July 25, 2014 | Morning Headlines.
Hundreds arrested in security swoop in Somali capital
24 Jul – Source: Hiiraan Online – 89 words
Hundreds of people mostly youths have been arrested in security search operations jointly conducted by Somali government forces and African Union peacekeepers in areas in the Hodan district south of Mogadishu on Thursday. The operations began in the early hours of the day in different neighbourhoods in Hodan district including where the late legislator Saado Ali Warsame was killed on Wednesday. Some officials leading the security operation told local media that a number of people suspected to have links with al Shabaab militants have been arrested during the operation.
Key Headlines
- Hundreds arrested in security swoop in Somali capital (Hiiraan Online)
- Airstrike in Jilib casualties not yet known (RBC)
- US senator mourns the assassination of Somali MP (Somali Current)
- President Gaas condoles with Somalis over the killing of Somali MP (Bar-kulan)
- Tourist shot dead in Mombasa (Daily Nation/Standard Media)
- Mechem’s operations in Somalia and Mozambique revealed (IHS News)
SOMALI MEDIA
Hundreds arrested in security swoop in Somali capital
24 Jul – Source: Hiiraan Online – 89 words
Hundreds of people mostly youths have been arrested in security search operations jointly conducted by Somali government forces and African Union peacekeepers in areas in the Hodan district south of Mogadishuon Thursday. The operations began in the early hours of the day in different neighbourhoods in Hodan district including where the late legislator Saado Ali Warsame was killed on Wednesday. Some officials leading the security operation told local media that a number of people suspected to have links with al Shabaab militants have been arrested during the operation.
Airstrike in Jilib, casualties not yet known
24 Jul – Source: RBC – 98 words
An airstrike suspected to be launched by the Kenyan warplanes has targeted Somalia’s Middle Jubba regionon Thursday afternoon. The airstrike reportedly targeted two locations namely Gooboole and Dibille on the south and the east of Jilib town. The local residents contacted by RBC could not confirm whether the target was an al Shabaab base or not. There were no any details from al Shabaab who controls most the region. Jilib town has been a key al Shabaab stronghold in the region making the town a hotspot for numerous airstrikes by the Kenyan army.
US senator mourns the assassination of Somali MP
24 Jul – Source: Somali Current – 86 words
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has condemned the killing of popular singer and a female Member of the Somali Federal Parliament Saado Ali Warsame in Mogadishu on Wednesday. “I join with the Somali Community to mourn the loss of Saado Ali Warsame and condemn this senseless and cruel act of violence,” said Klobuchar. “As a singer, human rights activist, and prominent female Member of the Somali Federal Parliament, Ms. Warsame represented the progress and incredible strides women continue to make in countries around the world.” She added.
President Gaas condoles with Somalis over the killing of Somali MP
24 Jul – Source: Bar-kulan – 89 words
President of Somalia’s semi-autonomous state Puntland Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas has condoled with Somali people over the killing of Somali MP Saado Ali Warsame. The president sent his heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the late MP who was also a veteran singer. President Gaas called on the federal government to hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to book. Some residents in Puntland’s administrative capital of Garowe on Thursday gathered in the center of the city to voice their frustrations over the killing of the legislator.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Tourist shot dead in Mombasa
24 Jul – Source: Daily Nation /Standard Media – 75 words
A tourist was on Thursday shot dead while walking with her Kenyan partner in the Mlango wa Papa area in Mombasa’s old town. The tourist, who was in her twenties, died on the spot after being shot in the neck. Her Kenyan partner is nursing gunshot wounds at Coast General Hospital. The attackers did not take anything from the pair. The incident happened near where a Russian tourist was last month shot in the forehead.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Mechem’s operations in Somalia and Mozambique revealed
24 Jul – Source: IHS News – 90 words
Denel Land Systems has revealed that its Mechem business unit has expanded from demining operations into general logistic support and is now operating six UN bases in Somalia. It said in a press release that Mechem has around 460 employees in Somalia, including local staff, running three bases in Mogadishu and one each in Baidoa, Garoowe, and Kismaayo. Mechem built part of the bases and also manages the security services provided by other contractors. The services it provides range from general maintenance, catering, and laundry services through to trauma medicine.
Germany Condemns Murder of Somali MP Saado Ali
24 Jul – Source: German Embassy – 71 words
Germany condemns the killing of Somali Member of Parliament Saado Ali Warsame. German Ambassador Andreas Peschke made the following statement: “The murder of Somali Member of Parliament and famous musician Saado Ali Warsame is a shocking act of brutality. We condemn this heinous act very sharply and share the mourning of all her friends, family and her many admirers. Saado Ali Warsame will forever remain a symbol of culture and peace.”
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Nevertheless, America and the rest of the international community can offer the Somalis a helping hand; but first, the warring Somali clans must come together and stop fighting among themselves. In fact, Somalia needs a massive genuine political reconciliation before it needs a central government. Then the Somalis might have a fighting chance to defeat al Shabaab and reclaim their country.”
U.S. policy on Somalia ignores facts on the ground
24 Jul – Source: Cleveland – 790 words
The Obama administration recently announced that the United States will appoint an ambassador to Somalia for the first time in two decades. But the new ambassador will not be posted in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu — where insecurity prevails. And the Pentagon has also acknowledged deploying a team of military advisers to war-torn Somalia, to assist Somali and other African troops battle the Somali extremist group, al Shabaab. But this new, expanding involvement in Somalia’s conflict will do little to make a difference in Somalia or bolster the position of the U.S.-backed, beleaguered Somali government. The Obama administration’s narrative about Somalia is a country that is making slow but steady progress. U.S. officials are arguing that now is a good time to stabilize Somalia. They say the country has made some gains in security and economic conditions: Al Shabaab has been driven out of most of the population centers in south-central Somalia, with the help of African Union troops; a legitimate Somali government has formed; and a road map calling for nationwide elections by 2016 is in place. But the facts on the ground show that Somalia is still a mess.