February 20, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somalia wants to expel Islamist rebels from strongholds in 2014

19 Feb – Source: Reuters – 159 words

A military offensive led by an expanded African peacekeeping force aims to drive Somali Islamist rebels out of their remaining strongholds by the end of 2014, the Somali prime minister said on Wednesday. Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, appointed in December, said al Shabaab rebels who “look like us” would still be able to infiltrate communities but said the goal was to ensure they did not control “distinct areas” of the country as they do now. Al Shabaab ruled most of the southern region of Somalia from 2006 until 2011 when African forces drove them out of Mogadishu and then expelled them from most urban centres in a nation that has faced war and turmoil for more than two decades. But the al Qaeda-aligned Islamists, who sought to impose a very strict version of Islamic sharia law, still hold swathes of rural territory in southern Somalia and some smaller towns or villages, including the major coastal stronghold of Barawe.

Key Headlines

Prime Minister meets with Somali community in Nairobi (Raxanreeb)
Somali government urges Arab countries to set up diplomatic presence in Mogadishu (Radio Dalsan)
(Somalia wants to expel Islamist rebels from strongholds in 2014 (Reuters)
Somalia says working on reviving defunct national airline (Africa Review)
Ethiopian forces backed by Somali troops head to Hudur town (Radio Raxanreeb)
Kismayo enforces curfew after dead bodies sighted in city (Radio Shabelle)
Jubba administration appoints new security head to replace slain officer (Raxanreeb)
Kenya and Somalia vow to eliminate al Shabaab al Qaeda (Standard Media)
Kenya to open embassy in Somalia (Star News)

SOMALI MEDIA

Prime Minister meets with Somali community in Nairobi

19 Feb – Source: Raxanreeb – 89 wodsr

Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed has on Tuesday arrived in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, for a three-day official visit, RBC reports. Prime Minister spearheaded a ministerial delegation that flew from Djibouti to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport where the delegation was received by Kenyan government officials, Somali ambassador to Kenya and members of Somali community in Naiobi. The Prime Minister has attended a meeting organized by the Somali Embassy in Nairobi, where by prime minister’s delegation members, guests from the Somali community and business people gathered.

Somali government urges Arab countries to set up diplomatic presence in Mogadishu

19 Feb – Source: Radio Dalsan – 106 words

Somali government has urged the Arab League nations to set up their diplomatic presence in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The State Minister for Foreign Affairs Bur’i Mohamed Hamza has met on Tuesday afternoon with the Arab League Representative for Somalia Ambassador Mohamed Abdalla Idiris who has visited Mogadishu. During the meeting the both sides discussed the humanitarian activities, as well executing the Arab League’s pledge on Somalia reconstruction following the post conflict period in Somalia.On his side Mr Hamza has called the Arab League to continue its brotherly helping hand to the Somali people and as well to establish a full presence in Somalia.

Ethiopian forces backed by Somali troops head to Hudur town

19 Feb – Source: Raxanreeb – 112 words

Hundreds of Ethiopian forces backed by Somali troops are heading to Hudur town, regional capital of Bakool region on the country’s southwest, Governor of Bakool region told local media on Wednesday. In a teleconference, Mohamed Abdi, the governor of Bakool province said that Somali government troops with the backing of Ethiopian army started a fresh assault to liberate districts under al Shabaab control. “We have passed this morning several small villages under Hudur town, and now we are heading to Hudur.” the governor said. Militants vacated Hudur town, the region’s capital three days ago as Ethiopian military started to approach into many districts of Bakool region including the town of Elbarde.

Kismayo enforces curfew after dead bodies sighted in city

19 Feb -Source: Radio Shabelle – 107 words

A curfew has been put in place in Kismayo after the killing of a high-ranking intelligence official from Juba interim administration. The curfew was put in place Tuesday at 5pm following orders which came direct from the leaders in Kismayo, provincial capital city of Lower Juba. Last night in Kismayo the city was on lockdown with the people and public transportation stopped. Bodies have also been discovered near the Calanleey neighbourhood.

Jubba administration appoints new security head to replace slain officer

19 Feb – Source: Raxanreeb – 132 words

The authorities of the interim administration of Jubba Wednesday appointed new security head as successor of the assassinated commander of the region’s intelligence services, RBC reports. Ahmed Ibrahim, former member of the Raskamboni forces is now appointed as the new security and intelligence commander for the interim administration of Jubba which is based in the southern Somalia port town of Kismayo. According to the decree of his nomination, Mr Ibrahim will hold the security and intelligence responsibility as an interim commander. The nomination came a day after the security commander of the interim administration of Jubba Isse Kamboni was assassinated in Kismayo by his bodyguard on Monday night.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenya and Somalia vow to eliminate al Shabaab, al Qaeda

19 Feb – Source: Standard Digital Media – 175 words

The Government of Kenya and the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia Wednesday renewed their commitment to the fight against the al Shabaab and the al Qaeda terror groups and to the elimination of terrorism from the region. At a joint press conference between the Deputy President William Ruto and Somali Prime Minister Abdiwelli Sheikh Ahmed in Nairobi, the two leaders gave an undertaking that their governments, under the IGAD and AMISOM arrangement, would defeat all terrorist groups and bring stability to Somalia. Speaking at his office after holding bilateral talks with the Somali Prime Minister, Mr Ruto emphasized that the two governments had no explanation, no apologies nor justification in their resolve to eliminate the terror menace from the region and create a stable Somalia. Noting that Kenyan troops would continue to fight terror alongside other AMISOM troops in Somalia until this is achieved, Mr. Ruto said Kenya’s aim is to help bring stability to Somalia which will enable the Somalis to review their country’s constitution and eventually pave way for democratic elections by 2016.

Kenya to open embassy in Somalia

19 Feb – Source: Star News – 119 words

KENYA will open an embassy in Somalia before June to enhance robust relationship that has existed between the two countries,Deputy President William Ruto said during a meeting with the newly appointed Somalia Prime Minister Abdi Weli Sheikh Ahmed at his office. Ruto said the long historic relationship between the two countries both ‘in good and bad times’ has helped create stability that Somalia is enjoying and an embassy will go a long way in enhancing people to people and government to government relationships. “Kenya will continue to play her role as a neighbour and ensure that Somalia is stable and secured,” Ruto said adding that Kenya will continue to fight terrorist and al-shabaab without explanations, justifications or apologies.

Somalia says working on reviving defunct national airline

19 Feb – Source: Africa Review – 168 words

The Somali government is fully engaged in reviving Somali Airlines, its defunct flag carrier that went under when the central government collapsed in January 1991, a top official has said. Somali Transport minister Sa’eed Jama Mohamed Qorsheel said that towards this, the country had signed a deal with the Ethiopian government. The agreement will seen Ethiopian Airlines ‘soon’ start flights to Somalia capital Mogadishu from its Addis Ababa hub, Mr Qorsheel announced on Tuesday, although he did not give a start date. Somalia hopes to benefit from Ethiopia’s extensive aviation experience with the deal, he said.
“Under this agreement, the Ethiopians are going to train our workers in the sphere of air travel and air traffic management,” the minister said. The official was a member of the Somali delegation headed by prime minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed that visited Addis Ababa last week. Somali Airlines, started in 1964, was late last year set to take delivery of a B737 aircraft, while another plane is reportedly being built in Hungary.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somalia wants to expel Islamist rebels from strongholds in 2014

19 Feb – Source: Reuters – 159 words

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Given the succession of bad leaders that Somalia had over the last twenty-some years, it is easy to conclude that the country is beyond repair; that the people are too polarized to find common ground; and that the genie of tribalism is out of the bottle and cannot be recaptured. That is all true to some extent, but it is wrong to assume that the situation is irreversible. The question is whether Somalia has the good fortunes to produce someone (among its sons and daughters) who can do for Somalia what Mustafa Kemal had done for Turkey.”

Where is Somalia’s QAZI?

19 Feb – Source: Wardheernews – 1260 Words

In August 1920, in the aftermath of the 1st World War, the victorious allied nations met in Sevres, just outside Paris, to sign a treaty that dictated the partition of Anatolia (present day Turkey), which had been the seat of the defeated Othman empire. To make things worse, large chunks of the Turkish homeland were given to historical enemies of Turkey. A region in the west was to become part of Greece. Eastern provinces would become a new Armenian state. A region in the south would be given to the Kurds. Russia, Italy, France, and Britain grabbed the most productive parts of the land for themselves. What was left for the Turks was a rocky expanse in central Anatolia with no access to the Aegean or the Mediterranean seas. This was not to be. What the allied nations failed to grasp was the resolve of the Turkish people in general and the man who emerged as their leader in particular. Mustafa Kemal first emerged as a military hero in 1915 in the protracted battle of the Gallipoli Peninsula. The British, who considered the Turks incapable of resistance, undertook a massive marine landing at the beaches of Gallipoli in order to capture Istanbul. Nearly eight months later the Allied troops (Britain, Australia, and New Zealand) retreated after suffering massive casualties. Forty-four thousand Allied troops died in the failed attempt to capture Gallipoli. Twice that number of Turks died defending it. Mustafa Kemal came out of the war a national hero.