February 19, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

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President Mohamud holds closed door meeting with senior security officials

18 Feb- Source: Radio RBC/Jowhar Online/Hiiraan Online- 184 words

Somali President Hassan Sheikh has visited the Police Commando, the biggest base of Somalia Police Force (SPF) where he held a closed door meeting with senior officials of the security apparatus. Minister of Security Abdikarim Hussein Guled and Police Chief General Abdihakim Dahir Sa’id attended the meeting which the reporters were barred from covering. According to sources, the meeting was about series of incidents in Mogadishu in the past weeks which attracted questions to challenge the competence of the government security officials. President Mohamud who returned home on Sunday, has met the intelligence officials Monday to observe the mechanisms to hunt down al Shabaab members believed to be responsible for the insecurity incidents in the capital. President Mohamud’s series of meetings with the heads of Somali intelligence and security came amid the preparation of Somalia government forces backed by the African Union for a massive assault on the al Qaeda linked group of al Shabaab within the coming weeks to liberate the regions under the control.

Key Headlines

President Mohamud holds closed door meeting with senior security officials (/Hiiraan Online)
AMISOM’s Force Commander:“We remain true to our promise Somalia will be stable” (Al Shahid)
Puntland President Visits and Distributes Turkish Food Aid at Dangoroyo District (Halgan News)
Saudi Arabia: 12000 Somalis Expelled ( Human Rights Watch)
Al Shabaab orders residents to evacuate Hudur( Radio Ergo)
CHP submits parliamentary question on Turkish support to Somalia (Todays Zaman)

SOMALI MEDIA

President Mohamud holds closed door meeting with senior security officials

18 Feb- Source: Radio RBC/Jowhar Online/Hiiraan Online- 184 words

Puntland President Visits and Distributes Turkish Food Aid at Dangoroyo District

18 Feb- Source: Radio Garowe/Horseed Media/Allpuntland/Halgan News- 189 words

Puntland President Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, Tuesday visited Dangoroyo District of Nugal region. Upon arrival the President was received by hundreds of cheering and chanting residents led by the Mayor and the city council of Dangoroyo district. President of Puntland had chosen to begin his state tour at Dangoroyo, because Dangoroyo was the epic centre of the severe cyclone storm which killed hundreds of people and their livestock. The President arrived here to officially receive food aid sent by the Turkish Red Crescent to the needy and recovering people of Dangoroyo and surrounding villages. President Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali praised Turkish people, government and their Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for their meaningful support to the Somali people. In his short speech, the President acknowledged the historic relations between Somalia and Turkey. He welcomed Turkish humanitarian aid but at the same time called for more Development Aid and Investment from Turkey to take root in Puntland. President vowed to work with the Turkish Embassy, Turkish Red Crescent Delegates, TIKA and other humanitarian and development organizations working in Somalia. We will work with the Turkish organizations wholeheartedly, said the President.

Al Shabaab orders residents to evacuate Hudur

18 Feb- Source: Radio Ergo- 251 words

Hundreds of residents have begun to flee from Hudur, capital of Bakool region, following an al Shabaab order, residents reported. Mohamed Yusuf Hassan,who is still in the town,said residents began leaving a week ago. “Hudur is like a desert today and everyone has fled. Very few people are still remaining,” Hassan told Radio Ergo’s reporter in Baidoa by phone. He said that people had fled after al Shabaab ordered them to evacuate as“an invading enemy” wasapproaching, referring to Ethiopian forces who are believed to be heading towards the town. Radio Ergo’sreporter said the displaced families have arrived in Wajid and Tigeylow districts in the same region. Abdulahi Hassan Hussein, his wife and their eight children, fled from Hudur using donkeys to travel the 90 km to Wajid.“It is the very hot season and we have been on the road for three days,” Hussein told Radio Ergo. “There is no one here for us but we didn’t dare to defy al Shabaab’s order and stay at home,” he said. Most of the displaced families have moved to other towns controlled by al Shabaab.Radio Ergo’sreporter said there wasa high possibility that they might be displaced again and move to areas under the federal government’s administration. The local administration of Baidoa, the capital of Bay region, is encouraging residents to prepare to host a possible influx of displaced families from Bakool. “There are already a number of displaced families arriving in the town,” said the chairman of Social Affairs for the Baidoa administration.

Somaliland Court in Hargeisa sentences reporters

18 Feb- Source: Somaliland Informer- 275 words
Regional court in Hargeisa, Somaliland capital city has sentenced on Tuesday three reporters from the independent media. After the verdict was announced the three journalists have spoken about the court sentence and the trios have thanked the judge who presided over their case in which they cited that he has done justice. The court found Mr. Said Khadar, Mr. Abdisalan Abdirashid and Mr. Abdiasis Bashir Nour guilty of the incitement charges and fined them to pay 600, 000 Somaliland Shillings which is equivalent to 99 US dollars. Mr. Said Khadar Abdilahi has called on the head of state and stated that long standing court case has ended which they were accused of instigating protest. He said that they came to the court on numerous occasions and extended heartfelt thanks to the judge who was in charge of the court case, saying that he was fair. He said that the trio as well as the government are not antagonistic but he made clear the existence of individuals that spark row between the media and the government and further called upon the president to remove these individuals from his administration in order the friendship to rekindle.

REGIONAL MEDIA

AMISOM’s Force Commander:“We remain true to our promise, Somalia will be stable”

18 Feb- Source: al Shahid- 581 words

AMISOM’s Force Commander, Lt.Gen Silas Ntigurirwa has reiterated his troops’ commitment to enforcing peace in Somalia. Almost three months into his appointment, the Force Commander pointed out that a rejuvenated force working closely with Somalia National Army will eradicate the al Shabaab threat. “We are keen to finish the job and we have no doubt in our minds that we are able to do that,” said Lt. Gen Ntigurirwa adding that. “With AMISOM supporting the Somali National Army, I believe we have the capability to liberate the last outposts manned by al Shabaab.” The Force Commander pointed that key military operations will commence soon in all sectors following UN Security Council Resolution 2124 which had boosted troop numbers with an additional 4,400 soldiers as well as air assets and a logistical support package for the Somali National Army (SNA).

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Saudi Arabia: 12,000 Somalis Expelled

18 Feb- Source: Human Rights Watch -1912 words

Saudi authorities have deported more than 12,000 people to Somalia since January 1, 2014, including hundreds of women and children, without allowing any to make refugee claims. Saudi Arabia should end the summary deportations, which risk violating its international obligations not to return anyone to a place where their life or freedom is threatened or where they face other serious harm. Seven Somalis recently deported from Saudi Arabia told Human Rights Watch researchers in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, that the Saudi authorities had detained them for weeks in appalling conditions and some said Saudi security personnel beat them. None had been allowed to speak with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to discuss possible refugee claims before being deported. UNHCR said in mid-January that “south central Somalia is a very dangerous place.” UNHCR also said the Saudi authorities have denied its staff access to detained Somalis in the country.

CHP submits parliamentary question on Turkish support to Somalia

18 Feb- Source: Todayszaman- 314 words
A main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy chairman has submitted a parliamentary question directed at Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan over Turkey providing direct budgetary support to Somalia. CHP Deputy Chairman Faruk LoÄŸoÄŸlu submitted the parliamentary question asking ErdoÄŸan to provide details of the direct payments, which are a major source of funding for Somalia’s government as it struggles to rebuild the country after more than two decades of war. Turkish and Somali government officials told Reuters last week that financial assistance to Somalia had stopped at the end of 2013 and that there were no immediate plans to resume it.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“The reports of Mohamoud’s ill health are indeed exaggerated. However, what is not in doubt is his growing isolation from the international community, especially Western donors and Turkey, a country that has been a stalwart supporter of Mogadishu. Mohamoud might claim to be as fit as a fiddle, but his government today is ailing with endemic problems of corruption, lack of financial resources, serious security matters, and poor leadership.”

A Winter of Discontent for Somalia’s Beleaguered President

18 Feb- Source: African Arguments-929 Words

Mark Twain one said, “Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as you please.” When news of his demise spread like wildfire, Twain astutely remarked, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Last week, Somali President Hassan S. Mohamoud had his Mark Twain moment. When Turkey sent a special plane to take Mohamoud to Istanbul, the Somali Government spokesman told the mass media the president was having a medical check-up. Several Somali websites reported that the president was suffering from a stress-related condition and he had been placed in intensive care; others even floated the bizarre idea that he had actually died. After several days of silence, President Mohamoud gave a five-minute interview to Radio Mogadishu. He was furious he had been reported dead or was in intensive care. He contradicted his spokesman and stated he had come to Turkey to visit his wife and children. And yes, he’d had a medical check-up and the results were great.