April 16, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

UN Special Representative for Somalia appeals for calm and restraint in Sool

16 Apr- Source: UNSOM- 135 words

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia (SRSG), Nicholas Kay, expressed his concern as tensions mounted between forces from Somaliland and Puntland in the northern region of Sool, and in particular the town of Taleh.

“I call for calm. The situation will not be resolved by military means. All parties must refrain from violent actions, and make immediate efforts to de-escalate the situation and resolve their differences through peaceful dialogue and compromise. The Somali people have suffered enough and know that no good can come from further violence and insecurity. UNSOM is coordinating our response with international partners to urge the utmost restraint. We stand ready to support any mediation efforts with all parties” said SRSG Kay.

Key Headlines

UN Special Representative for Somalia appeals for calm and restraint in Sool (UNSOM)
Djibouti to send additional troops to Somalia (Radio Mogadishu/SNTV)
Civilians begun to flee from Taleh after Somaliland invasion (RBC)
‘UPDF instructors trained al Shabaab fighters’ (New Vision)
Food prices rise in Gedo region (Radio Ergo)
Al Shahid interviews newly appointed district governor (Al Shahid)
UK Pledges new Aid for Somalia (Somali Current/Universaltv)
Hiiraan region elders opposes appointment of new governor (Radio Goobjoog)
Somali federalism should be implemented without tribalism lawmaker says (Sabahi online)
Three children die as landmine explodes (Radio Ergo)
Fatal car accident kills 22 in Mogadishu outskirts (Radio Dalsan)
Burundi opens Embassy in Somalia (AMISOM)
Man’s two-year ordeal under al Shabaab gang (Daily Nation)
Somalia likely to have large oil deposits – report (Africa Review)
Media accused of bias in ongoing crackdown (Star News)
Over 200 arrested in police swoop at Nairobi’s South C estate (Standard Media)
Kenya targeting Muslims: Somalia’s al Shabaab (Turkish Press)
One S. Korean sailor missing in Somalia (Global Post)

PRESS STATEMENT

UN Special Representative for Somalia appeals for calm and restraint in Sool

16 Apr- Source: UNSOM- 135 words

SOMALI MEDIA

Djibouti to send additional troops to Somalia

16 Apr- Source: Radio Mogadishu/SNTV/Radio Goobjoog- 746 words

Somalia’s deputy Prime Minister and religious affairs minister Ridwan Hersi Mohamed and delegates returned to the country after official visit to the republic of Djibouti.

While holding press conference in Adan Adde international airport the Minister said that he had meetings and signed agreements with top leaders of the country. He stated that he met Djibouti president Ismail Omar Gelle and discussed strengthening the bilateral ties between the two nations and promised to continue its support to the federal government of Somalia.

Mr. Ridwan noted that Djiboutian president, Gelle promised to send more troops to Somalia to back the federal government of Somalia’s effort to stabilize the country.

Djiboutian troops have officially joined AMISOM in 2011 to take part in reconstruction of Somalia.

Civilians begun to flee from Taleh after Somaliland invasion

16 Apr – Source: RBC – 114 words

Civilians begun to flee from Taleh town in the northern region of Sool after Somaliland forces invaded the town. Somaliland forces took control of the town on Tuesday without resistance as forces loyal to Khatumo state of Somalia withdrew from the town. The town has been the seat of the newly established Khatumo administration which opposes Somaliland’s secessionist campaign.

Residents were fleeing to nearby villages and others to Buhodle town to avoid possible fight between Somaliland forces, Khatumo State and the Puntland forces.

Puntland’s information Minister Abdiweli Hersi Indhaguran said Somaliland capture of Taleh town was a total provocation against Puntland and that Garowe will immediately respond hard on it.

Food prices rise in Gedo region

16 Apr- Source: Radio Ergo- 182 words

Prices of food items have risen sharply in Gedo’s Burdhubo and Garbaharey districts, as Al-Shabaab continues to blockade the roads leading to the area. Somali government and AMISOM forces captured the districts from Al-Shabaab last month. But trucks have stopped transporting goods to the two districts because of threats by Al-Shabaab that they will be targeted if they use the roads.

The districts rely on foods transported from Mogadishu. “No foods and goods were transported to our district in the past four weeks,” said Fadumo Aden Ali, a resident of Garbaharey town.

The blockage has affected the price of food items including rice, wheat flour, sugar, spaghetti, which are the most consumed commodities in the districts, she added.

Locals report that a 50 kg sack of sugar, rice or wheat flour are currently selling for 1,200,000 Somali shillings, whereas previously sugar was 700,000, rice 680,000 and flour 800,000.

Burdhubo elders said those affected by the price rises are the recently displaced people in Gedo region. they warned that famine could hit the region if the price of basic commodities continues to soar.

UK Pledges new Aid for Somalia

16 Apr – Source:Somali Current/Universaltv/Alshahid/Radio Bar-kulan – 185 words

UK Minister for African Mark Simmons paid an undisclosed and urgent visit to Somalia’s capital city of Mogadishu on Tuesday for boosting security, stabilization and democratization process of Somali government.

The minister during his visit to Mogadishu met with Somali Federal Government President and other governmental officials including MP’s and ministers of Foreign, Justice & Constitutional, Defense, Interior and Security who were all present in a stabilization meeting held in Mogadishu.

The minister for Africa Mark Simmons and President Hassan Sheikh in their meeting at Villa Somalia discussed issues including the vital relationship between the 2 countries in the sides of security, stabilization, and democratization process.

Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stressed of his government’s priorities and said, “My administration’s priorities including enhancing security, stabilization, reviewing federal constitution, implementation and spreading of Federalism to whole country as well as democratizing the country.

Holding free and fair elections throughout the country in the year 2016 is one of our main priorities and goals to attain. UK is leading international efforts of bringing peace and stability back to Somalia and likewise supports and cooperates with Somali federal government.”

Hiiraan region elders opposes appointment of new governor

16 Apr – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 103 words

The elders of Hiiraan region turned down the appointment of the new governor of Hiiraan region by president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The elders stated that president Hassan appointed the new governor Abdifatah Hassan Afrah without consultation with the elders and intellectuals in the region as he promised in his previous visit to the region.

A famous elder in Hiiraan region Hassan told Goobjoog FM that president Hassan made the appointment against the wishes of the communities living in Hiran region.

Abdifatah Hassan Afrah, the former governor of Hiiraan region was once again appointed by president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to replace Abdi Farah Laqanyo.

Three children die as landmine explodes

6 Apr- Source: Radio Ergo- 130 words

Three children playing with a landmine near their home in the north-western town of Buhodle were killed when the device exploded, their father Muse Abdullahi Mire said.

The children thought the landmine was a toy. It exploded, killing the three siblings and injuring two other children and their mother in Qori-lugud village, about 30 km away from Buhodle.

The wounded were taken to Togdher’s regional capital of Buroa, about 95 km away. Several livestock were also wounded in the incident.

The area, which lies near the Somalia-Ethiopia border, is infested with landmines from the days of the Ogaden conflict in the late 1970s.

Somalia is one of the most mine-scarred countries in the world. However, the Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed announced last week that Mogadishu is free of landmines.

Fatal car accident kills 22 in Mogadishu outskirts

15 Apr- Source: Radio Dalsan- 102 words

Fatal car accident outside Mogadishu killed 22 males after their speedy car collided with a lorry in the main corridor between Mogadishu and Afgoye. Most of those affected by the accident were people returning from a funeral at KM13. At least 15 others were hospitalized after sustaining injuries. Some of them were reportedly in critical condition. Traffic police were sent the area to investigate the fatal incident.

According to Mogadishu Traffic Police, most of the road accidents are attributed to speedy cars and unskilled drivers those who do not care about their allowed speed while driving in and out of the city.

Influx of IDPs to Beletweyne

15 Apr- Source: Radio Ergo- 292 words

Hundreds of displaced families fleeing violence in the western regions of Somalia have been pouring into the central town of Beletweyne. The IDPs, who are mostly women and children, have fled from Hiran’s Bulo Barte district, and Mahas and Bakol region, where the Somali national armed forces and African Union peacekeepers have recently fought against the militant group al Shabaab.

About 30 displaced families have been arriving in Hiran each week since the Somali troops and AMISOM launched a wide-scale offensive against al Shabaab last month. Radio Ergo’s local reporter said the new arrivals are joining an exodus of people from five existing camps on the outskirts of Beletweyne, where resources and land are stretched beyond the limit.

There are a number of pregnant women among the displaced, and some women have given birth since arriving in the new camp in town.

Leyla Abdinur, a divorced single mother of seven children, gave birth to her eighth child in the Daryel camp just two days after she arrived. Her mother Khadijo Kulmiye, who fled with her from Bulo barde town, about 110 km to the south, helped her to deliver the baby because there were no medical staff around the camp.

“My baby girl is healthy,” Abdinur told Radio Ergo inside her makeshift house. “There are no vaccinations, drugs or food available for us,” she added. She said her baby is surviving on breastfeeding, but she could only get water to drink.

Ismahan Abdirisaq walked with her eight children about 90 kms to reach Tiyiglow district from Hudur, where they got a ride on a vehicle to Beletweyne. She had hoped for services but found nothing. “We need shelter, food, water and treatment. There is nothing at all here,” Abdirisaq told Radio Ergo’s local reporter.

Burundi opens Embassy in Somalia

15 Apr- Source: AMISOM-284 Words

In a show of growing confidence in the security and political progress in Somalia, Burundi becomes the latest country to establish an embassy in the country. Burundi’s first full ambassador to Somalia, Brigadier General Joseph Nkurunziza, presented his credentials to Somali President His Excellency Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and pledged Burundi’s commitment to the growth and development of Somalia.

“As the Government, we greatly value the sacrifices that Burundi has been making in Somalia. We are also grateful for their support in the training of our soldiers, who are rapidly becoming a professional, capable force. Soon Somali soldiers will be able to provide peace and stability throughout the country and will take full control of the security of our country. That will only be possible with the assistance of our brother nations like Burundi.” said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

The Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdirahman Duale Beyle, while welcoming the new ambassador, said
“Today we welcome the first Ambassador of Burundi to Somalia who will reside in our country, Burundi is a country which has suffered similar challenges as ours, but has nonetheless taken away from what it has, to extend us support to free Somalia from war.”

Also present during the meeting is AMISOM’s Sector 5 Commander, Colonel Jean Luc Habarugira.

Burundi contingent is the second largest troops contributing country within AMISOM with 5,432 troops. The country has so far sent six battle groups into Somalia, provided three Deputy Force Commanders, and the current AMISOM Force Commander, Lt. General Silas Ntigurirwa. The troops are based in Jowhar and commanded by Col. Jean Luc Habarugira, and are primarily responsible for operations in Sector 5, which covers the Middle Shabelle region.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Man’s two-year ordeal under al Shabaab gang

16 Apr – Source: Daily Nation – 259 words

Daniel Njuguna Wanyoike, 28, is a broken man. After two years as a hostage of al Shabaab, the father of one cannot look you in the face. Drooping shoulders, downward gaze and the hands clutched between his knees tell of a man emotionally disturbed.

He was kidnapped on October 5, 2011, by the terrorist group, al Shabaab, inside Somalia as he delivered medicine. Even six days after his rescue, he has difficulty talking about the cruelty of captivity where he and his fellow hostage expected to be killed any time by their captors.

He has been in captivity for two-and-half years and along the way, he converted to Islam and took the name Abdurahman in order to survive. Basics like food were an issue; he was sustained by two meals of pasta every day. “My mind is numb, the pain is still strong,” he told the Nation Tuesday.

Throughout the interview, he sat pensive, his head bowed, avoiding eye contact, his hands between his knees. Even when he stood up, his hands remained clasped in front of him. Evidently, the trauma of the hell endured until he was rescued by Kenyan soldiers still casts a dark shadow over his life.

‘UPDF instructors trained al Shabaab fighters’

16 Apr – Source; New Vision – 142 words

UPDF instructors trained ten al Shabaab fighters using African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) facilities on instructions from their commanders.

Lance Corporal, Jackson Byabagambi, told the General Court Martial in Makindye, a Kampala suburb,Tuesday that the ten al Shabaab fighters were trained at Aljazeera training ground shared by AMISOM troops and Somalia National Army (SNA) last May.

Maj. Frank Kawero, formally the training officer at Aljazeera training school and Capt. Hassan Wantimba, formally the school’s chief instructor, are facing trial for having allegedly sneaked the al Shabaab fighters into the military facility to attend training on firing guns.

Al Shahid interviews newly appointed district governor

16 Apr- Source: Al Shahid- 364 words

Team of journalists from Al Shahid center for research and media studies on Sunday visited the center of Shibis district in Banadir region and interviewed the newly appointed commissoner of the district, Abdi Fitah Nor Ali.

Abdi Fitah Nor Ali, who welcomed the journalist in his administration center, answered many questions relating to his district affairs, his new administration, and the future process of social development in the country.

Alshahid: first, welcome to Al Shahid especial interview.

Shibis commissioner: I appreciate this opportunity from Al-shahid center and your especial visit in this district.

Alshahid: how have you receive the attention of the residents after the Banadir governor named you as district governor?

Shibis commissioner: Shibis district is narrow resident with historical buildings, many peace loving people live here, all district living society welcomed our newly named administration unanimously. We meet the community and they tell us their needs towards developing the district.

Somalia likely to have large oil deposits – report

15 Apr- Source: Africa Review-361 Words

Oil giant British Petroleum has signed concessions with the Mogadishu authorities to explore oil and gas in Somalia. An intelligence brief released on Monday indicated that Somalia’s coastal waters in the Indian Ocean could be having some of the world’s largest oil deposits.

The statement issued by Mr David Golman, an intelligence news analyst, pointed to reports showing existence of large oil deposits in Somalia, which could change the global market dynamics.

“Intelligence collected by Strategic Intelligence shows Somalia’s Puntland province has 10 billion barrels of oil reserves, making it one of the top 20 countries holding oil,” it added.

Further, the brief says that a company that drilled wells in Puntland (a semi-autonomous state in north-eastern Somalia) estimates 4 billion barrels – worth about $500 billion in today’s prices – in its two discoveries in Somalia.

Media accused of bias in ongoing crackdown

15 Apr – Source: Star News – 178 words

HUMAN rights bodies have accused the Kenyan media of “selective coverage” and “lacking fairness” in the police crackdown to flush out illegal immigrants. The Muslim Human Rights Forum executive director Al-Amin Kimathi yesterday said the media has taken “a slide in objectivity” in its coverage of the government’s counter-terrorism measures.

“The media only focuses on the purported war on terror but failed to say how the war is being carried out. Gross human rights violation have been committed in the process and no one talks about it,” he said.

“Government statements about the attacks and its response seem to be taken at face value. We always listen to the police and imaginative intelligence sources while ignoring the plights of those abused by the same police who ought to protect them.”

Over 200 arrested in police swoop at Nairobi’s South C estate

15 Apr – Source: Standard Media – 116 wsord

More than 200 people were Monday night arrested in the ongoing operation on illegal immigrants as police moved to Nairobi’s South C estate. The operation sparked more condemnation from locals who accused police of harassment. Among those arrested were Indians, Pakistanis and Chinese nationals.

But police refused to give in to the demands to halt the exercise and erected roadblocks Tuesday morning where they checked on motorists going in and out of South C. The first roadblock was erected near Police Pavilion while the second one was outside South C mosque.

The officers demanded identification documents from both pedestrians and motorists. There are a big number of residents of Somali and Indian origin in South C.

Somali federalism should be implemented without tribalism, lawmaker says

15 Apr- Source: Sabahi online- 317 words

In early September 2013, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud convened the Vision 2016 Conference which outlined steps needed to strengthen and rebuild Somalia’s government institutions and hold democratic elections in three years.

The more than 200 delegates who attended the conference addressed five main themes for Somalia’s political future: constitutional development, review, oversight and implementation; models of federalism; good governance and reform; the electoral process and party politics; and political outreach, public engagement, reconciliation and justice.

The conference recommended the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a Land and Property Commission within six months, and the formation of a Boundaries and Federation Commission within 60 days.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Kenya targeting Muslims: Somalia’s al Shabaab

16 Apr – Source: Turkish Press – 155 words

Somalia’s al Shabaab militant group has accused neighboring Kenya of “humiliating and violating the rights” of Muslims and Somali refugees in the name of “fighting terrorism,” according to a Tuesday statement by the group.

“Al Shabaab will not stand silent in the face of [Kenya’s] violations against Muslims,” read a statement by group spokesman Ali al-Teiri, broadcast on the group’s online Andalus Radio. “Detaining infants and elderly men in the name of fighting terrorism is a heinous act,” it added.

The statement comes on the heels of a wide-ranging arrest campaign in which many illegal immigrants have been rounded up by the Kenyan authorities.

The security sweep was launched in response to a recent string of bombings that have targeted Nairobi and the coastal city of Mombasa. The operation has seen thousands of people detained for screening, mostly thought to be Muslims from the capital’s Eastleigh district, which is home to an estimated 50,000 Somali refugees.

Somalia’s Deputy PM meets with Djibouti president

15 Apr- Source: Xinhua-140 words

Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ridwan Hersi Mohamed who has been on an official visit to Djibouti sinceSaturday, on Monday met with Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh.

After the meeting, the Somali deputy prime minister told the media he had used the opportunity to thank Djibouti president, on behalf of Somalia government and its people, for the support Djibouti was offering in Somalia’s pacification and reconstruction process.

Hersi Mohamed welcomed the decision by Djiboutian authorities to deploy a second battalion to Somalia.

“I have received precious advice from President Guelleh on how we should solve the Somalia crisis, such as using negotiations to ensure sustainable peace is restored,” he said.

One S. Korean sailor missing in Somalia

15 Apr – Source: Global Post – 89 words

One Navy petty officer dispatched to a South Korean contingency in Somalia went missing during an escort mission in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday, prompting a search operation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The 22-year-old officer, identified only by his surname Ha, disappeared early Tuesday while a South Korean destroyer was escorting three ships to Port of Mukalla, Yemen, the JCS said.

Helicopters and ships have been dispatched to nearby waters, while sailors are searching compartments of the 4,500-ton ship to find him, it said.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“The Syrian refugee children received each of their letters with a photo of the writer….The letters were well received by the young Syrians, says Care International, and they are now writing responses to be delivered back to the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya.”

Syria crisis: Uplifting letters of hope from Somali refugees

16 Apr- Source: BBC News Magazine-368 Words

Young Somali refugees living in the world’s largest refugee camp, in Kenya, have sent letters of encouragement to Syrian refugee children who have also had to flee their homeland.

The young Somali students reside in the Dadaab refugee camp, in north-eastern Kenya. It is home to nearly 400,000 refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict, drought and famine in Somalia over the last 23 years.

Care International, the aid agency that provides many basic services at the camp, organised the pen pal exchange and delivered the handwritten letters to Syrian children at the Refugee Assistance Centre in Amman, Jordan.

They offer messages of solidarity, encouragement and advice to their “dear brothers and sisters”. Many urge the importance of studying and gaining an education while in the camps.

“We must step up our Intelligence game by minimizing the current brute force approaches in favour of more intelligent ones if at all we are to win the war against terror in the long term. Intelligence is about data, and more specifically, about collecting, harnessing and mining this data. Big Data and its Analytics, is the term currently used to describe this business intelligence gathering process.”

Kenya should minimize brute force in favour of data-driven intelligence

15 Apr- Source: Daily Nation-747 Words

The ongoing onslaught on the Eastleigh neighborhood in search of terrorists, criminals and illegal immigrants is a fair attempt to address the rising threats to our national security. Nevertheless, it raises questions about our security and intelligence strategy as a nation. First, some human rights activists have argued against targeting communities in Eastleigh.

They choose to ignore the fact that most of our would-be-terrorists do hail from Somalia – where we are waging a war against al Shabaab terrorists. Such terrorists would find a natural habitat in Eastleigh where it would be easier to mix and mingle within the majority of Kenyan Somalis who reside there.
So the target of Eastleigh is fairly accurate in terms of where one would likely find a higher number of suspected terrorists. However, the target zone seems to be the only thing we got right. What betrays our lack of strategy is way the operation is being carried out.

Doing a mass arrest in Eastleigh, where anything and everything is a suspect implies that we actually do not have detailed, specific targets. To put it bluntly, we seem to lack the intelligence necessary to pin-point and direct our operations.

Reconstructing Somalia: Love Songs at the Birth of a Nation

15 Apr- Source: Somali current-225 Words

Lidwien Kapteijns is a professor of history at Wellesley College. A few years ago, she contacted Afropop Worldwide to say she was a co-trustee of a large collection of rarely heard songs from Somalia. These songs date from between about 1955, when the country was approaching independence, and 1990, when it was disintegrating into a devastating period of civil conflict.

Professor Kapteijns said that the love songs in particular in this collection reveal a now-hidden chapter in Somali history, a time when the country was actively searching for a way to balance old tradition and culture with the coming wave of modernity. Kapteijns provides the principle voice in the resulting Afropop program, Reconstructing Somalia: Love Songs at the Birth of A Nation. Afropop’s Banning Eyre braved a February snowstorm to visit Kapteijns in her office at Wellesley. Here’s their conversation.

Banning Eyre: Welcome. Let’s start at the beginning. Introduce yourself and tell us how you got involved with Somali music. But before we do that, how do we correctly pronounce your name?

Top tweets

‏@africamedia_CPJ Past 4 yrs #Somalia has highest level of impunity for unsolved journalist murders in Africa & 2nd globally#impunity http://tinyurl.com/pnkyu4l

‏@reliefweb #Somalia: Need a snapshot of the ongoing military offensive’s #humanitarian impact? http://bit.ly/1noDmM3 pic.twitter.com/l2qMP04WNY

@UNSomalia #UN Special Envoy to #Somalia Nick Kay (@Somalia111) appeals for calm & restraint in #Sool & #Talehas tensions mount http://bit.ly/1m6PYKf

@amisomsomalia VIDEO: New #Burundi Ambassador Presents Credentials to #Somali Governmenthttp://bit.ly/1n8AXaZ

@Abdikarim_Abdi3 The #Somali Police Force. A patriotic woman leads an entire battalion of troops. #Mogadishu #Somalia. pic.twitter.com/L3m09YeYLV

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Image of the day

Image of the day Burunidi’s Ambassador to Somalia, Brig. Gen.Joseph Nkurunziza presents his papers tp Somalia’s president His Excellency President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the Minister of Foreign Affairs,Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdirahman Duale Beyle, witnesses on April 14th 2014 at Villa Somalia.