January 4, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Al Shabaab militants open fire at wedding ceremony, kill one

03 Jan- Source:Hiiraan Online- 210 words
A woman was killed and three others seriously injured after al Qaeda linked al Shabab militants opened fire at a wedding party which was taking place at Boo’o(Booco) village, 30 km South of Beledweyne district of Hiiraan region.
Witnesses in the village told HOL that gunmen believed to be members of the militant group al Shabaab gate-crashed the wedding party and shot four women where one woman died on the spot
The witness stated that the other 3 women who are seriously injured were rushed to Beledweyne Hospital where they are undergoing treatment.

Key Headlines

AMISOM participates meeting to help Beledweyne hospital (Radio Kulmiye)
Somali FM to meet UK foreign secretary William Hague in London (Radio Bar-kulan)
Finance Minister spoke of new Somali currency (Radio Bar-kulan)
President Hassan offers forgiveness to al Shabaab fighters (Radio Kulmiye)
Al Shabaab fighters disengage in Jowhar (Independent (Uganda)
Islamist extremists radicalizing Canadians at ‘a large number of venues’ secret report reveals (National Post)

SOMALI MEDIA

AMISOM participates meeting to help Beledweyne hospital

03 Jan- Source: Radio Kulmiye- 117 words
Officials from African Union mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and representatives of local communities have held a meeting in central Somali town of Beledweyne, the capital of Hiiraan region, where they discussed how possible the town’s main hospital could be helped following the MSF’s decision to stop its operations in the town.

During the meeting, they have agreed that the residents should contribute while on the other hand AMISOM officials promised assistance.

Somali FM to meet UK foreign secretary William Hague in London

03 Jan- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 163 words
Somalia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Fowziya Yussuf Hajji is due to meet British foreign secretary William Hague in London earlier in the day.
During their meeting, the two are expected to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries and expansion of UK’s aid to Somalia.
They are also set to discuss the upcoming London conference on Somalia organised by the British government scheduled for next May. The meeting is a follow up of the February 2012 London conference on Somalia.
“Welcome to Twitter and to your new role. Looking forward to our meeting tomorrow and to continuing UK support for Somalia,” reads a message posted on William Hague’s twitter account on Wednesday night.
In response to his welcoming, foreign minister Fouzia Hajji said “Thank you very much. I am delighted and looking forward to our meeting of tomorrow. Somalia is grateful to your support”.
The upcoming conference is expected to solicit funds for Somalia in effort to support the new government in meeting its development budget.

Al Shabaab militants open fire at wedding ceremony, kill one

Finance Minister spoke of new Somali currency

03 Jan- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 175 words
Somalia’s Finance and Planning minister Mahamud Hassan Saleban has for the first time spoken of the new Somali currency being printed in Sudan following an agreement signed in Khartoum early 2010 between the TFG and the Sudanese government.
In an exclusive interview with Bar-kulan, the minister said the printing of the new Somali banknotes begun last year and continues for now, hoping that the new currency will stabilise the country’s economy.
He said he has recently visited the Sudanese Company for Currency Printing which is currently handling the printing of the Somali currency to inspect the ongoing process.
He expressed satisfaction with the printing process, saying that the new banknotes contains unique security feature that cannot be fabricated by fraudsters.
The minister said the new currency cannot be reproduced by unauthorized people or print similar banknotes, saying that it can easily be distinguished from fake notes.
The new banknotes will be available in denomination of 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000 shillings. The current Somali Banknotes is available in only 1000 shillings.

President Hassan offers forgiveness to al Shabaab fighters

03 Jan- Source: Radio Kulmiye- 147 words
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahamud told journalists Khartoum, Sudan that his government is forgiving the youngsters who are misled into fighting alongside the al Shabaab.

After a meeting with Somali students and the diaspora community in Sudan, the president said he has offered forgiveness to the youths enlisted in the militant group.

The Somali president indicated that there will be job creations for those who are ready to work, adding that it was the only way the country can get peace.

President Hassan and his delegates are in Sudan where they are attending 57th anniversary of Sudan’s independence.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Al Shabaab fighters disengage in Jowhar

03 Jan- Source: Independent (Uganda)-239 words
As the year 2013 begins, al Shabaab is under a snag as their militants are defecting from the al Qaeda linked group and giving themselves up to AMISOM forces in Jowhar, 90 km from the capital Mogadishu.
Five fighters have disengaged in the first two days of January 2013. The first two fighters disengaged with their two submachine guns in the early hours of Tuesday morning while other 3 armed militants gave themselves up peacefully on Wednesday to Ugandan Contingent forces in Jowhar town.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Islamist extremists radicalizing Canadians at ‘a large number of venues,’ secret report reveals

03 Jan- Source: National Post -267 words
Islamist extremists are now radicalizing Canadians at “a large number of venues,” according to a secret intelligence report released to the National Post under the Access to Information Act.
While mosques with hardline imams are often singled out for spreading violent Islamist ideology, the study found that radicalization has been taking place at a much longer list of locales.

Several Canadian extremists have travelled abroad to countries such as Pakistan and Somalia with the intention of engaging in what they call jihad, while others have plotted mass casualty attacks in Canada, although none has succeeded.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“But the main evidence of peace will be the re-opening of the Mogadishu national stadium, estimated at first for the past december and now postponed. Since civil war in 1991, it has been used as a base for armies and al Shabab militants. Now, football will be back to once the greatest facility in Africa and the arab world, with 35,000-capacity.”

Somalia, the greatest African success in 2012

03 Jan- Source: Club Madrid Blog-483 Words
In Somalia, one of the weakest states in the world and ranked the most corrupt country, there are a few reasons for being optimistic with a democratic transition and an integrated society. “Africa’s greatest success in 2012 was in Somalia”, says Jon Temin in Foreign Policy. The main reason is the progress in the base of a democratic society: security. In november, the African Union peacekeeping mission made a great success in its fight against al Shabaab militants, expelling them from Kismayo, their last city stronghold.