March 16, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Kenyan Police interrogate grenade attack suspect’s wife
16 Mar – Source: Standard – 325 words
Police investigating the grenade attacks at the Machakos Country Bus have now arrested the wife of one of the suspects who was once held over his alleged links with Somalia militia Al Shabaab. Ms Husna Ali Shaaban, the wife of Hussein Nderitu Abbas alias Mohamed was arrested by detectives from Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) for undisclosed reasons.
But insiders revealed they are still probing the last Saturday blast that claimed nine lives and left more than 60 wounded. She was arrested from their city house and taken to ATPU where she was being grilled for the better part of the day. “She is being grilled by the officers and we are yet to know why,” said Nderitu’s lawyer Chacha Mwita. Nderitu’s picture together with that of Sylvester Opiyo was last December circulated by police who said they wanted to grill them.
Key Headlines
- Meeting of Somali Cabinet on 15th March 2012 (Office of the Prime Minister)
- TFG troops conclude training in Mogadishu (Radio Risaala Radio Mogadishu)
- TFG outlines plan to clear Somalia of al Shabaab (Shabelle)
- Somalia restarts entertainment programs after twenty years ( Radio Kulmiye)
- Somali pirates’ rise linked to illegal fishing and toxic dumping (Global Post)
- Heavy fighting rocks Somalia capital (Shabelle Hiiraan Online)
- Foundation concludes water project in Somalia (Gulf Today)
- Kenyan Police interrogate grenade attack suspect’s wife (Standard)
- Ethiopian troops rout Somali militants (Reuters)
- Somali woman forced into exile by her love of the beautiful game (UNHCR)
PRESS STATEMENT
Meeting of Somali Cabinet on 15th March 2012
15 Mar – Source: Office of the Prime Minister – 687 words
In a meeting congregated by the Somali Council of ministers which was chaired by the Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali discussed a number of issues including the premier’s visits to European countries, the Garowe 2 meeting and its outcome, security issues, regional issues, the TFG’s strategy on media among others.
The premier briefed the council about his visits to the European countries of Norway, Sweden and Kenya. Abdiweli said the London meeting ended in success adding that the Garowe 2 meeting speeded up the agreement in London conference. The London meeting also discussed the menace of piracy which the international community agreed to help the Somali government in fighting piracy from the land. The premier also said that the world leaders have agreed to set aside an international treasury to cater for the newly liberated areas in order to create competent local administration.
Abdiweli said he was welcomed in the countries he visited and that the European countries have pledged to support his government in the ending of the transitional period tasks including the completion of the constitution and reforming of the parliament. The Prime Minister also visited Kenya where he met with the minister of defence of Kenya and US under secretary of States Wendy Sherman and they discussed the implementation of the Roadmap and filling the power vacuum of the newly liberated areas.
Minister of federal constitution and reconciliation stated the enormous progress made in the draft constitution. He added that the committee of experts on constitution and the Somali experts have been making strings of consultations with the residents of Mogadishu in bid to collect information, suggestions, comments and additions to be incorporated into the constitution.
The consultations are still going on and plans are underway to involve the Banadir administration and its regions and also all other parts of the country. The minister said that meetings for general public will be held to discuss the contents of the constitution including the freedom constitution and the Islamic law which will be the basis for the constitution. He added that the 30% of the district council will be women. The minister also said that the 15 member election committee will make sure the competence of the parliament of which the final say will be for the local traditional elders.
Minister of Planning and International Co-operation stated the progress made by the committee tasked to evaluate the situations in the liberated areas. The minister said the committee of ministers visited the liberated areas notably Beledweyn, Baidoa and some areas in parts of Gedo. The ministers added that the strategy and plan for the librated areas has been prepared. The strategy entails the setting up of local administrations, maintaining the security and to reconciliation of the communities in the area.
Minister for Security briefed the session with the latest security operations saying that the efforts of stabilization in Mogadishu and other liberated areas is ongoing and that the security agencies have been successful in foiling a number of attacks. The ministers asked the government to consolidate the gains and maintain the overall security of the country. The ministers condemned yesterday’s attack by al Shabaab in which two suicide bombers attacked killing one person including the suicide bombers.
Minister for Transport and ports said the international airport of Aden Ade has been renovated and has been fenced with barbed wire and air control equipments have been set up. The ministers appreciated the support of the Turkish government and the rehabilitation it is carrying out and the start of operations of the Turkish Airlines on 6th of March.
Minister for information, Post and Telecommunication tabled the government’s strategy on media and asked the ministers to implement and support the strategy which he said would bridge the gap between the government and the public. The minister added that the public is in full support of the government progress and that they believe the government has done a lot on security, good governance, reconciliation and draft constitution.
Finally the council welcomed the decision of the UN Security Council on 22nd February in which they imposed sanctions on exportation of charcoal from Somalia.
SOMALI MEDIA
TFG troops conclude training in Mogadishu
16 Mar – Source: Radio Risaala, Radio Mogadishu – 116 words
Hundreds of government troops today concluded military training in Mogadishu. Various sermons and celebrations were held to mark the event. Mogadishu Mayor, Mr. Mahmoud Ahmed Nuur Tarsan who took part in the event said that the troops have being undergoing training for some time, urging them not to harass or harm the civilians.
AMISOM commander, General Fred Mugisha who also delivered a speech at the event urged the public to work closely with these troops in restoring peace and order. This event is coinciding with the recent announcement by Ugandan commanders that they have developed a new strategy in fighting al Shabaab. These newly recruited troops will take part in the war against the al Qaeda-link group, al Shabaab.
Puntland arrests five over deadly blast in Galkayo
16 Mar – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 144 words
Puntland police in northern Galkayo have arrested five people in connection with Thursday’s explosion targeting the area security operations chief that injured two people. The arrests were made after police launched security operations in the area.
Puntland’s Mudug police boss Jamaa Mohamed was quoted as saying that five highly suspected criminals were arrested and are undergoing intensive interrogation at Galkayo’s central police station regarding the attacks on the area security operations’ chief, Muse Ahmed Abdirahman. Abdirahman escaped unharmed but his vehicle was badly damaged. Two of his guards were also injured during the blast.
Civilians were also hurt when officers escorting Mr. Abdirahman and other police officers in a nearby area fire shots. No group has claimed responsibility of the attack. Police were last night seen conducting search operations in the area in efforts to get hold of those who were behind the attack.
TFG outlines plan to clear Somalia of al Shabaab
16 Mar – Source: Shabelle – 138 words
Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has unveiled plans to liberate the remaining southern and central regions of Somalia still held by al Shabaab fighters, officials said on Friday. After two-days meeting in Mogadishu by Somali cabinet, the Deputy PM and the Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdiwahab Ugas Hussein, told reporters in the capital that his government is aiming to secure all Somali territories from the al Qaeda linked militants of al Shabaab.
The Minister also indicated that Somali government is establishing local administrations to the regions of central and southern Somalia captured recently from militant groupa al Shabaab by TFG soldiers along with Ethiopian forces. The move comes as top Somali government officials are touring Bay, Gedo and Hiiraan regions to assess the situations on the ground after al Shabaab pull out from that regions in central and south-western Somalia.
Somalia restarts entertainment programs after twenty years
16 Mar – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 86 words
Somali government supports national entertainment and music by reconstructing the national theater and promoting the development of the projects toward the scheme. Somali’s national entertainment center in Mogadishu is now under construction as the government announces that the government is planning to create the Somali national music groups and restart working groups in the role of the country’s music.
The national theatre which had been in state of destruction since the violence in Somali in 1991 is now coming to life thanks to the Somali government and other development agencies like Center Research and Development CRD. Speaking to Kulmiye radio in Mogadishu, Minister of Information Post and Telecommunications Abdikadir Mohamed Jaahweyn said they are offering support to promote entertainment groups in Mogadishu and also other places in the country.
Heavy fighting rocks Somalia capital
16 Mar – Source: Radio Shabelle, Hiiraan Online – 168 words
Heavy fighting between Somali government soldiers alongside African Union troops and al Qaeda linked militants of al Shabaab sparked overnight in Somali capital, Mogadishu, residents said. The clashed broke out after al Shabaab fighters launched heavy mortar attacks on TFG and AMISOM military bases located near Bakarat cemeteries in Huriwa district, northern edge of Mogadishu, resulting unconfirmed number of casualties of both local residents and warring sides in the area.
Residents said the two sides pounded each other with artillery, mortars and machine guns, forcing locals to flee from their homes in fear of intensified fighting. “Mortar shells were falling like rain on the villages that are beyond the battlefields as heavily armed insurgents flooded the areas to combat with Somalia and AU forces supported by tanks and armoured vehicles,” a villager told the Media by phone.
Constitution committee to send members across Somalia
16 Mar – Source: Radio Risaala – 77 words
The independent constitutional committee announced that it is sending its members to all parts of the country. The head of the independent constitutional committee Abdullahi Hassan Jaama who talked to Risaala news station said the constitutional efforts will reach the remaining regions of the country. He also said they have previously visited those areas but now they will be engaging in wider efforts.The independent constitutional committee of Somalia has recently been meeting different stakholders in Mogadishu.
Al Shabaab factional disputes continue
15 Mar – Source: Somalia Report – 424 words
In a meeting yesterday in the southern al Shabaab-controlled port of Kismayo, leaders from the Islamist organization reportedly disagreed over last month’s declaration of unity with al Qaeda. The al Shabaab nationalist faction, led by Mukhtar Robow (Abu Mansur) was not happy to be placed under the al Qaeda banner, sources said on Wednesday.
Mukhtar Robow and Hussein Fidow (al Shabaab’s political chief) both arrived in Kismayo on Tuesday, where yesterday they held closed meetings with other al Shabaab leaders, including Ahmed Godane and his deputy Ibrahim Afghani, as well as al Shabaab head spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage (Ali Dheere). A source close to al Shabaab spoke to Somalia Report on the condition of anonymity.
“The ongoing conflict came about after Hussein Fidow fired Hassan Yakub as governor of Kismayo, which caused division after Fidow gave his position to a Hawiye man. Hassan Yakub said that he will continue holding the position and will not step down. This conflict has its roots in clan politics, because Robow and Yakub (who are both Rahanweyne) feel that they are being denied Kismayo based on their clan.” “The current issue is that Robow is not satisfied with the merging of al Shabaab into al Qaeda,” he added.
“Since times have turned hard for al Shabaab, there has been great disagreement between the top leaders. The dispute was over claiming that the group has merged with al Qaeda, while others are not happy to use that name,” a Kismayo resident, who asked to be called Abdirahman, told Somalia Report.
Somalia says it has achieved success on security front
15 Mar – Source: Radio Risaala – 170 words
At a cabinet meeting headed by the prime minister of Somalia Abdi wali Mohamed Ali Gaas they discussed a number of issues tabled by national security and establishing a government administration on the newly liberated lands. The prime minister of Somalia Abdi wali Mohamed Ali Gaas briefed the cabinet on his tour to several countries and what he achieved. Similarly the cabinet also discussed yesterday’s suicide bombing at the front part of the presidential palace and they also noted that they achieved a lot security wise
Spokesman of the TFG of Somalia Eng. Abdirahman Omar Osman Yarisow talked about today’s cabinet meeting and its outcome. “The government yet again requested the al Shabaab fighters to surrender to the government,” he said. The Government of Somalia is currently engaged in an operation to capture all the areas under al Shabaab control and al Shabaab have repeatedly vowed to resist any military operation against them by the government and its allies.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Foundation concludes water project in Somalia
16 Mar – Source: Gulf Today – 129 words
The Khalifa Bin Zayed Charity Foundation has built 20 basins in valleys at south west Hargeisa, and drilled 14 water wells at north east Hargeisa and nine water wells and watershed basins at Boru. The water projects were carried out in collaboration with the Somali Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources.
At the inauguration ceremony attended by a delegation from Khalifa Bin Zayed Charity Foundation and Somalia Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Hussein Abdi Duale, Deputy Governor of Somalia Abdi Al Ruhman Zilei, praised efforts being made by the leadership, government and people of the UAE for assisting Somali people.
He credited the Khalifa Bin Zayed Charity Foundation for its positive role in saving lives of those affected drought and famine by providing food and medicine.
Somali Seized for dumping Koran in Toilet
16 Mar – Source: Daily Nation, Radio Kulmiye – 83 words
Police in Wadajir District in South Mogadishu arrested a man for allegedly dumping copies of the Koran in a toilet. The officers did not specify the number of the copies that were dumped. The suspect admitted dumping the Muslim holy book after quitting Islam, as quoted from the officials who spoke to Kulmiye radio in Mogadishu. “the man is in custody “ said the officers in Wadajir police station. They further said that the investigations were under way to establish his mental status.
Kenya grapples with ‘enemy within’ in war on terror
16 Mar – Source: Coastweek, Xinhua – 830 words
Kenya is grappling with how to tackle internal threats of terrorism as attacks blamed on Somali militants al Shabaab rise, especially in the capital Nairobi.
The East African nation is facing a great challenge in dealing with the “enemy within”, who has executed several terror attacks undetected as Kenya Defense Forces and its allies effectively fight external aggressors – al Shabaab in Somalia. In the latest terror attack that indicates Kenya faces bigger threats internally, suspected al Shabaab operatives hurled grenades at a crowded bus park on March 10.
Nine people have since died and over 60 others sustained injuries. Kenya government has blamed the attack on the Islamist group. Two other attacks, also targeting ordinary Kenyans, were executed in October last year.
Kenyan Police interrogate grenade attack suspect’s wife
16 Mar – Source: Standard – 325 words
Police investigating the grenade attacks at the Machakos Country Bus have now arrested the wife of one of the suspects who was once held over his alleged links with Somalia militia al Shabaab. Ms Husna Ali Shaaban, the wife of Hussein Nderitu Abbas alias Mohamed was arrested by detectives from Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) for undisclosed reasons.
But insiders revealed they are still probing the last Saturday blast that claimed nine lives and left more than 60 wounded. She was arrested from their city house and taken to ATPU where she was being grilled for the better part of the day.
“She is being grilled by the officers and we are yet to know why,” said Nderitu’s lawyer Chacha Mwita. Nderitu’s picture together with that of Sylvester Opiyo was last December circulated by police who said they wanted to grill them.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Ethiopian troops rout Somali militants
16 Mar – Source: Reuters – 1:00 min
Ethiopian troops stand guard over the town of Baidoa in southern Somalia. The soldiers just hours before wrested control of this area from Islamist militants – part of an international effort to bring some stability to the war-ravaged country. The loss of Baidoa is seen as a major blow for the al Qaeda-backed al Shabaab rebel group, which once controlled large swaths of the country. This Ethiopian general said the rebels put up little resistance. Baidoa was an important stronghold of al-Shabaab, which has come under intense pressure from Somalia’s neighbours. In addition to Ethiopia, Kenya has opened up a front against the Islamist group as have peacekeepers from the African Union.
Somali woman forced into exile by her love of the beautiful game
15 Mar – Source: UNHCR – 645 words
Maymun Muhyadine Mohamed loved to run and play football in the streets of Mogadishu. Her skills won her a medal and a cap at a local competition.
But Somalia’s al Shabaab militia saw her enjoyment as an act of defiance. “They said ‘women are not allowed to play sports. You have to stop playing and put on your hijab [modest Islamic clothing and head covering],'” Maymun said, recounting her story at the Ali Addeh Refiugee Camp in Djibouti.
It wasn’t as if Maymun was un-Islamic. She wore Islamic dress when she wasn’t playing football. It was just that when she was running and manoeuvering on the field of play, the long garments impeded her movement. She was told that if she continued to play sports, she would be executed.
Last year, the militants instructed Maymun’s husband to control his wife. But Abdi Abu Bakar, 23, saw the joy his wife received from football. He told them to mind their own business. And so, as happens all too often in Somalia, one night their house was attacked and her husband was murdered.
“When my husband died. I was four months pregnant,” she said. Maymun waited in Mogadishu until her daughter, Fahima, was born before she decided to escape. She sold her medal and her cap for US$30 to get the money to leave Somalia – it was as if she was selling a piece of her soul.
Somali pirates’ rise linked to illegal fishing and toxic dumping
16 Mar – Source: Global Post – 944 words
There are twin piracies, but only one that we all talk about,” said Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, Somalia’s Prime Minister, speaking in his home in Mogadishu. The piracy everyone knows about is estimated to have cost up to $6.9 billion last year. It’s is responsible for the ongoing captivity of 199 hostages, with 14 ships currently moored along Somalia’s hot, desolate coastline. It’s getting worse: attacks have risen from 111 in 2008 to 237 in 2011, according to the International Maritime Bureau, and the violence is escalating dramatically.
But the piracy the Somali prime minister was referring to is the theft of fish from Somalia’s territorial waters. Ali blames the plunder by international trawlers for impoverishing the country’s fishermen and pushing them to take desperate measures.
Somali piracy drives security boom
16 Mar – Source: Global Post – 976 words
Just a couple of years ago, nations with large navies looked with suspicion at the private, armed guards that some ships were using to ward off pirates. No longer. These days, such guards are embraced as the best defense against increasingly desperate, greedy and violent pirates.
“The unique selling point for the security companies is that to date no ship with armed guards has been hijacked,” said Stephen Askins, a leading expert on maritime security and piracy at the international law firm Ince and Co. International Maritime Bureau (IMB) figures confirm this.
Armed guards are now on about 1,500 voyages every month, according to the Security Association for the Maritime Industry. “About half of all ships [now] use armed guards, up from 25 percent a year earlier,” said Andrew Mwangura, editor of the Piracy Report, a journal in Mombasa. Providing ships with security is a lucrative and growing business: Ship owners spent over $1 billion on “security equipment and armed guards” last year, according to “The
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The severity of the situation in Somalia is beyond many people’s comprehension. Though the drought has hit several countries, such as Ethiopia and Kenya, helping Somalia is increasingly difficult due to the lack of a coherent government in the country after 20 years of rigorous conflict. The dangerous and hostile environment means that the aid agencies trying to reach those most in need are hindered in doing so. Somalia and her people are suffering.”
“However, financial aid to deal with the drought on a temporary basis is not enough; the “band-aid” solution doesn’t end the vicious circle of aid dependency and poverty in Somalia. Many charity organisations have realised that it’s time to dig deep into the roots and help Somalia build a more independent and sustainable future.”
A Sustainable Future for Somalia
15 Mar – Source: Mashaalmir -1348 Words
The images are soul-shattering, the statistics are haunting and the sense of desperation is distressing What seems like an unimaginable nightmare is reality for thousands of Somalis. While you read this, over four million people in Somalia are in desperate need of humanitarian aid due to what is considered one of East Africa’s worst droughts in over six decades. The drought has already claimed the lives of 29,000 children under the age of five, and the UN has warned that 750,000 people could lose their lives in the coming months if conditions don’t improve.
The severity of the situation in Somalia is beyond many people’s comprehension. Though the drought has hit several countries, such as Ethiopia and Kenya, helping Somalia is increasingly difficult due to the lack of a coherent government in the country after 20 years of rigorous conflict. The dangerous and hostile environment means that the aid agencies trying to reach those most in need are hindered in doing so. Somalia and her people are suffering.
“Eritrea is likely the country in the region most familiar with al-Shabaab, its leadership structure, financing networks and supply routes – information that will be useful for future operations against the radical group. Thus engaging Eritrea on security issues, in the wake of its recent interest in enhanced regional cooperation, presents a greater set of potentially advantageous outcomes for Somalia’s future than assuming Asmara’s continued intransigence.” Whether Addis Ababa or anyone else likes it, sanctions or not, Eritrea can affect events in Somalia. The international community must recognise this fact and allow Eritrea a chance to play a constructive role going forward, as a preliminary move to wider re-engagement. If Asmara fails to be a positive actor, it will find itself returned to diplomatic isolation. But at least Eritrea will not be able to say no one let it try.
Bringing Eritrea In From The Cold
15 Mar – Source: Think Africa Press – 843 Words
The London Conference on Somalia last month represented the best chance in years for a coordinated international response to the conflict in Somalia. But some instrumental actors were left off the guest list. Crucially, Eritrea did not receive an invitation, despite having clearly demonstrated its ability to influence events in Somalia in the past.
Since the conference, Eritrea has been highly critical of discussions, rejecting what it viewed as an externally-driven process which ignored the wishes of the Somali people. Given Eritrea’s interferences in Somalia in the past, however, this critique has a puzzling and hollow ring to it. What seems more likely is that Eritrea’s President Isaias Afewerki was less aggrieved at the failure to incorporate ordinary Somali voices than the failure to include Eritrea.
Excitement Building Among Somalia’s Puntland Communities
15 Mar – Source: Dissident Nation – 272 Words
At home and abroad, a sense of excitement and optimism can be felt among the Somali communities from the Puntland regions as stability, political triumphs, and economic opportunities open up. Residents in Puntland’s cities and villages have been buzzing about with rumors of oil, a subject that has dominated their lives for the past few months. But the conversation is not just limited to oil. Greater political clout for the region’s agenda in Mogadishu, as well as improving health standards, and better access to education have all brought about reasons for locals to be excited.
There’s no doubt that oil and gas exploration coupled with foreign interest and investment in the poor region is the single biggest factor of excitement and glee. In the major cities alone, the Somali Shilling has gone from exchanging at rates of 32,000 to the dollar to 19,000 in Bosaso and 25,000 in Garowe. Even in the small roadside town of Armo, the Shilling now exchanges at rates of 23,000 to the dollar, better than the Puntland State capital.
The number one question asked at cafes and other meeting points of interest was how oil production would affect the region. As previously established, the current opinion is very positive, with an estimated 1,000 jobs created by oil exploration in the rural communities, and countless business opportunities opening up across the landscape. The people of the region have many reasons to be excited about the future of not just their local communities, but their entire nation as well, and a growing trend of economic interest in the region will serve to bring further hope to a broken land.
Top tweets
@Aynte Unconfirmed reports that Omar #Hammami (aka Abu Mansour al-Amriki) quit #Somalia‘s #alShabaab htt
@mary_harper #Somalia
@mark_anderson13 Somali government spokesman Abdirahman Omar Osman: #AMISOM expects troops from #SierraLeone to be on the ground in #Somalia by June.
@SagalBihi It turns out that TFG troops are not the only one who doesn’t get paid,UPDF soldiers in #Somalia not paid for months too http://bit.ly/z7kyXo.
@mark_anderson13 #Ethiopia
Image of the day
Hundreds of Somali government troops concluded military training in Mogadishu on Thursday 15.