January 16, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Somali Islamist militants say French hostage sentenced to death
16 Jan – Source: Reuters/BBC – 89 words
Somali militants linked to al Qaeda have sentenced a French agent to death several days after an attempt by French armed forces to rescue him failed, the al Shabaab rebel group said on Wednesday.
“Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahideen has reached a unanimous decision to execute the French intelligence officer, Denis Allex,” the militants said in an emailed statement that was also posted on the group’s official Twitter handle.
France said on Saturday it believed Allex, held hostage by al Shabaab since 2009, had been killed in the rescue attempt. No proof of death has been made public. Al Shabaab has posted an image of a dead commando, but not of Mr. Allex.
Key Headlines
- Somali president meets U.S. Congress members (Bartamaha Online/Hiiraan Online)
- Al Shabaab ‘to kill’ French hostage Denis Allex (Bar-kulan/Shabelle/Radio Mustaqbal/Jowhar Online/Radio Risaala)
- Somalia executes two soldiers for torture rape (Bar-kulan/Raxanreeb/Jowhar Online/Radio Mogadishu)
- First Somali think tank launched in Mogadishu (Raxanreeb/Hiiraan Online/Universal TV)
- UN official condemns arrest of Somali journalist for reporting on rape case (UN News Center)
- Kenyan VP pledges to ensure peace prevails in northern Kenya (Star Kenya)
- Puntland begins military operation against al Shabaab in Galgala (Garowe Online)
- Somali NGOs call for help to ease burden of Mogadishu street children (Guardian)
PRESS RELEASE
AMISOM to Investigate Leggo Incident
16 Jan – Source: AMISOM – 152 words
AMISOM is investigating the circumstances of an incident in which Somali civilians may have been caught up in crossfire as its forces repelled an attack by the al Shabaab terror group on one of its defensive positions. The attack took place near the town of Leggo, 120 km west of Mogadishu.
A number of civilians, including several children, have been reported killed and others hospitalized after sustaining injuries. “AMISOM is conscious of its responsibility to minimize the impact of its operations and we have clear rules of engagement.
We are currently gathering all the facts and establishing the circumstances of this tragic incident so as to ascertain whether, and to what extent, these rules may have been breached,” said Acting Force Commander, Salvatore Harushimana.
Major General Harushimana offered his condolences to the families of those who have been killed in the incident and his prayers for the quick recovery of the wounded.
SOMALI MEDIA
Al Shabaab ‘to kill’ French hostage Denis Allex
16 Jan – Source: Bar-kulan/Shabelle/Radio Mustaqbal/Jowhar Online/Radio Risaala – 137 words
Islamist militants in Somalia have said they will execute the French intelligence officer, Dennis Allex who has been in captivity since 2009. A statement published on Twitter purportedly by Al-Shabaab’s press office on Wednesday claimed that the group “has reached a unanimous decision to execute the French intelligence officer”.
The group said France bore responsibility for his death, as well as for two French commandos killed during Friday night’s raid in the town of Bulo Marer during the botched rescue mission.
“With the rescue attempt, France has voluntarily signed Allex’s death warrant. Following the failed operation, Le Drian, aware that execution is the natural corollary of treachery, announced that the punishment had already been meted out, despite the fact that Allex was at the time alive and safe in another safe house,” reads the statement in part.
Somali president meets U.S. Congress members
16 Jan – Source: Bartamaha Online/Hiiraan Online – 190 words
U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, joined a bipartisan gathering of members of the U.S. Congress to welcome Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to the U.S. Capitol Tuesday, Michaud’s office reported.
This is Hassan’s first visit to the United States as President and first meeting with members of Congress, Michaud noted. In the meeting, he discussed the recent security gains and economic development in Mogadishu.
Over the last several months, the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the number of attacks on aid workers fell from 13 in October to four and five in November and December, a press release stated. The African Union Mission in Somalia has liberated Mogadishu and other areas from al Shabaab, and more humanitarian relief is reaching those who desperately need it, Michaud’s office reported.
First Somali think tank launched in Mogadishu
16 Jan – Source: Raxanreeb/Hiiraan Online/Universal TV – 156 words
Somalia’s first think tank was launched in the capital, Mogadishu. The Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan research center which aims to inform and influence public policy and practice through field-based research, informed analysis and innovative solutions in the form of reports, policy briefs and public debates.
“The absence of meaning policy discourse and a credible Somali voice that can articulate a national narrative have contributed to the plight of the Somali people during two decades of civil war,” said Abdi Aynte, a former journalist with Al Jazeera English and the director of HIPS.
Aynte added: “HIPS intends to fill that gap by enhancing the public’s understanding of complex policy matters through research and analysis, and by providing options to policymakers.”
Somalia executes two soldiers for torture, rape
16 Jan – Source: Bar-kulan/Raxanreeb/Jowhar Online/Radio Mogadishu – 124 words
A Somali military court has on Wednesday executed two soldiers in Mogadishu after they were found guilty of torture and rape, reports say. The two, Jamal Ahmed Abdikadir and Abdi Osman Ali faced a firing squad at Police Training Academy ground in the capital Mogadishu early Wednesday morning.
Abdikadir was reportedly found guilty of killing a civilian in Mogadishu while his co-accused Osman was found guilty of raping a girl. Several high ranking military and police officials including Somali police commissioner Gen. Sharif Shekuna Maye were present at the execution site.
Somalia has in the recent past executed several of its soldiers after they were sentenced to death by the Military Court for committing murder and robbery with violence.
Puntland begins military operation against al Shabaab in Galgala
15 Jan – Source: Garowe Online – 234 words
Government forces in Somalia ‘s northern region of Puntland have began a military operation against al Shabaab militants in the Golis Mountain Range, Garowe Online reports.
Col. Jama Said Warsame “Afgadud “told Radio Garowe in a telephone interview that Puntland government forces launched a surprise raid on al Shabaab positions in the Galgala mountains area on Tuesday morning.
“The terrorists have dispersed and fled to different directions, ” said Col. Afgadud, the commander of Puntland Defense Force units stationed in the Galgala area. Col. Afgadud noted that Puntland government forces seized key areas in the mountainous region and inflicted casualties on al Shabaab militants.
AMISOM soldiers killed civilians near Lego village
15 Jan – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 186 words
There is a reports indicating that AMISOM soldiers near in Lego village made civilian attacks and killed 7 people most of them were children while nearby 14 others wounded earlier on Tuesday morning at around 5:30AM.
The general spokesman of AMISOM Mr. Elwa Yaya who gives an interview to kulmiye radio said from Nairobi “We are aware of reports of an amputation of AMISOM soldiers and also there were reports that some civilians were killed in a cross fire so we are still trying to confirm that reports. “Yes, I’ understand what those reports from various media outlets are saying and we also as AMISOM we need to investigate the fact and once we found the conclusions, we will put some statement out but right now we are trying to gather all the facts so that we don’t have a dictation of the information before that”.
“The situations like this we should gather the information very fair all the reports and when the investigation will be complemented there will be a report to be put out and appropriate actions will be taken”. Mr. Elwa added.
Somaliland strengthening relations with U.A.E
15 Jan – Source: Somaliland Press – 153 words
The (self-declared) Republic of Somaliland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Mohamed Abdillahi Omar, accompanied by the Minister of Presidency, Hersi Ali Haji Hassan, arrived in Dubai Monday evening as part of a diplomatic visit meant to deepen Somaliland’s long-standing economic and security partnership with the United Arab Emirates.
While in Dubai, Foreign Minister Omar will meet with representatives from the government and private sector, including State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, and intermediaries from the maritime terminal operating and developing company DP World.
The UAE and Somaliland have developed close cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, the fight against piracy and regional affairs. In June 2012, the UAE government showed its commitment to peace and stability in the Horn of Africa by bringing together the presidents of Somaliland and Somalia to ratify a framework for bilateral dialogue meant to clarify future relations between the two countries.
‘Over 1,500 terrorism suspects arrested’ in Mogadishu: Police
15 Jan – Source: Garowe Online – 126 words
Somali police officials say over 1, 700 young men suspected of being al Shabaab members were arrested in Mogadishu on Jan. 14 and Jan. 15, Garowe Online reports.
Gen. Ahmed Hassan Moallim, police commissioner of Banadir region told Puntland-based independent Radio Garowe that the security operation was conducted in Mogadishu ‘s Wadajir district. “We are sorting through the suspects, case by case. So far we have isolated 100 men with evidenced links to al Shabaab terrorist group,” said Gen. Moallim.
Continuing, he noted that the Somali federal government plans to conduct similar security operations in other regions now controlled by government forces. “I call upon the Somali people to work closely with government forces for the sake of peace,” said Gen. Moallim.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Kenyan VP pledges to ensure peace prevails in northern Kenya
16 Jan – Source: Star – 49 words
Vice president of Kenya Kalonzo Musyoka has pledged to ensure peace prevails in northern Kenya. The VP has condemned the recent attacks in Garissa saying the government is committed to ensuring calm is restored in neighboring Somalia as it will play a crucial role in maintaining peace in Kenya.
Al Shabaab ineffective due to mistrust of foreigners, al Amriki says
15 Jan – Source: Sabahi Online – 288 words
A letter allegedly written by American-born jihadist Omar Hammami, the al Qaeda operative known as Abu Mansoor al Amriki, says al Shabaab has been increasingly ineffective in Somalia because of its mistrust of foreigners and weak allegiance to the principles of global jihad.
“The brothers from al Qaeda in Somalia have tried for two decades and failed to change the situation in spite of their tremendous efforts,” the document posted with a video on January 7th said. “This is due to the Somali nature that prevents outside interference and prohibits suggestions from others.”
“Despite the propaganda from some Somalis that they are on board with global jihad, their past and present actions indicate that all they want is internal work for local purposes,” it said. “In spite of the rumours that they follow the al Qaeda ideology, they are the ones that expelled al Qaeda from Somalia.”
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Islamist militants say French hostage sentenced to death
16 Jan – Source: Reuters/BBC – 89 words
Somali militants linked to al Qaeda have sentenced a French agent to death several days after an attempt by French armed forces to rescue him failed, the al Shabaab rebel group said on Wednesday.
“Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahideen has reached a unanimous decision to execute the French intelligence officer, Denis Allex,” the militants said in an emailed statement that was also posted on the group’s official Twitter handle.
France said on Saturday it believed Allex, held hostage by al Shabaab since 2009, had been killed in the rescue attempt. No proof of death has been made public. Al Shabaab has posted an image of a dead commando, but not of Mr Allex.
Somali NGOs call for help to ease burden of Mogadishu street children
16 Jan – Source: Guardian – 856 words
The muezzin calls for afternoon prayer. A small boy wearing torn trousers and a dirty, brown oversized T-shirt rushes from a shed. Holding a rusty paint tin, he stands at the entrance to Isbahaysiga mosque in Mogadishu, a short distance from Somalia’s partially rebuilt houses of parliament.
Ali Noor is 10. He has been working as a shoe shiner for three years, and the tin he is carrying holds the rudimentary tools of his trade – a sponge, brush and shoe polish. Friday’s midday prayers draw the biggest congregation; for Ali, this is the best time to earn a living. His eyes are fixed on the feet of worshippers coming to the mosque. He’s searching for dusty shoes. The dry, sandy streets of Mogadishu mean plenty could benefit from his skills.
Ali is one of at least 20 boys competing to clean the shoes of the well-heeled Muslim faithful who worship at the mosque. For each pair of shoes cleaned, he charges $0.10, although fierce competition from other boys means some clients bargain the price down to as little as $0.05.
While the white-robed men pray, the boys are busy at work. After an hour, Ali’s T-shirt is wet and sweat falls from his brow. Yet he is all smiles – and $0.70 richer. “I like Fridays,” he says. “I earn more than on other days, so my little brothers will have something to eat tonight.”
UN official condemns arrest of Somali journalist for reporting on rape case
15 Jan – Source: UN News Centre – 132 words
The United Nations official dealing with conflict-related sexual violence today condemned the arrest of a Somali journalist who was detained for conducting an interview with a woman who claimed she was raped by members of the Somali Army in September.
“Allegations of rape should be met with objective investigations by the proper authorities, not detention for victims who come forward or arrest for journalists who report on such crimes,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura. “The approach taken by the Somali police does not serve the interest of justice; it only serves to criminalize victims and undermine freedom of expression for the press.”
The journalist, who worked for Radio Ergo and other media outlets, was detained on Thursday by Somali police, while another journalist working for a separate media outlet was also called in for questioning. In addition, the woman interviewed by the Radio Ergo journalist was also detained, as was the person who introduced them. The reporter had yet to publish the interview in any media outlet before his arrest.
Somalia to Minnesota: Arrested in Sudan
15 Jan – Source: Twin City Daily Planet – 724 words
Abdullah Elmi was smuggled again from Shagarab camp to Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan. In Khartoum, he found a university student who made his living as a smuggler.
The man collected money from Elmi and dozens of other migrants from Somalia, West Africa, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, all in search of a better life in Europe. The smuggler gave the migrants a room, with a plan to travel at night for Libya. There are many smugglers in Khartoum, Elmi said, and they don’t like one another. If one gets a deal, others fight to ruin it.
So Hassan Turabi, a community leader of the Somalis in Khartoum, who also puts on a smuggler’s hat, heard Elmi and the other migrants’ story: new immigrants making deals with a student-smuggler. The first thing Turabi did was set the police against the migrants — just because Elmi and his group didn’t do business with him.
“He called the police and told them that we were terrorists from Somalia,” Elmi said. “I was packing stuff, getting ready for the trip; then I heard a kick on my door.”
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The mission has since transformed and many players have joined, it is now beyond reasonable doubt that stabilizing Somalia is not impossible. Perceptions have changed, there is light at the end of Somalia’s dark tunnel, and for the first time in more than 40 years, Somalis have a legitimate and democratic government.”
Stabilising Somalia now mission possible
15 Jan – Source: Observer – 694 Words
Five years ago, Uganda committed troops to the African Union Mission (AMISOM), backed by UN Security Council resolution 1744 13 (2007), to stabilise chaos-devastated Somalia.
This was a mission, one would intuitively say, that even the drafters saw as impossible. It followed several failed regional and international efforts on Somalia, the latest, then, being the IGAD’s Mission (IGASOM) that had been mooted in 2002 but collapsed in March 2006. Against these odds Uganda’s leaders believed that the mission was doable, sensing an opportunity for “African solution to African problems”.
It seemed, then, a courageous mission, for Uganda to attempt to reassemble the wreckage of a country the world had written off as beyond repair. Five years down the road, the topical question is not “if but when” will total stability be realized?
To journalists, it is not surprising that Somalia can go for days without making alarming headlines. Charles Onyango-Obbo recently wrote that Somalia broke its own record, spending two months without hogging the headlines.
“I believe that the evolution of Mogadishu can help us understand the failure of the Somali state. In fact, examining Mogadishu’s history may be a perfect model to understand the collapse of the former Somalia precisely because Mogadishu did not evolve in isolation. Specifically because the evolution of Mogadishu was always driven and impacted by myriad of Somali actors and Somalia related factors including political structures and ethnic and geographies of identification.”
Mogadoxo 1.0 – An Arab City State
15 Jan – Source: Wardheer News – 1283 Words
The evolution of the city of Mogadoxo/Mogadishu on the eastern coast of Africa from a vibrant Arabic city state to the epicenter of the war against violent extremism in the Horn of Africa may help explain the protracted Somali civil conflict and the overall instability in the Horn Africa.
Review of historical documents shows that Mogadishu had undergone at least four evolutionary stages that fundamentally changed the demographic composition, culture, social norms and power structure of the city and the region among other things.
The Arab explorers Ibn Battuta provides first detailed description of the city, the people and their customs. Battuta describes a dynamic city full of Arab merchants influenced by both Arab and Indian cultures. Battuta’s accounts confirm recent research findings in global trade indicating that the Indian Ocean states were far more economically integrated than previously believed – prior to the European entry in the region in the 1500s.
Arab Sultans who founded the cities of Mogadoxo, Merka (in Somalia), Mombasa (in Kenya), Kilwa (in Tanzania) and Sofala (in Mozambique) traded with Persians, Indians, Arabs and Chinese among others. Mogadoxo would grow and become an integral part of the Arabian-Indian-Chinese in what was once referred to as the first globalized trade in the world.
When the Imam goes missing, nobody prays!
15 Jan – Source: Somalia Online – 189 Words
Ever since the new president for Somalia has been elected there has been a marked silence in Somali news. Nothing is exaggerated and magnified like it used to. No news item is dissected, pored over or discussed in the usual old detail. Nobody seems to be interested anymore!
I am sure there are lots of good things taking place in Somalia today. I am sure there is amazing progress happening. I am sure there are interesting developments to know about. Alas, not much is being reported. Not much is being publicised and hardly any is being shared.
It seems to me that Somalia is Puntland and Puntland is Somalia. So, when the Imam is silent, nobody else seems to be talking (not even Somaliland).
What gives? Why the sudden silence? And don’t Hassan Sheikh’s supporters have the same abilities or knowhow as the Puntlanders? Do they really need the Imam to be causing waves for them to wake up and list their achievements?
Hassan Sheikh needs to cease the moment (and the silence of the Imam) to cement his own authority and achievements in Somali minds.
“I would be very surprised to see AMISOM leave Somalia in March. It will be interesting, though, to see what happens with the arms embargo issue and the charcoal issue.”
Somalia: Extending AMISOM’s Mandate
15 Jan – Source: Sahel Blog – 348 Words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has played a decisive role in the Somali government’s reconquest of territory in the southern part of the country from the rebel group al Shabaab. AMISOM was created in January 2007. The United Nations Security Council authorized the African Union to deploy troops in Somalia in February 2007, and has periodically renewed that mandate.
The most recent renewal came in November 2012, when “the council extended the AMISOM peacekeeping mission for four months, instead of the usual 12, to allow for a review of operations, including consideration of the request to lift the arms embargo and a call for permission to resume the export of stocks of charcoal.”
The request to lift the embargo, which has been in place since 1992, comes from AMISOM. Introductory commentary on the charcoal issue can be found here. The new mandate will expire around March 7, and regional leaders have begun calling for its extension. In December, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud released a joint statement calling for the mandate’s renewal.
Top tweets
@amisomsomalia PUTTING OUT FIRES: great pics of#AMISOM training recruits in #Mogadishu‘s new fire departmenthttp://on.fb.me/TZO1jK #Somalia.
@PoetNation Promo for forthcoming: The Rebirth of a Nation: Somalia— Looks like it will be good.http://www.youtube.com/watch?
@OCHASom #Somalia is in the list of countries where most significant steps towards gender equality were made in 2012http://bit.ly/TXNY8g.
@Semhar #Somalia youth have no trouble being #Canadian,#Muslim & Somali http://bit.ly/WHVMIi ht @GobezMedia@rimabernsm #diaspora #Africa #identity.
@xamarcadey The Launch of the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies #Mogadishu http://tmblr.co/ZcsadxbsLx4a.
Image of the day
Somali government police forces guard arrested suspected al Shabaab members during an operation in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on January 15, 2013. Photo: Reuters.