July 20, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report
African Union Troops In New Offensive Against Al-Shabaab
20 July – Source: Horseed Media – 368 Words
African Union troops said Sunday they had launched a new offensive against Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab rebels in southern Somalia, vowing to flush the insurgents out of rural areas. Officials and witnesses confirmed heavy fighting was raging near the Al-Shabaab strongholds of Dinsor and Bardhere, and said the militants hit back with a suicide car bomb attack against a convoy of Ethiopian troops, who are leading the offensive. “The operation will ensure that all the remaining areas in Somalia will be liberated and peace restored,” AMISOM said in a statement. A Somali military official in the region, Mohamed Osman, confirmed heavy fighting between AMISOM and Somali troops on one side and the Al-Shabaab on the other.
“There are heavy clashes going on between our forces and Al-Shabaab militia along the road that leads to Dinsor. The militants ambushed a military convoy,” he said. Witnesses who live close to the battleground said a suicide attacker struck the convoy with a car bomb loaded with explosives. There were no immediate reports on casualties. The offensive was launched days after Kenyan government reports that a US drone strike in the region killed at least 30 Al-Shabaab rebels, among them several commanders. It also comes several weeks after last month’s Al-Shabaab assault on a AMISOM base which left dozens of Burundian soldiers dead in one of the single deadliest incidents since AMISOM soldiers arrived in Somalia eight years ago.
The Al-Shabaab, meaning “youth” in Arabic, emerged out of a bitter insurgency against Ethiopia, whose troops entered Somalia in a 2006 in a US-backed invasion to topple the Islamic Courts Union that was then controlling the capital Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab rebels continue to stage frequent attacks, seeking to counter claims that they are close to defeat after losing territory in the face of repeated African Union and Somali government offensives, regular US drone strikes against their leaders and defections. Currently affiliated to Al-Qaeda, there has been mounting speculation that the group could shift its allegiance to the Islamic State group. In a message marking Muslim Eid celebrations on Friday, Al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Diriye — also known as Ahmed Umar Abu Ubaidah — outlined plans for the group to increase its operations outside of Somalia and particularly in Kenya.
Key Headlines
- African Union Troops In New Offensive Against Al-Shabaab (Horseed Media)
- Our First Priority Is Security Of Our State Says Galmudug President (Goobjoog News)
- Ahlu Sunna Takeover Areas Previously Under Government Control (Wacaal Media)
- Town of Armo Police Academy To Reopen Soon (Goobjoog News)
- Wajir County Establishes Anti Radicalization Office To Counter Terror (Radio Dalsan)
- Kenya: Al-Shabaab Set Up Camp In Boni Forest (The Star)
- Lithuanian Troops Leaving For Somalia Anti-piracy Operation (The Lithuania Tribune)
- Kenya And Somalia Feuds Far From Over (The Star)
- How Severe Is The terror Threat In East Africa? (BBC News)
- A Perfect Somali Political Regrouping In Picture (Horseed Media)
- Universal TV’s Interview With Newly Appointed British Ambassador to Somalia Ms Harriet Mathews(Universal TV)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Our First Priority Is Security Of Our State, Says Galmudug President
20 July – Source: Goobjoog News – 338 Words
Galmudug’s newly elected President Abdikarin Hussein Guled said his administration will give first priority to the security of the state and the integration of clan militias in Galmudug state. Speaking to the public in the town of Galinsoor, the president said “among our priorities is the security and the integration of clan militias so as to get a cohesive regional force.” He also said they will soon start a reconciliation conference for the clans engaged in gun battle in Mudug and Galgaduud regions. On 4th July, Galmudug State Parliamentarians elected Abdikarim Hussein Guled as president but the the new leader is facing many challenges including Ahlu-Sunna and Puntland which declared that they will not recognize him as regional president.
Speaking to the media in Garowe, Puntland’s Minister of Information, Mohamed Hassan Soo’ade said that the election of Galmudug state’s head in Adaado was a sham and as a result Puntland would also not recognize the newly elected head of Galmudug State Abdikarim Hussein Guled. His remarks follow a pledge by the newly elected head of state of Galmudug who said that his administration would open talks with Puntland and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a in order to resolve any differences.
“Puntland is government and can only go into negotiations or talks with another government and not individuals. Since we do not recognize him or his state, how can he open talks with us,” posed the minister of information. Meanwhile Ahlu Sunna which took control of DhusaMareb town, the administrative capital of Galmudug state in June this year when the state formation conference was ongoing in Adado announced it had nominated its own president for areas under its rule.
Ahlu Sunna Takeover Areas Previously Under Government Control
20 July – Source: Wacaal Media – 96 Words
Ahlu Sunna forces in Galgaduud forcefully took over Bangeelle location after launching a bloody offensive in the area. Local forces allied to the Federal Government were overpowered by the Somali paramilitary group forcing them to flee. Residents told local media of heightened military activity in the area by both sides meaning they could again square off any time. Ahlu Sunna has been capturing towns from the Federal government since expressing dissatisfaction with the formation of Galmudug state. The group held its parallel conference where they elected a President and his deputy.
Town of Armo Police Academy To Reopen Soon
20 July – Source: Goobjoog News – 248 Words
Armo Police Academy in Puntland will be refurbished and made operational once again for police training, Federal Finance Deputy Minister Mohamoud Hayir Ibrahim has said. The deputy minister who toured the facility yesterday said the facility had been abandoned for a couple of years yet it had been instrumental in police training in the country. He however noted that the government will act on a previous agreement signed with Puntland to refurbish the academy and reinstate it to its former stature. “This academy was one of the best in this country. All those who graduated from here were employed by government and are now serving in various parts of the country. Following earlier agreements between the state of Puntland and the Federal Government, reconstruction and refurbishment will start off soon to ensure the facility is put into use again,” said.
The prestigious Armo Police Training Academy was reopened on December 20, 2005 by then Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi after lying unused for a decade. It was funded by UNDP. The three months training offered by the academy covers community policing, basic police training, non-violent disarmament, physical fitness, self-defense, marching and theory. But the academy has been abandoned and lay idle for the past few years and the Federal Government and Puntland State have been trying to rehabilitate it. Accompanied by the Armo Mayor Mohamed Ali Shire, the deputy minister also toured other public places including the main hospital where he was briefed by the director Dr. Yusuf Farole.
Wajir County Establishes Anti Radicalization Office To Counter Terror
19 July – Source: Radio Dalsan – 176 Words
The county of Wajir in Northeastern Kenya has established an office to counter youth radicalization by the armed group Al-Shabaab in Somalia. County Governor Ahmed Abdullahi appointed a well-known religious figure in the area to spearhead the efforts. Speaking during the Islamic holiday of Eid in Wajir, Governor Abdullahi said the best way to overcome terror is close cooperation between the members of the public and the security agencies. Sheikh Mohamud Rashid who is the Imam of Wajir Jamia mosque will lead the campaign against those at risk of joining extremist groups by using all available means such as the media and among others. “We need to counter the groups that use the knowledge of Islam by twisting the young minds through concept of Jihad,” he said. Area security agencies have welcomed the move saying it will have great impact on their task to improve security in the area. Wajir has experienced wave of attacks previously claimed by Al-Shabaab and targeted at security agencies since Kenya sent its troops inside Somalia three years ago.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Kenya: Al-Shabaab Set Up Camp In Boni Forest
20 July – Source: The Star – 584 Words
Al-Shabaab militants have set up permanent bases in the vast Boni Forest, where they live with their families, the Star has learnt. The militants and their wives and children hunt game for food and use water from several rivers in the forest. The disclosure came a day after militants ambushed a police van in Lamu, killing five people, including officers, with an improvised explosive device, and escaped. The attack has also been linked to one of the suspects currently in court, Khalid Mohamed Ali, with the government implying that it was carried out with the sole intention of killing a number of witnesses in another criminal case against Al-Shabaab suspects. In one of the documents filed in court, senior prosecution counsel at the Directorate of Public Prosecutions Daniel Wamotsa says a number of incidents on May 13 offered them new and compelling evidence that the terror gang is still within Boni Forest, where Mohamed was accused of offering supplies.
After the multiple attacks in different parts of Lamu, the militants retreat to their ‘bases’, which are inaccessible to the Kenya Defence Forces and other security personnel. The militants have been taking advantage of the assumption that, after the attacks, they usually sneak back into Somalia through the dense forest. The over 160km-wide forest has been home and a source of livelihood for centuries for the Boni, who are hunter-gatherers. The forest borders the Indian Ocean and stretches all the way to the Kenya-Somalia border in Lamu and onward to Hulugho in Garissa. Due to the sizeable population of the Boni community, the forest has been and remains densely populated, with not less than 600 households in each of the three locations – Hindi, Basuba and Witu. The Boni and the Wasanye communities have been in the forest for years and have attached cultural and social links with it, making it difficult for them to leave. There is a shrine in a part of the forest in the vicinity of which they believe, when attacked by enemies, that they vanish into thin air or turn into animals, making it difficult for them to be detected.
Lithuanian Troops Leaving For Somalia Anti-piracy Operation
20 July – Source: The Lithuania Tribune – 209 Words
Lithuania’s port city of Klaipėda is hosting on Monday a farewell ceremony for the Lithuanian troops leaving for the European Union’s (EU) anti-piracy operation Atalanta off the coasts of the Eastern African country of Somalia.Consisting of the soldiers of the Lithuanian army’s Navy, the autonomous vessel protection group will guard a ship the United Nations (UN) World Food Program carrying humanitarian food shipments to Somalia via the Indian Ocean. The autonomous group will include 16 soldiers, mainly troops of the Lithuanian Navy who have undergone special training for the mission, in addition to two war doctors. The Lithuanian group is bringing its weapons and equipment to the mission. The preparations for the mission were started back in 2014.This is the second time Lithuania is assigning an autonomous vessel guard group for the EU-led Atalanta operation. The operation was launched in 2008 in response to the increase in the number of piracy cases off the coasts of Somalia. Ships serving in the operation escort World Food Program ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali waters, as they transport aid to the residents of Somalia, deterring and detaining pirates and armed attackers in the region. The operation includes about 1,200 troops from EU nations and partner-countries.
Kenya And Somalia Feuds Far From Over
20 July – Source: The Star – 245 Words
Kenya and Somalia are headed for a legal duel at the International Court of Justice regarding the maritime delimitation of the Indian Ocean. Somalia wants the boundaries redrawn in a move that could see Kenya become a landlocked state and lose at least five oil-rich petroleum blocks. ICJ yesterday told the Star Somalia submitted documents to back its claims to the maritime territory, dashing hopes of an out-of-court settlement. Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed recently told Parliament the two countries agreed to resolve the dispute out of court. “The Information Department of the International Court of Justice can confirm the Memorial of the Federal Republic of Somalia was filed within the deadline set by the court,” ICJ said in an interview.
The Court fixed July 13 for the filling of the initial pleadings for Somalia. Kenya has up to May, 27, 2016, to respond to the suit. The pleading in which Somalia claims large maritime territory — rich in oil deposits and fish stocks — will remain confidential, the court said. “You are reminded that written pleadings remain confidential until the court decides to make them accessible to the public,” ICJ said. Tests have shown potential reserves of gas in the disputed ocean territory that stretches more than 100,000sq km. The dispute that has gone on for six years has kept investors away. Meanwhile, Somalia opposed the construction of a perimeter wall on its border with Kenya, setting the stage for another confrontation.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“In Kenya, an expanding Al-Shabaab presence has combined potently with growing radicalisation among Muslim youth and separatist tension along the coast. In Tanzania, there are fears that growing disaffection and domestic extremism could potentially intersect with a greater Al-Shabaab presence. Meanwhile, enhanced collaboration with organised criminal groups – themselves a growing security concern – is allowing Al-Shabaab to diversify its income. The incentives for this engagement have only expanded as East Africa has grown as a hub for illicit trafficking – from South Asian heroin to Yemeni arms to Tanzanian ivory.”
How Severe Is The terror Threat In East Africa?
20 July – Source: BBC News – 917 Words
Final preparations are under way for US President Barack Obama to touch down in the Kenyan capital this week – his first visit to the country of his father’s birth as head of state. As US security personnel flood Nairobi’s hotels, the president will step into a country where security and politics are closely entwined. His trip has provoked divergent assessments of the security threat across Kenya and beyond. Nairobi governor Evans Kidero sees the visit as the ultimate confirmation of Kenya’s security – hailing Obama’s stay as a testament to the country’s stability. The US State Department, on the other hand, has issued a travel alert for the visit. It has warned of the potential terrorist threat to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit at which Obama will speak. The presidential visit comes days after the reopening of Nairobi’s Westgate mall. Almost two years ago, 67 people were killed in its halls in a four-day siege for which Somali militant group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility. Its reopening has been heralded by many as a triumph of national resilience, growing security and, in the words of Kidero, the “indomitable Kenyan spirit”. For others, the reopening of its doors conjures haunting memories, amplified by Al-Shabaab’s continuing attacks – of which its killing of 147 at Garissa University in April is its deadliest to date.
Al-Shabaab poses the major terrorist threat in the region and is adapting its tactics as pressure mounts on home soil in neighbouring Somalia. Here, the group has been weakened by concerted military efforts by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and US covert action. Most recently, 30 militants – including key leaders – were killed in a US drone strike in southern Gedo region last Thursday. The loss of strategic territory and personnel has seen Al-Shabaab expand its operations into Kenya and beyond. This has complicated the landscape of violent extremism in East Africa. The group has long threatened to repay Kenya for military operations in Somalia – and since 2011 has gruesomely followed through. Yet this shift is more thoroughgoing and strategic in nature Long a territorially-focused group with quasi-governmental ambitions to impose Sharia law at home, Al-Shabaab is now becoming a more mobile, networked regional presence. This has brought it a number of benefits. Al-Shabaab’s growing reach along the African coast is providing valuable new sources of funding and recruits.
“At a time, when everyone is in touch with everyone else, the ties of both the existing fronts are now loosening, in what has become a highly fluid political situation. Even if a federal front is formed as a pre—2016 (s)elections, there is nothing to prevent the Federal Member States from shifting sides for the coming months, if the situation so warrants it.”
A Perfect Somali Political Regrouping In Picture
20 July – Source: Horseed Media – 387 Words
The old order is changing, but the new one is yet to take shape, and this is expected to firm up after the Hiiraan/Middle Shabelle formation process. Much will depend on how President Hassan Sheikh kicks the ball, and whether he scores with a disillusioned state process in the country.Even as existing alliances are loosening and new formations are yet to crystallise, all eyes are now fixed on the 2016 political games, which will take place on the next 13 months! The Somali Leadership Forum does not come across as a cohesive entity; and Mr. Sharif Hassan has floated the idea of forming a federal front. While a regrouping of political forces has started to take place, and this week’s events in Garowe are pointers in that direction, Puntland is expected to catalyse the new political order and the shape of things to come.
The week started with Mudane Ahmed Madobe — now he is clearly making a pitch for national space — roaring from Mogadishu’s Maaweelo politics, taking on the ruling Damul Jadid whose partner he was till a few weeks ago. The most significant aspect of his speech was his declared intention to bring together Federal Member States and create a federal front in the country, which, he said, could not be run from Mogadishu. And that state capitals must have a say in what transpires on the national stage. As far as Mogadishu is concerned, Garowe has already quit the Mogadishu politics. Puntland has let it be known that it is distancing itself from the SFG.
It has declared that it would be supporting the Al Sunna Wal Jameeca led resolution in Central regions against Galmudug in multibrand retail, which could hugely embarrass the Puntland leadership. At a time, when everyone is in touch with everyone else, the ties of both the existing fronts are now loosening, in what has become a highly fluid political situation. Even if a federal front is formed as a pre—2016 (s)elections, there is nothing to prevent the Federal Member States from shifting sides for the coming months, if the situation so warrants it. In short, the SFG doubt that the Puntland and Jubbaland’s political regrouping will help their version of State formation and Constitutional review process. And “[President Hassan] still has his own right-wing agenda.”
Universal TV’s Interview With Newly Appointed British Ambassador to Somalia Ms. Harriet Mathews
18 July – Source: Universal TV – Video: 25:47 Minutes
TOP TWEETS
@DrumChronicles: #Somalia Govt troops together with #Ethiopia Forces say they have liberated Ufurow,an area which lies between Qansah Dheere and Diinsoor
@DroneReads: ICYMI: African Union troops reportedly began a new offensive in southern #Somalia: “Operation Jubba Corridor” http://m.mgafrica.com/article/
@Daudoo: BREAKING: #Ethiopia deploys 6 helicopters to#Somalia to help offensive against #AlShabaab, #KDF jets &#US drones also involved – Source
@ITYAfrica: With 74% under 29, #youth finish #education & have no Jobs. That’s why they get guns & join #terrorists in#Somalia” – MWSandhol #ITYConvo
@engyarisow: H.E. Harriet Matthews welcome to #Somalia. Thanks to Hon David Cameron MP for his leadership role to Somalia.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
The Somali National Army (SNA), the National Intelligence Service Agency (NISA) and the National Security Service completed a week-long training program in the destruction of small-arms and light weapons (SALW)
Photo: UNSOM