June 2, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
20 Killed In Hotel Siege In Somali Capital
02 June – Source:Bernama News Agency – 264 Words
A siege by Islamist terrorist group Al-Shabaab at a popular hotel in the Somali capital of Mogadishu ended Thursday with 20 people slain, security officials said.Among the dead were two parliamentarians and two security guards. More than 60 people were wounded, according to security and hospital officials.
A suicide car bomber hit the entrance of the Ambassador Hotel, which is popular with government officials and business people, shortly before 1500 GMT on Wednesday in the centre of the Somali capital.The blast destroyed the guarded entrance of the building and damaged several nearby shops, witnesses said.Armed Al-Shabaab fighters then stormed the building, laying siege to the five-storey hotel, security official Mohamed Hassan said.Somali security forces surrounded the hotel and sealed off the area. Several other, smaller explosions followed throughout the night, as well as sustained exchange of gunfire.
In the early hours of Thursday, security forces killed three gunmen who had been hiding inside the hotel, the Somali National News Agency reported, ending the siege more than 10 hours after it begun.President Hassan Sheikh condemned the “brutal terrorist act” on Thursday in a statement.Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after the first bombing in comments made by the militia’s spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, to pro-insurgent radio Andalus.The group, which is seeking an Islamist state in Somalia and is affiliated with the international al-Qaeda terrorist network, has attacked government facilities and hotels in Mogadishu on a regular basis.
Key Headlines
- 20 Killed In Hotel Siege In Somali Capital (Bernama News Agency)
- President Hassan Condemns Hotel Ambassador’s Terror Attack (Jowhar.com)
- Slain Somali Lawmakers Among Most Educated MPs (Goobjoog News)
- Turkey: EU Cut In Funds For AU Troops In Somalia A Mistake (Shabelle News/AP)
- Somalia Ends Operation To Secure Hotel Bombed By Al-Shabaab (Reuters)
- Schools Ruined By War Under Repair (Africa Review)
- He’s Accused Of War Crimes In Somalia Now He Works As Security At A US Airport(CNN)
- Cold Specks Is Reconnecting With Her Somali Roots (Okay Africa)
PRESS STATEMENT
AU Special Representative Condemns Terror Attack On Ambassador Hotel In Mogadishu
02 June – Source:AMISOM – 226 Words
The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira has condemned the terror attack on Ambassador Hotel in Mogadishu in which more than 10 people were killed and others injured. Among those killed were two members of the Somali Parliament.
A vehicle laden with explosives detonated outside the Ambassador Hotel before three militants stormed inside the building. According to reports one militant was killed at the entrance of the hotel while the other two managed to enter the building shooting at residents. Al Shabaab has already claimed responsibility for the unwarranted attack.
The AU Special Representative said the attack targeting government ministers, politicians and innocent citizens once again clearly shows that Al Shabaab militants have neither regard for the sanctity of human life nor respect for human rights in their selfish and cowardly acts.
“The people of Somalia have chosen the path of peace and yearn to build a stable and prosperous nation for the current and future generation and no amount of cowardly acts by terrorists will stop them from realizing this goal,” said Ambassador Madeira
He condoles with the bereaved families and wishes all those injured quick recovery. He reaffirms AMISOM’s commitment to working closely with the Federal Government of Somalia, the ordinary citizens and international partners to ensure sustainable peace and security in the country.
NATIONAL MEDIA
President Hassan Condemns Hotel Ambassador’s Terror Attack
02 June – Source: Jowhar.com – 215 Words
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has condemned in the strongest terms possible Wednesday’s terror attack against Hotel Ambassador in Mogadishu. In a press statement, the President termed the attack cruel and attributed its acts to kicks of a dying horse.“The terrorists have lost the war on the battlefield and are now devoting all their efforts to harming innocent Somali civilians. I urge on the Somali security forces and the general public to continue the fight against the group,” he said.
He praised the Somali security agents for responding swiftly to the attack. He also commended Somali armed forces for their latest successful operations against the militants that saw the killing of several senior members of the group.He sent out condolences to the bereaved families of the two MPs killed in the attack – Abdullahi Jama Kabaweyne and Mohamud Mohamed Guure: “These callous attacks targeting innocent civilians are aimed at terrorizing the Somali public for their support for their government. However Al-Shabaab will not achieve its goal.”
The Prime Minister also issued a similar statement, condemning the attack. He said innocent civilians were the most affected by the attack: “Such attacks won’t stop development and peace in the country. I urge security agencies to double their efforts in ensuring security and preventing of terror attacks.”
Slain Somali Lawmakers Among Most Educated MPs
02 June – Source: Gooobjoog News – 278 Words
The two lawmakers, who perished in the Wednesday evening attack in Mogadishu’s Ambassador Hotel, are among the most highly educated Members of Parliament in Somalia’s Federal Parliament. The two — Abdullahi Jama and Maxamud Maxamed Gure — command a lot of respect among colleagues and enjoy wide support of the public for their nationalistic views and discourses.
Abdullahi was born in 1955 in Somali central regions and graduated at the General Kahiye Police Academy in Mogadishu, starting of his career thereafter as a policeman. In 1976, he completed a degree course in Agricultural Science at the Lafole University and get employed in the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Abdullahi served as senior director at Somali Leather Exportation Agency and when the civil war erupted in the country, he fled the United Kingdom where he settled and pursued his postgraduate studies. He returned to the country later on serving as Galmudug Finance Minister. A founder member of the Galmudug regional state, Abdullahi was prominent MP having served as legislator from 2012. He was married with two wives and had more than ten children.
Separately, Maxamud Maxamed Gure, popularly known as Professor Gure, was born in 1957 in Beldweyne. He completed his elementary education in Beledwene before proceeding to high school in Afgoye. He then went to United States of America for university education, graduating with a Masters degree in Agro-economics at Missouri State University.
“Professor”, later served as the director of Somali agro-spreading project in 1988 and chairperson of the group between 2006 and 2012. He also worked as United Nations’ Development Programme (UNDP) manager in Yemen in 2001.
Turkey: EU Cut In Funds For AU Troops In Somalia A Mistake
02 June – Source: Shabelle News/AP – 190 Words
The European Union’s reduction in funding for African Union troops in Somalia is a big mistake, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday during a visit to Uganda.
Uganda’s government said last month it was reviewing its operations in Somalia after the EU cut its funding to the AU mission in Somalia by 20 percent. The EU has been contributing about $200 million a year for the operations of AU soldiers who are in Somalia to bolster the country’s government against an insurgency by the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, which is allied to al-Qaida. Turkey is seeking to join the EU.
Erdogan is in Uganda to promote trade and tourism opportunities during an African tour which is scheduled to include Kenya and Somalia. Despite being ejected from major cities in Somalia, Al-Shabaab carries out violent attacks in the capital and other cities and has also carried out deadly attacks on countries that contribute troops to the AU force, including Kenya, Uganda and Djibouti.In January 2015, Al-Shabaab attacked a hotel where the Turkish delegation was staying ahead of an earlier visit by Erdogan to Somalia, killing at least five people.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia Ends Operation To Secure Hotel Bombed By Al-Shabaab
02 June – Source:Reuters – 369 Words
Somali security forces have brought to an end a bomb and gun attack by militants on a central Mogadishu hotel that killed at least 16 people and wounded 55, authorities said on Thursday.Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, affiliated with al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Hotel Ambassador. Two lawmakers were among the dead in the attack which ended with police shooting the assailants.”So far we have confirmed 16 people, mostly civilians, died and 55 others were injured,” Major Nur Mohamed, a police officer, told Reuters on Thursday.
Another police officer, Major Farah Ali, told Reuters the hotel was now secure after the entire building was cleared of militants.”National security forces are in every floor, the last fighter on the top roof (was) shot,” Ali said. A Reuters witness saw the last fighter shot dead, his body falling to the ground from the building’s fifth floor. Eight dead people lay in front of the hotel.
Al-Shabaab was pushed out of Mogadishu by the African Union peacekeeping force AMISOM in 2011. But it has remained a potent threat in Somalia, launching frequent attacks aimed at overthrowing the Western-backed government.The group has also been behind deadly attacks in Kenya and Uganda. Both contribute troops to an African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia.
Schools Ruined By War Under Repair
01 June – Source: Africa Review – 405 Words
South Sudan, Somalia and Somaliland are repairing schools and education infrastructure destroyed by years of conflict, officials said.Education ministers from the three countries made the announcement as the African Education ministers meeting opened in Addis Ababa Wednesday.“We are now rehabilitating our schools and recruiting teachers,” said South Sudan Education minister Deng Deng Hoc Yai.“Our education system has been severely affected due to the conflict in our country. So far, 800 schools are closed while some students are forced to become refugees in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo,” he said.
The three-day meeting is themed: Pan-African Symposium on Education, Resilience and Social Cohesion.It is organised by Unicef and its partners such as the Association for the Development of Education in Africa, Learning for Peace and the Government of EthiopiaSomalia Permanent Secretary Ahmed Hassen Yussuf noted that education in the south-central part of the country had been severely affected over the last four years.“We are emphasising rehabilitation of schools through teachers’ training, curriculum development with the engagement of the private sector and non-governmental organisations. We recently recruited and trained 4,500 teachers and we are developing the national education plan for the years 2017-2019,” he said.Mr Yussuf said thousands of secondary school students across the country had this week sat for the national examination.
He’s Accused Of War Crimes In Somalia, Now He Works As Security At A US Airport
02 June – Source: CNN – Video: 6:16 Mins
An accused war criminal living in the United States is now working as a security guard at Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC. A CNN investigation found that Yusuf Abdi Ali, who is accused of committing atrocities while he was a military commander during Somalia’s brutal civil war, has been living a quiet life near the nation’s capital for about 20 years. He is just one of more than 1,000 accused war criminals living and working in the United States.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“My father was a musician. He was really intertwined in the music scene in Mogadishu. He was actually a founding member of a really popular band called Iftin. They went to Lagos ‘77. Have you ever heard of Festac ’77? It was this beautiful gathering in Lagos in 1977 where artists from all around the continent came and performed. And he drove from Mogadishu with the band to Lagos,”
Cold Specks Is Reconnecting With Her Somali Roots
01 June – Source: Okay Africa – 1693 Words
Ladan Hussein recently got a suitcase full of diracs from her mom. One for each show of her Africa tour this month. Last week, the Toronto-based singer-songwriter, known professionally as Cold Specks, stepped foot on the continent for the first time. During the visit she’ll perform in Maputo (Azgo), Johannesburg (Akum Agency’s Southern African Music Festival Circuit sideshow), Durban (Zakifo), Swaziland (Bushfire) and Réunion Island (Sakifo).
At 28, Hussein is returning to her roots. It’s been two years since she put out her layered sophomore album,Neuroplasticity, and four years since her folkier debut, I Predict a Graceful Expulsion. Both projects were shortlisted for Canada’s prestigious Polaris Music Prize and made Hussein the undeniable queen (and founder) of a particularly haunting, enchanted sound in indie music, ‘doom soul.’ With a new album in the works, Hussein’s music is continuing to evolve, and so too is her willingness to explore her Somali-ness. The next Cold Specks album, Okayafrica has learned, will be her most personal offering yet. And now, her first trip to the continent is offering the artist the opportunity to reflect even further. We caught up with Hussein at Okayafrica’s Joburg offices.
http://www.okayafrica.com/
TOP TWEETS
@Fatumaabdulahi:With multilayered spooks working in#Somalia, national + foreign, gathering intelligence, u wld think they cld averted yesterday’s tragedy.
@DalsanFM_SOM :#Somalia Special Forces Gashaan end Alshabaab siege at Mogadishu hotel. All attackers killed. Over 15 deaths and 50 injuries so far.
@Aynte:Been friends with MPs Kaboweyne & Gure for 10 yrs. Rarely saw them apart. Their bond was inseparable & they martyred together. RIP. #Somalia
@Omaar_nor :A wanted #AlShabaab leader Mohamed Dulyadeyn with £14,500 bounty on his head killed in suspected US raid in #Somalia
@SakariyeCismaan:If MPs can’t afford prvt security at home, hotels are always deadly, why can’ they live in@TheVillaSomalia #Somalia https://twitter.com/
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Resident of Beletweyn during a recent food distribution exercise by AMISOM in the town.
Photo: AMISOM