February 6, 2014 | Morning Headlines.
Allied forces liberate Gandershe town from al Shabaab
05 Feb- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Dalsan/Shabelle/
Somalia government forces Wednesday liberated Gandershe town of Lower Shabelle region from Al Shabab. Joint operation led by the Government forces and AMISOM troops resulted the liberation of Gandershe town located between the capital, Mogadishu and Marka, the administrative capital of Lower Shabelle region. The governor of Lower Shabelle region Abdikadir Nur Sidi has confirmed the liberation operation and said that the town was now under the control of the regional administration. The area has been under al Shabaab control and was used for the attacks against Mogadishu. The government forces started a clear up operation in the area and soon after the operation ended Somalia government officials visited the town to hold meeting with the local community.
Key Headlines
- Allied forces liberate Gandershe town from al Shabaab (Radio Mogadishu/Dalsan/Shabelle/
Radio Garowe) - Police in Mogadishu display recovered homemade explosives (Radio Mogadishu/Bar-kulan/Dalsan/
RBC/Kulmiye) - Gov’t forces threaten to attack southwest town of Bardere (Radio Bar-kulan)
- Somaliland appeals help to fight locust (Somalilandsun/Somali current)
- Police seized ‘key items from Mombasa mosque’ (Standard Media)
- Youths riot in Kenya for third time over mosque raid one dead (Reuters)
- New barrages of mortar fire rattle Mogadishu (AP)
PRESS RELEASE
Somali security officials complete international emergency response training
05 Feb- Source: Office of the President-171 Words
Somali government security officials today finished a high-level course in emergency response training in Mogadishu. Engineer Yarisow, Senior Advisor and Spokesman of the President, who attended the training, said: “This government’s number one priority is security, which is where we have made consistent progress. It is important that government security officials in different ministries and agencies are fully trained and up to date with international best practice. This sort of training will ensure we can overcome any challenges from our enemies.” British government security experts, including officials from COBRA, the national emergencies committee, flew into Somalia to deliver the training to Somali government officials. The Federal Government of Somalia was represented by senior officials from the Offices of the President and Prime Minister, National Intelligence and Security Agency, the Ministries of Interior, National Security, Health and the Mayor’s Office. The training covered the full spectrum of security and emergency response issues, from scenario planning, security assessments, protective security and incident management to command and control, public awareness campaigns and cross-government coordination.
SOMALI MEDIA
Allied forces liberate Gandershe town from al Shabaab
05 Feb- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Dalsan/Shabelle/
Somalia government forces Wednesday liberated Gandershe town of Lower Shabelle region from Al Shabab. Joint operation led by the Government forces and AMISOM troops resulted the liberation of Gandershe town located between the capital, Mogadishu and Marka, the administrative capital of Lower Shabelle region. The governor of Lower Shabelle region Abdikadir Nur Sidi has confirmed the liberation operation and said that the town was now under the control of the regional administration. The area has been under al Shabaab control and was used for the attacks against Mogadishu. The government forces started a clear up operation in the area and soon after the operation ended Somalia government officials visited the town to hold meeting with the local community.
Police in Mogadishu display recovered homemade explosives
05 Feb- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Bar-kulan/Dalsan/
Police in Mogadishu, Somalia capital have Wednesday displayed improvised devices recovered during a search operation in Hamarweyne neighborhood. Somalia Police Spokesman Gen. Mohamed Yusuf Madale has said that the police seized equipment used to plant and then detonate explosives from Hamarweyne neighborhood following intelligence information obtained by the police. “We have seized handmade detonators, Fuses and TNT powder used to plant IEDs [Improvised Explosive Devices] during the operation in Hamarweyne.” Gen Madale told local media at a press conference in Mogadishu. The police were searching suspected individuals linked to planting handmade bombs used for last night’s bomb attacks targeted in parts of the capital. The operation came a day after the country’s Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed has demanded for answers following bomb attack in Mogadishu during two executive nights.
Gov’t forces threaten to attack southwest town of Bardere
05 Feb- Source: Bar-kulan-109 Words
Somali forces in Gedo region have threatened to attack rebel held southwest towns of Bardhere and Burdubo in effort to dislodge militants in the region. Speaking to Bar-kulan, Beled-Hawo security commander, Mohamed-wali Yussuf Qorrah said government forces are now working on plans to unseat the rebel group from the towns in the Gedo region. He said government troops from Luq and Dolow towns are now heading towards Garbaharrey where they will be joining other government troops to carry out the military operation against al Shabaab fighters. Somali military officials have been threatening to attack rebel held positions in Gedo since after the Ethiopian troops have been formally integrated into AMISOM.
Body of deceased former Somali Prime Minister en route to Mogadishu for burial
05 Feb- Source: Radio Mogadishu/RBC-227 Words
The body of the deceased former Somalia Prime Minister Late Abdirisak Hagi Hussein was flown from Minneapolis where he has passed away in last week to Mogadishu for his burial, Somali government said. The body of late Hussein was taken from Minneapolis on Wednesday on a flight to Istanbul, Turkey in transit to Somalia capital Mogadishu where he will be buried later this week. Somali government officials are now in Istanbul to receive the body and take it to Mogadishu. The government’s national committee for the memorial of the former prime minister announced that the official farewell event will start on Friday after the burial service ends. The body of the honored firmer Somali prime minister Abdrisak Haji Hussein will be laid to rest in the national cemetery in Mogadishu. Three days of national mourning will begin officially on Friday as the flag of the nation will be lowered down to pay respect. Late Haji Hussein has served as the country’s second civilian prime minister between 1964 and 1967 before he handed over the office the election of then president Abdirashi Sharmarke. Late Abdrisisak has been ill for years in a hospital in USA with severe lung infection caused by torture and inhuman beating from the Italian colonial soldiers in the town of Baidoa in 1950.
Somaliland appeals help to fight locust
05 Feb- Source: Somalilandsun/Somali Current-122 Words
The authorities of Somalia’s autonomous region of Somaliland appealed international agencies to help fight against locust, after huge swarms of locusts invaded areas in the region. Somaliland Minister of Farming, Farah Elmi Gedole told local media that the locust invaded western and eastern parts of the region, stating that they need a help to fight against the swarms. “The Locust invaded large areas of land from Las-qoray to Lughaye and laid its eggs, it’s still increasing. We cannot afford to tackle it.” The Minister said. Mr. Farah Elmi Gedole said the authorities tried their best to help farmers to safe the agricultural land from the locust, adding that they have sent appeal to the International Agencies, but none responded to their appeal. The minister was speaking after receiving locust control teams from Egypt, Ethiopia, and Italy.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Kenya Police seized ‘key items from Mombasa mosque’
05 Feb- Source: Standard Media-853 Words
Police in Mombasa say it may take them two months to sift through the treasure trove of information seized from the controversial Musa Mosque after Sunday’s violent clashes. Sources told The Standard investigators are sifting through documents and analysing electronic information seized from militants after the deadly clashes with a group reportedly attending a jihadist convention. And preliminary reports indicate the material has valuable information reports indicate the material has valuable information that could be used to uncover terror suspects. A top security official warned that more raids on other mosques would follow adding that police have a right to storm any place where they suspect a crime is being committed. Reports also emerged that the crier of the nearby and equally controversial Sakina Mosque was among those killed in Sunday’s raid.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Youths riot in Kenya for third time over mosque raid, one dead
05 Feb- Source: Reuters-472 Words
Muslim youths fought police in the Kenyan port of Mombasa and one person was killed on Wednesday, witnesses said, in a third day of violence over the killing of a man in a police raid on a mosque used by firebrand preachers. Kenya is trying to break up militant recruitment networks among its Muslim community in efforts to end attacks by Somali Islamist militants and their sympathizers bent on punishing it for sending troops to Somalia to fight al Shabaab rebels. The east African country, which has the region’s largest economy, is still reeling from an al Shabaab attack on a luxury shopping mall in Nairobi in September which at least 67 people were killed. On Wednesday evening, youths pelted vehicles with rocks and torched motorcycles in a third day of disturbances since the Sunday raid on the mosque, creating a major traffic snarl up on the busy highway that leads into Mombasa from the hinterland.
New barrages of mortar fire rattle Mogadishu
05 Feb- Source: AP-491 Words
Mortar fire from Islamic extremists has pummeled large parts of the Somali capital two nights this week, raising fears among residents of a return to the days of constant conflict and prompting government and security officials to spring into action. So far the attacks appear to have been more bark than bite. No deaths have been confirmed by officials and a hospital nurse said 12 wounded patients were treated. But the two nights of attacks brought Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed to urge a meeting of government and security leaders to halt the mortar fire. “Those explosions create fear in our people, we must investigate and swiftly bring to justice those behind these attacks,” Ahmed told the gathering. “Our people should be able to live without fear and that is the number one responsibility of my government. I want every one of you in this room to come up with a result. This cannot be allowed to happen again.”
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The process of creating most federal states has been fraught with delays, contestation and confusion. Under the provisional constitution, all federal states must be built from among the 18 regions that existed prior to the civil war. “Two or more regions may merge to form a Federal Member State,” according to the constitution.”
Briefing: Can federalism work in Somalia?
05 Feb- Source: IRIN News-1976 Words
On paper, federalism appears to be central to today’s Somalia. “Federal Republic” is part of its official name. It is run by a “federal national government”. “Federal, sovereign and democratic” are the country’s defining characteristics, according to Article 1 of the 2012 provisional constitution, a document in which the word “federal” appears 710 times. But in the wake of more than two decades of civil war and state collapse, Somalis disagree about whether federalism is a recipe for sustainable peace – and even whether such a system is practicable. This briefing examines the issues.