullahi Warsame has told Bar-Kulan that the operation is meant to clear some members of al Shabaab militants hiding within the area.

He said the operation also entails eradicating mines that were implanted by the al Shabaab militant group in the major roads in the areas.

He added that the Somali National Army and AMISOM forces will soon clear al Shabaab militant group from the remaining areas under their control in the region.

Somaliland FM meets with Swedish ambassador to Somalia

11 Apr – Source: Horn Cable TV/ Somaliland Informer – 56 words

Somaliland Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Mohamed Biihi Yonis on Thursday met with Swedish ambassador to Somaliland and Somalia.

FM who spoke to the press after the meeting said that Sweden is ready to support Somaliland on elections and further added that they also spoke on ways to enhance on the ties between the two countries.

Government troops clash with militants in Galgadud region

10 Apr – Source: Radio Shabelle/Mareeg Online – 114 words

A battle was reported to have erupted in the Eeel Bur and Wabho towns of the Galgaduud region between the co-allied Somali National Army and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops against al Shabaab.

The Ethiopian troops of the AMISOM force along with the Somali soldiers were en route to Eel Bur when they were attacked by the al Qaeda affiliated al Shabaab Islamists.

At least 6 of the al Shabaab insurgents were killed in the clashes after extreme gunfire was exchanged by the opposing forces. The dead bodies are being reported to still lay at the towns. According to witnesses, Ethiopian troops flung BM mortar shells at Dac and Daba Qurun, towns also in the Galgaduud region.

Somali government appeals to Humanitarian organizations to aid its citizens in Kenya

10 Apr – Source: Radio Bar-kulan/SNTV/Universal TV – 104 words

The federal government of Somalia has appealed to international humanitarian organizations to help its citizens detained in Kenyan jails.

Foreign state minister Burci Hamza who welcomed home the deportees at Mogadishu airport has urged humanitarian organizations to help those deported adding that the federal government will not hesitate its role in protecting its citizens.

He said the government will help those deported back to the country to unify with their families. More than 4000 Somali refugees have been arrested by Kenyan police during a two week long security operation in Eastleigh,Nairobi.

REGIONAL MEDIA

More Somalis deported in security swoop

11 Apr – Source: Standard Media – 202 words

More Somalis were deported yesterday after authorities established they were in the country illegally. Officials said some 28 Somalis were deported to Mogadishu in the ongoing operation against illegal immigrants. This brought to more than 110, the number of those deported so far since Wednesday.

Some 113 suspects had by Wednesday evening been screened and 15 of them were taken to court and charged with various counts while eight will be taken back to refugee camps. Fifty-eight of them were released after their documents were verified as genuine. Of those screened, 48 were Kenyans, 42 from Somalia and 23 Ethiopians, police said.

Somalis hit back at Kenya security crackdown

10 Apr – Source: Al Jazeera English – 02:01mins

Kenya’s Muslim Somali community has complained of the security crackdown on the country’s refugees. Tens of thousands are being forced to return to remote and overcrowded camps, and are being threatened with prosecution if they don’t. Some of the refugees affected by the clampdown say they’ll challenge their detention in court. They want to stop the government from arresting, deporting and sending refugees to designated camps. Al Jazeera’s Haru Mutasa reports from Nairobi.

Kenyan Deputy President: Why terror crackdown is necessary

10 Apr – Source: Capital News – 216 words

The government has vowed to continue with the ongoing crackdown following increased terror threats, which has seen 82 aliens deported to Somalia.

Deputy President William Ruto says the sole goal of the operation is to weed out criminals without targeting any community in the country.

He says whatever is happening at Safaricom Kasarani Stadium is no different from other police stations across the country. The Deputy President, who interacted with Kenyans on social media on the Jubilee administration’s one year in office, said : “We have so far deported 82 people who were living here illegally. But what is wrong with taking people to their homes for being here illegally and after abusing our generosity?” he posed.

Police say they won’t intervene in mosque takeover and name change

10 Apr – Source: Daily Nation – 183 words

Police have said the takeover and renaming of a renowned mosque in Mombasa by youths was none of their business as long as they maintained peace.

Mombasa DCIO Gabriel Nyagah said the change of name from Sakina Jamia Mosque to Masjid Mujahedeen was not the authorities’ concern as long as the youths were peaceful.

However, on Thursday there was little visible evidence of the change of name at the main entrance of the mosque apart from the defaced letters of the old name.

Kenya’s Main Opposition claims security crackdown a ploy to please the West

10 Apr – Source: Daily Nation – 322 words

Opposition ODM party leaders have termed the ongoing operation against terror suspects in Eastleigh as a ‘ploy’ by the government to win back the confidence of the Western powers. Led by the party’s acting leader Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, the leaders said the operation was purely political.

“There is nothing like fighting terror in the so-called operation against terror suspects. This is a sheer deception to the country that the government is fighting terrorism, its aim being to negatively portray a certain community so as to achieve its goals,” said Prof Nyong’o.

The leaders further said that the operation is aimed to flush Somali investors out of the country, as the government had been ‘alarmed by the rate of growth’ of their businesses.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Kenya army ‘rescues aid workers’ from Somalia’s al Shabaab

11 Apr – Source: BBC – 139 Words

Piracy reduced in Indian Ocean off Somalia: Norwegian diplomat

11 Apr – Source: Shanghai Daily/Xinhua – 181 words

The number of piracy attacks on ships in the Indian Ocean has come down as no ships were hijacked in almost two years, said an official of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.

No ships on the international sea routes in the Indian Ocean off the African coast has been hijacked nearly 24 months thanks to successful preventive measures at sea, said Norwegian State Secretary Baard Glad Pedersen.

“The reduction in the number of attacks on ships in the Indian Ocean is a positive development. At the same time there are still attacks on shipping. Norway will continue its efforts to prevent piracy at sea and support the efforts to apprehend the perpetrators in Somalia,” said Pedersen.

Norway will continue to cooperate with Somalia and Somalia’s neighboring countries to get a definitive end to piracy, said Pedersen in a press release.

Kenya: Halt Crackdown on Somalis

11 Apr- Source: Human Rights Watch -1429 words

Kenyan police and other security agencies should stop arbitrary arrests and detentions, extortion, and other abuses against Somalis during security operations, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should also halt summary deportations and ensure that any undocumented Somalis are given the opportunity to file asylum claims.

On April 4 and 8, 2014, Human Rights Watch visited Pangani police station in Eastleigh and found hundreds of detainees packed into cells designed to accommodate 20 people. Detainees had no room to sit, and the cells were filthy with urine and excrement. Police were also holding detainees beyond the 24-hour limit proscribed under Kenyan law, without taking them to court. One man at Pangani station complained to Human Rights Watch that he had been held for eight days without being taken to court.

“Scapegoating and abusing Somalis for heinous attacks by unknown people is not going to protect Kenyans, Somalis, or anyone else against more attacks,” said Gerry Simpson, senior refugee researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Kenya’s deportation of Somalis to their conflict-ridden country without allowing them to seek asylum would be a flagrant breach of its legal obligations.”

Fiji, Somalia establish diplomatic ties

11 Apr – Source: Xinhua – 220 words

Fiji and Somalia established diplomatic relations on Friday, the Fijian government announced.At the Fiji Mission to the United Nations in New York, Peter Thomson, Fiji’s permanent representative to the UN and his Somali counterpart Elmi Ahmed Duale signed a joint communique establishing diplomatic relations between the two nations.

The communique expresses the desire of the governments of Fiji and Somalia to promote and strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between their two countries in political, economic, cultural, humanitarian and other fields.

It also states that diplomatic relations between Somalia and Fiji will be guided by the objectives and purposes of the UN Charter and international law, particularly on equality among states, respect for national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of other states and respect for international treaties.

Mohamed Hersi searched online for guns, explosives before allegedly trying to join Somali terrorist group: RCMP

10 Apr – Source: National Post – 341 words

A Toronto security guard on trial for allegedly attempting to join the Somali terrorist group Al-Shabab had searched the Internet for information on buying guns, an RCMP officer testified Thursday.

In the weeks before he was arrested at Toronto’s Pearson airport, Mohamed Hersi had gone online to search the terms “shotgun Somalia,” “Somalia AK-47 cost” and “gun market in Mogadishu Somalia,” said Cpl. Chris Lonnee.

An analysis of Mr. Hersi’s Internet history also found his computer had been used to look on eBay for guns and search the terms “9mm pistol,” “PK machine gun” and “RDX” on Google, the officer testified. RDX is an explosive.

In addition, extremist instructional literature such as the al Qaeda magazine Inspire and The Global Islamic Resistance Call manual had been downloaded onto his computer, the member of the RCMP’s Integrated Technological Crime Unit told jurors.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“One journalist’s time in Somalia didn’t quite prepare him for camping with Somali teens. But years later, that camping trip turned out to help a camper in a film role.”

From Reporting In Somalia To Canoeing In Minnesota

11 Apr – Source: mintpressnews/Somali Current -1083 words

I traveled to Somalia in the summer of 1993 to cover the famine that was ravaging the country following the overthrow of President Siad Barre. One of the first things a reporter friend and I did was hook up with the Canadian air force, which was flying food aid and other emergency relief supplies into the country’s interior. After landing, my colleague and I followed the food aid to where it was being distributed to people in need.

Six months after covering the famine, I returned back to Somalia to cover the United Nations peacekeeping mission, led by the U.S. military. The presence of international troops initially helped with opening up food aid corridors. It didn’t take long, however, before the United States and the other multinational forces got embroiled in the civil war. By March 1995 the international presence in Somalia was doing more harm than good, so the United Nations pulled out all of its forces.

I hired local militias or “technicals,” as they were more commonly known, to act as my personal guards every time I traveled to Somalia. Back then, a militia-for-hire cost anywhere from $100 to $500 a day, depending on the news organization.

Television crews with big budgets paid the premium, while independent journalists, like myself, would always try and negotiate the cheapest price. Problems would inevitably arise when my guards got word that other journalists were paying twice as much for protection as I was.

“There is a risk that such boundaries are not permanently fixed and may be re-drawn in the future. To add to the mix, maritime boundaries with Kenya and Yemen are yet to be delineated, and Somalia is disputing the boundary location with Kenya. Companies interested in entering (or reentering) Somalia will want to pay close attention to some of the other issues that operators have encountered over the last few years in the rest of East Africa…”

Operators eyeing new opportunities in Somalia must also weigh risks

10 Apr – Source: Offshore Magazine – 937 Words

Following huge East Africa discoveries offshore Mozambique and Tanzania, attention is creeping further north to Somalia, which may have geology similar to Yemen, a country with proved reserves of 2.7 Bbbl of oil. Somalia will be a challenging country in which to operate, and operators interested in Somalia should pay close attention to the recent experiences of Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, and Uganda in anticipating some of the likely challenges ahead. However, Somalia has its own unique set of issues, including a dangerous political and security situation, a maritime boundary dispute, disputes between regional authorities and the federal government, virtually no infrastructure, and a currency system in need of urgent reform. Oil companies considering entering the country to share a potentially huge prize will need to be focused on mitigating the risks involved.

Exploration in Somalia began in 1945, but to date, only six wells have been drilled offshore. The country has changed significantly since 1991, when IOCs claimed force majeure following the overthrow of President Mohamed Siad Barre by warlords; since 2012, a federal government has controlled most of the country, with the exception of a few pockets under Al-Shabaab control.

The government is encouraging the IOCs that exited the country in 1991 to return, and has entered into its first agreement with Soma Oil & Gas, a UK company solely focused on Somalia. Soma has agreed to carry out $20 million of seismic exploration work in return for the right to explore up to 12 blocks of its choice.

Unlike their East African neighbor, Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, and Uganda have significant recent experience in agreements with IOCs. All are either in the process of – or have recently completed – updating their petroleum legislation to accommodate potential discoveries and future development.

Top tweets

IOM ‏@IOM_news @WHOsom & IOM join hands to build capacity of #Somali health authorities. New health update:http://bit.ly/1gNfiSe @UNLazzarini @WHO.

@GerrySimpsonHRW Somali government callshttp://bit.ly/1hoANsZ on Kenya to end police abuses against Somalis in Nairobi @HRW http://bit.ly/1qmtHr7.

@amisomsomalia #AMISOM moves in to put out fire in Baidoa#Somalia http://on.fb.me/QqTSeN pic.twitter.com/RJb8DsEgL1.

@BBCAfrica 2 aid workers kidnapped by Al Shabab in 2011 have been rescued by the Kenyan army. They were taken while working on the Kenya-Somali border.

@BeilehMofa Visited the stereos of SNTV & Radiomuqdisho.Met with very talented Somali journalists who are doing a very great job pic.twitter.com/DffmznRtEF.

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Image of the day

Image of the day Group photo of Gender Focal Point officers during the Gender Focal Point Officers Training held in Mogadishu on 10th April 2014. Photo: @amisomsomalia.