August 16, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
US Praises Somalia’s Approach To Al-Shabaab Defections
16 August – Source: Hiiraan Online – 231 Words
The United States government has said it commends Somalia and supports its approach in facilitating the defection of high-level Al-Shabaab members. In a press statement, released on Wednesday, the United States Mission in Somalia said that it backs Somalia in its efforts to reduce Al-Shabaab’s strength in the region. “The United States supports a Somali-led process of degrading Al-Shabaab’s influence using a comprehensive approach, including through high-level defections, reconciliation, and improved governance and service delivery. ”
On Tuesday, Mukhtar Robow, a founding member of Al-Shabaab denounced the Islamist militant insurgency group for their beliefs at a press conference in Mogadishu saying that it was contrary to Islamic principles and hurt the country and it’s people. “I left al Shabaab because of misunderstanding, and I disagreed with their beliefs which do not serve Islamic religion, Somalia and its citizens” Although he did not take any questions, Robow did thank the Somali government for welcoming him. “I thank the Federal Government of Somalia and its people for warmly welcoming me in Mogadishu, I hope that we will pursue a path of peace.”
The US also called on the Somali government to create avenues to defection for members who want to rejoin society. “The United States encourages the Somali government to continue to create pathways for Al-Shabaab members to reject terrorism and join efforts to build a peaceful and prosperous country for all Somalis. ”
Key Headlines
- US Praises Somalia’s Approach To Al-Shabaab Defections (Hiiraan Online)
- Robow’s Defection Is A Victory For Peace In Bay And Bakol Regions Says ISWA President (Dhacdo.com)
- Hirshabelle President Blames Federal Government For His Ouster (Radio Dalsan)
- Turkish Airlines Brings 60 Tons Of Food Aid To Somalia (Anadolu Agency)
- Ugandan Chief Of Defence Forces Visits Somalia Commends Troops For Their Role In Securing The Country(AMISOM)
- Cash Not Food Is Best For Somalia (Sky News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Robow’s Defection Is A Victory For Peace In Bay And Bakol Regions, Says ISWA President
16 August – Source: Dhacdo.com – 184 Word
Southwest President Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden has on Wednesday said that the defection of former senior Al-Shabaab leader, Mukhtar Robow is a victory “for peace” in Bay and Bakol regions in Southwest, hoping that it would also serve as the end of Al-Shabaab in the region. Speaking to the press upon returning from Mogadishu where he was part of the negotiations that saw the surrender of Robow, President Aden praised Bakol authorities, Somalia’s National Army, National Intelligence Agency, Ethiopian forces and ISWA police force for their role in facilitating the surrender of Robow.
“It’s a big victory for the Somali people that Robow is now in Mogadishu safe and discussing with the Somali government about his views,” he noted. He hoped that his defection would lead to the ultimate defeat of Al-Shabaab and restoration of peace and stability in Southwest territory. ISWA President Sharif Hassan has reportedly played his role in convincing Robow to defect to the Somali Federal Government. The former Al-Shabaab leader spoke to the press yesterday in Mogadishu confirming that he quit the militant group over differences with its top leadership.
Hirshabelle President Blames Federal Government For His Ouster
16 August – Source: Radio Dalsan – 115 Word
President Ali Abdullahi Osoble has blamed the Federal government in Mogadishu for his ouster. Speaking in Jowhar on Tuesday shortly after his return from Mogadishu, Mr. Osoble accused the federal government of being directly involved in the political crisis in his regional state. He said he believes the federal government was responsible for the political crisis in his regional administration.
He said the government has orchestrated the problem saying that it was not happy with his decision to side with Saudi Arabia coalition against Qatar. The Federal Government has not yet commented on the political tension among Hirshabelle leadership, apart from some federal MPs hailing from the region who backed the sacking of the president.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Turkish Airlines Brings 60 tons of food aid to Somalia
16 August – Source: Anadolu Agency – 185 Words
A Turkish Airlines cargo plane carrying over 60 tons of food aid arrived in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Tuesday. The supplementary food aid is for Somali children living in the drought-stricken nation as half its population faces a humanitarian crisis, according to the UN. “We reached another 60 tons of food aid to Somalia! #TurkishAirlinesHelpSomalia #LoveArmyForSomalia” Turkish Airlines said on Twitter, referring to a campaign launched by social media celebrities and Hollywood actor Ben Stiller urging the airline to transport donations to the country.
Abdikarin Asair, director of the American Refugee Committee in Somalia, told reporters they will distribute the aid to 12 locations in Somalia over the next few days. “The airlines’ role was to deliver the food to Somalia, but the aid comes from a humanitarian group called LoveArmyForSomalia. We thank the Turkish government and its people for their lifesaving efforts in Somalia,” Asair said. In April this year, a Turkish Airlines cargo plane carrying over 60 tons of food aid and medical supplies arrived in Mogadishu for the campaign. Since 2011, Turkish Airlines has been the only international air carrier serving Somalia.
Ugandan Chief Of Defence Forces Visits Somalia, Commends Troops For Their Role In Securing The Country
15 August – Source: AMISOM – 364 Words
The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) General David Muhoozi arrived in Somalia Tuesday on an official visit. His visit to Somalia on a routine assessment mission, is his first since his appointment as Chief of Defence Forces. During his visit, he will interact with troops, inspect their bases and engage with with several leaders. He is accompanied to Somalia by the senior UPDF officials. “The purpose of the visit is to check on the troops; it is a routine visit but also coming on the heels of the recent incident in Goryowein. It was planned that we come and meet the officers and men in the Mission area and that is the purpose of my coming today,” Gen. Muhoozi said on arrival in the capital Mogadishu.
Gen. Muhoozi met with AMISOM Force Commander Lt. Gen. Osman Noor Soubagleh and the AU Special Representative for Somalia and Head of AMISOM, Ambassador Francisco Caetano Madeira. They discussed the current security situation in Somalia and measures being undertaken to support the peace process. “I want to express my recognition and thanks to the people and government of Uganda for their generosity and commitment to the objectives of the African Union. I want to really express my profound admiration for the brave soldiers of AMISOM Ugandan Contingent for the wonderful work they are doing here,” Ambassador Madeira said, after their meeting.
He lauded Uganda’s contribution to the AU Mission, saying the troops had made a major contribution to Somalia’s stabilization. The SRCC condoled with the families of gallant soldiers who have fallen in the battle to rid the country of terrorists. In his remarks, the Uganda CDF paid tribute to the troops who bravely fought Al-Shabaab militants in a recent ambush in Goryowein, in Lower Shabelle region.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Sending food into a warzone will always make matters worse. It enriches gangsters who control trucking and distribution and can manipulate who gets it. There is no food shortage in Somalia. So sending people the means to buy it should, for now, cut out the evil middle men. It will also, coincidentally and frustratingly, cut down on the armies of aid workers who enjoy doing good in the nastier parts of the world.”
Cash Not Food Is Best For Somalia
16 August – Source: Sky News – 622 Words
The United Nations has come up with a wizard new way of taking the fun out of famine camps. It’s caused consternation in the agony industry – all the way from warlord lairs to the headquarters of aid agencies. It’s bad for business for both – and it could save lives. Let’s face it – it is rare, almost unheard of, for a UN agency to innovate. Rarer still for an agency responsible for emergency responses, to human and man-made catastrophes, to do something that will rattle its “stakeholders”.
The innovation? Money. Yup. Good old-fashioned cash. According to a paper published by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; “in April, NGOs and UN agencies have continued to scale up cash-based assistance (cash and vouchers) with an estimated 2.4 million people reached and near $35m disbursed directly to people affected by the drought”. They’re giving out money – not food – to end a drought that threatens (allegedly) 6.7 million people in Somalia. It sounds silly, right? Surely, if there’s a famine, there’s no food?
The alleged famines of South Sudan and Somalia are (if you believe they exist at all) a consequence not of a shortage of food, but an excess of human stupidity. They are man-made horrors, the byproduct of war. In the past, such man-made catastrophes have been manipulated by warlords as a means to extort money from the international community and continue war. This was the case for more than three decades in the Sudan.
And in 1991/2 the UN and US led an invasion of southern Somalia precisely to put such warlords (who by then had starved 350,000 people to death) out of business. Much of the alleged famine areas in Somalia are in regions controlled by al Shabaab or other clan militia. In 1992, identical groups of moreyaan (bandits) orchestrated spectacular levels of starvation, brought in the media to cover it, and charged aid workers to try to end it. In Sudan, southern rebels stole about 80% of the food and fuel intended for civilians.
Without it they would have been wiped out. We only have the word of a few unverifiable aid workers that there is a famine, or the threat of one, in either south Sudan or Somalia. Claims of 250,000 dead in 2012 have not been proven – there have been very few images of the dead, or their graves, and no international observer can authenticate the tragedy. But those reported to have died were in al Shabaab areas – and there is no doubt the al Qaeda-linked group made a fortune out of allowing deliveries into its area.
Sending food into a warzone will always make matters worse. It enriches gangsters who control trucking and distribution and can manipulate who gets it. There is no food shortage in Somalia. So sending people the means to buy it should, for now, cut out the evil middle men. It will also, coincidentally and frustratingly, cut down on the armies of aid workers who enjoy doing good in the nastier parts of the world. The British have a particular penchant for joining these organisations. Doing so offers the opportunity for adventure and altruism. Lurking in the DNA may even be a post-colonial sense of entitlement to control the lives of Third World citizens.
Again, cash transfers to the needy takes away this part of the industry. It gives purchasing power to those who need it most and reduces the ability of others to direct their lives. It gives them agency. What they now do with it will be up to them. We’ll see. But awkward questions may follow. If the money they are sent is squandered, whose fault will that be? With agency comes responsibility.
TOP TWEETS
@HarunMaruf: Al-Shabab claims “repelling” a joint attack by Kenyan, Ethiopian and US troops near Kismayo tue; there has been no independent confirmation.
@HarunMaruf: Al-Shabab’s Eastern Africa affiliate (media) group, Al-Hijrah, comments on the defection of Mukhtar Robow. https://pbs.twimg.com/
@US2SOMALIA: US Commends Federal Government of#Somalia Efforts to Promote al-Shabaab Defectionshttps://so.usmission.gov/
@SahraCabdi: BREAKINGNEWS.Former Som deputy P.M & longest serving foreign minister Abdirahman Jama Barre dies at the age of 80 in California, USA. R.I.P
@StandardKenya: Al Shabaab kill five police officers, burn their vehicle in Garissa https://goo.gl/jgrkjU
@omabha: Turkish Airlines brings 60 tons of food aid to Somalia – Anadolu Agency http://dlvr.it/PfMJwv #Somalia
@mvnoblog: Somaliland warns Somalia over provocative telecoms law – The National http://mvnoblog.com/
IMAGE OF THE DAY
The Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), of the Uganda People’s Defence Force Gen David Muhoozi being received by senior officers of the Ugandan contingent serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia following his visit to somalia.
Photo: AMISOM