April 27, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Fighting in Gedo region leaves 11 dead
27 Apr – Source: Shabelle/Kulmiye – 176 words
Eleven people were slained and many more others sustained injuries in a battle between Somali soldiers backed by Kenyan military and al Shabaab in the south western Somali region of Gedo, officials said today. Local residents confirmed that the fighting started when al Shabaab bases came under heavy ground and air attacks by Somali and Kenyan forces in several townships located on the outskirts of Garbaharey town, the provincial capital of Gedo region. Both warring sides claimed victory over the upper hand of the fighting.
Key Headlines
- AMISOM warns spoilers against disrupting the peace process (Source: Raxanreeb)
- Fighting in Gedo Region leaves 11 dead (Source: Shabelle)
- AMISOM’s new commander announces the deployment of AU forces to newly liberated towns of southern Somalia (Source: Radio Mogadishu)
- SRSG Mahiga meets with Mogadishu mayor Turkish Ambassador (Source: UNPOS)
- Al Shabaab threatens elders meeting in Mogadishu (Source: Radio Shabelle)
- African Union forces set up free hospital in Mogadishu (Source: BBC)
- Most senior al Shabaab leaders meet in the port city of Kismayo over allied advances (Source: Radio Mogadishu)
- Kenyan Internal Security minister says the government will deal with emerging security threats (Source: Citizen TV)
SOMALI MEDIA
AMISOM warns spoilers against disrupting the peace process
27 Apr – Source: Raxanreeb – 302 words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has said that it will not allow spoilers to sabotage the peace process as the country approaches the end of the transitional period.
Speaking during a press briefing in Mogadishu today, the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Honorable Wafula Wamunyinyi observed that as the country draws closer to the end of the transitional period, there will be heightened political activity; he also called on stakeholders to refrain from acts and statements that may disturb the peace currently enjoyed in most parts of the country.
He said; “It is important to note that this is the longest period of peace that Somalia has enjoyed since the fall of the central government in 1991. There have been sacrifices to get to where we are and AMISOM will not allow anybody to disrupt the peace process.”
The Deputy AU Special Representative noted the firm commitment demonstrated by the Transitional Federal Institutions to delivering a provisional constitution to the people of Somalia. “As we speak, the elders’ meeting is convening right here in Mogadishu to select members of the Constituent Assembly which is expected to review and adopt the draft provisional constitution. I look forward to a successful session by the assembly which should adopt the constitution by mid May” he said.
Honorable Wafula Wamunyinyi, who took the opportunity of the press briefing to introduce the incoming Force Commander Lieutenant General Andrew Gutti as part of the implementation of United Nations Resolution 2036, extended his appreciation to the outgoing Force Commander Major General Fred Mugisha for helping the TFG to liberate key areas including Daynile and Maslah from al Shabaab terrorists. He said AMISOM has secured the whole of Mogadishu and is now helping the TFG to consolidate the defense of the city and advancing beyond.
Fighting in Gedo region leaves 11 dead
27 Apr – Source: Shabelle/Kulmiye – 176 words
Eleven people were slained and many more others sustained injuries in a battle between Somali soldiers backed by Kenyan military and al Shabaab in the south western Somali region of Gedo, officials said today. Local residents confirmed that the fighting started when al Shabaab bases came under heavy ground and air attacks by Somali and Kenyan forces in several townships located on the outskirts of Garbaharey town, the provincial capital of Gedo region. Both warring sides claimed victory over the upper hand of the fighting.
Djibouti evacuates Somalia wounded journalists and actors
27 Apr – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 75 words
Somali journalists and actors who were seriously wounded in the suicide attack that rocked the Somali National Theater earlier this month will be evacuated to Djibouti today as the Somali government says it is facilitating the evacuation program. Government officials who spoke to radio Kulmiye says they are working closely with the government of Djibouti and other agencies in assisting the wounded journalists and actors.
Official-AU forces in Somalia plan to expand military operations against al Shabaab
27 Apr – Source: Shabelle – 208 words
African Union troops in Somalia said on Friday that they are planning to expand their military operations across the regions in the conflict-ridden Horn of Africa country in the coming months, an official said. Ambassador Boubacar Gaoussou Diarra, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, spoke more about AMISOM’s plan towards restoring peace and order in Somalia; he said AU soldiers are preparing to take over regions still under al Shabaab control.
“We want to capture areas which are now controlled by al-Qaeda-allied al Shabaab insurgent bases out of Mogadishu, as soon as we increase AMISOM’s force strength to a maximum of 17,731 uniformed personnel,” he added. A regional offensive has forced al Shabaab out of many of their strongholds, with Ethiopian troops fighting in the west, AU troops in Mogadishu pushing to the outskirts of the city and Kenyan troops battling in the south.
AMISOM’s new commander announces the deployment of AU forces to newly liberated towns of southern Somalia
26 Apr – Source: Radio Mogadishu/Somalia Report – 93 words
African Union officials and AMISOM commanders said they will expand their operations in Somalia and will reach recently liberated regions in southern and central Somalia. The deputy AU representative in Somalia Wafula Wamunyinyi, the former AMISOM commander General Fred Mugisha and the new AMISOM commander General Andrew Gutti held a press conference in Mogadishu and said new AMISOM police forces will come from Nigeria and Uganda to support those from Kenya and Burundi. Fred Mugisha repeated that Ethiopian troops shall leave the country as soon as possible, since they are not part of AMISOM.
Al Shabaab threatens elders meeting in Mogadishu
27 Apr – Source: Radio Shabelle – 126 words
Ali Mohamud Rageh, the spokesman of al Shabaab militants has sent a verbal threat to the Somali traditional elders gathering in Mogadishu to select the new constituency assembly supposed to pass the new draft constitution.
Speaking to a rebel-controlled local radio station in Elasha Biyaha, out of Mogadishu, Sheik Ali Dhere stated that al Shabaab will target any of the elders getting in the process of adopting the new constitution which he described as being ‘anti Islamic’.
This warning by the al Shabaab spokesman comes as 135 Somali traditional clan elders have begun to gather in the capital, Mogadishu to begin the selection of the constituency assembly before forming the new Somali parliament.
Somali asylum seekers forced into battle
26 Apr – Source: Garowe Online – 275 words
Reports were released by Iran and Saudi Arabia both accusing each other of recruiting and training Somali refugees in Yemen as fighters, Garowe reports. Iranian news agency FNA said last week that 1,300 Somali refugees were transferred to a military base in Saudi Arabia to be trained to fight Houthi a Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. The Yemeni government alongside US and Saudi support has waged a war against the insurgent group. The report by FNA, a Tehran based news agency, said that Saudi Arabia train Somalia refugees who are caught illegally in the country. They are taken to Saudi military bases to be trained after being caught and then put on the battlefield to fight Houthi rebels at the border Yemen and Saudi Arabia share.
Most senior al Shabaab leaders meet in the port city of Kismayo over allied advances
26 Apr – Source: Radio Mogadishu, Somalia Report – 63 words
Reports from Kismayo town of Lower Jubba region indicate that the top al-Shabaab leaders have met to discuss the difficult time that they are facing due to the advances by allied forces. Somalia’s al-Qaeda leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, his deputy Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansuur, Fu’ad Mohamed Khalaf Shongole, Hassan Dahir Aweys and other officials attended the meeting, according to sources close to the group.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Kenyan Internal Security minister says the government will deal with emerging security threats
26 Apr – Source: Citizen TV – 152 min
Top security chiefs today held a 6 – hour, closed – door meeting to map out ways of dealing with emerging criminal gangs ahead of the forthcoming general election. A senior police officer who attended the meeting said top on the agenda was threats posed to national security by the Al Shabaab and the outlawed Mombasa Republican Council. The officer said the security chiefs were also told to respect the bill of rights and adhere to other provisions of the new constitution. Closing the meeting, internal security minister Prof. George Saitoti said the government had put in place stringent measures on how to deal with emerging security threats.
Weapons pass through Kenya – EALA
25 Apr – Source: the Star – 349 words
Kenya is a major transit point for illegal weapons destined to war torn countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the East Africa Legislative Assembly has said. EALA speaker Abdirahin Abdi said this is due to Kenya’s strategic position through its port of Mombasa and other long porous borders with her neighbours.
Abdi was speaking in Mombasa when he officially opened a two day sensitisation forum on the need to support Small Arms And Light Weapons for parliamentary security, defence and budget committees. “Seventy five per cent of this region is awash with close to 500,000 illicit arms. The East African region records reveals 50,000-130,000 firearms have illegally found their way into the country. Unfortunately, Kenya seems to be a major transit point for these weapons,” Abdi said. Kenya was represented by Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo who called on corporation between member states and goodwill from the public to combat SALW.
Abdi added that the continuous flow of SALW into the region is worrying at a time when the region is experiencing political instability in South Sudan, Somalia and DRC among other states.
“Regional Center for Small Arms (RECSA) has a huge task ahead in dealing with the rising number of weapons and that is why we have convened this meeting,” Abdi said. He also blamed continued political agitation and instability for the demand for such weapons. He cited the aggression between South Sudan and Sudan and the war-torn Somalia.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Al Shabaab says American militant not dead
26 Apr – Source: AP – 971 words
An al-Qaida-linked Somali militant group says its American commander who was feared dead in early April is still alive. Al-Shabab militants released a statement on their website Thursday saying Omar Hammami is in “areas under the control of Islam.” The group denied he had been killed.
Hammami, an Alabama native, issued a video last month saying he feared his life was in danger because of disagreements he had with other militant leaders. Al-Shabab’s internal divisions are increasingly becoming public. Hassan Dahir Aweys, one of al Shabaab’s leaders, lashed out at the group’s brutality against civilians two weeks ago.
African Union forces set up free hospital in Mogadishu
26 Apr – Source: BBC – 1:10 min
African Union forces have set up a civil hospital to provide medical treatment to patients in the Somali capital Mogadishu. Military doctors are offering free treatment to the patients – the majority of whom are women and children.
SRSG Mahiga meets with Turkish Ambassador
25 Apr – Source: UNPOS – 98 words
The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga met today with the Turkish Ambassador to Somalia, Dr. Kani Torun at the Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu. SRSG Mahiga expressed his appreciation for all the efforts, commitment and good work that Turkey has been doing for Somalia. The meeting came as a follow up from SRSG’s recent visit to Ankara and in lieu of the upcoming Istanbul II conference end of May. Part of their talks was also the political preparations for the Traditional Elders conference that is going to select the members of the Constituent Assembly.
SRSG Mahiga meets with Mogadishu mayor Tarzan
25 Apr – Source: UNPOS – 78 words
SRSG Mahiga met earlier on Wednsday with the Benadir Region Governor and Mayor of Mogadishu, Mahamoud Ahmed Nur “Tarzin” in Mogadishu. The discussions focused on the security and logistical arrangements for hosting the upcoming Constituent Assembly conference and the required international support for it. The two officials also elaborated on the importance of a coordinated public awareness and civic education campaign in order to educate the public on the threats of mines, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and terrorist threats.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The al Qaeda model encourages ideological hybridization: think locally, act globally. To date, a Shabaab’s efforts have mainly focused in Somalia.”
After Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda still a many-headed threat
26 Apr – Source: Lake wylie pilot – 338 words
A year ago, U.S. Navy SEALs slipped into a heavily fortified compound in Pakistan and killed the face of international terrorism. There is a growing fear, however, that Osama bin Laden’s death didn’t even seriously wound the international terror threat.
This past decade — as al Qaeda’s core leadership was hunted, scattered and disrupted in Afghanistan and Pakistan — a number of sympathetic groups and individuals sprang up around the world. In the year since his death, their importance in this shadow world has grown.
Al Shabaab, which began in 2006 as the militant wing of a group of Islamist courts that briefly ruled southern Somalia, has also shown global ambitions — recruiting dozens of youths, mostly from Minnesota but also from Alabama, California and Ohio, to fight an insurgency against Somalia’s weak government and an African Union peacekeeping force.
But Tom Sanderson, co-director of the Transnational Threat Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, says that one of the most puzzling questions for those who track international terrorism is why al Shabaab — so far — hasn’t lashed out at the United States.
“The Shabaab network inside the United States is tailor-made for what al Qaeda wants to accomplish in this country,” Sanderson said. “They have ties to al Qaeda, they have the rhetoric. It’s not a very big stretch to turn that into attacks in the United States.”
“The current TFG mandate will expire in less than four months. The three top TFG Leaders (the President, Parliamentary Speaker, and the Prime Minister) are not on speaking terms, and each on his own is pre-occupied with how to get re-elected rather than with national strategic issues”.
Not the right time for talks: between Somalia’s Transitional government & Somaliland
27 Apr – Source: Hiiraan Online – 1025 words
In the midst of incessant heart breaking barrage of ghastly bad news emanating from their motherland, the Somali public saw a ray of hope in last week’s announcement that Somalia’s Transitional Government (TFG) and Somalia’s Northwestern secessionist enclave (‘Somaliland’) will, after 20 years of silence, will engage in preliminary talks, as reflected in paragraph (6) of theLondon International Conference on Somalia, held on February 23, 2012.
However, to the dismay of the Somali public, who saw these talks as a major step towards the restoration of peace and unity to their long-suffering homeland, both the TFG andSomalilandstarted with the wrong foot and approached these talks in a casual haphazard fashion.
Top tweets
@ProfAlanMaynard @KamranAbbasi
@UKinSomalia ‘Brothers in Arms’ exhibition sponsored by #AMISOM now on in Kampala: http://tinyurl.com/
@Aynte Business as usual! “@ferigom69: #Kenya is a major transit point for illicit weapons in East #Africa. http://goo.gl/
@asdango Sweden’s cooperation with Somalia | Sweden Abroad.
@BBCAfrica AU sets up free hospital in Mogadishu http://ow.ly/ayew6 #
@Rooble2009 Somalia: AMISOM warns spoilers against disrupting the peace process as the country approaches a transitional period.
@cobbo3 Col. Paddy Ankunda, AMISOM spokesman, was first soldier to set foot on Somalia soil in 2007 when mission arrived in Mogadishu.#Somalia2012.
Tana Mark @tanamark RT @cobbo3: Somalia has a bloated 500 member transitional parliament! New Somalia will have 225-270. #Somalia2012.
Image of the day
Incoming African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Force Commander Lt. Gen Andrew Gutti (middle-back) views surrounding terrain from the roof of Mogadishu University. Along with current Force Commander Maj. Gen Fred Mugisha, Lt. Gen. Gutti (front) visited AMISOM bases in Maslah Town, Mogadishu University and the recently taken strategic area of Deynille as part of an orientation tour of AMISOM’s area of operations. Photo: AU-UN IST/AMISOM