July 2, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Mogadishu set for launch of refugees return

02 Jul- Source: Star-Kenya- 297 words

The Tripartite Agreement that will set the ground for the repatriation of more than 500,000 Somali refugees in Kenya will be launched in Mogadishu soon.

The agreement, which was signed in Nairobi in November last year, has been delayed by hitches in the the formation of a tripartite commission drawn from the Kenya and Somalia governments and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Stakeholders had preferred Nairobi for the launch, citing security challenges in Mogadishu. Somalia ambassador Mohamed Nur said the security concern “has been taken care of”.

Deputy President William Ruto and Foreign Affairs Secretary Amina Mohamed are expected to attend the event.

The agreement sets out legal framework and other support for the refugees to return to their homeland under specified conditions. It also defines the roles and responsibilities of the three parties in accordance with international standards.

Key Headlines

Mogadishu-bound cargo plane crashes near JKIA Nairobi (Radio Dalsan/Radio Bar-kulan)
Al Shabaab kills two men burns car in central Somalia (Caalamka Online/Al Shahid)
Interior Minister Mogadishu Mayor take a night tour to the neighborhoods of the capital (Radio Mogadishu/RBC/Radio Kulmiye)
Traditional elders from Mogadishu in Abudwak to negotiate peace (Radio Bar-kulan)
Women milk vendors happy with new market (Radio Ergo)
Somalia to look towards the future as it celebrated the 54th anniversary of Independence (Radio RBC)
Mogadishu set for launch of refugees return (Star-Kenya)
Death Toll Resulting from Food Poisoning Increase in Middle Shabelle (Radio Dalsan)
Specialist Maritime Security conducts study on Somali anti-piracy initiatives (defenceweb)
Armed confrontation in Somali central region claims the lives of three (Radio RBC)
Al Shabaab is on the back foot – Somali Prime minister (Africa Report)
Four people feared dead in Utawala plane crash (Standard Media/Capital News)
AMISOM applauds Baidoa Local Administrators for promoting unity (Walta Information Centre)
Security beefed up in Coast to ensure peaceful Ramadhan (Daily Nation)
Kenya relocates over 2700 refugees to camps (China.org/ Xinhua)
Somalia’s Independence Day Coincides with Reopening of China’s Embassy (CCTV)

SOMALI MEDIA

Mogadishu-bound cargo plane crashes near JKIA, Nairobi

02 Jul- Source: Radio Dalsan/Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mustaqbal/RBC- 102 words

Four people were on Wednesday morning killed after a plane ferrying Khat from Nairobi to Mogadishu crashed in Utawala area near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi.

Nairobi Police Chief, Benson Kibue said that the cargo plane operated by Skyward this morning crashed at a commercial building in Utawala area near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport head of investigations, Joseph Ngisa said the plane was seen flying low after takeoff and it’s believed to have hit an electric pole before crashing. He said the authorities are looking into the cause of the crash.

Al Shabaab kills two men, burns car in central Somalia

02 Jul- Source: Caalamka Online/Al Shahid- 177 words

Reports from El-bur district of Galgudud region in central Somalia confirmed that al Shabab fighters killedTuesday night two men at the southern suburb of the district and burned a car which was transporting khat to al Shabaab controlled village called El-shil.

An inhabitant who requested anonymity for security reasons told to Shahid media that the killed men were named Mohamed Abshir and Nune Ahmed Aweys.

“Al Shabaab fighters stopped mini bus transporting khat to El-shil village and ordered two men were on board One of the them driver to get off. The fighters set the car on the fire and killed the two men- Mohamed Abshir and Nune Ahmed Aweys”, he said.

No one knows the reason for the killing, but al Shabaab banned Khat to be sold in the residents they control.

Troops from the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia which is the latest troop contributing country to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has a base in El-bur district after they defeated Shabab on march this year.

Interior Minister, Mogadishu Mayor take a night tour to the neighborhoods of the capital

02 Jul- Source: Radio Mogadishu/RBC/Radio Kulmiye- 247 words

The Interior Minister and Federal Affairs Abdullahi Godah Barre together with the Mayor of Somalia Capital, Mogadishu General Hassan Mohamed Hussein “Mungab” have taken the first night tour during the Holy Ramadan month to the neighborhoods of the capital to observe the security.

The Tuesday’s night tour came as armed militants linked to Al Shabaab carried series of attacks on the members of the security forces since Ramadan commenced on Sunday this week. Seven soldiers were gunned down in the capital by the al Shabaab militants.

The Tuesday’s night tour started from the city centre villages of Warta Nabadda and was concluded at the far north neighborhood of Heliwa. The Minister of Interior and the Mayor of the capital visited numerous places as they took chatting with young people on the some of the streets.

Before the night tour was wrapped, the Minister of Interior briefed the local media saying that the tour was to show that the city is secure due to the efforts made by the security forces.

On his side The Mayor of the capital stressed the need for combined efforts and collaboration between the citizens and the security forces to end the violent attacks carried out sometimes by the extremist groups.

He said they cannot hide in the society if the people were enough brave to report those who are willing to create mess and fear within the community.

Traditional elders from Mogadishu in Abudwak to negotiate peace

02 Jul- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 145 words

A delegation of prominent traditional elders Tuesday left Mogadishu for Abudwak district in Galgadud region with a mission to mediate two clan militias in the area.

The elders led by Ugas Isse Ugas Abdulle headed to Abudwak to find a lasting solution to an armed conflict between two clan militias who fought in Guri-el and Balanbal areas in the past.

Ugas Abdulle who spoke to the press after their arrival in Abudwak town said they held talks with some of the traditional elders in Abudwak last night over the situation.

He asked Galgadud regional administration, traditional elders and religious scholars to play their part in finding solution to the conflicts between the two sides.

Clashes between two clan militias in rural areas near Abudwak district in recent times claimed the lives of unspecified number of people.

Women milk vendors happy with new market

02 Jul- Source: Radio Ergo- 160 words

For more than 20 years, Sahra Hirsi Abdulle has been struggling to sell milk in the dangerous streets in Puntland’s port city of Bosasso to make a living for her children. speeding or careless vehicles several times overran her stall and almost knocked her down. Now, she is one of 80 women hawkers who are moving to a newly constructed market place.

The covered market, which was built by the local administration, is aimed at helping the small business community to develop. The women hawkers were registered by Bosasso’s Women’s Association, which submitted their names to the local administration for assistance.

“It’s a new era for us,” Abdulle told Radio Ergo’s local reporter in Bossasso. “We used to sit under the sun the whole day…pedestrians and vehicles used to walk or ride over us and our business,” she said. But the new market has doors to open in the day and lock at night, lights and air conditioning, said Abdulle. “We now feel safe and happy!” she said.

Somalia to look towards the future as it celebrated the 54th anniversary of Independence

02 Jul- Source: Radio RBC- 372 words

The Prime Minister of Somalia, Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed has wished the great people of Somalia, both in the country and those abroad, a happy 54th Somalia Independence Day which the country marked on Tuesday July 1st.

“Today is a remarkable day for Somalia, which officially received its independence in the year 1960. I would like to wish all Somalis a happy Independence Day. The Federal Government of Somalia will continue the work of rebuilding this nation that fought hard to achieve independence and we will stay steadfast on our vision of a prosperous and stable Somalia.

We honour the men and women who gave us this opportunity to forge our own destiny and to ensure our nation lives up to its best potential. “This day reminds Somali people across the globe of the immeasurable bravery of the men and women who continue to fight for peace and justice. Somalia faces a daunting set of challenges that can be achieved with strength and unity.

This day inspires Somalis all over the globe to gather as one against those who seek violence while commemorating all that was achieved by our forefathers 54 years ago. “Today is a day of celebration, a day for Somalia to look towards the future. It is a day we renew our solemn duty to Somalia and the Somali people to live up to our promises.

Somalia is a blessed land with extraordinary people who have suffered too long; I reaffirm my commitment to uphold the principles of peace and justice and to serve the great people of Somalia to the best of my ability.

“To the extraordinary men, women and children in Somalia and across the globe, celebrate today and commit to a great future for Somalia. Celebrate while working towards a day when Somali children will live a life free of poverty and accomplish all their dreams.

Celebrate this day for the Somali women who are the strength and backbone of this nation. The Federal Government of Somalia looks forward to rebuilding this great land, forging unbreakable bonds with our Somali brothers and sisters and reaffirming our commitments to the great Horn of Africa.”

Death Toll Resulting from Food Poisoning Increase in Middle Shabelle

02 Jul- Source: Radio Dalsan- 98 words

The death toll among families that consumed food and consequently suffered from food poisoning is on the rise. At the moment the death toll is six. This was confirmed to Dalsan Radio by Nimo M Ali who is family member of a victim of the incident. “The number of those who died is six. They ate sorghum after which they suffered from the food poisoning. Others affected by food poisoning are in Keydsaney Hospital now. They are my children and grandmother. It is the third time, people in Middle Shabelle suffered from food poisoning in two months’ time,” she said.

Armed confrontation in Somali central region claims the lives of three

02 Jul – Source: Radio RBC – 119 words

At least three people slain and five others injured after two armed militias battled with gunfire confrontations in Hobyo town, Mudug province. Galmudug Transport, Ports and Fishing Minister Mohamed Aden Qalab-xoor spoke to the local media confirming that the two armed militias fought in the district claiming the lives of three people. The three executed person are reported to have belonged to the two conflicting militias and also civilians. According to a local resident who spoke to raxanreeb online on anonymity condition this confrontation came after Hobyo district police commissioner was raided in the district. The minister said that traditional elders and other parts of the local residents have intervened the clash and the matter is now under control.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Mogadishu set for launch of refugees return

02 Jul- Source: Star-Kenya- 297 words

The Tripartite Agreement that will set the ground for the repatriation of more than 500,000 Somali refugees in Kenya will be launched in Mogadishu soon.

Stakeholders had preferred Nairobi for the launch, citing security challenges in Mogadishu. Somalia ambassador Mohamed Nur said the security concern “has been taken care of”.

Deputy President William Ruto and Foreign Affairs Secretary Amina Mohamed are expected to attend the event.

Al Shabaab is on the back foot – Somali Prime minister

02 Jul – Source: Africa Report – 147 words

Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed talks to The Africa Report about the international fight against Somali-based Islamist rebels and the government’s difficulties in re-establishing stability. “The first thing is we need to have improved security for the citizens of Somalia,” Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed says.

He sits erect and still in a straight-backed chair. He remains serious throughout the conversation, Abdiweli’s first meeting with a member of the foreign press since he became prime minister of Somalia in December 2013.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud appointed Abdiweli after his predecessor, Abdi Farah Shirdon, lost a vote of no confidence in parliament as a result of a dispute with the president over appointments to the cabinet.

An economist by training, Abdiweli is a political neophyte, but he pipped two seasoned politicians – finance minister Hussein Abdi Halane and former transport minister Abdiwahid Elmi Gonjeh – to the job.

Four people feared dead in Utawala plane crash

02 Jul – Source: Standard Media/Capital News/Daily Nation – 140 words

Four passengers are feared dead after a cargo plane headed for Mogadishu, Somalia crashed on a commercial building in Utawala, Embakasi area after take off from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Officials said the Fokker 50 cargo plane crashed at about 4 am Wednesday and had khat at time of the incident. According to the JKIA head of investigations Joseph Ngisa, preliminary findings had shown the plane was flying low after take off and it is thought to have hit an electric pole before crashing.

Witnesses said they saw the plane come down while on fire. Ngisa said there was likely to be no survivor in the early morning crash. “It is not clear what caused the crash but officials here say it was flying so low before it came down and burst into flames. We have no survivor,” said Ngisa.

AMISOM applauds Baidoa Local Administrators for promoting unity

02 Jul- Source: Walta Information Centre- 436 words

The newly appointed Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission in Somalia (DSRCC), Honorable Lydia Wanyoto Mutende has applauded the leadership of the previously fractious Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions for burying the hatchet and working towards unity.

According to a press release AMISOM Media Center sent to WIC, Hon. Wanyoto-Mutende was speaking after meeting the regions’ administrators in Baidoa yesterday, exactly a week after representatives of the South West-6 Group and the South West-3 Group signed an agreement to form an interim administration for the three regions of Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle.

“By working together in peace, al Shabaab will find no way to operate. Do not give a chance to violence. Continue to solve all issues by sitting down together, discussing and resolving your conflicts amicably,” she said. “It is now time to rebuild Somalia; to build schools for your children, roads, water sources to alleviate the suffering, and other infrastructure. There are more important things to do.”

Security beefed up in Coast to ensure peaceful Ramadhan

02 Jul – Source: Daily Nation – 138 words

Security has been intensified at the Coast with police carrying out patrols to ensure that the region remains safe during the holy month of Ramadhan.

Residents, however, said they would not drop their guard despite of the new measures taken to prevent terror attacks which rocked the region last month.

Lamu, Mombasa and Kwale are some of the counties that have seen an increase in the number of police officers deployed to keep the peace. “We are very keen on this issue,” Mombasa County Commander of Police Robert Kitur said yesterday.

“We have generally beefed up our security within the county and region, we have not had any incidents (in the last) three days,” he said, referring to the period since Muslims started marking the holy month. In Lamu, security has been beefed up in the entire county.

Judge remands terror suspect on new murder charges

01 Jul – Source: Standard Media – 154 words

A high court judge has remanded a man accused of terror related charges for one week after the state prosecution linked him to new murder charges.

Ahmed Sudi Said a man in his early 30s was previously facing charges of being in possession of unauthorized explosives on June 14 2014 along Likoni Ukunda High way between ferry area and Corner Police in Likoni. Said was found in possession of a hand grenade, with Identification number 822548890650 without authority from the relevant officers.

He was also found with a Ceska pistol and four bullets without a license and certificate that raised reasonable presumptions that the said firearm was recently used in a manner prejucial to public order. The state prosecutor George Mureithi said that the suspect had been found with 100 pieces of DVD/CD video disc containing information that was meant to disseminate terror messages.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Kenya relocates over 2,700 refugees to camps

02 Jul- Source: china.org/ Xinhua -328 words

The Kenyan government has relocated 2,760 refugees and asylum seekers to the refugee camps in northern Kenya, while another 360 people including five refugees were deported to Mogadishu, the UN said on Tuesday.

The latest report from the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Eastern Africa says the relocation or deportation of refugees and asylum seekers followed the security operation which was launched by the police on April 2 after the grenade attacks in Nairobi and Mombasa.

“As of June 11, 2,757 refugees and asylum seekers had been relocated to the refugee camps with the majority (2,200 people) transferred to Dadaab refugee camp,” OCHA said in the report, citing statistics from the UNHCR.

Specialist Maritime Security conducts study on Somali anti-piracy initiatives

02 Jul- Source: defenceweb- 168 words

The Specialist Maritime Security study recruited specialists who had worked in Somalia for three years, and developed a study methodology around their experience.
Specialist Maritime Services (SMS) is a fully compliant, accredited South African business registered with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA), with a vision to bring sustainable peace through security and economic development utilising preferred local partners.

SMS’s mission is to provide information and access while facilitating introductions, first phase infrastructure development and logistics in challenging countries, communities and environments throughout the African continent, while ensuring a safe and secure platform of operation.

Somalia’s Independence Day Coincides with Reopening of China’s Embassy

01 Jul- Source: CCTV- 3:37 min

CCTV’s Mohamed Hirmoge joined us live from Mogadishu to discuss Somalia’s Independence day and the reopening of the Chinese embassy in Somalia.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“Rethink on how we wage war. In Somalia, a war on poverty and unemployment would go a lot farther in meeting our objectives than our current strategy and for a lot less money. The time for that rethink is now.”

America Needs a ‘Reset’ In Policy Toward Somalia

01 Jul- Source: Hiiraan Online-834 Words

At next month’s Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington D.C., it’ll be important for President Barack Obama to refrain from prioritizing counter-terrorism, resource extractive or aid-only agendas – which is what has dominated White House policies in the past – and pursue, instead, a more just path for the 54 countries on the continent, 47 of which have been invited to the Washington summit.

Of the seven countries that have been excluded from the invite list, Somalia is not one of them, thankfully. And lest the United States get increasingly interested in the kinds of military-first interventions that have characterized U.S. foreign policy in Somalia, as I witnessed in my trip there last year, the Summit should serve as a reflection point before the West worsens the war it’s waging on the Horn and elsewhere.

When Americans think of Somalia, the first thing they likely think of is al-Shabaab, the violent rebel group that sprung from the military wing of the Islamic Courts Union that once ran the country. The al Shabaab fit nicely into the characteristics of the West’s war on terrorism, as well as the conservative narrative about Islam and violence.

“Despite the dangers, Somali journalists, continue to risk their lives to cover the news. On the 21st of June, 2014, award-winning humanitarian Somali journalist, Yusuf Ahmed Abukar became the latest statistic, killed when a bomb believed to be attached to his car exploded in Mogadishu. Why does Jamal Osman return to Somalia when he knows he could be the next victim? His answers may startle you.”

Is There Hope for Somalia?

01 Jul- Source: Huffington Post-339 Words

Journalists are an endangered species. Harassed, arrested, tortured — even killed. Multi-award-winning UK Channel Four reporter Jamal Osman, is constantly on alert. Not only in Somalia, where he was born and often travels, but also in the UK, where his Somali heritage means the British citizen is viewed with suspicion by many. Even getting into his adopted country can be challenging, as immigration officials often pull Osman aside for questioning before he’s allowed to enter.

I interviewed Osman in the Channel Four newsroom in London last November, curious to know why he would choose to risk his life every time he returns to Somalia, the country he left as a boy, a journey he shares in”My Refugee Journey.” Often described as the “world’s most dangerous country,” Somalia has claimed the lives of 52 journalists since 1992.

My son, Reuters correspondent Dan Eldon, and his three colleagues, Hos Maina, Anthony Macharia and Hansi Krauss were among them, killed by a Somali mob while covering the after-effects of a UN bombing in 1993. Dan had covered the country for a year, photographing its descent into lawlessness, which resulted in the withdrawal of western troops after the notorious “Blackhawk Down” incident in October, 1993.

Top tweets

@OCHASom .@UNICEF Emergency Director visits health & nutrition centre in Kabasa IDP camp. Calls for more funding for#Somalia pic.twitter.com/WHfPJ5dHme

@OxfamInSOM #Remittance $ from my family in USA are my#SomaliLifeline http://thndr.it/1mm15cO #Somalia pic.twitter.com/FwqMtax304

@Daudoo PIC: Cargo plane crashed in #Nairobi this morning was carrying Khat to #Mogadishu. 4 people dead. #Kenya #Somalia pic.twitter.com/TELqhLItxi

@mukhtaryare Minneapolis marks first “Somali American Day,” celebrated on July 1st — Somalia’s Independence Day.pic.twitter.com/Zz2OB0JusN

@amisomsomalia A #Djiboutian soldier reads the Quran in a makeshift mosque at their base in Beletweyne #Somalia pic.twitter.com/Ufy7WuN5UU

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Image of the day Billboards in Hargeisa for Somali designer boutiques #Somaliland. Photo: @NomadBoii