February 2, 2016 | Morning Headlines

Main Story

At Least One Killed, 5 Others Wounded After Huge Blasts In Mogadishu

01 February – Source: Xinhua – 164 Words

At least one person was killed and five others injured on Monday after mortar shells were fired near the presidential place in Mogadishu, police and witnesses said on Monday.”At least one child was killed and other civilians were wounded after mortar shells landed at populated place. The wounded people were rushed to the hospital for treatment,” Sabriye , an official said.

He added that the incident also caused fear among the residents. Witnesses reported that six mortar shells landed at the neighborhood near the Somalia presidential place.”I was inside the house when I heard huge explosions and then I got out and established that mortar shells landed and resulted in several casualties,” Muno Abdi, Mogadishu resident told Xinhua.

District Commissioner of Wardhigley District Yassin Nor Isse had earlier confirmed the incident.No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Al-Qaida linked group Al-Shabaab militants are suspected to have conducted the attack.

Key Headlines

At Least One Killed 5 Others Wounded After Huge Blasts In Mogadishu (Xinhua)
Somali Forces Urged To Coach And Guide Each Other (Wacaal Media)
Puntland President Addresses Hundreds Of Students After Visit To University Of Health Science In Bosaso (Villa Puntland)
Families Of Mogadishu Beach Attack Victims Demand Justice (Horseed Media)
AMISOM Introduces ‘Radio-In-A-box’ To Enhance Communication With Local Populations (AMISOM)
Egypt Detains Somali Refugee Child For Six Months (Al Jazeera)
Auditor General: Foreign Companies And Big Men Are Plundering National Assets (Goobjoog News)

NATIONAL MEDIA

Somali Forces Urged To Coach And Guide Each Other

01 February – Source: Wacaal Media – 129

Newly foreign trained members of the Somali national army have been called upon to share what they learnt with their colleagues through coaching and guiding. Speaking after hosting a group of officers trained by Turkey on returning home, Chief of General Staff Brig. Mohamed Aden Ahmed reminded the officers of the tough tasks bestowed on them urging them to uphold professionalism and integrity at all times to ensure the Somali national force regains its stature. “From today, you all belong to one family called Somali national forces. You received world class training aimed at equipping you for the tough tasks bestowed on you. Your country and people should feel your contribution” Ahmed told the officers. The elated officers assured their boss that they will be up to the country’s expectations.

Puntland President Addresses Hundreds Of Students After Visit To University Of Health Science In Bosaso

01 February – Source: Villa Puntland – 188 words

The President of Puntland Government H:E Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas has today 01-Feb-2016 visited University of health Sciences in Bossaso, Bari regional capital, Villa Puntland Reports. H:E Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas was cordially welcomed by the University’s administration, teachers and hundreds of cheering students. The President has been thereafter taken to the different classrooms of the university where normal classes were running. The president briefly attended ongoing classes alongside the students.

The President has also attended an event organized by the university to present the achievements of the university since its establishment dating back to late 1990s. Addressing at the event, H:E Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas, the President of Puntland Government commended Professor Abdirizaq Hussein Hassan, the founder of the university for the great determination and contribution despite the challenges posed by lack of effective government in the country. “We call abdirisaq and his alike “Unsung Heroes”, Said the President, praising him for enduring the hardships to produce hundreds of skilled medical workers in the country. Similarly, The President encouraged the students to work hard towards their education to live in a better life and develop their country.

Families Of Mogadishu Beach Attack Victims Demand Justice

01 February – Source: Horseed Media – 331 Words

Families of victims of Mogadishu’s popular Liido beach attack that killed at least 25 civilians have demanded justice from the Somali Federal government.A group of Al-Shabaab gunmen attacked two beachfront restaurants with gunshots and explosions, taking a number of civilians as hostages. A 10-hour siege led to the death of many innocent lives.“I am not going to let this die. The government should deal with whoever was responsible for this. Justice must prevail,” said Abdifatah Mohammed Kheire, who lost three of his siblings in the massacre.

Other family members of the victims who opt to stay anonymous called on the government to take action and identify the perpetrators behind the atrocity and bring them to justice as soon as possible.Dahabo Abdi Ahmed, who lost also a cousin, accused the government of not been effective in detecting the deadly plots against the civilian population in the country.“This was not the first attack on an area dominated by civilians, but the government always repeats to tackle down those who carry out attacks. I just want one thing now. That is the punishments of those culprits.’’

Last week,people from all walks of life attended an anti – Al-Shabaab demonstration in the capital. The protesters carried banners and voiced their disapproval on the group’s campaign against civilian areas.Following the Liido carnage, there has been palpable rise in public anger against the Al-Shabaab. People want the terrorist menace to be dealt with firmly. Al-Shabaab insurgents have staged a string of assaults in their fight to overthrow the country’s internationally-backed government. They have targeted hotels, the international airport, Villa Somalia, a United Nations compound and restaurants in a bid to discredit claims by the authorities and AU troops that they are winning the war

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

AMISOM Introduces ‘Radio-In-A-box’ To Enhance Communication With Local Populations

01 February – Source: AMISOM – 393 Words

Public Information Officers from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), have undergone an intensive course in the use of Radio-In-A-Box (RIAB), aimed at boosting communication between AMISOM and the local populations.Acting AMISOM military Chief of Staff Col. Daher Aden presided over the official launch of the training in Mogadishu, where he commended organizers and the Mission’s partners for introducing such a communication tool, in an environment flooded by negative narratives from Al Shaabab and other enemies of Somalia.

“Radio is the dominant information tool that reaches wide audiences in isolated regions. In Somalia, radio is a vital communication tool used to broadcast information with radio ownership possibly exceeding 80 percent. One advantage of this concept is its ability to broadcast vital information immediately to a large audience, in the event of a crisis. Radio programs transmitted using RIAB systems will be beneficial information to Somali populations in remote areas. The military can use the RIAB capability to communicate to villagers and elders and share thoughts with the community. This will improve the troops’ ability to interact better with the local populations,” explained Col Daher.

Mr. Gaffel Nkolokossa, a Senior Public Information Officer at the Mission Headquarters thanked AMISOM’s partners and the military Public Information Office for enhancing the messaging processes through the use of Radio-In-A-Box initiative.“The Somali culture, being an oral culture, gives priority to use of communication tools that promote passage of information. Having the RIAB in our area of operation enhances our ability to have a conversation with the local populations, thereby ensuring a better understanding of matters. It will also enable us to counter narratives from the enemies of Somalia,” Mr Nkolokossa said.

Egypt Detains Somali Refugee Child For Six Months

01 February – Source: Al Jazeera – 633 Words

Campaigners have called on Egypt to immediately release a 17-year-old Somali refugee, who has been detained for nearly six months. Youssef Mohamed Aden was arrested in Egypt on July 6, 2015. A member of a small minority clan, he had fled home after his brother was killed by al-Shabab, an armed group linked to al-Qaeda. The UN agency for children (UNICEF) has documented at least 25 children among the 50 total documented refugees currently detained in Egypt.

“There is a noticeable decrease in the number of children in detention this time of the year,” Ahmad Hafez, a child protection consultant at UNICEF, told Al Jazeera, adding that the total number “reaches to more than 160 children in detention” during summer months. “Most of these minors are usually unaccompanied, coming from the Horn of Africa, while Syrian children are usually with parents.”

The average detention time for a child is between two weeks and a month, Hafez said. Aden, however, has been held for nearly six months. After being picked up by Egyptian police, he was placed in the Karmooz detention centre in Alexandria, according to a new report by the Sweden-based Centre for Refugee Solidarity. With no passport or identification documents to prove his nationality, Egyptian authorities have not been unable to deport him.

OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE

“Siyad Bare left massive public property including land, ships, gas stations,factories now in this government there is no accountability or strong judiciary system, that is what makes corruption to spread widely.”

Auditor General: Foreign Companies And Big Men Are Plundering National Assets

01 February – Source: Goobjoog News – 1,065

February 1, 2016 In an inclusive interview to Goobjoog, Somali Federal Auditor General Nour Farah discloses several topics that concerns Somali public and International community including the level of corruption within the federal government, Turkish company Albayrak which runs Mogadishu main port, public land selling, backdoor contracts, property taxation and the challenges facing his office.

Goobjoog: In this year’s Transparency International report, Somalia and North Korea topped the corruption list, we would like to know why?

Auditor General: It’s sad reality, we have laws but unfortunately we simply avoid observing them, public land is sold and awarded to private individuals, contracts without any interest to the public are awarded to private companies and individuals, that is what makes Somalia descends into the list.

Goobjoog: what is the level and the magnitude of corruption in the government, give us an inside look?

Auditor General: Public property is dedicated to public and the government is there to manage and protect for the public. All kind of public property belong to the public. Siyad Bare left massive public property including land, ships, gas stations,factories now in this government there is no accountability or strong judiciary system, that is what makes corruption to spread widely.

Goobjoog: you said you office has strong cases against individuals and companies but in reality can not take any steps to deal with these case why?

Auditor General: now we have companies that were awarded to illegal contracts and agreements, to give you a name the company that runs Mogadishu port –Albayrak. This company operates in the country without any legal bases, they operate as if they work for individuals not for state. Somalia parliament has revoked their agreement with the government and when my office tried to investigate we were denied to port access.