December 7, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
Be Vigilant And Maintain Discipline – General Muhoozi To UGABAG XXVI
07 December – Source: KMAUpdates – 271 Words
The Chief of Defense Forces Gen David Muhoozi has tasked soldiers under Uganda Battle Group Twenty six (UGBAG XXVI) to ensure vigilance and maintain discipline during their mission in Somalia. He made the remarks at Peace Support Operations and Training Centre (PSO-TC) in Singo, Nakaseke District as he flagged off UGABAG XXVI.
Under the command of Col Toffa Magino, UGBAG-XXVI will be deployed in Somalia with intent of neutralizing Al-Shabaab threats and help restore peace and stability in Somalia. “Fighting in Somalia is not a picnic. Dose and Al-Shabaab will finish you,” Gen Muhoozi cautioned. “Fighting Al-Shabaab is a manageable mission if soldiers work hard, keep to what they were trained on, and sticking to the rules of engagement (ROE).
He further urged soldiers to “Know their responsibility whether in a section, unit or formation; but not to forget their background. He reminded them to always protect each other’s back using the attained pre-mission training and Operations experience.
The Chief of Staff Land Forces Brig Leopold Kyanda on behalf of the Commander Land Forces Maj Gen Peter Elwelu commended BG XXVI for enduring the long attained pre-mission training. Brig Kyanda noted that the force is well prepared and ready for deployment for AMISOM.
The Commandant of the Peace Support and Training Centre (PSO-TC) Singo Brig Jackson Bakasumba lauded the UPDF leadership for her support towards stabilizing Somalia in the spirit of Pan-Africanism by deploying BGXXVI.
Brig Bakasumba observed that BGXXVI is well prepared and as has been in the past, will work hard to keeping Uganda’s flag shining. In attendance were Development Partners, Community leaders, PSO-TC staff among other invited guests.
Key Headlines
- Be Vigilant And Maintain Discipline – General Muhoozi To UGABAG XXVI (KMAUpdate)
- Somaliland Women Protest Exclusion Push For Affirmative Action (Goobjoog News)
- Somali Troops Launch Massive Sweep In Baidoa Ahead Of Election (Radio Shabelle)
- Blast Kills 2 Senior Military Commanders In Somalia (VOA)
- Oil Wars: The Next Great Driver Of Somali Conflict? (Hiiraan Online)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somaliland Women Protest Exclusion, Push For Affirmative Action
07 December – Source: Goobjoog News – 318 Words
Women representatives in Somaliland have decried the exclusion of women to participate in public offices, noting that despite promises for affirmative action, very little has been realized. The representatives organized a national conference in Hargeisa on Thursday, to champion for the interests of women said, despite the many years of election and formation of subsequent governments, women are still underrepresented. “This conference is a movement for Somaliland women following the conspicuous absence of women in various sectors, including politics. Despite pledges by President Muse Abdi Bihi and all political parties to allot 30% for women, nothing has been realized,” said Ms. Lul Hassan Matan, one of the participants in the conference.
Ms. Matan said only two women are appointed as ministers, one deputy minister, one director general and one MP. Only Owdal, Laas-Anod and Erigabo towns have women representatives, Ms. Matan told Goobjoog News. To drive home our point, Ms. Matan said, we had to invite the president to attend the meeting.
Somaliland bicameral parliament has 164 legislators, with an equal number in both the House of Representatives and the Upper House (Guurti). Another participant, Ms. Faisa Ow Ali Yusuf said, the movement would push forward its course, to ensure women are adequately included in both elected and appointed positions. “The women should be part of the politics including, the parliament, the ministries, the directors or local government because they are the cornerstone of the society. We must get women representatives so that they can effectively fight for the rights of other women and be involved in the decision making process of our country.”
President Muse Bihi was elected November 2017 replacing then leader Ahmed Silanyo. There has been no female presidential candidate in Somaliland, since it declared its independence from Somalia in 1991. The electoral commission announced last week further delay of parliamentary and civic elections, which was slated for March 2019, citing lack of adequate preparation.
Somali Troops Launch Massive Sweep In Baidoa Ahead Of Election
06 December – Source: Radio Shabelle – 135 Words
The security forces of Somalia National Army have conducted a massive operation in the southern strategic city of Baidoa head of the presidential election slated for December 19th. The house-to-house sweep comes after a grenade attacks occured in the town, amid rivalry between the candidates vying for the Southwest State presidency. The election was delayed three times.
Several people are rounded up during the operations in connection with the latest bomb attacks in Baidoa, according to the local police, saying the city’s overall security is now improving. The officials in Baidoa say the upcoming election will be fair and credible despite allegations of interference of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), who is allegedly backing some other candidates. Former Al-Shabaab deputy leader, Mukhtar Robow is among the aspirants most likely to win the presidential elections.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Blast Kills 2 Senior Military Commanders In Somalia
06 December – Source: VOA – 284 Words
Two senior Somali military commanders and several soldiers were killed Thursday when a roadside bomb blast hit their vehicle south of Mogadishu. Officials and witnesses said the generals were traveling with a military convoy near the village of Dhanaane, on the coastal road linking the Somali capital to the port city of Marka, when their pickup truck was targeted.
“A heavy blast caused by bombs apparently planted on the side killed the two generals who immediately died and several government soldiers were also killed,” said Abdifitah Hani Abdulle, deputy governor of the Lower Shabelle region.
“The blast was very huge, it looked like it was a cache of bombs planted on the road side. I saw smoke and fire overshadowing the whole area,” said witness Nuure Osman. “We have been told that no suicide bomber or car bomb involved.” The attack was immediately claimed by the al-Shabab militant group in a statement released by the group’s Andalus radio.
Government officials could not confirm the exact number of the soldiers killed, but witnesses said they saw the dead bodies of six uniformed government soldiers. The generals who were killed were identified as General Omar Aden Hassan Aka Dheere, the commander of Somali National Army’s 12-April Division and his deputy General Abdi Ali Jamame. The generals were leading military operations that liberated villages along the coastal road from al-Shabab.
Their deaths come two days after the U.S. military killed four members of al-Shabab in an airstrike in the vicinity of Awdheegle, a town in the same Lower Shabelle region, according to Somali military officials. Officials said the generals were heading to Mogadishu as they returned from a visit to a Somali military base near Dhanaane.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Somalia now has a window of opportunity to put plans, policies and institutions in place that will mitigate the risks which are often associated with natural resource wealth. The challenges can only be addressed by the government in a proactive manner. “
Oil Wars: The Next Great Driver Of Somali Conflict?
06 December – Source: Hiiraan Online – 1991 Words
Twenty-eight years after Somalia’s brawling civil war, the question now is: in which direction is the country heading? The dangers of this are now bigger than the collective episodes of violence. There is no obvious meeting place to resolve the country’s entrenched national polarisation. Increasingly divisive political entrepreneurs, weakened institutions, a sell-out or abandonment of responsibility by the political leadership, and the legitimisation of violence by extremists have become the “in” way, with the means justifying the ends. We live in an age where there is great anxiety about these threats to peace and stability.
Among the emerging issues are intense disputes over natural resources that may become sources of conflict in future. The ‘greed’ mechanism is used to explain the link that is now evident between internal conflicts and resource wealth, with groups fighting to obtain control over the revenue of resources. There have also been disputes over the distribution of land and highly valuable resource revenues.
Despite this, there has only been a small amount of research conducted into how post-conflict time is affected by conflict resources. Natural resource conflicts have been present in Somalia for a number of years. A common pool of resources, like water, has been a source of conflict between clans and sub-clans in Somali history. Such conflicts, particularly over water, have been greatly documented and shown to lead to both violence and political instability in the country.
Oil exploration is fairly new to Somalia but already looks to be a promising endeavour. However, reforms will need to be made in order to avert the cycle of conflict which has become the norm, and for Somalia to turn the production of oil into a good socioeconomic development and reduce the rampant poverty in the country.
Due to recurring security threats coming from non-state actors, like terrorist groups, and the political conflict that exists between the centre and federal member states, there is a significant concern over how capable the federal government is going to be at managing the oil in the country.
TOP TWEETS
@Goobjoognews: SOMALILAND WOMEN protest exclusion, push for affirmative action via @goobjoognews.
@EUCAPSOM: 7 Somali Police Force Maritime Police Unit officers participated in a training organised by @EUCAPSOM in Mogadishu on 4-6 December. Course is the @EUCrimario IT software application on Indian Ocean Regional Information Sharing (IORIS) and on incident management network.
@Halbeeg_News: Troop-contributing countries approved exit plan from Somalia https://en.halbeeg.com/2018/
@farhanjimale: The president of the regional state of Somalia, Puntland, Abdiweli Ali Mohamed known as Gaas has accused the federal government of #Somalia of interfering with the region’s upcoming election. Puntland’s election is scheduled for the 8th of January 2019.
4rukun: More Somalia lost two exceptional commanders today: SNA 12th April Division Commander General Omar Aden Dhabad “Omar Dhere” & General Abdi Ali Jamame. We pay tribute to their service and their bravery in leading SNA troops in the fight against terrorism. Allaha u naxariisto.
@MwomenHRD: The @MwomenHRD @ the Upper House to table the Bill 4 the Establishment of the Disability Agency. The Senators promised to fast track the approval of the Bill. Thank you!
@adancabdulle: Another excellent thread by @RAbdiCG on ex Al Shabab Deputy Roobow’s attempt to trek a path beaten by his former predecessor Madoobe of Jubbaland. Rashid is correct to assert that FGS behavior has antagonized ppl of SW State making Roobow’s prospects bright.
@hysperbole: Feisal Omar does great work in a tricky place. Glad to see this shot from Mogadishu included in @Reuters Pictures of the Year: Conflict.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Speaker of the House of the People Mohamed Mursal, alongside former speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari hosted Southwest federal MPs in Mogadishu to discussed the upcoming regional elections in South West.
Photo: @HarunMaruf