July 28, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
Forces Foil Suicide Attacks In Mogadishu – President
28 July – Source: Shabelle News – 167 Words
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has hailed the country’s security forces for successfully thwarting numerous suicide attacks by Al-Shabaab militants in the capital of Mogadishu.“In the latest move, the security forces of the federal government have raided several suspected house in Mogadishu and neutralized suicide bomb attacks that would have targeted civilians,” the President said with reference to the operation by the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) that tracked down a car loaded with explosives in Mogadishu on Tuesday night.
Speaking at a dinner hosted in Mogadishu for all players who participated in the recently concluded inaugural inter-state soccer tournament, the President noted the Somali security forces were on a high alert around the clock. He gave the example of the attempted attack at the United Nations and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) base on Tuesday. The twin car bomb attack nonetheless left 15 people dead. According NISA officials, forces of the agency have seized several vehicles-laden with explosives in operations in Mogadishu this week alone.
Key Headlines
- Forces Foil Suicide Attacks In Mogadishu – President (Shabelle News)
- Two Rival Meetings Held In Mogadishu (Shabelle News)
- Somali MP Casts Doubt Over The 2016 Electoral Deadline (Goobjoog News)
- Somaliland Accused Of Invading Khatumo Territory (Shabelle News)
- Suspected Al-Shabaab Raid Fino Town Mandera Engage Police In Shootout (The Star Kenya)
- Somalia’s Returnees Face Uncertain Future (Deutsche Welle)
- AMISOM Hails Sierra Leonean Police Officers For The Exemplary Service (AMISOM)
- On A Rainy Day Somali Museum Offers A Traditional Shelter (MPR News
NATIONAL MEDIA
Two Rival Meetings Held In Mogadishu
28 July – Source: Shabelle News – 159 Words
Two meetings by rival political groups were held in Somali capital, Mogadishu on Wednesday as the country’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced his presidential re-election bid.On the other hand, Ahmed Ali Abdirahman, an elder who attended a meeting opposed to the President told Radio Shabelle that most members of the Hawiye clan do not support Mohamud’s re-election, and accused him of leadership incompetence.
However, Hajji Hassan Buule, who is among the elders who convened the pro-president meeting, called on the opposition elders to support the President and work towards peace. Ahmed Gaari, another elder, stressed that Somalia was tired of conflict and disagreement. It was now time to join hands and move the country to good governance course and stability, he said. The parliamentary and presidential elections are expected to be held later this year.
Somali MP Casts Doubt Over The 2016 Electoral Deadline
28 July 2016 – Source: Goobjoog News – 107 Words
Omar Mohamud Mohamed alias Omar Finish, a member of the Federal Parliament, has expressed doubt over the possibility of staging the 2016 elections according to the set schedule. Omar Finish alleged the imminent setback in the country’s electoral process was due to combined political, financial and technical factors, which make the prospects for 2016 elections dim: “Given the lack of coherent political determination among the major stakeholders of the electoral process, combined with donor fatigue to provide viable financial support and other critical instruments necessary to the implementation of the electoral timetable, it is very unlikely that to live up to the scheduled election deadline,” said Finish.
Somaliland Accused Of Invading Khatumo Territory
28 July – Source:Shabelle News – 115 Words
The Somalia’s northern regional state of Khatumo has accused the self-declared breakaway of Somaliland military of invading its territory. Ahmed Hajji Ali, the Information Minister of Khamuto state protested that Somaliland troops had attacked several towns in Sool region, including Widh Widh and Egaa.
“Somaliland forces in pick-ups mounted with loudspeakers are telling residents in Sool region to forcefully take part in the upcoming presidential elections,” Ali added. He claimed Somaliland wanted to gain international recognition by holding a forceful election, in which the Hargeisa administration has promised “will be free and fair”. Sool region in northern Somalia has been the scene of clashes between Somaliland and Khatumo state forces, both fighting for the control of the territory.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Suspected Al-Shabaab Raid Fino Town Mandera, Engage Police In Shootout
28 July – Source: The Star, Kenya – 117 Words
Suspected Al-Shabaab militants engaged police in a shootout at Fino Town, Mandera county on Thursday.The gunmen destroyed a telephone mast during the raid which was executed at dawn. Authorities said the criminals escaped after the incident; no one was injured.Police said the shootout was a diversion by the suspected terrorists to allow another group plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on the targeted mast.
This is the second time such an incident, targeting communication masts, has been reported in the area.Last month, another mast was destroyed in Damasa area by the same group.”They do so to cut communication between the locals and security agents. The destruction is in preparation for an attack,” police said.
Somalia’s Returnees Face Uncertain Future
28 July – Source: Deutsche Welle – 581 Words
Somalis are returning home en masse after spending over a decade in Dadaab, the world’s largest refugee camp located in Kenya. Many of them are however returning to a country facing insecurity and extremism. After the Kenyan government announced in May this year that the Dadaab refugee camp would be closed by the end of November, thousands of Somali refugees have already returned home. At least two flights carrying refugees from Dadaab arrive in Somalia´s capital Mogadishu every week.The Kenyan government said the camp was a threat to security and had been used to plan attacks within the country. Many Somalis, who make up the majority of inmates and who fled fighting in their home country decades ago, have opted to return home but are uncertain of what future awaits them.
Ardo Mohamed Abdulle has five children, two of whom were born in Dadaab. She has spent 12 years in exile. She told DW she is happy to return to Somalia.”I am very happy to come back to my country of origin, where I was born. We were ordered to leave the refugee camps, which is why I returned home with my children. We have relatives in Mogadishu [and] we will try hard to rebuild our life gradually. We are asking the government to help us rejoin the community,”Abdulle said.
AMISOM Hails Sierra Leonean Police Officers For The Exemplary Service
27 July – Source: AMISOM – 330 Words
A team of Sierra Leonean police officers are set to return home after concluding their tour of duty in Somalia, under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).The seven police officers were recognised for their service during a ceremony held at the AMISOM headquarters in Mogadishu on Wednesday. AMISOM Deputy Police Commissioner, Christine Alalo, who was the chief guest, hailed the team for its exemplary discipline and contribution towards the mandate of the Mission, especially in mentoring Somali Police Force officers.“Thank you for mentoring the Somali Police Force, thank you for committing yourselves to building this nation. You have done a good job,” Commissioner Alalo said. The contingent of officers has served in Somalia under AMISOM, for three years, which is beyond the mandatory one year service.
Assistant Inspector General of Police, Amadu Mannah, the commander of the departing contingent of officers explained that they served for more than a year because of the Ebola epidemic that ravaged the country for almost two years: “We did not wish to do so. It came about because of the calamity we had back home. We could have been replaced several months ago, but a few of us were retained,” Mr Mannah explained. The AMISOM Police Coordinator for Training, Francis Aryee, hailed the departing officers and recognised them for serving with pride, honour and contributing towards the pacification of Somalia. Aryee described Sierra Leone as a country that has overcome challenges of civil strife, to become an active participant in peacekeeping missions in others countries
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“The Somali Museum of Minnesota is still trying to find a permanent home. Founded just three years ago, the museum has a collection of about 700 artifacts, housed on the lower level of Plaza Verde off Lake Street in Minneapolis,”
On A Rainy Day, Somali Museum Offers A Traditional Shelter
27 July- Source:MPR News – 376 Words
A museum in Minneapolis is re-creating the traditional hut used by nomadic Somali people, in hope of teaching young Somali-Americans and others about a way of life in danger of disappearing. Somali huts are made of bendable, strong branches from trees such as Dhumay or Acacia. Men collect the wood; women assemble the hut.Amina Shire, who gave her age as past 70, explained that building a hut begins with boiled Acacia water, which looks like a pot of thick red herbs, to reinforce and disinfect tree branches.
Shire was a nomadic farmer herself. She saw huts being made when she was only 5 years old and began making them herself as a teenager. “It’s my culture, and my tradition,” she said through an interpreter. “We build the hut, we go in, we take a nap … we make it beautiful, we sleep in it.” Few Somali youth today understand how their elders lived before the construction of modern buildings and homes, she said.
Her interpreter, Amine Muse, who is also the education coordinator for the Somali Museum of Minnesota, explained that once the hut’s skeleton is made, the women work on the inside, weaving traditional mats.”You put that on top,” she said. “From the outside it looks just like grass, but inside you can see the patterns and colors.”
TOP TWEETS
@AralehDI:Students in #Mogadishu spruce up the capital by planting flowers https://youtu.be/ee-wVp0zINI via @YouTube
@NaleyeAbdi:Over 50 authors, artists and illustrators have gathered in #Garowe‘s first book festival. #GIBF2016. #Somalia
@Vatescorp:#Somalia Mogadishu Mayor: Land dispute ‘main problem’ to Banadir regional administration.
@UNSomalia:#Somalia Goodwill Amb Fatima Abdi Warsame wants 30%federal parliament seats for womenhttp://bit.ly/2az47Sp
@UNFPA_SOMALIA:Discussing fight against Gender Based Violence with @Oabdiqani the DG 4 Ministry of Women in#Somalia @BotevNikolai
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Officials from the Somali Police Force(SPF) attend a recruitment exercise.
Photo: Radio Muqdisho