February 13, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Militias retain control of Guri’el after deadly battle

13 Feb – Source: Garowe Online – 142 Words

Militias loyal to the paramilitary group of Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamea have again wrested control of Galgadud region town of Guri’el from the Federal Government after deadly battle, Garowe Online reports. National Army troops reportedly attacked the town from different directions in a bid to squeeze the heavily armed militias out of the strategic town on Thursday Morning. At least six deaths from the opposing sides have been reported. Residents say Guri’el remains under the control of Ahlu Sunnah militiamen. Mogadishu-based central government officials didn’t comment on the latest development. On Tuesday, Ahlu Sunnah militias dislodged government troops from the town as debates over the formation of federal state in central Somalia heat up. Galmudug, Ahlu Sunnah and Himan and Heeb agreed on a push for regional autonomy during trilateral meeting in Mogadishu in July 2014.

Key Headlines

Correction on previously published story (Dalsan Radio)
Militias retain control of Guri’el after deadly battle (Garowe Online)
Serious water shortage strikes Leego locality (Radio Goobjoog)
Djibouti sends new troops to Somalia (Somali Current)
IJA plans to embark on tax collections in all areas under its control (Radio Bar-Kulan)
African Development Bank awards $1 million to drought-hit Somalia (Starafrica.com)
Kuwait to host Somali cultural week on February 15th (Kuwait News Agency)
Africa close to wiping out wild polio after six months free of disease (The Guardian)
State Department tot alarmed by shutdown of money flow to Somalia (Foreign Policy)
Kuwait foils attack on large oil tanker by Somali pirates (World Tribune)

SOMALI MEDIA

Correction on previously published story

12 Feb – Dalsan Radio – 138

The management and editorial team of Dalsan Radio in Mogadishu would like to withdraw a story published in our English website (11/02/2015) in which we misquoted the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mahamud. In our report we said President Hassan announced that UN will pay members of Somali National Army salaries equal to what is paid to the African Union Peacekeepers (AMISOM), which is not what the president has actually said. According to the audio in Somali language, the president said that Somali forces who get injured at the front-lines are entitled to be evacuated similar to their African Union Troops counterparts in the battlefields. Dalsan Radio would like to apologize and sincerely regrets any inconvenience we caused by the story we published on Wednesday.

Militias retain control of Guri’el after deadly battle

13 Feb – Source: Garowe Online – 142 Words

Serious water shortage strikes Leego locality

13 Feb – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 177 Words

Reports from Lower Shabeele region indicate that severe water shortage has hit parts of the region including Leego locality, according to the administration of Leego. Abuukar Abdullahi Issack, Leego division commissioner, speaking to Goobjoog FM has stated that the dams have dried out due to the dry season while remaining wells have mechanically broken down thus the situation is getting critical for the people of Leego. “The situation of Leego locality is getting worse day after day as wells have mechanically broken down” the DC said. Mr. Abuukar called upon the federal government of Somalia and humanitarian NGOs to look for solution to the situation before it becomes tragic.

Djibouti sends new troops to Somalia

13 Feb – Source: Somali Current – 150 Words

The African Union officials in Somali’s central region of Baladweyne received new Djiboutian troops to aid the fight against Al-Shabaab insurgents. Federal government forces and AMISOM troops have liberated key districts from Al-Shabab last year. “This is an effort to help Somali forces combat against Al-shabaab. Though, it’s unclear if this will be enough,” senior Somali military commander told reporters at Baladweyne airport. Djibouti Foreign minister Mohamud Cali Yousf said that Djibouti government is planning to widen anti Al-Shabaab operations in the region. More than 1000 Djiboutian troops are serving under the AMISOM peacekeeping mandate in Somalia. The new troops will join the ongoing peacekeeping mission in Central Somalia to bolster current military offensives against Al-Shabaab. The militant group is seeking to topple the Western-backed Mogadishu government and impose its own strict version of Islamic law in the country.

IJA plans to embark on tax collections in all areas under its control

12 Feb – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 138 Words

The Interim Jubba Authorities on Thursday held a meeting with business-people in the seaport town of Kismayo to discuss new plans to launch tax collections in the town. Second vice president of the administration, Abdikadir Lugadere said they plan to begin tax collections in all areas under the control of their administration soon, promising that revenues would be used in providing essential social services to the local residents. Kismayo seaport manager Abdullahi Dubad Shiil urged the local business people to work with the administration in implementing the tax collection task. “Revenues from taxes would be used to deliver many services for you in exchange,” he said. He added that tax collection is important for the economy to grow and for the general progress of the area.

REGIONAL MEDIA

African Development Bank awards $1 million to drought-hit Somalia

12 Feb – Source: Starafrica.com – 246 Words

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has awarded $1 million emergency relief assistance to Somalia where over one million people affected by drought and famine are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, reports said on Thursday.According to a statement released on Thursday by the AfDB, the assistance will be channeled through targeted food distribution to households affected by the drought, mainly vulnerable without alternative means of survival. It said due to the imminent shortfalls, local and regional purchases, which have the added benefit of supporting the national and regional agricultural economies, will be made.

The World Food Programme (WFP), which has a well-established network in the country for food relief assistance and a strong procurement system and infrastructure in place that could be readily used to quickly procure goods and services needed, has been selected to implement the Bank’s relief operation, it added. According to United Nations statistics, some 9 to 10 million people in the Horn of Africa are in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of a severe drought, whose effects have been worsened by poor rains, conflict, trade disruptions and reduced humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti.

Kuwait to host Somali cultural week on February 15th

12 Feb – Source: Kuwait News Agency – 282 Words

Kuwait National Commission for UNESCO is to host the Somali cultural week between February 15-19 at Abdulaziz Hussein Cultural Center Theatre in Mishref. The five-day event is the first official festival held outside Somalia as various Somali cultural organizations are set to take part in the event, including the national Somali troupe, Aka Waaberi, in addition to several Somali cultural figures. Various activities and events are also to be included in the festival such as poetry, literature, plays, short films, folklore music, photo gallery, crafts, and traditional dresses.

The event is part of programs supported by the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) through direct follow-up and support by ALESCO’s Director-General Dr. Bader Muhareb and the Organization’s administrative and technical body, Dr. Ghanem Al-Najjar, Advisor of ALESCO’s Director-General, stated to KUNA. Al-Najjar, who is also an expert in the Somali human rights issue, expressed his joy for hosting the Somali cultural week in Kuwait as it provides Somali official bodies the opportunity to highlight their country’s culture, heritage, and history, stressing the importance of their participation to stability and development in Somalia. Somali Ambassador to Kuwait Sheikh Abdulqadir Amin expressed his happiness for hosting the festival in Kuwait, saying “We’re honored to choose Kuwait as the venue to hold the Somali cultural week after more than 20 years of absence.”

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Africa close to wiping out wild polio after six months free of disease

13 Feb – Source: The Guardian – 736 Words

Africa has gone six months without any new cases of wild polio for the first time, experts say, raising hopes that the disease could be wiped out on the continent sooner than expected. Wednesday marked half a year since the last polio case in Somalia. Nigeria achieved the same landmark on 24 January, though it has suffered some cases of vaccine-derived polio, a rare mutation from the oral polio vaccine in areas of poor sanitation. “This is incredible progress,” said the Global Health Strategies, a New York-based health consultancy. “This is the first time ever that Africa has gone a full six months without a single case of wild polio virus. Combined with the recent successes in Nigeria, today’s milestone is a strong sign that Africa may soon be polio-free.”

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s annual letter for 2015 predicts: “We can get polio out of Africa this year and out of every country in the world in the next several years.” Polio remains a serious threat in Somalia, particularly to children, and we must continue intensive vaccination Steven Lauwerier, Unicef’s representative in Somalia, said: “It is excellent news that Somalia has seen six months without a single polio case and credit must be given to all those involved in the huge vaccination effort. However, we must not let down our guard. Polio remains a serious threat in Somalia, particularly to the children, and we must continue our intensive vaccination campaigns.”

State Department not alarmed by shutdown of money flow to Somalia

12 Feb – Source: Foreign Policy – 601 Words

State Department spokeswoman downplays role of remittances in Somali economy. Many companies that send money from immigrants in the United States to friends and family in Somalia shut down this week, but the State Department doesn’t see any need for an emergency response. State spokeswoman Jen Psaki downplayed the impact that a cutoff of remittances could have on millions of Somalis who the U.N. says depend on the money for basic survival. It would be a “stretch,” Psaki said Wednesday, to connect remittances to economic opportunity in Somalia.

Psaki said the U.S. government had “engaged in ongoing communication with the Somali community in the United States and financial institutions serving that community” in an effort to effectively regulate remittances and keep them from financing terrorism. At issue is the fallout from a decision by the main bank facilitating international wire transfers to Somalia to close the accounts used to hold and then send the money. Merchants Bank of California, which handled 60 to 80 percent of those funds, closed all Somali accounts on Friday, as Foreign Policy was the first to report. The closure was a result of regulatory pressure on banks to verify where the money is going to make sure it isn’t funding terrorism, which is hard to do in Somalia because the country doesn’t have a central bank or formal banking system.

U.S. banks’ reluctance to send money to Somalia threatens to disrupt vital financial support to Somalis living in poverty. Humanitarian organizations estimate that $250 million flows from the United States to Somalia every year, but money transmitters estimate the number is far higher when flows to the broader diaspora of Somalis living all over Africa are included. Oxfam, the humanitarian organization, responded to Psaki’s comment by pointing out that Somalia receives $1.3 billion in remittances every year, which is more than the country gets in aid or foreign investment. “It is critical that the Department of State recognize the catastrophic consequences that the current disruption in remittances will have in Somalia,” Scott Paul, a senior advisor for Oxfam America, said in an emailed statement.

Kuwait foils attack on large oil tanker by Somali pirates

12 Feb – World Tribune – 222 Words

Kuwait has foiled a pirate attack against a huge oil tanker in the Gulf. Kuwait Oil Tanker Co. said one of its vessels came under attack from pirates during a voyage to Djibouti. The company said the crew of the Burgan tanker confronted and drove off the pirates without injuries, Middle East Newsline reported. “They operated according to standard security procedures,” Kuwait Oil Tanker chief executive officer Talal Al Khaled said.

The attack on Feb. 8 marked a rare attempt by Somali-based pirates to capture an oil tanker. Burgan, owned by the Kuwaiti company, was loaded with 40,303 tons of aviation fuel and was moving through the Gulf of Aden to the Horizon terminal in Djibouti. Officials said the Indian Navy, with a counter-piracy contingent in the Gulf of Aden, also participated in driving off the attackers on Burgan. They said the pirates approached Burgan on four boats. “A squad specialized to deal with such situations was aboard the vessel and took part in combating the pirates, who approached it on four boats,” the official Kuwait News Agency said on Feb. 9.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

World Radio Day

13 Feb – UNSOM – Video – 7:03 Minutes

Today is World Radio Day. Radio continues to be the most important source of information for most Somalis. Watch this video to see how, after more than 60 years of analogue storage, in 2013 Radio Mogadishu began to digitize its audio archives to preserve them and introduce these unique historical recordings to new audiences.

“The group’s goal was to avoid leaning too much on any single approach to piracy, and instead work along parallel tracks, making simultaneous use of naval operations, prosecutions, capacity building, and industry self-protection (using both technology and armed guards). The strategy largely worked. Over the past five years, piracy around the Horn of Africa has reached record lows.”

How to end piracy: lessons from the last decade

12 Feb – Source: Foreignaffairs.com – 939 Words

Maritime piracy is by definition a crime of the sea, but one that has deep roots onshore. Pirates need safe havens that provide them with vessels and supplies—and, crucially, the means of getting their stolen goods to market. Understanding this, governments have traditionally combated piracy not only with warships, but also with boots on the ground. From ancient Rome to Qing dynasty China to seventeenth-century England, sovereign states have undermined pirates by uprooting coastal villages, burning boats, and executing collaborators. And that has been the case for the United States, too. In 1805, U.S. President Thomas Jefferson deployed a small force of Marines and mercenaries to Derne, a port city on the coast of modern-day Libya, as part of a larger campaign to halt Barbary piracy against American merchant ships—an event immortalized in the official Marines hymn. (The Marines “fight our country’s battles,” the song goes, “from the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli.”)

So when pirates began wreaking havoc along a major international shipping route off the coast of Somalia in 2007 and 2008, at least some were expecting governments to take a similar approach. By 2009, following two years of increasing attacks on commercial boats, some experts were beating war drums. Tom Wilkerson, the head of the U.S. Naval Institute and a former two-star Marine general, advised a return to the “Jefferson model” of antipiracy. “Take on the pirates where they are,” he wrote, “rather than guessing where they will be.” And John Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, called for an invasion of Somalia that would “end the problem once and for all.”

But in a departure from precedent, governments took a different path. Few states were willing to take the risk of sending their troops into harms way, but many of them felt the pressure to act. In 2008, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1851, which called for an international cooperation mechanism that would “act as a common point of contact between and among states, regional and international organizations on all aspects of combating piracy and armed robbery at sea off Somalia’s coast.” That directive gave birth to the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, a multilateral body meant to coordinate action on maritime piracy among a wide range of stakeholders.

Top tweets

‏@Hamza_Africa Fruits of federalism? At least 16 killed in clashes between #Somalia troops & Sufi fighters.http://aje.io/yk6s

‏@Oxfam There is no banking system in #Somalia. $ from relatives abroad is a lifeline #IFundFoodNotTerror http://ow.ly/IYhDp @takepart

@MoulidHujale SRSG Kay on Federalism and Delivery in#Somalia: http://youtu.be/hx2G7y8ta0I via @somalia111 @ipinst

@aysanei Congressman @keithellison makes his statement on #Somalia remittances before the the US House of Representatives: http://youtu.be/XE9uBF9UTK8

@M_M_SHEIK Come and get your valentines flowers and gift baskets now available #mogadishu #Somalia

@MoulidHujale Watch episode 1 of @IntegrationTV #Mogadishu Series. Very exciting & Inspiring #TURKEY #Somalia very http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7yJwSY6Xhc&sns=tw … via @youtube

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Image of the day

From United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia, Jimco wanaagsan! Have a good weekend!

Photo: UNSOM