December 10, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report
International Community Dragging It’s Feet on Somalia, Says President
10 December – Source: Mareeg Online – 179 Words
The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has claimed that the international community was dragging its feet in helping his country to get to its feet. Speaking in the Mogadishu capital at a national consultative conference with representatives of international agencies and foreign countries, Mohamud regretted that some donors had turned a deaf ear to the interests of the Somali people and his government.
The President explained that the mistrust of some donors in the Somali Government greatly affected the operations of his government, particularly delivery of essential service to the people. The perceived negative attitude, he said, was working against his government’s efforts to build a strong national army and hold an election next year.
Appreciating the support of other international agencies and organs, including the United Nations and African Union, the President called on members of the international community to redouble their support for Somalia and increase funding: “If you (donors) do not trust us, the government will definately not be able to fulfill its national duties. Your support helps Somalia to stand on its feet again and to accomplish the vision 2016.”
Key Headlines
- International Community Dragging It’s Feet on Somalia Says President (Mareeg Online)
- American ISIS Supporter In Mogadishu As Faction Gains First Ground (Garowe Online)
- AMISOM Force Commander Rallies Local Communities In The Fight Against Terror (AMISOM)
- Mandera “Mass Grave’ Woman Was Al- Shabaab Cook – Nkaissery (The Star)
- Feds Charge Another Somali Youth With Supporting ISIL Terrorists (Star Tribune)
- Unleashed: U.S. Air Force Strike Eagles Hit ISIS And Al Qaeda Leadership (The National Interest Online)
NATIONAL MEDIA
American ISIS Supporter In Mogadishu As Faction Gains First Ground
09 December – Source: Garowe Online – 270 Words
Somali security services have escorted Abdimalik Jones, former Al Shabaab fighter but now ideologically aligned to the so called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), in a plane to Mogadishu on Wednesday. Jones surrendered to Somali government forces earlier this week in the former Al-Shabaab group stronghold of Barawe coastal town.The American ISIS sympathizer, along with a group of fighters, switched his loyalty from Al-Shabaab to the Islamic State, pushing him on the run in southern Somalia.Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) is holding Jones, who is likely to be extradited to US.
Bitter disagreements have surfaced within Al Shabaab’s senior ranks since July, with members split on whether on not to switch their allegiance from Al-Qaida to the Syria-based Islamic State. These differences have gradually led to direct confrontations between the Al-Shabaab factions.
Somali Defence Minister, Abdulkadir Sheikh Ali Diini disclosed at media briefing in Mogadishu that Jones fled after serving for four years within the Al-Shabaab ranks.Jones is from central Maryland city of Baltimore, explained the Defence Minister following conflicting reports over whether or not he crossed into Somalia from San Diego through Kenya.Known as Khaliil, Jones has fought alongside Somali militant group for four years.He initially arrived in Dhoobley, and was subsequently married to Somali girls, Minister Diini added.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
AMISOM Force Commander Rallies Local Communities In The Fight Against Terror
10 December – Source: AMISOM – 689 Words
AMISOM Force Commander Lt. Gen. Jonathan Rono has said that the war against terrorism will be won faster and more effectively if better embraced and supported by local communities which the troops serve. He was speaking during a visit to AMISOM Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) troops serving in Sector 3, headquartered at Baidoa. The Sector covers the Bay, Bakool and Gedo regions.
He was received on arrival in Baidoa by the Sector Commander Col. Yemane Gabre Mikael along with other AMISOM officials. In his briefing to the visiting delegation, the Sector Commander said his troops had successfully executed tasks as set by Force Headquarters, inflicting irreparable losses on Al-Shabaab militants.
“Through the direction of Force Headquarters, we were successful in liberating Baadheere and Diinsoor, which were key towns for Al Shabaab. That was a significant achievement, saving the population from the torture they had endured under Al Shabaab. The people of the two towns now leave in peace and have now joined us in fighting Al Shabaab, the terrorists,” Col Yemane said.
The AMISOM ENDF Forces have in the recent past liberated many towns and villages. They include Bush Medina, Canan, Ramade, Eidale, Elalen, Dulle, Morgaten, Geresewoini, and Burduhelle, among others. Over seven hundred terrorists have been killed; weapons, ammunition, equipment and cars have also been captured. The Sector Commander said Sector 3 military successes could not have been achieved without partnership with the Regional Administration and Federal Security Bodies.
“Through our Joint Security Committee (JSC) which brings together AMISOM, local administration, SNA and elders, we are able to work together to achieve our common goals. We meet once a month. Because of this, the local population has sent us over two thousand youths for military training, boosting our numerical strength. The SNA have also made great strides in this region. Independently, they have cleared enemy obstacles and ambushes, gathered information and sorted out Al Shabaab from the community. They have further liberated Gofgudud, Bure and Tulu Berwaqo,” Col Yemane summed up their interventions.
The Force Commander who had time to meet with ENDF soldiers thanked them for the liberation of the many towns and villages in their area of responsibility, key among them being Baadheere and Diinsoor: “Your liberation of Baadheere and Diinsoor sent a powerful message to the world and especially to Al Shabaab that AMISOM would not rest until the whole of Somalia is safe. Through your effort, the people of this region are now able to go about their daily activities without the fear of being terrorized. It is for this reason that i also want to thank Troop Contributing Countries (TCC) for their support to AMISOM, providing the troops that are eroding the ability of terrorists to bring misery to the people of Somalia,” he said.
Their efforts at diffusing Improvised Explosive Devises (IED) were also highlighted by the Force Commander: “I want to make special mention of your counter IED team, which has done an exemplary job of saving lives and equipment thereby ensuring our efficiency and effectiveness. Because this has been the weapon of choice in Al-Shabaab strategy lately, your ability to deal with it means Al-Shabaab will be destroyed in a short time.”
Mandera “Mass Grave’ Woman Was Al- Shabaab Cook – Nkaissery
10 December – Source: The Star – 348 Words
Kenya’s Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery says the woman whose body was found buried in a shallow grave in Mandera’s Lathe village may have been killed by her Al-Shabaab accomplices. Nkaissery, who yesterday denied that there were any mass graves, said Isnina Musa Sheikh was an Al-Shabaab cook in the militants’ Bulla Hawa camp when she fled to Mandera.
She opened a tea kiosk in Mandera town. Her body was discovered in a shallow grave on Sunday: “She is alleged to have been a cook for Al Shabaab in Bulla Hawa, where they were routed by Amisom and the Somali National Army before she fled into Kenya and started selling tea in a kiosk in Mandera. We believe she was an al Shabaab sympathizer. We don’t know [who killed her], maybe Al-Shabaab,” Nkaissery said. Saying there were no mass graves found in Mandera or any other part of the country, he added that the security agencies were accompanied by local political leaders, the public and other interested parties when they visited and secured the site before obtaining a court order to exhume the body.
Fifteen other suspect sites were excavated but no other bodies were found. The CS, who denied the involvement of Kenyan security agencies in alleged extrajudicial killings, demanded an apology from Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow within 24 hours or stern action will be taken against him. Minutes later, the Senator made the apology, saying: “Sorry, we have since established there are no mass graves in Mandera; only one body has been retrieved.”
Feds Charge Another Somali Youth With Supporting ISIL Terrorists
10 December – Source: Star Tribune – 785 Words
Federal charges were filed Wednesday in Minneapolis against another young Somali man from the Twin Cities, alleging that he conspired to provide material support to the terrorist organization known as ISIL.
The criminal complaint alleges that Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame, 20, of Eagan, was among a group of 10 men from the Twin Cities’ Somali-American community who began planning around April 2014 to travel to Syria to fight with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. Three of those men have already pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges; five are scheduled to start trial in May and one is in Syria.
Warsame was arrested Wednesday and is being held in the Anoka County jail. Word that another Twin Cities Somali-American was being charged began to spread Wednesday evening in Minneapolis’ Somali-American community: “This is deju vu all over again,” said community leader Sadik Warfa. “The safety of this country is a concern for all of us. … We’re hoping this case is the last, and we can all move forward where these kind of things don’t happen.”
But Warfa said he wants to know why Warsame is being charged now: “Did the government get new evidence? The government has to do its job, and we are very comfortable with the American legal system,” he said: “A judge who will be independent will look at the evidence and decide where to go from there. We have faith in the system.” Authorities offered no comment on the timing of the charges against Warsame.
According to the complaint against Warsame, he was part of a group of men who played basketball and watched propaganda videos at a local mosque. The men aspired to travel to Syria and fight with ISIL. He and others who planned to get to Syria via Mexico met throughout the spring of 2014, according to the complaint, which is based on a sworn statement by FBI special agent Vadym Vinetsky.Warsame eventually became the leader of the group and encouraged those with passports and money to travel to Syria by the end of the upcoming summer. The complaint alleges that he provided $200 to help one of the men expedite a passport application. And according to the U.S. Department of State’s Passport Office, Warsame applied on April 16, 2014, for his own passport on an expedited basis.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Earlier this week, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook confirmed that a senior Al Qaeda terrorist leader in Somalia was eliminated this month as result of a U.S. airstrike”
Unleashed: U.S. Air Force Strike Eagles Hit ISIS And Al Qaeda Leadership
10 December – Source: The National Interest Online – 670 Words
U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles flying out of RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom have proven instrumental in fighting terrorist threat around the world. Recently, fighters from the service’s 48th Fighter Wing in England hit terrorist targets in Libya and Somalia. While Boeing’s F-15E is an older platform, the long-range Strike Eagle remains the most capable fighter in the service’s inventory even as newer Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighters stealth aircraft enter the Air Force inventory.
Earlier this week, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook confirmed that a senior Al Qaeda terrorist leader in Somalia was eliminated this month as result of a U.S. airstrike: “The Department of Defense confirms that Abdirahman Sandhere, also known as ‘Ukash,’ a senior leader of the Al Qaeda-affiliated group Al-Shabaab, is dead as a result of a U.S. military airstrike in Somalia undertaken on Dec. 2,” Cook said. “Two other Al-Shabaab-affiliated associates were also killed in the strike that specifically targeted Abdirahman Sandhere.”
Cook also confirmed that an airstrike killed a Daesh leader in Libya on November 13: “The Department of Defense has confirmed that Abu Nabil, aka Wissam Najm Abd Zayd al Zubaydi, an Iraqi national who was a longtime al Qaeda operative and the senior ISIL leader in Libya, is dead as a result of a U.S. military airstrike in Libya undertaken on November 13. While not the first U.S. strike against terrorists in Libya, this was the first U.S. strike against an ISIL leader in Libya and it demonstrates we will go after ISIL leaders wherever they operate,” Cook said.
While the Pentagon does not officially say it, both sets of targets were eliminated by U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles from the 48th Fighter Wing flying out of Lakenheath—which is located to the northeast of Cambridge in England. The powerful air wing also struck another target in Libya in June. The Strike Eagle—like its F-111 predecessor—is an ideal platform to conduct long-range strikes. The massive fighter has two crewmen—a pilot and weapons system officer—to coordinate complex air-to-ground operations.
TOP TWEETS
@itayron5:#breaking: explosion in #Mogadishu against gov. Official in Makka Al Mukaram Rd. potential attack against hotel wardheere remains. #Somalia
@alihwarsame:#Somalia Human Rights: protect civilians, stop atrocities against them, Held politicians accountable for war crimes.
@engyarisow:Media can play a pivotal role to #HumanRightsin #Somalia.
@Vatescorp:#Somalia: President Hassan blames int’l donors’ lack of trust for the govt failing to deliver mandate…http://ow.ly/VHDfN
@Omaar_nor:#CONFIRMED: Senior #Somali Intelligence official Mohamed Abdullahi Gardhub was killed in a Car bomb attack in #Mogadishu – police. #Somalia.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
AMISOM Force Commander Lt. Gen. Jonathan Rono addresses troops during a visit to Baidoa on December 8, 2015.
Photo:AMISOM