March 16, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
Al-Shabaab Releases Aid Workers Following Ransom
16 March – Source: Shabelle News – 122 Words
Al-Shabaab has set free three local aid employees working at the Red Crescent Societies, a day after they were abducted by armed militants at an area near Bardere city of Gedo region. Local elders have made vigorous efforts that paved the way for the release of the kidnapped humanitarian workers after giving Al-Shabaab captors unknown amount of ransom payment. The Red Crescent Societies staff members have been held captive one day at the Al-Shabaab controlled Sidimo village, which lies around 50 Kilometres away from Bardere town on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Al-Shabaab has given an order to Red Crescent Societies, to pull out its employees from the towns and villages in Gedo region that are under the control of Somali and AMISOM forces.
Key Headlines
- Al-Shabaab Releases Aid Workers Following Ransom (Shabelle News)
- Security Operations In Wadajir Nets Over Ten Al-Shabaab Suspects (Goobjoog News)
- NISA Says Al-Shabaab Plans To Attack Ports (Goobjoog News)
- Puntland Forces Attack Alleged ISIL Militants In Nugal-Latest (Mareeg Media)
- Bernie Sanders Turns Out The Somali Vote In Ohio (The Daily Beast)
- Garissa Tops List Of 10 Most Corrupt Counties (the Star)
- Seychelles President And New German Ambassador Discuss Trade And Tourism (Global Travel Industry News)
- Reasons Why Puntland Should Confront A Resurgent Al-Shabaab Threat (Garowe Online)
- Tasting the Best Somali Cuisine in Chicago (Eater)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Security Operations In Wadajir Nets Over Ten Al-Shabaab Suspects
16 March – Source: Goobjoog News – 160 Words
At least ten men suspected to be members of Somalia’s militant group, Al-Shabaab, have been arrested in Wadajir district on Tuesday night. Somali security officers rounded up the suspects during an impromptu operation in the district and its neighbourhood. “They are being interrogated before we know the way forward. Some of them are teachers,” said a security officer who asked not to be named. “Al-Shabaab has stepped up their attacks in Somalia and we are not taking any chances,” said Wadajir District Commissioner, Ahmed Abdulle Afrah.
He said the Al-Shabaab suspects netted in the sweep have been taken into police custody, where they are currently being questioned over their links to Al-Shabaab. Somali government has been carrying out security operations to flush out Al-Shabaab member following series of attacks that rocked Mogadishu for last two Months, which claimed lives of over thirty people. Somali government forces backed by African Union peaceKeeping forces has pushed Al-Shabaab fighters out of many towns including Mogadishu.
NISA Says Al-Shabaab Plans To Attack Ports
16 March – Source: Goobjoog News – 134 Words
National Intelligence and Security Agency has on Tuesday said that the Security of National Ports were tightened following information that the terrorist group AlShabab was planning to carry out attacks on local seaports in Somalia. NISA said that the Alqaeda linked group of Shabab militants seen in Garacad were estimated to be 500 fighters who were planning to carried out attacks on ports in the country. “NISA got information that the group was planning to carry out attacks against economic entities like Mogadishu, Bosaso and other ports in the country, they returned back from Garacad now after fear from National Security forces, the Security of the ports are well guided” The Agency said. The remarks by National Intelligence and Security Agency come after the group captured the port town of Garacad on Monday evening
Puntland Forces Attack Alleged ISIL Militants In Nugal-Latest
16 March – Source: Mareeg Media – 243 Words
Puntland forces have clashed with alleged ISIL fighters in the Nugal region a day after the militants briefly captured Garacad town, reports indicate the militants allied to the Islamic State in the Levant and Iraq, ISIL were heading to Galgala mountain ranges in Bari region where its de facto leader Abdulkadir Mumin announced last year the group’s allegiance to ISIL.
The militants Tuesday seized the port town of Garaad before they were overpowered by Puntland forces. About 200 militants arrived in boats in Garaad and immediately took over the town before cutting off communication lines. The development comes amid allegations by Puntland government that the federal government in Mogadishu was using Al-Shabaab to intimidate them into accepting the clan based 4.5 electoral formula for the August presidential and parliamentary polls.
Puntland security minister Abdi Hersi Ali Tuesday said the federal government was intent on forcing them to accept the model by sponsoring Al-Shabaab to attack some parts of the state. “We shall defend Puntland by ourselves and I urge people of Puntland to be ready. These militants used the Hobyo-Harardere route and the Federal government is part of this,” said Ali The federal government announced late January it had settled for the 4.5 option but Puntland has persistently rejected the model instead fronting the district based system. Al-Shabaab launched an offensive to purge its group of ISIL affiliates last year killing a number of them in various parts of the country.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Bernie Sanders Turns Out The Somali Vote In Ohio
16 March – Source: The Daily Beast – 656 Words
On Saturday, Bernie Sanders called Taakilo personally, while former Secretary of State did what many politicians do, and got one of her staffers to ring up Taakilo and tell him Clinton was the only choice. “I don’t think Hillary Clinton can beat Trump,” Taakilo, 39, a Somali American community organizer and journalist in Columbus, Ohio told The Daily Beast. More than that: “She takes everybody for granted.”
Brian Meyers, 51, a Sanders volunteer who lives in Circleville, Ohio south of Columbus, said that the campaign is trying to get anybody and everybody to the polls, with about a dozen other Bernie boosters using their own cars to transport voters. The Somali community reached out to the Sanders campaign, asking for transportation help, Meyers said.
“From what I understand, they like his immigration policy,” Meyers said, and have found it hard to vote in the past. Although Somali Americans who were born in the U.S. speak English fluently, their parents, who came here as adults, come up against a language barrier that can be intimidating. “One Somali woman told me they’d like to go to the polls with an American. I told her ‘Well we’re all Americans.’ And she said ‘Yeah, but you know what I mean.’”
Taakilo, who came to Ohio fleeing warfare in Somalia in the 1990s, isn’t the only one who feels the Bern among 38,000 Somali Americans who live in central Ohio. There is a large cohort of second generation Somalis, either born here or naturalized citizens, some of whom are voting for the first time. For Somalis, almost all of whom are Muslims, Donald Trump’s rise is terrifying with his talk of banning Muslims and saying, “Islam is at war with us.”
Garissa Tops List Of 10 Most Corrupt Counties
16 March – Source: The Star – 399 Words
Eighty-one per cent of respondents in a survey by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission stated that corruption, poor service delivery, tribalism, shoddy implementation of projects and embezzlement of funds are rampant in the counties. Garissa topped the most corrupt county governments followed by Kisii, Nyamira, Narok, Marsabit, Murang’a, Bomet, Nairobi, Kiambu and Homa Bay while public officers in Nandi, Kericho and Machakos were perceived to be the least corrupt.
“Further analysis by county reveals nine out of 10 respondents in Garissa county observed some form of corruption being practised by public officers followed by Kisii (78.99%), Nyamira (75.23%) and Marsabit (71.01%). On the other hand, Nandi (4.95%), Kericho (5.62%) and Machakos (6.86%) recorded the least observations of corrupt practices in public offices,” the National Ethics and Corruption Survey 2015 says. It was followed by Embu, Bomet, Kisii , with Wajir coming as fifth most likely county where officials sought bribes.
In Elgeyo Marakwet for instance, it was noted there is negative ethnicity, where non Keiyos or Marakwets are marginalised by not being favoured in bursaries. A case in point is a Luo man married to a Kamba whose children were denied bursaries yet they were bright. The governor and senator are both from Marakwet so Marakwets are favoured in employment.
Seychelles President And New German Ambassador Discuss Trade And Tourism
16 March – Source: Global Travel Industry News – 383 Words
Seychelles President Michel and Ambassador Frasch shared mutual interests in extending the excellent relations that exist between the two countries in the field of maritime security, particularly in the fight against piracy and the stabilization of Somalia, as well as in trade and tourism. The new Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Seychelles, HE Mrs. Jutta Frasch presented her credentials to President James Michel at State House today.
They also spoke about new avenues of cooperation in aviation, the blue economy, and fisheries among other topics. Ambassador Frasch announced to the national media that there will be a second flight of the charter company, with Condor coming to Seychelles every week beginning in November 2016. She spoke lengthily about the security in the region, which she described as an important part of the cooperation between Germany and Seychelles.
“A very important part of our cooperation is security in the area, and that is the fight against piracy where the EU of which Germany is an important part and the Seychelles has excellent cooperation over the last years. We have this anti-piracy program, EUNAVFOR’s Operation Atalanta, the European mission in the Indian Ocean, and this is a mission which has been very successful. I think security has come back, without security there’s nothing. I understand that Seychelles is an important partner in the state building process of Somalia where Germany is extremely engaged. The insecurity in Somalia one of the causes of migration in Somalia. We have many areas of cooperation; there’s also trade which can be extended; there’s a vast potential for it. Seychelles is going to increase the capacity of the port here in Victoria, and I think German companies could help very well in doing this project which is going to be co-financed by the European Investment Bank. So, I think that there are so many areas that we’re going to work together again,” said Ambassador Frasch.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Puntland Security Minister, Abdi Hirsi Ali (Qarjab) was quick in saying, ‘clandestine networks’ have sponsored Al-Shabaab activities. Who are these networks? Of course, today on March 15, he has pointed accusing fingers at Somalia’s Federal Government (SFG) for bankrolling Al-Shabaab against Puntland, due to the latter’s objection to a new electoral proposal that may hand President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud another term in office over the next four years by year end.”
Reasons Why Puntland Should Confront A Resurgent Al-Shabaab Threat
16 March – Source: Garowe Online – 714 Words
Boatloads of Al-Shabaab fighters arrived in the Indian Ocean town of Garacad on Monday afternoon,marking a serious terror escalation in a more stable region in northeastern Somalia. Puntland government has not so far taken concrete steps to address the fresh concerns gripping coastal communities, except for threats made by Security Minister on Tuesday.
Al-Shabaab militants are merely fugitives, and are trying to take refuge in rough hideouts surrounding Golis Mountain Ranges, where Puntland has battled Al-Shabaab in sporadic clashes since mid-2010. Now, Puntland has a reason to remain alarmed in face of terror seeking to put progress secured in various fronts for over a decade in jeopardy.
UN-backed Somali National Army (SNA) and peacekeepers serving with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have both seemingly proved quite successful in recapturing large chunk of territories spanning across central and southern Somalia. However, the war is far from over in light of broad daylight attacks in volatile Mogadishu. It is easy for Mogadishu-based Federal Government to secure more ground, but neutralizing sleeping cells as well as dismantling deeply embedded terror infrastructures are all far daunting tasks in liberated areas.
“Peterson tries both a traditional Somali breakfast and lunch; after the meal, he even scores a Somali nickname from the restaurant’s clientele.”
Tasting the Best Somali Cuisine in Chicago
16 March – Source: Eater – Video: 7:11 Minutes
Follow Dining on a Dime host Lucas Peterson this week as he heads to an unassuming place on the near north side of Chicago: Mogadishu Somali Restaurant. It’s a spot particularly popular with cab drivers, who flock to Mogadishu for home-cooked East African cuisine every day for lunch.
Due to Somalia’s location on the Horn of Africa and its history as a hub for trade, Somalian food is a mash-up of many different cultures and influences. An injera-like flatbread is a nod to Ethiopian cuisine, but pasta is also common, a remnant of Italy’s imperialist presence on the continent. Basmati rice, milk tea, and camel meat (which was unfortunately not available on the day Peterson visited) are common staples. Peterson tries both a traditional Somali breakfast and lunch; after the meal, he even scores a Somali nickname from the restaurant’s clientele.
TOP TWEETS
@ADirshe: The National Development consultation has opened NOW for Banadir, Middle Shabelle and Hiran in #Mogadishu#Somalia
@mfaethiopia : Michael Keating underlined importance of supporting #Somalia National Army and coordinating operations of #AMISOM
@Bogorad_Olga : #Somalia: NISA warns over #alShabaab‘s plans to stage attacks against key seaports, incl in #Mogadishu& Bosaso http://goobjoog.com/english/?
@Sh_Garjeex : Some suggest AS/IS assault on #Puntlandprelude to send @amisomsomalia to the region. Currently#AMISOM confined to south/central #Somalia
@4CAConsulting : #Cholera outbreak in Middle Shabelle, Southern #Somalia kills 8 children. https://horseedmedia.net/
@AU_PSD : Comm. @AU_Chergui today held consultations with @EUtoAU Amb. Gary Quince on #Somalia & other areas of cooperation.
@Zoe_Flood : And in Garissa, gateway county to #Somalia, 9/10 observed some kind of corruption by public officials-EACC survey: http://www.the-star.co.ke/
@AfricanNewsbot :Attacker at military recruiting centre said higher power drove him – The Globe and Mail: The …http://bit.ly/22jaNrC #africa #somalia
@AnankeGroup : #Somalia – 3 Jubaland soldiers killed and others injured in early morning #AlShabaab ambush in#Afmadow
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Prime Ministers of Somalia and Italy in a meeting on a bussines forum on Somalia
Photo: @Abdisalamato