April 9, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.
AMISOM troops in central Somalia promises new advance to al Shabaab stronghold towns
09 Apr – Source: Al Shahid – 146 words
Speaking to the media, Ali Abdow, Djiboutian military commander in Hiran region in central Somalia announced that they planned to seize Jalalaqsi town in the region during this Month.
Ali Abdow said, “We will defeat al Shabaab in Jalalaqsi town during the flowing twenty days, so the inhabitants in the town to get freedom from the international terrorist group”.
He added, “Djiboutian troops, like other Africans stay in Somalia to help their brothers for the fighting against the extremists and also restoring peace and stability in horn of Africa after two decades of chaise”.
AMISOM peacekeeping forces in Hiran region especially Djiboutian contingent last month seized Buulobarde town which is one of the most important towns that al Shabaab lost recently though a suicide attack which many troops including peacekeeping personals left dead was targeted to their base in the town day after they confirmed the its rule.
Key Headlines
- Mogadishu’ s security conditions discussed in Heliwa (Radio Shabelle)
- AMISOM troops in central Somalia promises new advance to al Shabaab stronghold towns (Al Shahid)
- Wadajir district official dies in a blast (Wehel Media/Radio Goobjoog/Keyd Media)
- Kenya: Muslim MPs demand closure of Kasarani Temporary camp (Star/Kenya
- Ahlu Sunna vows to support Puntland in investigating assassination of UNODC officials (Radio Goobjoog)
- Kenya deports over 80 Somali nationals from its country (Mareeg Online/Goobjoog)
- Protest against arrest of Somali refugees in Kenya set in Mogadishu (Radio Dalsan)
- Al Shabab attacks Elbuur town (Radio RBC/Radio Bar-kulan/News Maanta Online)
- Police hold 447 at Kasarani stadium in major swoop (Standard Media)
- Iran naval flotilla docks at Port of Djibouti (Press TV)
- Life in Eastleigh where a bomb attack Monday means you’ll be arrested Tuesday (Global Post)
- Sierra Leone troops helping in fight against al Shabaab in Somalia (Reuters/Yahoo News)
SOMALI MEDIA
Mogadishu’ s security conditions discussed in Heliwa
09 Apr – Source: Radio Shabelle – 162 words
A high level security meeting was on Tuesday night held in Mogadishu’s Heliwa district bringing together top government officials including the Minister of National Security Abdikarim Hussein Guled, the Deputy Minister of Interior & Federalism Abdirahman Mohamed Bankah and the Governor of Benadir & Mayor of Mogadishu Hassan Mohamed Hussein Muungaab.
The Minister of National Security opened the meeting by highlighting the change of the security conditions in all of the districts in the Benadir region as well as the dire need for further guidance to the youth on the importance of preventing insecurity attacks.
Bankah, the Deputy Minister of Interior & Federalism, urged communities and civil society groups to cooperate peacefully with the Somali Police Force as well as the National Intelligence & Security Agency.
At last, Muungaab, the Governor of Benadir & Mayor of Mogadishu concluded the gathering by noting that his administration is committed to restore peace in the capital city. The event was held in the Heliwa district of the Benadir region where the regional administration recently opened a new office.
Wadajir district official dies in a blast
09 Apr – Source: Wehel Media/Radio Goobjoog/Keyd Media – 94 words
Heavy explosion occurred in Wadajir district in Mogadishu on Wednesday, where a top district official, Mohamud Abu Haji died in the blast after explosive device was detonated in his car. The security forces immediately reached the scene and launched operations but no one was arrested for the act.
Wadajir district commissioner Ahmed Hassan Adow alias Ahmed Daii is expected to hold press conference to give explanations on how the blast occurred in the district. No one has claimed the responsibility of the blast which claimed the life of a senior official of wadajir district.
Ahlu Sunna vows to support Puntland in investigating assassination of UNODC officials
09 Apr – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 132 words
The executive wing of Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa stated that they will give support to Puntland regional state following the investigations of the groups behind the brutal murder of UNODC officials who were shot dead in Galkayo.
The second deputy chairman of Ahlu Sunna Ahmed Abdillahi Mohamud aka Ilkacase told Goobjoog FM that they are concern about the evil act against two UN officials in Galkayo on Monday. Mr. Ilkacase affirmed that Ahlu Sunna will make every effort along with Puntland to bring in to justice the groups behind the assassinations of the officials.
The administration of Puntland is making intensive investigations after arresting murderer who was one of the special guards in Galkayo airport. This comes a time when the bodies two UN officials murdered in Galkayo were flown to Nairobi.
Kenya deports over 80 Somali nationals from its country
09 Apr – Source: Mareeg Online/Goobjoog – 118 words
Over Eighty people of Somali origin arrested by Kenyan security forces in Eastleigh after three days massive crackdown are expected to arrive in Mogadishu on Wednesday.
The ambassador of Somalia to Kenya Mohamed Ali Noor Ameriko while in Jomo Kenyatta International airport confirmed to Goobjoog FM that the government of Kenya is deporting all undocumented Somalis who entered Kenya illegally without visas.
He stated that the Somali nationals who are registered under UN refugee agency will not be affected by the deportation process.
This is the first time Kenya has deported people of Somali origin from its country since the collapse of the central government of Somalia in 1991 where over half a million people sought refuge in Kenya.
Protest against arrest of Somali refugees in Kenya set in Mogadishu
09 Apr – Source: Radio Dalsan – 114 words
One of the organizers of the demonstration against the arrest of Somali citizens in Kenya has said that the actions of Kenyan government will affect Kenyan citizens working in Somalia.
Amar Omar Abdullahi has told Dalsan Radio in an exclusive interview that it is unacceptable for Kenyan government to arrest and harass Somali citizens while its nationals are peacefully working in Somalia.
“A lot of Kenyan citizens are working here in Somalia without any arrest and detention from Mogadishu to Kismayo and even Hargeisa,” he said. Omar vowed that if the government of Kenya will not respect the Somali citizens in its country then it will affect its nationals staying and working in Somalia.
Police in Hargeisa arrest two popular musicians after returning from Mogadishu
09 Apr – Source: RBC – 151 words
The police in the Somalia’s breakaway away region of Somaliland arrested on Tuesday two popular musicians in Hargeisa shortly after they returned from Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, RBC reports.
The arrest of Nimo Jama, a well known female singer and Hassan Mohamed Lab-Salah, a songwriter came shortly after the two returned back from Mogadishu where they spent a week to get Somali E-Passport and the National Identification Card issued by the office of the Federal Government of Somalia.
Both were caught from the Hargeisa Airport and were taken into the Central Police Station in Hargeisa, according to family members. The Somaliland authorities and the Hargeisa police commissioner refused to comment the motive of the arrest.
Somaliland which is a breakaway region on the northwest of Somalia has maintained strict orders and punishment against the citizens traveling to Mogadishu. The region’s authorities claim to be independent from Somalia’s Federal Government.
Al Shabab attacks Elbuur town
09 Apr – Source: Radio RBC/Radio Bar-kulan/News Maanta Online – 149 words
Al Shabaab fighters attacked bases of the Somalia Government forces and the Ethiopian Army of AMISOM in Elbuur town in on Tuesday. The residents said gun battle was heard after the militants started to fire mortars towards the town in the evening of Tuesday. The joint army repulsed the attack responding with heavy weapons.
There were no report of casualties from the attack. The warring sides did not comment on the attack on Tuesday. Somalia National Army backed by the African Union forces in Somalia [AMISOM] seized Elbuur, a strategic town in central Somalia region of Galgadud from al Shabaab in mid last month.
The militant group linked to al Qaeda vowed to continue to conduct hit-and-run attacks on the towns seized by the joint forces while hundreds of civilians fled from the towns liberated by the joint troops in the fear of military confrontation.
Somaliland Reshuffling of Diplomats in Strategic Missions
08 Apr – Source: Somaliland Sun – 132 words
The Government is finalizing plans to reshuffle Ambassadors & Diplomats representing the country in strategic countries after carrying a massive overhaul of foreign missions with a view to restructuring the mandates- a role that might result screening the inactive from the active lot.
The plans were heralded by a vigorous campaign that saw Foreign Ministry engaged in multitude of platforms in clamoring for international recognition.
This was informed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs & International Co-operation Mohamed Bihi Yonis who addressed a press conference at VIP lounge of Egal International Airport in Hargeisa upon his arrival on Tuesday from overseas official trip.
Mr. Bihi briefed on the outcome of the recently passed private member motion tabled by Mohamud Mahffout in which the county assembly of Sheffield overwhelmingly voted for the recognition of Somaliland.
REGIONAL MEDIA
AMISOM troops in central Somalia promises new advance to al Shabaab stronghold towns
09 Apr – Source: Al Shahid – 146 words
Speaking to the media, Ali Abdow, Djiboutian military commander in Hiran region in central Somalia announced that they planned to seize Jalalaqsi town in the region during this Month.
Ali Abdow said, “We will defeat al Shabaab in Jalalaqsi town during the flowing twenty days, so the inhabitants in the town to get freedom from the international terrorist group”.
He added, “Djiboutian troops, like other Africans stay in Somalia to help their brothers for the fighting against the extremists and also restoring peace and stability in horn of Africa after two decades of chaise”.
AMISOM peacekeeping forces in Hiran region especially Djiboutian contingent last month seized Buulobarde town which is one of the most important towns that al Shabaab lost recently though a suicide attack which many troops including peacekeeping personals left dead was targeted to their base in the town day after they confirmed the its rule.
Kenya: Muslim MPs demand closure of Kasarani Temporary camp
09 Apr – Source: Star-Kenya – 40 words
Muslim MPs are demanding the closure of the Kasarani temporary camp saying those arrested are being harassed by police. They are threatening to withdraw support from the Jubilee coalition should the government continue to undermine the rights of their people.
Police hold 447 at Kasarani stadium in major swoop
08 Apr – Source: Standard Media – 124 words
Police are holding 447 suspects, including refugees, for further questioning after they were arrested in the ongoing swoop in Nairobi. Police reports indicate 69 others were arraigned in court yesterday and Mondayand charged with, among other things, loitering.
Most of those in custody are illegal immigrants, those caught outside the precincts of legally gazetted areas and those who had unauthenticated documents.
Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo said Operation Usalama Watch was launched in Nairobi on April 1 and would spread to other parts of the country.
He said the aim of the operation is to detect illegal immigrants, arrest and prosecute persons suspected of engaging in terrorist activities, identify places harbouring criminals and contain and prevent general acts of crime and lawlessness.
Oldest residents from Eastlegh recall peaceful days
08 Apr – Source: KTN – 3:57 min
Oldest residents from Eastlegh recall peaceful days, Watch KTN Live
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Iran naval flotilla docks at Port of Djibouti
09 Apr – Source: Press TV – 221 words
The 29th Fleet of the Iranian Navy has docked at the Port of Djibouti in line with the Islamic Republic’s strategy of expanding its naval presence in international waters.
The flotilla, which is comprised of Kharg helicopter carrier and Sabalan destroyer, arrived at the port on Monday after accomplishing its missions in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the northern tip of the Indian Ocean, Fars News Agency reported.
It will stay in Djibouti City, the capital of Djibouti, for three days on its way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari had previously said the 29th Fleet is sent on a mission to provide the safety of Iran’s shipping lines in international waters and to offer training to new recruits.
Life in Eastleigh, where a bomb attack Monday means you’ll be arrested Tuesday
09 Apr – Source: Global Post – 419 words
Crowds weave their way through street stands selling fruit, DVDs and textbooks. Shop owners raise rusty shutters and hip-hop music blares from motorcycles zigzagging through the pothole-ridden roads.
Six people died in this neighborhood last Monday, when three explosions tore through two restaurants and a clinic at rush hour. More than 600 people were arrested the following day. But that’s business as usual in Eastleigh, a Somali-dominated suburb of the Kenyan capital.
Nicknamed “Little Mogadishu” for its immigrants, Eastleigh is unusual: Seen as a source of terrorism, it’s also a target for terrorists.
Fresh violence means residents of Eastleigh must brace themselves anew for profiling and harassment from the Kenyan authorities, while fearing being caught in the attacks themselves.
Sierra Leone troops helping in fight against al Shabaab in Somalia
09 Apr – Source: Reuters/Yahoonews – 1:23 min
The African Union has launched another campaign against the al Shabaab militant group in Somalia and troops from Sierra Leone are joining the fight. Nathan Frandino reports.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Writing in The Nation on Tuesday April 8, Eric Ng’eno, the director of messaging in the Presidential Strategic Communications Unit, posed the question, “Should we observe the rights of all suspects, including violent jihadists, and ignore the threat they pose to the public?” In an article in which he distanced the state from the killing of Makaburi, he concluded with a call that revealed perhaps more than he might have intended: “The whole picture is larger and more complex than bailing terror suspects, then moaning about extrajudicial executions.” Such an analysis makes it easy to see why many refugees hold it as a fact that each childishly targeted grenade is the work of people paid by the state. It should come as no surprise that many more are coming to similar conclusions. Kenya’s war on terror is likely to be a long one.”
Kenya’s anti-terror strategy begins to emerge
09 Apr – Source: African Arguments – 1346 words
It’s precisely a year to the day since the Jubilee alliance took control of Kenya’s government under a cloud of controversy over a flawed election and uncertainty about how the world would respond to a government led by suspected war criminals. At the time, the President, Uhuru Kenyatta, and Vice President William Ruto were awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court and western governments warned of “consequences” for Kenya if it elected the two leaders suspected of inciting the previous poll violence in 2007 and claimed to be preparing for a diplomatic relationship limited to “essential contacts”.
A year on, the front page of last weekend’s leading newspaper, The Nation carried a photo of a smiling Kenyatta relaxing in State House receiving the envoys of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia in a joint visit to pledge moral and material support for Kenya’s war on terrorism. What a turnaround.
It’s been a good year for Kenyatta and Ruto. In part the change in their fortunes is due to the natural hypocrisy of high-handed western governments whose foreign policy is always subordinate to interests rather than values. But in large part their luck has been self-made. Witnesses in the case before the International Criminal Court have withdrawn at a rapid rate causing the prosecutor to cry foul and to ask for more time. And although the Kenyan government fell short of its goal to get the cases dismissed, Kenyatta’s case has been postponed several times, now until October 2014. It has pursued the defence of its leaders with such vigour that the coalition has come to be seen by many Kenyans as a one-issue government.
“As Mogadishu continues to move beyond its colonial past and push toward the future, the timely exhibition offers a space for reflection on the value of civic architecture and heritage preservation, while promoting new thinking on the broader discourse of urbanism in Somalia and cities in conflict.”
Mogadishu Mod: Photographs Reveal the Somali Capital Beyond Conflict
08 Apr – Source: Architizer Blog – 430 words
Mainstream media sources often depict Mogadishu as a city ravaged by two decades of civil war and strife: images of conflict set against a backdrop of embattled buildings. This perception of Mogadishu as a place solely of destruction inspired Somali-British architect Rashid Ali and British photographer Andrew Cross to create the exhibition, “Mogadishu – Lost Moderns”, now on view at the Mosaic Room, London’s premiere cultural space showcasing the most exciting, progressive and creative voices from the Arab world.
In a series of specially commissioned photographs taken from a trip to Mogadishu in the summer of 2013, Ali and Cross are the first to examine the city’s trajectory from traditional Arab city to Italian rule, and its subsequent, contemporary role as the capital of Somalia.
Presented alongside previously unreleased archival photographs of the city’s architecture during the period of Italian colonization, the exhibition connects Mogadishu’s past to its present, which is often overshadowed by intense images of destruction. Focusing primarily on the spatial developments that took place after independence, “Mogadishu – Lost Moderns” documents the new architectural symbols and city spaces that were part of a wider social, political, and economic strategy to articulate Somalia’s newly claimed statehood. “Mogadishu has in recent years become synonymous with violence, destruction, and displacement, however, only two decades ago it was spatially, socially, and culturally a very different city altogether,” says Ali.
Top tweets
@UNDPSomalia @UNDP Somalia – Promoting human rights and gender equality in the Police Force http://bit.ly/1kpNOW8 pic.twitter.com/jhOvYfUvxa
@UNODC A tribute to our two fallen colleagues, Clément Gorrissen & Simon Davis, tragically killed this week in Somalia:http://j.mp/1g0ARe3.
@amisomsomalia Visit our official website for a short history of the #Somali Peace Process 1991 – 2009 http://bit.ly/Q3uKPJ.
@RosebellK Dear #Kenya – the more guns you display in the#Somalia question, the more unsafe you make us feel, the more arrest, the more the hate!
@WhoseinMoulid 82 Somalis voluntarily return back to#Somalia after #Kasaraniconcentrationcamp. photo@AmbAmerico pic.twitter.com/tA1pRBM22x
Image of the day
Dep #UN Envoy to #Somalia (@UNLazzarini) & #Puntland Pres Gaas escort the coffins of 2 UN workers killed in #Galkayo. Photo: @UNSomalia.