April 3, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Somali parliament rejects Turkish company to manage Mogadishu main port
03 Apr – Source: Radio RBC/Shabelle – 120 words
Parliament of the Federal government of Somalia rejected a Turkish based company to resume the Management Mogadishu port.
In the 5th meeting of the fourth session, Somali parliamentarians withdrew their decision consisted of four articles concerning the Main Mogadishu port management affairs.
Among the four articles of this decision includes:
1: The federal government not to hand the port management before ensuring whether the handing over agreement is adhering to constitution of the country.
2: To make sure job security for the Somali youth currently working in the port.
Somali federal government of Somalia signed an agreement with Turkish company to take over the management of the main Mogadishu port.
Key Headlines
- Somali parliament rejects Turkish company to manage Mogadishu main port (Radio RBC/Shabelle)
- Prime Minister: ‘Soldiers are required to respect human rights” (Radio Shabelle)
- Somalia: New Pirate Prison Opened in Puntland (Horseed Media/Puntland TV)
- Parliamentary transportation committee welcome decision over Mogadishu seaport (Radio Shabelle)
- Kenya opens consular offices in Kismayo (Dhanaan Online)
- Italian Navy Rescues Hundreds of Migrants (AP)
- Puntland president appoints new Nugal governor (Horseed Media)
- ‘Gleam of hope’ in strife-torn Somalia (Japan Times)
- Tight security in jails to curb terror plots (Daily Nation)
- Police Chief requests wider support to the Somali police (Radio Shabelle)
- Mombasa on alert following assassination of Makaburi (Sabahi Online)
- Kenyan forces will not pull out of Somalia says Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo (Standard Media)
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali parliament rejects Turkish company to manage Mogadishu main port
03 Apr – Source: Radio RBC/Shabelle – 120 words
Parliament of the Federal government of Somalia rejected a Turkish based company to resume the Management Mogadishu port.
In the 5th meeting of the fourth session, Somali parliamentarians withdrew their decision consisted of four articles concerning the Main Mogadishu port management affairs.
Among the four articles of this decision includes:
1: The federal government not to hand the port management before ensuring whether the handing over agreement is adhering to constitution of the country.
2: To make sure job security for the Somali youth currently working in the port.
Somali federal government of Somalia signed an agreement with Turkish company to take over the management of the main Mogadishu port.
Kenya opens consular offices in Kismayo
03 Apr – Source: Dhanaan Online – 85 words
The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has cited expansion of the country’s diplomatic missions in the last year. While giving the scorecard of the ministry for the last one year, Principal Secretary of Kenya Foreign Affairs, Karanja Kibicho said consular offices have been opened in the Somalia port city of Kismayo that is being liberated by the Kenya Defence Forces from Al Shabaab.
The Principal Secretary said another consular office will be up and running in the breakaway region of Somaliland, which is seeking independence from the war-torn Somalia.
Prime Minister: ‘Soldiers are required to respect human rights”
03 Apr – Source: Radio Shabelle – 105 words
The Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia Mr. Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed insisted the Somali government troops to not cause civilians any trouble, but rather respect their rights of all those residing in areas under control of the government.
The Prime Minister mentioned that there has been numerous complaints by locals detesting government troops in areas recently liberated from Al-Shabaab. Furthermore, the Mr Mohamed added that there also humanitarian crisis’s that require immediate and urgent attention.
At last the Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed announced that plans have been developed by the cabinet to provide civilians living in government areas with the vital emergency aid.
Puntland president appoints new Nugal governor
03 Apr – Source: Horseed Media/Radio Goobjoog/Halgan Online – 98 words
The president of semi autonomous regional state of Puntland Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas has appointed new governor of Nugal region to replace the long serving governor Abdi Hirsi Ali alias Qarjab.
Abdweli Haanshi Ali was appointed as the new governor of Nugal region in a decree from the office of Puntland president Abdiweli Gaas.
The former governor of Nugal region Mr. Qarjab has declined to comment about his dismissal, to the context the new governor is expected to brief the media about his plans to lead the region. The new governor will take office the coming few days.
Parliamentary transportation committee welcome decision over Mogadishu seaport
03 Apr – Source: Radio Shabelle/Goobjoog – 90 words
The Chairman of the Parliamentary Transportation Committee for the Federal Parliament of Somalia have welcomed the decision made yesterday at their session yesterday to allow a Turkish company to take over the operations of the Mogadishu seaport.
The Chairman, Osman Aadan Dhubow, addressed Radio Shabelle in Mogadishu and mentioned that the cabinet made mistakes before in allowing a foreign company to maintain control of the country’s public service sites.
It was only yesterday the Somali Federal Parliament agreed to hand over control of the Mogadishu’s seaport to a Turkish-owned company.
Somalia: New Pirate Prison Opened in Puntland
03 Apr – Source: Horseed Media/Puntland TV – 137 words
Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Opened a new large prison which Pirates captured on the high seas and prosecuted in other countries will be imprisoned and other criminals such as terrorists. The Prison was built by the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) in collaboration with the Puntland Government.
The Opening Ceremony was held in Garowe, the capital of the semi-autonomous region on Wednesdayevening and was attended by senior officials from UNODC and Senior diplomats from the European Union. The new Prison will facilitate the rehabilitation of Convicted Pirates by making them more accessible to their families.
Puntland leader thanked the governments and International Organizations assisting his administration on tackling Piracy, who have collected massive ransoms from hijacking merchant ships in the recent years. He called for more support on eradicating totally the sea gangs.
Mahas administration vows to continue with security operations in the district
03 Apr – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 100 words
The administration of Mahas district in Hiiraan region stated that the security operations in the region continue The security forces in a massive crackdown yesterday apprehended many youth and seized explosive devices from various of the district.
The administrator of Mahas district Mohamed Mumin Saneey praised the warm welcome of the public to his administration after they took control of the district from Al-shabab fighters.
He called on the public to co-operate with the administration and security forces so as to combat insecurity. Somali National Army and African Union peace-keeping troops seized the control of Mahas district late last week.
Police Chief requests wider support to the Somali police
03 Apr – Source: Radio Shabelle – 110 words
The Chief of the Somali Police Force General Abdihakin Dahir Saiid Saacid reported to the press that during the last couple of days, police offers have intensified their security swoops in the capital city Mogadishu in a bid to strengthen the wellbeing.
General Saacid requested from the Federal Government of Somalia to urge the international community to help expand the capacity of the Somali Police Force so they be successful in their operations.
Recently, the Somali Police Force have deepened their search crackdowns in Mogadishu as the Somali National Army backed by African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops have already liberated towns and districts in the regions from Al-Shabaab.
Foreign Nationals arrested in Somaliland for illegally collecting minerals
02 Apr – Source: Somaliland Informer – 127 words
Somaliland Police arrested on Tuesday night thirteen foreigners accused of illegally collecting mineral samples from Berbera’s mountainous territory in Sahil region. They were on board on four Land Cruiser vehicles after local residents suspected and later were put in custody in Burco.
Reports said police and the foreigners reached an agreement and was under hotel arrest. The group claims that they are legally collecting minerals from the mountains but police launched an investigation which is still underway.
A local resident from Burco is leading the group of foreigners who tried to collect minerals from the mountains territory that links Berbera to Burco. Officials from the ministry of Energy and Minerals denied that they met with the group and stated that they do not know anything about them.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Kenyan forces will not pull out of Somalia, says Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo
03 Apr – Source: Standard Media – 119 words
The Government has no immediate plans of pulling out the Kenya Defence Forces from Somalia, Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo has announced.
Omamo, who described 2014 as a decisive year in the fight against the Al-Shabaab, maintained that it is not yet time to discuss the exit of KDF from the war-torn nation. “We do not think that this is the time to discuss exiting Somalia. This is the time to step up military operations.
This is the time to crush the terrorist groups in Somalia that are causing insecurity in this country,” Omamo said. Speaking during a Cabinet briefing Wednesday, the Defence CS reminded Kenyans that the military crossed into Somalia in response to attacks by terror groups.
Tight security in jails to curb terror plots
02 Apr – Source: Daily Nation – 181 words
Security in prisons will be enhanced and foreign prisoners repatriated, following reports that criminal attacks were organised from jails. Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku Wednesday said that security at the Shimo La Tewa, Kamiti and Naivasha prisons would be beefed up to ensure that terror suspects in custody do not continue planning further attacks.
He said following church raids, the places of worship would be guarded by armed officers. Mr Lenku, however, maintained that there was no conflict between Muslims and non-Muslims especially at the Coast. “There is no inter-religious conflict. What has happened in churches is purely criminal.”
The minister said the police airwing would be revamped to enable it offer aerial support officers during ground operations. Mr Lenku, who was speaking at Harambee House, Nairobi, during the State of the Nation briefings, said already, a senior officer had been posted to the air unit to revamp it.
Mombasa on alert following assassination of Makaburi
02 Apr – Source: Sabahi Online – 305 words
As news broke Tuesday night (April 1st) that unidentified gunmen killed Kenyan Islamist cleric Sheikh Abubakar Shariff Ahmed, known as Makaburi, Mombasa authorities braced for violent protests similar to those witnessed after previous clerics were gunned down in a similar manner.
“Makaburi and a second person identified as Hassidh Bahero were shot by unknown gunmen outside Shanzu Law Courts,” Mombasa County Criminal Investigation Department boss Henry Ondiek told Sabahi. “Three other people survived the drive-by shooting.”
“We are equally astounded by the killings but we have commenced immediate investigations to establish the killers and their motives,” he said.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
‘Gleam of hope’ in strife-torn Somalia
03 Apr – Source: Japan Times – 433 words
While some African countries have made huge strides in terms of peace and security, others are still struggling to find their footing, a U.N. official who monitors development in the region said.
Ayaka Suzuki, 42, deputy director of the Africa I Division of the Department of Political Affairs at the United Nations Secretariat in New York, said of the 26 countries her division monitors, Somalia is drawing extra attention as it emerges from 21 years of anarchy and conflict.
“There is a gleam of hope in Somalia,” Suzuki told The Japan Times during her recent trip to Japan to lecture on peace building at Hiroshima Peacebuilders Center.
Italian Navy Rescues Hundreds of Migrants
03 Apr – Source: AP – 75 words
730 migrants have been saved by the Italian navy south of Sicily.The migrants, who departed from North Africa, are being taken to a province called Agrigento.
Authorities say 124 women and 29 children were among those rescued Wednesday. Some of the migrants are from African nations, particularly Eritrea and Somalia, while others have fled war-torn Syria, officials say.
Italy is a major gateway into Europe for migrants who come by sea from North Africa.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Communication with the Somali community can be an effective in resolving Kenya’s security issues”
Kenya security: Will action against refugees make a difference?
02 Apr – Source: Aljazeera English – 1003 words
On March 25, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, Joseph Ole Lenku, issued a directive to all refugees based in Kenya’s towns and cities to immediately relocate to Kakuma and Dadaab, two huge overcrowded refugee camps in the north-west and east of the country. According to the minister, “emerging security challenges” in Kenya’s urban areas necessitated this move.
This directive appears to be a response to a recent gun attack on a church near Mombasa which left six people dead, and the discovery of a cache of explosive devices and weaponry in an impounded car. Both are suspected to be the work of supporters of al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-affiliated Somali terrorist group, but no perpetrators have been identified as yet.
Such action against a largely Somali refugee population is the latest attempt by the Kenyan government to find a swift solution to the country’s insecurity. But the measure is a knee-jerk reaction where a strategic – and frank – assessment of Kenya’s security capabilities could have a much greater long-term impact.
Since the Kenyan army’s military incursion into neighbouring Somalia in 2011, there has been an upsurge in gun and grenade attacks on churches, bus stations, police posts and against military installations in Kenya.
“For now, Kenyan Somalis remain embedded in a climate of festering hostility. The takeover of the Somalia operation by a joint pan-African force is certainly a step in the right direction since al-Shabab will no longer have Kenya alone as a target for revenge. They will have to attack Uganda, Burundi, and a host of other countries who have contributed to the African Union’s military mission.”
The Somali Question: Revisited
02 Apr – Source: World Policy Blog – 3624 words
On Monday night, two blasts ricocheted through Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. The blasts killed six and injured more than 100 others. Though no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, many suspect Al-Shabab, the Somali terrorist group behind last fall’s mall attack, is to blame. In response, Kenyan authorities have rounded up over 600 Somalis and detained them for questioning. They have also ordered all Somalis to leave the nation’s capital and to report to refugee camps on the outskirts of the city.
In a World Policy Journal Fall 2013 exclusive, Mwaura Samora explored the roots of Kenyan policing in Eastleigh, a neighborhood of Nairobi known for its large Somali population.
He further argued that a strong Kenyan police response—as demonstrated this week—would only serve to increase terrorism, rather than counter its root causes. We repost the article below.
Top tweets
@ferigom69 Somalia: New Pirate Prison Opened in Puntland |@scoopit http://sco.lt/6p09Kr #somalia #piracy.
@UNLazzarini #Somalia’s humanitarian crisis remains one of largest in the world new @OCHASom Dashboard sayshttp://bit.ly/1lpbLtT pic.twitter.com/9ABinPd7fP.
@KingYusufYusuff Alshabaab pls lay down your arms,let us end this senseless war & destruction. Civilians will then grantee that foreign troops leave #Somalia.
@tres_HOA #Somalia parliament wants a federalism sub-committee. No. Set up a boundaries commission like prov const says. http://allafrica.com/stories/
@PedroAtState Not good news. Despite years of investment, female genital cutting still has major support in #Somalia, Ethiopia .http://www.news-medical.net/
Image of the day
Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud during the 4th Africa – European Union Summit in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: @UKenyatta.