January 1, 2015 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Clan fighting in central village kills 10

31 Dec – Source: Garowe Online – 192 Words

At least 10 people have been reported killed after two militias clashed in a deadly battle in the village of Deefow in Hiraan region on Wednesday morning according to medics, Garowe Online reports. The fighting which lasted six hours broke out after armed clan militiamen attacked another militia group, sources confirmed. The wounded fighters are being treated at Beledweyne General Hospital. In a press statement from his office, Federal Government of Somalia’s Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali urged the warring sides to exercise restraint and immediately de-escalate armed tensions. “Central Somalia is hosting a reconciliation and state formation conventions, it is unfortunate that battles are parallel to the ongoing process,” said Sharmarke, adding that the clashes could hurt the confidence of local communities. “I urge the two sides to come to the negotiating table and abandon fighting. The government will take every action to prevent the recurrent hostility from happening,” he noted. On December 27, titled elders from the two clans signed a peace agreement in Hiran regional capital of Beledweyne. The inter-clan feud in central Somalia emanates from claims over the ownership of agricultural land.

Key Headlines

Clan fighting in central village kills 10 (Garowe Online)
Galkacyo to have a new road (Radio Goobjoog)
SNA and AMISOM repulse Al Shabaab attack (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Somali FA endorses the election of local football committee in Southern Jubba Region (Somali Current)
Pentagon confirms death of militant commander in Somalia (Kuwait News Agency)
Dhow from Somalia catches fire sinks in Salalah waters (Times of Oman)
2014 sees weakened Al-Shabaab newborn Somalia (Anadolu Agency/World Bulletin)

SOMALI MEDIA

Clan fighting in central village kills 10

31 Dec – Source: Garowe Online – 192 Words

Galkacyo to have a new road

31 Dec – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 114 Words

Galkacyo, the provincial capital of Mudug region, will get a new paved tarmac road. Puntland officials including Galkacyo District Mayor Yacqub Mohamed Abdalla have laid a foundation for a new paved tarmac road in the western part of the town. The new road, set to be implemented in the town, has been funded by the Puntland government. The district is also expected to have several other new paved tarmac roads in next year. The new road is expected to enhance the beauty and the image of the town and is part of ongoing developments ongoing in the Puntland, a semi-autonomous state in north eastern Somalia.

SNA and AMISOM repulse Al Shabaab attack

31 Dec – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 121 Words

The Somali National Army backed by AMISOM peacekeeping troops has repulsed an Al Shabaab militant group attack near Bula-Burte town. The joint troops were on a mission to halt a siege by Al Shabaab on Burweyn town, 30 kilometers from Bula-Burte town. According to Bula-Burte Mayor, Osman Gedi Elmi, joint forces repulsed Al Shabaab’s attack– he said two militants were killed during the attack. Al Shabaab has imposed sanctions on the area following the loss of Bula Burte, a strategic town, on March 2014. The group siege created devastating effects on the lives of the people in the area, as vehicles transporting food and other basic items were not allowed in.

Somali FA endorses the election of local football committee in Southern Jubba Region

31 Dec – Source: Somali Current – 122 Words

The Somali Football Federation has fully accepted and welcomed the election of Mr. Abdullahi Duale Mohamed as the chairman of the local football committee of the Southern Lower Jubba region. Mr. Mohamed got 4 votes out of the 5 votes cast in the election to replace former regional football committee chairman Mr. Burhan Mohmoud Hassan who served as an interim leader for a period of one year, and democratically left office after finishing his term in office. Opposing candidate Suleiman Abdi Bedel got only one vote. Somali Football Federation deputy secretary General Hassan Mohamed Mahmoud witnessed the election that brought in Mr. Mohamed and members of his committee, and was held in the region’s provincial capital Kismayo on 25th of December 2014.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Pentagon confirms death of militant commander in Somalia

31 Dec – Source: Kuwait News Agency – 95 Words

The Pentagon on Wednesday revealed that a US drone attack killed a high-ranking militant from Al-Shabaab group in Somalia. Spokesperson Rear Admiral John Kirby announced on Twitter that “Tahlil Abdishakur, chief of Al-Shabaab’s intelligence and security wing, was killed in a US airstrike in Somalia” on December 29. “His death will significantly impact Al-Shabaab’s ability to conduct attacks against the government of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Somali people, and US allies and interests in the region,” the Pentagon said in a statement, via DoD News.

Dhow from Somalia catches fire, sinks in Salalah waters

30 Dec – Source: Times of Oman – 205 Words

A dhow which had set sail from Somalia with livestock caught fire in Salalah Port waters in the wee hours ofTuesday morning, an official from the port said. “The dhow caught fire after it was anchored to unload the livestock. The fire was put off by forces from the port, other navy units and a ship in the same vicinity,” the official added.

“There are no casualties. The people on board were rescued. Meanwhile, the dhow has started to sink after the accident,” the official added. The dhow had caught fire after a few minutes past 12am. It was totally gutted by3:30am. Last year in October, a similar incident had occurred in the port after a Korean flagged fishing trawler caught fire.

According to sources at the port, the trawler, ‘BAEKYANG 29’, which was docked at Berth No. 24, caught fire at around 2:30am on October 28. However, timely intervention by Salalah Port officials and firefighting rescue team averted a major disaster. A tug boat towed the trawler, which was carrying ammonia, an inflammable item, 12 miles away from the port and just as they were trying to disconnect, the trawler sank.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

2014 sees weakened Al-Shabaab, newborn Somalia

31 Dec – Anadolu News Agency/World Bulletin – 707 Words

Somalia, a troubled Horn of Africa nation that has not known peace since 1991, made significant military and economic headway in 2014. President Hassan Mohamud had promised that 2014 would see the end of Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked militant group that has been battling successive governments for years.

In February, ten militants managed to break into the president’s fortified residence in Mogadishu, killing five presidential guards. Nine of the attackers were killed. Al-Shabaab also assassinated MPs Isaack Mohamed and Abdiaziz Mursal in April. On May 24, Al-Shabaab militants attacked the parliament building in Mogadishu while lawmakers were in session. All the attackers were killed after a five-hour gunfight, while several MPs suffered minor injuries. The presidential residence came under attack again in July. The year ended with an attack on Somalia’s largest AMISOM military base. On Christmas day, militants penetrated the Halane base camp and engaged African peacekeepers for more than seven hours. Twelve people, including three peacekeepers and one civilian, were killed in the melee. Al-Shabaab described the attack as revenge for the death of its leader, Godane.

As military operations have continued to make gains, things have also changed on the ground. The year saw a significant number of Somalis in diaspora come back to the country following decades in exile. This is expected to have a major impact on the growth of capital Mogadishu. There has been a recent construction boom, with more buildings – commercial and residential – appearing on the Mogadishu skyline. The country is now getting a complete makeover, replete with sandy beaches, football matches, new banks and ATM machines, classy restaurants and an increasingly vibrant nightlife.

Cracking down on terror funding but looking for Islamic investors – Africa turns to sharia bonds

31 Dec – Source: Mail & Guardian Africa – 1, 030 Words

THIS past month, Kenya banned fifteen NGOs accused of funding terrorism, as the country struggles to defend itself from attacks by the al-Shabaab terror militia based in neighbouring Somalia. The charities, mainly based in northern Kenya and the Coast where the bulk of attacks have happened, were not named but had their assets seized and accounts frozen. The country’s NGO board said the decision followed domestic and international investigations on the charities.

Despite Kenya sending in its troops into Somalia three years ago to flush out the al –Shabaab militants, its weakest link is back home – Kenya itself has always been attractive as an operating base for terror groups in Somalia, particularly for fundraising and chanelling money from abroad. A 2011 report by the UN’s Monitoring Group on Somalia documented how terror funds from all over the world would be wired to Nairobi, which acted as a financial hub for such transactions, and on to Somalia.

Money transfer companies in the UK move at least a third of global remittances to Somalia, estimated at $1-1.5 billion a year. The biggest company targeted, Somali remittance company Dahabshiil, obtained an injunction from the High Court in London blocking the decision. In April 2014, the two settled out of court with Dahabshiil agreeing to shift its accounts to another banker after a transition period; it is unclear whom the company is currently banking with.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“As of today, FGS do not represent the populations under the authorities of Somaliland, Puntland, Jubbaland, and Southwest. The Provisional Constitution designed to shackle the arbitrary and capricious behavior of rulers has become a worthless piece of paper for lack of compliance and respect.”

Tragedy on Somalia’s unity, nationalism and sovereignty

31 Dec – Source: Somali Current – 1, 309 Words

Societies need national governments for the promotion of social cohesion, protection of the rights of all citizens, defense from external harm and aggression, maintenance of political and security order, spur of economic development, and provision of emergency assistance. Conversely, Governments can be machinery used for killing, oppression, insecurity, and economic depredation. History shows that countries blessed with accountable governments led by patriotic leaders enjoyed steady progress and stability. In the last five decades, African countries were ruined by autocrats who used violence, divide and rule, and corruption to remain in power to the death and destruction of their countries like Somalia. The latter experience could not and should not be model and reference for rebuilding new Somalia.

As of today, FGS do not represent the populations under the authorities of Somaliland, Puntland, Jubbaland, and Southwest. The Provisional Constitution designed to shackle the arbitrary and capricious behavior of rulers has become a worthless piece of paper for lack of compliance and respect. TFG has morphed into a political machine used by a politically, economically, socially, and religiously motivated cabal (Somali and foreigners) determined to auction the Somali future through loyalty to foreign powers, disregard of national interests, rule of law and national sovereignty, and use of widespread patronage system. It exists to validate foreign agenda and to plunder Mogadishu Port revenue and funds provided by foreign donors. The actions of FGS leaders exclusively motivated by personal calculations are at the expense of peace and reconciliation and state building. Somali solidarity under the banner of Somali flag looks far-off.

“If you are a person with good will and you decide you want to set up a charity in Somalia or Yemen or Syria, opening a bank account for that is really near to impossible.”

NGOs and anti-terror laws – how to keep your bank manager appy

31 Dec – Source: IRIN – 1, 646 Words

The British government must do more to prevent charities working in high-risk countries from having their finances cut off, leading charities and bankers have warned. In recent months a growing number of British NGOs working in the Middle East and other dangerous regions have faced account closures, crippling their much-needed humanitarian work. Others have had payments delayed for many months. In most cases no specific allegations of wrongdoing were put forward by the banks.

A report published today calls for better coordination between the banks, NGOs and the British government to reduce such cases. It also urges the government to take the lead in designing a clearer framework for what banks and NGOs are allowed to do legally. Report author Tom Keatinge, Director of the Centre for Financial Crime & Security Studies at the RUSI think tank and a former banker, said at times there had not been enough guidance from the government on how to avoid being tripped up by anti-terrorism legislation.

Among those who have fallen victim is the Ummah Welfare Trust (UWT). In July the charity, which has an annual turnover of around £25 million ($39 million) and works in a variety of Middle East and Asian countries including Syria and Gaza, received a letter from their bank (HSBC) announcing their account would be closed. HSBC itself had been fined nearly $2 billion in late 2012 in a money-laundering case. Muhammad Ahmed, a trustee at UWT, said no specific reason was given for HSBC’s decision. “It just said you fall out of our risk category and they didn’t want to elaborate on that.” There was no appeals process – the decision was final.