March 16, 2016 | Morning Headlines

Main Story

AU Special Envoy For Somalia Calls For Joint Efforts In The Fight Against Al Shabaab

15 March – Source: AMISOM – 637 Words

The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira today said the Somali public must work closely with the country’s security forces and AMISOM, if the war against the Al-Shabaab is to be won.

Speaking at the monthly media briefing, held in Mogadishu, Ambassador Francisco Madeira, who is also the Head of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), urged the public to play its part in denouncing Al Shabaab and volunteering crucial information on the group’s activities to Somali security forces: “What we need to do is to increase our capacity to seal our communities, our villages and transform ourselves to be soldiers of our communities,” Ambassador Madeira noted, adding that the involvement of the public is crucial in winning the fight against terrorism.

“AMISOM will fight with guns. You will fight with information. If you fight with information, these people will have nowhere to hide and if they do not hide, SNA (Somali National Army) will come and arrest them and your place will be a better place to live in,” he said. The SRCC reiterated that Al Shabaab still poses a major threat to the country’s progress in achieving peace and security.

The briefing was attended by the Deputy SRCC, Lydia Wanyoto; the Acting Force Commander Maj. Gen. Nakibus Lakara and the AMISOM Police Commissioner, Anand Pillay. The function was organized to inform the public on the status of AMISOM’s activities and achievement made so far in the fight against Al Shabaab to help secure peace and stability. The SRCC denied allegations that AMISOM was on the back foot and had halted offensive operations against the militants, stressing that the agenda to defeat terrorists was still on course.

“We cannot stop the war against these people (Al-Shabaab) and we have never stopped because they are now engaged in asymmetric warfare. We need to adjust all the time. We need to adjust on the battle front and on the main supply routes because the enemy is treacherous,” he said, emphasizing that AMISOM had to make adjustments in its tactics since Al Shabaab was now using local residents as human shields.

“We need to be able to attack the enemy without affecting the population. The enemy has no values, has no respect for human rights, has no respect for dignity and most importantly; no respect for international humanitarian law,” Ambassador Madeira explained. The SRCC enumerated the achievements made by AMISOM and SNA in the recent past, citing the liberation of more towns from the grip of Al Shabaab militants in Middle Shabelle region. The gains, he observed, had helped in opening up more supply routes, in line with the Mission’s overall strategic objective of significantly degrading the enemy.

He urged the international community to increase aid to Somalia, lauding the recent decision by the heads of state from troop contributing countries to enhance support to AMISOM and the Somali National Army, and the renewed interest in the country at the recent High- Level Partnership Forum in Istanbul, Turkey. On the political front, the SRCC said AMISOM was working closely with the Federal Government of Somalia to ensure an enabling environment for the forthcoming elections, scheduled to take place later this year. He commended the progress so far made in the state formation process.

Key Headlines

AU Special Envoy For Somalia Calls For Joint Efforts In The Fight Against Al Shabaab (AMISOM)
Al-Shabaab Commander Killed In Raid In Lower Jubba (Goobjoog News)
Al Shabaab Kidnaps 3 Aid Workers In Gedo Region (Shabelle News)
Puntland VP Holds Emergency Security Meeting (Garowe Online)
Insects Destroy Vegetable Farms In Hiiraan (Goobjoog News)
Somalia’s Al-Shabaab Pull Out From Puntland Port Minister Says (Bloomberg)
Student Claims He Suffered Racial Abuse By Police Had No Option But To Admit To Charges (Independent Online)
Fighting Terrorism With A Lean Purse (National Mirror)

NATIONAL MEDIA

Al-Shabaab Commander Killed In Raid In Lower Jubba

15 March – Source: Goobjoog News – 112 Words

An Al Shabaab commander and ten other militants were killed in security operations by Jubbalnd forces in Lower Jubba region, officials have reported. The spokesman of Jubbaland security forces, Ahmed Mohamud Mohamed, said that Jubbaland forces launched the raid against Al Shabab fighters in Shandarmood village in the outskirt of Kismayo town. Bashiir Garweyne, commander of the Al Shabaab operations in Jubbaland regions, was killed along with 10 of his aides in the attack: “Most of the terrorists killed in the raid on the camp were Somali nationals,” said the spokesman. Al Shabaab, an Islamic extremist group, is responsible for numerous attacks in East Africa, particularly in Kenya.

Al Shabaab Kidnaps 3 Aid Workers In Gedo Region

15 March – Source: Shabelle News – 155 Words

Members of the Al Qaeda-affiliated Al shabaab on Tuesdayevening abducted three humanitarian workers at a village near the town of Bardere in Somalia’s south-western Gedo region. The aid workers who are working for the Red Crescent Societies were kidnapped by armed Al Shabaab fighters from Sidimo village, 50 kilometers west of Bardere town which is under Somali National Army (SNA) and AMISOM control.

A Red Crescent Societies staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed the identity of the abducted aid workers (names withheld), who serve as the organization’s head of the health operation in Gedo and deputy head: “The Red Crescent Societies staff have been kidnapped after the car they were travelling in came under Al Shabaab attack at Sidimo area while on their way to El Wak town,” said the source. By the time of going to the press, the Al Shabaab had not issued a statement on the abduction.

Puntland VP Holds Emergency Security Meeting

15 March – Source: Garowe Online – 129 Words

Puntland Vice President Abdihakin Abdullahi Haji Omar has met top security officials in wake of Al Shabaab’s seizure of Garacad coastal town, Garowe Online reports. The meeting at the State House on Tuesday sought avenues to confront the militants. On Monday afternoon, militants in boats disembarked in the Indian Ocean town of Garacad in a surprise offensive. Puntland Mudug Governor Hassan Khalif Mohamed confirmed the fall of Garacad during an interview with Puntland-based independent station, Radio Garowe. Residents sighted foreigners, who said they will stay in the coastal town for six days. Telecommunication lines have been disrupted in the area by Al Shabaab.

Insects Destroy Vegetable Farms In Hiiraan

15 March – Source: Goobjoog News – 313 Words

Vegetable production on farms around Beledweyne, the main town in Hiran region, has been badly affected by plagues of insects over the past two months. Farmers along the banks of the river Shabelle would normally expect to be selling their produce in the markets by this time are now counting their losses.

The area is experiencing a shortage of vegetables, with prices extremely high as a result. Beledweyne normally exports surplus vegetables surplus for sale in Galgadud, Mudug, Bari and Nugal regions as well as the northern regions. In Qura’ley, six kilometers from Beledweyne, vegetable farmers like Maylun Mohamed Heyle have made huge losses. She said that she and two other women jointly own a roughly half acre plot that was invaded by various insects. She estimated their losses to around $10,000. The only thing she could salvage from the farm, she said, was the machine used for irrigation.

“We won’t be able to plant anything else on our land until we get a proper solution for these marauding insects,” she said.” Nur Abdi was somewhat luckier as he managed to harvest some watermelons, onions and bell peppers from a small section of his farm, although crops on the largest part were destroyed. “I owe people the money I borrowed to buy fuel for irrigation and I can’t pay it back,” he lamented. Mohamed Jimaale was expecting to harvest 50 bags of sesame and watermelon from his farm in Garaash, 18 km from Beledweyne. However, the watermelons were all destroyed by insects and he could only harvest two bags of sesame.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somalia’s Al-Shabaab Pull Out From Puntland Port, Minister Says

15 March – Source: Bloomberg – 80 Words

Somali Islamist militants briefly held a port town in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland before withdrawing early Tuesday, a local government minister said. Al-Shabaab fighters arrived by boat and took control of Gara’ad late Monday, Security Minister Abdi Herfi told reporters in Puntland’s regional capital, Garowe. Government forces are now in control of the settlement, he said. Puntland has avoided most of the violence carried out by Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked group that has waged an insurgency in Somalia since 2006.

Student Claims He Suffered Racial Abuse By Police, Had No Option But To Admit To Charges

15 March – Source: Independent Online – 318 Words

A 24-year-old Somali student who claimed he was manhandled by police officers in an incident he claims was racially motivated said he had no choice but to admit to charges brought against him because if he pleaded not guilty he risked being held in Malta. Suleyman Omar Ahmed was charged with threatening officers, disobeying orders, breaching the peace and being drunk in public.

Sources said Mr Ahmed was at a Paceville club with some friends early this morning. At one point he went out to withdraw money but the bouncers would not let him back in when he returned. Mr Ahmed claimed he was manhandled by the police when they showed up and was taken to the St Julian’s police station. He claims that there was racial motivation behind the behaviour shown towards him. The man said he was arrested again when he passed some remarks at the police officers who took him back to his hotel after his release.

Lawyer Leontine Calleja said her client was pleading not guilty. She said it was true that her client had passed some ‘stupid’ comments but the court should take into consideration that he had been “surrounded by three people and beaten up.” She asked the court to hear the details of the case but Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona said he could not hear any witnesses if the accused was pleading not guilty. The case would have to be transferred to another magistrate.

Inspector Trevor Micallef, prosecuting, said bail should be denied because the accused was due to leave the country on Thursday. After consulting with the accused, the Dr Calleja said Mr Ahmed had no option but to admit to the charges, as he would have to remain in Malta if he did and there was a possibility that bail would not be granted. Mr Ahmed was slapped with an €800 fine and was conditionally discharged for six months.

OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE

“Improved budgetary allocations to the military and joint military actions against terror without corresponding support of the “civilian sector” will just be as futile as pouring water into basket” — Olalekan Adegun

Fighting Terrorism With A Lean Purse

16 March – Source: National Mirror – 893 Words

Apart from those who witnessed the Mallam Muhammadu Maitasine riots in the 1980s, many would have beaten their chests that terrorism cannot be an issue in Nigeria as we know it today. These people have obvious reasons to support their optimism. But it is no longer news that terrorism is now one of the main issues in African politics.

The terrorists did their very worst in early 2015 attacking Garissa University in Kenya leaving 148 innocent students dead in the process. The Somalia-based Al-Shabaab terrorist group that claimed responsibility for the attack has grown even bolder and more daring than ever. Boko Haram has constituted itself into a regular menace in Nigeria’s north eastern region, gaining notoriety for the death of tens of thousands and injuring more others.

The activities of Islamic State (ISIS) have convinced the world of the reality of the threat it poses on Africa. The question then is how to fight terrorism! The threat of terrorism is one that transcends any conventional solution. The military option alone cannot win the war against terror, in this case Boko Haram. Supply of Western arms has proven to be useless as the rise of ISIS attests to.

Improved budgetary allocations to the military and joint military actions against terror without corresponding support of the “civilian sector” will just be as futile as pouring water into basket. As hard as this may sound, it is true. What we must understand is that funds allocated to fight terror more often than not find their way into private pockets as the #DasukiGate has proven in Nigeria.

If they are not siphoned, they often turn out not to be enough, no matter the face value of the currency. If it were for huge allocations, the United States will not be spending millions maintaining their soldiers in Afghanistan fighting a lost war against the Talibans. What about the Vietnam debacle in the 1960s? If we are truly serious about winning the war against Boko Haram and other terrorists or sustaining such victory, there is need for a strong civilian component in the fight.