August 8, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somali cabinet introduces bill to curb illicit small arms trade

07 Aug – Source: Radio Mogadishu/Bar-kulan – 99 words

Somali cabinet on Thursday introduced a bill designed to curb the illicit small arms trade in the country following the cabinet session in the capital, Mogadishu. Somali government spokesman Ridwan Haji Abdiweli said the proposed bill be forwarded to the parliament and is expected to be passed by the Somali parliament. The bill is designed to curb the selling, importing, exporting and manufacturing of arms inside Somalia according to the government spokesman. Illegal arms trade has become a booming business in Somalia since the collapse of Somalia’s central government more than twenty years ago and almost everyone owns a gun in Somalia.

Key Headlines

  • Somali cabinet introduces bill to curb illicit small arms trade (Radio Mogadishu/Bar-kulan)
  • Military court files numerous charges against detained al Shabaab member in Nairobi (RBC)
  • African Summit Yields $37 Billion in US Commitment (VOA News)
  • Kenya to handover al Shabaab commander to Somali government (Bar-kulan)
  • Kenya to draw from US kitty to fight al Shabaab (Daily Nation)
  • Al Shabaab say they will step up terror attacks against Puntland government (Radio Andulus)

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali cabinet introduces bill to curb illicit small arms trade

07 Aug – Source: Radio Mogadishu/Bar-kulan – 99 words

Somali cabinet on Thursday introduced a bill designed to curb the illicit small arms trade in the country following the cabinet session in the capital, Mogadishu. Somali government spokesman Ridwan Haji Abdiweli said the proposed bill be forwarded to the parliament and is expected to be passed by the Somali parliament. The bill is designed to curb the selling, importing, exporting and manufacturing of arms inside Somalia according to the government spokesman. Illegal arms trade has become a booming business in Somalia since the collapse of Somalia’s central government more than twenty years ago and almost everyone owns a gun in Somalia.

Military court files numerous charges against detained al Shabaab member in Nairobi

07 Aug – Source: RBC – 117 words

Somalia’s Military Court on Thursday announced that it has filed numerous criminal charges against Hassan Hanfi Mohamud, the director of al Shabaab’s Andalus radio who was detained in Nairobi on Wednesday. The Kenyan Counter-terrorists Police Unit on Wednesday arrested Hassan Hanafi who was hiding himself in a house in Nairobi.  The Kenyan Police confirmed the arrest and said that they were conducting investigations. Meanwhile on Thursday, Somalia’s Military Court Spokesman  Colonel Abdullahi Mohamed Keyse said they have filed numerous charges including killing of a dozen of Somali journalists, masterminding explosions and looting property against the arrested al Shabaab official.  “As you are aware Hassan Hanafi was arrested in Kenya on Wednesday after collaboration between Kenya and Somalia intelligence.

Kenya to handover al Shabaab commander to Somali government

07 Aug – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 103 words

Somali government spokesman Ridwan Haji Abdiweli has stated that Kenyan government will hand over a senior al Shabaab commander arrested in Nairobi to the federal government of Somalia. Hassan Hanafi, the al Shabaab commander is believed to have masterminded a number of high profile killings against Somali journalists and security personnel inside Somalia. The government spokesman said the al Shabaab commander will be questioned in Somalia and will face charges after government completes its interrogation. Abdiweli added that the arrest of the senior al Shabaab commander was a result of high level of collaboration and intelligence sharing between Kenya and Somali intelligence agencies.

Al Shabaab say they will step up terror attacks against Puntland government

07 Aug – Source: Radio Andalus – 112 words

Somali Islamist militants say they will step up their attacks in Puntland, Somalia’s north eastern state region.  Senior officer from the militants speaking to the Pro-al Shabaab radio station of Andalus stated that they will augment their efforts of plotting terror attacks in the Puntland regions, which has been relatively stable since the ouster of the Somalia’s former central government. Sheikh Abdulkadir Mumin who is senior al Shabaab member in Gal-gala raised this statement, vowing to target Puntland government and its leaders. There is increased awareness in Puntland’s regions and we know people of Bari region support us but what we are vowing is to increase our attacks against the government in the region.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenya to draw from US kitty to fight al Shabaab

07 Aug – Source: Daily Nation – 96 words

US President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced a joint Security Governance Initiative (SGI) between the US, Kenya and five other African countries. The United States will commit $65 million for the first year of the joint endeavour, which will also benefit Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Tunisia. President Obama said the SGI will offer a comprehensive and enhanced approach to improving security-sector governance and capacity to address incessant terror threats. “These threats include terrorist groups, such as Boko Haram, al Shabaab, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and others, which remain active on the continent,” he said.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

African Summit Yields $37 Billion in US Commitment

07 Aug – Source: VOA News – 100 words

Fifty African leaders who attended the unprecedented summit left Washington with a U.S. commitment of $37 billion. That includes a three- to five-year U.S. security plan to help deal with conflicts like those involving Boko Haram in Nigeria, al-Shabab in Somalia, and radical groups in the Sahel.  “We will join with six countries who have recently demonstrated a track record as peacekeepers: Ghana, Senegal, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda,” President Barack Obama said. “And we will invite countries beyond Africa to join us in supporting this effort because the entire world has a stake in peacekeeping in Africa.“

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“Al Shabaab, which has ties to al Qaeda, still operates in many rural areas in Somalia and continues to launch deadly attacks in both Somalia and now Kenya. But Gool FM remains a testament to the fact that even al Shabaab could not defeat Somalis’ indefatigable love of sport.”

Can sports radio help unify war-torn Somalia?

07 Aug – Source: Quartz – 229 words

Like other terrorist organizations, al Shabaab does not appreciate the unifying powers of sport. The militant jihadist group banned soccer while occupying Mogadishu, where it spent years fighting government forces. Shortly after its expulsion from the city in the summer of 2011, Gool FM was spawned—giving Somalia its first and only sports radio station. Before Gool FM, Somalian radio was reserved for political arguments or news of deadly terrorist attacks. While those things still dominate airwaves, Gool FM delivers much needed optimism to Somalia, a country that loves its soccer. Abdalle Hassan Balil, a station editor, summed up Gool FM’s hopes to the Associated Press: “Sports brings together people, whereas politics divides. The station reports on both local and international sports (with an obvious focus on soccer). It broadcasts soccer matches with translated commentary, and has a variety of talk shows and popular trivia segments—some with cash prizes for listeners. The only difference separating it from the average US sports radio station is that it features far less controversy and inane bickering.

The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of AMISOM, and neither does their inclusion in the bulletin/website constitute an endorsement by AMISOM.