June 25, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somalia’s Interior Minister protests against new agreement on South West State

24 Jun – Source: VOA Somali Service/BBC Somali Service/RBC – 250 words

Somalia’s Minister of Interior and Federal Affairs Abdullahi Godah Barre has protested the new agreement between the two rival groups of the South West State Somalia which was signed in Villa Somalia on Monday. Speaking to the BBC Somali Service on the phone from Djibouti, Mr Barre described the 11 points agreement as illegal saying that his ministry was not involved in the preparation of the agreement. “My ministry is not aware any of the agreement. I can really say it is unfortunate that some people are contravening the work of my ministry,” the minister added. Minister Godah reiterated that he was very concerned that some of the members of the government are rushing to form regional states while most of the regions are still under the control of al Shabaab militants. “We prefer to put our efforts on liberating the regions currently under the control of the militants then to work for setting the procedures and laws that govern and elect the Federal Member States,” he noted.

Key Headlines

UK donates $136 Million for feeding and job creation in Somalia (Bar-kulan)
Somalia’s Interior Minister protests against new agreement on South West State (VOA Somali Service/BBC Somali Service/RBC)
Madobe Nunow defies the agreement toward South West State political tension
(RBC/Universal TV)
UN chief hails accord to form new interim regional administration in southwestern Somalia (Xinhua)
Puntland welcomes new agreement between rival groups in south western regions (Bar-kulan)
Gunmen kill 11 in fresh attack on Lamu mainland (Capital FM)
Shibis district administration demolishes section of Manapolyo market (Radio Shabelle)
Kenya’s DPP loses bid to deny bail to Pangani blast suspect (Daily Nation)

SOMALI MEDIA

Somalia’s Interior Minister protests against new agreement on South West State

24 Jun – Source: VOA Somali Service/BBC Somali Service/RBC – 250 Words

UK donates $136 Million for feeding and job creation in Somalia

24 Jun – Source: Somali Current – 98 words

The British government has said it will give 80 million pounds of aid to the federal government of Somalia for feeding and creation of employment opportunities for its youth. A statement from UK Prime Minister, David Cameron’s office in the wake of banning Khat, said the government of Britain has set aside £80 Million which is equivalent to $136 Million in aid to feed starving children and creating jobs for the Somali youth. The statement added that Britain has successfully combated piracy off the Somali coast and will continue to tackle extremism in the horn of African nation.

Madobe Nunow defies the agreement toward South West State political tension

24 Jun – Source: RBC/Universal TV – 159 words

Madobe Nunow Mohamed, one of the presidents of the two rival administrations claiming to administer South West regions of Somalia has strongly denied that his side has signed a deal with the other side, terming the agreement signed in Villa Somalia on Monday as null and void. Speaking to RBC Radio, Mr Nunow said that he was not even aware of any deal signed as he mentioned that his group is in Baidoa running the daily activities of the Six-region South West Administration. “No one can dictate the future of our people, if they [the Federal Government of Somalia] want to do something let them talk to us,” he said in an interview. The Monday’s agreement was publicly signed in Villa Somalia where representatives from both sides- the six-region state and the three-region state agreed on the formation of a three-region interim administration. But Mr Nunow says there were no representatives from his side who attended the meeting in Mogadishu.

Puntland welcomes new agreement between rival groups in south western regions

24 Jun – Source: Bar-kulan – 84 words

The semi-autonomous state of Puntland has welcomed the recent agreement between representatives of the SW-6 Group and SW-3 Group in Mogadishu. Speaking at a press conference in Garowe, Puntland Presidential Spokesman, Abdullahi Mohamed, said his administration supports the new agreement which calls for the formation of a three-region state for the three regions of Bay, Bakol and Lower Shabelle. He stated that Puntland administration will support and cooperate with any administration formed by the people it represents in any given part of the country.

Shibis district administration demolishes section of Manapolyo market

24 Jun – Source: Radio Shabelle – 106 words

The district commissioner of Shibis for the Benadir Regional Administration, Abdifatah Nur Ali, told the press in Mogadishu that the Somali district troops have carried out demolishing of Manapolyo market in Shibis. Mr. Ali said that the reasons for these operations are due to the fact that the holy month of Ramadhan is approaching and that shoppers need to be able to have suitable paths in the market.“The district administration has decided to demolish 4 narrow roads of the market, which includes the areas that was destroyed by the district troops. The shops were all built illegally in the Manapolyo market,” he said.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Gunmen kill 11 in fresh attack on Lamu mainland

24 Jun – Source: Capital FM – 166 words

At least 11 people have been killed in a new attack on Kenya’s coastal region, officials said Tuesday, one week after some 60 people died in twin massacres nearby. Some were hacked to death with knives, others shot and executed at close quarters, mirroring tactics used in earlier attacks claimed by Somalia’s al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab. The attack took place overnight on a small village near the town of Witu, on the mainland some 50 kilometres west of the tourist island of Lamu. Lamu County Commissioner Stephen Ikua called it an “unfortunate attack”, the third in the area this month. Five bodies were initially found, Ikua said, but a police source later said that six more bodies were found, taking the toll to 11. Deputy district commissioner Benson Maisori said that some “were killed with knives”, while others “were shot, executed at very close range.” Several people were reported to have been wounded in the attack and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, local councillor Athaman Badi said.

Kenya’s DPP loses bid to deny bail to Pangani blast suspect

24 Jun – Source: Daily Nation – 162 words

A Nairobi magistrate has rejected a fresh bid by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to cancel a Sh8 million bail granted to a man arrested in connection with the terror attack at Pangani police station. Magistrate Lucy Mbugua, while dismissing DPP’s application, said the bail terms were given by a competent court of due jurisdiction when the suspect was charged. The suspect, Ahmed Dugal, is charged with being an accomplice of the terrorists who detonated a car bomb at the Pangani police station on April 23 killing the occupants alongside two police officers in a suspected al Shabaab attack. “The court was asked to cancel bond on grounds that new information had since arisen, but finds none…,” magistrate Lucy Mbugua ruled. She said Mr Dugal has been in custody since he surrendered on April 24 and the police have had enough time to profile him.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

UN chief hails accord to form new interim regional administration in southwestern Somalia

24 Jun – Source: Xinhua/Global Post – 213 words

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Tuesday welcomed the signing of an agreement to establish a new interim regional administration in southwestern Somalia, comprising the regions of Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle. The UN chief commended all parties involved for their diligent negotiation of this important agreement, and looked forward to its prompt implementation, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here. Ban “recalls that the formation of inclusive regional administrations is a key milestone in Somalia’s path towards a federal system of governance, in line with the Provisional Constitution and the aspirations of the Somali people,” Dujarric said. Ban reiterated the commitment of the United Nations to support the Federal Government of Somalia’s peace-building and state- building efforts, the spokesman added.

At least 5 killed in gun, machete attack on Kenyan village

24 Jun – Source: CNN – 129 words

Men armed with guns and machetes attacked residents of a Kenyan village before dawn Tuesday, killing at least five people, witnesses told CNN. The attackers went house to house targeting residents in the village of Kasakakairu, the witnesses said. Six people have been admitted to a local hospital with serious injuries, and police are checking the area for more victims. Kasakakairu is approximately 34 kilometers (21 miles) from Mpeketoni, a southeastern Kenyan coastal town where a terrorist attack killed dozens of people earlier this month. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said last week that al Shabaab, the al Qaeda-linked militant group active in Somalia, wasn’t responsible for the Mpeketoni attack. Instead, he blamed local political networks for the attack that witnesses said turned a World Cup viewing party into a bloodbath.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“How should maritime piracy in the Gulf of Aden be dealt with once NATO and the EU end their missions there? According to a recent Security and Defence Agenda debate, policymakers need to apply a comprehensive ‘root causes’ approach to the problem.”

Lessons Learned From the Gulf of Aden Operations

24 Jun – Source: ISN Zurich – 1475 words

After a peak of incidents in the Gulf of Aden in 2010, piracy is now almost non-existent in the Gulf of Aden. The mandates for two of the key mission’s instrumental to this success, the EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta and NATO’s Operation Ocean Shield, are set to expire this year. This event, hosted by the Security & Defence Agenda, convened a panel of experts to discuss lessons learned from these operations and to explore the way forward. The speakers listed a number of lessons learned from the missions and all of the speakers emphasized the importance of continuing operations in the region. However, the challenges posed by the current era of budget austerity were also discussed. There was consensus among the speakers that a comprehensive approach is needed to address the issues underlying piracy activities in the longterm. A comprehensive approach is complex and includes establishing a rule of law, capacity building, combating organized crime, gaining the participation of local elites and development. Finally, the panelists spoke about the successful formats of cooperation that had taken place among the missions, and cited one in particular, SHADE, as a new paradigm that could serve as a model for future international security cooperation.