December 9, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

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AU Special Representative condoles with Somalia on the loss of a Member of Parliament of the Federal Government of Somalia

Key Headlines

AU Special Representative condoles with Djibouti following the loss of one of their soldiers in Beletweyne (AMISOM)
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia condemns killing of MP ( UNSOM)
Car bomb kills Somali lawmaker outside presidential palace (CNN-Reuters)
Prime Minister calls on security agencies to bring perpetrators to justice(Office of the Prime Ministe)
Ethiopian Troops pour into El Barde Bakool Region (Radio Dalsan/Radio Garowe)
Al Shabaab fighters behead respected elder in central Somalia region (Radio Mogadishu)
Residents demonstrate to demand action against al Shabaab (Radio Dalsan)
Slain MP laid to rest in Mogadishu (Radio Mogadishu/ RadioDalsan)
Double murder shakes Somali capital (Africa Review)
Last of Somali trainee soldiers graduate (The East African/NTV Uganda)

PRESS STATEMENT

AU Special Representative condoles with Djibouti following the loss of one of their soldiers in Beletweyne

08 Dec- Source: AMISOM- 111 words
A Djiboutian soldier in Beletweyne has lost his life as he and his fellow soldiers carried out a morning sweep operation to collect and disarm undetonated ammunition.
The incident occurred as experts of the Djiboutian mine action team were handling undetonated rocket propelled grenades when one exploded severely injuring three soldiers. One of the injured soldiers succumbed to his injuries on the way to AMISOM level 1 hospital in Beletweyne.
The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Djiboutian contingent and the people of Djibouti following the loss of life of one of their soldiers.

Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia condemns killing of MP

06 Dec- Source: UNSOM- 118 Words

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, has strongly condemned the killing of Mohamed Warsame Feisal, a Member of the country’s Federal Parliament.

Mr. Warsame was killed this afternoon in Mogadishu when an improvised explosive device planted in his vehicle detonated. At least three others are reported to have been injured in the attack.
“I condemn this killing in the strongest terms,” SRSG Kay said. “Somalis yearn for a better future. Their Members of Parliament play a vital role in building that future.”

SRSG Kay offers his sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Warsame, as well as to the Federal Parliament of Somalia, and wishes those injured a quick recovery.

AU Special Representative condoles with Somalia on the loss of a Member of Parliament of the Federal Government of Somalia

07 Dec- Source: AMISOM- 92 words
The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif, condemns the killing of Mohamed Warsame Feisal a Member of the country’s Federal Parliament.
Mr. Warsame was killed this afternoon in Mogadishu when an explosive device planted in his vehicle detonated. At least three others are reported to have been injured in the attack.
“AMISOM today stands with the Somali people”, said Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif as he sends his condolences to the Federal government of Somalia and the family of Mohamed Warsame Feisal.
Prime Minister calls on security agencies to bring perpetrators to justice
06 Dec- Source: Office of the Prime Minister- 122 words
His Excellency Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon sends his condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mohamed Warsame Mohamed “Faisal” and called on security agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The Prime Minister, said: “My Cabinet and I send our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mohamed Warsame Mohamed MP, killed today in a brutal attack as he returned from Friday prayers.
“Somalia has today lost a committed parliamentarian who worked tirelessly to serve the people of Somalia and help rebuild our country.
“This cowardly attack will not derail the progress made in Mogadishu and across Somalia. I ask the security agencies to investigate this cowardly killing and ensure that those who carried out this attack face justice.”

SOMALI MEDIA

Residents demonstrate to demand action against al Shabaab

08 Dec- Source: Dalsan Radio-113 Words

Hundreds of residents at KM-50 location, some 50 km south of Mogadishu have demonstrated on Sunday, calling on the government to liberate the region from al Shabaab. The peaceful demonstration ended with the district commissioner Abdullahi Waafo addressing the demonstrators while thanking them for showing the people’s feeling. The demonstrators waved anti al Shabaab banners and called for the army to continue the operation to liberate the whole region from the hands of al Shabaab. Mr Waafo said the demonstration was the first one to be held in the region since the Federal Government forces backed by the African Union mission took over many districts of the region from the militant group last year.

Ethiopian Troops pour into El Barde, Bakool Region

07 Dec- Source: Radio Dalsan/Radio Garowe-194 Words
Hundreds of Ethiopian troops in battle wagons reached El Barde district in Bakool region, southern Somalia. The troops came in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to witnesses. Local reports say that Ethiopians entered the town with armored vehicles and infantry divisions from different directions. The move came a day after Somali government forces liberated the main road that links between Qansaxdheere and Ceelbarde from Al Shabab. The Qansaxdhere district commissioner has said the government forces together with the Ethiopian friends launched heavy operation to clear what he termed as “al Shabaab roadblocks set up in the area”. Somali Federal Government officials in the region recently stressed the need for heavily-equipped battalions to liberate al Shabaab-held areas.

Al Shabaab fighters behead respected elder in central Somalia region

08 Dec- Source: Radio Mogadishu/RBC Radio/Dalsan-228 Words
The body of a famous traditional elder was found on Sunday morning in a central Somalia town after he was taken hostage by the militant fighters a week ago. Elder Shire Dahir Osman was kidnapped by armed al Shabaab fighters from his home in El Bur, a week ago after refusing to raise funds in support of what al Shabaab termed as “Jihad war” in Somalia. The body of late Osman was found 3km out of the vicinity of Elbur town, a stronghold town for al Shabaab in Galgadud region of central Somalia. According to family members who feared to be identified for security reasons, the late elder was among dozens of local elders who met with al Shabaab officers a month ago where they were ordered to collect funds for the operations of the militant group but the deceased refused to follow the instruction while other elders fled from the region. Heavily armed fighters came into his home last week and took him as a hostage, the family members said. Al Shabaab has imposed strict regulations and levied taxes on the business people and herdsmen in the regions they control as they behead anyone who fails to pay such money.

Slain MP laid to rest in Mogadishu

07 Dec- Radio Mogadishu/ RadioDalsan/RBC Radio-238 Words
The outgoing Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon, the Second Deputy Speaker of the Federal Parliament Mahad Abdallah Awad and dozens of lawmakers have attended today at the burial of the body of late MP Mohamed Warsame Feysal who was killed in a bomb blast planted in his vehicle in Mogadishu on Friday, RBC Radio reports. The body of Late MP Feysal was buried inside the Medina hospital cemetery as the roads were blocked on early morning on Saturday. “Late MP Feysal was a great man, he was a man of truth who can say what he believes.” Outgoing PM Abdi Farah Shirdon said. “May Allah give late Feysal his mercy in the paradise.” the Prime Minister added. The Second Deputy Speaker of the Federal Parliament Mahad Abdallah Awad has said that the colleague parliamentarians will remember his role as the chairman of the parliament’s sub-committee of social affairs. Faisal was killed in a car bomb near the presidential palace compound in Mogadishu on Friday.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Double murder shakes Somali capital

07 Dec- Source: Africa Review-288 Words
Friday was supposed to be a prelude to just another quite weekend in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, but the city is instead grappling with two separate but brutal murders. In Hodon district to the capital’s southwest, a female lecturer at the University of Somalia was shot by unknown gunmen and died in hospital. The Ugandan national, named only as Lalya, was a lecturer at the institution’s Economics faculty. Witnesses said the gunmen appeared to have targeted the vehicle she was travelling in, before taking her out and shooting her. “The gunmen had fled the crime site [by the time] Somali government security officers reached the area,” said an eyewitness who sought anonymity. Lalyla died from the injuries received, with her body due to be flown back home on Saturday. The incident followed the death of Somali parliamentarian Mohamed Warsame Feisal who was killed near the gates of Villa Somalia, the country’s state house. The lawmaker, who was the chair of the House’s social affairs committee, died instantly while a companion was wounded following an explosion in his car.

Last of Somali trainee soldiers graduate

07 Dec- Source: The East African/NTV Uganda-809 Words
After nearly four years of training in Uganda, the last of some 3,600 Somali soldiers have now graduated and returned to serve their country. The troops have been undergoing combat and intelligence drills at Bihanga Training Camp, 350km west of the Ugandan capital. It was the end of an era on December 4 when the last group of 139 trainees passed out. They now return to Somalia to strengthen the national army and to defend the Horn of Africa nation against Al Shabaab and other security threats. Training of the Somali National Security Forces is a European Union programme initially mandated to take place in Uganda from April 2010 as the European Union Training Mission for Somalia (EUTM), under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1872 of 2009.

Five Somali Immigrants Arrested

06 Dec- Source: New Era (Namibia)-557 Words
On Wednesday the police at Keetmanshoop arrested five Somali nationals for illegal entry into Namibia through Noordoewer in the //Karas Region. The illegal journey of Yussuf Huni (21), Adam Ismail Haris (29), Mohamoud Omar Bashir (29), Adbirisek Ali Osman (29) and Mohamed Abdi Isak (35) was halted on Wednesday afternoon outside Keetmanshoop. Station Commander of the Keetmanshoop Police Station, Inspector Kennedy Sikokwani believes the five suspects entered Namibia through Noordoewer. Noordoewer is a border post located about 300 kilometres south of Keetmanshoop. “We suspect that they came through Noordoewer, because many people do not use the port of entry there, but make use of an unknown entry point over the Orange River. We also suspect that they took a lift with a truck just outside Noordoewer, because they had money and then they were dropped here in Keetmanshoop. It looks as if they were given directions by someone since they were dropped at the first junction going to the hospital. They then passed through the hospital yard and went through the Agra Auction Kraals and then they tried to bypass the road blocks by travelling through the bushes on their way to Windhoek,” said Sikokwani

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Aid agencies ‘paid Somalia’s al-Shabab’ during famine

09 Dec – Source: BBC News UK – 260 words
Humanitarian agencies paid Somalia’s al-Shabab militants for access to areas under their control in the 2011 famine, according to a joint report by two think tanks.
In many cases al-Shabab insisted on distributing the aid and kept much of it for itself, the report says.
Some of the groups are still paying al-Shabab to operate in the large parts of Somalia it still holds, it adds.
More than 250,000 people died during the 2011 famine.
The report – by the Overseas Development Institute and the Mogadishu-based Heritage Institute for Policy Studies – details how al-Shabab demanded from the agencies what it described as “registration fees” of up to $10,000 (£6,100).
It gives one example of al-Shabab diverting food aid in the town of Baidoa, where it is reported to have kept between half and two-thirds of food aid for its fighters.
Al-Shabab developed a highly sophisticated system of monitoring and co-opting the aid agencies, even setting up a “Humanitarian Coordination Office”.
Aid groups had to deal with this office, even though they risked legal problems by doing so because of counter-terrorism laws in other states which forbid engagement with groups like al-Shabab.
The report says agencies who worked in al-Shabab-held areas had to complete special forms and sign a pledge saying they would refrain from certain social and religious activities.
It also describes how al-Shabab gave people extra food if they spied on the aid groups.
Some agencies were banned outright by al-Shabab, while others withdrew because of the demands.

Car bomb kills Somali lawmaker outside presidential palace

06 Dec- Source: CNN/Reuters/Global Post-151 Words
A Somali lawmaker was killed in a car bombing Friday morning near the presidential palace in the country’s capital, a fellow lawmaker said. Parliament member Mohammed Warsame Feisal, apparently unaware that someone had planted a bomb in his car, was driving the vehicle when the bomb exploded in Mogadishu, Parliament colleague Abdinasir Garane said. Feisal was chairman of the government’s social services committee. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The bombing came at a time of political transition — Parliament ousted the prime minister in a no-confidence vote Monday — and amid the government’s long-term fight against militant group Al-Shabaab, which hopes to topple the leadership and turn the country into a fundamentalist Islamist state.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Forceful repatriation is a breach of our own laws since under the current Constitution any child born in Kenya automatically acquires the Kenyan citizenship. So what happens to those children who were born here, some of whom have even received their university degrees from Kenyan institutions and feel more at home here than in a country that many of them have never seen in their entire life?”

Do not force refugees to return to Somalia

08 Dec- Source: Standard Media-640 Words

The recent declaration by the Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku that the refugees from Somalia shall be forcefully repatriated was unfortunate and a total disregard of international human rights standards. From my understanding, Kenya is one of the 148 states that are a signatory of the Geneva Convention of 1951, and its subsequent Protocol of 1967, that gives rights to people in need refuge. The sudden turn of events for these refugees was influenced by the recent unfortunate terrorist attack on the Westgate shopping mall. Rumour has it that some of the people involved in that attack had lived in one of the refugee camps. Despite that incident the many hundreds of thousands of the refugee communities are innocent in as far as any form of organised crime is concerned. The Geneva Convention on refugee rights advocates for a case by case decision when dealing with such allegations when they are made against refugees.

“Each year, Somali migrants around the world send approximately $1.3 billion home to family and friends in Somalia. An estimated 40 percent of the population in Somalia depend on these remittances. This lifeline is currently under threat, but we are campaigning to keep it open.”

Keeping the Somalia lifeline open: fragile progress

06 Dec- Source: Oxfam Blog-674 Words
Oxfam has been working on the fragility of the remittances system between Somali communities abroad and people in Somalia. During the 2011 food crisis an American bank closed down the bank accounts of companies providing services allowing US Somalis to send money home. After a few months, accounts were re-opened, but it was clear that the system as a whole needed changes. Oxfam America and African Development Solutions (Adeso) undertook some research into solutions for the issue which estimated that the lifeline represents at least $1.3 billion annually. Around the time the research was published, Barclays Bank in the UK announced that due to counter terrorism and anti money laundering regulations, it too was closing bank accounts to companies providing remittance services for Somalis in the UK.