August 11, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
I Authorised Strike That Killed Al-Shabaab Leader, Says President Farmaajo
10 August – Source: Radio Dalsan – 171 Words
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo authorized on 10th August, a strike that killed a high ranking Al-Shabaab member. The strike was coordinated with the United States and targeted Shashweyn area the outskirts of Banadir region. “This individual was part of the Al-Shabaab terrorist network group responsible for planning and executing several bombings and assassinations in Mogadishu that have killed innocent Somali citizens,” the statement of the president said.
“In the past two weeks, our brave Somali security forces have successfully disrupted multiple Al-Shabaab tax stations and removed a key member of Al-Shabaab,” said Ali Mohamed Hussein. “The President and his administration remain resolute in their commitment to eradicate Al-Shabaab’s ability to conduct senseless acts of violence and crimes against the people of Somalia, its East African neighbors, and the international community,” it added. The US Department of Defence separately stated that it hit Al-Shabaab militants with “two Kinetic airstrikes” on the 10th of August adding that it will continue to coordinate with Somalia and other partners to rout out the Al-Qaeda linked militant group.
Key Headlines
- I Authorised Strike That Killed Alshabab Leader – Says President Farmaajo (Radio Dalsan)
- Somali Cabinet Approves Arms Control Bill (Hiiraan Online)
- Southwest Administration Sends A Minister To Areas Where Abu Mansur Robow Is Based (Dhacdo.com)
- Suicide Bomber Kills Soldier In Central Mogadishu – Police (Reuters)
- Somalia Says Air Strikes Kill Senior Al-Shabaab Leader (Xinhuanet)
- Somalia: Depraved Politics Persists (Dehia News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Cabinet Approves Arms Control Bill
11 August – Source: Hiiraan Online – 129 Words
Somali Cabinet on Thursday approved the arms control bill, becoming one of the several bills so far approved by Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre’s government. Information Minister Abdirahman Mohamed Osman “Yarisow” has told reporters that the Cabinet has overwhelmingly approved the arms regulatory bill which is crucial for security in the country.
The bill was prepared and tabled by the ministry of internal security and has passed several stages before its final confirmation. Its approval comes amid ongoing security operation in the capital that has seen the disruption of several insecurity acts.Yarisow said the approved bill will play an important role in the ongoing security operations. Somali Government on May announced an operation dubbed Mogadishu Security Stabilization forming a special security unit tasked with restoring the security of the capital.
Southwest Administration Sends A Minister To Areas Where Abu Mansur Robow Is Based
11 August – Source: Dhacdo.com – 166 Words
A delegation led by Southwest minister of security Hassan Hussein Mohamed “Hassan Elay” on Thursdayreached the town of Hudur in Bakool region in a bid to strengthen his administration’s attempt to persuade the besieged former Al-Shabaab leader Sheikh Abu Mansur Robow surrender to the area authorities.
The delegation of Hassan Elay is set visit Baano area, 8km away from Hudur where government forces are based. Baano is very near to the bases of Mukhtar Robow, whose militias have been engaged in deadly clashes with Al-Shabaab in the past few days.
Security forces have been stationed there in a bid to extend a helping hand to Mukhtar Robow’s besieged militias in case they appear to be overpowered by the attacking Al-Shabaab fighters, who are now far away. Speaking to VOA, Hassan Elay said that Abu Mansur was still stationed in his previous bases though Al-Shabaab fighters are not far away from him. He expressed how they are committed to offering him help if he requested so.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Suicide Bomber Kills Soldier In Central Mogadishu – Police
11 August – Source: Reuters – Words
A suicide bomber blew up himself in front of a mosque in the centre of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Friday, killing a soldier, police said. “A suicide bomber blew up himself in front of the mosque … So far, the bomber and a soldier have died,” Police Major Mohamed Hussein said.
Somalia Says Air Strikes Kill Senior Al-Shabaab Leader
10 August – Source: Xinhuanet – 192 Words
A senior leader of Somali militant group, Al-Shabaab had been killed by coordinated airstrikes in the Horn of Africa nation, Somali government said on Thursday. The ministry of information said the deceased was part of an Al-Shabaab terrorist network responsible for planning and executing several bombings and assassinations in Mogadishu that have killed innocent Somali citizens.
The minister said brave Somali security forces have in the past two weeks successfully disrupted multiple Al-Shabaab tax stations and removed a key Al-Shabaab governor, Ali Mohamed Hussein (Ali Jabal). “Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, the President of Somalia authorized a coordinated operation with international partners near Shashweyne, outskirts of Benadir region that killed a high-level Al-Shabaab leader,” the ministry said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.
The ministry said the president and his administration remain resolute in their commitment to eradicate Al-Shabaab’s ability to conduct senseless acts of violence and crimes against the people of Somalia, its East African neighbors, and the international community. Although the insurgents have largely been expelled from Somali cities, they have continued suicide attacks, killing five people and ambushing African Union peacekeeping mission (AMISOM)’s convoy in southern Somalia both on Sunday.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“The inability of the government to ensure that their new security forces are supplied and paid regularly (even though foreign aid provides the needed cash) means the Somali army remains unreliable and unable to control areas that al Shabaab has been driven out of (usually by peacekeepers, but sometimes by pro-government militias).”
Somalia: Depraved Politics Persists
10 August – Source: Dehai News – 1640 Words
Al-Shabaab is again banning food aid to any areas it controls (mainly in central and southern Somalia). This is similar to a situation in 2011 when Al-Shabaab banned food aid. Back then the reason was that Al-Shabaab considered the food aid un-Islamic because it came from the West (mostly the United States) and not from Islamic nations. The U.S. has always paid for and provided most of the food aid to Somalia. This policy cost Al-Shabaab a lot of popular support. The policy is being used this time for different reasons. Al Shabaab believes that those who supply the food (local and foreign aid officials) are reporting the location of al Shabaab leaders, who are being found and killed (usually by American airstrikes) with increasing frequency. Al Shabaab also believes starving civilians make better human shields.
Another problem this time is factional fighting within Somalia that encourages all manner of odd behavior. In 2011 about a quarter million Somalis died of starvation, largely because of Al-Shabaab interfering with the movement of food aid. This time Al-Shabaab controls less territory and Somalis remember how this worked in 2011, so the starvation is expected to be less extensive. That Al-Shabaab controls any territory is mainly because of another problem; corruption. The inability of the government to ensure that their new security forces are supplied and paid regularly (even though foreign aid provides the needed cash) means the Somali army remains unreliable and unable to control areas that Al-Shabaab has been driven out of (usually by peacekeepers, but sometimes by pro-government militias). It’s another case of greed overwhelming common sense and common interests. This is not unusual for Somalia, which has been rated the most corrupt nation in the world for a decade. One of the side effects of that degree of corruption is the inability to maintain reliable security forces.
Al-Shabaab and Somalia have another problem not directly related to corruption. In the north, mainly Galguduud and Middle Shabelle, families are sending children (mainly boys age 10-16) away to areas with more government control to protect the kids from more aggressive Al- Shabaab recruiting. This now includes raiding schools in the daytime and kidnapping likely recruits. Several hundred children a month are fleeing now and over a thousand kids have done so since January. This was not unexpected because the Islamic terrorist group has suffered heavy losses in the last few years but have maintained its strength by improvising.
This is mainly about using children and apparently at least half the current Al-Shabaab gunmen are armed boys under age 18 and a growing number under 14 years old. This is why, despite losing control of 90 percent of the area it controlled at its peak in 2012, al Shabaab still exists with about half the personnel it had in 2012. The growing use of child soldiers was noted as early as 2010 when the fighting in Mogadishu was not going well for Al-Shabaab and many of their fighters had been killed or discouraged enough to desert. Unable to entice enough men to join they have convinced (or coerced) some clan elders to allow kids (large enough to handle an AK-47) to join the fight.
TOP TWEETS
@HarunMaruf: BREAKING: Man blew himself up at the entrance of a mosque in Mogadi’s central prison, there are casualties: sources
@reliefweb: For many girls in #Somalia, school holidays means FGM “cutting season” – @UNFPA_SOMALIA @UNFPA http://bit.ly/2vJ03bp
@HarunMaruf: BREAKING: US confirms conducting two “kinetic strikes” near Mogadishu today Al-Shabab on August 10.
@HassanIstiila: Govt troops foiled a suicide car, the vehicle was seized by intelligence forces & successfully detonated near immigration dep. in #Mogadishu
@AbdulBillowAli: Unemployment and conflict back home has forced thousands to risk their lives for a better life abroad. Lets invest in our youths. #Tahriib
@einfal: 19 Killed in Clashed Between Somali Militiashttps://buff.ly/2wLz5N7 via @HarunMaruf
@engyarisow: President Farmaajo authorized a coordinated strike that killed a high-level al-Shabaab leader#Mogadishu, August… http://fb.me/yUwfWBB3
@AmbAlyaAlThani: Welcoming today our colleague Amb.@AbukarOsman1, the new Permanent Representative of#Somalia to @UN. Looking forward to working together
@engyarisow: Congratulations 2 Banana Group, youth group that hosted yesterday’s Leadership & Innovation event#BeertaNabada n #Mogadishu #NabadiyoNolol
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheyre along with other officials attended an event held at Peace Garden for Somali youth.
Photo: @SomaliPM