August 11, 2015 | Morning Headlines
At least 1 Person Is Confirmed Dead And 4 Others Wounded In A Blast
10 August – Source: Dalsan Radio – 120 Words
A bomb blast has left one person dead and four seriously wounded at a tearoom at Halgan location in Hiiraan region in central Somalia on Monday. Dalsan Radio has received reports from the ground which say that at the time of the explosion, there were Somali government soldiers and AU troops chatting and having tea and coffee, the local inhabitants verified. The AU troops and the Somali government soldiers a few months ago took control of Halgan from their opponent Al-Shabab. The explosion is said to be a hand grenade which was tossed by a passerby who escaped the scene after the incident.
Key Headlines
- At least 1 Person Is Confirmed Dead And 4 Others Wounded In A Blast (Dalsan Radio)
- Ahlusunna Arrests 10 People They Said Were Members Of The Somali National Forces (Wacaal Media)
- New Puntland Police Chief Assumes Office (Radio Bar- Kulan)
- The President Of South West State of Somalia Makes His First Trip To Bardale (Dalsan Radio)
- Roads In Afgoye Town To Be Repaired (Goobjoog News)
- Puntland Police Banned From Chewing Khat (Somali Current)
- Kenya Signs Treaties On Regional Peace-keeping Missions (Daily Nation)
- Raysut Cement Setting Up Subsidiary Firm In Somalia To Supply Cement (Times Of Oman)
- Gang Member Who Murdered Drug Rival With Machine Gun In Edinburgh Jailed For Life (Daily Record Scotland)
- Rethinking Political Identity For The ‘New Somalia’ (Garowe Online)
- Mogadishu University Students Address The Role Of Youth In Peacebuilding And Poverty Alleviation(UNSOM)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Ahlusunna Arrests 10 People They Said Were Members Of The Somali National Forces
10 August – Source: Wacaal Media – 156 Words
Ahlusunna group in Dhuusamareeb detained several officers of the Somali forces as they headed to Adaado. A senior group official who gave his name as only Sheikh Yassin told the local media that they arrested up to 10 officers he said belonged to the Somali National Army as they walked in the outskirts of Dhuusamareeb town. “Those we arrested were from Guri’el and they recently told us that they ditched the national forces. They were however arrested on their way to Adaado where there is an operation going on against us to rejoin the forces,” said Yassin. Sources however indicate that those arrested were civilians heading to Adaado town which is the current capital of the newly formed state of Galmudug. The arrests come at a time when Ahlusunna forces are accusing the Federal Government of amassing its troops in Adaado in readiness for an offensive against them in the areas that is under their control.
New Puntland Police Chief Assumes Office
10 August – Source: Radio Bar- Kulan – 147 Words
The newly appointed police commander of Puntland has officially assumed office following a handover ceremony held in Garowe on Monday. Speaking at the handover ceremony attended by several top area government officials including minister for internal security, the outgoing commander, Mohamed Said Jaqanaf welcomed his successor and advised his colleagues and the police to work with the new commander. Jaqanaf wished the new commander, whom he termed as competent, well and success in his new role. The new police chief Afgadud also commended his predecessor for good performance during the time he served in the same position. Afgudud said he will try his best to improve the quality of the Puntland Police Force and requested the government and the public to work with him in enhancing security in the region. Puntland president named Afgadud as the new police commander after firing Jaqanaf who held the post for four years.
The President Of South West State of Somalia Makes His First Trip To Bardale
10 August – Source: Dalsan Radio – 150 Words
On Monday morning, Shariff Hassan Sheikh Aden, the President of Southwest States of Somalia made his first visit to Bardale district in Baay region. In the trip the president was accompanied by top officials in his government and some officers in the Somali military. Sources close to the president say that during his trip, the president and the other officials traveling with him will be visiting the new areas where the Somali federal government forces and the AU troops have recently liberated from the radical group Al-Shabaab. The officials reached Bardale by a helicopter and on landing they were warmly received by the district administration of Bardale and hundreds of the local residents. On the other hand, reports Radio Dalsan is getting from the ground say that the administration of South West State will very soon parade Al-Shabaab fighters who have recently surrendered to them.
Roads In Afgoye Town To Be Repaired
10 August – Source: Goobjoog News – 113 Words
Afgoye district local officials have disclosed plans to repair some vital roads in the district, Omar Mohamed Muse, the secretary of the district tells Goobjoog News. The plan includes repairing the mains roads of district and some other important roads that connects different neighborhoods of the town.“Now we are busy lifting rubbish and sand…to repair a number of vital roads in the town,” Omar Mohamed said. Afgoye District Commissioner aims to upgrade roads in the town to attract more merchants who come the town to buy its agricultural products. Afgoye located 30km drive from the capital Mogadishu is important agricultural town that supplies food, fruits and vegetable products to Somali markets.
Puntland Police Banned From Chewing Khat
10 August – Source: Somali Current – 167 Words
The semi-autonomous state of Puntland has banned its officers from chewing Khat while on duty, Puntland Police Commissioner, Abdi Rizak Mohamed Yussuf has announced on Monday. Speaking to the press, the new police commissioner send strong warning to the police force saying anyone found chewing Khat while on duty will be fired. “Chewing khat while on duty makes people see you as an irresponsible person,” he explained. It is not known how many Puntland police officers use the stimulant, but it is believed to be popular in the police force and among other civil servants. The stimulant which is popular among many Somalis create serious health damage such as an increased heart rate and blood pressure, depression, irritability, nightmares, liver damage and a reduced sex appetite. Early this year, the Somali National Police Force similarly banned its officers from chewing Khat while on duty. The new directive is expected to improve the image of Puntland’s police force with many lauding the commissioner’s new move.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Kenya Signs Treaties On Regional Peace-keeping Missions
10 August – Source: Daily Nation – 159 Words
Kenya has ratified agreements to normalise its participation in joint regional peacekeeping missions. On Tuesday last week, the National Assembly approved Kenya’s signatures on the East African Community Protocol on Cooperation in Defence Affairs, the Mutual Defence Pact between Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda and the Agreement on the Establishment of the Eastern Africa Standby Force. The protocol, which Kenya signed in April 2012, is meant to enhance cooperation on regional “all defence affairs” such as joint rescue operations, peace missions, shared military training and exchange of information.
It allows EAC member states to collaborate with regional and international organisations on matters “of peace, security and stability of the community”. The protocol is expected to boost the adoption of the Eastern Africa Standby Force, whose creation was hampered by Kenya’s presence in many regional bodies without a proper arrangement to coordinate military operations. The agreements will now be deposited with the (EAC) secretary-general.
Raysut Cement Setting Up Subsidiary Firm In Somalia To Supply Cement
10 August – Source: Times Of Oman – 495 Words
Raysut Cement is in the process of setting up a subsidiary firm – Barqaaqo Cement Company — for supplying cement mostly to Somalia through a newly built terminal there. Raysut Cement will have 51 per cent stake in the newly formed Barwaaqo Cement Company, the company said in its six month report. Further, Raysut Cement’s plans to build a terminal in Duqm are underway, which will ease supplies of cement required for developing the area. Also, the company is planning for 150 tonnes per hour Rotary Packing Machine with Auto Truck loader at Salalah to provide larger and faster capability of packing cements in bags. “The company also is in the process of increasing the silo capacity in Salalah plant and Pioneer to add flexibility to higher productions,” Raysut Cement said in the statement posted on MSM website.
Raysut Cement said its profit before tax fell 30.34 per cent from OMR17.48 million for the first half of 2014, to OMR12.18 million, mainly due to a substantial rise in natural gas price from January 1, 2015. The group’s operating profit declined by 25.89 per cent to OMR13.21 million for the first half of 2015 from OMR17.83 million for the same period last year. Raysut Cement’s group revenue fell by 5.39 per cent to OMR46.82 million from OMR49.49 million during the six-month period under review. “In spite of the severe price competition from the UAE suppliers, and the volatility in the export market, the parent company has achieved the sales revenue out of its Salalah operation of OMR32.05 million during the period against OMR35.61 million during the corresponding period in the previous year, which fell by 9.99 per cent.”
Profit before tax of the parent company stood at OMR8.94 million for the period against OMR15.16 million earned during the corresponding period of last year, a decline of 41 per cent. The major markets for the parent company are domestic, Yemen and East African markets, and that for Pioneer, there are UAE and Oman markets. In southern Oman and southern Yemen markets, the parent company is the major player.
Gang Member Who Murdered Drug Rival With Machine Gun In Edinburgh Jailed For Life
10 August – Source: Daily Record, Scotland – 860 Words
A MAN who was part of a gang who murdered a drug rival with a machine gun was today sentenced to life imprisonment. At the High Court in Glasgow Mohammed Ahmed, who is also known as Jamal Saeed, was convicted of killing Mohamed Abdi at Duddingston Road West, Edinburgh, on May 26, 2013, while acting with others. Judge John Morris QC ordered the 29-year-old to serve at least 25 years in prison before being eligible for parole. He told Ahmed: “The jury convicted you of a particularly brutal murder by using a machine gun and gunning down a young man in an otherwise quiet suburb of our capital. “The use of lethal firearms will not be tolerated on our streets.” Three other men Mohamud Mohamud, 30, Cadil Huseen, 23, and Hussein Ali, 26, are already serving life sentences for the murder and will spend a minimum of 25 years each behind bars. Judge Morris told Ahmed: “I see no reason to discriminate between you and the others who pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 25 years each.”
As he was led away to begin his sentence Ahmed gave a thumbs up to his family who were sitting in the public benches. Defence advocate Andrew Murphy said that his client still insisted he is innocent. Mr Murphy handed Judge Morris a letter from Ahmed saying: “It gives some of his feelings about the trial, some good, some bad.” The court heard that Ahmed almost got away with murder. He fled the scene and flew to Somalia, where he was born, just days after the street shooting. But, unknown to him he left behind at the murder scene his wallet. A bank card belonging to him was also found in the roof lining of the Volkwagen Sharan driven by the killers. The court heard that the killers and the victim were drug rivals and had a falling out. Iain McSporran, prosecuting, said: “The Crown’s position is that there appears to have been an organised crime group consisting largely of Somalian males with London connections, operating in Glasgow and Edinburgh.” They split into two rival factions shortly before the murder. Two days before the fatal shooting a message was sent saying: ‘The guns are coming out.’
On May 26, 2013, the Sharan with the killers on board chased the Ford Focus containing Mr Abdi and his associates through the streets of Edinburgh. It ended with the Sharan crashed into fencing beside a tennis court. After Mr Abdi got out the Focus and was striking the rear of the Sharan with a baseball bat, he was shot with a sub-machine pistol from within the car. The court heard that five shots were discharged from the machine gun before it jammed. Three of them hit Abdi the fatal shot was through the chest. The Crown’s position is that it is not possible to say who fired the fatal shot. Ahmed was convicted of murder on an art and part basis. Victim Mr Abdi and his companions were armed only with baseball bats. In evidence Ahmed denied fleeing to Somalia just days after the murder. He said his flight there via Dubai was booked weeks before to give him a break from his girlfriend whom he believed was cheating on him.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Shifting political identities became a norm in the absence of a national platform that reinforces a common political identity. Divergent interpretations of “Somali-ness” took root in post-1991 Somalia. We have witnessed this in its many forms: regional identities superseding national identity; “Somalia belongs to Somalis” bang-wagon (who questioned whether Somali belongs to Somalis to begin with?); and of course, the Arabization group intent on eradicating Somali culture and replacing it with a foreign one (under the false pretense of Islam).”
Rethinking Political Identity For The ‘New Somalia’
10 August – Source: Garowe Online – 605 Words
Many Somalis quickly express their frustration and angst about current conditions and state of affairs in our beloved Somalia. The public discussion – via radio appearances, TV debates, online media and at the notorious “fadhi-ku-dirir” (armchair warriors) public arguments – is inundated with (mis)perceptions of self, community and nation. The focus is too often on what is misidentified to be the “Somali problem”: religious extremism perpetrated by Al Shabaab insurgents; foreign meddling under the banner of the United Nations (UNSOM), African Union (AMISOM), or through foreign embassies in Nairobi; and Somali politicians utilizing the federal system as a Trojan’s Horse for cutthroat clan politics. Surely, each one of these problems brings dilemmas in it’s own right.
Each problem needs to be studied closely, to educate and inform the public, and to propose viable solutions applicable to the Somali nation. Still, all these “problems” are mere symptoms of larger, more complex and challenging root causes, including: power abuses and corruption; widespread mistrust; social injustices; and economic despair. State collapse and its implications is an underlying element throughout these “problems”. Under the civilian governments (1960-1969), and the subsequent military regime (1969-1991), successive central governments pursued a clear agenda of fashioning and redefining “Somali political identity” to boost the ruling elite’s political agenda. There was the “Somali-ness” (“Soomaalinimo”) that was propagated through state communications machinery and educational curriculums, to influence (for better or worse) the future generations’ view of self, community and nation.
After the state collapse of 1991, however, this deliberate process of social engineering faltered completed and disappeared from the national political landscape. The beloved “Somali-ness” was quickly replaced by the “clan-ness” – that is, loyalty to the nation plunged downwards on the social strata, replaced by loyalty to the clan. In many cases, loyalty to the clan became a matter of survival after state collapse led to a cycle of clan wars, abuses, community uprooting and persecution, and the violent misappropriation of public and private properties. Somalia formally adopted the federal system in 2012 and established its first recognized “permanent government” in 22 years. Backed by African Union troops (AMISOM), the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) exercises de jure authority in “Somalia” – but its de facto authority is limited. Regional entities – such as Somaliland and Puntland – have challenged Mogadishu’s constitutional authority over the years, in the areas of national security, oil and minerals and disputes over federal-state jurisdictions.
“We will try our level best so that we can develop the youth and that is why this program put a lot of emphasis on youth development so that they take part in peace building and poverty alleviation, because if you reduce poverty in the country then peace will come.”
Mogadishu University Students Address The Role Of Youth In Peacebuilding And Poverty Alleviation
10 August – Source: UNSOM – Video – 304
Somali youth are expressing optimism that poverty and unemployment in Somalia can be reduced through quality education and youth empowerment. Local university students and experts took part in a workshop in Mogadishu that culminated in a brainstorming session on the future of youth in Somalia.