June 20, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
Fear Of Attack By Foreign Boats Put Local Somali Fishermen Out Of Work In Mudug
20 June – Source: Radio Ergo – 324 Words
Mohamed Adan Ali and his family of nine have been living with relatives, in the northeastern coastal village of Dhinowda in Mudug region for the past few months because, he is too scared to go back to his life as a fisherman after a horrific attack by a foreign trawler. Mohamed is one of 460 Somali fishermen who are put out of work, by the continued violent onslaught against local boats by bigger foreign vessels, in this part of Somalia’s coastline.
On the night of 21 February, Mohamed was out at sea with three colleagues in two small boats. They were about five miles off shore and were busy casting their nets, when they noticed a boat coming towards them at high speed. “We tried to flash our lights at them but, they kept moving towards us, we were forced to jump into the sea. After they passed, I found two of my colleagues but couldn’t find the other. We are not sure if the boat’s impact killed him, or if he survived,” Mohamed told Radio Ergo.
They spent two hours searching for 35-year old Shakir Abdullahi Ahmed in the dark water but, eventually had to give up. Mohamed, who has been a fisherman for 13 years, is one of 460 fishermen put out of work over the past couple of months, because of fear of attacks by unidentified large fishing boats. He used to earn a comfortable living of around 700,000 Somali shillings a week ($25). He does not have other skills and there are few job opportunities in his village.
Duuna Mohamed Adan, head of the fishermen’s association in Dhinowda, Gal-hagoog and El-Dhanane areas, east of Galkayo, said 40 fishing families had just packed up and left for the rural areas in Mudug, where they now live with their pastoralist relatives. Duuna said the violent attacks on local fisherman had escalated, with 15 boats destroyed and 40 fishing nets seized or lost.
Key Headlines
- Fear Of Attack By Foreign Boats Put Local Somali Fishermen Out Of Work In Mudug (Radio Ergo)
- Explosion In Mogadishu (Goobjooog News)
- Mogadishu Mayor Sacks Karan District Officials (Halbeeg News)
- More Security Urged As Shabaab Releases Video (The Star)
- A Journey From Science To Diplomacy: Rescuing Somali Migrants Stranded In Libya (IOM)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Explosion In Mogadishu
20 June – Source: Goobjoog News – 122 Words
The explosion occurred on Maka al-Mukarama road near Haji Baasto area and it was confirmed that the explosives were attached to a vehicle. The blast injured two passengers in the car who were immediately rushed to medical centers in Mogadishu.
Government forces have reached the scene of the explosion and are conducting investigations on what happened. After nearly forty days, it is the first time an explosion was heard in the capital city of Mogadishu, since security in the capital is tight with heavy roadblocks and soldier manning the city in the past months. The federal government of Somalia has improved the security situation in the capital during Ramadan, which used to be the deadliest month for civilians living in Mogadishu.
Mogadishu Mayor Sacks Karan District Officials
20 June – Source: Halbeeg News – 141 Words
The governor of Benadir region, who is also the mayor of Mogadishu Abdirahman Omar Osman, has fired officials of Karaan district. In a decree issued by the mayor relieved of their duties, the deputy district commissioners in charge of security, the deputy for social services, and the secretary general of the district, Salah Mohamed Muse, Abdikadir Igale and Mohamed Suudi respectively.
The mayor has nominated other officials to replace the dismissed district officials. The new officials are expected to resume office soon. The decree has not mentioned the reasons behind the dismissal of these officials but, it is understood as a move to make changes in the administration. The sacking of the officials comes at time the security threats in the district have been on the rise and this might be the reason behind the mayor’s decision to dismiss the officials.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
More Security Urged As Shabaab Releases Video
20 June – Source: The Star – 336 Words
Five MPs from Northeastern yesterday urged the government to strengthen security on the Kenya-Somalia border to prevent more attacks by al Shabaab. On Sunday eight security officers were killed after their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Bojigaras, Wajir. They were five Administration Police officers and three police reservists.
The militants made off with six AK-47s, two G3 rifles and at least 540 bullets. Al Shabaab militants have claimed responsibility for the attack. In a video released on Monday night, they claimed they had killed more than 10 security officers and injured 23. The one hour-long video in Arabic features multiple attacks over six months in Lamu, Mandera and Wajir. The purpose of the video, it said was “to honour slain fighters”. They include an unidentified Briton killed while fighting alongside them.
The life of militants in Boni Forest is also featured. Militants launch attacks in Kenya to pressure the government to withdraw its troops from Amisom, the peacekeeping force in Somalia. They attack police and security agents, non-local teachers and quarry workers, among others.
Those calling for more security included legislators Adan Keynan (Eldas), Rashid Amin (Wajir West), Mohammed Omar (Wajir South), Amed Kolosh (Wajir East) and nominated Senator Farhiya Haji. They spoke during a press conference at Parliament Buildings. “Security agents have done a good job in Somalia in dealing with al Shabaab and we should not allow remnants of the militant group to cause havoc in our country,” Keynan said.
He said leaders from Northeastern support all government efforts to fight the criminals. “We are ready to work with the state to secure the lives of our people. We are also asking the locals to cooperate with the security agencies and report to authorities whenever they see people they suspect to be criminals,” Keynan said.
Senator Haji said anyone facilitating the movement of the militants should be punished. She urged residents to share information with security officials. Omar said the Police Service should replicate the good work of the KDF in Somalia.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“When seeing the conditions in which the Somalis were held in Libya and hearing their harrowing stories, Ali could not return back before having done everything in his power to help them. ‘The stories I was told were like horror movies – all marked by experiences of hunger, thirst, torture, rape, forced labour and a long list of unimaginable abuses,’ Ali says.”
A Journey From Science To Diplomacy: Rescuing Somali Migrants Stranded In Libya
20 June – Source: IOM – 800 Words
As the sun begins to rise, 150 migrants welcome their first morning on Somalia’s soil in, what is for some, years and, others, months. Disembarking an IOM, UN Migration Agency, charter flight from Libya, at the end of May 2018 is the final haul of a long and hard journey. It is not the end that they had expected when they had first set out from Somalia. It isn’t Europe but it is home and it is safe.
Among the passengers is Ali Said Faqi, Ambassador for the Somali Government to the European Union (EU), and a major part of the mission to help Somali migrants stranded in Libya return home to their families. While few might have missed the stark media headlines on the abuse African migrants have faced at the hands of smugglers, traffickers and criminal gangs in Libya, Ali is one of the few, who have travelled to the source of these stories.
Like most Somali diaspora, who were forced to flee the civil war, he is well acquainted with, what can be for many, the agonizing feeling of leaving home. After Ali left Somalia in the 1990’s, he passed through Kenya, Italy and Germany, before finally arriving in the United States in December 1998. He went on to become a prominent scholar in toxicology. His academic resume includes a PhD in toxicology from the University of Leipzig, more than 100 published scientific papers, two text book in toxicology and various impressive academic tenures.
In June 2013, Ali received an unexpected call from the Speaker of the Somali Parliament Mohamed Osman Jawari and the former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. They were looking for a nominee for the post of Somali Ambassador to the EU. ‘I never harboured any political ambitions, but nonetheless contributing to my country’s welfare was always close to my heart,’ Ali says. The decision was therefore easy, and by the following day Ali Faqi was an Ambassador.
His journey to Libya several years later came about through another request from the highest echelons of the Somali Government. In the wake of the harrowing news stories of Africans being sold as slaves in Libya, President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo called upon his Ambassador for help. ‘First, I was only to do a three-day mission to Libya but I ended up staying altogether 25 days,’ says Ali.
When seeing the conditions in which the Somalis were held in Libya and hearing their harrowing stories, Ali could not return back before having done everything in his power to help them. ‘The stories I was told were like horror movies – all marked by experiences of hunger, thirst, torture, rape, forced labour and a long list of unimaginable abuses,’ Ali says. This was his big chance to pay tribute to the country he loved so dearly – and he certainly rose to the challenge. When he eventually boarded a plane to Libya, he was not alone.
Through IOM’s humanitarian voluntary return assistance, 75 Somalis reunited with their families. This attested to the importance of Ali’s hard work in getting Somali migrants out of Libya’s detention centres and of IOM’s operations to get them home. It was not long before Ali received a new wave of pledges for support.
TOP TWEETS
@DeputySomaliPM: The Italian government Donated €2.408.350,00 to somalia, For youth Empowerment And strengthening Institutional. The DP Signed an agreement of cooperation with Italian ambassador Carlo Campanile On behalf of the Italian Government. #Somalia
#NabadiyoNolol
@Tuuryare_Africa: #UPDATE: Two people injured after bomb fitted into vehicle exploded in #Somali capital #Mogadishu
@DailyMonitor: A new report shows that six in every 10 Somali refugee children living in Uganda are able to read and count better than their host counterparts in schools within and outside the refugee camps #MonitorUpdates
@HIPSINSTITUTE: @HIPSINSTITUTE forum on #Somalia‘s security transition plan has started. Minister @AmbGamal,@engyarisow and @4rukun are ke note speakers.#SecurityTransitionPlan
Multi Partner Fund @mpfsomalia: #Somalia represents a large portion of the world’s #refugees. @WorldBank report suggests a development approach to address forced displacement, which complements the work of humanitarian partners. REPORT ]http://wrld.bg/tMoa30kyoVK #worldrefugeeday
@issafrica: Somalia’s nascent state institutions are struggling to deal with outside interference. ISS Today https://issafrica.org/iss-
@taakulosom: Pleasure to be working with @WFPSomalia who continue to assist drought affected families across Sanaag with sufficient food. The food distribution, uses system designed by@WFP , SCOPE, which compared to the previous paper based system improves transparency ,efficiency and time.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khaire address guests during the launch of the Nordic Horn of Africa Opportunity Fund in Oslo.
Photo: @gabowduale