June 21, 2018 | Morning Headlines
Al-Shabaab Militant Group Getting Lucky, Not Stronger In Somalia
20 June – Source: Voice of America – 603 Words
Somalia’s most dangerous terror group is likely not getting any stronger despite a series of deadly attacks, including one that claimed the life of a U.S. special operations soldier earlier this month. The assessment, by U.S. military and counterintelligence officials, runs contrary to the conclusions of some analysts and comes as Al-Shabaab has been flexing its military might in recent weeks, highlighting attacks on both Somali and African Union forces.
One of the most publicized of these was a brazen June 8 attack on an outpost under construction two kilometers north of the town of Sanguni, in the Lower Jubba region of Somalia. The Al-Qaida-linked militants skirmishes with a force of 800 Somali and Kenyan forces accompanied by U.S. special operations soldiers, one of whom was killed by mortar fire.
U.S. officials are still trying to determine the size of the al-Shabab force at the time of the attack but say there is no indication of any increased capability. “It was a lucky shot,” a U.S. military official told VOA on condition of anonymity. “I wouldn’t consider this a well-executed attack.”
Another military official said, in many ways, the deadly attack was typical of Al-Shabaab operations. “Historically, Al-Shabaab has been willing to engage large forces, often using surprise and asymmetric tactics to improve their chances for success,” said Lt. Cmdr. Desiree Frame, a spokesperson for U.S. Africa Command. “We expect to see more conflict in southern Somalia as Somali Government Forces, AMISOM, and their partners make in-roads into Al-Shabaab-held territory.”
Key Headlines
- Al-Shabaab Militant Group Getting Lucky Not Stronger In Somalia (Voice of American)
- Storm-hit Somaliland Students Worried About Exam Prospects (Radio Ergo)
- Federal Government To Resolve Galmudug Political Stalemate (Halbeeg News)
- Dadaab Number Down To 231000 – UNHCR (The Star)
- Somaliland Frees Jailed King (BBC)
- Somalia Must Look Inward To Defuse Its Tensions (Institute of Security Studies)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Storm-hit Somaliland Students Worried About Exam Prospects
20 June – Source: Radio Ergo – 319 Words
Rahimo Mohamud 15, was expecting to sit this month for the high school entry examinations marking the end of her primary education. But the tropical cyclone that hit the northwest of Somaliland, have left her uncertain about the immediate future. Rahimo is among the 270 school children in Awdal district’s Lughaya , who were supposed to sit for the exams in one of the designated exam centres in Gargara. The storm wreaked heavy damage in Gargara, and the schools serving as exam centres, were all destroyed or badly damaged.
A total of 14 schools were closed down in Awdal, due to the damage by the storm. The ministry of education coordinator in Awdal, Mr. Jeeke Osman Iye, said a group of experts had been sent to assess the damage to the educational infrastructure to find out how much it will cost to rebuild these schools. He said, classrooms were destroyed, all furniture and equipment including desks, chairs, chalkboards, and books were all lost. Schools in other parts of Somaliland, have already started the exams, but Mr. Jeeke Osman said, there is still no examination plan for the students in cyclone-affected areas.
Rahimo feels very nervous not knowing if they will be referred to another examination centre. She lost her all books and has not managed to prepare for the exams. Her family’s house had its roof damaged, but no one was injured. Many other students are in a similar situations or worse. Some are displaced, others lost parents or other family members.
The head teacher of Elmi Gaab Suge School told Radio Ergo, that some of his students lost their parents, while others have been forced to stay at home. He said the students have all dispersed although, the teachers were ready to help them prepare for the exams. Almost 8,000 primary school students in Lughaya, Baki and other parts of Awdal, had their education disrupted by the storm.
Federal Government To Resolve Galmudug Political Stalemate
20 June – Source: Halbeeg News – 254 Words
The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) is planning on to hold a mediation conference aimed at resolving the political crisis between Galmudug leaders. Sources confirm that some of the top leaders of Galmudug state agreed to attend the conference organized by federal government in Mogadishu. Yusuf Qowqabo, a lawmaker from Galmudug regional assembly told reporters, that all of the regional top leaders except President Ahmed Duale Geele Haaf, agreed to participate in the conference. “All Galmudug leaders decided to attend the mediation conference in Mogadishu, but President Haaf is yet to confirm” said Mr. Qowqabo.
Late last month, the FGS has announced that it will mediate the political stalemate in Galmudug state. Somalia’s Minister of Interior, Abdi Mohamed Sabriye said, that the government is preparing a conference to resolve the crisis. “The government is worried about the renewed political crisis in Galmudug. We call for a lasting solution for the standoff to move Somalia towards the path of sustainable peace and development” said Sabriye.
Other reports from the area indicates, that the government has delayed Galmudug president to announce the cabinet line-up after the merger. Galmudug president Ahmed Duale Geele Haaf and Galmudug Chief Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shakir, are both in Dhusamareeb, the administrative capital of the region, while the Vice President Mohamed Hashi Arabey and the Speaker of the Parliament Ali Ga’al Asayr are in Adado. The political crisis in the region started after a dispute over power sharing deal brokered by IGAD in Djibouti that ended the rivalry in the regional administration.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Dadaab Number Down To 231,000 – UNHCR
20 June – Source: The Star – 547 Words
The number of Somali refugees at Dadaab camp has reduced from 245,000 to 231,000, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported. UNHCR gave a report on the state of refugees worldwide on Wednesday as World Refugee Day was marked. The agency said that Kenya is hosting at least 500,000 refugees and that there are 2.2 million in East Africa.
In Kenya, majority of the displaced persons are from Somalia (58.2 percent) and South Sudan (22.9 percent). The Democratic Republic of Congo accounts for 7.3 percent and Ethiopia 5.7 percent. The main refugee camps in Kenya are Dadaab, which hosts many Somalis, and Kakuma, which hosts a large number of South Sudanese.
Kenya asked refugees to leave the camps voluntarily after announcing plans to close them for reasons including insecurity. Several rights groups opposed the move and Amnesty International released a report that stated that the people were being forced out. The report showed that many returnees left Dadaab because of dwindling food rations and services, or because of fears, stoked by Kenyan government officials, that they would be forced back with no assistance.
Somaliland Frees Jailed King
20 June – Source: BBC – 107 Words
Somaliland has freed a king, Osman Aw Mahmud Burmadow, who was imprisoned in April for attending the inauguration of a monarch in neighbouring Puntland. Puntland and Somaliland are at loggerheads over disputed territory along their border in the Sool and Sanaag regions.
Somaliland’s President Muse Bihi Abdi pardoned the monarch, who was sentenced to five years in prison. Human rights organisations have condemned the self-declared republic of Somaliland of suppressing free speech and arresting people critical of the administration. In April, a court sentenced female poet Nacima Qorane to three years in prison on “contempt of state” charges. She was also freed after receiving a presidential pardon.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“In short, recent developments have led to the suspension of prospective talks between Somalia and Somaliland, the disbandment of a UAE security training programme, and more entrenched divisions between the government in Mogadishu and the federal regions.”
Somalia Must Look Inward To Defuse Its Tensions
20 June – Source: Institute of Security Studies – 954 Words
The involvement of Middle East actors in Somalia, namely the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Turkey, has reached fever pitch recently, underscored both by external and internal dynamics. Externally, the Gulf Cooperation Council dispute between the Saudi Arabia/UAE camp on one side, and Qatar on the other, has resulted in attempts to divide the Horn of Africa into two. Internally, the Federal Government of Somalia’s handling of recent affairs has exacerbated tensions.
While these dynamics show how Somalia has been subject to external interests, they also highlight that if the country wants to avoid external interference in its affairs, it must unite internally first. Recent months have been busy for those monitoring Gulf influence in Somalia. When Parliament returned from recess in March, Somalia became embroiled in a dispute over an agreement between the self-declared independent state of Somaliland and DP World to manage the Port of Berbera, with Ethiopia receiving a 19% share. While the agreement and even Ethiopia’s role has been known for some time, the official announcement set off a new course of rhetoric and actions.
The dispute peaked in mid-March when Somalia’s Parliament declared the deal ‘null and void’ and banned DP World from operating in the country (which in Parliament’s eyes includes breakaway Somaliland). This exacerbated divisions between Somalia and Somaliland, and extinguished hopes that new administrations elected in both entities in 2017 could resume a dialogue process that has been stagnant since 2015.
Then in April, Somali authorities seized $9.6 million in cash from an inbound plane from the United Arab Emirates. Somalia claimed it hadn’t been informed about the money previously, while the UAE said it was designated for ongoing security training programmes in Mogadishu and Puntland.
With the Lower House of Parliament embroiled in a no-confidence motion over its speaker, and the frequent doling out of cash during such episodes to secure votes, it’s understandable that authorities were on edge. Nonetheless, the result was another blow as the downturn in relations led to the disbandment of the UAE’s training centre in Mogadishu. This was worrying given the need to develop the Somali security sector before an eventual withdrawal of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
In May, five of Somalia’s federal member states gathered at their second Council of Interstate Cooperation meeting, a forum created last year for their better representation at a national level. The federal member states have been upset with Mogadishu’s foreign policy direction since last year, and this has been exacerbated by recent developments. For example, Puntland also benefited from UAE training programmes, while DP World’s sister company P&O Ports had signed an agreement to manage the Port of Bosaso. Thus Mogadishu’s handling of both the Berbera Port deal and the seized UAE money threaten federal member states’ interests, Puntland argues.