NATIONAL MEDIA
29 July – Source: Mareeg – 92 Words
Somali police have intensified security in Mogadishu following reports of possible Al-Shabaab attacks. Unconfirmed reports indicate that up to three cars laden with explosives are on the loose and might target security checkpoints in the capital.
One of the suspected vehicles is said to to be a grey Toyota Noah. The alert comes barely a week after an-Al-Shabaab-orchestrated attack had targeted the Banadir Regional Administration killing eight officials and injuring many others, including Mogadishu Mayor, Eng. Abdirahman Osman Yarisow. Security agencies are yet to comment on the issue.
29 July – Source: Halbeeg – 177 Words
More than 95 Somali National Army officers trained in Uganda arrived back in Mogadishu on Sunday. The soldiers were welcomed by senior military officers led by the Somali National Army Deputy Chief of Staff, Major General, Abdi Hassan Mohamed, Commander of the Infantry Forces, General Odowa Yusuf Rage and AMISOM officials.
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Military, General Abdi Hassan Mohamed, thanked the Ugandan government for its effort in helping build the capacity of the Somali Armed Forces who are striving to stabilise the country and take over security responsibilities from AMISOM.
The new officers, who underwent more than one-year training in western Uganda are expected to take part in military offensives against the militant group. Somali forces backed by the African Union troops launched new operations against Al-Shabaab in Lower Shabelle region. The joint forces retook strategic towns from the militant group including Sabiid, Anole and Bariire. Meanwhile, the Federal Government is planning to deploy police officers to newly liberated areas in the agriculturally rich region in order to maintain law and order.
29 July – Source: Hiiraan Online – 171 Words
The committee coordinating emergency support to the victims of the recent attack on the Banadir Regional Administration Headquarters released an initial report on the casualties, the support so far provided to the victims and recommendations to security agencies.
The committee said the death toll stands at ten and nine others were injured including Mayor Abdirahman Yarisow. They also discussed in the statement how they quickly issued passports to both the injured and their medical attendants within 24 hours. Six of the 12 transported injured victims were hurt in previous attacks in Kismayo, Bosaso and Mogadishu.
The commission advised the security agencies to release initial results of their investigations to update the public on the incident, and also called on the government to arrest the perpetrators of the brutal attack and bring them to book.
Other recommendations in their statement included arresting those responsible for the security lapses in the BRA offices, organising a prayers event for the killed people and providing regular support to the wives and children of any deceased.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
28 July – Source: AMISOM – 254 Words
A seven-day course for 20 Somali Police Force (SPF) officers was concluded at the General Kaahiye Police Academy in Mogadishu on Saturday, with a call to the newly trained officers to work closely with members of the community to detect and eliminate extremism. Eighteen male and two female officers from 17 police stations across Mogadishu were trained in community policing and de-radicalisation by the Police component of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
The training, funded by the Japanese government through the African Union, is to build the capacity of the SPF through continuous mentoring and reform initiatives, in line with AMISOM’s transition plan and commitment to improve peace and security in Somalia. SPF’s director of training and planning, Brigadier Hassan Alasow, said the training was important in equipping Somali police officers with critical policing skills meant to quickly detect and arrest insurgents and radical extremists.
“I wish to thank AMISOM for this training, for imparting skills on how to detect and handle those radicalised by extremists and how to manage the reintegration of some of them into society,” said Alasow. AMISOM Police Commander in Charge of Training and Planning, Senior Superintendent of Police Francis Ndiema, said the training was important to create awareness within the SPF of the dangers of radicalisation and extremism.
“This course is important because it is intended to equip participants with the knowledge and skills in community servicing, but you can only achieve that through effective community policing. The intention is to fight radicalisation and extremism,” Ndeima said.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Because I was raised in a conservative Muslim household, music wasn’t something that was in my upbringing at all,” says Amaal. But when a friend lent her some CDs, Amaal immediately felt a connection.”
28 July – Source: CBC – 254 Words
Growing up, Amaal Nuux was not allowed to listen to the type of music she releases now. Her traditional Muslim family considered it taboo. The 29-year-old R&B singer, who just goes by the name Amaal, is now on the same record label as The Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes. So big things are expected of her. Somali-born Amaal, who lives in Toronto, was an independent artist until recently. At a concert in London earlier this month, she recognized some of the fans in the crowd because she had talked to them on social media.
“I had a moment up there; I kind of had tears in my eyes, it was really emotional,” says Amaal. “I got to stay behind and I asked the owner of the club to give us an extra hour and I had a chance to talk with everybody.” But her soft touch with her fans belies the tough work ethic of a daughter of immigrants, an ethic she says she still applies to everything she does. “I had it built into [me] that I needed to do whatever it was to excel in whatever way possible.”
Beginning her career, Amaal knew she had to be committed to her craft if she was to pursue music against her parents’ wishes. Her family fled Somalia in the wake of civil war in the early 1990s, when Amaal was a baby, settling in North America. They lost much of the life they had before. “My dad was a pilot and my mom was a teacher, and they had these amazing careers back home. And everything collapsed just like that.” On top of this, Amaal’s family briefly moved to Calgary when she was 15. One of only seven black girls in a school of 1,500, the typically outgoing Amaal felt isolated. But during that time she discovered what would give her strength and confidence for years to come: music.
“Because I was raised in a conservative Muslim household, music wasn’t something that was in my upbringing at all,” says Amaal. But when a friend lent her some CDs, Amaal immediately felt a connection. She says her absence of musical background was a blessing in disguise, helping her develop an authentic sound not hindered by contemporary trends. “When I did start to discover music, there was actually no pressure from the outside world of what I should listen to and what I did, it was really my own discovery and my own taste that I was able to create.” She gravitated to R&B greats past and present, from Sam Cooke to Alicia Keys. “There’s so much pain you can hear behind it,” she says of the genre. |
