January 18, 2013 | Morning Headlines.
US, Somalia launch new era of diplomatic ties
17 Jan – Source: AFP World News – 277 words
The United States and Somalia on Thursday launched a new era of diplomatic relations, as Washington recognized the African nation’s government for the first time since 1991.
“Today is a milestone, it is not the end of the journey, but it is an important milestone towards that end,” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said after talks with new Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
“For the first time since 1991, the United States is recognizing the government of Somalia,” she said.
Somalia has not had an effective central government since 1991. Two years later, Americans were shocked by scenes of US soldiers being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu by a mob after Somali militants shot down two Black Hawk helicopters. Eighteen Americans died, and 80 were wounded.
However, a new Somali administration took office last year, ending eight years of transitional rule by a corruption-riddled government.
And in recent months, a 17,000-strong African Union force, fighting alongside government troops and Ethiopian soldiers, finally wrested a string of key towns from the control of Islamist Shabaab insurgents.
The US move opens doors to the country, which will also be the focus of a new international conference to be hosted in Britain in May.
Key Headlines
- Obama receives Somali president at White House (Hiiraan Online)
- Somali President: No Notice About French Hostage Raid (VOA)
- Senior Somali police officers to receive training in Djibouti (Radio Bar-kulan)
- Somalia’s president to visit Minneapolis on Friday (Startribune)
- Puntland VP lays foundation rock for new Ministry of Civil Aviation building (Garowe Online/Universaltv)
- Alleged militants surrender to ASWJ in Luq (Radio Bar-kulan)
- Somali security forces round up more than 700 in Mogadishu (Shabelle)
- Ahlu-Sunnah threatens to take-over Gedo region (Radio Kulmiye)
- Kenyan government censured over failure to support tourism industry (Standard)
SOMALI MEDIA
Obama receives Somali president at White House
17 Jan – Source: Hiiraan Online – 76 words
US President Barrack Obama has received a delegation led by Somali President Hasan Shaykh Mahmud at the White House.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is shortly expected to announce that the US officially recognizes Somalia’s government.
President Mahmud will deliver a speech at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Senior Somali police officers to receive training in Djibouti
17 Jan- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mogadishu/SNTV- 150 words
Close to a hundred senior Somali police officers on Thursday travelled to Djibouti to receive a two-month long training.
Police commissioner Gen. Sharif Shekuna Maye who was overseeing the departure from Adan Adde International Airport said to take advantage of the training in favour of the country.
The training will be funded by Italian government and will be implemented by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
Puntland VP lays foundation rock for new Ministry of Civil Aviation building
17 Jan- Source: Garowe Online/Universaltv/ Somali Channel- 195 words
The vice president of Somalia’s Puntland government has laid the foundation rock of a new building to house Puntland Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports, Garowe Online reports.
Puntland Vice President Gen. Abdisamad Ali Shire was accompanied by Cabinet officials including Aviation Minister Hussein Hassan Abdi and Deputy Minister Abdigani Ghelle when he laid the foundation rock at the new building site in the new government district in Garowe, the Puntland capital.
Operations extended in Middle Shabelle
17 Jan- Source: Radio Kulmiye- 134 words
The spokesman of the Middle shabelle administration Mr. Da’ud Haji Irro who have been talking to Kulmiye Radio in Mogadishu said that there are many places where an illegal ammunition are hidden in the houses.
Similiarly, the spokesman have said that the operations of the recent days have occured at the Jowhar, the capital of the Middle Shabelle in which many peple were caught to be arrested.
The police toghether with the security forces are getting assistance from the public in the area.
Alleged militants surrender to ASWJ in Luq
17 Jan- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 107 words
An alleged Al-Shabaab fighter has surrendered to Ahlu Sunna militias in southwest town of Luq near the border with Kenya and Ethiopia.
Area security boss Diyad Ali Kalil said the defector Abdirahman Ali Hashi surrendered with a militant car.
He said they welcome defectors from the militants group who denounced violence and vowed to protect them as they pursue their normal life within the society.
His defection comes three months after two alleged Al-Shabaab fighters surrendered to government forces in the same town early last November.
Somali security forces round up more than 700 in Mogadishu
17 Jna- Source: Shabelle- 669 words
Somali security forces have rounded up 790 hundred people in Dharkenley in south west of the capital in the third consecutive day of security operations in the capital city.
Most of the people in the morning operation have all been released but 84 have been remanded in police custody after it is confirmed that they are members of Al Shabaab and are suspected of have committed violent acts in that part of the city, according to General Maalin chief of Mogadishu police.
In the meantime, head of Mogadishu secret police khalif Ahmed Ereg, who spoke to journalists after the security operation, has called on residents in the capital to work for peace and security and help the security force to turn Mogadishu into a safer place.
Ahlu-Sunnah threatens to take-over Gedo region
17 Jan- Source: Radio Kulmiye- 101 words
Sheikh Ishaq Huseen Mursal the secretary general of the Ahlu-Sunnah-Wal Jame’ea has said that they are in the last dedication to capture Gedo region of Somalia from where the Al-shabab hands still persist.
The general chief of the forces of Ahlu-Sunnah Wal-Jameeca has responded while asked why this threat is so different from the other former threats.
Ahlu-Sunnah answered that this threat is so different and this week they will capture all these regions, Sheikh Isxaaq Xuseen Mursal explained.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Kenyan government censured over failure to support tourism industry
17 Jan- Source: Standard- 518 words
The Ministry of Tourism should be more proactive in addressing challenges facing the industry that could derail the sector if left unchecked.
Players in the industry say the biggest concerns Include the ministry’s failure to implement the Tourism Act, increased insecurity and rise in instances of wildlife poaching in Kenya.
“With the year 2013 being an election year, concerns are bound to arise given the experiences from the general election of 2007.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
US, Somalia launch new era of diplomatic ties
17 Jan – Source: AFP World News – 277 words
The United States and Somalia on Thursday launched a new era of diplomatic relations, as Washington recognized the African nation’s government for the first time since 1991.
“Today is a milestone, it is not the end of the journey, but it is an important milestone towards that end,” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said after talks with new Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
“For the first time since 1991, the United States is recognizing the government of Somalia,” she said.
Somalia has not had an effective central government since 1991. Two years later, Americans were shocked by scenes of US soldiers being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu by a mob after Somali militants shot down two Black Hawk helicopters. Eighteen Americans died, and 80 were wounded.
However, a new Somali administration took office last year, ending eight years of transitional rule by a corruption-riddled government.
And in recent months, a 17,000-strong African Union force, fighting alongside government troops and Ethiopian soldiers, finally wrested a string of key towns from the control of Islamist Shabaab insurgents.
The US move opens doors to the country, which will also be the focus of a new international conference to be hosted in Britain in May.
Somali President: No Notice About French Hostage Raid
17 Jan- Source: VOA- 199 words
Somalia’s president says he was not told in advance about the French rescue operation to save a hostage taken by militant group al-Shabaab.
In an interview with VOA’s Somali Service, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says Somali officials were not informed about the raid, which failed to free hostage Denis Allex and resulted in the death of two French commandos.
President Mohamud says he believes things would have not happened the way they did had his government been informed. He says “it would have been less trouble,” adding that Somali officials “discussed this with France.”
http://www.voanews.com/
Somalia’s president to visit Minneapolis on Friday
17 Jan- Source: Startribune -214 words
Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mahamud will travel to Minnesota on Friday as part of his official visit to the United States. The U.S. State Department has not yet announced the details of his visit to Minnesota, which has the nation’s largest Somali population.
During a meeting with President Mahamud today, Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton is expected to announce that the United States recognizes his government as the Somalia’s official government. Mahamud’s election in the fall marked the first step towards permanent governance for Somalia in more than a decade.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The regular export cargo, Mogadishu Port, handles is either dried lemon or hides and skins. Every now and then some other local produce such as oil seed and pulses might turn up in small quantities but wheat was never ever exported from Somalia – the country doesn’t produce wheat. This simple fact raised the alarm bells of the Police and within split of a second they stopped the cargo from export.”
Somali Police foiled export of re-sacked (aid wheat) to Mombasa, Kenya
17 Jan- Source: Wardheernews-468 Words
Since the collapse of the last recognized central government of Somalia in 1991 to this day, wheat has never been imported by business people because WFP and other aid agencies were supplying it for free and in abundance to the needy people of Somalia. Many contractors, UN local staff and militias were implicated in diverting food aid in almost all UN monitoring reports over a period of two decades and sure the endless loop of corruption produced millionaires that have the appetite of an Elephant. After the stolen wheat lost value due to oversupply they quickly turned to export it. Instead of repentance they are breaking into new horizons that put shame to whatever wrong they have done before.