August 15, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Somali Government response to the alleged rape in Maslah, Mogadishu
15 Aug – Source: Office of the Prime Minister – 188 words
The Federal Government of Somalia is deeply troubled by the alleged rape of a Somali woman involving a number of personnel from AMISOM at Maslah Military Camp in Mogadishu on the 8 August 2013.“The Somali government will not tolerate violation of human rights, in particular sexual violence towards the most vulnerable members of our society and perpetrators will be dealt with the fullest extent of the law”. Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said at a meeting with his Senior Cabinet members.
The Prime Minister has launched an investigation into this incident and confirmed that the Somali Government will be closely working with AMISOM senior officials to investigate this matter and take all necessary steps to bring justice to those who committed this incident and ensure that such crimes do not occur again.
Additionally, the Prime Minister has appointed a team consisting of Senior Cabinet members led by Minister of Social Services Drs. Mariam Qassim to report back to the Prime Minister the outcome of this investigation. Renewing its commitment to protecting human rights, the Prime Minster affirmed his commitment to the Post Transition Human Rights Road Map.
Key Headlines
- AMISOM statement on allegations of rape in Maslah (AMISOM)
- Somali and Ugandan parliaments twin up (Daily Nation)
- Al Shabaab takes over MSF hospitals in Dinsor and Marerey (Bar-kulan/Hiiraan Online)
- Regional efforts to tackle piracy gather pace (Khaleej Times)
- African Union troops accused of Somalia gang rape (AFP/Global Post/eNCA)
- Heavy fighting erupts in Xudur Bakool region (Shabelle)
- MSF halts all operations in Somalia (Al Jazeera/BBC)
- Puntland citizens arrest al Shabaab suspect near Eyl (Garowe Online)
PRESS RELEASE
Somali Government response to the alleged rape in Maslah, Mogadishu
15 Aug – Source: Office of the Prime Minister – 188 words
The Federal Government of Somalia is deeply troubled by the alleged rape of a Somali woman involving a number of personnel from AMISOM at Maslah Military Camp in Mogadishu on the 8 August 2013.“The Somali government will not tolerate violation of human rights, in particular sexual violence towards the most vulnerable members of our society and perpetrators will be dealt with the fullest extent of the law”. Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said at a meeting with his Senior Cabinet members.
The Prime Minister has launched an investigation into this incident and confirmed that the Somali Government will be closely working with AMISOM senior officials to investigate this matter and take all necessary steps to bring justice to those who committed this incident and ensure that such crimes do not occur again.
Additionally, the Prime Minister has appointed a team consisting of Senior Cabinet members led by Minister of Social Services Drs. Mariam Qassim to report back to the Prime Minister the outcome of this investigation. Renewing its commitment to protecting human rights, the Prime Minster affirmed his commitment to the Post Transition Human Rights Road Map.
AMISOM statement on allegations of rape in Maslah
15 Aug – Source: AMISOM – 149 words
AMISOM is aware of the allegations leveled against its troops in reference to the alleged rape case in Maslah. The AU mission strongly condemns any incidents of alleged sexual abuse or exploitation and takes the issue extremely serious as it reiterates the mission commitment to enhancing the safety of women and indeed protecting all Somali citizens.
AMISOM and Somali National Army have formed a joint team to investigate the matter of and appropriate action will be taken once the facts of the case have been established.
Training of good conduct and discipline particularly regarding sexual behavior, as well as an introduction to Somali culture are key elements of the extensive pre-deployment training received by every AMISOM soldier before they arrive.
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) continues to conduct sensitization fora on prevention and response on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse for soldiers in all AMISOM areas of operations.
SOMALI MEDIA
Al Shabaab takes over MSF hospitals in Dinsor and Marerey
15 Aug – Source: Bar-kulan/Hiiraan Online – 119 words
Al Shabaab militant group has reportedly taken over Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospitals in Dinsor district of Bay region and Marerey of the Middle Jubba region in southern Somalia following the organization announcement of pulling out from Somalia.
Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is closing all its programmes in Somalia after 22 years working in the war-torn country. It had taken the decision because of “extreme attacks on its staff”.
According to the locals, al Qaeda-linked group has taken all the equipments in hospital. At least 134 of the organization’s staff have been left jobless on Wednesday after group’s official announcement. Al Shabaab militant group has not yet made any comment on their siege of MSF properties in Dinsor and Marerey.
Heavy fighting erupts in Xudur, Bakool region
15 Aug – Source: Shabelle – 81 words
Heavy fighting between pro-Government troops backed by Ethiopian forces and al Shabaab militants flared upon Wednesday night in the outskirt of Xudur in Bakool region, reports said.
The fighting erupted at the outskirt of town as Somali and Ethiopian forces were conducting security operation in the area. Speaking to Shabelle, government officials in Hudur said that they have killed a number of al Shabaab fighters during in the skirmishes.
Puntland citizens arrest al Shabaab suspect near Eyl
15 Aug – Source: Garowe Online – 117 words
Residents in Hasbahale village, which situates 80 KMs away from Puntland’s coastal town of Eyl have seized a man suspected of being al Shabaab member on Wednesday, Garowe Online reports.
Speaking on Puntland-based independent station, in Garowe, the Deputy Mayor of Eyl District, Faisal Khalif Waeys said the ‘al Shabaab suspect’ was accompanied by two men who escaped from the villagers.
“After long trip from faraway vicinity, he seemed tired and weak but shortly after the people captured him, he was handed over to local police forces,” added Mr. Waeys. TheaAl Shabaab suspect, who is believed to come from Somalia’s southern part, was transported to Puntland capital of Garowe for interrogation.
Uganda and Somalia signed parliamentary agreement
14 Aug – Source: Radio Mustaqbal – 128 words
The Speaker of the Federal Parliament of Somalia has applauded Uganda’s Parliament saying it was one of the best in Africa. Mohammed Sheikh Osman Jawari hailed Uganda’s Parliament noting that it has developed many systems and processes.
“You have knowledgeable staff and experienced MPs. You have effective committee systems. We shall learn from the abundant resources and excel. There is plenty to learn from Uganda,” Jawari said on Tuesday. He said this during the signing of an agreement between Uganda’s Parliament and that of Somalia. The function took place at Parliament of Uganda.
Under the accord, Uganda will train Somali staff and MPs on Parliamentary business such as drafting Bills, making reports, debating and following the Rules of Procedure. Jawari led a delegation from Somalia’s Parliament.
Grenade attacks targets government troops in Middle Shabelle region
14 Aug – Source: Shabelle – 77 words
An explosion occurred in Jowhar town, middle shabelle region of Somalia that caused severe damages to the government troops. According to the residents of Hanti wadhaag estate, armed men hurled hand grenades at a military base in the neighbourhood. The gunmen escaped from the scene after the attack. Death and injury casualties are reported, though the exact number has not yet been confirmed.
A National Conference Opens under the theme: Making the Dialogue Successful: the Prospects of Somaliland–Somalia Negotiations
14 Aug – Source: Somaliland Press – 103 words
The Director, the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) Mr. Adam Haji-Ali Ahmed today at Mansoor Hotel, Hargeisa opened the much anticipated National Conference under the theme: Making the Dialogue Successful: the Prospects of Somaliland–Somalia Negotiations.
Among those speaking at the conference were the minister of Presidency Hon Hirsi Ali Haji Hassan said the essence of this conference is to encourage a broader national consultations on any future talks between Somaliland and Somalia, so the government of Somaliland welcomes any constructive ideas and recommendations which may be useful to future negotiation teams in order to present our aspirations with full national consensus.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Somali and Ugandan parliaments twin up
15 Aug – Source: Daily Nation – 248 Words
Professor Mohammed Osman Jawari, the Speaker of Somalia’s Parliament has signed an accord with his counterpart in Uganda Hon Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga. The accord was sealed following a series of meeting between Somali legislators that were mainly composed of chiefs of parliamentary sub-committees and their matching part in Uganda.
Hon Kadaga praised the experience gained by the Federal Parliament of Somalia since it was established a year ago. Prof Jawari stressed the special value the accord stood for. “We are going to exchange know-how and information on parliamentary works,” said Prof Jawari. “Parliamentarians from both sides will communicate and relate. The two institutions will also cooperate,” he added.
While in Kampala, Mr Mahad Abdalla Awad, the Deputy Speaker of the Somali Parliament, told the media in Mogadishu by phone the the agreement showed intra-African solidary and unity. He stated that Uganda had gone through a bitter civil war and its legislators had a wealth of experience to pass on to their fellow parliamentarians in Somalia.
Regional efforts to tackle piracy gather pace
15 Aug – Source: Khaleej Times – 364 Words
Attacks by pirates off the coast of Somalia have been contained to an extent but long-term regional solutions are what the third conference to be held in Dubai this September will actively discuss and seek to address. Foreign ministers, senior government officials, executives of maritime companies, and leading security experts will attend the conference titled, ‘Countering Maritime Piracy: Continued Efforts for Regional Capacity Building’, on September 11 and 12.
“While the international community has made great strides in fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia, the UAE believes that maritime piracy, notably in the Gulf of Aden and the Western part of the Indian Ocean, remains a serious global concern. We are convinced that successfully countering piracy can only be achieved if the international community enhances its efforts to build capacity in the region,’’ said Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Affairs Minister.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, global ports operator DP World and the Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC), who are convening the conference said 500 participants are expected to attend the summit and said public and private sector cooperation would go a long way in the fight against maritime piracy both on and off shore. The conference plans to address piracy in the short term through effective security initiatives.
Aid agency Doctors Without Borders pulls out of Somalia
15 Aug – Source: Capital FM – 115 words
Medical aid agency Doctors Without Borders (MSF) closed all its operations in war-torn Somalia on Wednesday, warning of growing insecurity, after 22 years of working in the Horn of Africa trouble spot.
“The closure of our activities is a direct result of extreme attacks on our staff, in an environment where armed groups and civilian leaders increasingly support, tolerate, or condone the killing, assaulting, and abducting of humanitarian aid workers,” MSF president Unni Karunakara told reporters.
The pullout by MSF, an aid agency that has earned a reputation for working in the toughest of conditions, is major blow to the reputation of the internationally backed government in Mogadishu and will affect hundreds of thousands of people.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
African Union troops accused of Somalia gang rape
15 Aug – Source: AFP/Global Post/eNCA – 240 Words
The African Union force fighting in Somalia is investigating the alleged gang rape of a woman by its soldiers. The announcement by the AU on Thursday has sparked outrage in the capital Mogadishu.
A Somali woman has alleged she was abducted, drugged and then repeatedly raped earlier this month by soldiers from both the Somali national army and from AMISOM, the 17,700-strong African Union force that supports the internationally-backed government.
“AMISOM is aware of the allegations levelled against its troops,” the force said in a statement. A joint AMISOM and Somali army team has been set up “to investigate the matter and appropriate action will be taken once the facts of the case have been established,” the statement added. The AU mission “strongly condemns any incidents of alleged sexual abuse or exploitation”, it said.
MSF halts all operations in Somalia
15 Aug – Source: Al Jazeera/BBC – 148 words
International Medical Charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has announced it will pull out of Somalia saying the threat of deadly violence had become intolerable. The withdrawal of MSF, or Doctors Without Borders, is a blow to the government’s effort to persuade Somalis and foreign donors that security is improving and a stubborn insurgency is on the wane.
“The closure of our activities is a direct result of extreme attacks on our staff, in an environment where armed groups and civilian leaders increasingly support, tolerate or condone the killing, assaulting and abducting of humanitarian aid workers,” Unni Karunakara, MSF’s international president, told reporters in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Wednesday.
Sixteen MSF staff members have been killed in Somalia since 1991 when civil war erupted, but the charity stayed on, negotiating with fighter groups and resorting to hiring armed guards, something it does not do in any other country.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“In order to counter al Shabaab’s attempt to regain its swagger, the Somali government and its allies need to reinvigorate its military offensive, address the obstructive issue of federalism, and ensure that the much hyped New Deal Compact for aid delivery doesn’t fall victim to quarreling over who has the right to deliver assistance or similar obstacles that led to MSF’s untimely departure.”
After Infighting, al Shabaab Focuses on Image Repair in Somalia
14 Aug – Source: Somalia Newsroom – 587 Words
In June 2013, Barawe residents witnessed intense fighting between rival al Shabaab factions loyal to top leader Ahmed Abdi Godane on one side and forces loyal to Sheikh Mukhtar Robow, Omar Hammami, (the late) Ibrahim al Afghani, and other leaders on another.
The drama led to the usual presumptions of al-Shabaab’s demise and was a notable setback for the group’s attempt to display solidarity among its ranks to local communities. As a result, al Shabaab recently hosted a much more entertaining set of competitions exclusively among young men in the town that was a stark contrast to earlier factional violence.
The event was led by its governor for the Lower Shabelle region Sheikh Abu Abdalla and included an interesting mix of children’s games (e.g., musical chairs and potato sack races) and traditional military exercises. Though celebrations are common at the end of Ramadan, al Shabaab’s beachside festival attended by hundreds of residents was especially meaningful.
“We are not just a diplomatic mission here; moreover, we are coordinating and directing all the assistance provided by Turkey to Somalia. We are working on the ground. We are also mediating between factions. Our aim is to help Somalia regain its power!”
Being a Turkish ambassador abroad these days
13 Aug – Source: Todays Zaman Blog – 732 Words
Needless to say, these days Turkish ambassadors in foreign countries are not only maintaining their prestigious position as diplomats that represent their country worldwide but are also having a tough task to handle.
In general, diplomats are known as people who leave behind their homeland, culture, language and loved ones in order to perform their “prestigious” diplomatic mission abroad.
They not only represent their country and report back to their capital the knowledge they obtain about the country to which they are posted but also they face unprecedented challenges which they also experience for the first time.
Nowadays, Turkish ambassadors to Egypt, Somalia and Lebanon are really going through tough times due to various incidents they experienced and are still experiencing.
Top tweets
@amisomsomalia #AMISOM VIDEO OF THE DAY –#FOCUSONSOMALIA: Meet Mohammed Jama and the fit guys at the #Mogadishu Fitness Centre. http://bit.ly/18u0t0f.
@jsdeacon20 Such a shame that the ridiculous acts of some will stop aid for millions of others http://bbc.in/17oX6qv #africa#somalia #development.
@MissCranky You know there’s a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions when even MSF can’t risk working there:http://news.sky.com/story/
@warsameh Hussien Goley, a well-known businessman was the target of the bomb that hit a vehicle near Dahabshiil building in #Mogadishu #Somalia pic.twitter.com/wdu9mxbUag.
@safeworld4women About 40 percent of #Somali children attend school, according to UN figures. Most of these schools are run by parents http://goo.gl/xkkT04.
Image of the day
Participants at a two day conference organized by Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, under the theme: Making the Dialogue Successful: the Prospects of Somaliland–Somalia Negotiations, held at Mansoor Hotel, in Hargeisa, Somaliland. Photo: Somalilandpress.