July 13, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Somali Militants Attack Base, Kill At Least Four Soldiers
13 July – Source: Reuters – 172 Words
Gunmen from Somali militant group Al-Shabaab on Monday attacked a military base in central Somalia, killing at least four soldiers, officials and militants said. Al-Shabaab, which wants to topple a Western-backed government in Mogadishu, has in the past stepped up the number of raids during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began in mid-June and ends this week. Captain Nur Olow, a military officer from Rage Ceele, in Middle Shabelle region in central Somalia, said two Al-Shabaab fighters were killed during the raid. “Al-Shabaab attacked us early in the morning – we lost four soldiers but repulsed them,” Olow said. Al-Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, told Reuters his fighters had killed a dozen soldiers in the raid. “We briefly seized the base and killed 12 soldiers and took their guns. We also took all the weapons and ammunition in the base,” he said. In the past, Al-Shabaab has exaggerated the number of soldiers it has killed, while officials have played down losses.
Key Headlines
- Somali Militants Attack Base Kill At Least Four Soldiers (Reuters)
- Prime Minister Omar Travels To Garowe As Madobe and Gas Team Up Ahead Of 2016 (Goobjoog News)
- Head Of Galmudug State Extends An Olive branch To Puntland (Wacaal Media)
- Progress Made In Quelling Tension Says Puntland Security Minister (Garowe Online)
- Somali Militia Infighting Kills Five In Kismayo (Hiiraan Online)
- Neighbourhood Watch Director Resolute In Restoring Safety In Mogadishu (Goobjoog News)
- Somalia Maritime Suit Against Kenya In Hague (The Star)
- Airstrikes Kill 10 Somalis Including Children: Reports (International Business Times)
- Kenyan Refugee Camp Friendship Rekindled in St. Cloud (SC Times)
- Somalia Suffers From Machiavellian Politics (Mareeg Media)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Prime Minister Omar Travels To Garowe As Madobe and Gas Team Up Ahead Of 2016
13 July – Source: Goobjoog News – 267 Words
Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid is scheduled to travel to Garowe where two regional leaders are meeting amid growing discontent between states and federal government. Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam and Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gas have been meeting in Garowe in an apparent attempt to form a united front ahead of 2016 anticipated elections. Both states have severed relationship with the federal government over accusation of meddling with the draft constitution. Puntland parliament yesterday passed a resolution invalidating the copy of the draft constitution used by the federal government saying that copy had been altered. It has also refused to recognize the Independent Commissions and the newly formed Federal State of Galmudug. These developments could pose adverse implications on the federalization processes and realization of Vision 2016.
Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid, himself hailing from Puntland, is expected to ease tensions and pave way for better cooperation. The articles on federalization have been contentious since different political formations and entities give it varied interpretations. Key among the contested articles includes that on resource sharing, devolution and power sharing. The Prime Minister’s trip comes just a week before regional leaders and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud are due to meet to come up with tentative arrangements for 2016 elections. But analysts have cast doubts on whether the meeting itself would be of any help given that Puntland has refused to recognize the newly formed Galmudug State whose president Abdikarim Hussein Guled is supposed to attend the meeting as a regional leader. Equally,Puntland president Abdiweli Ali Gas may decline to share a platform with Guled whom he doesn’t recognize as a president.
Head Of Galmudug State Extends An Olive branch To Puntland
13 July – Source: Wacaal Media – 149 Words
The newly elected head of Somalia’s latest State of Galmudug, Abdikarim Hussein Guled has said that his administration will seek to resolve any differences with Puntland through dialogue. Speaking in Adaado, Guled said that Galmudug will co-exist peacefully with its neighbors and there was no way they could take up arms against them. “Galmudug will not invade anybody; I would like to tell our neighbors Puntland that we are ready for dialogue regarding Mudug region in order to prevent any bloodshed” he said. Guled said that his administration will soon name a commission that will work on integration of all armed groups in the state in order to build one unified force with a single identity. His sentiments come as Puntland and Jubaland officials were locked up in a series of meetings in Garowe to discuss the new state of Galmudug whose formation they have taken issue with.
Progress Made In Quelling Tension, Says Puntland Security Minister
13 July – Source: Garowe Online – 150 Words
Puntland Security Minister Abdi Hirsi Ali (Qarjab) has said, they made concessions to find a solution to tensions that brewed between Puntland government and former commander Gen. Mohiyadin Ahmed Musse on Sunday, Garowe Online reports. In an interview with Puntland-based independent station, Radio Garowe, Security Minister expressed hope of end to the tensions between striking soldiers and the President after nearly a month of deadlock and wavering mediation endeavor. Traditional leaders have been spearheading the move to mediate in the dispute and convince opposing forces to withdraw to their original positions. Meanwhile, he noted that security agencies are on high terror alert for possible attacks inside Puntland following intelligence gatherings. Qarjab asked the public to closely cooperate with security forces on pinpointing any detrimental threat to the security. Jubaland President Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Islam and Nugal traditional leaders Sundaydiscussed the dispute during a meeting in the state capital, Garowe.
Somali Militia Infighting Kills Five In Kismayo
12 July – Source: Hiiraan Online – 248 Words
At least five people were killed in a gun battle between rival factions of the Kenya-backed Jubaland militia in the port city of Kismayo, residents told Hiiraan Online on Sunday. The clashes over dispute of an arrested soldier highlights factional tensions within the administration which controls the lucrative port city for years with the help of Kenyan forces based in the town. Three other combatants have reportedly been wounded in the clashes that started in the early hours of the day in the centre of the town. Gunfire could still be heard until nightfall as rival soldiers fought on the streets of the town, according to residents. Jubaland administration hasn’t so far commented on the development which comes as president Ahmed Madobe is on visit to Puntland for talks with his counterpart Abdiweli Mohamed Ali.
Witnesses in the town told Hiiraan Online that the town was still tense after clashes. Kenyan troops serving under the African Union forces in Somalia have reportedly started interceding the warring sides to end the clashes. Established in 2013, the Kismayo-based Jubaland administration led by Ahmed Madobe is a close ally of the Kenyan government which sent thousands of troops to fight the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab group in Somalia after spate of attacks including kidnappings of foreign tourists controls Juba regions including Kismayo town. Madobe’s militia have helped kenyan forces to kick militants out of key strongholds including the port city of Kismayo which served as militants’ top revenue source until they were ousted in 2013.
Neighbourhood Watch Director Resolute In Restoring Safety In Mogadishu
13 July – Source: Goobjoog News – 633 Words
When Abdikani Mohamed Hadi became the director of a new neighbourhood watch program, he hoped to improve safety and security in his community. However, the risks of this role became apparent last week when Mr. Hadi’s car was detonated close to his home. Mr. Hadi, who works with the Benadir Regional Administration in Mogadishu, survived the explosion from an improvised-explosive-device (IED) that had been planted on his car on July 8th, and was back at work the next day. A trained pilot, Mr. Hadi worked in South Africa with a non-governmental organization (NGO) before returning to Somalia in 2012. He formed the Benadir Neighbourhood Watch in August 2014 and since its inception, the programme has redefined community policing in a city where Al-Shabaab blend into the communities, making it difficult for security agents to flush them out. Mr. Hadi runs the community neighbourhood-watch in several districts in Mogadishu. Under this programme, clusters of houses are placed under the watch of one person who monitors for any unusual activities and reports back to the authorities. “We have got different levels within the community neighbourhood system whereby it starts with the bottom line of 10 houses.
A steering committee person is in charge of the 10 houses and every 15 houses comprise of a neighbourhood. Every area of over 200 houses becomes a sector and from every 4 sectors which is almost 800 to 1000 houses becomes a division. Every 4 divisions become a suburb and every 4 suburbs becomes a district.” Mr. Hadi explained. As the director of the neighbourhood watch program, Mr. Hadi’s work requires resilience and personal sacrifice. He is well aware that the work which gives him purpose also poses a threat to his life. “My car was detonated with a bomb and exploded. Luckily I had just parked like one hour and a half ago in that area and I went to my house and I stayed longer. That’s why maybe they were targeting and waiting for me and thank God it never happened and it never got me. But it doesn’t mean that we have to give up, that we have to be afraid and say that because it has happened we have become a target of explosions, not even a gun bullet which is something bigger,” he said. It is not the first time that Mr. Hadi has been targeted by Al-Shabaab, but he is determined to continue his efforts to make Mogadishu a safer place. “This makes us take more precautions, to say that now we are more targeted, then we must be conscious about it. But it doesn’t stop our work.
We will do it as much as we can. We will enhance work we are doing because of our courage. We believe this is the only thing that can bring peace to the whole of Mogadishu,” he said. Based on information gathered through the neighbourhood watch program, the Somali police and military, with the help of partners, have been able to carry out impromptu cordon-and-search operations to flush out the militants from their hideouts. Another positive outcome of the programme is the increased social cohesion in the community. Neighbours now pull together to provide assistance to the needy in their locality. “There was a report and parents were saying they could not afford to teach their children and pay their school fees and asking for help. We got involved and tried to help. So in other words, it’s an issue that covers every part of life within the community, although primarily it plays a role in maintaining security,” Mr. Hadi said. This model of community policing, though new to Somalia, may be the answer to the complex challenges of dealing with hidden security threats and restoring safety and stability to its urban dwellings.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia Maritime Suit Against Kenya In Hague
13 July – Source: The Star – 321 Words
Somalia has said it will officially submit its maritime border dispute with Kenya at the International Court of Justice at The Hague today. This comes as Kenya said it is not officially furnished with the contents of the suit. Somalia’s Information Minister Mohamed Maareeye said his government has lined up a group of international lawyers aimed at “ending Kenya’s fake claim in court”. “The issue of the Kenyan government violations against our territorial waters has continued for a long time, so it’s the right time to end its fake claim in court,” Maareeye was quoted on Wednesday in the capital, Mogadishu. He said the 150-page court filing is presented by Italian, American and British lawyers. Kenya is expected to respond to the accusations within a maximum of eight months. Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed yesterday refused to comment on the matter. “Can we talk about Somalia some other time,” she told the Star.
However, PS Karanja Kibicho said Kenya has not been served with the documents yet. “We have not seen the assertion by Somalia. Once we officially receive the notification from the ICJ, we will act within the allowable timelines,” he told the Star from Mombasa. The incoming Somalia ambassador Jamal Hassan met Amina on Tuesday but it is not clear whether the matter was discussed. The court battle is likely to dent the longstanding cordial relationship between the two neighbouring countries. Kenya hosts at least 500,000 Somali refugees at the Dadaab camp. It has hundreds of soldiers under AMISOM battling the Al-Shabaab terror group. Somalia government exuded confidence that it will win the case, arguing the disputed area belongs to the country’s ocean. It wants the court “to determine, on the basis of international law, the complete course of the single maritime boundary dividing all the maritime areas appertaining to Somalia and to Kenya in the Indian Ocean, including the continental shelf beyond 200[nautical miles]”.
Airstrikes Kill 10 Somalis, Including Children: Reports
12 July – Source: International Business Times – 270 Words
At least 10 Somalis, including five children, were killed in Kenyan airstrikes near the border of the two East African countries Sunday, according to media reports. The reported strikes came just weeks before U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit the region. Residents in the Gedo region of southern Somalia told the Somali news site Sahmis Online that the airstrikes killed five children on their way to a religious school. Neither Kenyan or Somali officials have confirmed the strikes. However, one Gedo resident, Idris Nur, told the Somali news agency Horseed Media that the warplanes “pounded the whole area indiscriminately and never bothered about the innocent people.” Dozens more people were injured during the operation, according to reports.
Kenyan military forces have previously conducted operations in neighboring Somalia while targeting members of the extremist group al-Shabab, which claimed responsibility for one high-profile attack on a university in eastern Kenya in April and another on the luxury Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi in 2013. Kenya also has contributed troops to a joint African Union force dedicated to fighting al-Shabab in the region. The reported airstrikes Sunday came several days after the militant group said it was behind an attack that killed 14 quarry workers in northern Kenya, near the Somali border. Al-Shabab also claimed responsibility for an attack at two hotels in the Somali capital of Mogadishu Friday that resulted in the deaths of six civilians, according to Reuters. Obama is scheduled to visit Kenya, his father’s home country, for a series of meetings this month, putting more pressure on the nation’s government to contain the attacks by Al-Shabab.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Mohamud said he wasn’t surprised that he and Ali accomplished a lot in the short period they’ve lived in the U.S. I think we prepared for life in America when we were in Dadaab.” We worked hard to learn English. We always participated and led in youth development programs.”
Kenyan Refugee Camp Friendship Rekindled in St. Cloud
13 July – Source: SC Times – 935 Words
The recent stream of Somali immigrants and refugees who are making their mark in St. Cloud is partly the reason Hussein Mohamud and Feisal Ali decided to live in the city. The childhood friends who grew up in the dusty and arid Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya also picked St. Cloud to be closer to their families here — and to Minneapolis, which has a vibrant Somali-American presence and serves as the capital city for Somalis in North America. “It’s a small place,” Ali said of St. Cloud. “Anywhere you want to go in the city is just about 10 minutes away. People really like that.” Mohamud added: “St. Cloud is really a nice city. It’s promising for young Somalis … many kids are graduating from colleges and high schools.” Before their arrival in St. Cloud, Mohamud and Ali spent more than two decades in Dadaab, the largest refugee camp in the world. Both escaped the civil war in Somalia — which erupted in 1991 — and sought refuge in the camp, which has more than 400,000 people. They initially thought the war would end sooner and planned to return home in a matter of months. That wasn’t the case, however. The civil war in Somalia stretched into decades. For Ali and Mohamud, this meant living more than 20 years in dire conditions in the camp. Like many refugees, Ali and Mohamud lacked access to adequate education and employment, and were confined to life without sanitation, food and health facilities. Mohamud added: “We were not allowed to leave the camp and find opportunities elsewhere. It felt like an open prison.”
“Somalia suffers from the Machiavellian politics defined as the “employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft” and as “a dark triad personality, characterized by (1) duplicitous interpersonal style, (2) a cynical disregard for morality, and (3) focus on self-interest and personal gain.”
Somalia Suffers From Machiavellian Politics
12 July – Source: Mareeg Media – 1,112 Words
In the week of celebration, June 26 -July 2, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia delivered three speeches and an interview with Ventures Africa, in which he talked about the accomplishments of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) under his leadership. He announced the near completion of Vision 2016 tasks, specifically the completion of the formation of regional states and the nomination of the technical electoral commission that will fix the surreal 2016 political election for an imaginary Somalia. He hailed the security improvement in many parts of the country and the introduction of tamper-proof financial management system adopted by the financial institutions. In the interview with Venture Africa, President Hassan said that “Somalia is making a comeback,” and for the first time he has confirmed the establishment of Forum for National Leaders (FNL) that comprises the Presidents of Regional Administrations chaired by him. The Forum discusses the national issues invested in the Council of Ministers and federal parliament. In the meantime, Jubbaland and Puntland Administrations suspended their relation of exchange visits with the Federal Government.
On June 9, 2015, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Somalia, Ambassador Nicholas Kay and the Special Representative of AU Chairperson, Ambassador Maman Sambo Sidikou spoke at an event on Somalia organized by the International Peace Institute in New York. Ambassador Kay compared Somalia with a house under construction. He said that the regional administrations are the foundation while the review of the provisional constitution is the walls. The federal government is the roof. Since the foundation (the Regional States) is contested, incomplete and the walls (the review constitution) will be completed after 2016, Ambassador Kay has rightly described the roof (the federal government) as temporary structure until 2020. He added that “nobody expected it to be quick or easy to build that Somali House.” Unfortunately, the Ambassador did not tell his audience that the Somali house didn’t have a construction plan that shows its dimensions, pillars, and other technical specifications. Thus, the house will not be safe for habitation.
TOP TWEETS
@harar24: #BREAKING: Heavily armed #AlShabaab fighters overrun #Somalia troops bases in Rage Elle town in Middle Shabelle. Dozens reportedly killed.
@SomaliaEU: IGAD remittances roundtable – President emphasized key for #Somalia exceeding aid levels; USD 1,2 billion
@UNDP: Paralegals bring access to justice for many in#Somalia‘s IDP camp: http://on.undp.org/PoAs3 #JusticeMatters
@TheVillaSomalia: The side of #Somalia you often don’t hear about.
@StateDept: The U.S. strongly condemns al-Shabaab’s terrorist attacks in Mogadishu, #Somalia yesterday.http://go.usa.gov/3fQc5
@mofasomalia: Now in #AddisAbaba: President of #SomaliaH.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud addressing the 3rd Int’l Conference on Financing for Development #FFD3
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Director of Community Neighbourhood Watch for Banadir Regional Administration, Abdihakim Mohamed Hadi converses with a resident of Wadajir district in Mogadishu, Somalia on July 09, 2015. Hadi survived a car bomb explosion on Wednesday 8th July. A bomb planted underneath his car exploded outside his house in Wabeeri District.
Photo: UNSOM