July 5, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
President To Chair National Security Council Meeting
05 July – Source: Jowhar.com – 142 Words
The President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo is today set to chair the National Security Council meeting which brings together the Federal Government of Somalia and the Federal Member States. This is the first meeting since the establishment of the committee in April this year.
Sources close to the presidency said the meeting will be on for two days will discuss among other issues, national security, the fight against terrorism and the establishment of a joint army composed of 18, 000 soldiers from all the states. Some leaders from the Federal Member States arrived in Mogadishu yesterday while others were already present. The National Security Council was formed in April in a meeting between the leaders of the Federal Government of Somalia and its Federal Member States. It replaced the National Leadership Forum (NLF) which was established during the era of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Key Headlines
- President To Chair National Security Council Meeting (Jowhar.com)
- Prime Minister Of Somali Federal Government Met With Saudi Arabia Foreign Affairs Minister (Garowe Online)
- Mukhtaar Robow Issues A List Of Conditions To Be Met By Government (Dhacdo.com)
- Al-Shabaab Attack Pandanguo Police Post In Lamu (Standard Media)
- Somalia’s Recovery Needs Continued Support Says AMISOM Head (The Citizen)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Prime Minister Of Somali Federal Government Met With Saudi Arabia Foreign Affairs Minister
05 July – Source: Garowe Online – 156 Words
The Prime Minister of Somali Federal Government met with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Adel al-Jubeir in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This meeting between Somali Prime Minister and Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister most likely discussed the stand that the Somali Federal government took in regards to the diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are said to be disappointed by the decision of the Somali Federal Government and thus view it favoring the Qatar side. A recent research by Chatham House in England, in regards to the diplomatic crisis in the Middle East indicated how it can affect countries in the Horn of Africa. The report further stated how the Qatar government invested in the previous government of Somalia, meanwhile the relationship between President Farmaajo and Doha is said to be characterized as very friendly mainly due to the current Chief of Staff, Fahad Yasin in Villa Somalia.
Mukhtaar Robow Issues A List Of Conditions To Be Met By Government
05 July – Source: Dhacdo.com – 141 Words
The former Al-Shabaab deputy leader who is currently in negotiation with the Somali government over his surrender has asked certain condition to be met before he consider to fully cooperate with the government. The former Al-Shabaab spokesman says he is been treated unfairly just like Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys who was tricked to surrender and is currently under house arrest.
Among the conditions he is asking for is that he should not be arrested and handed over to western intelligence. Also that he should not be asked to give any information to any news outlets including the foreign media outlets. Mukhtar Robow lives in the rural side of Abal area in Hudur, Bakool region with his militias and said that he can defend himself from Al-Shabaab group. Mukhtar Robow left the Al-Shabaab group in 2013 after disagreement with now deceased leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Al-Shabaab Attack Pandanguo Police Post In Lamu
05 July – Source: Standard Media – 208 Words
Gunmen believed to be Al-Shabaab militants raided Pandanguo area, Lamu County Wednesday and destroyed property. Witnesses said the gunmen attacked a police post and a school destroying property. They also destroyed a communication mast affecting communication in the area even as security agencies responded there. Coast police boss Philip Tuimur said security agencies responded to the attackers and engaged them in a fierce gun battle. “The engagement is ongoing and we are waiting for more response from the ground,” he said. Witnesses said the incident happened late in the night and ran to dawn. Security agents including those from Kenya Defence Forces responded to the scene and it was not immediately clear if there were casualties.
The area has been experiencing waves of attacks in the past months claiming more than ten lives. Last week, four pupils and four policemen were killed in an IED attack launched by the militants in Kiunga on a police vehicle. The lorry was carrying 19 Administration Police officers and 15 civilians most of whom were children who had hiked a lift from Mararani to Kiunga when the incident happened. Security agents were two weeks ago warned of Al-Shabaab attacks within Kiunga area, Milihoi, after roughly 100 of them were spotted by locals.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“In the face of multiple and persistent threats of violent factionalism and terror it has taken perseverance, sacrifice and commitment locally and internationally to reach this point. Since 2007, AMISOM forces, working closely with the Somali National Army, have fought and laid down their lives,”
Somalia’s Recovery Needs Continued Support, Says AMISOM Head
05 July – Source: The Citizen – 671 Words
AMISOM has led major and successful offensive campaigns against Al-Shabaab, which have severely weakened its capacity and have pushed it to the margins of the Somali territory. The recent co-ordinated bombings of the popular Ambassador and Nasa-Hablod Hotels in Mogadishu by Al Shabaab, was a reminder of the fragility of peace achievements in recent times in Somalia, said Francisco Caetano Madeira, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission for Somalia, and Head of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). “It shows that the road towards stability and democracy in Somalia is still long and is fraught with challenges. But there should be no question of backing away from the struggle towards a positive future for Somalia,” said Madeira in a recent op-ed in the African Report. “With a landmark election on the horizon, now is not the time for the international community to pull back its commitment to Somalia.“We have started to see glimpses of what the country could become. If you visit Mogadishu today, you will find it buzzing again, in a way that has not been seen in the last two decades or so,” he added.
“A lively café culture is developing, solar-powered streetlights line the main streets, and new buildings are rising from the rubble. International business interests are picking up. “Just last year, MasterCard’s services became available, and regional banks are now looking to set up shop. This will firmly connect Somalia to international financial systems at last. “Beyond the capital, Somalia’s agricultural sector is growing quickly. Livestock exports – Somalia’s largest forex earner – have reached multi-decade highs. Commercial fishing is reviving along Somalia’s coast, the longest in Africa, explained Madeira. “Baadheere, a southern town, which was liberated from Al-Shabaab in 2015, boasts rich farms growing everything from sorghum to mangoes, bananas and papaya. Overall, tentative economic development has come as a huge relief to the long-suffering people of Somalia. “Set against this, national elections in August or September this year is a great boost to the on-going reconstruction efforts and will be a hallmark of what has been achieved.
“In the face of multiple and persistent threats of violent factionalism and terror it has taken perseverance, sacrifice and commitment locally and internationally to reach this point. Since 2007, AMISOM forces, working closely with the Somali National Army, have fought and laid down their lives,” said the AMISOM head.“This has contributed to the creation of an environment conducive to the development of state institutions and the national economy. “To reach this point, support of international partners, not least that of the European Union, has been indispensable.”
AMISOM has led major and successful offensive campaigns against Al-Shabaab, which have severely weakened its capacity and have pushed it to the margins of the Somali territory. “Thanks to the bravery of AMISOM and SNA troops and considerable monetary investment, these victories and others have altered the security landscape in Somalia dramatically, allowing for government institutions to be installed and function in all regional governments. “Yet al-Shabaab and its affiliates remain a security threat. “In continuing the fight, Somalia and AMISOM face a number of major challenges. One is donor fatigue. Humanitarian responses around the world have been pulled in different directions: the Middle Eastern migrant crisis, and continuing conflict in Syria, Yemen and Libya. “Some countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Somalia’s neighbour Ethiopia, are facing their worst drought for a generation. In this environment, Somalia’s needs appear to be falling down the pecking order – but this does not make it right or wise. “The country’s geostrategic importance is undiminished. It sits along the Red Sea corridor, one of the world’s busiest and most important trade arteries. We have already seen how disruptive piracy can be here,” he pointed out. “One of the world’s hottest conflicts lies just across the Gulf of Aden, in Yemen. Meanwhile, instability and terror in Somalia can spread beyond neighbouring countries. Further conflict and uncertainty in Somalia risks the entire region becoming a magnet for crime and lawlessness.”
TOP TWEETS
@HarunMaruf: Five govt soldiers were wounded after #IEDexplosion on a military vehicle near Gofgudud, Bay region, Wednesday: report
@HarunMaruf: KSA FM Adel Jubeir meets w/ @SomaliPM in Addis; I’m told Qatar came up in the conversation and the Saudis have asked 4 a follow up meeting.
@AreteStories: Watch our latest #film for @FAOSomalia about how they’re protecting #livestock to #AvertSomaliaFaminehttps://vimeo.com/223513129 #Somalia
@HassanIstiila:#UPDATE: #Somalia‘s Former Information Ministry official Abdirazak Bahlawi & his friend wounded in #IEDexplosion in #Mogadishu last night.
@UNdeClercq: Are you interested in where the $1bn aid for#Somalia every year go to? Learn everything about aid flows here: http://somaliaaidflows.so/
@Mogadishuupdate:#Somalia prime minister @HassanAliKhairemet with #Saudi Foreign minister Adel Al-Jubeir in #Adisababa#Ethiopia
@Mogadishuupdate: Still poor internet connection in#Mogadishu Most Internet users in #Somalia only few people can access
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Somali Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Kheyre meets Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister, Adel al-Jubeir on the sidelines of the AU Summit.
Photo: @SomaliPM