December 9, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Three children die due to outbreak of diseases in Bulo-Burte

08 Dec – Source: Goodjoog Radio – 142

At least three children between the age of five and eight years have died due to outbreak of diseases in Bulo Burte district of Hiran region. District commissioner Osman Gedi Elmi confirmed to Goobjoog FM that Diarrhea, Malaria and measles outbreak claimed the lives of three children in the district and many others were hospitalized. The commissioner stated that the outbreak of diseases in the area is spreading rapidly and might reach other areas if immediate action is not taken. “Blocked roads and malnutrition in the area are also worsening the situation in the region” The district commissioner said. Mr. Elmi reiterated that there are no adequate medical services in the area to treat the increasing number of patients reaching the health centers. He called the federal government of Somalia and humanitarian aid agencies to deliver emergency support to the affected people.

Key Headlines

Three children die due to outbreak of diseases in Bulo-Burte (Goobjoog Radio)
Former Kenyan vice president condemns anti Somali sentiments (Radio Bar-kulan)
Tiyeglow commissioner to give escort troops to convoys (Radio Dalsan)
Somali students graduate from Uganda University (Radio Bar-kulan/Gaafo.com)
First batch of Somali refugees due to return to Dhobley district (Goobjoog Radio/Radio Mogadishu)
Agricultural institute opens in Beledweyn (Radio Bar-kulan)
Military court convicts more defendants (Radio Dalsan)
Al Shabaab roaming freely in Mandera – residents (Star Kenya)
KDF yet to ascertain Al-Shabaab claims over the fate of pilot Jonathan Otong (Standard Media)
Workers flee Kenya’s border town due to rising terror attacks (Xinhua/Global times)
Interfaith vigil held for slain teen Abdisamad Sheikh-Hussein (KSHB)

SOMALI MEDIA

Three children die due to outbreak of diseases in Bulo-Burte

08 Dec – Source: Goodjoog Radio – 142

Former Kenyan vice president condemns anti Somali sentiments

08 Dec – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 162 words

Former Kenyan vice president and deputy main opposition leader Kalonzo Musyoka has strongly condemned attacks meted against Somalis in his home town of Mwingi following Al Shabaab claimed Mandera attack last week.The residents of Mwingi in eastern Kenya stoned and vandalized Somali owned business in the area while forcing vehicles heading to North Eastern Kenya seek refuge in the police station in the area. Kalonzo Musyoka has urged area residents to be patient saying Somalis and indigenous Kamba community share historical relationship.“We can’t accept xenophobia attack and we condemn those who fuel it.” He said the armed terror group Al Shabaab want to create ethno religious conflict in the country to fulfill their selfish gains. “I call upon Kenyans to live together with their neighbors in peace and harmony and not divided by terror attacks.” Kalonzo added that Al Shabaab militants are composed of all ethnic groups and there is no reason to blame one community.

Tiyeglow commissioner to give escort troops to convoys

08 Dec – Source: Radio Dalsan – 131 words

The commissioner of Tiyeglow District Mohamed Abdulle Hassan Food-Adde pledged that he will provide security escort troops to vehicles in the district ferrying passengers and goods. The commissioner decided this after he perceived that Alshabaab militias harm passengers and motorists in transit. He added that his administration will do anything in its authority to protect civilians from Al-shabaab. This comes barely after one day when Al-shabaab killed 5 civilians in Hiiraan. Closer to Bakool, the commissioner of Buur-Hakaba District of Bay Region was killed on Saturday. Unidentified gunmen suspected to be Al-shabaab members sprayed bullets on his entourage. The incident took place on the Baidoa-Mogadishu Highway. The DC Mr. Mohamed Ali Mohamed Maaow’s convoy was ambushed near Bilad-Doogle by the suspected Al Shabaab fighters. The DC died on the spot.

Somali students graduate from Uganda University

08 Dec – Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Gaafo.com – 94 words

More than 200 Somali students have graduated from Cavendish University in Kampala, Uganda. Somali community in Kampala has organized an event to congratulate the students on their achievement in education. Most of the students pursued law and there were 64 female students among the 200 who graduated from Cavendish University. The parents of the students who received a warm welcome from fellow Somali Diaspora community in Kampala have thanked the organizers of the event.

First batch of Somali refugees due to return to Dhobley district

08 Dec – Source: Goobjoog Radio/Radio Mogadishu – 139 words

The first batch of Somali refugees are expected to be returned to Dhoobley district, the border of Kenya and Somalia. At least hundred people among over three thousand Somali refugees who voluntarily registered to be repatriated home will come back today as Dhobley district commissioner Siyad Hassan Uleh confirmed to Goobjoog FM. Mr. Uleh stated that the administration is fully prepared to receive the returning refugees to the country.” The first batch of Somali refugees from Kenya Dadaab refugee camps will come back today and the rest will follow suit” Mr. Uleeh said. Earlier last week UNHCR has announced that over 3000 Somali refugees voluntarily registered to return home after more two decades. Kenya hosts over half million Somali refugees who fled the civil war.

Agricultural institute opens in Beledweyn

08 Dec – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 104 words

An institute for Agricultural studies has opened in Beledweyn city in Hiran province. The mayor of Beleweyn who attended the opening ceremony has described the move as perfect and timely. Ugas Abdirahman Ugas Khalif praised initiative saying it will increase the agricultural production of the riverside city. He urged the students of the only agricultural study centre to work hard in order to improve the agricultural sector in the area.One of the pioneers of the centre Asad Mohamed has said the idea came because of the dire need for agricultural education in the area.

Military court convicts more defendants

08 Dec – Source: Radio Dalsan – 95 words

Somali military court sentenced seven former SNA soldiers. Six of them were convicted on a case relating to illegal roadblock which they manned in the past. They put the roadblock at Jazeera area on the outskirts of Mogadishu. Four of them were sentenced to 20 years in prison. The seventh one by the name Abdullahi Jiinow killed a civilian at Mogadishu’s Howl-Wadaag District. Abdullahi Jiinow was asked to pay 100 camels as a compensation and he will also serve a jail sentence of some given period.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Al Shabaab roaming freely in Mandera – residents

08 Dec – Source: The Star, Kenya – 236 words

Al Shabaab militants are roaming freely in Mandera county, residents have said.The residents said the militiamen have forced them to close their businesses, stormed mosques and forced non-locals to leave.They were speaking during a peace meeting held by the county government in Jenaveve town on Monday.County commissioner Alex ole Nkoyo said during the meeting that the situation is not because of the failure of security systems. He noted however that residents have been withholding information on the al Shabaab from authorities.Nkoyo further noted that illegal immigrants from Somalia sneak into Mandera on a daily basis and are immediately issued with Kenyan ID cards . “Let us embrace the Nyumba Kumi initiative to fight terror,” he urged.Local leaders appealed to the residents to relay any information they have on the terror group to the authorities.

KDF yet to ascertain Al-Shabaab claims over the fate of pilot Jonathan Otong

08 Dec – Source: Standard Media 232 words

The Kenya Defence Forces cannot verify claims by Al-Shabaab that they had buried the missing pilot of a jet that crashed in Somalia, officials have said. Al-Shabaab claimed on its radio station that it had buried Major Jonathan Otongo at a secret grave after the crash. Otongo was the only one on board the plane when it crashed on Thursday. KDF Spokesman Colonel David Obonyo said Monday it is unlikely the terror group buried the body. “You know them. They could have displayed the said body and even shown where the grave is if indeed they had it. We still maintain the pilot is missing,” said Obonyo.

He said KDF personnel and those of the Somali National Army are still combing the crash site looking for the pilot,” he said. Major Otongo is a celebrated pilot and was honoured last year by the President. KDF said the aircraft went down after developing technical problems in an area controlled by Al-Shabaab, who were the first to arrive at the scene of the crash and set the aircraft on fire.It was one of two planes returning from a mission. “The two aircraft were from a successful mission where they destroyed Aarare, an Al-Shaabab base that had been confirmed by intelligence as an operation and logistics base. Otongo made a distress call to his wingman – the pilot in the second aircraft, before crash.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Workers flee Kenya’s border town due to rising terror attacks

08 Dec – Source: Xinhua/Global Times – 506 words

Dozens of public servants in the northern Kenyan town of Mandera are fleeing the restive region due to increased insecurity following the massacre of over 60 people in the past three weeks.Mandera leaders told journalists on Sunday that over 20 health facilities have been closed after health personnel left the country for fear of attacks, adding that they issued an appeal to the national government to help them retain public servants fleeing the area “As we speak, over 150 teachers have already sent their requests to Teachers Service Commissioner, appealing to leave the county with no intention of coming back,” Mandera Governor Ali Roba told journalists after holding a security meeting.He said the recent insecurity incidences where Al-Shabaab ambushed a Nairobi bound bus and killed 28 non Muslim passengers and this week’s massacre of 36 quarry workers have negatively affected the county.

Interfaith vigil held for slain teen Abdisamad Sheikh-Hussein

08 Dec – Source: KSHB – 155 words

People of many different faiths honored the Muslim teen hit and killed outside the Somali Center of Kansas City.The memorial service at the mosque on Admiral Boulevard was a show of solidarity with the family and loved ones of Abdisamad “Adam” Sheikh-Hussein. They wanted to prove that hope and peace will always prevail over hate and evil. The teenager died Thursday night after being intentionally hit by an SUV outside the Somali Center of Kansas City.Speakers at the service included representatives from the Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council, the former Kansas City mayor pro tem and representatives from local Muslim organizations. “So it’s a great loss. It’s a great loss that is felt close to home because everyone that has siblings or has children of his age or maybe even younger feels this could have happened to them,” Hafiz Nurdeen Lawal, a youth Muslim community leader, said. Hundreds attended Adam’s funeral on Saturday

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Al-Shabaab having been the right wing arm of the Islamic Courts simply alienated the Transitional Federal Government to fill the void and once again occupied South Central Somalia including the capital Mogadishu. “

Stable Somalia only way to end terrorism

08 Dec – Source: Standard Media – 931 words

One of the rule of thumb anyone in the financial sector applies is the Know Your Customer often used in its abbreviated format (KYC). This, those in the banking sector will tell you, has been the main reason for their overwhelming success. A discerning bank executive uses this to the maximum. I believe those in the military will talk about knowing your enemy. The generals will, like the bank executive, boast about knowing their enemy.

So then why is it that we seem unable to fight back the threat posed by the Al Shabaab terror group despite the much-heralded entry into Somalia? In war, a good army reviews its strategy with time. I also believe that our men and women in uniform know that the world’s most powerful army had fled Somalia before. But I am convinced that we seem to have stuck to the original strategy of entering Somalia to flush out Al-Shabaab. Stabilising Somalia was itemised, but on that score, many questions linger.

Al-Shabaab seems to find us on the back foot all the time. I am reminded of an infographic going round last week on social media depicting the movement (in opposite directions) of Al-Shabaab and KDF soldiers. Indeed, the existence of the militant group Al-Shabaab is symptomatic of the state of affairs in Somalia. Since the overthrow of the government of Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, the Somali nation has been in anarchy