January 10, 2012 | Morning Headlines.
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Roads in Somalia to be restored by Turkey10 Jan – Source: Radio Mogadishu – 125 words TIKA’s coordinator in Somalia Abdulahad Kokdagi said that they held a meeting with Somali officials to prepare a report regarding what was required to restore roads in Mogadishu. Roads in Mogadishu will be restored by Turkish Cooperation & Coordination Agency Administration (TIKA), Highways Directorate General, Turkish Red Crescent and Istanbul municipality. |
Key Headlines
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SOMALI MEDIARoads in Somalia to be restored by Turkey10 Jan – Source: Radio Mogadishu – 125 words TIKA’s coordinator in Somalia Abdulahad Kokdagi said that they held a meeting with Somali officials to prepare a report regarding what was required to restore roads in Mogadishu. Roads in Mogadishu will be restored by Turkish Cooperation & Coordination Agency Administration (TIKA), Highways Directorate General, Turkish Red Crescent and Istanbul municipality. TFG, al Shabaab claim victory over fighting in southwestern Somalia10 Jan – Source: Shabelle – 172 words Fierce fighting between pro-government soldiers backing by Kenyan army and al Shabaab fighters took place on Tuesday in parts of Lower Jubba region in southwestern Somalia, officials said. At least one person was confirmed dead and three others injured, some seriously in the battle, which erupted in the early hours on Tuesday after al Shabaab militants targeted a remote-controlled landmine blast on a military convoy traveling between Tabta and Qoqani villages in Lower Jubba region, which is close to the Somali border Kenya, according to witnesses. Al Shabaab execute a Kenyan in Kismayo for allegedly spying for Kenyan troops10 Jan- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 141 words Al Shabaab has on Tuesday executed one of its fighters in Kismayo town for allegedly spying for Kenyan troops. Reports say rebel fighters executed a Kenyan national in public after rebel court allegedly found him guilty of spying for the Kenyan troops in parts of the region. Hundreds of locals witnessed the execution. Al Shabaab head of logistics in Gedo killed10 Jan- Source: Somalia Report- 121 words Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) forces carried out a series of attacks on al Shabaab bases in Gedo region on Monday night, killing dozens of al Shabaab fighters, including a prominent logistics figure and a number of foreign fighters. Al Shabaab militants torture businessmen in southern Somalia10 Jan – Source: Mareeg Online, Shabelle – 148 words Clashes between al Shabaab and local business men were reported on Tuesday in Elasha-Biyaha area, Mogadishu, causing killing, abduction and torture. The violence began after senior al Shabaab commanders reached business centers in Elasha-Biyaha area and ordered businessmen to pay money to help finance their campaign to overthrow Somalia’s western- backed government. REGIONAL MEDIAKenya government bolsters security with Somalia border10 Jan- Source: the Standard- 250 words The government has bolstered security on the 210 kilometres stretch border between the country and Somalia in Wajir in an effort to contain Al Shabaab militants from entering the country. According to the Wajir South District Commissioner George Otieno, security forces in the district had intensified patrols and sealed off all illegal entry routes that were being used by the militant groups to enter Kenya. OIC to hold the second water meeting on Somalia in January OIC ships 6000 Hemodialysis filters to Gaza10 Jan- Source: International Islamic News Agency- 300 words The Organization of Islamic Cooperation managed to send to Gaza Strip 6000 filters for hemodialysis machines provided by the Islamic Relief in the United Kingdom, following the emergency appeal by Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, OIC Secretary General which he made few days ago to meet the medical needs especially in the areas of cancer and kidney diseases treatment. Police alarmed over foreigners with Shabaab links10 Jan- Source: Capital FM- 640 words Police are concerned about the increasing number of foreign nationals travelling to Kenya en-route to Somalia to join the al Shabaab militia in their battle. Police Spokesman Eric Kiraithe said at least seven foreign nationals, including a former US military intelligence officer and a Briton had travelled into Kenya with intent to enter Somalia through the port of Kismayu. INTERNATIONAL MEDIAKenya forces, Somali insurgents clash10 Jan- Source: Reuters- 232 words Kenya’s military fought a clash with al Shabaab fighters in southern Somalia on Tuesday, and Kenyan police said they had placed several people under surveillance to prevent attacks at home linked to the Somali insurgents. The Kenyan military said one of its soldiers and six al Shabaab fighters had been killed in the clash between the Somali towns of Tabda and Qoqani. Al Shabaab said none of its fighters and six Kenyan soldiers had died. Somali Pirate Claims Georgia Paid Ransom for Release of Sailors10 Jan – Source: Turkish Weekly News- 196 words A ransom of $3 million was paid by Georgia to release 15 Georgian and three Turkish sailors from captivity according to the Internet portal somaliareport.com. According to the portal, the crew of the ship flying the flag of Malta was released on Jan.8 after payment of ransom. SOCIAL MEDIACULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS SOMALI DIASPORA: A familiar situation for many Minnesotans10 Jan – Source: Hiiraan Online – 206 Words One hundred years ago, my grandfathers walked across Europe to various ports, leaving our families in czarist Russia, with its terrible persecution of Jewish communities, to plant roots in the imperfect freedom of America. They labored long hours in sweatshops in New York City, and pinched pennies to support and rescue our families from the horrors of Russia. My grandmothers and their children endured persecutions, World War I, famine, the Bolshevik Revolution, the 1918 flu, and the trek across Europe to the bowels of a steamship. There was minimal communication in the seven to 11 years of separation. Our Somali-American neighbors are living the same immigrant story, with the horrors endured by loved ones left behind. The same family values drive them to support parents and extended families in war-ravaged Somalia. Tragically, the last remaining bank that facilitated funds transfers to Somalia has succumbed to fear of prosecution under current Homeland Security and banking laws, closing this life-saving pipeline to refugees and displaced persons. We must urge our banks and regulatory agencies, via our elected officials, to create a safe means for Somali-Americans to support their relatives. This is a moral issue and, surprisingly, a means to project a positive image of America in East Africa. Count down to mid-2012 & the beginning of the “End of Transition”10 Jan – Source: SomaliaOnline Forum IGAD in conjunction with western powers are trying to shore up the fledgling TFG. To expand Mogadishu’s reach, IC are trying to bring in other players from the cold. They have an incentive for outliers. Real and meaningful legitimacy, massive international aid, security guarantees, and biting penalty against the spoilers — incentives of that nature are one on the plate. This year may prove to be the year in which transition to post conflict Somalia materialize. How to deal with showstoppers like AS is tricky and the movement’s ground game may impede the whole process. Equally concerning is self-declared Somaliland enclave. It has already made the transition to normalcy and appears to be determined to extract real and meaningful political concession from the South. Puntland chose to be on the driving seat and it is actively reviewing the calculus in order to position itself to collect advantageous political windfall. The scramble for getting clans reach the coveted “recovery status” is under way and may explode. Despite all of this powers that matter are giving much needed attention to the grassroots political dynamics of this tragic failed state. SOL politics section will post meaningful commentaries. Comments will come from a distant land and folks who don’t have all the inside stories of the events of the day. Nevertheless will do our best and call the events as we see them. If things go south we will be disappointed but still we keep on pouring sad commentaries. |
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