April 5, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Kenyan, Somali soldiers kill 40 al Shabaab militia
05 Apr – Source: Standard – 316 words
Kenyan forces in Somalia killed more than 40 al Shabaab militants in Southern Somalia and destroyed nine enemy vehicles in attacks on Wednesday. Three Kenyan soldiers were slightly injured in the battles, according to Col Cyrus Oguna of Kenya Defence Forces. Military spokesman Maj Emanuel Chirchir said atleast 40 militants were killed in the attacks.
“Al Shabaab casualty report 40 confirmed neutralized, 30 AK 47 captured, 1 Doshika and 1 PKM captured,” said Maj Chirchir in a Twitter posting. He added six Somalia National Army personnel were injured in the latest strike but they were all out of danger. The incident happened about kilometers East Hosingo Township near the Indian Ocean in Southern Somalia at about 5am. Maj Chirchir said al Shabaab attack was likely to be a diversionary tactic to allow infiltration of Improvised Explosive Devises in the Northern sector.
Key Headlines
- President Sharif condemns Mogadishu’s suicide attack (Bar-kulan Radio Mogadishu Kulmiye Jowhar Online)
- The Special Representative of the African Union Commission for Somalia condemned the bombing at Somalia National Theatre (AMISOM)
- Somali Government Condemns the suicide attack at the National Theatre (Ministry of Information Posts & Telecommunications)
- AMISOM condemns Mogadishu blast ( Bar-kulan Radio Mogadishu)
- Al Shabaab vows to increase suicide attacks in Mogadishu (Shabelle)
- Somali elders condemns al Shabaab attacks (Radio Kulmiye)
- Militants caught with explosive devices in Mogadishu (Radio Mogadishu Somalia Report)
- Somali Ambassador saddened by death of Somali migrants (Shabelle)
- Kenyan Somali soldiers kill 40 al Shabaab militia (Standard)
- We will wipe out al Shabaab Kenyan CID boss vows (Star)
- British PM condemns ‘sickening’ Somali attack (AFP)
- East Africa May Get Below-Normal Rain Threatening Food Security (Bloomberg)
PRESS STATEMENT
The Special Representative of the African Union Commission for Somalia condemned the bombing at Somalia National Theatre
05 Apr – Source: AMISOM – 273 words
A female suicide bomber detonated her suicide vest at the National Theatre yesterday in Mogadishu killing at least 10 innocent civilians and injuring many others. The attack occurred when the capital city was commemorating the first anniversary of the reopening of Somalia National Television (STV).
The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC), Ambassador Boubacar Diarra condemned the attack which resulted in the loss of many innocent lives and expressed his heartfelt condolences to the people of Somalia.
“This is a barbaric act at a time when Somalis who have hope for the future of their country gathered to commemorate the first anniversary of the reopening of their National television which took place at the National Theatre, an embodiment of their culture.” said the SRCC.
“Killing young children, women and men who represent the hope of Somalia will not be tolerated. I sympathize with the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia for the loss of the president of the Somali Olympics Committee, Aden Yabarow Wiish and the president of Somali football Federation Said Mohammed Nur, two key personalities who played an important role in the promotion of sports in Somalia. I express my condolences to the families of the bereaved and I wish a quick recovery to the injured.” the SRCC added.
“The attack also injured several journalists who represent the voices of the Somali people. The terrorists’ efforts to influence freedom of expression will never succeed and despite these acts of terrorism, the Somali people will always overcome the challenges they face every day. AMISOM will continue to support them in their struggle to achieve peace.” said the SRCC.
Somali Government Condemns the suicide attack at the National Theatre
04 Apr – Source: Ministry of Information, Posts & Telecommunications – 256 words
The Somali Government strongly condemns a suicide bomber that killed 4 people and injured over 10, including a member of the Somali parliament and three journalists at an event in the National Theatre that marked the 28th anniversary of the Somali National Television.
The Prime Minister of Somalia, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, attended the event with a number of other cabinet ministers, and remarked “The cowardly act of terrorism by al Qaeda will not deter us nor prevent us from doing our responsibilities.” He added “It indicates the terrorist desperation to attack civilians when we defeat them in the battlefront.”
Also, the Minister of Information, Posts and Telecommunications, Abdulkadir Hussein Mohamed “Jahweyn” whose ministry was the principal organizer of the event, called the attack barbaric and an act of cowardly.
Speaking to the Media, the Minister said, “We condemn this terrorist attack on our event today in the National Theatre, which expresses the hatred of the extremists against our people.” Among the dead were two prominent representatives of Somalia to the Olympics. A member of parliament was injured lightly, but three journalists and two other civilians are in critical conditions.
The government expresses its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, especially to the sports community who are mourning for the loss of two great leaders.
The attack occurred when the terrorist groups are on the run across the country as government troops are winning the battle. Despite the attack, security agencies remained alert over the last several weeks, foiling attacks and capturing suspected individuals with ties to Al-Qaeda groups in Somalia.
SOMALI MEDIA
President Sharif condemns Mogadishu’s suicide attack
05 Apr- Source: Bar-kulan, Radio Mogadishu, Kulmiye, Jowhar Online – 147 words
Somalia’s president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has strongly condemned Wednesday’s suicide attack that killed four people and injured dozen others including journalists and politicians. Addressing the nation in a televised speech through the state broadcaster, president Sharif said the attack was cruel, adding that it was meant for the destruction of peace and stability in the country. The president urged the public to unite and face the common enemy, adding that terrorist groups will be crashed in the long run.
Al Shabaab vows to increase suicide attacks in Mogadishu
05 Apr – Source: Shabelle – 104 words
Somalia’s al Shabaab insurgents linked with al Qaeda have promised to double their deadly attacks, including roadside bombs and car explosions inside the capital, Mogadishu. Ali Mohamud Rageh (Ali Dhere), the spokesman of al Shabaab militants, who were flashed out of the capital last year says made the comments on Thursday through a pro-rebel radio in Elasha-Biyaha, outskirts of Mogadishu.
“Yesterday’s suicide blast at the Somalia’s newly reopened national theatre was a symbolic one for the insecurity of Mogadishu. We are in every position of the city. We will continue carrying out such attacks against Somali government and as well as AMISOM forces,” said Ali Dhere.
AMISOM condemns Mogadishu blast
05 Apr – Source: Bar-kulan, Radio Mogadishu – 169 words
The African Union force has condemned the Mogadishu blast that claimed the lives of four people including two sports officials on Wednesday. The force said the suicide attack targeting the Somali national theatre was a despicable crime against the Somali people, saying that such attacks will not stop them achieving peace in Somalia.
In a press statement, AMISOM Deputy Force Commander, Brigadier General Audace Nduwumunsi said they condemn the attack and stand alongside the government and families of the Somali people who have been bereaved. Nduwumunsi said Al-Shabaab’s actions show that they are enemies of peace and are foreign to Somali culture.
He added that the groups attack to derail the hopes and dreams of the Somalis will fail just the way it has failed to kill any Somali Government Ministers during the attack. “We encourage people in Mogadishu to continue to come forward with information about possible attacks and explosives. We are your friends and brothers as you seek to build a better way of life”, said Nduwumunsi.
Somali elders condemns al Shabaab attacks
05 Apr – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 135 words
Somali elders have sharply condemned latest suicide bombings in Mogadishu which killed dozens of people, including government officials and other prominent figures, and other civil society individuals. Speaking to radio Kulmiye, Somali Hawiye clan elder Ahmed Dirie Ali said the attacks in Mogadishu is a sign of aggressive acts by the al Shabaab fighters, and equally blamed Somali government security sectors on yesterday’s deadly attacks for laxity.
Ahmed said the security agents of the government are not effectively carrying out their work, terming it disgrace. “We don’t want to hear our people being killed senselessly, shedding their blood without any reason,” he said. Al Shabaab claimed the responsibility of Tuesday’s deadly suicide attack in Mogadishu’s national theater that killed number of people including government officials and other Somali dignitaries.
Militants caught with explosive devices in Mogadishu
05 Apr – Source: Radio Mogadishu, Somalia Report – 48 words
TFG’s security forces on Wednesday captured three al Qaeda linked militants trying to hide explosive devices in the Dharkinlay district of Mogadishu. The chairman of Dharkenlay, Mo’allim Abdulle, told Radio Mogadishu that the security forces have increased their operations against the terrorist group to tighten security in the capital.
Somali Ambassador saddened by death of Somali migrants
04 Apr – Source: Shabelle – 104 words
Somali embassy in Italy has expressed shock and concern over Somali youths who daily put their lives at risk by crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach European countries. Noor Hassan Hussein, Somali ambassador to Italy advised young asylum seekers to avoid gambling with their lives by borading irregular boats to illegally cross into Europe from North African coasts such as Libya and Tunisia.
“Somalia is setting up plans to prevent and minimize young Somalis migrating from their country. I call on parents to warn their children not to attempt such dangerous journey that is “a matter of life and death” said Somali ambassador.
Somaliland Army Chief Tours Bases in Las Anod and Buhodle
04 Apr – Source: Somaliland Press – 167 words
The Chief of Somaliland Armed Force General Ismael Mohamed Osman (Shaqale) accompanied by other high ranking commanders of the military has made a surprise tour of inspection to bases near the frontline in Sool and Buhodle regions.
The army Chief Mr. Mohamed Osman (Shaqale) took a brief tour of inspections of all bases in Sool region addressing troops in Ganbadha barracks he first began by conveying a message from the President of Somaliland Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud (Silanyo) who commended the army for the conspicuous bravery shown by the troops in defending the nation but also for their courage, diligence, sound judgement and effectiveness in repelling the attacks launched by the enemy on their bases in Sool and Buhodle.
General Shaqale hailed the troops by expressing his gratitude, saying they had performed outstanding and meritorious service to their country for not only defending their land but also inflicting a heavy blow to the enemy, hence proving their unremitting tact and energy which was responsible for the prompt victory.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Kenyan, Somali soldiers kill 40 al Shabaab militia
05 Apr – Source: Standard – 316 words
Kenyan forces in Somalia killed more than 40 al Shabaab militants in Southern Somalia and destroyed nine enemy vehicles in attacks on Wednesday. Three Kenyan soldiers were slightly injured in the battles, according to Col Cyrus Oguna of Kenya Defence Forces. Military spokesman Maj Emanuel Chirchir said atleast 40 militants were killed in the attacks.
“Al Shabaab casualty report 40 confirmed neutralized, 30 AK 47 captured, 1 Doshika and 1 PKM captured,” said Maj Chirchir in a Twitter posting.
He added six Somalia National Army personnel were injured in the latest strike but they were all out of danger. The incident happened about kilometers East Hosingo Township near the Indian Ocean in Southern Somalia at about 5am. Maj Chirchir said al Shabaab attack was likely to be a diversionary tactic to allow infiltration of Improvised Explosive Devises in the Northern sector.
We will wipe out al Shabaab, Kenyan CID boss vows
05 Apr – Source: Star (Kenya) – 74 words
Kenyan CID director Ndegwa Muhoro yesterday assured Kenyans that his department will eliminate the al Shabaab threat to Kenyans. He said his officers have gathered sufficient intelligence to contain al Shabaab threats, adding that Kenyans have a duty to pass information to the security agencies on those suspected to allies of the terror group. Muhoro told Kenyans to be patient as the CID move to root out the militants with allies from the country.
Al Shabaab bans livestock sale to Kenya
04 Apr – Source: Daily Nation – 183 words
Somali terror group al Shabaab has banned livestock exports to Kenya. The militants ordered livestock traders in Afgoye town, a major trading centre 30km south of Mogadishu, to stop selling their animals to Kenya.
The ban came as President Kibaki reached out to China and other nations to support the African Union Mission in Somalia troops, who are helping the United Nations-backed Transitional Federal. Government restore peace in the war-torn Horn of Africa country.
President Kibaki reiterated that Kenya’s specific military action was meant to ward off threats posed by al Shaabab on national security. The militant group insisted that exporting live animals to Kenya was tantamount to “infidelity to Islam”. “Kenyan troops invaded our land. No exchange of businesses should take place,” stated the order. Afgoye is a key livestock market in Somalia.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
East Africa May Get Below-Normal Rain, Threatening Food Security
05 Apr – Source: Bloomberg – 289 words
Rain may be “significantly” below average in the Horn of Africa’s main growing season, potentially threatening a region still recovering from famine in 2011, the Famine Early Warning Systems network reported.
Rain from March through May in the region, which includes Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, is expected to begin late and amount to only 60 percent to 85 percent of average, the U.S.- funded provider of food-security warnings wrote in a statement on its website dated April 3. Poor rains are likely to reduce local food security, it said.
The amount of precipitation was previously expected to be between 75 percent and 105 percent of the long-term average, based on a February forecast. The Horn of Africa region suffered from drought and famine last year that affected more than 13 million people.
Two charged in Somalia terror probe
04 Apr – Source: AP – 284 words
Scotland Yard believes it has smashed a London gang allegedly trying to fund terror in Somalia. Mohammed Shafiq Ali, who works for a security firm used by Transport for London, and his unemployed twin brother Mohammed Shabir Ali have appeared in court charged with terrorism offences.
Prosecutors say the 24-year-olds plotted to raise funds through a “Darwar” religious stall in the UK and assist their older brother to commit acts of terrorism in Somalia with the cash. They also allegedly possessed a document called 44 Ways To Support Jihad. The text was written by American-born Anwar al Awlaki, who was killed last year in a drone strike after leading al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
The twins attended separate hearings at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court, where both were remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on April 20. Shabir Ali, from Bohn Road in Tower Hamlets, east London, appeared in the dock first, dressed in a white jacket, grey T-shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms.
British PM condemns ‘sickening’ Somali attack
04 Apr – Source: AFP – 301 words
British Prime Minister David Cameron condemned Wednesday’s suicide attack in Mogadishu, calling it “sickening” and insisting violent extremists had no part to play in Somalia’s future. A female suicide bomber blew herself up during an address by Somalia’s prime minister at the newly-reopened national theatre, killing four people, including the country’s Olympic and football bosses.
Britain, which is set to host the London 2012 Olympics within months, has sought to lead international efforts to end the crisis in Somalia.
“I am deeply shocked by the sickening attack on the Somali National Theatre,” Cameron said.
“I utterly condemn the action of these terrorists who have shown complete disregard for the lives of the Somali people and for their desire to bring back normal daily life in Mogadishu.
“And my thoughts are with the families and friends of all those who have been killed or injured in this mindless violence.” He said an international conference on Somalia held in London in February had envisaged a new future for its people.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Somalia is perhaps the world’s best example of a free-market economy. There is almost no government bureaucracy to prevent people with ideas from going ahead and putting them into practice. The book is full of anecdotes that would give the most committed Afro-pessimist pause for thought — Somalis have among the continent’s best cellphone communications systems, they have perhaps the world’s most efficient money transfer system (based on trust), Somalia exports more livestock than most other countries in Africa and Somalis have a better record of bringing peace and stability to the places they govern than those who attempt to impose it from outside.”
Found: A Somalia we do not know
05 Apr – Source: Mail & Guardian – 768 Words
‘State failure does not mean country failure.”
These are the words of Mary Harper, who believes that Somalia is a failed state but argues eloquently that it is not a failed country. The reality is that the Somalia most of us know is a place of lawlessness, terrorists, pirates, kidnapping and ransom payments. But in Getting Somalia Wrong Harper does what few others do — she delves deep beneath the surface of the usual stories and presents us with a complex picture of a country that can make sense only if there is some understanding of its history.
“Nothing worse than manipulating the truth when it comes the foreign interventions which devastated Somalia and endangered its existence, for the last two decades the international community has been pioneering in the invention of different approaches to tackle Somalia’s long standing issue and as part of the political approaches to get grass-root level solution for the long standing conflict in the horn of African nation; the controversial “4.5” power sharing formula has been adopted among the Somali clans, where “4” stands for the major clans and “0.5” stands for the minor clans. The 4.5 formula originally emerged from a previous reconciliation conference held in Djibouti in 2000.”
Somalia: Beyond the Wind of Change
04 Apr – Source: Somali Swish TV – 991 Words
After sixty years of independence and twenty one years of misery and political chaos, people expect to see what the new wind of change contains for Somalia`s future, should Somali people cease the control of their destiny?
Since the central government collapsed in 1991, Somali people have been attempting to find a way out from the political chaos that prevailed the country, actually all reconciliation conferences were arranged by foreign countries and the Somali public had never been allowed a single chance to shape and control their destiny even the current transitional federal government (TFG) has been established in Djibouti in early 2009, and sheikh Sharif was elected as a president …(A moderate Isamist and former rebel).
“For Aweys, the perfect storm is blowing in his direction. There’s simply no better time to exact revenge against Godane and his junior deputies, who have humiliated him and other veteran jihadists. For nearly two years, he had to endure the painful reality of being irrelevant — something he had never accepted.”
Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys and the politics of al Shabaab split
04 Apr – Source: African Arguments – 982 Words
If a split within the rank and file of Somalia’s al Shabaab militants was a mere speculation, it has now become a reality, thanks to a lacerating Friday sermon by Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, Somalia’s best known holy warrior.
In a rare public dissent, Aweys sharply attacked the organization’s top brass, accusing them of, among other things, monopolizing jihad, globalizing the Somali conflict, assassination of innocent Somalis and, more damningly, acting in a manner unbecoming of upright jihadists. For Aweys, who’s in his 70s, the public break-up with al Shabaab is both personal and, more importantly, political.
“On Twitter, some people are tweaking the Times for being a bit trigger-happy on the optimism (“NYT story on #Somalia illustrates the danger of proclaiming peace in such places; new violence was bound to happen,” argued the Atlantic Council’s Barbara Slavin), while others are simply discouraged (“Wanted so badly to believe NYT’s article on Somalia,” photographer Ed Suter wrote. “Guess it was a bit premature”). The Times, for its part, has put the two stories into a dialogue of sorts on the World page.”
A tale of two Mogadishus
04 Apr – Source: Foreign Policy Blog – 336 Words
In media, timing is key to breaking news and getting recognized for original journalism. But it can also sting you, as Vogue and Condé Nast Traveler learned during the Arab Spring after publishing, respectively, a glowing profile of Syrian first lady Asma al-Assad and a list of the “15 Best Places to See Right Now” that included Libya.
Today (Wednesday), the New York Times fell victim to the timing trap. The paper led its print edition with a story by Jeffrey Gettleman entitled “A Taste of Hope in Somalia’s Battered Capital,” only for a suicide bomber to attack a gathering of Somali officials this morning in Mogadishu’s National Theater, killing the heads of Somalia’s Olympic committee and soccer federation, among others.
Top tweets
@AmbassadorRice We stand with #Somalia‘s people as they build upon recent gains and reject #AlShabab hateful vision for their future.
@rif_albadri London men caught carrying Al Qaeda manual ’44 ways to support jihad’ were trying to fund terrorism in #Somalia, … http://bit.ly/HM4ZOw.
@UKinSomalia Prime Minister David Cameron deeply shocked by the sickening attack on the National Theatre in #Mogadishu http://tinyurl.
@SomaliThinker The New York Times later reports that the bombing shattered what had been a tenuous calm in Mogadishu. http://n.pr/HfjIAx.
@MinisterHashi #AlShabab
@astridhka Kibaki would appreciate it if China (and everyone, really) would pour more money into #AMISOM http://is.gd/
@Pansomalism #Alshabab if u are mujahideen there are so many #AMISOM barracks all over the capital that suits such mission. Why kill your own people? #smh.
Image of the day
Somali president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Wednesday hosted a group of Turkish businessmen in Mogadishu. Photo: Radio Mogadishu