February 2, 2018 | Morning Headlines
Somalia: Roadside Bomb Kills 3 Outside Mogadishu
01 February – Source: Garowe Online – 194 Words
A roadside bomb explosion killed at least three people and wounded several on Thursday in an area outside Mogadishu, the Somali capital, according to reports. An eyewitness confirmed to GO that the blast which has resulted from a remote-controlled landmine struck a luxury minibus in Taredishe village, approximately 13 kilometers (8 miles), northwest of Mogadishu.
The witness, speaking on the condition of anonymity from the area of the bombing said two employees working for Hormuud, a private telecommunications firm based in Mogadishu died in the attack. A passerby was among the dead. The bomb has missed a Somali military convoy passing in the area and ripped through the civilian car, killing three and wounding two others who were taken to a nearby hospital.
Local authorities reached the scene afterward and confirmed no casualties on the army personnel and an investigation has been launched to find out the masterminds of the deadly incident. There is still no claim of responsibility for the explosion. The main highway linking Mogadishu to Afgoye in Lower Shabelle region has hit by such attacks in the past few months, some claimed by Al-Shabaab Islamists fighting to depose the UN-backed government.
Key Headlines
- Somalia: Roadside Bomb Kills 3 Outside Mogadishu (Garowe Online)
- Somaliland Proclaims To Have Started Talks With Somalia (Goobjoog News)
- Banadir Governor Lays Foundation Stone For Wadajir Administration Block After 8 Months (Goobjoog News)
- German Military To End Role In EU Training Mission In Somalia (Reuters)
- International Coordination In Somalia (Eunavor.com)
- Growing Number Of Somali Media Outlets In Minnesota Aim To Shed Positive Light On Community(Minnpost)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somaliland Proclaims To Have Started Talks With Somalia
01 February – Source: Goobjoog News – 183 Words
The self breakaway region of Somaliland has announced having commenced talks with the Somali government. Somaliland Foreign Minister Dr. Sa’ad Ali Shire, made the announcement today to the media in Hargeisa, the capital noting to have had a meeting with his Somali government counterpart Ahmed Isse Awad, while in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and discussed two major things. “I have not met with the Somali president but met with the Somali Foreign Minister and, we discussed 2 things. One was on how to revive the talks and the other was the issue of Tukaraq in Sool region” said Dr. Shire.
Late July 2017, former Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo has appointed former diplomat Ms. Adna Adan Ismail Special Envoy to negotiations with Somalia which collapsed in March 2015, though no serious move been made by the two sides on the issue since Ms. Ismail’s appointment. Talks between Somaliland and Somalia started in 2012 following the election of President Silanyo. The London Conference in February, 23 2012 was attended by the Transitional Federal Parliament and Somaliland. Subsequent meetings were held in Dubai, Djibouti and Turkey.
Banadir Governor Lays Foundation Stone For Wadajir Administration Block After 8 Months
01 February – Source: Goobjoog News – 253 Words
The new governor of Banadir region today placed the foundation stone for the administration block of Wadajir district, Mogadishu after it was struck by a bomb blast 8 months ago. Governor Abdirahman Omar Osman (Eng. Yarisow) visited the area today in the company of federal MPs from the 2 federal houses, local administration official of Wadajir and the public. Speaking in the event, Governor Eng. Yarisow, stressed on the need to unite against the enemies of the government and expressed how determined his office is to give special attention to the security in the area.
“The foundation stone we placed today was destroyed by an enemy who is against our progress and existence. We have to unite against anything that will harm us. My office is ready to support you on developments if you are united” said Governor Eng. Yarisow. On his part, Wadajir commissioner Omar Abdullahi Hassan briefly narrated the fateful incident that transpired in June 2017 when the administration block was attacked by a vehicle laden with bomb explosives heavily destroying it.
Senator Ms. Samsam Dahir and MP Abdikadir Arabow who were among the dignitaries present in the ceremony expressed their gratitude towards the contribution done by the local residents to rebuild the block will strengthen the relationship between the government and the locals. The city district is among the most vital ones in the region as it borders Aden Abdullle International Airport and is also home to the nerve centre of AMISOM peacekeeping troops and UN offices in the country.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
German Military To End Role In EU Training Mission In Somalia
01 February – Source: Reuters – 166 Words
The German military will stop participating in a European Union training mission in Somalia at the end of March, a Foreign Ministry official said on Thursday, expressing frustration at the pace of progress. Germany has about five soldiers taking part in the training mission alongside 15 from other EU countries. The decision to end Germany’s participation in the programme, which began in 2010, was first reported by Der Spiegel magazine. “The development of a Somali national army is moving forward only very slowly, in part due to deficits in political and institutional structures, as well as equipment gaps among trained Somali soldiers,” the ministry official said.
Berlin is now looking at how to bolster its engagement in civilian security in Somalia and supports a shift recommended by an EU strategic assessment to focus more on providing advisory help, a concept currently being discussed in Brussels. The United States last year decided to suspend food and fuel aid for most of Somalia’s armed forces over corruption concerns.
International Coordination In Somalia
01 February – Source: Eunavor.com – 216 Words
International teams are working together to build an environment that will allow growth of Somali capability and capacity. Commander Steve Elliott RN, the EU NAVFOR Liaison Officer to Somalia, is working to improve coordination between the AMISOM Marine Unit (AMU) and the Somalian Maritime Police Unit based at the Mogadishu new port, with the support of the EUCAP Somalia mission.
Commander Steve accompanied the AMU as an observer on a Security and Reassurance Patrol in coastal waters off Mogadishu on 29th January. The Ugandan Marines spoke to local fisherman and monitored activity, promoting maritime security in what have been historically troubled waters. He praised the professionalism and capabilities of the Ugandan Troops. On 28th January he witnessed the UK Mission Support Team to AMISOM presenting maritime safety equipment to the Ugandan Marines of the AMU at their compound in Mogadishu, Somalia. Major Ed Wigmore, second in command of the UK MST, arranged the delivery.
The Officer Commanding of the UK Team, Lieutenant Colonel Dom Goggs, said: “New life jackets, safety glasses and gloves donated by the UK, will improve the AMU’s capabilities, enhancing operational capability and reducing the risk of injury on operations.” Operation Atalanta supports other EU missions and international organisations working to strengthen maritime security and capacity in the Horn of Africa and Somalia.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Yet whatever the intended goal, most local Somali-owned media outlets — including those that have been around for more than 20 years — struggle to generate revenue. Many rely on volunteers and the people who run them often have other jobs to pay the bills. “I sometimes put in my own money to print the newspaper,” said Mukhtar.”
Growing Number Of Somali Media Outlets In Minnesota Aim To Shed Positive Light On Community
31 January – Source: Minnpost.com – 881 Words
As immigration remains a hot-button issue in American politics, more Somali media outlets have spread across Minnesota in recent years — often to amplify the community’s positive contributions — even as the businesses face steep financial challenges. In 2017 alone, Somali American, a monthly 10,000-circulation newspaper in Minneapolis; GTN News, a bilingual television channel in St. Cloud; and Somali Link Radio, a weekly show at KFAI Radio, joined an already crowded Somali-language print and broadcast landscape in Minnesota.
In 2015, the Minneapolis-based KALY Somali-American Radio, a low-power FM station, joined the airwaves to provide Somali-Americans with around-the-clock news and music programming. And in 2014, the online news operation Tusmo Times added a 5,000-circulation newspaper that is now distributed in Somali-owned businesses and community centers throughout the Twin Cities metro area. While the owners of these news sources may have different niches, what motivated them to enter the media business, they say, is the desire to focus attention on community stories that other news outlets often only give a passing glance. “One of the reasons I started this work is to promote the success stories of the African community,” said Haji Yusuf, owner and host of GTN News. “I wanted to show their success stories and the success of their businesses; the success of individuals who are doctors and nurses.”
Covering those kinds of stories was also the reason Warsame Guled founded the monthly Somali American last year. But that wasn’t the only one. Guled, who also owns a home care business in Minneapolis, thought of the idea to establish a newspaper when he and other entrepreneurs realized they couldn’t find a platform to promote their businesses. “We were looking for ways to reach the Somali community,” Guled said. “I found out that there were no direct channels to reach Somali people.” Today, the paper distributes 10,000 free copies of the paper, which — like other ethnic newspapers — are available in coffee shops, restaurants, community centers, libraries and other public spaces that Somali-Americans frequent.
The paper often focuses on Somali-related events in Minneapolis. Stories are written by freelance reporters or volunteers, or reprinted from other news organizations. Its competitor, Tusmo Times, tends to cover local, national and international Somali-related stories. Originally called Ciyaartoy and established in 2012 to give the Somali community online coverage of sports, the organization eventually changed its name and expanded its coverage to include hard news and created a monthly newspaper printed in both Somali and English. “My main goal is to document and archive the stories of the Somali-American community in Minnesota,” said Abdirahman Mukhtar, founder of Tusmo Times. “That way, if my kids want to read about their own Minnesota history tomorrow, they can find it in both Somali and English languages.”