February 27, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somalia, UN sign new agreement

26 Feb- Source: Radio Goobjoog/Radio Mogadishu/SNTV/Jowhar Online/Hiiraan Online- 120 words

The Federal Government of Somalia and the United Nations Wednesday signed an agreement to strengthen the relations and cooperation between the two sides in Mogadishu. Somalia foreign affairs Minister Abdirahman Duale Beile and UN special representative for Somalia Nicholas Kay signed an agreement with the presence of president Hassan Sheikh in Mogadishu.The president welcomed the agreement between the two sides and promised to work hand in hand with United Nation to enforce the agreement. The Minister said that United Nations and the federal government will carefully work on the deal to come up with positive results. On his side Mr. Kay UN special representative said the United Nations is ready to work closely with the federal government of Somalia.

Key Headlines

Somalia UN sign new agreement (Radio Mogadishu/SNTV)
Al Shabaab on move to recruit young fighters ahead of massive military assault (RBC)
Somali minister cautiously plans new tax regime (Reuters)
Galmudug Administration nabs man after injuring people in Galkayo coffee shop (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Explosion targeted AMISOM forces in Mogadishu (Radio Shabelle)
MP delegation reach Baidoa (Radio Shabelle)
Kenya: Families want hostages freed (Star – Kenya)

SOMALI MEDIA

Somalia, UN sign new agreement

26 Feb- Source: Radio Goobjoog/Radio Mogadishu/SNTV/Jowhar Online/Hiiraan Online- 120 words

Al Shabaab on move to recruit young fighters ahead of massive military assault

26 Feb- Source: Radio RBC – 237 words

The militant group in Somalia, al Shabaab started to recruit fresh youngsters into its ranks as Somalia government forces backed by the African Union Forces plan massive military assault to liberate the country’s south and central region. According to sources in Gedo, Hiran, Lower Shabelle and Middle Shabelle, al Shabaab officials have launched mobilization campaign to gather and recruit more young male fighters in order to defend against the upcoming military assault. On Wednesday, anti Ethiopian forces demonstration was held in the town of Bardhere where al Shabaab fighters forced the local people to close their businesses and come to an open ground for the demonstration and later senior al Shabab commander Sheikh Fu’ad Mohamed Khalaf [Shongole] asked the people to register for holy war against the Ethiopians. Shongole, a Somali-Swedish fighter who is on the list of U.S watched terrorist list, has warned those who oppose and try to flee from the war against Ethiopian and AMISOM will be termed as “apostate” and will be killed. Two weeks ago, al Shabaab’s spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamed Rage [Ali Dhere] has met elders from two clans in Lower Shabelle town of Bulomarer. According to pro-al Shabaab website the elders agreed to gather 300 young men from each clan to participate in the fight against “invaders”. Similar meetings have taken place in Jilib, Bu’alo and Buloburte where the militant commanders obliged on the clan elders to bring fighters for them.

Galmudug Administration nabs man after injuring people in Galkayo coffee shop

26 Feb- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 124 words

The Galkayo mayor of Puntland administration, Ahmed Ali Salad reported that an armed man injured residents sitting in a coffee shop in Galkayo. Ahmed established that an individual near the scene where the incident unfolded pursued the culprit who immediately stepped in to the other side of the town which is controlled by Galmudug administration . The mayor added the potential capture of the individual came as result of the contacts made with Galmudug administration. He said Galmudug armed forces caught the perpetrator through a joint search operations and locked him up in jail. Unconfirmed reports unfolds after the perpetrator’s interrogations by Galmudug police officers indicating that the offender claimed to be a member of al Shabaab.

Explosion targeted AMISOM forces in Mogadishu

26 Feb- Source: Radio Shabelle- 79 words

According to witnesses, a bomb was targeted on AMISOM soldiers in the Arafat neighbourhood in Yaaqshiid district of Mogadishu. The explosion hit one of the AMISOM convoys although it is not known whether casualties were sustained. After the blast, AMISOM soldiers haltered the movement of public transportation and people on the road. No one has claimed responsibility for the latest acts of insecurity in the capital, which has come under attack by al Shabaab.

Five Somali military officers perish in road accident

26 Feb- Source: Radio Goobjoog- 74 words

Five Somali military died and four others severely wounded in a fatal road accident along the road connecting Mogadishu to Baidoa Wednesday. The accident occurred after over speeding driver missed the control and rolled several times. The injured were rushed to Bur-Hakaba hospital where they are being treated. This is the second accident within a week, AMISOM armored car fell off Shabelle river bridge in Janale town killing three soldiers and injuring another four.

MP delegation reach Baidoa

26 Feb- Source: Radio Shabelle- 109 words

A delegation including MP’s have Wednesday reached Baidoa, the provincial capital of Bay region.
This delegation was led by MP Mustaf Mukhtaar Guudow and other MP’s representing the south-western regions, are expected to participate in the formation of a new administration for the 3 regions: South Western regional administration. According to our reporter Ahmed Abdi Hassan, the delegation is staying at Hotel Bakiin where other representatives participating in the meeting for Bay, Bakool & Lower Shabele are also staying. Shariif Hassan Sheikh Adan, the ex-Speaker of the Somali Parliament is expected to arrive in Baidoa accompanied by ministers from the Somali government.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenya: Families want hostages freed

26 Feb- Source: Star-Kenya- 324 words

Families of two Kenyan engineers abducted by suspected Somalia gunmen in Mogadishu, are appealing to the government to negotiate with the group for their release. Seafarers Union of Kenya yesterday contacted the families of the two who reside in Ongata Rongai town in Kajiado county. The hostages aged 34 and 38 year -old are currently under captive in pirates-infested district of Harardhere in Galgaduud region 700 kilometers North of Mogadishu .

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali minister cautiously plans new tax regime

26 Feb- Source: Reuters- 806 words

Somalia has long defied the maxim that death and taxes are life’s only two certainties – with years of chaos and killings but little in the way of a coherent state to collect revenues and tariffs. That could all be about to change if newly appointed finance minister Hussein Abdi Halane gets his way and manages to persuade businesses to support a new comprehensive tax system in the ravaged country. He knows Somalia’s federal administration – less than two years old – will have to tread carefully to rebuild confidence in a state where trust in authority was destroyed by two decades of clan warfare and Islamist militant rule.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Members of al Shabaab are known to be tech-savvy, with some having Facebook and Twitter accounts. However, they often minimise their use of gadgets for safety reasons – top members have been targeted and killed in drone strikes.”

Al Shabaab’s governor – one man and his iPad

26 Feb- Source: Al Jazeera English Blog-547 Words

On a hot dry Saturday afternoon, as I waited for clearance to visit an al Shabaab area in Bulo Mareer in Somalia, my phone rang. It was a contact saying there was a gathering I would want to attend. And so I did. Sitting under the shade of mango trees were clan elders and the who’s who of al Shabaab, the hardline rebel group fighting Somalia’s UN-backed government. This was an opportunity not many get, so I began taking photos. The mood in the meeting was tense, the topic contentious. It was about a land feud between rival clan fighters. Hosting the peace talks was Sheikh Mohamed Abu Abdallah, a short, stocky figure with a sparse goatee who likes to wear Shalwar Kurta – a two-piece garment commonly worn in Afghanistan and south-central Asia. The Sheikh is the rebel group’s lower Shabelle governor and the face of al Qaeda in the province. As soon as I walked into the gathering I spotted something unexpected – a gleaming new iPad. This piece of technology was being used by men who belong to a group that recently banned access to the internet through mobile devices. Every few minutes the Sheikh typed fiercely as he took minutes of the talks. He would occasionally refer to it to read notes of previous agreements. And as they delivered their long grievance speeches, the elders also took turns to cast admiring glances towards the gadget, as Abu Abdallah type their words.