June 2, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
Hundreds Arrested In Large Mogadishu Security Sweep
01 June – Source : Shabelle Media – 104 Words
More than 200 suspects were arrested on Thursday evening in a massive security sweep aimed at stemming Al-Shabaab attacks in Somali capital Mogadishu. Security forces raided the houses and shops of suspected people at former U.S. embassy in Wadajir district, and arrested 200 people, mostly young men, according to local residents. The sweep also targeted villages in Dharkenley district. The joint government forces have been carrying out such operations since the start of the holy month of Ramadan last week. Somali Federal Government announced the operation dubbed “Mogadishu Stabilization Mission” that is aimed at preventing Al shabaab from carrying out attacks during Ramadan.
Key Headlines
- Hundreds Arrested In Large Mogadishu Security Sweep (Shabelle Media)
- Somaliland: Journalist Detained for Asking Minister a Question at Press Conference (Somali Update)
- Clashes Between Jubbaland Forces And Al-Shabaab Reported In Areas Near Kismayo (Hiiraan Online)
- FAO Reaches Milestone In Massive Famine-Prevention Campaign In Somalia (FAO)
- Somalia AU Seek To Prevent Recruitment Of Child Soldiers (Xinhua)
- Hijab-Wearing Model Halima Aden Covers Vogue Arabia (Yahoo News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somaliland: Journalist Detained For Asking Minister A Question At Press Conference
02 June – Source: Somali Update – 286 Words
Authorities in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland detained an online journalist who asked the Health Minister a question during a press conference in Hargeisa, activists and media group said. The journalist Mohamed Adan Dirir, the editor of the online news portal Horseed Media, has been jailed without charge since Somaliland Health Minister Saleban Isse ordered police to arrest him after he asked a question at a May 24 press conference. He is currently held at the Central Police Station in Hargeisa for the tenth day.
Guleid Ahmad Jama, chairman of the Human Rights Center in Somaliland, said the journalist’s question was critical of the minister’s performance, and implied the minister’s work may have been impaired by alcohol, which is banned in Somaliland. The minister, who in the past carried several abuses against media houses and journalists was angered by Mohamed’s question, and promptly ordered police to arrest the journalist. Guleid said Mohamed was detained without charge in the Criminal Investigation Department in the capital Hargeisa.
The Somaliland constitution requires authorities to charge or release suspects within 48 hours of their arrest. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called for the immediate release of the journalist Mohamed Adan Dirir. “Mohamed Adan Dirir’s detention without charge flies in the face of his constitutional rights and suggests that this government’s most senior officials believe themselves above questioning,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal. “Authorities should release Mohamed immediately and stop trying to prevent journalists from doing their work.” According to CPJ documentation, the Somaliland government’s attempts to suppress the media are increasing. In recent months, the group says it has documented the arrest and detention of multiple journalists in the territory, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991.
Clashes Between Jubbaland Forces And Al-Shabaab Reported In Areas Near Kismayo
01 June – Source: Hiiraan Online – 114 Words
Fierce clashes between Jubbaland forces and Al-Shabaab militants on Thursday erupted in villages west of Kismayo. The clashes took place between Haadwayne and Abdi Dhoorre settlements, 30 km west of Kismayo. Reports say the fighting erupted after Al-Shabaab militants launched an attack on Jubbaland military bases in the area, according to Jubbaland military commanders. “They launched an attack on our bases, but since we received an information on the impending attack, we repelled them killing four of their militias,” said Jubaland military commander, General Adan Gojar, speaking to the media when they were displaying the dead bodies of the four alleged Al-Shabaab men killed in the attack. Al-Shabaab has not commented on the incident.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
FAO Reaches Milestone In Massive Famine-Prevention Campaign In Somalia
02 June – Source : FAO – 430 Words
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is pushing forward with a massive campaign that has so far treated more than 12 million animals in less than three months, protecting the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of families who rely on their livestock’s meat and milk for survival. By mid-July, FAO will have reached 22 million animals, benefiting over 3 million people. “Saving animals saves human lives and livelihoods. When animals are weakened by drought, they stop producing milk or die which means people go hungry and families are pushed out of self-reliance,” said Richard Trenchard, FAO Representative in Somalia.
Around 3.2 million people in Somalia are on a hunger knife-edge. The majority live in rural areas and livestock such as goats, camels, sheep and cattle are their main source of food and income. “What we have heard again and again from displaced people in camps is that when they lost their animals, everything collapsed. It is a steep, long climb for them to get back on their feet again. We have stepped up our response to reach families before that happens,” Trenchard said, adding: “Livelihoods are their best defence against famine”. FAO is deploying 150 veterinary teams across Somalia to treat goats and sheep as well as cattle and camels – up to 270,000 animals each day. The teams are made up of local Somali veterinary professionals.
Simple, cost-effective care. Livestock badly weakened by the lack of feed and water are highly susceptible to illnesses and parasites but are too weak to withstand vaccination. As part of an integrated response program to improve the conditions of livestock, animals are treated with multivitamin boosters, medicines that kill off internal and external parasites, deworming, and other treatments to fight respiratory infections.
Somalia, AU Seek To Prevent Recruitment Of Child Soldiers
02 June – Source : Xinhua – 292 Words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and security forces have teamed up to prevent recruitment of child soldiers in the Horn of Africa nation. The AU mission said in a statement released on Thursday evening that it has completed a three-day joint training on preventing recruitment and use of child soldiers in armed conflict. Acting Head of the Joint Mission Training Centre Charles Debrah who closed the workshop asked the participants to apply and share the knowledge acquired with the Somali National Security Forces to help protect children from being exploited by armed groups. Debrah said coordination between AMISOM and Somali security forces would help break the cycle of violence and end recruitment and use of children as soldiers in the country. “Children have the right to grow as children and actualize their full potential. Separating the children from the ongoing conflict will promote a rapid return to peace,” he said.
It’s estimated more than half of Al-Shabaab’s force were children, and at least 60 percent of the group’s “elements” captured in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region in March 2016 were youngsters. Some of those children said they were approached with the promise of education and jobs, he said. The AU mission has been working closely with the Somalia government to stop the recruitment of children by Al-Shabaab militants as child soldiers. AMISOM Child Protection Advisor Musa Gbow urged participants to exercise professionalism and uphold the international standards and values on human rights when dealing with children.
The exercise organized by AMISOM’s Protection, Human Rights and Gender Cluster, held in Mogadishu, is part of the ongoing in-mission training activities for uniformed personnel from AMISOM Troop Contributing Countries. Participants were drawn from defence forces from Kenya, Ethiopia, Burundi, Uganda and AMISON force headquarters.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“The 19-year-old Somali-American, who is signed with IMG Models, is obviously pointing to the fact that recently the runway has expanded for models of all shapes, sizes, colors, backgrounds and characteristics, which was proven during the multiple shows she booked during Milan Fashion Week including Alberta Ferretti and Max Mara.”
Hijab-Wearing Model Halima Aden Covers Vogue Arabia
02 June – Source: Yahoo News – 512 words
Vogue Arabia has been on newsstands for less than three months, yet it’s already had a number of captivating cover models. First was Gigi Hadid on their debut issue (which made a splash for a few reasons) and now they’ve cast Halima Aden as their June ’17 cover model. Aden has skyrocketed to fame since walking in Yeezy’s Season 5 show in February. The magazine shared the news via Instagram in a video featuring the stunning model who has braces and wears a hijab, by the way. “Who is #VogueArabia’s June cover star? Be the first in the know. Press play to find out now…” the magazine captioned the video.
“Every little girl deserves to see a role model that’s dressed like her, resembles her or even has the same characteristics as her,” Aden says in the video, wearing a black and white head wrap over her hijab and a black and white floral blouse with a peter pan collar. “I think beauty’s for everyone and everyone can look beautiful, you just have to be confident,” she continues in the Instagram.
The 19-year-old Somali-American, who is signed with IMG Models, is obviously pointing to the fact that recently the runway has expanded for models of all shapes, sizes, colors, backgrounds and characteristics, which was proven during the multiple shows she booked during Milan Fashion Week including Alberta Ferretti and Max Mara. “When I’m walking the runway I want people to see that, yes, I’m wearing a hijab but I’m also a million other things. I want us to get to a place where we just see women,” she told the magazine.
Aden’s career started when she became the first contestant to wear a hijab and burkini during the Miss Minnesota USA pageant in November 2016. Then, she booked the cover of CR Fashion Book and has been taking the fashion world by storm ever since. This is a win for Vogue Arabia, which took heat after Hadid’s cover and spread featuring her in a veil and hijab. It was called “religious appropriation.” Others were concerned that they were glamorizing something that is definitely not a fashion statement. And many were upset the magazine didn’t cast an Islamic model.
TOP TWEETS
@Daudoo: A former lieutenant in #Somalia security agency who became a confidential #FBI informant faces deportation from #US.
@radiogarowe: Unknown gunmen wounded former commander of #Puntland‘s Daraawiish forces Colonel Haji Arish in #Galkayo town. Attackers escaped.
@Kadarnouh: People in Burao #Somaliland need our support to stop the spread of Watery #Diarrhea outbreak. @WHOSom @ICRC @MSF @VLorenzoEU @EU_in_Somalia
@sociolingo: FAO reaches milestone in massive famine-prevention campaign in Somalia http://www.sociolingo.com/fao-
@Shariifunaa:Generating enough domestic revenue will allow the govt to pay salaries and to be self reliant. @DrBeileh
@radiogarowe: Hundreds arrested in an overnight security sweep in #Mogadishu, in response to series of assassinations by #Alshabaab in the past 48 hours.
@qayd2012: Hundreds of children lack basic services living very shocking life in Higlale Camp. The situation could B more risk if quick help not taken.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Officers from the Somali Police Force and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) meet Internally Displaced People (IDPs) to sensitise them about Sexual and Gender-Based Violence at an IDP camp in Baidoa
Photo: AMISOM