January 22, 2012 | Morning Headlines.
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SOMALI PM IS TO RESHUFFLE HIS CABINET MINISTERS22 Jan – Source: Shabelle – 125 words The Prime Minister of the Somali Government Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gas is to reshuffle his cabinet ministers after meeting the senior TFG officials, reports said on Sunday. Reliable sources close to the PM’s office in Mogadishu confirmed that PM Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has had a closed door meeting with Somali president Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden and discussed how to reshuffle the TFG cabinet. |
Key Headlines
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PRESS RELEASEAMISOM forces launch a military offensive to consolidate security in Mogadishu20 Jan – Source: AMISOM forces HQ AU Mission in Somalia troops successfully advanced to consolidate their positions in Northern areas of Mogadishu, Somalia today. The push forward enabled AMISOM, and the TFG forces, to secure the northern edges of the city. AMISOM can confirm that Mogadishu University and Barakaat Cemetery are now under the Somali government’s control. The Force Commander said that the operation started well, and the forces were able to quickly achieve their objective, “Our troops fought bravely, achieving their objective to secure the Northern frontier of the city.” Two AMISOM soldiers were injured. This is the first time AMISOM has been able to secure an area outside the parameters of the city allowing them to defend greater Mogadishu from the exterior. Recently, the African Union requested the UN Security council to increase troop levels to 17,000 soldiers and provide force enablers for them to secure the entire country. Somali Media Day marked in Mogadishu21 Jan – Source: TFG – 239 words The celebrations coincided at a very difficult time when all of us and in particular the media are need to help in bringing back peace and stability to the country. And to free it from the terrorists that inflicted so much damage to it, above all to the members of the Somali media. The Acting Minister of Information, H. E. Abdullahi Bile Noor, congratulated all the Somali journalists and other members of the Somali Media wherever they are and said ” It is a great pleasure for me to congratulate you on this day and wish for you and your families peace and progress” “The Somali government is thanking you for the role you have played in building the peace by providing the Somali people with accurate information about has been happening in our country, good or bad.” the Minister added. ” I would also like to take this opportunity to send condolences to the families of all the journalists who have lost their lives during the prolonged conflict in our country in their efforts to tell the truth impartially.” the Minister continued. Finally, the Minister concluded by saying, ” We, at the Ministry of Information, would do our best to improve the quality and the capacity of the Somali Media, govermental or privately owned by providing them with technical and training assistance, as well as formulating a legal framework in which a free media can operate and do it’s job without interference.” Major gains against al Shabaab by the Somali Army20 Jan – Source: TFG – 181 words Late last night, the Somali Armed Forces, and their brothers from AMISOM, the African Union peace keeping force, started a broad offensive intended to clear, once and for all, the Al-Qaeda linked terrorists from the few pockets in the outskirts of Mogadishu, which were still in their hands. In a statement to the Somali National News Agency (SONNA) Col. Abdullahi Ali Anood of the Somali army’s 2nd Brigade said, “Our multi-fronted offensive started late last night and our forces are now in control of Mogadishu University and Barakaat cemetery, and the terrorists have already fled from the nearby daynile distract ”. In separate statement the Acting Minister of Information, H.E. Abdullahi Bile Noor, Condemned yesterday’s al Shabaab action, which killed 2 IDP’s, in an explosion inside the American Embassy compound where the IDP’s were being cared for. SOMALI MEDIASomali president: people should vacate gov’t buildings22 Jan – Source: Shabelle – 153 words The president of Somalia Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, appealed to the people to vacate from the government buildings. The president ordered civilians residing in government buildings during last two decade’s civil war to pull out from government centers and stop insolating. U.S to investigate alleged kidnapping of one of its citizens in central Somalia22 Jan – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 165 words The United States government has said it will investigate reports that one of its national was on Saturday kidnapped from Somalia’s central city of Galkayo, Mudug region. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Moore said the ministry will launch investigations into the incident. SOMALI PM IS TO RESHUFFLE HIS CABINET MINISTERS22 Jan – Source: Shabelle – 125 words The Prime Minister of the Somali Government Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gas is to reshuffle his cabinet ministers after meeting the senior TFG officials, reports said on Sunday. Reliable sources close to the PM’s office in Mogadishu confirmed that PM Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has had a closed door meeting with Somali president Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden and discussed how to reshuffle the TFG cabinet. British/ Lebanese al Shabaab fighter killed in Mogadishu22 Jan – Source: Radio Mogadishu, Shabelle, Bar-kulan – 112 words A British extremists fighter with al Shabaab militia in Somalia was killed Saturday during a drone attack in the capital Mogadishu. The radical movement spokesman Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage confirmed that unmanned aircraft bombed and killed Hilal Al Barzawi from Lebanon with British citizenship who fought in Somalia for a long time. American journalist abducted in central Somalia22 Jan – Source: Garowe Online – 94 words An American German has been reportedly kidnapped in the south of Galkayo and taken in the direction of Hobyo town, Garowe reports. The man is reportedly a journalist who was visiting Hobyo, a pirate hub to film a documentary on piracy in Somalia. The journalist, who has dual citizenship from both Germany and America, was abducted as he made his way to the airport. TFG officials visit Beledweyne, Hiiraan region22 Jan – Source: Radio Bar-kulan, Hiiraan Online – 116 words A 25 member delegation from Mogadishu has today arrived in Beledweyne town, Hiiraan region, in efforts to set up an administration for the city. The delegates include ministers, MPs and other Somali government officials. A member of parliament who was involved in receiving the visiting officials said that Planning and International Co-operations Minister and his Industries and Minerals counterpart were among the high-profile government officials from Mogadishu. Al Shabaab claimed a victory over Saturday’s Mogadishu war21 Jan – Source: Shabelle – 138 words Al Shabaab fighters on saturday claimed victory over the battle on Friday with TFG and AMISOM in Mogadishu. The spokesman of al Shabaab operations, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Mus’ab detailed the fighting, while giving a report to the Media; he said they took a planned attack on bases of TFG soldiers and AMISOM peacekeeping forces in Mogadishu. Al Shabaab imposes curfew on a town in southern Somalia22 Jan – Source: Radio Shabelle, Kulmiye – 187 words The militants of al Shabaab have imposed a night time curfew on Afgoye town, just 30km away south of Mogadishu, residents said on Sunday. Reports said the militants also introduced various strict orders on residents in the town regarding the night time curfew, which begins from 9:00 a.m local time. Puntland VP speaks on Somaliland violence against protesters22 Jan – Source: Garowe Online – 205 words Puntland Vice-President Gen. Abdisamad Ali Shire asked the Somaliland government to end the violence that has forced people to flee their homes in provinces of Sool and Ayn, Garowe reports. Vice-President Gen. Abdisamad spoke at a conference in Garowe to promote journalism in Somalia; the VP took the opportunity to speak about the violence that was occurring in Las’anod as 2 people died and 12 were wounded after Somaliland forces fired on protesters on Saturday. Heavy clashes take place in Somali capital22 Jan – Source: Radio Shabelle – 124 words Heavy fighting with shells between TFG soldiers and al Shabaab fighters took place overnight at Ex-control checkpoint in Somalia capital Mogadishu, claiming the life of a civilian woman. The clashes, which continued for hours, flared up after the islamist militants of al Shabaab launched an offensive on Somali government military checkpoints on the outskirts of Mogadishu. REGIONAL MEDIAKDF in contact with Kenyans abducted by al Shabaab22 Jan – Source: KBC – 363 words It’s almost ten days since District Officer Edward Mule and Fredrick Irungu, a clerk with the register of persons, were abducted in Wajir County by suspected al Shabaab militia and their whereabouts to date remain unknown. The Kenya Defence forces is in contact with the two abducted Kenyans and is trying every possible way to rescue them unharmed. Military says its mission to cripple Shabaab is largely accomplished21 Jan – Source: Daily Nation – 304 words The Kenyan military said on Saturday it is now halfway through its mission to eliminate al Shabaab in southern Somalia, the objective of Operation Linda Nchi, which enters its 15th week on Sunday. Speaking at the weekly media briefing on the operation at the Department of Defence headquarters, Col Cyrus Oguna, who is in charge of information and operations, said the Kenya Defence Forces are keen on destroying al Shabaab’s command and logistics centres. INTERNATIONAL MEDIAU.S. Drone strike kills foreign commander fighting for militants in Somalia22 Jan – Source: New York Times – 931 words A senior foreign commander fighting with al Shabaab Islamic militants was killed in an American drone strike a few miles south of the capital over the weekend, according to al Shabaab officials. Al Shabaab officials held a news conference to publicize the attack, identifying the commander as Bilal al-Barjawi, 27, a close associate of a Qaeda leader killed last year in Somalia. They said he was of Lebanese descent and had grown up in West London. British authorities denied that he was a British citizen. Somali pirates ‘behind kidnap of foreign hostage’22 Jan – Source: AP – 451 words Pirates are behind the kidnapping of a foreign hostage in central Somalia, a local official said Sunday, with witnesses reporting he had been whisked off to an inaccessible jungle base. Gunmen snatched the man on Saturday on the airport road in Galkayo, a town near the border between the state of Galmudug and another self-proclaimed semi-autonomous province, Puntland, witnesses and officials said. SOCIAL MEDIACULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS A bumpy road for the Somali roadmap20 Jan- Foreign Policy In Focus – 1244 Words Progress on the political roadmap to move Somalia out of conflict and toward stable, permanent, and representative government by August 2012 seems to be facing intractable barricades. The roadmap calls for the adoption of a new constitution by July, with parliamentary elections to take place in August of this year. With less than six months remaining and al-Shabab forces controlling much of the country, the likelihood of constituting a representative constituent assembly, finalizing a draft constitution, and conducting a national referendum is unrealistic if not impossible. Political tumult in Mogadishu has clouded the skies further. A startling move by politically marginalized members of parliament to unseat Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden—at a time when both he and President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed were away attending the Somali National Consultative Constitutional Conference in Garowe last December—has created a new constitutional crisis that could hinder progress toward completing the Somali transition. The feisty parliamentarians felt shut out of the political process by the speaker and, with their fate hanging in the balance, rebelled over the so-called “Garowe Principles” produced by the December conference. The new agreement slashes the bloated parliament of 550 members to a more manageable 225 and indirectly bestows more transitional powers in the hands of few powerful stakeholders, including the president, speaker, and two other heads of regional governments. London Conference on Somalia: enhancing security, supporting stability20 Jan- UK FCO Blog Thank you for the fantastic response to my previous blog. It’s great to see so many comments. For my next few blogs I intend to focus on the key themes of the London Conference, and would like to ask that comments try to focus on each of those issues. So, in this blog I want to open the floor – to a discussion of security issues. I want to pose two issues: * Firstly, the role of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and in particular the question of how the international community can best support the operation; and Improving security for the people of Somalia is vital. But – security cannot be sustained without a political process; and a political process cannot endure without better security. Both are critical; both are inter-twined. How can and how should they work together? Recent gains by AMISOM have provided an opportunity for people in Mogadishu to return to their city and start to rebuild their lives. The visible signs of rebuilding in the capital are a sign that confidence is slowly beginning to return. Improving security means more than just physical security, as important as it is – it also provides the means to further weaken Al Shabaab; to tackle the scourge of piracy; to provide an environment for further stability and recovery. We want the London Conference to highlight the need for greater resolve – both international and Somali – to improve the security situation for ordinary people and create an environment in which a political process can flourish and effective governance can be extended across the country. This poses a number of questions – how big should AMISOM be? And how sustainable is it in the long term? What about Somali security forces? And, most importantly of all, what about the issues of civilian protection and the rule of law? The challenges are great. But so are the rewards. I want to hear what you’ve got to say about this. Do you agree with what I have said above? Have we got the balance right? What are the issues around security and justice that you think need greater attention? |
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