December 14, 2012 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somali PM appoints State ministers and Assistant Ministers

13 Dec – Source: Bar-kula/Mareeg Online/Hiiraan Online/Radio Risaala/Shabelle – 72 words
Somalia’s Prime Minister, Abdi Farah Shirdon, on Thursday appointed his State Ministers and Assistant Ministers with each ministry getting two assistant ministers. This appointment comes after a long and in depth consultation with President Hassan Sh. Mohamud, members of the Parliament and the representatives of the Somali Civil Society.

Key Headlines

President Mohamud receives Djiboutian delegation (Somaliweyn)
Stakeholders meet to discuss Jowhar security (Bar-Kulan)
Somali MPs praise Djibouti for its unyielding support (Radio Risaala)
Djibouti begins training for more than 1300 soldiers (Sabahi Online)
Somali rebels: Up to $8K to kill Kenyan forces (AP)

SOMALI MEDIA

President Mohamud receives Djiboutian delegation

13 Dec – Source: Somaliweyn/Bar-kulan/Radio Mogadishu/Shabelle/Jowhar Online/RBC – 71 words
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday received a Djiboutian delegation visiting the country at his Villa Somalia, a day after their arrival in Mogadishu. The delegation led by speaker of the parliament Idiris Ali and some members of Djiboutian parliament paid a courtesy call to the president who received them warmly. President Mohamud said Djiboutians should feel at home wherever they are in Somalia, promising to strengthen relations between the two countries.

Somali PM appoints State ministers and Assistant Ministers

Somali MPs praise Djibouti for its unyielding support

13 Dec – Source: Radio Risaala – 121 words

Somali Members of Parliament have heaped praise on the Djiboutian government and people.
Most of the MPs were impressed on how firm Djibouti stood with the Somali people in their difficult times. Djibouti has hosted several peace conferences on Somalia in the past and currently it has its forces on the ground in Somalia as part of the AU peacekeeping Mission. Also, Djibouti President, Ismael Omar Gelle has made several visits to Mogadishu, changing the perception of many world leaders who considered Mogadishu as “no go zone”.

Stakeholders meet to discuss Jowhar security

13 Dec – Source: Bar-kulan – 114 words

A security meeting to discuss ways forward in strengthening security in recently captured Jowhar town has been held in the same town on Wednesday. The meeting brought together stakeholders in the town including heads of armed forces, regional administration and civil society groups. The meeting was convened by top government military officials in order to chat the way forward in securing the town.
Participants called on al Shabaab militants in the region to surrender within the next 48 hours. Commander of the First Bridge of the national army Gen. Abdullahi Ali Anod said together with the local elders, they agreed to jointly work on bolster and maintain the prevailing security situation in the area.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Eastleigh feels heat of insecurity

13 Dec – Source: Capital News/AFP – 161 words
Bustling with business, the Kenyan capital’s Eastleigh district is dubbed “little Mogadishu” after the anarchic capital of Somalia, where so many here fled from for a new, more peaceful life. But the largely ethnic Somali and vibrant economic hub faces tough times after a string of attacks blamed on Islamist militants, with the community battered by a harsh police crackdown to root out a hard core of insurgents.

Djibouti begins training for more than 1,300 soldiers

13 Dec – Source: Sabahi Online – 126 words
Djiboutian Defence Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed officially opened on Monday (December 10th) the annual 45-day military training exercise for more than 1,300 of the country’s soldiers, Djibouti’s La Nation reported.The exercises at Camp Myriam, 40 kilometres south of the capital, will simulate various military exercises. Mohamed emphasised the importance of the training for Djibouti’s current and future military engagements. Djibouti has troops under the African Union Mission in Somalia, with hundreds stationed in Beledweyne.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali rebels: Up to $8K to kill Kenyan forces

13 Dec – Source: AP

Nairobi, Kenya — A Kenyan official says a message intercepted from the Somali Islamist extremist group al-Shabab shows that rebels are being offered up to $8,000 to kill Kenyan security officers.
Garissa County Commissioner Maalim Mohammed said Thursday the rewards are enough incentive to motivate some youths in the eastern Kenyan county to carry out attacks against Kenyan army and police. The pay by al-Shabab varies with the security officer’s rank.

Somali Chef defies suicide bombers

13 Dec – Source: BBC – 171 words
Three years ago, Ahmed Jama was running a successful Somalian café in southwest London. But he decided to go home to Mogadishu, where he set up four restaurants. Since last September, two of his venues were targeted by suicide bombers thought to be connected to the Islamist militant group al-Shabab. Ahmed told Matthew Bannister why, despite those attacks, he is determined to carry on.

Al Shabaab change tactics to carry out terror attacks in N. Kenya

13 Dec – Source: NZ News – 113 words
Kenyan officials said Somali militants have changed tactics to carry out terror activities in northern Kenya as security forces stepped up war against terrorism in the restive region near the border with Somalia. Officials said the insurgents blamed for increased bomb and gun attacks in the northern region and in the capital Nairobi have devised new communication gadgets to inflict terror on innocent people in Garissa. Garissa County Commissioner Maalim Mohamed said security agents could not take chances following the seizure of an arms cache at Jarajila about 15 km from the Kenya-Somalia border.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“According to article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts…”

Right to culture: Human rights week in Somalia

10 Dec- Source: blogs.oxfam- 227 words

Somalia has long been known as a nation of poets and storytellers, a tradition that was passed down through generations. When telling a story, the narrator usually begins with sheekoy sheeko, sheeko xariir, meaning ‘story story, beautiful story’.
Somali poetry, songs and proverbs are the avenues through which language and culture were transmitted orally and historical events, stories, customs, lineage and customary laws passed on. Language was used for humour, puns, word play and poetry or songs were used for courting, political rhetoric, and expression of life.