March 16, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Al-Shabab Claims Responsibility For Attack In Mandera
16 March – Source: Midnimo – 124 Words
Terrorist group Al Shabab took responsibility for an attack inside the town of Mandera in Kenya. One person died in the attack and three people were wounded. Al-Shabaab military spokesman Sheikh Abdulaziz Abu Musab said fighters from Al-Shabaab succeeded in an operation against non muslims in Mandera. “Sunday evening our mujahideen carried out an operation inside Mandera of Kenya,they killed and wounded and the target was persons who have no religious faith,” said Al-Shabaab military spokesman Sheikh Abdulaziz Abu Musab through the groups radio station Andulas. Al-Shabaab has vowed revenge attacks against Kenya after it sent troops into Somalia where they are battling the Al-Qaeda-linked group as part of an African Union peacekeeping force.
Key Headlines
- Al-Shabab Claims Responsibility For Attack In Mandera (Midnimo)
- Former Interior Minister “Interim Administrations Are Illegal” (Radio Goobjoog)
- President Mohamud Meets Palestinian President Mohamud Abas In Egypt (RBC Radio)
- Guriel Elders And AMISOM Officials Pass Resolutions Expelling Ahlu Sunna And Government Forces From Inside The Town (Wacaal Media)
- 21 Arrested In Luq (Radio Bar-Kulan)
- Al-Shabaab Pondering A Response To Kenya Offer (Somali Current)
- Aden Duale Speaks Of Possible Talks With Al-Shabaab To Curb Attacks (Standard Digital)
- KDF Should Secure Kenya Somalia Border – Duale (Capital News)
- Somali Islamists Kill At Least One In Attack In North Kenya (Reuters)
- Vaccinating The Somali Children From The Psychological Injuries Of The Civil War
- (Hiiraan Online)
- It Is Time To review Vision 2016 And To Be More Optimistic About Somalia (Somali Update)
SOMALI MEDIA
Former Interior Minister “Interim Administrations Are Illegal”
16 March – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 243 Words
Former interior minister Abdullahi Godah Barre has told Goobjoog that the recognized interim administrations, namely IJA and South West are illegal and doesn’t comply with the constitution. He said they were formed against his wills while he was the interior minister and that the top three federal leaders, namely president, PM and the speaker of the parliament had certain political agendas in rushing things through before they could meet the required criteria to be an administration.
“These so called interims are not healthy, the top three leaders wanted it, for me and my ministry never endorsed such arrangements, it’s…absurd when you form something against the constitutional requirements, and I can tell you it would finally fall into the hands of one person who would manipulate the whole thing,” said the former interior minister. When asked why he couldn’t speak out while he was still the minister and things were unfolding in front of his eyes, Godah said that the top leaders forced his hand and pushed things against his wills. “To make things worse, there are no standard criteria based on the formation of these so called interim administrations, each one come into being in a different arrangement, for IJA it was a result of Addis Ababa agreement, and for South West it was totally in a different shape, I can also guess the emerging ones would take new route” said the Godah.
President Mohamud Meets Palestinian President Mohamud Abas in Egypt
16 March – Source: RBC Radio – 114 Words
Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has met his Palestinian counterpart Mohamud Abbas in Massar, RBC Radio reports. President Hassan Sheikh who is in Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh for the third day to attend international forum on egypt’s economy and investments has taken a closed door meeting with Palestinian President Mohamud Abas. The meeting is reported to have focused on exchanging of information on both Somalia and Palestine and improving the bilateral ties between the two nations. Somali President Mohamud has assured his counterpart Abbas his government’s support and solidarity with the people of Palestine and their struggle for international recognition.
Guriel Elders And AMISOM Officials Pass Resolutions Expelling Ahlu Sunna And Government Forces From Inside The Town
16 March – Source: Wacaal Media – 178 Words
Traditional elders and AMISOM officials in Guriel, Galgaduud region have issued a joint statement about several resolutions on the Federal government and Ahlusunna wal Jamea forces in the area. A team of 11 traditional elders tasked with advising on security matters met senior officials of the Ethiopian forces who are part of AMISOM and resolved that the two warring forces leave Guriel and move to the outskirts.
Speaking to the media, Vice Chairman of the Federal government’s social services department in Guriel Mr. Warsame Faarah said that the resolution was passed to enable internally displaced persons return to their homes. “The eleven respected elders passed the resolutions, the Minister of defence gave them full authority to sign the agreement, so they arrived at these decisions with the Ethiopian forces to enable those who fled [to] return” he said. Ahlusuna has yet to comment on the resolutions. On the same note, those who were displaced in the conflict have now started moving back to the area after uneasy calm returned to the area.
21 Arrested In Luq
15 March – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 64 Words
Security forces in Luq in the Gedo region have arrested 21 people who are suspected to be members of Al-Shabaab. According to the commander of the security agencies, Siyad Walbashti the operation was carried out following fears that members of the group were hiding in Luuq town. The commander promised that operations against Al-Shabaab will continue in the area.
Al-Shabaab Pondering A Response To Kenya Offer
15 March – Source: Somali Current – 182 Words
Officials from the Somali Islamist group have confirmed to a local FM station that they will look into the offer by Kenyan MP and parliamentary majority leader Adan Dualle who earlier said his government is ready to negotiate with group to stop attacks. Dualle, key member and influential figure in Kenyatta government has called the group to stop attacks in North Eastern region where Dualle hails from. Early last year, Dualle was the centre of controversy after local media quoted him urging terrorist to carry their activities outside Easleigh pointing out Machakos town as an example which Dualle said the media misquoted him.
North Eastern region has experienced a wave of attacks from Al-Shabaab since Kenyan troops crossed the border to pursue and fight the group. According to a poll conducted by IPSOS Research Institute based in Nairobi indicate more than 70% of Kenyans believes the country will be safe if the Kenyan troops withdrew from Somalia. Al-Shabaab set conditions to stop terror attacks demanding that Kenyan troops withdraw from Somalia. Kenyan troops operate in southern Somalia under the banner of Amisom.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Aden Duale Speaks Of Possible Talks With Al-Shabaab To Curb Attacks
16 March – Source: Standard Digital – 855 Words
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has once again stirred the hornet’s nest with controversial remarks about the war on terrorism, suggesting the Government should consider negotiating with Al-Shabaab militants to halt attacks. Duale is no stranger to contentious utterances about terrorism. Eleven months ago, at the height of terror attacks, he kicked up a storm after a video clip of his utterances during a rally in Nairobi’s Eastleigh went viral.
In the latest debacle, Duale said in an interview with BBC Somali radio that Kenya is ready to send elders and religious leaders to lead negotiations with Al-Shabaab, which has claimed responsibility for the murder of many of Kenyans in its bloody campaign against the military intervention in Somalia. “If you want us to send you elders and religious leaders we will do so. If you want us to send you political leaders, we will do so. Just tell us where we should come to meet you but give Kenya a wide berth,” Duale is heard saying in Somali dialect.
The Garissa Township MP later defended his remarks and accused the Somali leadership of lacking the goodwill to contain the terror group. “What I said is that we know there are some elders here from the clans where members of Al-Shabaab come from and the message to them is that they should leave us (Kenyans) alone,” Duale explained. “It’s also becoming clear the government of Somalia and Sheikh Hassan is not willing to combat militants and thus we are asking the President to seek AU and IGAD’s mandate for Kenyan forces to operate from Lamu to border one point in Mandera,” he said on the phone.
KDF Should Secure Kenya, Somalia Border – Duale
15 March – Source: Capital News – 277 Words
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale now says Kenya Defence Forces need to take control of the border from Kiunga in Lamu County to Mandera.He says this will help curb further terror attacks in the country from the Somalia based militia group, Al-Shabaab who have claimed responsibility of a number of attacks in various parts of the country.Through a message posted in his Twitter handle, Duale says the country cannot negotiate with the ragtag militia or any other terror or criminal group.
“We have never and shall never negotiate with Terrorists, Bandits, militants & drug dealers,” he said.Al-Shabaab militias are also said to be linked to the last week attack of Mandera Governor Ali Roba’s convoy that left three people dead and six others injured. Kenya porous border with the Somalia is said to contribute highly to terror attacks in the country.During last week’s Mandera attack, two vehicles were also set ablaze on the Arabia-Omar road according to police.Police and the Kenya Defence Forces personnel were pursuing the attackers who are said to have driven off one of the vehicles hijacked during the attack.
A police report released on February 25 indicates that terror remains a major challenge in the country security situation though a global problem.The report says that 312 were killed in terrorism-related attacks in Kenya between 2012 and 2014.In the 24 months, police stated that terror attacks also left 779 people injured, with counties bordering Somalia being the worst hit.The year 2014 had the highest number of deaths resulting from terror attacks at 173, with Lamu County accounting for 67 deaths, while Mandera saw 64 people killed.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Islamists kill at least one in attack in north Kenya
15 March – Source: Reuters – 221 Words
Somali Islamist militants killed at least one man and wounded three others in the northern Kenyan town of Mandera on Sunday, the second deadly attack in the area in three days, an official and the Islamist group said. The Mandera region, which lies on the border with Somalia, has long been targeted by al Shabaab, which has said it wants to punish Kenya for sending troops into Somalia where they are fighting alongside other African peacekeepers. Mandera County Commissioner Alex Nkoyo said four mechanics were attacked by gunmen while they were driving home. One was killed and the other three were being treated in hospital, the commissioner said.
Al Shabaab said it carried out the killings. “Tonight, we carried out an operation inside Mandera town of Kenya. We killed one person and injured three others,” Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, the group’s military operation spokesman, told Reuters. On Friday, four people were killed when the militants attacked a convoy in the Mandera area. Officials said it was carrying regional governor Ali Roba, who was unharmed. Al Shabaab described the target as a military convoy. Late last year, al Shabaab killed more than 60 people in two attacks – one on quarry workers and another on a passenger bus – in the same region in the space of little more than a week.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Majority of these local and international NGOs put more emphasis on meeting the physical needs such as vaccination for tropical diseases, food etc. However, you will hardly see an organisation that vaccinates the children from the psychological diseases of the war. This is not as tangible as providing food and medicine and the intangible services are difficult to sell to donors.”
Vaccinating The Somali Children From The Psychological Injuries Of The Civil War
15 March – Source: Hiiraan Online – 1, 125 Words
I have recently visited my birth place Mogadishu after migrating with my family to London at the age of two. Visiting where my parents used to say “Mogadishu is where your umbilical cord is buried” was a life changing journey. The words of my parents “Xundhurtaadaa ku duugan, Xaqeeda ayaa lagaa rabaa” led me to realise the personal and collective responsibility to participate in rebuilding one’s country. As I studied health and child care with four year practical experience in London, during my visit I focused on looking at ways to help improve the existing schools in Hamar Weyne and Boondheere.
One of the things, I observed in Mogadishu is that it is saturated with NGOs offering a lot of services such as food, vaccination and education. Majority of these local and international NGOs put more emphasis on meeting the physical needs such as vaccination for tropical diseases, food etc. However, you will hardly see an organisation that vaccinates the children from the psychological diseases of the war. This is not as tangible as providing food and medicine and the intangible services are difficult to sell to donors. People sustain psychological injuries even more often than we do physical ones and they can deteriorate if we ignore them.
This is an important area that individual Somalis such as parents, teachers and institutions such as schools, Madrasas, NGOs and the all Media need to positively contribute to short circuit the cycle of violence from this beautiful country. We need to immunise our innocent children from the unhealthy psychological habits and the negativity surrounding the environment they live in. The educators at home the parents and school (teachers) and the community need to beware of what they are saying in front of their children or students. Children are born with fitrah clean heart free from negativity and their opinions are influenced by what the people around them think, do and say.
“In 2009 I remember working in Mogadishu and the government controlled less than half of Mogadishu, let alone the other regions outside the city. Today, most of the regions are safe and secure and people can carry out their daily lives without any undue fear. Our soldiers are still out there at the fronts to complete their mission to secure all the remaining areas. It is time to acknowledge and praise our heroes. For the last two years alone many cities have been liberated and have started implementing the stabilization plan.”
It Is Time To review Vision 2016 And To Be More Optimistic About Somalia
13 March – Source: Somali Update – 3,002 Words
No one can deny the huge progress that our beloved country is making, despite all the challenges that face us as a country and as a nation. This article aims to highlight the existing opportunities, as well as pointing out the challenges and more importantly the main aim is to suggest recommendations that are realistic and achievable to further develop the country. I will argue that there is an urgent need to review the mandate of the Federal Government of Somalia.
I understand that some of our elites when they write in public they concentrate and highlight the weaknesses and the missed opportunities rather than inspiring our youths. It is easier to criticize and blame our leaders without proper justification, which kills the spirit, aspiration and the hope of our citizen
On the 2nd of March 2015, Dr. Abdinur Sh Mohamud, the former Minister of Education and someone that I highly regard wrote an open letter to the President of Somalia indicating that he wrote the article ‘not as a critic’ but “out of concern for our country’s future” and continued to say that “clan-ism and warlord-ism is unabashedly on the rise”, with due respect I disagree with him on a number of reasons, which include his conclusion on the rise of clan-ism, lack of recommendations to the problems and lack of objectivity as he did not mention the progress that the country has made. I am not here to criticize my friend Abdinur, nor I do intend to defend the government, but I would like to be more objective by portraying our challenges, our successes as well as the bright future that is possible for our nation.
Not only do Abdinur but also other writers portray the country through the lens of criticism and pessimism, such as Ali Osman, who said that “the Somali government has not implemented a single initiative to fight corruption.” I have to disagree with such a basic presumption without the backing of any facts. Corruption is an anemic disease to the development of any country and the government has recognized this problem and a closer look at the Ministry of Finances website, http://www.mof.gov.so, one will see a number of initiatives that have been implemented and a result attracted the support of the World Bank, IMF and other donor communities.
Top tweets
@HarunMaruf #Somalia: Former Defense Minister urges Govt to open talks with Al-#Shabab,says Afghanistan-Taliban framework can be use
@AmbassadorPower Applaud AU efforts in #Somalia. Improving security, promote post-conflict reconstruction & weaken al-Shabaab. US & #UNSC supports AU in this
@amisomsomalia · 40 recently deployed female and male army officers in Sector One receive Gender sensitivity training.http://bit.ly/1MAL3tJ
@MuhiimaB #UNHCR recognises the plight & power of women in #Somalia & highlights needs for protection, support & durable solutions
@IOM_news To increase knowledge in reporting cases of#ChildTrafficking & #GBV, IOM trains journalists, officials in#Somalia http://ow.ly/Knd3X
@UNFPA_SOMALIA Somalis presenting perspective on 0 tolerance on GBV as a step to enhancing gender equality@GKyeyune @IsatuKajue
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UN Envoy to Somalia Nick Kay in Baidoa to meet with President Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan of the Interim Southwestern Administration.
Photo: UNSOM