January 9, 2012 | Morning Headlines.
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PRESS RELEASEFor the first time in our history we have an intelligence service that protects the Somali people instead of repressing them09 Jan – Source: TFG – 487 words The 40th anniversary of the Somali Intelligence service was celebrated last night in a ceremony held at the Presidency. The guest of honor was the president of the republic H.E. Sh.Sharif Sh. Ahmed. Also present were TFG cabinet members and the heads of the Somali armed services. In a speech given to those assembled, the Director General of the National Security Agency (NSA), Mr. Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said, “ There was a time when any ordinary, private Somali citizen who visited a government office or seen anywhere near it, would risk assassination; those days are well and truly behind us.” Reviewing the work of the agency in 2011, Mr. Fiqi said, “In the past year the NSA has undertaken 1200 operations with 95% success. It has arrested 986 Al-shabaab operatives (nearly 7% of their estimated strength). When Al-shabaab changed it’s tactics to bombing the civilian population in Mogadishu recently, the Agency was ready and faced the challenge. Immediately after the first spate of bombing, we started foiling their operations, arresting the terrorists and diffusing their bombs. Among other things, we mobilized the residents of Mogadishu to report to the security services any suspicious activity. This has been very successful; and we thank our people and all the Somali media houses for the success.” “Whatever to and however they changed their tactics we had counter-measures ready to defeat them. The last method they tried was using women, something which is against our culture and tradition. A woman who pretended to be pregnant was attempting to get through a check-point carrying explosive taped on her stomach. This was foiled by our vigilant female officers specifically formed for this and similar eventualities.“ the Director General continued. a cost; We lost 18 gallant officers and men, some at the front and others through explosives; but thishas to be seen in comparison with lives saved, thank God.” He continued.Mr. Fiqi thanked the USA and the Republic of Sudan for their assistance to the service. After then a cautious mode the Director General, Mr. Fiqi, continued “ all this success did not come by without Director Generals’ report, the acting Prime Minister, who is also minister of Trade and Industry H.E. Abdiwahab Ugas Husein Ugas Khalif, the Director General of the Ministry of Interior and National Security , general Bashir Mohamed Jama (Bashir Gobe), the commander of the Somali Army General Abdulkadir Shiekh Ali Dini, The commander of the Somali Police force, General Sharif Shekhuna Maye and the Governor of Banadir region, Mohamud Ahmed Nur (Tarsan), all gave short speeches congratulating the NSA. Finally, the President of the Republic, H.E. Sh. Sharif Sh. Ahmed addressed the gathering, pointing out the vital role being played by the officers and men of the NSA in the fight against the enemies of our people, and congratulated them for their brilliant performance in 2011. He also promoted a number of NSA officers who have shown courage and dedication beyond the call of duty. |
Key Headlines
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SOMALI MEDIAAMISOM Force Commander: ‘al Shabaab will be out in 2012’09 Jan – Source: Shabelle – 742 words The Force Commander of the African Union Mission in Somalia AMISOM Maj. General Fred Mugisha has said that the whole of Somalia would liberated from al Shabaab in the New Year 2012. When asked to explain more about the latest military achievements in Somalia, the commander replied that the number of AMISOM troops in Somalia would be 17,500 very soon indicating that they expect more troops from Burundi, Uganda and Sierra Leone to expand to the whole country. Al Shabaab execute alleged murderer in Afgoye09 Jan- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 84 words Al Shabaab rebel group on Sunday afternoon executed an alleged murderer in Afgoye town, Lower Shabelle, reports say. Mohamed Muse Mohamed was executed in public for allegedly killing Abdille Ali Olow two months ago in the same town. Mohamed’s family claimed that their son was mentally sick but the rebel court rubbished their claim. Somalia’s Puntland says displaced people from south not welcome09 Jan- Source: Radio Shabelle- 192 words The president of the semi-autonomous regional administration of Puntland has banned displaced people from southern Somalia coming to Puntland. Abdirahman Shaykh Mahmud Farole, the president of the regional administration of Puntland, who was addressing the media in Boosaaso town ordered the security forces of Puntland to confiscate vehicles transporting displaced people from southern Somalia and to send back the displaced people to their home areas. Turkey to start distributing potable water to Somalis from well08 Jan – Source: Somaliland Press – 189 words Turkish State Water Works (DSI) will start distributing potable water to Somali people from well opened in the country. Turkey’s Forestry & Water Works Ministry said on Saturday that DSI team had drilled a water well near a tent-site in Somalia, and found water in 90 meters dept. “10 liters of potable water has been provided from the well per second,” the ministry said. The ministry said DSI teams would start distributing potable water to the tent-site as of Saturday. Al Shabaab fires top commander09 Jan- Source: Somalia Report- 182 words An estimated 1,000 al Shabaab fighters have arrived in Ramcadey village of Bay region’s Dinsor district over the last 48 hours. This comes as Moallim Jinaw, al Shabaab’s military commander for Bay, Bakool and Gedo regions was removed from his post, allegedly by top commander Ahmed Godane (Abu Zubeyr). According to reliable sources in Dinsor district, the militia arrived in Ramcadey from Gedo early this this morning. Outside MPs should return home: Speaker09 Jan – Source: Shabelle – 136 words The speaker of Somalia’s Transitional Federal parliament, Madowe Nunow Mohamed, on Monday summoned outside lawmakers to return home, days after he was sworn in as speaker. In a press release issued from the speaker’s office said, it will not be tolerated for legislators to be absent during upcoming parliament sessions in Mogadishu. The parliamentarians are due to step up and be on time for their daily tasks, mainly to discuss the setting up of the transitional period, parliamentary consultation and also the cabinet. Puntland faults NATO for releasing pirates without trial09 Jan- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 272 words Somalia’s Puntland has criticised the NATO forces operating along Somalia’s pirate infested coastline for allegedly releasing nine pirates it captured early this month after seizing a vessel carrying livestock to Oman. In a statement, Puntland said “it was unfortunate” for the international forces tasked with fighting piracy to release the nine pirates including a ringleader without taking them to court. REGIONAL MEDIAKenyan soldier killed in Somalia buried in Kimende09 Jan- Source: The Star- 573 words Hundreds of mourners in Kimende, Lari district, attended the funeral of the soldier who was killed by al Shabaab. Lance Corporal Willy Njoroge was buried under heavy presence of police from the Kenya Defence Forces who arrived in two police buses. The mass was conducted by Major Father George Makau who was fighting alongside Njoroge. However the mass was rushed because of a heavy downpour. INTERNATIONAL MEDIAEx-Md. soldier accused of aiding terror group09 Jan – Source: Washington Post – 195 words A former U.S. Army soldier from Laurel has been accused of trying to help the Somali terrorist group al Shabaab. Craig Baxam, 24, attempted to travel to Somalia last month to give money to the terrorist organization, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Greenbelt. Baxam was arrested by Kenyan authorities on Dec. 23 with the $600 to $700 he planned to give al Shabaab as an initial offering, the complaint says. Al Shabaab says Djibouti Forces shell Mogadishu mosque09 Jan- Source: Businessweek -111 words Somalia’s rebel al Shabaab group accused Djiboutian forces of shelling a mosque in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and threatened to retaliate, Shabelle News reported. An unspecified number of people were killed and injured in the attack on the al-Hidaya mosque on Jan. 7, the Mogadishu-based agency said today, citing Sheikh Mohamed Abu Abdirahman, the representative for al-Shabaab in the Banadir region. SOCIAL MEDIACULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDSSomalia: The Face of a Culture Out of Balance08 Jan – Source: Culture and Identity Blog – 834 Words Somalia’s traditional culture values and modernization are some of the primary motive for the current crisis of epidemic famine, violence and rape being faced by the people of that African country. The images of Somalia that have been published in the recent decade are of civil war, starving children, heart wrenching stories of famine, rape, and violence beyond description. The case of famine and violence in Somalia identifies a problem that keeps on recurring every decade. In 1974 and 1984 similar famines left millions of people dead. The circumstances in which the Somalis find themselves are grim because the country has been weighed down by internal hostilities and clan warfare for the past twenty years, and during this time; it has not had a functioning government. The root causes of the problem may be intrinsic to Somalia’s current political culture influenced by the modern political and economic systems brought by the European colonizers in relation with their own traditions of clan-led politics and an economy that is still based on nomadic pastoralism. European nations colonized Africa from the late 19th century until the middle to late 20th century. As a result of the colonization, “brothers and sisters, clans, tribes, and nations, were split up in what was call by the Europeans as fishing nets. Normal social progression and development between and among ethnic communities was arrested or interrupted for generations within the colonial nets,” [1] making it difficult to reconstitute the Somali nation-state after the independence from the colonizers. A complete review of today’s articles will appear in the Afternoon Report |
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