August 1, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
Yet Another Car Bomb Seized By NISA Officers
01 August 2016 – Source: Dhacdo.com – 139 Words
A day after after the Al-Shabaab militant group exploded two car bombs in an assault targeting the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Mogadishu, Somali security officers seized yet another vehicle-borne improvised explosive device parked along one of the streets in Abdiaziz district in the Somali capital city.
Banadir regional administration spokesman, Abdifatah Omar Hanale, said the seizure followed intelligence reports from local residents, who alerted the security agency. National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) officers arrived at the scene and immediately diffused the car. Halane said the car bomb was aimed at carrying out an attack at the Liido beach. The insurgency activities by the Al-Shabaab militias have been rampant during the recent weeks in the capital Mogadishu. The seizure of the car bomb comes barely a day after the attack the CID headquarters that claimed at least 10 lives.
Key Headlines
- Yet Another Car Bomb Seized By NISA Officers (Dhacdo.com)
- Security Minister NISA Head Meet At CID Hours After Attack (Dhacdo.com)
- Former Army Officer Calls For Security Forces Shake Up After Attack (Shabelle News)
- Somaliland Responds To Turkey’s Ambassador Over Recognizing Somaliland Passport (Goobjoog News)
- Qatar Condemns Blasts At Somali CID Headquarters (Gulf Times)
- AU Special Representative Commends Uganda For Its Role In Pacifying Somalia (AMISOM)
- What It Will Take To Start Relocating Refugees From World’s Largest Camp (Huffington Post)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Security Minister, NISA Head, Meet At CID Hours After Attack
01 August 2016 – Source: Dhacdo.com – 122 Words
Federal government’s Minister for Internal Security Abdirizak Omar Mohamed and head of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) Gen. Abdullahi Gaafow Mohamud yesterday held a crisis meeting at the CID headquarters just hours after a foiled attack on the center.Police and NISA commanders of Banaadir regional also attended the meeting, which sought answers to escalating car bomb attacks in the city. Government officials at the scene confirmed that the closed door meeting was destined to seek a solution to the increased attacks in the city. On July 26, twin car blasts rocked the city targeting the Mogadishu airport. NISA’s newly appointed Director Gen. Gaafow Mohamud is expected to announce changes at the top leadership of the agency in Banadir region.
Former Army Officer Calls For Security Forces Shake Up After Attack
01 August – Source: Shabelle News – 158 Words
A former Somali army colonel has called on the federal government to shake up its security forces following a series of deadly attacks in the capital city Mogadishu by Al Shabaab militants.In an interview with Radio Shabelle, Col Abdinur Jama Jokar urged police and National Intelligence (NISA) services to come up with new measures to prevent the frequent bombings by Al Shabaab: “The army officers, who are in charge of the security should be fired from their positions since they appear incompetent at protecting the civilians or stopping Al-Shabaab from carrying out attacks.”
The federal government of Somalia backed by 22,000 African Union soldiers have driven Al- Shabaab out of major grounds, including Mogadishu, but are still unable of restore peace in the country. Al-Shabaab has carried out in Mogadishu two attacks targeting key areas, including the international airport and police headquarters killing almost 30 people.
Somaliland Responds To Turkey’s Ambassador Over Recognizing Somaliland Passport
01 August – Source: Goobjoog News – 271 words
The breakaway Somaliland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Saad Ali Shire has responded to the Turkish Ambassador’s statement on the recognition of Somaliland’s passport. Shire said that Somaliland passport was not an ID but official passport of Somaliland: “We do not have ID’s which are different from passport.”
Regarding the Nile Academy that is run by Gulem charity organisation, Shire said Somaliland is an independent country with respect to law and order. He said the country could close the schools without clear prove that they were behind the recent failed coup attempt in Turkey.The Turkish envoy to Somalia Ambassador, Olgan Bekar,on Saturday dismissed reports that Turkey recognised the passports of Somaliland citizens. Bekar told a news conference in Mogadishu that Turkish authorities see Somalia as one single country.“We have not accepted Somaliland passports, nor did we recognize their independence,” he was quoted saying by Somali media: “We are working on a united and better Somalia. People in Somaliland and Somalia belong to one nation. We need Somalis to remain united as one country,” he added.
Not so long ago, the Turkish city of Istanbul hosted several rounds of talks between United Nations-backed national government of Mogadishu and Hargeisa’s Somaliland. The latter, located in northwestern Somalia, declared its independence from the rest of the country in 1991 but is yet to be recognized internationally.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Qatar Condemns Blasts At Somali CID Headquarters
31 July – Source: Gulf Times – 113 Words
The State of Qatar has expressed strong condemnation of the two explosions which targeted the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in Mogadishu, and left a number of casualties.
In a statement released yesterday, the Foreign Ministry, said the State of Qatar condemns “this criminal act which contradicts all human values and principles”. The statement affirmed solidarity with the government and people of Somalia, and its support to all the efforts of maintaining stability and security in the country.
The statement also stressed Qatar’s firm position that rejects violence in all its forms and manifestations. It expressed Qatar’s condolences to the families of the victims, as well as the government and people of Somalia.
AU Special Representative Commends Uganda For Its Role In Pacifying Somalia
01 August – Source: AMISOM- 441 Words
The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira has commended Uganda for its role in pacifying and stabilizing Somalia. Ambassador Madeira made the remarks at a medals award ceremony held in Mogadishu, yesterday, for Ugandan Contingent’s Formed Police Unit (FPU) that completed a year’s tour of duty.“Uganda is in the right path; Uganda is doing the right things; Uganda is sacrificing for Somalia but more importantly, Uganda is playing its part in the overall African Union objective of creating a united African Union,” Ambassador Madeira who also commended the country for the spirit of Pan Africanism.
Ambassador Madeira noted that Somalia had undergone major transformation, thanks to the role played by the Ugandan army and police, which, he noted, have helped in the establishment of the country’s state institutions.“We now see clearly that Somalis are taking over responsibilities in the country. They are now capable of running a proper police force. They are now capable of defending the country and we should continue capacitating, arming and supporting the Somalis,” he observed.
Uganda’s Ambassador to Somalia, Prof. Sam Turyamuhika, spoke of the strong historical ties the two countries have enjoyed over a long period of time and pledged the country’s continued support in pacifying Somalia. “As long as the conditions allow, especially in respect to the police force, the co-operation between the Uganda Police and the Somali Police Force will go on even after we have formally withdrawn from AMISOM co-operation enablement,” the ambassador added.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“The Kenyan government is intent on closing the Dadaab camp due to security challenges posed by militant terror group Al-Shabaab, but aid groups say there’s no established link between any terror activity and Dadaab. The UNHCR’s goal is to reduce the population of Dadaab by 150,000 by the end of 2016”
What It Will Take To Start Relocating Refugees From World’s Largest Camp
29 July – Source: Huffington Post – 542 Words
The Kenyan government’s decision in May to close the world’s largest refugee camp sent shockwaves through the humanitarian aid community. But the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, has put out a new appeal to donors for additional funds to help relocate and reintegrate Somali refugees from the Dadaab refugee camp.
There are 343,043 refugees in Dadaab ― the majority are originally from Somalia, but refugees from Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya live there as well. The U.N. set up the camp in 1991 for those escaping Somalia’s civil war.The UNHCR initially appealed for $369.4 million to address the humanitarian needs of about 1.1 million internally displaced Somalis and close to 1 million Somali refugees living in Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. Now, it’s appealing for an additional $115.4 million to address, among other priorities, the needs of Somalis in Dadaab.
The new funds will go partly toward effectively moving some refugees back to Somalia and relocating others to another refugee camp in Kenya.The UNHCR hopes to move about 50,000 Somalis to their homeland, but only those who have volunteered to go. While many Somalis are reluctant to return to Somalia, the UNHCR is incentivizing refugees with benefits packages.
Their travel costs would be covered, and each Somali who goes back gets $200, regardless of family size, a move that might encourage large families to return, according to UNHCR. Each family would also get a stipend of the same amount to help cover basic needs.If the UNHCR meets its appeal goal, it’s proposing supplying six months of food to returnees and $25 per child for education services.UNHCR may also consider providing health insurance for returnees.“UNHCR is committed to ensuring that all returns to Somalia are voluntary and carried out in dignity, safety and with the protection of refugees paramount at all times,” Valentin Tapsoba, UNHCR’s Africa bureau director, said in a statement.
TOP TWEETS
@fqdayib:#Women & #children continue 2 bear the burden of disorder. A woman dies every 3 hrs in #Somalia due to pregnancy & child birth @OCHASom
@ReutersAfrica:Militants launch car bomb, gun attack on Somali police base, ten dead #Somalia http://buff.ly/2ao8dXQ
@AliMohamoud:Inclusion of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention ratification in #Somalia’s National Dev Plan discussed with #SFG http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/
@OCHASom:The situation of children in #Somalia– progress made but far too little. 1/7 dies before 5th bday; 1/5 malnourished via @unicefsomalia
@abdbozkurt:What is the point of #Turkey gov’t forcing#Somalia to shut down a modern hospital, desperately needed for locals, over the hate for #Gulen?
IMAGE OF THE DAY
The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira with an AMISOM peacekeeper.
Photo: AMISOM.