August 17, 2012 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Committee excludes warlords, rebels and armed groups from Federal Parliament

16 Aug – Source: Garowe Online/RBC – 98 words

The Technical Selection Committee (TSC) rejected over 70 former politicians applying to be members of parliament who according to reports did not meet the criteria, Garowe Online reports. The TSC have not officially stated why the officials were rejected, however sources close to the TSC say that the applicants had a previous history of criminality or being associated with groups that have been labeled groups that participated in the destabilization of Somalia. Reports say that former Transitional Federal Government (TFG) Interior Minister and former Islamic Courts Union (ICU) deputy executive head Sheikh Abdiqadir Ali Omar was rejected as an MP.

Key Headlines

UN Special Representative statement on Eid Al-Fitr (UNPOS)
AMISOM urges all forces in Somalia to spare civilians (AMISOM)
TFG claims killing militants in Hudur (Radio Bar-kulan)
AMISOM urges Somali forces to allow peaceful campaigns (AMISOM)
Al Shabaab orders Jowhar residents to pay Zakat (Radio Mustaqbal)
Committee excludes warlords rebels and armed groups from Federal Parliament (Garowe Online)
73 al Shabaab killed KDF suffers 2 fatalities in Somalia (Capital News/Standard/Citizen TV)
Mass displacement as locals flee Kismayo (Radio Bar-kulan)
Somali Religious Scholars condemn journalists killing (Radio Kulmiye)
Political transition could be deadly for journalists (IRIN News)

PRESS STATEMENT

UN Special Representative statement on Eid Al-Fitr

16 Aug- Source: UNPOS- 265 words

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, Dr. Augustine P. Mahiga, wishes a blessed Eid Al-Fitr to all Somalis inside and outside the country.

“Ramadan is a month of sacrifice, a month of patience and reflection. As this holy month comes to an end, Eid offers us the opportunity to reflect not only on the sacrifices made but also on the remarkable progress we have made,” SRSG Mahiga stated.

Just over a year ago Al-Shabaab was pushed out of their positions in Mogadishu and the security situation has improved significantly with the city witnessing an economic and development boom.

“The date of 20 August is literally on our doorstep. The transitional period is about to end with the formation of a new parliament that will allow the elections of a new Speaker, Deputy Speaker and a President. It is a difficult moment which has required hard and courageous decisions” SRSG Mahiga stated. “We have come too far to fail when we are just hours away from the end of the transitional period”.

“I call on all Somalis to capitalize on this momentum and to work cooperatively for the good of your country. Somalia needs a new vision that will transform it into a functioning state. The adoption of the provisional constitution provides the foundation for the new government to set up administrative, legal and security institutions that will serve the Somali people, help stabilize the country and pave the way for democratic elections”.

“I take again this opportunity to wish Ciid Wanaagsan to all, full of peace, love and prosperity”, SRSG Mahiga said.

AMISOM urges all forces in Somalia to spare civilians

16 Aug – Source: AMISOM – 244 words

The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, Ambassador Boubacar Diarra, has reiterated AMISOM’s efforts to mainstream the protection of the civilian population in its area of operations and strengthen coordination with the TFG and other allied forces.

Â AMISOM takes its responsibility for the safety of the people of Somalia very seriously and fully understands its obligations to conduct operations without causing undue risk to the local population,Â h Ambassador Diarra said, adding that it was only with the support of the Somali people that AMISOM had been able to achieve success in the capital, Mogadishu, and elsewhere.

He expressed grave concern over media reports of civilian casualties in the city of Kismayo and called on the relevant authorities to expedite investigations into such, noting that AMISOM did not as yet have any air assets or forces in the city. Â We urge all other military forces to exercise due restraint in areas with a substantial civilian population,Â h he said.

He said that all AMISOM personnel had been trained in the relevant aspects of International Humanitarian Law and that the Mission had adopted a policy on the use of indirect fire weapons which establishes NoÂ Fire Zones in areas of civilian concentration.

He added that AMISOMÂ successful efforts to reduce harm to civilians, including steps to establish a Civilian Casualties Tracking Cell, had been recognized by the UN Security Council as well as by international human rights agencies.

AMISOM urges Somali forces to allow peaceful campaigns

16 Aug – Source: AMISOM – 240 words

As Somalia gears up for elections of a new administration expected later this month, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Ambassador Boubacar Diarra, has urged Somali security forces to respect the right of all candidates to conduct peaceful campaigns.

Ambassador Diarra said AMISOM would remain impartial during the campaign and election period.

“At this critical time, our role is to provide a secure atmosphere for the conduct of the elections and the peaceful transfer of power. As part of this effort, we are deploying extra troops and police – including Formed Police Unitsâ€ into Mogadishu and are working closely with Somali security forces to ensure security for the population,” he said. “We also urge other allied forces to ensure that all citizens can enjoy their rights to peaceful assembly and expression,” he added.

“When called upon and depending on the availability of resources, AMISOM may provide secure transportation to key personalities via its armored convoys. This should not be construed as endorsement of their candidature,” he said.

AMISOM military successes over the past year, including the liberation of the capital from the brutal rule of al Qaedaâ€ affiliated terror group al Shabaab last August, have enabled the Somali peace process to make substantial progress. Two weeks ago, a National Constituent Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a provisional constitution for the country, paving the way for the Transitional Federal Government to hand over power to a more legitimate and representative political order.

SOMALI MEDIA

TFG claims killing militants in Hudur

16 Aug – Source: Bar-kulan – 79 words

TFG administration in Hudur town has claimed to have killed several militants and injured dozen others during Wednesday night fighting between their forces and al Shabaab militants who attacked their bases. The fight occurred when heavily armed militants launched nighttime attacks on military bases for the allied forces in an area east of the town, according to area District Commissioner Mo’alim Ali. The District Commissioner told Bar-kulan that their forces killed four militants and injured several others during the fight.

Al Shabaab orders Jowhar residents to pay Zakat

16 Aug- Source: Radio Mustaqbal- 85 words

Al Shabaab fighters in Jowhar Town of Middle Shabelle region ordered residents to pay the zakat for Holy month of Ramadan. Al Shabaab fighters were roaming the villages of Jowhar town, riding on vehicles mounted with speakers to inform the people to bring the zakats, including livestock to their offices. Similiar reports are also emerging from the regions controlled by the al Qaeda affliated militant group.

Committee excludes warlords, rebels and armed groups from Federal Parliament

16 Aug – Source: Garowe Online – 98 words

Mass displacement as locals flee Kismayo

16 Aug – Source: Bar-kulan – 122 words

Reports from the port city of Kismayo, a rebel stronghold in southern Somalia, says hundreds of residents are fleeing their homes to escape looming clashes between the Somali troops backed by Kenyan troops officially operating under the banner of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and al Shabaab militant group. By early Thursday morning, several trucks were reportedly seen transporting hundreds of fleeing families, mainly children and women, to safer locations north of the city as tension looms in the area. Fatuma Abdullahi Sheikh Ali, a mother of five children who was among the fleeing families told Bar-kulan that she opted to leave the city with her children to Mugambow, a remote village north of the city after sensing a potential danger.

Somali Religious Scholars condemn journalists killing

16 Aug- Source: Radio Kulmiye- 89 words

Somali religious scholars have strongly condemned the target killing of journalist that often occurs in Mogadishu which was happening since the beginning of the year. The vice chairman of Somali religious scholars Sheikh Nur Barud Gurhan told the press that the government is unable to do something about the constant killing of Somali journalist, urging officials to put in place mechanism to ensure the security of Somali journalists who work under harsh conditions.

REGIONAL MEDIA

73 al Shabaab killed, KDF suffers 2 fatalities in Somalia

16 Aug – Source: Capital News/Standard/Citizen TV – 138 words

Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) have killed 73 al Shabaab militants in an attack at a remote region of Fafadun in Somalia, a military source said on Thursday. “There was an attack in Somalia at a place called Fafadun. Seventy three al Shabaab were killed and there are two KDF casualties,” the source said. Three other KDF soldiers were wounded in Thursday afternoon’s attack. The KDF headquarters in Nairobi referred our queries to AMISOM which is the umbrella body for all the troops fighting Al Shabaab in Somalia. The wounded soldiers were expected in Nairobi later on Thursday after being airlifted from the battleground. “It was a very violent confrontation because the al Shabaab militants were heavily armed and ready for war. Forty AK-47 rifles were seized from the slain militants,” a source told Capital FM News from Somalia.

Search ends as bodies of Uganda soldiers found

16 Aug- Source: Capital News- 362 words

A search and rescue operation for four missing Ugandan soldiers ended in Mount Kenya on Thursday after their charred remains were found next to the wreckage of their burnt helicopter.The bodies were found at the site on Thursday afternoon raising to the number of bodies found since Sunday when the helicopter crashed and caught fire to seven. The helicopter crashed on Sunday evening en-route to Somalia where the soldiers were going to reinforce AU forces fighting al Shabaab insurgents.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Political transition could be deadly for journalists

16 Aug – Source: IRIN News – 142 words

The recent murders of two Somali journalists have brought to 10 the number of media workers killed in the country since December 2011. Journalists and rights groups fear that more targeted killings lie ahead as the country prepares for a new government. On 12 August, Yusuf Ali Osman, a veteran broadcaster in the Ministry of Information, was killed as he walked to work by a man dressed in high school uniform. In a separate incident on the same day, Mohamud Ali Yare, a 24-year-old journalist, was killed by a stray bullet after government troops reportedly opened fire on each other. “We have our worries because every transitional period in Somalia is always risky for journalists. Every time a new administration is coming to power [journalists are a target],” Abdurashid Abdulle Abikar, treasurer of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), told IRIN.

Kenya-Somalia: Repatriating Dadaab refugees “unrealistic”

16 Aug- Source: IRIN News- 880 words

Repeated calls in recent months by Kenyan government officials to repatriate half a million Somali refugees currently living in the Dadaab refugee complex to so-called safe areas of southern Somalia have been described as unrealistic by aid agencies and by the refugees themselves. Speaking at the London Conference on Somalia, held in London in February, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki said that the overcrowded camps at Dadaab posed “growing and serious security threats to Kenya and the region” and that his country could no longer carry such a large refugee burden.
However, UNHCR spokesperson Mans Nyberg said that his agency had received no formal proposal from the government to start returning refugees to Somalia. “Of course, we’re aware of the statements by government officials, and the answer from our side is that any repatriation must be voluntary first and foremost, but also that the conditions in Somalia have to be conducive and sustainable,” Nyberg told IRIN.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“Many of the children in Mogadishu have never had the chance to go to school but now they’re looking forward to getting an education.”

Future looking bright for kids in Somalia’s capital

16 Aug- Source: BBC-131 Words

After twenty years of violence and famine children in Somalia’s capital city, Mogadishu, are starting to look forward to a bright future. Hundreds and thousands of Somali refugees are returning home to start rebuilding their lives. The city was torn apart by fighting between the government and a militant Islamic group al Shabaab. There’s still the threat of possible attacks but life has improved dramatically.