July 23, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Somali-American elders make citizen’s arrest of suspected recruiter

23 Jul- Source: Fox Twin Cities-432 Words

The FBI believes as many as a dozen young men have been recruited from Minneapolis, and as many as 200 from across the U.S. Now, the agency is trying to figure out what exactly lead several people to make a citizen’s arrest of an alleged recruiter in the bustling Karmal Square.

Community members explained that Somali elders were watching when a man they’ve never seen before approached two 14-year-old boys after prayers. “He said, ‘Do you want to fight overseas in jihad?'” Sheik Abdirazak Kanyan told Fox 9 News. Kanyan, the boys’ religion instructor, was among those watching. “He said, ‘Do you know anyone who wants to go overseas and fight,'” Kanyan relayed. “They said, ‘That’s a stupid question, and it’s illegal.”

Key Headlines

Al Shabaab executes teenage girl in Diinsoor (Radio Star/Radio Goobjoog)
Details emerge from Jilib airstrike targeted to al Shabab base (Radio RBC/Jowhar Online)
SNA officials in Bakol urge Al-shabab members to surrender to the government (Radio Goobjoog/baidoanews)
Puntland to vaccinate 180000 children against Polio (Radio Ergo)
Somaliland invites UN Special Envoy to Hargeisa (Somaliland Informer)
Security operation conducted in Mogadishu (Radio Shabelle)
Somalia condemns Israel on subjecting innocent civilians to inhuman bombardment (Somali Current)
4 al Shabaab fighters killed near Bulo-Burte town Hiran region (Radio Mogadishu)
Interior Assistant Minister blames ‘local politicians with personal interest’ on clan clashes in Hiran region” (Radio Goobjoog)
Two Government soldiers shot dead in Mogadishu (Radio Shabelle)
Three injured in overnight clashes in Kismayo (Radio Bar-kulan/Wehel Media)
Disabled persons in Adado district receive donations (Radio Goobjoog)
AMISOM peacekeepers in Kismayo observe holy month of Ramadan (AMISOM)
Kenya: Grenade found in Likoni amid security operation (Daily Nation/Star)
Somalia famine three years on (NRC)
Somali police welcomes new commissioner (Al Shahid)
Kenya diverts qat exports to Somalia after British ban (Sabahi Online)
Somali-American elders make citizen’s arrest of suspected recruiter (Fox Twin Cities)
Global terrorism deaths soar (CNBC)
Mandate Of EU Anti-piracy Mission In Horn Of Africa Extended (rttnews)
Somalis speak out against female genital mutilation – audio slideshow (The Guardian)
Somali refugee family finds new home after being displaced from condemned Union Street apartment(masslive)

SOMALI MEDIA

Al Shabaab executes teenage girl in Diinsoor

23 Jul- Source: Radio Star/Radio Goobjoog/Radio Risaala- 120 words

Al Shabaab on Wednesday publically executed a teenage girl in Diinsor of Bay region after accusing her of spying for federal government of Somalia, witnesses reports.

A spokesman for the group during the execution said the girl was caught giving information to the government and after careful investigation she pleaded guilty of the crime. The residents in the town came out and watched the execution of the teenage girl.

“Hundreds of people came out to watch the death sentence,” ewitness confirmed. According the relatives to her relatives the girl has been in detention the last few days.

Finally the spokesman warned the public to cease from having relations with the federal government.

Details emerge from Jilib airstrike targeted to al Shabab base

23 Jul- Source: Radio RBC/Jowhar Online- 148 words

At least one person was killed in an airstrike that hit a base of the Somali militant group al Shabaab in Jilib town, southern Somalia region of Middle Jubba on Tuesday.

According to residents who spoke on anonymity condition, Kenyan warplane flying low range targeted the base outside the town which the residents believe to be al Shabaab hideout in the area.

The militant group declined to comment on the airstrike which is the fourth during the past six months.

The Kenyan warplanes have repeatedly attacked several locations in Somalia’s southern regions claiming that they were pursuing terrorist cells there.

SNA officials in Bakol urge Al-shabab members to surrender to the government

23 Jul- Source: Radio Goobjoog/baidoanews/Hiiraan Online/Radio Simba- 139 words

Somali national army officials in Bakol region announced that they are willing to welcome anyone who intends to defect from al Shabaab group. Abdirahman Mohamed Osman Timaade one of the top SNA officials in the region speaking to Radio Goobjoog urged the members of the group to voluntary surrender, join the government forces and refrain from fighting.

He added that the federal government is ready to give care and rehabilitation to the defecting brainwashed members of al Shabaab. On Tuesday government forces presented four al Shabaab members who defected from the group in Rabdure district.

On June 2014, al Shabaab leader in Galgala Mountains of the semiautonomous regional state of Puntland Sheikh Mohamed Said (Atom) has voluntarily surrendered to Somali government, accusing his former group of acting against Islam.

Puntland to vaccinate 180,000 children against Polio

23 Jul- Source: Radio Ergo- 182 words

At least 180,000 children in Somalia’s Mudug region in the semi-autonomous administration of Puntland will be vaccinated against Polio, after new cases were reported from the region.

The coordinator of Puntland’s ministry of health in Mudug, Abdinasir Sheikh Ibrahim, said the vaccination campaign will be carried out across remote villages and districts to prevent Polio from spreading.

“We are targeting remote villages such as Towfiq and Harfo where vulnerable children live, as well as Galkayo, Jaribab and Goldogob districts,” Ibrahim told Radio Ergo’s local reporter in Galkayo.

The campaign, which was launched on Sunday, will continue for six days targeting all children aged below 10. About 580 staff and volunteers are travelling across the region and knocking door to door in order to make sure all the children are vaccinated, Radio Ergo’s reporter said. Similar immunization campaigns are going on in the neighbouring region of Nugal.

The campaign was launched after new Polio cases killed at least three people in Puntland recently. WHO announced last year that over 190 Polio cases were reported from Somalia including in the IDP camps in Mogadishu.

Security operation conducted in Mogadishu

23 Jul- Source: Radio Shabelle- 110 words

Somali security and intelligence services have Tuesday night beefed security measures in villages of Mogadishu in a bid to thwart al Shabaab fighters’ attempts, reports said.

The overnight crackdown in Mogadishu’s Wardhigley district saw the arrests of dozens in connection with al Qaeda inspired al Shabaab members, according to Somali officials who spoke to Radio Shabelle.

The officials said that if one of the detainees is found guilty will be on the trail but not releasing them soon. They added that the operation was intended to secure the overall security in Mogadishu.

The crackdown came after the residents have complained growing insecurity accidents in their neighborhood in the past weeks.

Somalia condemns Israel on subjecting innocent civilians to inhuman bombardment

23 Jul – Source: Radio RBC/Somali Current/Radio Dalsan – 129 words

Somali Federal government has condemned Israel’s inhuman offensive on Gaza which so far left over 500 dead, many of them innocent civilians. Somali foreign minister Abdirahman Beyle has criticized Israel of continuously subjecting unarmed innocent Palestinian civilians to their strong air ground forces in Gaza.

In statement from Somalia’s foreign minister office read, “Somalia is strongly condemning the heartless offensive on the boycotted civilians in Gaza, and the targeting of innocent civilians which is against the universal human respect, culture and international law.”

The statement from Somalia has called the government of Israel to bring their deadly bombardment on Gaza to an end saying that Somalia and its people stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine who are subjected to Israel’s inhuman shelling on innocent women and children.

4 al Shabaab fighters killed near Bulo-Burte town, Hiran region

23 Jul- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan-129 words

At least four fighters from al Shabaab militant group have been killed in clashes in Sagal-ged village which lies 9 kms out of Bulo-Burte town in Hiran region.

The clashes were said to have been between Al Shabaab fighters and local vigilantes who reportedly organized themselves to defend their territories against the militants.

Somali government army chief in Bulo-Burte Abdullahi Barre told Bar-kulan that three al Shabaab fighters have been captured and one of the local vigilantes sustained injuries during the clashes.

He said the two sides clashed after locals refused to abide by al Shabaab order demanding locals to pay money in which the group described as Zakat money or Islamic charity given to the needy.

Interior Assistant Minister blames ‘local politicians with personal interest’ on clan clashes in Hiran region”

23 Jul – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 134 words

The federal government of Somalia has accused local politicians of stimulating the clan clashes in Hiiraan region. Assistant Minister for Interior and Federalism Abdirahman Bangah who is leading government delegates assigned to end the tensions and hostilities in the region said politicians with personal interest are inciting communities against one another.

He urged the politicians to preach peace than provoking and circulating propaganda that might lead to fresh bloodshed and conflicts in the region. He also persuaded the clan elders and intellectuals to actively take part in ending clan conflicts.

The Assistant Minister and his delegates were in region for three days to bring the warring sides to the negotiating table and resolve their difference peacefully. Since clan clashes embarked in Deefow locality over 30 people were killed and many others fled their homes.

Two Government soldiers shot dead in Mogadishu

23 Jul- Source: Radio Shabelle- 81 words

Unidentified gunmen armed with pistols have on overnight killed two Somali Federal Government soldiers in Mogadishu’s Hodan district. A witness told radio Shabelle that the soldiers were killed by young men armed with pistols in neighborhoods of Hodan district. The killers run away from the crime scene uncaught. Local authority did not comment on the murder of the two soldiers.

Al Shabaab vowed to double their attacks against Somali officials and soldiers in Mogadishu during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Disabled persons in Adado district receive donations

23 Jul- Source: Radio Goobjoog- 158 words

Disabled persons in Adado district, the administrative capital of Himan & Heb regional state in Central Somalia received donations from Somali Diaspora community.

Senior officials of the regional state were present when some members of the Diaspora community were delivering the donation to the disabled persons.

Adado deputy district commissioner Noor Yarrow Hayle said that every individual received sh400,000.
Mr. Yarrow stated the received donations will not cover all the needs of the vulnerable people in the district but it’s a good start and urged the Diaspora community to double their efforts and help their brothers and sisters during difficult times.

One of the disables thanked the Diaspora community for their donations adding that their support came the right time when they are in need.

These donations comes a time when before days the disables blamed the local and international aid agencies in the region of failing to assist them despite making many pledges.

Three injured in overnight clashes in Kismayo

23 Jul- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Wehel Media- 106 words
At least three people have been injured overnight in Kismayo, Lower Jubba region after al Shabaab fighters attacked Interim Jubba Administration forces base in the area.

Bar-kulan correspondent in Kismayo reported that three of those injured in the clashes were from the interim administration forces while the other was from the militants who attacked the base.

Interim Jubba Administration officials are yet to comment on the incident.

Reports from the area indicate that security forces are now carrying out security operations in the area in an attempt to beef up the security of the city following al Shabaab’s attack.

Somaliland invites UN Special Envoy to Hargeisa

22 Jul – Source: Somaliland Informer – 171 words

Somaliland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamed Bihi Yonis has announced that the Silanyo led government has invited the UN Special Envoy to Somalia Nicholas Kay to visit Hargeisa. President Ahmed Silanyo boycotted him from the country after the two held talks at the presidential palace but later meetings with Minister Bihi and Kay paved the way for normalizing relations with the special envoy.

FM has revealed in a press conference that he held meetings with Mr. Kay on the 12th June in London. He added that Kay is to visit Hargeisa on the 19thAugust 2014. Mr. Bihi confirmed that the invitation of Mr. Kay to visit Hargeisa has nothing to do with politics. Foreign Minister announced the visit will be on progress, gender, police trainings and correctional facility service.

He made clear that there is no problem at the moment of the relations between Somaliland and the UN. The Minister said that it is necessary to have things in the right track once Kay submits reports to the Security Council every 90 days.

AMISOM peacekeepers in Kismayo observe holy month of Ramadan

22 Jul- Source: AMISOM-395 Words

As Muslims across the globe enter into the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan AMISOM soldiers in Kismayo have not been left behind as they juggle between observing this sacred month as well as taking part in their peacekeeping mission in Somalia. Over 400 AMISOM peacekeepers from mainly Kenya, Sierra Leone and a few from Burundi observe the holy month in Kismayo alone as thousands of other peacekeepers scattered across Somalia also fast.

Observing the month away from home comes with its challenges and thrills, for AMISOM peacekeepers from Kenyan contingent serving in the southern port city of Kismayo meant they had to plan ahead by putting arrangements in advance.

In a bid to make the best out of this holy month, Muslim peacekeepers from various contingents in the region came up with a welfare committee that oversees their day to day needs of the fasting Muslim soldiers to ensure variety of food is available for them to break the fast every evening.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenya: Grenade found in Likoni amid security operation

23 Jul- Source: Daily Nation/Star- 162 words

A suspected grenade has been found at a Likoni flat in Mombasa County amid heightened security in the area. Likoni Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) Robert Murithi was leading the operation as police awaited bomb experts to arrive at the scene.

A major security operation is currently going on in the area, involving soldiers of the Kenya Defence Forces and the police. Several schools and businesses in the area had been closed, with soldiers in military vehicles and police seen patrolling the area. Shocked residents claimed that two gunmen had been spotted roaming the area earlier in the morning.

Somali police welcomes new commissioner

22 Jul – Source: Al Shahid – 160 words

Brigadier General Mohamed Hassan Ismail officially took office as the new Somali Police Force (SPF) Commissioner. Present at the handover ceremony was the outgoing Commissioner, Brigadier General Abdihakim Dahir Saacid, Deputy Minister of National Security, Ibrahim Ishak Yarow, AMISOM Deputy Police Commissioner, Mr. Benson Oyo-Nyeko, as well several other high-ranking police officers in the Somali Police.

Welcoming his successor, the outgoing Commissioner expressed his appreciation for the SPF, who have made all successes that have been registered during his term in office possible. He also thanked AMISOM for the support they have continued to extend to the SPF, and asked that they carry on the same until Somalia is stable once again.

“We have conducted patrols around the city, sensitized the public about traffic regulations, and together with our International security partners, restored the confidence of the people,” he said, adding that it is because of unwavering combined efforts that people can now conduct business until late around the country.

Kenya diverts qat exports to Somalia after British ban

22 Jul- Source: Sabahi Online- 805 words

Imports of qat into Mogadishu from Kenya have soared in recent weeks, ever since the British government implemented a ban on the stimulant last month. Prior to the ban, the United Kingdom was Kenya’s biggest export market for qat, known locally as miraa.

Now, Kenyan qat traders have diverted most of their product to Somalia for a fraction of the price, said Habon Sheikh Ali, a qat trader at Mogadishu’s KM4 intersection.

“Before qat was banned in the United Kingdom, Mogadishu used to receive between 13 to 15 planes of qat daily, but now there are 23 to 25 planes of qat coming in daily,” he told Sabahi. “This has resulted in a decline in qat prices, with each bundle selling for about $5 to $10, while it used to be between $15 and $20 a bundle before.”

Each plane brings in 80 sacks of qat, with each sack containing 100 bundles. This means Somalis spend millions of dollars each day on qat brought into the country, Ali said.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali-American elders make citizen’s arrest of suspected recruiter

23 Jul- Source: Fox Twin Cities-432 Words

The motto of the Department of Homeland Security is “see something, say something” — and a group of Somali-Americans did just that when they thought a man was trying to recruit teens to fight in Syria.
The FBI believes as many as a dozen young men have been recruited from Minneapolis, and as many as 200 from across the U.S. Now, the agency is trying to figure out what exactly lead several people to make a citizen’s arrest of an alleged recruiter in the bustling Karmal Square.

Global terrorism deaths soar

23 Jul- Source: CNBC – 149 words

Global terrorism has become increasingly deadly over the past year, with fatalities 30 percent higher than the previous five years’ average according a worldwide study.

According to the latest data from global risk consultancy firm Maplecroft released on Wednesday, 18,668 lives were lost to terrorist attacks in the past year, up from an annual average of 14,433 for the previous five years.

The number of attacks, however, has decreased to 9,471 in the past year from a five year average of 10, 468, “revealing that terrorist methods have become increasingly deadly over the last year”, the report states.

At the top of the list is Iraq, which recorded more than three times as many terrorist acts as in Pakistan, which has the second-highest number of incidents. Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia follow Iraq but it’s in Nigeria, the fifth on Maplecroft’s list, that attacks are the deadliest.

Somalia famine, three years on

23 Jul- Source: Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) – 155 words

In the three years since the famine was declared in Somalia, the population in need of urgent assistance has reduced from 4 million to 2.9 million thanks to moderate improvements in funding, access and general conditions on the ground. Aid agencies have stepped up their support to affected Somalis to not only help them recover but also to avert another crisis, and achieve sustainable, flexible and long term solutions to the cycles of drought and food crisis.

There are currently over 300,000 malnourished children and 2.9 million people needing urgent life-saving and livelihood support in Somalia. The number is expected to rise as conditions continue to worsen. Those who will be hardest hit in the coming months are the 1.1 million internally displaced people across the Somali region. Agencies are calling for urgent and consistent support in the next three to six months to avoid a relapse to the 2011 catastrophe.

Mandate Of EU Anti-piracy Mission In Horn Of Africa Extended

22 Jul- Source: rttnews- 185 words

The European Union Foreign Affairs Council on Tuesday extended the mandate of the European bloc’s mission on regional maritime capacity building in the Horn of Africa (EUCAP Nestor) until December 12, 2016.

This civilian mission forms part of the EU’s comprehensive approach to fighting piracy in the Horn of Africa, alongside the EU Naval Force Somalia and the EU training mission for Somalia, said the Council in a statement.

EUCAP Nestor works to reinforce the capacity of states in the Horn of Africa and the Western Indian Ocean to govern their territorial waters in order to help them fight piracy more effectively. This includes advice, mentoring and training for the coast guard, maritime criminal justice system and coastal police.

Somalis speak out against female genital mutilation – audio slideshow

22 Jul- Source: The Guardian-97 words

Since 1996, the UN children’s agency has been working to end female genital mutilation (FGM) in Somalia, which has the highest prevalence of the practice in the world. A recent survey of Somali women revealed that 98% of respondents had been been circumcised, a procedure that can result in infection, infertility and even death. Unicef’s campaign has tackled FGM from a religious, community and cultural perspective. Here, a former “cutter”, a community leader, and a teenager who narrowly escaped circumcision explain why the practice should be eradicated.

Somali refugee family finds new home after being displaced from condemned Union Street apartment

22 Jul- Source: masslive -521 words

A large family of Somali refugees have a new home in the city after being driven from an apartment on Union Street in May by roaches, bedbugs, darkness and overcrowding.

The family, which includes 12 children, was living at 515 Union St. when one of the older children called police in May because their electricity had been shut off for days. City housing officials were notified and found “heavy infestations” of roaches and bedbugs, plus noting the house was far too small to accommodate the family, which had grown exponentially since they moved in.

The issue also revived the controversy in the city over managing the influx of Somali refugees since 2003. Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has repeatedly called for a moratorium on new placements, arguing the families tax the city’s housing and school systems and don’t receive the proper long-term supports.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“The Federal Government of Somalia has taken another step in joining the international community, appointing an ambassador to the United States and opening an embassy in Washington.”

Strengthening U.S.-Somali Relations

22 Jul- Source: VOA-259 Words

The Federal Government of Somalia has taken another step in joining the international community, appointing an ambassador to the United States and opening an embassy in Washington. Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke presented his credentials to President Obama in a ceremony at the White House on July 14. The first Somali ambassador to the U.S. in more than two decades, his appointment represents the progress that his nation and government have made in recent years. Somalia’s embassy in Washington closed in 1992 after the fall of its long-time president, Siad Barre.

Years of clan and political in-fighting ensued, followed by a violent insurgency conducted by the al Qaeda linked militant group al Shabaab. Although with no formal diplomatic ties before 2012, the United States and others in the international community worked to end the crisis, providing millions in humanitarian aid and working to promote a stable government. Emerging from a four-year United Nations-backed transition plan in 2012, Somalia had its first elected government in 20 years.

“Baa Fin is particularly important because it’s a radio show. In Somalia, radio is by far the most influential source of information.”

A BBC program is reuniting Somali families torn apart by conflict

22 Jul- Source: PRI-464 Words

It’s 2 p.m. on a boring weekday afternoon and you need distraction. You turn on the radio, and what do you get? In the US, you might get music or local news (or, if you’re really lucky, something from PRI). But in Somalia, if you tune into the BBC’s Somali radio service, you’ll get something very different: An announcer slowly reading a list of names, ages and places.

There is no music and very little explanation. But if you’re a regular listener, you know exactly what is happening and why it could change lives. For more than a decade, the BBC Somali service has partnered with the Red Cross to air “Baa Fin” — or “Missing Persons.” It’s a daily show dedicated to reuniting some of the millions of Somalis who have lost touch with loved ones in the country’s civil war.

It seems to be an approach that works. While the exact number of success stories is hard to calculate, the ICRC estimates that 300 people were reunited through the service in 2012 alone — an average of almost one person per episode.

Top tweets

@tres_HOA Pro-#Shabaab sites claim #Kenya‘s recent airstrikes in Middle Juba did nothing but create these giant holes. #Somalia pic.twitter.com/rWxJy88Rpy

@JamesBrownsell What happened when I met @SomaliPM? He said donors need to keep their promises.#Somalia More:http://aje.me/1mywoSd pic.twitter.com/jZk2LXwPCg

@SomaliaNewsroom EU/Sweden/Spain/Italy delegation visits IJA/Jubaland officials in #Kismayo to discuss security/development #Somalia pic.twitter.com/5KNFA1xIUF

@unicefsomalia Despite an ongoing intensive vaccination campaign, four new cases of polio have been confirmed in Somalia this… http://fb.me/30pqt2aeJ

@amisomsomalia Read about Kismayu’s stunning beach view frontline position jointly manned by #KDF & #SierraLeoneansoldiers http://bit.ly/WCkfXo

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Image of the day

Image of the day Overcrowded Shopping mall in Mogadishu on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitri Festival. Photo: @SalahOsman0