July 26, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Scores arrested in Beledweyne security swoop

25 Jul: Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Universal TV- 123 words

Somali Federal government forces together with Amisom forces detained 74 suspects in a major security crackdown in the Somali central town of Beledweyne, Hiiraan capital on Thursday. Troops begun door-door crackdown in search of illegal weapons, explosive materials and alleged militants causing instability in various parts of the town in early hours of Thursday. Speaking to Bar-kulan, Hiiraan police boss Col Isaq Ali Abdillahi said that 50 of the detained people were released after interrogations while the remaining 24 were taken to custody. He added that the arrested 24 are suspected to have connections with al Qaeda-linked Somali militant group, al Shabaab. The operations have been launched following after the killing of a senior Hiiraan court official who was shot dead in Beledweyne by unknown gunmen on Saturday.

Key Headlines

Puntland commends upcoming cabinet reshuffle in federal ministers ( Radio Dalsan)
Somaliland’s Council of consultation hails new political agreement reached by two opposition parties(Somalia Informer)
Kenya losing billions of shillings in Somali sugar racket (The Star (Kenya))
‘Mombasa-bound’ explosives disguised as books (New Vision/ AFP)
Somali pirates now protect illegal fishing ships (AP)

SOMALI MEDIA

Scores arrested in Beledweyne security swoop

25 Jul: Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Universal TV- 123 words

Puntland commends upcoming cabinet reshuffle in federal ministers

25 Jul- Source: Radio Dalsan- 127 words

Puntland administration in the north eastern region of Somalia has commended the upcoming reshuffle in the Somalia federal council of ministers. Speaking to Radio Dalsan Puntland deputy minister of ports and fisheries Abdishakur Mire said that it was good to bring timely reshuffle. “I see the media speculations about upcoming reshuffle will create new atmosphere of hope for the federal government.” Abdishakur told radio Dalsan. He said that the current cabinet of ministers was experiencing high incompetence towards the political arena as well as the interior issues. “I would urge the newly expected cabinet to be more inclusive than now.” he suggested adding that he would hope that the prime minister and the president will not forget the clan challenges that always plagues Somalia politics.

Somaliland’s Council of consultation hails new political agreement reached by two opposition parties

25 Jul- Source: Somalia Informer- 196 words

The Council of Consultation and National Guidance has on Thursday hails the new deal reached by the two official opposition parties namely UCID and Wadani that signed MOU at Ambassador Hotel on Wednesdaywhich was aimed at establishing new United front against the current government under the leadership of incumbent president Ahmed Silanyo. According to a press release issued by the council reiterated that it welcomed the new deal signed by the heads of the two opposition parties and the call to hold wider consultation.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenya losing billions of shillings in Somali sugar racket

25 July- Source: The Star (Kenya)- 439 Words

The Kenyan economy is losing billions of shilling a year through a sugar smuggling syndicate operating in Somalia with cartels in the country. Reports indicate that thousands tonnes of sugar are illegally smuggled daily into the county via the north-eastern region from Somalia port city of Kismayo.
According to the Kenya Sugar Board, the industry regulator, Kenyans consume 800,000 tonnes of sugar annually. However, Kenya has a production capacity of 500,000 tonnes, leaving a shortfall of 300,000 tonnes of sugar, which is supposed to be met by imports from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa region. But most of this sugar is smuggled into the country through the porous Kenya- Somalia border, escaping taxation. The illegal trade is facilitated by cartels working with security and customs officials along the border.

‘Mombasa-bound’ explosives disguised as books

25 Jul- Source: New Vision/ AFP- 157 words

Kenyan police said they seized Wednesday a large haul of explosives in the capital Nairobi disguised as boxes of books. Some 400 sticks of explosives — used normally in the mining industry — were found by police at a bus station after they were tipped off by members of the public, said Patrick Oduma, a police chief in Nairobi. Kenya has suffered a series of attacks since invading southern Somalia to fight al Qaeda linked al Shabaab insurgents there in October 2011.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali pirates now protect illegal fishing ships

25 Jul- Source: AP- 118 words
A United Nations reports says that Somali pirates have turned to a new business model: Transporting weapons and providing “security” for ships illegally plundering Somalia’s fish stocks – the same scourge that launched the Horn of Africa’s piracy era eight years ago. The U.N. report quotes officials in the northern Somali region of Puntland who estimate that up to 180 illegal Iranian and 300 illegal Yemeni vessels are fishing waters in northern Somalia and some are getting protection from men who previously worked as pirates. The success rate of Somali pirate attacks has fallen dramatically over the last year due to increased security on ships and more effective international naval patrols.

Sentencing of Somali with suspected terrorist ties

25 Jul- Source: mysanantonio -146 words

A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a Somali man with suspected terrorist ties for lying to FBI agents investigating those affiliations, and to an immigration judge in a failed attempt to obtain asylum. Abdullah Omar Fidse already has pleaded guilty to the charges and faces up to 10 years in prison.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Regional flags wore by warlords are rampant. The population itself is separated by regional categorization. And if this analogy is to true, then we are under forty years of punishment. But the good news is that we are halfway down the road. In short, we have about 20 years before we realized a new beginning. By then, a newer generation that does not fully understand what went wrong may emerge. This generation will have lesser tolerance for warlords and clan-fed politicians. Prepare for the best!”

Somalia is Under 40 Years of Punishment

25 July- Source: Raxanreeb-863 Words
Let me go straight to the point. Somalia is still under cute transition. Historical analysis has revealed that whatever time we have been living since the civil war, we were undergoing an evolution of change that bridged us through times. Nothing could surprise us here, though. For starters, a mere glance at history discloses indifferently. That what changed over the years from 1992 to 2013 was simply the political landscape and players of cards, all intended to fool us. Consider the following hypothesis with me. However, with your indulgence, I would first want to visit theories about how change evolves. Any theory about change holds that the only constant thing on earth is the change itself—everything else changes. Change theorists of any cultural teachings are also in common agreement that change comprises in stages.