February 6, 2012 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Kenyan jets hit al Shabaab-held villages in southwestern Somalia

04 Feb – Source: Shabelle – 159 words

Kenyan jets have shelled a town once again in less than a week a rebel-held towns in Lower Jubba region of southwestern Somalia, causing heavy loss of al Shabaab fighters, residents said on Saturday. Residents said, the Kenyan warplanes have reportedly attacked Halima Adey and Bulo hajji villages near the coastal town of Badhadhe, killing at least ten militants, including senior commanders.

Key Headlines

TFG evicts IDPs from government buildings (Radio Garowe)
220 more Somali students travelled to Turkey (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Eight said killed as Kenyan forces clash with Somali Islamists (Somalia Report)
Shabelle Media Network director was killed by al Shabaab: Somali PM (Radio Shabelle)
Armed group attack Ethiopian troops in central Somalia (Mareeg Online)
13 killed in a fight between TFG and al Shabaab near Ethiopian border (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Ahlu Sunna hails London conference on Somalia (Radio Shabelle)
Unmanned drone fell down in Mogadishu (Raxanreeb)
KDF focuses on Kismayu as al Shabaab retreats (The Standard)

PRESS RELEASE

Prime Minister of Somalia’s Statement at the 21st International Contact Group Meeting on Somalia

05 Feb – Source: Office of the Prime Minister – 1512 words

Excellencies, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen.

Good morning.

I would like to thank UNPOS for convening this important gathering. I would also like to extend my special thanks to Djibouti for hosting this gathering. We are not only neighbors, but also brothers and sisters. Djibouti has been home to many Somalis seeking refuge these past 20 years. Djibouti has constantly supported our political processes and most recently, has sent us its sons and daughters to join the AMISOM mission. Inshallah, one day, we will be able to repay the generosity and solidarity of the people of Djibouti.

We stand at a crossroads today. The international community is trying to decide whether Somalis can be trusted to complete the Roadmap process and bring the political transition to an end, or whether new political arrangements need to be made. Somalis are asking what the future holds and whether their leaders will deliver on the promises of the Transitional Federal Charter, the Djibouti agreement, the Kampala accord, the Roadmap, and most recently the Garowe Principles. They are also weary of the state of permanent transition of the past 20 years.

My government is committed, in words and actions, to the Roadmap and to fulfilling the tasks that will allow us to move into a new era of security, stability, political inclusivity, and financial integrity. We have made significant progress in many areas. We have even gone further than expected in others – for example, security. No one could have imagined in the summer of 2011 that by the beginning of 2012, Mogadishu, Beledweyn, and Dhobley among others would be in the hands of the TFG, and Al-Shabaab would be on the run.

Today, I want to talk about three concepts that I believe are fundamentally important to the future of Somalia and that should guide us as we move forward, in this conference and in the next few months.
The first concept is legitimacy. The ultimate source of legitimacy for our government and for future Somali governments is the trust and confidence of the Somali people. Legitimacy does not come from terrorizing the public into submission nor from paying bribes to silence the most vocal critics. Legitimacy does not come from outside the country.

Genuine legitimacy can only be achieved through inclusive reconciliation, the provision of security, stability, justice and the provision of livelihood opportunities. In 6 months, my government has sought legitimacy and public support by delivering humanitarian assistance, by improvements in the health sector, and by restoring the roads, with the assistance of many partners but especially Turkey. In the interest of building rapport with the public, we also engage directly through regular town hall meetings and other forums.

We believe government should come from the people. We need to reestablish that link between our parliament and our public – that is why we must reform our parliament. And we have to be creative to overcome the challenges posed by our low capacity and meager resources to find a way to constitute a legitimate parliament.

In line with the Garowe Principles, we plan to come up with selection procedures that can produce competent, lean and more legitimate parliament. We will involve in the selection process, traditional leaders with moral authority in the community, regional administrations, civil society members, religious leaders and womens groups, together with non-voting members of the International Community who will act as neutral observers to ensure transparency and fairness in the results.

The second concept is accountability. Being truly accountable to Somali citizens requires putting in place effective foundations for the future of Somalia and a change in the status quo. Accountability has been missing in the Somali public sector since before the collapse. The last 20 years have seen some people benefit from the suffering of their fellow Somalis. We have seen the funds intended for humanitarian relief and for development disappear. The Somali people deserve better.

Let me acknowledge that, in the past, we Somalis made mistakes, which eroded the trust the international community has in our institutions. Somalia can and must do better.
My government has been a champion of the transparent management of Somalia’s public assets and finances.

Through the Roadmap mandate, we committed to build several integrity institutions. Towards these goals, we have overseen the streamlining of the revenue collection system and have prepared our 2012 budget that was approved by the Council of Ministers in December 2011. We have revived Somalia’s Bureau of Investigation and we plan to turn it into a robust anti-corruption institution. We have also aggressively pursued individuals engaged in diversion of food aid, including prosecuting two district commissioners.

My government has initiated the proposed Joint Financial Management Board that will ensure the channeling of both public financial management and international aid efficiently and effectively towards social and economic dividends to Somali citizens.

Accountability includes keeping promises, such as the promise of the transitional federal authorities to constructively honor the ending of transition process. Anyone who willfully obstructs the process must be held accountable for his or her actions as the Somali people look on us to move forward and deliver on our promises.

The third concept is commitment, or perhaps I should call this one persistence. Let us finish what we start. Somalia is a story of good intentions not seen through. The world launched Operation Restore Hope in 1992 to do something about the terrible famine and the criminals who steal food from starving children, and yet, here we are in 2012 and we have seen a worse famine and still, criminals are stealing the relief food. The recent UN assessment that the famine has officially ended is a relief to us, but we must continue our commitment to resettling famine-related IDPs and refugees.

Similarly, we have seen that containment is not a successful policy. We must address the underlying conditions that are causing our problems, and we must start with the young people because they are the most vulnerable to being recruited by warlords, by pirates, by religious extremists and by whichever group appears next should we fail to act today. We must offer these young people an alternative narrative and an economic livelihood.

Commitment means seeing the process through to the end. It means making good on the funding pledges so that the work can be done. My experience these past 6 months is an example – when I took office, there was tremendous international community support for the Roadmap and lots of promises of resources to help us complete the very ambitious list of benchmarks. With only 6 months left to go, we are still waiting to receive these funds.

As towns and districts are liberated from the tyranny of Al-Shabaab, we have the greatest opportunity in recent Somali history to create sustainable peace, and yet we are facing a major resource constraint. But we are committed because we cannot risk a vacuum that might lead to the return of Al-Shabaab or warlords. We must take strong steps to consolidate security, reconcile different factions and create local administrations in the newly liberated areas – we will share our strategy with you later today.

Somali leaders from the TFG, Puntland, Galmudug and Ahlu-Sunna Wal Jamaia (ASWJ) have shown great commitment by coming together to launch the Roadmap and again to agree on the Garowe Principles. Since September 2011, Somalis have continued to honor those commitments by pushing forward with implementation. We will return to Garowe soon to continue the constitution making process.

Commitment, accountability and legitimacy – I urge you all to keep these in mind as we move forward.
Let me say a few words about the London Conference. We welcome this conference as a timely process that complements the Roadmap and the Garowe Principles. The London conference shall not open a parallel process.

Somali people expect this conference to inject new energy into the tasks ahead of us, including the completion of the constitutional process and the creation of a new parliament. We are hopeful that this conference will focus the world’s attention on the importance of consolidating the security gains and on reviving and strengthening the Somali security sector. We believe it will underscore the importance of seeking solutions to the piracy problem on land.

I recently had the privilege of meeting UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and he personally assured me that the London conference will not be a one-day event that will be forgotten – there will be significant follow-up and we welcome this.

As I said before, we are at a crossroads now. We fully understand that there may be skepticism or concern on the part of the international community about our ability to complete the Roadmap.
Let me assure you again my government is 100% committed to ending the transition so we can have stability, transparency and good governance in the new post-transitional Somalia. I urge you all to keep up the pressure and the good work, let us not lean back now.

Today I call on all our partners (IGAD, African Union, League of Arab States, OIC, EU, US, UN) to demonstrate a unity of purpose on the road ahead. On behalf of the Somali people, I thank you all for your presence here today.

Ugandan troops serving in Somalia celebrate Ugandan People’s Defense Forces 31 years in existence

05 Feb – Source: AMISOM Force HQ – 306 words

This week in Mogadishu, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has been celebrating 31 years of existence by extending support to the people of Somalia. In al Dhara, Nerlo and Qartar, internally displaced people (IDP) camps, UPDF soldiers provided medical support, distributed clean portable water and cleaned up areas within and around the camps.

Tarehe sita–Kiswahili for the 6th day of February 1981, commemorates the first armed attack on the then Ugandan government forces, in which President Yoweri Musevni led the National Resistance Army (NRA) to launch a guerrilla war that finally liberated Uganda on 26th January 1986.

This year the theme of “Regional Integration in Security for Sustainable and Regional development and stability” makes the activities, undertaken in Mogadishu by UPDF soldiers serving in the AU Mission in Somalia, particularly relevant.

Ugandan contingent commander, Brig. Paul Lokech, reiterated the UPDF’s commitment to securing the entire country during an address to IDP’s in camp Nero.

He added that, “During these celebrations, AMISOM will lead by example and demonstrate to TFG forces how important it is to prioritize the protection and security of Somali citizens. This is key to winning the hearts and minds of the people eroding al-Shabaab’s network of support.”

The AMISOM Civil-Military Co-operation officer Lt Col Katwekyeire Kamurari, who is also Ugandan, said soldiers have distributed 2000 mosquito nets and 100, 000 litres of water in the IDP camps. During an exercise to clean up the camps they also provide general treatment to IDPs in mobile clinics set up and provided de-worming medicine and special nutrition foods to children less than 5 years of age.

Lt Kamurari said: “Through such activities, AMISOM renews its strategic relationship with the people of Somalia,” before thanking the Ugandan troops for the good gestures, asking the TFG military to emulate this spirit in order to enhance their relationship with the people.

SOMALI MEDIA

TFG evicts IDPs from government buildings

05 Feb- Source: Radio Garowe,Radio Kulmiye, Jowhar Online, Radio bar-kulan- 230 words

Police reportedly descended on families illegally living in the former “Mothers House” and the National University in Hamar-weyne district, forcing them out of these buildings following the expiry of the 12 days ultimatum given to them to vacate these state-owned properties. President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed who spoke on the evictions said, “I would like our brothers and sisters who are living in government buildings to please move out due to renovations that the Turkey government has promised.”

220 more Somali students travelled to Turkey

05 Feb – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 239 words

The second patch of Somali students have today travelled to Turkey to pursue religious education after they were granted scholarship. Before their departure, a farewell ceremony was held in Mogadishu for the 220 students who qualified for the Turkish scholarship. Somalia’s Education Minister Abdinoor Sheikh Mohamed attended the send off ceremony. The plane carrying the students took off Adan Adde International Airport early yesterday.

Kenyan jets hit al Shabaab-held villages in southwestern Somalia

04 Feb – Source: Shabelle – 159 words

Eight said killed as Kenyan forces clash with Somali Islamists

05 Feb- Source: Somalia Report- 151 words

Reports from Lower Jubba Region in southern Somalia indicate that at least eight people were killed and more than 10 injured as Transitional Federal Government troops, Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) and pro-government militias of Raas Kaambooni, fought more than two times against al Shabaab insurgents in Qooqaani District late Saturday. According to local residents and officials, the fighting erupted when al Shabaab fighters launched hit-and-run attacks on the allied forces bases.

Shabelle Media Network director was killed by al Shabaab: Somali PM

04 Feb – Source: Radio Shabelle – 173 words

The prime Minster of Somalia’s Transitional Federal government Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has accused al Shabaab fighters of being behind the assassination of the late Shabelle Media director Hassan Abdi Osman ‘Fantastic’ who was shot dead last Saturday in Mogadishu. While speaking at a press conference held in Kenyan capital Nairobi, PM Abdiweli Mohamed Ali said his government is deeply unhappy and concerned about the killing of the Mr.Abdi, promising an investigation into the murder.

Armed group attack Ethiopian troops in central Somalia

05 Feb – Source: Mareeg Online – 122 words

Heavily armed Somali gunmen have attacked overnight on Ethiopian military bases in the town of Beledweyn, the capital city of Hiran region in central Somalia, residents said. Witnesses said, the sound of machine-guns and shoulder launchers could be heard overnight across the town after the gunmen launched an ambush attack Ethiopian troops at Howlwadag village, causing unknown losses among both sides and residents.

13 killed in a fight between TFG and al Shabaab near Ethiopian border

05 Feb – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 206 words

At least 13 people have been killed and several others wounded following a fierce fighting between TFG forces and al Shabaab rebel group on Saturday night in the border town of Luq, Gedo region, officials said. Mohamed Abdi, a TFG official in the region told Bar-kulan that armed rebel fighters launched a nighttime attack on a TFG base at an area called Kured, some 18 km from Luq town. He claimed that TFG forces repelled the attacker, inflicting heavy casualties on them.

Ahlu Sunna hails London conference on Somalia

05 Feb – Source: Shabelle – 121 words

The moderate islamist group of Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a has greatly hailed the upcoming London conference on Somalia. The spokesman of Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a in central regions Abdullah Ahmed Samatar talked to Shabelle Media and assured that they are welcoming the London conference, adding that the conference is important for the interest of Somali people.

Unmanned drone fell down in Mogadishu

03 Feb- Source: Raxanreeb- 187 words

A unmanned drone, which is thought to be an American surveillance drone, fell down on Friday in Mogadishu, residents told RBC Radio. The unmanned drone knocked down at Badbado IDP camp which is on Dharkenley district, south of Mogadishu. “It was this noon, we saw a white small aircraft flying over our camp and in minutes we saw it fall down here”, Ahmed Abdi a resident in Badbado IDP camp told RBC Radio. No one was hurt at the crash.

Banadir traditional elders discuss their role in improving community relations

04 Feb – Source: Hiiraan Online – 320 words

On 31 January, a day meeting participated by about 50 traditional elders, women groups, intellectuals university students and media was held at IIDA center. The meeting was facilitated by Somali Peace Line which is held on month basis. The agenda was the roles of Benadir traditional elders/leaders in community mobilization towards selecting right leaders who can save the community. The discussion subject was demonstrated by a 30 minute small drama about the result of two neighboring clans who selected two different leaders for their communities.

REGIONAL MEDIA

KDF focuses on Kismayu as al Shabaab retreats

06 Feb- Source: the Standard- 279 words

Kenyan troops in Somalia say they are eyeing Kismayu Port following reports of retreat by al Shabaab militants from the island. Reports indicated the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and those of Transitional Federal Government are in Buurgabo about 30 kilometres from Kudhaa Island that has been the bedrock of the militants.

Turkish intervention in Somalia as selfish, says al Shabaab

05 Feb- Source: Africa Review- 309 words

The radical Islamist group Al-Shabaab has dismissed Turkish intervention in Somalia as selfish.
Sheikh Abdulkadir Mumin, a senior officer of the group opposing the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia, criticised the role of Turkey in Somalia saying their mission is to poison Somalis saying that the humanitarian foods and medicines brought to Somalia by Turkish agencies as expired ones. “They (the Turkish organisations) brought expired foods and medicines,” said Sheikh Mumin. “We warn the people from taking the stuffs.”

Let’s stabilise Somalia now – Kibaki

03 Feb- Source: Capital News- 533 words

President Mwai Kibaki has asserted that now is the moment to stabilise Somalia and called on the international community to take advantage of the opportunity.
President Kibaki affirmed that there was need to capitalize on various gains achieved so far through the combined efforts of the Kenya Defence Forces, African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

Al Shabaab blamed for Garissa deaths

04 Feb- Source: Daily Nation- 446 words

Three people were killed and one is in a critical condition at the Garissa Provincial Hospital following an attack in Garissa town that has been blamed on al Shabaab operatives.
The incident occurred on Friday evening as the victims took tea outside Jubba Hotel.
A witness at the hotel said two masked men armed with pistols walked up to the group and shot at the men, killing two of them instantly.

Interest in stable Somalia grows

04 Feb- Source: Daily Nation- 459 words

The international community has shown renewed interest on Somalia following improved security in the country that has been at war since the overthrow of Siad Barre in 1991.
Tired of the persistent insecurity in the country that has also posed a threat to peace globally, a number of nations and organisations now want to take advantage of the lull and ensure lasting peace and stability in Somalia.

Airstrikes have kept ‘al Shabaab’ down in Somalia: Kenyan official

04 Feb- Source: Coastweek,Xinhua- 334 words

The latest airstrikes against al Shabaab military targets in southern Somalia have weakened the militant group’s capacity to mount quick retaliatory attacks, Kenyan military spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir told Xinhua late Saturday. Kenyan forces battling al Shabaab from three different locations said they destroyed the group’s key military hardware and combatants on Friday as al Shabaab prepared to carry out retaliatory strikes to recapture the town of Badhade.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Kenya says hits rebel convoy with helicopter gunships

04 Feb- Source: Reuters- 397 words

Kenya’s military has struck al Shabaab targets in one of the most devastating attacks against the al Qaeda-linked insurgents since it launched an operation in Somalia to crush the rebels last October, a Kenyan army officer said on Saturday. Colonel Cyrus Oguna said two helicopter gunships hit a convoy of al Shabaab in Dalayat village in southern Somalia on Friday evening.

Oxfam calls for sustained int’l aid efforts in Somalia

05 Feb- Source: New Times- 278 words

International aid agency Oxfam on Friday called for sustained aid efforts in Somalia, after the United Nations (UN) declared an end to famine conditions in the Horn of Africa nation.The head of Oxfam in Somalia, Senait Gebregzhiabher, said Somalia is still in the throes of its worst humanitarian crisis in decades, warning against being complacent about current gains.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“Somalia is part of a wider problem. The international community needs to get more effective at conflict prevention and supporting weak states. This is a major emphasis in British foreign policy today. Not only are we trying to ensure that we bring our own national resources to bear in foreign policy more effectively than in the past through our National Security Council, but we are urging better coordination by the international community as a whole. Somalia may well be the hardest case of all, but there can be fewer countries in the world where an investment in peace and security is more desperately needed, or where international effort can more worthily be devoted.”

Why the International Community Has to Come Together to Help Somalia

04 Feb- Source: Huffington Post- 888

In September 1992 Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd visited Mogadishu. He could not have known that it would be 20 years before any of his successors set foot in the country again. Shortly after his visit Britain’s Embassy was shut and Somalia plunged deeper into the vortex of suffering and violence that has consumed it ever since. Today, it is the world’s worst failed state, one that is staggering back onto its feet.

This week I visited Somalia’s capital. Mogadishu is a city where people until recently were surviving, not really living. As its Mayor said to me, a 20-year-old Somali has never known anything other than violence and war. The road I took from the airport to the city is flanked by derelict and bullet-ridden houses that used to be homes, and torn roads that used to lead somewhere but have been savaged by fighting.

“I short listed Somalia’s numerous symptoms which prevented her from establishing a functioning governance system to only two sticking wounds: Alshabab and Somaliland. Tell me if there is a major third element which obstructs future Somali central administration in reaching out to every region within Somalia. I recognise, however, a third minor frustrating point: The so called Somali Parliamentarians. But this largely semi illiterate so called Parliamentarians can be told to leave the chamber at once – they should not be a problem since we can simply withdraw their monthly allowances.”

Open Letter to Matt Baugh, newly appointed British Ambassador to Somalia

05 Feb- Source: Garowe Online- 686 Words

Congratulations on your new appointment and I welcome you to our country with open arms. With your assistance, once Somalia finally resolves her problems, I promise that you will be working with one of the most wonderful societies in Africa with great culture and selfless hospitality.

To capitalise on the recent achievements by the joint Somalia/Amisom armies, Britain is in a unique position at the London Somalia Conference to end the stalemate in the Horn of Africa country. To ensure successful conference, a comprehensive governance plan is needed in order to put Somalia’s failed state status on the history shelves – Britain has the opportunity to do just that. Britain must apply a Sierra Leone style pressure to spoilers of peace and statehood in Somalia. We can’t afford any more let down in the offensive against the Shabab and others. A new diplomatic offensive on Somaliland must also be waged at LSC because peace within an area of Somalia is not a just peace without complete closure to the political arrangements.

“Abhorrent connotations of “make it rain” aside, if there is anything to be learned from the effects of foreign aid on Africa over the last couple decades, it is this: throwing money at problems usually does not help. It often exacerbates them. Good intentions are often funneled through the wrong channels, i.e., corrupt governments. Billions of dollars do not usually make it to citizens and are instead used to bolster autocratic, unresponsive and undemocratic regimes.”

Somalia needs a voice

04 Feb- Source: The Records- 765

When I first stumbled upon the posters scattered around Sexton Commons that promoted the “Somalia Benefit Concert”, I must confess: they made me tremble. The marginal status already assigned to African problems – the continent is, after all, caricatured in shadowy, fatalistic terms – has had a chilling effect on aid and investment over the past few years.

Africa, in many ways, has become a sad fact or “reality” we have accepted even as its citizens blossom with creative potential in spite of corrupt regimes. It made me grimace when I saw Campus Ministry’s posters depicting dollar signs falling on a figure with an umbrella – more specifically, calling on us as students to “make it rain” on Somalia.