August 30, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Arrives In Mogadishu
30 August – Source: Halbeeg News – 176 Words
Former Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday arrived in Mogadishu for the first time since losing the presidential election last year to incumbent, President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo. Mr. Mohamud was welcomed at Aden Adde International Airport by ministers, lawmakers, and senior government officials.
Speaking to the media, the former President said he arrived in the country to assess the situation in the nation. “I am happy to be back in Mogadishu after being away for 18 months,” he said. The former Head of State incidentally jetted back into the country just hours after President Farmaajo had departed for Beijing, China, to join other African leaders for the 2018 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
Sheikh Mohamud pointed out that he would tour all the regions of the country and discuss with the public on the matters affecting the country. “Not only have I come to Mogadishu, but I will visit all other regions to engage with the people in those areas,” he stated. Mr. Mohamud served as Somalia’s eighth President from September 2012 until February last year.
Key Headlines
- Former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Arrives In Mogadishu (Halbeeg News)
- Relocate To Somalia Or Cease Operations Somalia Tells Nairobi Based Organisations (Goobjoog News)
- Security Minister Mogadishu Mayor And Army Commanders Tour Mogadishu Stadium (Dhacdo.com)
- British Military Reaches Somalia Training Milestone (Force Network)
- US Military On Track To Match Record 2017 For Airstrikes In Somalia (Long War Journal)
- Jubbaland Residents Agree To Promote Community Policing To Counter Violent Extremism (AMISOM)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Relocate To Somalia Or Cease Operations, Somalia Tells Nairobi Based Organisations
30 August – Source: Goobjoog News – 244 Words
The government has issued a four months ultimatum to international organisations working in Somalia but based outside the country to relocate to Somalia failure to which their licenses will be revoked. Planning Minister Jamal Hassan said during a meeting with international agencies on Wednesday that time was up for organisations which come to Somalia for field work but have their offices in other countries.
A number of international agencies working in Somalia are headquartered in Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi. “Those international agencies based in Nairobi and come to Somalia only for a day or two for monitoring should know that will not happen again,” the minister said. He urged the affected agencies to relocate to Somalia before the end of the year. Hassan also said the international organisations must work directly with government institutions such as ministries and regional governments.
If affected, the directive will affect several international humanitarian agencies, most of which are based in Nairobi with or no field offices in Somalia. The move follows concerted efforts by the government to bring into the tax bracket international organisations, especially those based at the UN headquarters in Mogadishu.
Finance Minister Abdirahman Beyle issued a notice to all companies working in the airport area and Halane camp (which houses the UN and African Union) on July 24 notifying them of their tax obligations. This include registration tax and income tax based on the tax law of 1966 and registration tax law of 1921.
Security Minister, Mogadishu Mayor And Army Commanders Tour Mogadishu Stadium
30 August – Source: Dhacdo.com – 163 Words
Mogadishu Mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman Yarisow accompanied by the Security Minister Mohamed Abukar Islow, commanders of the police and the National Army, senior government officials and security advisors to President Farmaajo and Prime Minister Khaire, toured Mogadishu Stadium, which was recently vacated by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) forces.
Mogadishu Mayor hailed the handover of the city’s biggest sporting facility and termed the move as an indication of the government’s commitment to creating sporting facilities for the youth where they can train and showcase their sporting skills. “For the stadium to come back to our hands is a strong indication of our commitment to operationalizing key social facilities.
We are here today to inspect and evaluate the venue to restructure it and resume its role in the development.” The team inspected all the parts of the dilapidated facility. The team also toured some of the police posts near the area in a bid to assess the security situation of the area.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
British Military Reaches Somalia Training Milestone
29 August – Source: Force Network – Video – 22:18 Minutes
The British Security Training Centre in Somalia has seen its 500th graduate pass through its doors. UK forces have been providing training to the Somali National Army since January 2017. Personnel have been focused on delivering medical, leadership development, logistics, and human rights training.
Armed Forces Minister Mark Lancaster said of the training: “The Somali National Army have been motivated, keen to learn and professional and we remain committed to their country’s development.” The hope is that, following the training, the Somali Army will become self-sufficient and able to train their own troops. Britain also provides the country with defence funding. Last year it was announced that they would be given £21 million from the Conflict, Security and Stability fund.
US Military On Track To Match Record 2017 For Airstrikes In Somalia
29 August – Source: Long war Journal – 398 Words
US forces killed three Shabaab terrorists in an airstrike on Monday. The strike occurred 40 km southwest of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, according to a US Forces Africa Command (AFRICOM) press release today. The United States is on track to meet or exceed last year’s record number of strikes in Somalia. AFRICOM has conducted 21 strikes against Shabaab in Somalia so far this year, Maj. Karl J. Wiest confirmed to FDD’s Long War Journal on behalf of the Command’s Media Relations.
This year’s strikes against Shabaab are, however, more geographically dispersed, demonstrating the group’s continued resilience and concerning geographic scope. For example, in June the US conducted two strikes against Shabaab in the vicinity of Bosasso, the northernmost strikes ever against the al Qaeda affiliate in Somalia. This month, strikes resumed in the south, particularly areas outside the capital, a frequent target of Shabaab attacks.
The 2017 air campaign against Shabaab was concentrated entirely in southern Somalia, especially in Jilib and its surroundings, a known safe haven for al Qaeda’s East Africa network. According to the US State Department’s Country Reports on Terrorism for 2016, Shabaab maintains a safe haven in the Jubba River Valley, and controls “several villages and towns throughout Jubaland region, including Janaale, Jilib, and Kunyo Barow.”
Unlike last year, the US has not conducted any strikes against the Islamic State’s network in Somalia in 2018, although Maj. Wiest mentioned continued operations against it. “U.S. forces in cooperation with the government of Somalia, are conducting ongoing counterterrorism operations against al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia to degrade the groups’ ability to recruit, train, and plot terror attacks in Somalia and the region.”
The US military and CIA have been targeting Shabaab and its predecessor, the Islamic Courts Union, for more than a decade. While several senior al Qaeda, Shabaab, and Islamic Courts leaders and operatives have been killed in the campaign, it has not slowed Shabaab’s insurgency. Shabaab continues to control rural areas and small towns in southern and central Somalia despite military operations by the African Union and the Somali government.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“We know the religion of Islam is a peaceful religion which accords everybody his right. They [extremists] advance their radicalization efforts using Islam as a cover up. Extremism has no place in Islam,”
Jubbaland Residents Agree To Promote Community Policing To Counter Violent Extremism
30 August – Source: AMISOM – 369 Words
Residents and security officers in Jubbaland state have resolved to promote community policing in their neighbourhoods to fight crime and counter violent extremism. The resolution was made at the end of a two-day workshop attended by residents, police officers and pro-government regional forces.
The workshop is part of a sensitization programme on community policing in federal states, initiated by the police component of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), to strengthen collaboration between security officers and members of the public.
Speaking during the workshop, AMISOM Public Information Officer, Philip Mukasa, said community policing has been tried and tested in many parts of the world and found to be beneficial to countries recovering from war. “We as AMISOM Police together with SPF (Somali Police Force) in Jubbaland state is to work together with the community, with the youth, with the women groups, with police, with the Darwish and everyone ,” Mr. Mukasa explained, noting there is need to collaborate to improve security in areas liberated from the terrorist group, Al Shabaab.
The director general in the federal state’s ministry of security, Aden Yusuf Salah, echoed Mr. Mukasa’s sentiments saying the objective was to encourage synergy between the police and members of the public in crime prevention. “In this training we shared knowledge and experiences on how to observe and maintain security and prevent bad elements who bring insecurity in the community,” Mr. Aden observed.
The Chairperson of Kismayo Women Organization, Sureer Mohamed Ali, stressed the importance of involving women in countering violent extremism and urged AMISOM to organize similar trainings in other regions.“This is a very useful [workshop], which we embrace and we are ready to support the security forces. Women are the mothers of youths brainwashed by the extremists, and have the potential to lure them back,” Ms. Sureer added.
Somali elder, Ugas Abdirahman Ugas Khalif, described extremism as an unacceptable behavior that has no place in Islam and appealed to residents to work closely with security forces to tackle the vice.
TOP TWEETS
@abshirolow: Jubaland President: “Current Somali Federal Government should strive to leave behind a better legacy than spewing propaganda on the social media”. #Somalia #Jubaland#Kismayo
@radiogarowe: UPDATE: Ex-president @HEhassansheikh lands in #Mogadishu receives a warm welcome from MPs and government officials upon arrival at Aden Adde Int’l airport.
@HassanIstiila: The U.S. military says it has carried out an airstrike in Somalia against Al-Shabaab extremists, killing three fighters. The U.S. Africa Command statement says the strike was carried out on Monday about 40 kilometers (24 miles) southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.
@HarunMaruf: Ex-Deputy Intel Chief Gen. Abdalla Abdalla Mohamed who was sacked recently after 6 years as No. 2 launched a stinging attack on leaders of the Security branch, says none of his superiors took the time to inform him why he was suspended and later on fired
@radiogarowe: The mayor of #Mogadishu @engyarisow says he is not aware of @TheVillaSomalia‘s plan of his sacking amid rumours about this circulating in public.https://www.garoweonline.com/
@AmbGamal: Today I met with the leadership of the INGOs operating in Somalia. I informed them of the Gov’t decision to have all INGOs fully & physically present in Somalia including their senior leadership effective from January 1, 2019. Failure to comply will result in de-registration.
@AbdinurMA: H.E @M_Farmaajo arrives in Beijing , China for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). H.E. Is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with H.E XI Jinping during the course of the Forum.
@Caasimadda: Somalia: Two soldiers hurt in Mogadishu explosion https://www.caasimada.net/
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud jets back to the country this morning ahead of the re-opening of the next parliamentary session.
Photo: Hiiraan Online