June 17, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report
Ahlu Sunna Told To Leave Dhusa Mareb
17 June – Source: Somali Current- 238 Words
Somali Prime Minister, Abdirashid Omar Sharmarke said Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a could be part of the Central regions administration, saying the group shares the same agenda with the government. Speaking to the VOA Somali service, the premier said talks on the central regions were in high gear and exuded confidence that solution would be reached that could see the addition of Ahlu Sunna into the administration.“We are not enemies with [Ahlu Sunna]. We share the same agenda and vision of peaceful Somalia,” said Premier Abdirashid Omar. He added the presence of Interior Minister in Dhusamareb was a clear sign of how the government was serious about the talks and assured that solution was on the pipeline.
“The ongoing talks in Dhusa Mareb are positive and we expect it to be successful. We talked to Ahlu Sunna and expressed our wish for them to be part of the administration and leave Dhusa Mareb as the town is set to be the headquarters of the Central regions,” he said. On the campaign against Al-Shabaab, Premier Abdirashid stated that the government was planning a final assault on the group in an attempt to get rid of Al-Shabaab as the country gears toward 2016 elections. The Prime Minister’s comment come barely a week after fighters affiliated to the Ahlu Sunna forcefully took over the town of Dhusamareeb. Premier Abdirashid was speaking while on a visit to the US.
Key Headlines
- Ahlu Sunna Told To Leave Dhusa Mareb (Somali Current)
- Ahlu Suna New Proposals For Peace In Central Regional State Formation (Radio Dalsan)
- Reconciliation Conference in Hiran Set for Extension (Goobjoog News)
- Somalia AMISOM Police To Ensure Safety During Ramadhan ( Shabelle News)
- Puntland Leader Sacks 8 Ministers In First Cabinet Reshuffle (Garowe Online)
- Somalia Aviation Minister Visits ICAO Headquarters (Goobjoog News)
- Muslims Advised To Pray For War Victims This Ramadan (The Observer)
- MSDF Anti-Piracy Mission Off Somalia To Be Extended By Another Year (Japan Times)
- Somali Man Accused In Amanda Lindhout Kidnapping Intends To Seek Legal Aid (Ottawa Citizen)
- Independence Day Of Somalia Celebrated In St. Cloud Minnesota (Wire Service Blog)
- A Disheveled Sharmarke Comes To The Beltway (Wardheer News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Ahlu Suna New Proposals For Peace In Central Regional State Formation
17 June – Source: Radio Dalsan – 171 Words
Somali Sufi armed group Ahlu Suna Waljama that recently took over Dhusamareb town from government forces have suggested new proposals to end the standoff and pave way for new regional central state establishment. According to sources the group put forward number of what looks like conditions for peace and end to conflict with government in the area. The group wants the federal government to recognize the religious movement, include it in the central regional state formation and name overall leader as mufti of the country.
Ahlu Suna which clashed with Somali government several times before has also fought rival armed group and Al Qaida affiliate Al Shabaab in 2008 while taking over key areas from them. Somali government and its neighbors see the group as unavoidable as far as the fight against Al Shabaab is concerned but its political challenge to central government is not also going well with some of the Somali politicians especially those from the central region.
Reconciliation Conference In Hiran Set for Extension
17 June – Source:Goobjoog News – 144 Words
A tribal reconciliation conference in Belet Weyne which is nearing to its completion is set for an extension according to our correspondents in the city. The technical committee of the conference has announced that the process was scheduled to end on 21st June, 2015. Elder Ahmed Abdulle Jimale who is the chair of the committee has told Goobjoog Radio that they might ask for extension as some clans in Hiran are still outside the process. “We originaly planned that the conference would end on 21stJune, but we might ask for extension” he said. He mentioned two clans are still outside the peace process and mediators are still busy convincing them to join the conference.The conference has commenced on 1st May and 9 clans are in attendance in a bid to reconcile between them. This is a requirement before state formation conference could be held.
Somalia, AMISOM Police To Ensure Safety During Ramadhan
17 June – Shabelle News – 515 Words
The Police component of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the Somali Police Force (SPF) have unveiled a joint operational plan to ensure security in Mogadishu during the holy month of Ramadhan. This was revealed during a joint press conference held on Tuesday at the Somali Police Force Headquarters in Mogadishu and addressed by the AMISOM Police Commissioner Anand Pillay and Mohamed Sheikh Hassan, the Somali Police Force commissioner.The AMISOM Police Commissioner Pillay said the upcoming joint operation arise from an analysis over the past years that indicates an increase in criminality by Al-Shabaab during the Holy month of Ramadhan.“Firstly, in terms of the Ramadhan season, we have seen there is an increase of incidents that take place. For the previous two Ramadhan seasons, there was an increase of IED (Improvised Explosive Device) attacks, suicide bombers as well as breaching community safety because large groups of people gather and they are easy targets for IEDs and attacks on them,” Pillay said.
The SPF commissioner Mohamed said, “We are having a terrorist threat as you are aware. We are in a vulnerable situation but we have to perform as best as we can with the support of AMISOM police and AMISOM military and other Somali security institutions.” Pillay said the upcoming operation will be in line with the AMISOM Police’s mandate of providing operational support to the Somali Police through mentoring in order to build the capacity of SPF to perform policing functions according to international policing standards. As part of a comprehensive operation plan, AMISOM and SPF officers managing the joint operations will be stationed at the Somali Police headquarters on a 24 hour basis to perform functions that include, but not limited to directing ground personnel, monitoring public safety, and ensuring public safety concerns are addressed.
Pillay said, “our policing functions will work jointly in areas that we have identified where our joint operations will be focused. We will work conduct policing activities to ensure public safety, community safety and ensure that people of Mogadishu and Somalia are safe during the Ramadhan season. Our operations will be coordinated from the joint operations centre at the Somali Police Headquarters.” Earlier on, the Minister of Internal Security Abdirizak Omar Mohamed commissioned a communication operations system installed at the Police Headquarters. Also, present during the launch was Lucien Verneir the Acting Police Commissioner for UNSOM. The equipment installed by Motorolla, is a donation from the Japanese Government with support from AMISOM Police and UNSOM. The equipment is expected to boost the operations of the SPF through improved communication and timely response to calls for action, among other functions.
Minister Abdirizak said that the Federal Government of Somalia is committed to build the capacity of the Police Force through recruitment of personnel and providing necessary equipment to aid maintenance of law and order.“We are trying to improve and enhance the capacity of the current police force as well as recruit new police officers that have completed formal education. We are also trying to increase the number of female police officers,” said Minister Abdirizak.
Puntland Leader Sacks 8 Ministers In First Cabinet Reshuffle
16 June – Source: Garowe Online – 175 Words
The President of Somalia’s Northeastern state of Puntland Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has sacked eight ministers of his first choices in much anticipated reshuffle on Tuesday, Garowe Online reports. Education Minister Ali Haji Warsame, Security Minister Hassan Osman Allore and Health Minister Dr. Sadik Enow are among those removed from their posts. Seven ministers managed to retain positions while three ministers changed portfolios.
Former Justice Minister Ismael Mohamed Warsame who Saturday resigned over missing pays was replaced with Salah Habib Haji Jama. He served in the cabinet under the incumbency of former President Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Farole, Ali Abdullahi Warsame took on a new post as Minister of Environment. Both Enow and Warsame vied for presidency in the 2014 elections, with the latter is currently visiting Sweden. The cabinet reshuffle had faced some hurdles after President Ali and the Vice President disagreed on the inclusion of former Somaliland Public Works and Housing Minister Ahmed Abdi Habsade in the cabinet lineup. On Monday, in a speech to the parliament, Puntland President pledged to deliver on his promises amid anti-militant offensives, overdue pays and lapse in security. Earlier in May, Ali hinted at administrative overhaul for incompetence, and fired Governors and Mayors.
Somalia Aviation Minister Visits ICAO Headquarters
17 June – Source:Goobjoog News – 230 Words
Somalia aviation minister Ali Ahmed Jangali has held wide ranging discussion with high ranking official from the international aviation body ICAO at its headquarter in Montreal Canada. The minister met with president of the agency Alumuyiwa Bernard, general secretary Dr. Fang Liu and the outgoing general secretary Raymond Benjamin, and Mr. Jangali gave them an update about the current state of Somalia aviation affairs. He touched that Somalia aviation has lost much treasured experts to terror attacks in the capital signaling the challenging situation they are working under.He also made a point the significance of transferring the air control operation to Somalia so that the government could fully take ownership and accountable for the country’s airspace.
Somalia’s airspace has been under the control of United Nation’s Civil Caretaker Aviation Authority for Somalia known as CACAS since 1996.CACAS signed last year December to handover the airspace control to Somali government, but this is yet to be done for lack of necessary facilities and skilled staff. According to the government, CACAS generates $6 to $7 million dollars annually from Somalia of over-flight fees; this could be much needed injection to suffering budget for the Somali government. Mr. Ali Ahmed Jangali on the other hand raised the issue of wrangles between federal government and semi-autonomous region of Somaliland over the control of airspace, and urged that this should not be politicized.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Muslims Advised To Pray For War Victims This Ramadan
17 June – Source: The Observer – 723 Words
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and this week Muslims worldwide begin to fast; it is the fourth of the five pillars of Islam. The Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during Ramadan and Muslims are enjoined to read it most during the season and ask Allah for forgiveness. “During Ramadan, we not only fast or pray, but visit the less fortunate, do charity, share food with others and spend time praying for peace and unity especially for those in war zones,” the Vice Chairman Uganda Muslim Youth Assembly (UMYA), Imam Kasozi, said. In that light, a German-based relief and solidarity organisation known as Hasene with their local partners the Humanitarian Efforts And Relief Uganda (HEAR Uganda) have donated 700 food packages worth Shs 70m to poor Muslims in the country for breaking their fast.
Amputee Bashiri Muse Farah, 51, is among hundreds of poor Muslims who received the food packages at Kampala High School over the weekend. A Somali refugee, Farah’s leg was cut off in 2011 following an al-Shabaab attack in Somalia. “[Many people died in the attack, but] I survived by luck because they shot the leg. The bullet got stuck in the bone and I took long to be rescued hence the leg developed infection. By the time they rescued me, there was no option but to amputate it since the infection was spreading so fast and I almost died,” he said. Farah told The Observer last week he came to Uganda in 2011, and has lost contact with his family and prays to reunite with them one day. “Although I am moving with one leg, it doesn’t stop me from fasting and praising Allah, who is still keeping me alive. I thank HEAR Uganda and Hasene for remembering the poor during Ramadan,” he said.
Uganda’s vice chairman Ahmad Sentamu said the other beneficiaries of these packages include widows, orphans, old people, the sick, people with disabilities and women with children. “We are donating this food because people are poor and can’t afford to buy food during Ramadan. It is also a command from God to share the little one you have in Ramadan,” he said. Another beneficiary, Mariam Nakabuye, said her family will fast peacefully since their fitar has been sorted. “I was worried of how I would complete this month without food and yet I have children who also fast, but thank God; you have really saved us the widows,” she said after receiving her package. Nakabuye pledged to use her food carefully so that it stretches to Idd day. Sentamu said they use village imams to select beneficiaries in their areas before they distribute packages. They register them in advance and give them cards for proper identification as they receive goods and also to avoid corruption. Hasene’s representative Mustafu Javuz said they donate food to share with others and are guided by the Qur’an.
“God says in the Qur’an, you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may be mindful of God (2:183),” he said. Javuz said Prophet Muhammad said whoever helps a fasting person break his/her fast gets a reward. He said fasting is observed as an act of obedience to God, and according to Prophet Muhammad, whoever fasts and prays during Ramadan with pure intentions will have their past sins forgiven. The items donated include rice, posho, cooking oil, wheat, copies of the Qur’an and some fruit plantlets to encourage people to plant trees for food, shelter and protection of our environment. Javuz said Hasene donates food in 80 countries of Africa, Asia and Central America.
MSDF Anti-Piracy Mission Off Somalia To Be Extended By Another Year
17 June – Source: Japan Times – 169 Words
Japan plans to extend by another year the deployment of Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel to combat piracy in waters off Somalia in East Africa, a Japanese government source said Tuesday. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet is expected to approve the extension in early July to help ensure the security of an important sea lane for Japan and as Tokyo’s proactive contribution to maintaining international peace and stability, the source said. MSDF escort vessels and P-3C patrol aircraft have been deployed since 2009 to help protect commercial vessels from pirate attacks in waters off the East African country. The mission has been extended every year since, as decided by the Cabinet. In December 2013, Japan joined multinational antipiracy operations led by the United States and Britain, and sent a senior MSDF officer last month to command the multinational forces for the first time. The size of the unit for the extended mission is expected to remain largely unchanged at two escort vessels, two P-3C aircraft and about 600 MSDF members.
Somali Man Accused In Amanda Lindhout Kidnapping Intends To Seek Legal Aid
16 June – Source: Ottawa Citizen – 610 Words
The Somalia man accused of holding for ransom Canadian freelance journalist Amanda Lindhout intends to ask Canadian taxpayers to pay for his legal defence. The lawyer for Ali Omar Ader said his client has no money to pay for a lawyer and will apply for Ontario legal aid. “He’s not sitting on hundreds of thousands of dollars, let alone a dollar, so that’s what he is going to have to do,” said his Ottawa defence lawyer, Samir Adam. “I would say he is typical of someone coming from war-torn Somalia — as far as I know, he doesn’t have any funds.” The RCMP announced Ader’s arrest Friday, describing Ader as “one of the main negotiators” for the Islamist group that seized Lindhout and Australian colleague Nigel Brennan in Somalia in August 2008. The pair were held in brutal captivity for 14 months before being released after their families paid a ransom.
The 37-year-old Ader was arrested in Ottawa. Details of how or why he was in Canada have not been revealed. The hostage-taking charge Ader faces carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Legal Aid Ontario will cover the legal defence for visitors and those who are not Canadian citizens, but anyone applying for legal aid must meet the same financial criteria as a citizen of Ontario. For a single person, that means an income of less than $12,135 a year for a full legal aid certificate to be issued. The amount increases depending on the size of the person’s family. A person with a family of five or more can qualify for legal aid with an annual income of $30,016 or less. There have been no details released about whether Ader, whose home is listed as Mogadishu, is married or has any children.
“People who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents but are visiting Ontario, either as visitors or refugees, can apply for legal aid,” said Legal Aid Ontario media relations officer Geneviève Oger. “They don’t need to have a status.” A person who is being held in custody on a serious charge and has no access to his or her funds is typically granted a legal aid certificate, said Oger. A legal aid certificate is a voucher guaranteeing that the private practice lawyer who accepts an accused person’s case will get paid for services provided for up to a certain number of hours. Legal aid rates are typically lower than what a lawyer may charge someone who was paying for this or her defence privately. Legal Aid Ontario is funded by the provincial government. Oger said Legal Aid Ontario can refuse an application if it has reason to believe a person has access to substantial funds in another country. A person from outside Canada who is denied legal aid can appeal that refusal and ask Legal Aid Ontario’s provincial office to review the decision.
Independence Day Of Somalia Celebrated In St. Cloud, Minnesota
16 June – Source: Wire Service Blog – 297 Words
Hundreds of Somali Americans participated in the event. The event was also attended by members from the non-Somali communities living in St Cloud, MN. The event was very colorful where Somali culture, music and history were presented. I asked Haji Yussuf who was one of the organizers of the event about purpose of the event. He told me that the event was serving two purposes: to celebrate for the independence of Somalia and to tell the young Somali Americans about the history of their old country of Somalia: the second purpose was to make connections between the Somali American community and the wider community in St Cloud, considering the recent past where tensions and mistrust ensued between the two communities-the recent tension of Tech High School is one example.
“As a Somali American community, we want to love and welcome everybody,” Haji Yussuf told me. “We will keep holding those events in the coming years too,” he said. The event was also co-organized by St Cloud Somali Youth and its leaders were there, notably Farhan Abdi. I could see a lot of non-Somali faces although they were standing far back-they were smiling and clapping as people were dancing to Somali music and Somali cultural moves on the stage of the public park where huge speakers were installed and singers were performing . A lot of Somali friends met during the event and I could hear good laughs. And Somali families brought their children to the event and everyone was having a quality time. The reason why Somalia’s Independence celebration was held earlier was because Ramadan will be approximately from June 18th to July 18th where it would be difficulty for the fasting people to attend such celebration during Ramadan.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Only a year ago, Washington DC received his assignment to DC with much enthusiasm. After a long absence of Somali diplomats from the most important political city in the world, that is DC, it was a breathtaking scenery to watch a Somali ambassador standing next to the US President. “Somalia is back. Somalia is back,” became a common mantra expressing badly needed national hope and reawakening.”
A Disheveled Sharmarke Comes To The Beltway
16 June – Source: Wardheer News – 1212 Words
Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke, a man known to Somalis by his moniker CCC ( Cumar Cabdirashid Cali), is currently on an uneventful visit to the Beltway. With almost an empty calendar, he briefly scored a non-consequential visit that involved a brief photo session with a number of Minnesotan lawmakers who are too eager to reach their Somali American base in their respective districts. The PM also briefly met with some of Pentagon’s top echelon, mainly for debriefing on Alshabab and the status of AMISON soldiers in his country. Given the inconsequential meetings he had so far, the large entourage travelling with him is costly and unnecessary. In this editorial piece, WardheerNews looks at the PM’s recent diplomatic fiasco in Washington, which we believe has bruised the dignity of his office, caused a cold reception by the Somali American Community, and brought a lingering past and present baggage. We believe the combined effect of all these have taken a deep bite into the relevance of the PM and therefore warrants our attention.
WardheerNews has learned that prior itineraries of this visit were canceled or rescheduled several times, thus invoking many speculations. One poignant speculation involves the manner in which CCC vacated his ambassadorial assignment in Washington DC after he was appointed Prime Minister in December 2014. This time around, President Obama, whose liberal credentials sentimentally harkens back to America’s Peace Corps days’ ethos, made extra effort on July 14, 2014, to find an empty slot on his otherwise busy calendar so as to show the seriousness of the United States on the Somalia affairs. Accordingly, President Hassan was honored with an unscheduled photo ops in the White House.
One year later, the Administration’s good gesture has been wiped out. The PM is largely to be blamed. Without seceding to the State Department his papers of exit from his diplomatic assignment, Mr. Sharmarke seemingly broke a cardinal rule of diplomacy; as soon as he was appointed Prime Minister, he left town without following protocol in vacating the post. This is a “no-no” move in the world of diplomacy. This in turn earned his office and his country a significant loss of diplomatic face.
While representing Somalia in the US, Mr. CCC miserably failed to establish a strong network with Washington diplomatic courts. In some accounts, he did not even set a transitional office for Somalia, despite receiving a substantial amount of money from Villa Somalia to set up skeletal office in Washington , DC. Today, without most of that money unaccounted for, there is no physical office that could be called “Somalia Embassy.”
TOP TWEETS
@UNICEF: My name is @IlwadElman I fled #Somalia during the war, after my father Elman was killed 4 his work in#humanrights
@MogadishuNews: #Alshabab encourages their fighters to increase attacks against #African union peacekeepers#AMISOM during #Ramadan
@MogadishuImages #Somalia cultural revival in full gear. Kids from Xamar Bile #Mogadishu discovering their roots Dhaanto is popular.
@UNSomalia 46% of #Somalia population is below the age of 15. It’s a great time to invest in them! #AfricanChildDay
@Rooble2009 I was afraid Nigeria might be like Somalia, says Buhari http://www.vanguardngr.com/
@UNICEF In 2011 we generated a global discussion on rape/violence against women/girls in #Somalia, that never before existed.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Members of Nigerian Police Force in a parade during a handover ceremony of communication equipment donated by the Government of Japan through the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia.
Photo: AMISOM