July 6, 2016 | Morning Headlines

Main Story

9 Injured In Mogadishu Market Blast

05 July – Source: Voice of America – 230 Words
A suspected member of the Al-Shabaab militant group lobbed a hand grenade into a market in Mogadishu on Tuesday, wounding nine civilians, witnesses and officials said. “A suspected member of Al-Shabaab militants…carried out the attack on a busy market and…managed to escape…injuring at least nine people,” said Abukar Sheikh Ahmed, the deputy commissioner of Wadajir District.

Residents were shopping at the market for the Eid al-Fitr festival, which marks the end of holy month of Ramadan, and is celebrated in most of the Muslim world on Wednesday, July 6. “When the grenade went off, I was shocked and ducked for a minute, then I saw at least nine people on the ground with injuries including a pregnant woman, lying beside the road,” said Faadumo Xaaji, who said she saw the attack from her water vending stand.

Another witness said an old man asking for money was among the injured. “He was a poor, old beggar whom I used to see begging along the streets of the market for more than five years I have been here, and now he sustained injuries. Those behind such attacks have nothing to do with humanity and religion,” said Abdullahi Nuur, a businessman who runs a shop in the market. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but because it has the hallmarks of Al-Shabaab militants, local authorities have blamed the militants.

Key Headlines

9 Injured In Mogadishu Market Blast (Voice of America)
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Condemns Terror Attacks in Saudi Arabia (Somali Update)
Radio Daljir Back On The Airwaves (Hiiraan Online)
Somalia’s President Recently Held First-ever Meeting With Israeli PM (Belfast Telegraph)
Suspected Al-Shabaab Member Arrested At Frankfurt Airport (The Washington Post)
Goobjoog Media Group Partners With Youth Volunteers To Green Mogadishu (Goobjoog News)

NATIONAL MEDIA

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Condemns Terror Attacks in Saudi Arabia

05 July – Source: Somali Update – 195 Words
The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, HE Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned the terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia and reiterated his call for global anti-terror response. “On behalf of the Federal Republic of Somalia and the Somali people, I am deeply shocked and saddened over the terrorist attacks in the holy land and share the pain and grief with our Saudi brothers and sisters,’’ said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

The President stressed that the Arab world, the Muslim countries and the rest of the world should unite at this critical period to curb terrorism. “During this holy month of Ramadan we have witnessed disastrous terrorist attacks carried out by the enemies of humanity and civilization. This has to come to an end. We need to cooperate and renew our collective efforts to eliminate the menace of terrorism. Somalia strongly stands firm against terrorism, and as one of the countries affected by this threat, we will not hesitate to contribute to the global fight against terror’’. President has concluded his message by offering his heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of all the innocent victims who were affected by this evil tragedy.

Radio Daljir Back On The Airwaves

05 July – Source: Hiiraan Online – 185 Words

Puntland President, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has pardoned Radio Daljir allowing it to get back on air weeks after it was shut down by the Puntland Minister of Information, Mohamud Hassan Socade. Radio Daljir and all its sister stations was closed on June 23rd after they interviewed a rebel leader on live radio. Puntland authorities termed airing of the interview as news that is damaging to the unity of the people of Puntland.

In a communication sent to newsrooms, the government of the semi-autonomous Puntland State of Somalia has withdrawn its orders to have the station off air and allowed them to continue with their programming in different parts of Puntland and neighboring regions. The Ministry of Information, Communication, Post, Culture & Heritage sent the letter to the office of the Attorney General, the Puntland Police Commander and the State House of Puntland notifying them that the radio was pardoned by the President, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gas. In the past few days, several organizations, activists and a former minister have joined the public chorus of concern and urged government officials to reverse their decision.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somalia’s President Recently Held First-ever Meeting With Israeli PM

05 July – Source: Belfast Telegraph – 317 Word

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently met with the president of Somalia in a first high-level contact between the two countries, a source close to the Somali leader told The Times of Israel. Israel does not have diplomatic relations with the East African nation, which has a population of some 11 million. Somalia, a mostly Sunni Muslim country and a member of the Arab League, has never recognized the State of Israel.

Two weeks ago, a report on the Caasimada Online, a news website operated by journalists opposed to the Somali regime, stated that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and three other Somali officials came to Tel Aviv on a short visit and met there with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials. A senior official close to Mohamud confirmed to The Times of Israel that the meeting took place, though the official could not say whether it was held in Tel Aviv.

Another meeting between the two leaders is planned for the near future, the senior official said. The source said there was also a lower-level official meeting in Jerusalem in December, involving representatives from the Israeli economy ministry and officials from Somalia.

Mohamud, who took office in 2012, is considered by some to be a reformer. In 2013, he was featured in Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. “The leader of Somalia’s first constitutional government in 20 years, President Mohamud symbolizes an increasingly confident Africa that is shedding its long history of strife and moving toward greater stability and prosperity,” Rwandan President Paul Kagame wrote at the time.

Suspected Al-Shabaab Member Arrested At Frankfurt Airport

05 July – Source: The Washington Post – 137 Words

A German man accused of membership in the Somalia-based al-Shabab Islamic extremist group has been arrested at Frankfurt airport. Federal prosecutors say the 28-year-old, identified only as Abshir Ahmed A. in line with German privacy rules, was arrested on Monday as he returned to Germany from Somalia. He is accused of membership in a foreign terrorist organization and preparing an act of violence.

Prosecutors said in a statement Tuesday that the man is believed to have joined al-Shabab in Somalia in 2012, undergoing weapons training and then being deployed at a defensive position for the group. They acted on an arrest warrant that was issued in March 2015. The militants are waging an insurgency against Somalia’s weak western-backed government. Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE

Goobjoog Media Group Partners With Youth Volunteers To Green Mogadishu

05 July – Source: Goobjoog News – 405 Words

Goobjoog Media Group funded volunteer Youth named Ubaxa Casimadda which launched an initiative to green the major streets of Mogadishu, the first of a kind since the collapse of government in 1991. The initiative was initiated by the Somali Youth group Ubaxa Caasimadda and Goobjoog Media Group decided to fund it as Goobjoog sees the initiative part of the its corporate social responsibility. The initiative aims to plant hundreds of trees along the streets of Mogadishu.

The first phase of the project started this week along Maka al Mukarama road where dozens of volunteers clad in Goobjoog Media Group branded t-shirts and caps took part in the exercise. Mogadishu and Somalia at large have over the years lost vegetation and forest cover owing to many years of destruction and neglect. Somalia exports millions of bags of charcoal to the Middle East annually and experts have warned this trend which is already posing threats to the country’s food security and subjecting millions to adverse climate change conditions.

Last year alone an estimated 1.7 million people were directly affected by droughts and subsequent floods which hit the central and northern regions including Puntland and Somaliland. Out of these, close to 400,000 faced acute food security, aid agencies said. In a bid to avert these effects, Goobjoog Development and Environmental Care Network (DGEN) and Ubaxa Caasimadda, a young volunteers club seeks to make Mogadishu green through the tree planting initiative.

“We have been working on this project alone but with the partnership and support of Goobjoog Media Group, we are sure of making Mogadishu green and more conducive to live in,” said Mohamed Mohamud Ahmed, one of the lead volunteers in the project. Ahmed called on the residents of the city to take part in the project, which is an essential activity that helps to keep areas around the streets green.