March 18, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Suicide car bomber targets AMISOM convoy

17 Mar- Source: Radio Dalsan- 124 words

A suicide car bomber has targeted a convoy belonging to AMISOM forces outside Mogadishu, locals told Radio Dalsan. A suicide car driver targeted the convoy heading to their base near Arbiska area, 25km outside Mogadishu on the main Afgoye corridor. Al Shabaab militant group claimed the attack, saying they have killed soldiers of AMISOM. But a spokesman for African Union Mission in Somalia Colonel Ali Aden Houmed has said they AMISOM forces shot dead the suicide car driver before it exploded. “There were no any human casualties at all,” he added. Somalia National Army backed by the African Union Forces took at least seven district from al Shabab in the past weeks in an operation in the south and central regions of the country.

Key Headlines

Ministers visit liberated town of Hudur (Office of the Prime Minister)
Senior Puntland forces commander killed in IED attack near Bossaso( Radio Dalsan)
Suicide car bomber targets AMISOM convoy( Radio Dalsan)
4 African peacekeepers killed in Mogadishu attack (Anatolia News Agency)
Puntland Court sentences alleged al Shabaab members to 20 years jail (Horseed Media)
Banadir regional governor appoints new spokesman (Radio Goob jooge)
Gunmen kill local government official in Mogadishu (Radio Shabelle)
Somalia car bomb targets African Union convoy (Al Jazeera)

PRESS STATEMENT

Ministers visit liberated town of Hudur

17 Mar- Source: Office of the Prime Minister- 288 words
Following the liberation of eight key towns from al Shabaab by the Somali National Army with support from AMISOM, ministers Monday visited the newly liberated areas to access the needs of the people.
Minister of Defence, Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Hamud, and the Interior Minister, Abdullahi Godah Barre, today visited Hudur town to access the needs of the area and the roll out of government stabilisation plans. In the short-term there is an urgent need for humanitarian assistance, specifically food and water, and in the longer-term the rebuilding of local infrastructure.
Up to three million people live in the districts and regions impacted by ongoing military operations and government stabilisation plans are now being implemented to support and revive local services.
Minister of Defence, Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Hamud: “I want to thank and praise the bravery of the Somali National Army and our AMISOM brothers in liberating Hudur and vast amounts of people and territory in the last two weeks. They have freed these people from the horrors and oppression of life under al Shabaab.
“We had a very warm welcome from over 2,000 people here in Hudur today, where we carried out an assessment of the security and humanitarian situation on the ground.
“Like all of us the people of Hudur demands are basic – they want their local institutions to be up and running again and infrastructure rebuilt. But right now there is a critical need for food aid to be delivered to towns liberated from al Shabaab. Government stabilisation plans are already being rolled out to deliver local infrastructure and revive local services.
“Al-Shabaab is on the run and we will keep pursuing them until they have nowhere left to hide in Somalia.”

SOMALI MEDIA

Senior Puntland forces commander killed in IED attack near Bossaso

17 Mar- Source: Radio Garowe/Radio Dalsan – 118 words
The commander of Puntland Defense Forces units operating in Galgala area in Somalia’s northeastern State of Puntland Col. Jama Mohamed Afgaduud has been killed in Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack near the port city of Bosaso on Monday afternoon. According to witnesses, late Jama was in armored fighting vehicle when the roadside IED targeted his car in Laag area which lies about 27km from Bossaso. The defense forces commander sustained injuries to the upper part of his body, with Puntland government officials confirming him dead at Bossaso General Hospital: “Col. Jama was targeted with roadside explosion and he has died of injuries to the upper part of his body,” said a government official who asked to remain anonymous.

Suicide car bomber targets AMISOM convoy

17 Mar- Source: Radio Dalsan- 124 words

Puntland Court sentences alleged al Shabaab members to 20 years jail

17 Mar- Source: Horseed Media- 142 words

A military court in Puntland has on Monday sentenced eight men alleged of being linked to the Islamist militant group al Shabaab. Court prosecutor Abdikarim Hassan Firdhiye told reporters that they were involved in terror acts and were found of guilty of being part of the al Qaeda-linked group and were sentenced to 20 years of prison each. The senior court official declined to give more details of the suspects. Last year, Puntland executed 13 suspected al Shabaab members including a woman, after the military court found them guilty of orchestrating an assassination of a famous scholar Dr Ahmed Haji Abdirahman. But al Shabaab denied that none of them was part of the group. This latest sentences comes as the semi-autonomous region has tightened its security amid of the on-going al Shabaab offensives in Southern Somalia and concerned of the militants to flee to the stable region.

Banadir regional governor appoints new spokesman

17 Mar- Source: Radio Goobjoog- 61 words

The governor of Banadir region and Mogadishu mayor Hassan Mohamed Hussein appointed new spokesman for Banadir region to replace the former spokesman of the region Mohamed Yusuf. The governor appointed Abdi Basid Mohamed Abdirahman as the new governor of Banadir region. The president of the federal government of Somalia appointed some deputies of Banadir regional administration on 10th of this month.

Gunmen kill local government official in Mogadishu

17 Mar- Source: Radio Shabelle- 107 words

According to locals in the Shibis district of the Benadir region that confirmed to Radio Shabelle in Mogadishu, it was reported that a man working for the Government Municipality was killed a the ‘Maana Boolyo’ market. The man was shot by armed men with guns who immediately fled the scene of the crime. Contact we have established with the Shibis district administration of the Somali Government told us that they are investigating and pursuing those responsible for the death of the innocent man. Mogadishu has recently seen a surge in attacks targeting individuals and preventing the safety of the city.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenya: Mombasa police foil night terror attack, arrest two suspects, military called in

17 Mar- Source: Standard Media/Capital FM- 152 words

Mombasa is on high alert after the Police intercepted a vehicle carrying two Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) at Changamwe in an operation that saw the arrest of two suspected terrorists. Mombasa County Commander Robert Kitur said two suspects a Kenyan and one of Somali origin that police term as “key terror suspects” were also arrested. Following the Monday night incident Mombasa police headquarters was cordoned off and military in armoured vehicles called in as all police officers at the station including those on duty were told to vacate. Police source told the Standard that the explosive were connected to the mobile phone and had been powered by a car battery. “Yes we have arrested two suspects with IEDs and the explosives are two in number. We got the information after the suspects communicated with their colleagues in Somalia,” said Kitur.

Somalia car bomb targets African Union convoy

17 Mar- Source: Al Jazeera English- 313 words
A convoy of the African Union’s (AU) AMISOM force has been targeted by a car bomb just outside the Somali capital, witnesses and a Somali army source have said, though it was not immediately clear if there were any casualties. A spokesman for al Shabaab told the AFP news agency that the group carried out Monday’s attack, saying it killed seven people, including three foreigners. The attack took place near a checkpoint on the road linking Mogadishu and the town of Afgoye, “where a suicide bomber rammed his car into an AMISOM convoy,” witness Abdulahi Mohamed said.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

4 African peacekeepers killed in Mogadishu attack

17 Mar- Source: Anatolia News Agency -131 words

At least four African peacekeepers were killed Monday in a car bombing in Somali capital Mogadishu, a security source said. An explosives-laden car exploded at a convoy of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) 30km south of Mogadishu, the source told Anadolu Agency. The militant al Shabaab group claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, the al Qaeda-linked group said that a bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into the convoy, killing seven peacekeepers and three American officers. The statement, however, gave no further details. There was no comment from either the Somali government or AMISOM.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“The EU Children of Peace initiative is supporting education and protection activities for children affected by conflict through the creation of SSCs. These latter provide psychosocial support in view of children’s reintegration into an educational system, vital to reverse vulnerabilities and provide sustainable protection against external threats. Altogether, the project is intended to reach some 24 000 children.”

EU Children of PEACE in Somalia: Safyia goes to school

17 Mar- Source: Europa Blog-429 Words
By the age of 14, Safyia had never attended school. She used to work for a wealthy family in Mogadishu, to support her underprivileged family. Safyia’s father is unemployed and her mother struggles to earn enough to provide for her family. One day, Safyia was accused by the “employer” family for having stolen jewellery. For that, she was first mistreated, insulted and finally severely beaten. This called the attention of Hamda, a nearby neighbour Community Case Worker (CCW) of the Cesvi organisation, who immediately intervened and provided assistance to the traumatised girl. Safyia was referred to a hospital where she was provided with emotional support during all the extensive medical treatment process. The Cesvi CCW accompanied Safyia back home and relayed the situation to her parents. During this time, Hamda also inquired about the reasons behind sending their daughter to work, rather than to school. While Safyia’s parents were informed of the risks they were exposing their daughter to and the consequences on her mental and physical health, they were also reminded of their role in protecting their child and ensuring her rights.