January 3, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
Airstrikes Destroys A Minibus In Lower Shabelle
03 January – Source: Goobjoog News – 140 Words
Aerial bombardments allegedly carried out by US drones have been aimed at a minibus destroying it completely in a location near Afgoye town, 30 km southwest of Mogadishu. The attack which took place yesterday afternoon targeted the minibus heading towards Mogadishu, the capital. Officials speaking for the Lower Shabelle region noted the ill-fated car was laden with explosives heading towards the capital.
Reports indicate that huge explosion sound rocked the air which caught the locals in the area unexpectedly.No casualty figures can be ascertained due to the remoteness of the area which falls under the command of Al-Shabaab fighters. Also no official confirmation from the US Africa Command Centre which is believed to have carried out the attack. Last month, two attacks were executed in the Lower Shabelle region on vehicles allegedly fixed with explosives heading towards the city.
Key Headlines
- Airstrikes Destroys A Minibus In Lower Shabelle (Goobjoog News)
- Al-Shabaab Kills Father Of Military Court Chief (Garowe Online)
- Mayor Thabit Meets Mogadishu Religious Scholars (Radio Dalsan)
- Dalkom Somalia Launches iDirect Network to Expand Satellite Connectivity in Somalia (PR Web)
- What Is The Somali Nationhood Agenda? (Hiiraan Online)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Al-Shabaab Kills Father Of Military Court Chief
02 January – Source: Garowe Online – 184 Words
Al-Shabaab assassins have shot dead the father of Colonel Hassan Ali Nur Shute, the chairman of the Somali military court in Mogadishu on Tuesday evening. The late father – Ali Nur Shute – was assassinated inside his house at Bo’le market in the capital’s Dharkenley district by two men armed with pistols, according to a witness, speaking to Garowe Online over the phone. Shute was shot several times in the head and chest and sustained critical wounds during the shooting.
He was immediately rushed to hospital but pronounced dead on arrival. The killers were reported to have managed to escape the scene before the arrival of police authorities who launched an investigation and manhunt mission in the crime area, but no arrest has been reported.
So far, the reasons behind the murder of the late elderly man are not clear and the local security officials haven’t released any statement regarding the assassination. The incident coincides with the trials of five Al Shabaab suspects convicted of being behind a truck bombing, Somalia’s worst-ever terrorist attack in Mogadishu which left 512 people dead on 14th October 2016.
Mayor Thabit Meets Mogadishu Religious Scholars
03 January – Source: Radio Dalsan – 176 Words
The mayor of Mogadishu who is also the governor of Banadir region Mr Thabit Abdi Mohamed met with Mogadishu religious scholars last night. Mayor Thabit said that he discussed with the scholars on issues of reconciliation as there will soon be a reconciliation conference for the residents of Mogadishu. “I discussed with the religious scholars in Banadir region and requested them to stand by us in maintaining and developing the region. The scholars can take a big share in the awareness of the ‘neighbourhood’ or ‘local eye’ program in order to prevent the evil of the anti-peace or terrorists who use wrong ideas,” said the mayor.
“We also discussed the issues of reconciliation, returning of properties and justice in which there is a high need for religious awareness. Finally, we invited them to the Banadir Peace and Development Conference which will be held in Mogadishu on January 7, 2018, and they accepted to join us and take their part,” Thabit added. The mayor has taken a number of initiatives to improve the situation of Mogadishu.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Dalkom Somalia Launches iDirect Network to Expand Satellite Connectivity in Somalia
03 January – Source: PR Web – 556 Words
IDirect, a company of Vision Technologies Systems Inc, today announced that Dalkom Somalia has installed an iDirect Hub and will leverage iDirect’s series remotes to provide high-speed satellite connectivity in Somalia. The new iDirect network will enable Dalkom Somalia to scale its service more cost-effectively, expand end user data rates up to 38.5 Mbps, and improve Service Level Agreements by reducing service set-up duration. It will also provide back-up connectivity for service restoration in cities as needed.
Dalkom Somalia is one of Somalia’s fast-growing telecom companies offering next-generation solutions for broadband, connectivity, cloud computing, managed services, satellite services, and internet services for businesses, wholesale and consumer segments. Financed by Dalkom Somalia as part of the company’s strategy to provide world class infrastructure to support the Horn and East Africa region’s needs for innovative Telecommunication & Information and Communications Technology solutions, the new iDirect network will serve a wide range of markets, including Government and
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“I know, it’s hard to be patriotic when it comes to Somalia. I wrote that article because I wanted the younger generations like myself and my children to know that there are many of us who value our country and would love nothing more than contribute to its re-birth,”
What Is The Somali Nationhood Agenda?
30 December- Source: Hiiraan Online – 1838 Words
As a non-politically motivated outsider, I would characterize Somali politics as incoherently tribal and short-sighted. Tribalism as a tool for oppression is abhorrent. Apart from indicating identity and lineage there is no logical use for tribalism. One should conduct both friendships and business based on character and not nationality let alone tribal affiliations. After my last article on the need for patriotism, I have befriended numerous compatriots worldwide from all walks of life who were deeply moved by the article and felt a ‘call to action’; however, there was a deep sense of hopelessness.
Asking one to be patriotic implies having hope in their country. How can we have tangible hope without a comprehensive, realistic agenda for Somalia by Somalis to believe in? Most people told me that being patriotic is a ‘nice concept’ but for Somalia it was unrealistic. I realized that people thought I was asking for blind hope which will always lead to flimsy patriotism. Tribalism has become Somalia’s version of patriotism and clan federalism as substitute to country.
There is a prevalence of extreme, unabashed negativity in Somalis that is like sport. As a culture we provoke people to aspire to their lowest, animalistic sentiments before we compliment, support or celebrate. As a people, we are quick to highlight and expose others’ faults before examining and correcting our own. After we give our politicians the first couple of honeymoon months in office, we try with our deepest will to unseat them just to start over again.We are builders with a long-term vision in other countries but not our own.We have successfully destroyed our country and have spent almost the last three decades criticizing the rubble.
Everyone praises Somalia’s potential for perceived greatness. The exact same phrases are restated – that we have the longest coastline in Africa, that we have untapped resources (minerals, oil and gas), that we have agriculture, fisheries, livestock, etc. Untapped resources are just that – untapped – so let’s please stop talking about them until we have a real plan on how to tap them. Agriculture has enormous potential and before we discuss policies for investments we need to restore the rightful owners of those farms. If we have injustice in any sector – it will not flourish.
What our country considers illegal fishing is a laughing stock for other countries until we develop a real industrialized fishery sector. As for livestock, it is not only an economic travesty that we still mainly export live animals without much value addition but that it comprises a bulk of our trivial GDP. As for oil and gas, we have been struck by kindness that we haven’t developed this sector because our country couldn’t sustain the paradox of plenty with the oil curse and thankfully we haven’t experience our Dutch Disease. Unlike agriculture, the oil sector employs few unskilled people and the inherent volatility of commodity prices hurts the poor the most, as they are least able to hedge their risks. And because the resource is concentrated, the resulting wealth passes through only a few hands and so is more susceptible to misdirection. Therefore, we need to prioritize developing our other sectors first.
Most professionals are quick to remind me that the private sector in Somalia is flourishing. The private sector in Somalia constitutes only a handful of large corporations and a very weak, undefined SME sector which should comprise the mainstay of the private sector. This private sector myth is perpetuated because the international community is astounded that anyone would do business in such problematic conditions. Nevertheless it’s because of this opportunistic, monopolistic market model which under normal market conditions would be unsustainable that has allowed this condition to persist.
TOP TWEETS
@omabha: #Somalia 2017: A record year for US counterterrorism strikeshttp://dlvr.it/Q8g0fm
@Eye_on_Somalia: #Hiraan Dalkom Somalia Launches iDirect Network to Expand Satellite Connectivity in Somaliahttp://dlvr.it/Q8frVG #Somalia
@IlwadElman: Imagine if even a fraction of the resources in Somalia committed for ending migration to EU campaigns were spent on durable solutions of IDPs
UN_News_Centre: A senior @UN official in #Somalia expressed deep concern over reports of the unannounced destruction of settlements for internally displaced persons as well as humanitarian infrastructure in Mogadishu.http://www.un.org/apps/news/
@HarunMaruf:BREAKING: Father of top Somali military judge who adjudicates Al-Shabab cases is assassinated: Ali Nur Shute was shot dead in southern Mogadishu. His son, Colonel Ali Nur Shute is the chief of Somali military court where he presides over militant cases.
@mukhtaryare: Roger Stone, a longtime political operative with ties to President Trump, has retroactively registered as a lobbyist for a venture capital firm wanting to invest in commodities in Somalia.http://thehill.com/
@carmelotweet: The @UN Security Council held an emergency session regarding #UAE ‘s funding of terrorism in Somalia. Release from #Geneva shows concern over UAE bribing of other extremists groups to raise coup in #Somalia and destabilizing the Horn of Africa on a larger scale
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Mogadishu Mayor Thabit Mohamed, last night met with religious scholars in the capital to discuss with them among other things peace and reconciliation.
Photo: @ThabitMhd