June 15, 2015 | Morning Headlines

Main Story

11 Al-Shabaab Fighters Died In Baure Attack: KDF

14 June – Source: Daily Nation – 137 Words

The government has confirmed the deaths of 11 suspected Al-Shabaab fighters and two Kenya Defense Forces soldiers during an attack near Baure military camp in Lamu East sub-county on Sunday. KDF spokesperson David Obonyo said the fighters launched an attack near the camp at around 5.45 am. “The attack was aggressively repulsed. During the firefight, 11 terrorists including two fighters of Caucasian origin were neutralised. Several others fled with injuries towards Boni forest and a pursuit is currently underway. Regrettably, KDF lost two soldiers during the firefight,” Mr Obonyo said. The official also revealed that an assortment of weapons, including 13 AK-47s, five rocket-propelled grenades and eight grenades were recovered. Mr Obonyo appealed to residents to report anybody seeking medical assistance or any suspicious-looking individuals to security agencies.

Key Headlines

11 Al-Shabaab Fighters Died In Baure Attack: KDF (Daily Nation)
Somalia President In South Africa To Attend 25th AU Summit (Somali Current)
Public Transport Driver Killed For Refusing to Pay Illegal Charges (Goobjoog News)
Somaliland Moves To Raise Tensions In Disputed Region (Horseed Media)
Livestock Vessel Catches Fire Off Somalia Coast (Garowe Online)
Security Forces Disarm Residents In Baidoa (Goobjoog News)
Polio Vaccinators Not Always Welcome In Mogadishu (Radio Ergo)
Suspected Al-Shabaab Militants Raid Mangai Village In Lamu (Daily Nation)
Senior Al-Shabaab Commander Slain In Southwest Somalia (Press TV)
I’d Like To Call Somalia Home But Can’t (Standard Digital)
No Military Involvement In Arrest Of Somali Kidnapping Suspect: Kenney (CTV News)
Somalia Chefs Are Cooking Up A Storm In Mogadishu Restaurants (Coastweek/Xinhua)
AMISOM Supports Training Of FGS Officials In Conflict Mediation And Resolution In Ghana (AMISOM)

PRESS STATEMENT

AMISOM Deputy Chief Visits Injured Troops

14 June – Source: AMISOM – 184 Words

Mogadishu, Somalia 14th June, 2015: The Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of African Union Commission to Somalia (DRSS) Hon Lydia Wanyoto, today (Sunday) visited AMISOM soldiers who are admitted at the AMISOM Level 2 Hospital. Among them were soldiers who sustained injuries when an AMISOM supplies convoy was attacked by Al-Shabaab in Jamee’o, Buurhakaba region on Friday.

Wanyoto was accompanied by the AMISOM Deputy Force Commander in charge of Operations and Planning, Maj. Gen. Mohammedesha Zeinu. Lt. Col. (Dr) Ambrose Oiko and Lt. Col. (Dr) David Chepsiror briefed the visiting AMISOM officials about the condition of the admitted patients.

DSRCC Wanyoto appreciated the efforts of the AMISOM medical personnel in treating the injured soldiers. A number of casualties are receiving treatment at the hospital in the AMISOM Base in Mogadishu. One of the injured soldiers narrated that they were moving in a convoy when they came under fire. The battle lasted from5pm to about 9pm. The attackers had an assortment of arms and among the enemy Al-Shabaab, were foreigners who appeared to be of caucasian descent.

NATIONAL MEDIA

Somalia President In South Africa To Attend 25th AU Summit

14 June – Source: Somali Current – 119 Words

Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has arrived Johannesburg , South Africa to attend 25th AU Summit. At the airport, the president and his entourage were received by officials from South Africa and Somalia embassy. The President is among over 50 African leaders meeting at Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg. Al-Shabaab and Boko Haraam are expected to dominate the agenda. The President is set to meet South Africa President Jacob Juma to discuss the recent xenophobic attacks against the Somali people. South Africa is hosting the Summit after Chad withdrew due to financial constraints. This year’s theme is “Year of Women Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063”.

Public Transport Driver Killed For Refusing to Pay Illegal Charges

14 June – Source: Goobjoog News – 137 Words

An armed man has gunned down a well known public transport driver in Dharkeynley district on Saturdaynight. A resident in Dharkeynley told Goobjoog News that the incident occurred after an argument over payment of money. “A man called Mohamed who was a minibus driver was killed by a man armed with AK 47 rifle and killer escaped the scene” one of the residents said. The security forces reached the area and started an investigation to pursue the murderer though no arrest of any suspect linked to the murder was reported. On 19th May this year a public transport driver was shot dead at KM5 junction in Mogadishu after an argument erupted between the driver and a guard at main hotel.

Somaliland Moves To Raise Tensions In Disputed Region

14 June – Source: Horseed Media – 226 Words

The breakaway region of Somaliland has put its troops based in the disputed region of Sool on high alert, raising new tensions, Horseed Media reports. Somaliland officials provided equipment, medical and food supplies to the troops stationed near Gambara district, the main base of its forces in Sool region. The Somaliland Chief of army Ismael Shaqale visited the troops to deliver the supplies on late hours of Saturday. Horseed Media has learnt from credible sources that the Somaliland troops are gearing up to launch an attack in Tukarak town, where Puntland troops are based some 26-kilometres North of Garowe, the capital of Puntland.

Puntland and Somaliland have had territorial disputes over the Sool and Sanag regions in the past decade during which troops from both sides clashed. Somaliland forces seized Las Anod district, the capital of Sool, in October, 2007 after a battle with the Puntland army who were controlling it at time. Analysts have said that the Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo, who is currently under a major pressure from the opposition parties due to the extension of the Presidential term, wants to use violence as a tool to distract his political rivals. Puntland accuses Somaliland of financing and training the Al-Shabaab militants hiding in Galgala mountain ranges, but Somaliland has denied the accusations.

Livestock Vessel Catches Fire Off Somalia Coast

14 June – Source: Garowe Online – 114 Words

A commercial boat loaded with livestock developed smoke immediately after leaving a port in Somalia’s northeastern state of Puntland, Garowe Online reports. Sources close to the businessmen whose livestock shipment caught fire said, the bulls and bucks aboard got charred in the accidental boat blaze. Government officials couldn’t be reached for comments, but the fate of crew members remains unknown. Initial reports disclose that crews is being disembarked. Destined to United Arab Emirates (UAE), the smoke is believed to have billowed from engine compartment. In September 2013, a boat with 1200 Ton consignment, and chartered by Puntland businessmen sank off between Somalia and Oman. In a report released by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Somalia registered a record 5 million livestock for the first time in the last 20 years in 2014.

Security Forces Disarm Residents In Baidoa

14 June – Source: Goobjoog News – 202 Words

Security forces In Baidoa have launched a new disarmament campaign and operations which netted several guns. Sandheere Mohamed Iftin, deputy Administration (AP) deputy commissioner, who gave an interview to Goobjoog News said that “those disarmed were causing havoc in the town, they were also disturbing peace in the town” he said. The security forces engulfed Iscia Baidoa suburb during the inspection and raided homes as they discovered guns that commanders said were going to be use to cause insecurity.

“These operations will continue, as it will be jointly conducted by AP of South-West State and the security forces, we discovered a lot of illegal arms though no one was apprehended and this is a part of operations intended to beef up the security of the town” he underlined. He explained the importance of security to the people and urged the locals to collaborate with the security agencies so as to maintain the overall security of the country. Security analysts in Baidoa say that the disarmament is a good solution. However, negotiations and even buying the weapons from its owners would help to avoid certain grievances.

Polio Vaccinators Not Always Welcome In Mogadishu

13 June – Source: Radio Ergo – 347 Words

Health teams going door to door in Mogadishu are meeting some resistance to the polio vaccine in parts of the city, according to health workers. Hilowle Ali Mohamed, 32, has taken part in vaccination campaigns in the city for the past nine years. He said there was still misunderstanding among the general public over the benefits of immunization and suspicion over possible side-effects of polio vaccine. He also said that the competition for recruitment of staff to carry out the vaccinations campaigns had left those who did not get jobs quite bitter. Some were trying to disrupt the exercise by spreading false information about the vaccinations.

Abdifatah Adan, a vaccinator, said they often trekked a long way only to be chased away from some homes. “There have been many mothers who have not hesitated to bring their children for the vaccinations, including polio, but there were others who were misinformed and hid their, or just forgot to bring them for the vaccinations,” he said. Dr Hassan Ali Mohamed at Mogadishu’s Salama hospital said vaccination was critical to prevent the spread of communicable disease. “Many people do not understand the advantages of these vaccines. There is a need for more widespread awareness-raising because you’ll see a lot of people suffering diseases that can be prevented through vaccinations, such as polio and measles,” he said. Head of awareness campaigns in the Ministry of Health, Said Mohamed Ali, said they had been carrying out vaccinations every month since cases of polio were reported in 2013.

“Cases of unwillingness to have children vaccinated on the side of parents have reduced of late, but there are still incidences where mothers show reluctance to allow their children to be vaccinated in the absence of their husbands,” he said. Insecurity had disrupted campaigns on more than one occasion, he noted. A nurse at Mogadishu’s Daynile hospital, Abdifatah Adan Hayle, said parts of that neighborhood were not safe for vaccination teams. Sharifo Yusuf was killed in Wardhigley district in February 2104 while she was carrying out vaccinations there.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Suspected Al-Shabaab Militants Raid Mangai Village In Lamu

14 June – Source: Daily Nation – 201 Words

At least 60 suspected Al-Shabaab militants raided Mangai Village in Lamu County at dawn on Sunday. According Basuba Location Chief Yusuf Nuri, the attackers invaded the village at 3am Sunday, before flushing out villagers from their houses. They ordered the more than 100 villagers to gather at Mangai Mosque where they preached to them for three hours. Mr Nuri said after the preaching, the gang held prayers in the mosque.

They then raided Mangai Dispensary where they burnt down two motorbikes belonging to the health facility. The later invaded the newly built Mangai Boarding Primary School before setting ablaze more than 100 new mattresses. Mr Nuri, however, said nobody was injured in the dawn raid. The chief appealed to the government to deploy security personnel to the area to hunt down the attackers before disaster happens. “At the moment, all villagers are living in fear following the dawn raid by the suspected Al-Shabaab gang,” he said. “We don’t know what will happen next as they might be hiding in the forest,” the worried administrator added. Efforts to reach the Lamu police commander and the county commissioner were futile as their phones went unanswered.

Senior Al-Shabaab Commander Slain In Southwest Somalia

14 June – Source: Press TV – 247 Words

A high-ranking commander of al-Shabab militant group has been killed by Somali government forces during an operation in Somalia’s southwestern region of Bakool. Local official Aden Abdi Mohamed said on Saturday that Qasim Sheikh was killed after army troops carried out an ambush al-Shabab militants, among them the high-profile extremist, near the town of Hudur, 420 kilometers (260 miles) southwest of the capital, Mogadishu, on Friday night. Meanwhile, African Union troops in Somalia say they have repelled an attack by Al-Shabaab forces, dismissing the al-Qaeda-linked group’s claims that scores of their soldiers were killed in the process.

Al-Shabaab terrorists attacked a convoy of relief supplies in the town of Burhakaba in the southwestern Somali region of Bay, located about 250 kilometers (155 miles) northwest of Mogadishu, late on Thursday, but the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) soldiers together with Somali army forces fought off their assault. Pro-Al-Shabaab Radio Andalus station had earlier claimed that the attack left more than 50 Ethiopian troops dead. Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke faces an uphill battle to rein in corruption, defeat the al-Shabab extremists and rebuild war-ravaged Somalia, which has been the scene of deadly clashes between government forces and al-Shabab since 2006. The militants have been pushed out of Mogadishu and other major cities in the country by government and AMISOM forces. The UN force is largely made up of troops from Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Sierra Leone and Kenya.

I’d Like To Call Somalia Home But Can’t

14 June – Source: Standard Digital – 405 Words

Mohammed Abdi Abdulahi is slightly built with an even slighter tone to his voice. Words slip out of his lips so nervously, his syllables seem accidental. Like they wouldn’t want to impose themselves on the goings-on. Like they are used to not being heard. He is 27, old enough to have a wife and child. But not old enough to have a dream he can believe in. “What can we do? This is life for us,” he says. Next to him a billboard towers. “Somalia is my home, to return is my choice,” it declares. Mohammed is part of its target audience, but somehow, the message does not make sense. It is the same for hundreds of thousands of other refugees from Somalia. “Return where? Even if you were to get me onto a bus, or a plane and drop me in Somalia, where would I. I am Kenyan in every way,” he says.

The Dadaab refugee camp population is 353,590. Of these, 336,695 are from Somalia. At the height of the humanitarian crisis in 2011, the population had increased to 486,913. Here, Mohammed is a statistic, clawing through life to become more than a number. Dadaab is a massive complex made up of five satellite camps – Dagahaley, Ifo Main, Ifo 2, Kambioos and Hagadera. Hagadera has been Mohammed’s home all his life. His family found a livelihood here more than two decades ago. Later, he found love. “Even when you are in the harshest of deserts, somehow you will find shade,” he philosophises. Sara Hassan Mohammed has been his shade in the sun. Before this declaration, leaders from Northeastern Kenya had also called for Dadaab’s closure. Reason? They said Al Shabaab militants planned their attacks from the camps. “Tell me, am I a member of Al Shabaab? Do I have a mark on my forehead saying I am one of them?

No Military Involvement In Arrest Of Somali Kidnapping Suspect: Kenney

14 June – Source: CTV News – 324 Words

The Canadian military was not involved in the arrest of a Somali man alleged to have been part of the 2008 hostage-taking of a Canadian freelance journalist, according to Defence Minister Jason Kenney. Speaking to CTV’s Question Period, Kenney said he was not aware of any military involvement in the arrest of Ali Omar Ader, who was arrested Thursday in Ottawa, for his alleged role in the kidnapping of Amanda Lindhout and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan in Somalia. Kenney applauded the RCMP for years’ worth of investigative work on the case. “The fact that the RCMP, with other international police agencies, have stayed on the case and brought this investigation to a successful conclusion is a great credit to them.” Sources told CTV News that Ader’s arrest was the result of a sophisticated operation that involved several government agencies as well as the Australian police.

Kenney refused to provide any further details. “I can’t get into operational details,” said Kenney. “I suppose some of that may come out when this person faces a trial.” At a news conference in Ottawa Friday, RCMP said Ader faces criminal charges for his alleged role as a negotiator in the hostage-taking of Lindhout and Brenner, who were kidnapped in Mogadishu, Somalia, in August 2008, and held for 15 months. Ader, 37, appeared in an Ottawa courtroom Friday via video link, where the case was adjourned for a week. In other remarks, Kenney said Canada’s security and police agencies have been on a “higher state of alertness” in the last year, due to domestic and international terror threats, including those posed by Somalia terror group Al-Shabaab.

OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE

“Most of the professionally-run hotels in Mogadishu employ staff from neighbouring Kenya, but with these would-be chefs, things are bound to change.”

Somalia Chefs Are Cooking Up A Storm In Mogadishu Restaurants

14 June – Source: Coastweek/Xinhua – 486 Words

As Mogadishu fast opens up to the world, thanks to improved security and political stability, young people are busy building their human resource capacity to cater for the increasing market demand. Chefs in the capital whose penchant for finesse and mastery of culinary skills have endeared many to seek the same knowledge. Zahra Ahmed Mohamed, director and founder of Domestic Institute that offers catering services in Somalia, says it’s high time Mogadishu opened up to the world, making culinary diversity critical. “We need to make food which meets international standards. “We cannot rely on the rudimentary skills we got from out kitchens at home to impress people who don’t know about Mogadishu and even the locals themselves who yearn for something different from their mother’s pot,” Zahra told Xinhua.

It is with this kind of thinking that Mohamed has been able to impart professional cooking skills to over 100 trainees in the last one year. Mohamed said cooking goes beyond the traditional concept of women’s roles at home. Instead, it is a new form of empowerment which ensures that women can be able to earn a living out of their culinary skills and positively contribute towards the development of this country. “The role of women in Somalia has for ages been confined to home keeping, but we want to change this and elevate women to compete favorably in the job market with their male counterparts,” she said. The food Mohamed’s institute offering to teach is diverse, ranging from the popular Somali camel meat to pancakes, cakes, rice, and fish among others. And Italian cuisines as spaghetti and macoroni served with meat become common delicacy. Leyla Osman Ali, 24, is one of the trainees at the institute whose love for cooking was nurtured once she joined the training. “I found a hobby and discovered talent in cooking here.

“It’s very imperative for me and also the government of Somalia to part of this course because it’s vital and is like a game changer to have people from Somali origin to have and understand the concept of mediation and also try to analyse conflict.”

AMISOM Supports Training Of FGS Officials In Conflict Mediation And Resolution In Ghana

13 June – Source: AMISOM – Video – 3:45 Minutes

Senior officials of the Federal Government of Somalia have completed a two-weeks training course in Conflict and Mediation training in Accra, Ghana, sponsored by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).