January 16, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
Somalia’s Al-Shabaab Denounces Ex-spokesman As Apostate Who Could Be Killed
16 January – Source: Reuters – 318 Words
Somali al Shabaab Islamist militants, who have carried out frequent bombings in the capital, Mogadishu, said a former leader who defected to the government side was an apostate who could be killed. Al Shabaab fell out with its former spokesman and deputy leader, Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansur, in 2013. He defected to the U.N.-backed government in August last year.
Al Shabaab has been fighting for years to try to topple Somalia’s central government and rule the Horn of Africa country according to its own interpretation of Islamic law. “If Mukhtar Robow thinks he can destroy Islamic sharia and the mujahedeen, he is deluded. Allah will protect Islam and Jihad will not stop just because of you and your likes who joined the enemies,” Ali Mohamud Rage, al Shabaab’s spokesman, said in a video posted late on Monday.
It was not immediately possible to reach Robow for comment. “No doubt, Mukhtar Robow left his religion and joined the disbelievers and the enemies are still the enemies,” al shabaab’s spokesman said. “Anybody who joins the line of non-Muslims is an apostate who can be killed.” A report by rights body Human Rights Watch released on Monday said al Shabaab had threatened and abducted civilians in Somalia’s Bay region to force communities to hand over their children for indoctrination and military training in recent months. “Al Shabaab’s ruthless recruitment campaign is taking rural children from their parents so they can serve this militant armed group,” said Laetitia Bader, senior Africa researcher for the rights body.
The insurgents, who are allied with al Qaeda, were driven out of the capital Mogadishu in 2011. They have also since lost nearly all other territory they previously controlled after an offensive by Somali government troops and African Union-mandated AMISOM peacekeepers. Al Shabaab, however, remains a formidable threat and has carried out bombings both in Mogadishu and other towns against military and civilian targets.
Key Headlines
- Somalia’s Al-Shabaab Denounces Ex-spokesman As Apostate Who Could Be Killed (Reuters)
- President Farmaajo Set To Arrive In Dhusamareeb To Witness The Amalgamation Of Galmudug And ASWJ Administrations (Hiiraan Online)
- Two Journalists Sentenced In Berbera For Mayor Defamation (VOA – Somali)
- Somalia Turkey Ink Trade Deals To Boost Bilateral Ties (Xinhuanet)
- Somali Wants to Attract Tourists (Deutsche Welle)
- Why Grassroots Reconciliation Can Speed Up Rebuilding of Kenya’s Neighbour Somalia (The Star Kenya)
NATIONAL MEDIA
President Farmaajo Set To Arrive In Dhusamareeb To Witness The Amalgamation Of Galmudug And ASWJ Administrations
16 January – Source: Hiiraan Online – 115 Words
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ‘Farmaajo’ and his delegation are today set to visit Dhusamareeb town in Galgadud region to attend a ceremony that will see the amalgamation of the Galmudug and Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a administrations. The president, who is currently on his tour of Mudug and Galgadud regions, on Monday night spent his night in Adado.
Various delegations from the federal government, regional states, and international community have also been arriving in Dhusamareb to attend the event. Security of the town has been tightened with security officers deployed into main streets. During his stay in Galmudug, President Farmaajo is expected to hold consultative talks with regional state leaders who will also be attending the event.
Two Journalists Sentenced In Berbera For Mayor Defamation
16 January – Source: VOA Somali – 111 Words
Two journalists operating in the seaport town of Berbera in Somaliland were sentenced to seven months in jail each by a local court. The Sahil regional court found them guilty of disseminating reports aimed at defaming the mayor of Berbera. The two journalists, Ahmed Said Mohamed from Eryal TV and Abdirahman Mohamed Ege from Saab TV were sentenced while on bail.
The court later accepted to convert their imprisonment into fine which was paid. Their lawyer, Guled Ahmed Jama, told VOA Somali that the court sentenced them with a charge that is different from the ones they were arrested for. They were previously accused of disseminating unfounded news and public incitement.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia, Turkey Ink Trade Deals To Boost Bilateral Ties
16 January – Source: Xinhuanet – 319 Words
Somalia said on Monday that it signed a draft of trade agreements with Turkey aimed at boosting an already thriving economic cooperation between the two countries. Somali Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Ahmed Gulaid said he signed a cooperation protocol during the inaugural meeting of a Joint Economic Commission (JEC), noting that Mogadishu was open to foreign investment and ready to boost trade cooperation with all friendly countries. “The agreements will also open Somali exports to Central Asian markets through the Turkish gateway as well as to contribute to the country’s economic recovery and to generate employment for the Somali youth,” Gulaid said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.
He said the objective of the JEC is to translate the number of memorandums of understanding signed between the two countries into reality with immediate priority being to open Turkish markets for Somali products such as dry lemon, sesame and banana. The deputy prime minister stressed that revitalizing the Horn of Africa country’s economy was one of the top priorities of the Somali government.
The two countries had previously signed trade agreements in areas such as energy, mines, electricity, higher education, agriculture, and fisheries. Gulaid said Turkey’s investment in Somalia is more than 100 million U.S. dollars, predicting that the bilateral trade volume could rise to 200 million dollars from about 120 million dollars in 2016. The two countries resolved to convene regular meetings to follow up on the implementation of the agreements and to bolster the strategic cooperation in the years to come. “Apart from the historical relations between our countries, Turkey has become a very important ally for the Somali people and we are committed to consolidate these relations for the mutual benefit of our two countries,” Gulaid said.He said trade ties will also open the gates for the Somali business community to have business-to-business deals with their Turkish counterparts and to participate in Turkish trade fairs.
Somali Wants To Attract Tourists
16 January – Source: Deutsche Welle – Video: 1:30 Minutes
The Somali capital Mogadishu was once called the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’. The country’s beaches and historical sites drew international visitors. Decades of civil war ended that. Now Somalia is trying to rebuild its tourism sector.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“Before Somalia can take its rightful place in the community of nations, it must bravely face and address the horrors and dark corners of its history through a grassroots truth, justice and reconciliation process,”
Why Grassroots Reconciliation Can Speed Up Rebuilding of Kenya’s Neighbour Somalia
15 January – Source: The Star, Kenya – 640 Words
Kenya’s neighbour Somalia is making modest progress in rebuilding itself from the destruction wrought by decades of catastrophic civil war. The crucial agenda of grassroots truth, justice and reconciliation however is not receiving the attention it desperately deserves. The war precipitated the meltdown of state institutions and destruction of infrastructure and the economy; the social and cultural fabric unravelled.
Without comprehensive action to rebuild the shattered trust and goodwill and address deep-seated grievances at the grassroots, reconstruction efforts will not be sustainable.Somalia is one of the few African countries with a homogenous population that shares language, religion, bloodlines and culture. But the widespread violence, rights violations and injustices during the war exacerbated social divisions and disharmony – mainly along clan lines.
Not much has been done to repair those relationships, build bridges and address underlying grievances, thus eliminating common spaces for dialogue, accommodation and coexistence. There have been many conferences since the early 1990s ostensibly to bring about reconciliation, but they have hardly had any impact at the grassroots. This is partly because they have largely been dominated by politicians and clan leaders, including warlords, without much involvement of the people at the grassroots, who should be the main drivers of such initiatives in a bottom-up approach. In fact, they have been more about power-sharing between clan leaders than fostering genuine grassroots truth, justice and reconciliation.
The impact of the war has been so widespread that it is difficult to find a Somali national who is not nursing deep-seated grievance and trauma due to the killing of loved ones or loss of property or dignity. That’s why the time for Somalia to have its own indigenous process of truth, justice and reconciliation is long overdue. The process will give safe spaces for people to explore the full extent of the crimes and violations that occurred in the war and continue to occur. It will help them to come to terms with the pain, anger and grief as well as look into appropriate avenues of justice, compensation, forgiveness and reconciliation.
TOP TWEETS
@DalsanFM: #Somaliland ‘s newly elected President Musa Bihi Abdi expected to arrive in Addis Ababa for an official visit of#Ethiopia. He will hold talks with top government officials on matters including trade and security.
@DalsanFM: 3 AlShabab militants killed in early Tuesday attack on Daynunay in Bay region of Hirshabelle State- Regional official #Somalia
@Yassinjuma: BREAKING: #Alshabaab speaks out on the. August 2017 defection to Government of its deputy leader Abu Mansur. Accuses him of collaborating with govt, foreign aid agencies n western countries while still leader of the group#Somalia.
@DalsanFM: PHOTO: #Warsheikh, Middle Shabelle,#Hirshabelle State.The coastal town famed for its beaches and Sufism history has become the latest attraction for #Mogadishuresident being only 59km from the capital of #Somalia.
Photo courtesy Saami
@Goobjoognews: #Italian Court Orders the Announcement of Presumption of Death of a Missing #Somali Suspect.http://bit.ly/2DfZoTr .
@HarunMaruf: BREAKING: Remote-controlled IED explosion targets police vehicle between Wardhiigley police station and Florence junction of Mogadishu, attack happened about 25 minutes ago: source
@Goobjoognews: President Mohamed Abdullahi @M_FarmaajoArrives in Adaado Town. http://bit.ly/2mI8ZYN
@Goobjoognews: A 5 day meeting for capacity building on community development for the state administration officials and the public has been winded up yesterday in #Yoontoy location under #Kismayo town, @Jubbalandstate1 State.
@Goobjoognews: Commissioner of #Sool province says some locations in the region are facing security problem after a gun battle between #Somaliland and @Puntland_State security forces in #Tukaraq location.
@HarunMaruf: Report: Al-Shabab Conscripting Children Young as 8 https://www.voanews.com/amp/
IMAGE OF THE DAY
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Farmaajo) with regional presidents, Abdiweli Mohamed Gaas, Ahmed Duala Geele (Haaf) and Somali Chief of Defence forces Mr. Abdiweli Jama Gorod in Galkacyo, Mudug.
Photo: @TheVillaSomalia