February 19, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Government takes control of south-central Somali town

19 Feb – Source: Radio Mustaqbal/Hiiraan Online – 92 words

AU backed government forces have taken control of new bases from al Shabaab Islamists fighters in south-central region of Middle Shabelle Region. Reports confirmed that the AU backed government forces took control of Mahaday District and its environs after al Shabaab fighters pulled out.

A freelance journalist in Jowhar District, the provincial town of the region, confirmed the capture of the town and several localities nearby”. This is coming at a time when al Shabaab fighters have been losing key significant towns in south and central towns in the country.

Key Headlines

Government takes control of south-central Somali town (Radio Mustaqbal/Hiiraan Online)
Somali troops trained in Uganda arrive Mogadishu (Radio Mogadishu/Universal TV/al Shahid/Jowhar Online)
Three alleged al Shabaab’s Amniyad brigade arrested in Kismayo (Bar-kulan)
Requesting assistance from U.S to fight al Shabaab (Angola Press)
Speaker of Somali Parliament Visits Jigjiga Ethiopia (Hiiraan Online/Universal TV/Radio Mogadishu/SNTV)
Families of the al Shabaab hostages willing to negotiate (Star News)
Danish brothers charged with plotting terror attack (Global Post)
3 al Shabaab members defect to Somali forces (Sabahi Online)

PRESS STATEMENT

Statement Condemning Recent Terror Attacks

18 Feb – Source: UNPOS – 198 words

The UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) condemns the terror attacks that have occurred in Somalia during the first half of February 2013, including the killing of leading Somali Islamic scholar, Sheikh Abdiqadir “Ga’amey” Nur Farah, in Garowe.

The assassination of Dr. Nur Farah comes shortly after a suicide attack in the central town of Galkayo which targeted top police officials in the Somali state of Puntland. During the same period there have been terror attacks in other regions of South Central Somalia, including a car bomb attack at Mogadishu’s Lido beach restaurant and the killing of Shibis District intelligence chief in the Nasib Buundo neighbourhood.

The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Somalia, Dr. Augustine P. Mahiga, extends his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wishes the injured quick recovery. He calls on the people of Somalia to strengthen their resolve to resist terrorism by working with the authorities to bring the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice.

UNPOS is committed to supporting the Somali government’s number one priority of security for all Somalis,” said Ambassador Mahiga, “we will not let these cowardly acts unravel the remarkable progress of the past ten months.”

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali troops trained in Uganda arrive Mogadishu

19 Feb – Source: Radio Mogadishu/Universal TV/al Shahid/Jowhar Online – 97 words

Somali forces that received military training in Uganda arrived on Monday in the Somali capital Mogadishu. The troops were welcomed by Somali Defense Minister Abdihakim Haji Mahmoud Fiki and military officers from the Somali forces and African Union troops at the Aden Ade airport in Mogadishu.

The Somali defense minister congratulated the forces on the completion of the military training in Uganda, and urged to work for the liberation of Somalia from the terrorists. The defense minister said that the Somali government is doing its best to form the Somali army in order to protect the homeland.

Three alleged al Shabaab’s Amniyad brigade arrested in Kismayo

19 Feb – Source: Bar-kulan – 116 words

Security forces in Kismayo say they have arrested three gunmen suspected to be members of al Shabaab’s Amniyad brigade following an overnight operation in the area.

Area interim security boss Mohamoud Qalib told Bar-kulan that the trio were arrested in a raid targeting a house in Guulwade neighbourhood on Monday night.

He said the raid followed after locals in the area informed security forces of suspicious men hiding in a house in their locality. Qalib noted that the suspects were in possession of pistols when they were arrested and accused them of being actively involved in serious of attacks in the city. The incident comes hours after unknown gunmen shot dead a security officer on Monday evening.

Government takes control of south-central Somali town

19 Feb – Source: Radio Mustaqbal/Hiiraan Online – 92 words

Speaker of Somali Parliament Visits Jigjiga, Ethiopia

19 Feb – Source: Hiiraan Online/Universal TV/Radio Mogadishu/SNTV – 144 words

The Speaker of the Parliament of Somalia, Professor Mohammed Osman Jawari, has made a visit to Jijiga, the capital of the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia. On his arrival on Sunday (February 17th) the Speaker was warmly welcomed by the Regional President, Abdu Mohamoud Omar and other high-level officials. The Speaker visited a number of the major development activities in the region and also went to both Jijiga University and the Teachers Training College.

During his visit to the University, Speaker Jawari talked to Somali students taking courses at the University. He is also scheduled to hold an experience-sharing discussion with high-level officials of the regional government, today Monday, February 18th before returning to Addis Ababa.

Armed civilians clash with al Shabab in Middle Shabelle region

19 Feb – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 109 words

Several residents of Cadale district in Middle Shabelle region are nursing wounds following bitter fight between them and the militant fighters from al Shabaab. One person was also confirmed dead as skirmishes pitted the militant fighters against the local resident. The residents are said to have revolt militant’s advances in the area.

Islamic scholars hold conference condemning al Shabaab reign of terror

18 Feb – Source: Garowe Online – 174 words

Somali Islamic scholars held a conference in Garowe condemning al Shabaab and the recent assassination of Sheikh Abdiqadir Nur Farah in Garowe, administrative capital of Puntland, Garowe Online reports. The Islamic scholars who also took part in Sheikh Abdiqadir’s funeral gave powerful speeches condemning al Shabaab’s heinous crimes in Somalia and their vow to spread terror.

“People who believe that killing a Sheikh in a Mosque is going to grant them paradise, is sadly mistaken. For those working with al Shabaab; aiding these people [al Shabaab] for worldly gain or for paradise has led to a curse from the people of Garowe, the people of Puntland and Somalia,” said Sheikh Yusuf Adam, a long term friend of the departed Sheikh Abdiqadir.

Sheikh Abdinasir Haji Ahmed stated that al Shabaab is on a mission to destroy the people of Puntland and Somalia. “Al Shabaab wants the destruction of Somalia and its people. They want people who have no leaders, no intellectuals; they need ignorant empty minds that are easily manipulated to sustain their terror program.

Elders oppose government’s decision to form administration for Lower Shabelle Region

18 Feb – Source: Radio Mustaqbal – 93 words

Some of the traditional elders from southern region of Lower Shabelle have strongly opposed the interior and national security plans to form administration for the region.

Following meeting between intellectuals and the traditional elders from the region, the traditional elders briefed the media that the ministry wants to form administration without informing and strongly oppose the decision.

Elders said they informed the Interior and National Security Ministry that they strongly oppose the process to the form the administration. The elders urged the ministry to change some things on its plans.

Mother dies, 8 family members hospitalized after taking poisoned water

18 Feb – Source: Bar-kulan – 129 words

A mother of eight children on Monday lost her life after allegedly drinking poisoned water from a water reservoir at Kudha settlement, Lower Juba. Eight of her children have also been admitted at Kismayo University Hospital after drinking the water they fetched from a reservoir in the area.

The eight, who include an eight month old girl, were rushed to the health facility on Monday after they were taken ill minutes after drinking the water. The young girl fell ill when she was breastfed by her mother who later died before reaching the hospital for treatment.

The victims, who hail from a pastoralist family in Kudha, complained of poor breathing after the alleged poison badly affected their respiratory system, according to the head of the hospital, Mohamed Abdirahman Sahal.

Police in Las Anod Arrest 2 Suspects Involved In Murder of Prominent Mufti in Garowe

18 Feb – Source: Somaliland Press – 120 words

Somaliland security forces in Las Anod have apprehended two suspects involved in the recent killing of a prominent religious man in Garowe capital of neighboring Puntland.

The Deputy Commanding Officer of Police for Sool Region Captain Abdillahi Said Guled speaking during a press conference he said “Somaliland security forces holding two men in custody since yesterday night after were caught them as they were about to board a rented car in the southern suburbs of Las Anod en route to Hargeisa.

“One of the two men we have in our custody is believed to be directly involved in the last week murder of the late Sheik Abdiqadir Nur Farah (Gacamay) while his accomplice had facilitated his escape, stated Captain Abdillahi.

USAID Facilitates Country Investment Guide that Intents to Declare the Country Open for Business

18 Feb – Source: Somaliland Sun – 505 words

A comprehensive guide to investment opportunities in the country is in the process. The USAID funded Partnership for Economic Growth-PEG program in conjunction with its local private and public partners is preparing an Investment guide to the country that shall once put in place shall negate prevalent Blind Investment through provision of factual and relevant information pertaining to opportunities in the country.

This was revealed by the Partnership for economic Growth Program’s Investment Promotion Specialists Mr. Adam Ismail during the launch of Somali star Investments-SSI at Hargeisa’s Ambassador Hotel.

Somali Star Investments is a brand name of Transparency Solutions, a Somali-led organization based in the UK and Somaliland. The company which has considerable expertise in sustainable economic development as well as a world-class reputation for research, evaluation, project management and training is beneficial to a PEG grant.

Al Shabaab will lose riches of Lower Shabelle

18 Feb – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 151 words

Days after Somali government forces and the AMISOM forces took over several districts from the al Shabaab in the Lower Shabelle region, militant officials admit that they will lose the riches that comes with the control of the region.

Sheikh Mohamed Abu Abdalla, an al Shabaab official has called on the communities residing in the region to assist al Shabaab recover the districts. He also called on the residents to help the militant group since they lost their economic sustenance.

Kulmiye Senior Officials In Bid To Replace President Silanyo

18 Feb – Source: Qaran News – 247 words

Kulmiye Senior Officials, including the Somaliland Minister of Finance, Abdi Aziz Samale have thrown their hat into the ring to replace the incumbent President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud “Silanyo” in the next presidential elections due in 2015.

President Silanyo who was elected in 2010 and only half-way through his five year mandate has been blinded sided by the issue of his successor as prospective presidential candidate.

President Silanyo who has just returned from visit to the United Kingdom has become engulfed in an issue that pertains to an event at least two years away.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Families of the al Shabaab hostages willing to negotiate

19 Feb – Source: Star News – 51 words

Militant group, al Shabaab threatened to execute five Kenyan hostages in their custody if the government fails to release suspected terrorists being held in Kenya jails. Andrew Mwangura of the Seafarers union however said the families of the hostages are willing to negotiate with the terror group to secure their release.

Requesting assistance from U.S to fight al Shabaab

19 Feb – Source: Angola Press – 137 words

The Minister of Defense for federal government of Somalia Abdihakim Hajji Mohamud Fiqi who spoke at a grand opening of Barracks for military that was funded with united state of American government together with Federal government of somalia. Fiqi requested the government of U.S.A to assist somalia against war on Al-qaeda and Al-shabab and how they can eliminate them completely from somalia soil.

The minister also congratulated the army of the federal government of Somalia and AMISOM for their good work that they are doing and for concurring new town in lower shabelle and also he said that al Shabaab are weakening out and becoming demoralized in the country. “I also urge the citizen of Somalia to give us a hand and support us so that we can eliminate al Shabab in the country,” he said.

3 al Shabaab members defect to Somali forces

18 Feb – Source: Sabahi Online – 85 words

Three al Shabaab members defected to Somali government forces in the town of Beledweyne in the Hiran region. Beledweyne police commissioner Ali Dhuh Mahad, who displayed the three men to the media, said they welcomed the defectors and called on militants to lay down their arms.

“These three young men have decided to defect from al Shabaab and join the peace process,” Mahad said. One of the defectors who spoke to the media said he was an al Shabaab member for nine months and fought in many battles.

Yemen, Somalia discuss common issues

17 Feb – Source: Yemen News Agency SABA – 40 words

Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al Qirbi met on Sunday with Somali ambassador to Yemen Ismail Qassim Naji.In the meeting, they discussed the bilateral relations and means of developing them as well as the common issues between the two brotherly countries.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

AMISOM police hand over office equipment to Somali police

19 Feb – Source: Global Times/Xinhua – 221 words

Somali police have received vital supplies of office equipment and furniture from the police component of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). At a ceremony in capital Mogadishu on Monday, AMISOM Police Commissioner Charles Makono officially handed over the gear to Somali Police Commissioner, General Sharif Shekhuna Maye and Deputy Interior Minister and National Security, Mr. Hassan Ibrahim Mohamed.

AMISOM said the equipment included enough logistical equipment for 10 police stations as well as support for a biometric database system which will help the Somali police force implement an efficient personnel and financial management system.

AMISOM Police Commander Makono said the donation was part of AMISOM’s continuing efforts to professionalize the Somali police force. He said the AU peacekeeping mission is committed to Somali police force.

Danish brothers charged with plotting terror attack

19 Feb – Source: Global Post – 116 words

A Danish court on Monday formally charged two brothers with links to Somalia’s militant al Shabaab rebels on suspicion of plotting a terror attack. Prosecutors have accused the men, of Somali origin and aged 19 and 24, of “organising and financing” several months of training for the older brother at al Shabaab-run camp in the capital Mogadishu ending in March 2012.

They were arrested in May last year on suspicion of preparing an act of terror and have been detained since. One of them was picked up at his home in the central Danish city of Aarhus and the other as he arrived by plane at Copenhagen airport. The trial is expected to start on March 11.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“I didn’t know much about Somali food, but when Osman brought out oversized beef samosas that we dunked in a fluorescent green chili garlic sauce, I knew we couldn’t go wrong. Those were followed by Nafaqo, boiled eggs rolled mashed potatoes and fried, and then Caysh by a fluffy flatbread served with Za’atar, spiced olive oil.”

Fond memories of Somalia manifest at South Seattle restaurant

18 Feb – Source: The Seattle Globalist – 768 Words

Al Uruba restaurant on Renton Avenue serves up traditional food in the kind of peaceful setting that may finally be returning to Somalia after decades of war. “In Somalia, Goat and rice are like hamburgers!” Osman Busuri said, encouraging us to order his favorite dish at his restaurant in Rainier Valley. Al-Uruba, owned by Osman and two friends, is one of several Somali restaurants in the Seattle area.

King County has the third largest population of Somalis in the United States. Like Osman, most of them fled in the early 1990s when Somalia’s government collapsed in the midst of a civil war, sending a wave of refugees around the world.

Somalis used to live mostly in Rainier but as rent prices have climbed, families have fanned further outside the city in search of affordable housing. Osman remembers when the building that now houses a Columbia City Starbucks used to be a Somali grocery store.

“After falling out with al-Shabaab, Alabama native Omar Hammami gets a comeuppance from someone who seems like a fellow Western jihadi. Did Hammami rip off someone else’s jihadi rap?”

Former Associate Wages Internet War With American Jihadi

18 Feb – Source: Buzz Feed – 376 Words

An Alabama man who threw his lot in with the Somalian terrorist organization al Shabaab is waging a technological war of words, though this time not with the West but with his fellow jihadists. Omar Hammami, a.k.a Abu Mansour al Amriki (“the American”) and his former brothers in jihad have lately taken to Twitter, YouTube and now PDFs published on the Internet to take shots at one another, with Hammami accusing his compatriots of attempting to kill him while his newest detractor denounces him as “vacuous” and accuses him of “childish petulance.”

Someone by the name of Abu Hamza al Muhajir (which happens to have been one of the aliases of deceased al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al Masri) has lobbed the most recent grenade in an ongoing spat between Omar Hammami, a.k.a Abu Mansour al Amriki, and his former fellow mujahideen.

J.M. Berger has the document, which was posted on Monday. In it, al Mujahir criticizes Hammami for publishing a video last year that accused al Shabaab of plotting to kill him. The video led to a public rebuke from al Shabaab and since then, Hammami has resorted to trolling the group on his suspected Twitter account (“Amazing how the shabab keep busting a hole into the hull of the ship and hate anyone that refuses to help or says its a bad idea”).

Understanding the World Around Us: A Deeper Look into Somali Culture

18 Feb – Source: St Norbert Times – 724 Words

This semester, St. Norbert is offering cultural workshops through language services, which can be found on the SNC website. Among these was a course called “Understanding Somali Culture,” which was held on February 9. Hamida Ismael, a local Somali immigrant, taught this course.

The course was attended by locals not only from St. Norbert College, but also community members who desired to learn more about the Somali people they were working with. Although you may not personally know any Somali people, it is important to understand their culture and why they immigrated to places like Green Bay. In understanding the reason so many immigrants have chosen to live in Green Bay, it is crucial to look at the history of Somalia. The group also discussed Somali traditions and culture such as the Muslim faith, traditional weddings, heritage, and typical ethnic foods.

There have been major conflicts in Somalia since they were colonially ruled in the late 1800’s by Britain, Italy, and France. At the time, Somalia’s neighbor, Ethiopia, was one of the only uncolonized African countries. Because of their strong Christian roots, this caused Europeans to favor them, which led to giving Ethiopia a mineral-rich location on the Gulf of Aden. After Somalia’s fight for independence in 1960, they struggled to find a proper ruling government which created a perfect entrance for warlords, often from local tribes, that used the money for their own tribe’s benefit.

“Somali fortune tellers claim they get their knowledge of the future from their ‘djinns’ or spirits. When they’re in touch with their djinns, they like to appear to be possessed, so, our character makes an array of bizarre noises when she’s working. Perfect for radio.”

Somalia: Character building

18 Feb – Source: BBC Blog – 456 Words

One of the worst things I often come across in dramas that aim to improve lives by changing people’s behaviour is the sense that the characters are spending all day, every day, hanging about waiting to have conversations about whatever issue the drama is aimed at. If it’s HIV, they’re waiting for conversations about condoms. If it’s mother and child health, their whole existence is taken up with discussion about diarrhoea.

When I developed BBC Media Action’s drama in Somalia, Dareemo, with the team in Hargeisa, I was very anxious to avoid this. So the team concentrated on working out fully-rounded characters who have lives outside of breastfeeding and hand washing.

At an early stage, we gave each main character a job. As Dareemo is a soap opera on the radio, I also wanted the jobs to make a noise. Listeners find it much easier to believe a character in a drama is doing something if they can hear it.

Top tweets

@PoetNation New book: ‘Somalis in Minnesota’ by Ahmed Ismail Yusuf published by Minnesota Historical Society. @mnhs #Somali pic.twitter.com/FUDRYIEP.

@UNPOSomalia Read the latest #UNPOS statement -condemning recent terror attacks in #Somalia: http://bit.ly/130tS2k @UN @UN_DPA.

@Asahaaf The future is bright for #Somalia and it is time to unite against tribalism and educate our people. @SomaliPM @UKinSomalia @HMAMattBaugh.

@MariaHRWAfrica #P4HR Experts debunking medical evidence in #Somali conviction of woman alleging #rape. #Abdiaziz http://tinyurl.com/aoyqm62.

@SomaliPM Nation-building one step at a time – thanks to #AMISOM for supporting our brave volunteer fire fighters in #Mogadishu http://bit.ly/1336pJt.
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Image of the day

Image of the day Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud welcomes US Congressman Keith Ellison on his first visit to Mogadishu. Photo: @TheVillaSomalia.