March 2, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

AMISOM repulses al Shabaab attack, moves to capture Maslah

02 Mar – Source: AMISOM Force HQ – 168 words

Somali National Forces with the support of AMISOM troops in Mogadishu have this morning launched an operation in response to attacks by the terror group al Shabaab originating from their base in the northern fringes of the Somali capital.

The operation involves AMISOM’s Uganda Contingent and aims to push the al Shabaab out of Maslah -a depopulated neighbourhood in the north. It will extend the city’s defenses and deny the al Qaeda backed terrorists important ground from which they have been targeting the city’s population.

“This operation is necessary to consolidate the security of Mogadishu. It will make it possible for the civilians to return to their homes and resume their normal lives. I urge every peace loving Somali to give maximum cooperation towards this cause for peace,” said AMISOM Force Commander, Maj. Gen. Fred Mugisha. The move comes barely two weeks after a similar push to the south saw the security cordon around the city expanded further outwards. An update will be given as the operation progresses.

Key Headlines

AMISOM repulses al Shabaab attack moves to capture Maslah (AMISOM Force HQ)
Somalia AU Troops Attack al Shabaab Bases in Mogadishu (Radio KulmiyeVOA)
AMISOM Captures Maslah North of Mogadishu (Radio Bar-kulan)
Al Shabaab arrest businessmen elders in Afmadow town ( Shabelle)
Al Shabaab demolishes building in KM13 (Somalia Report Radio Mogadishu)
Radio Bar-kulan celebrates Second Anniversary (Radio Bar-kulan)
Shabelle Valley militia displays dead bodies of al Shabaab fighters ( Shabelle)
Galmudug authority accuses al Shabaab of instigating insecurity ( Radio Kulmiye)
Kenya and Ethiopia appeal for sustainable peace in Somalia (Coast Week Xinhua)
AU troops attack al Shabaab positions in Mogadishu (AFP Yahoo News VOA)
Kenya police: Wanted UK woman part of terror cell (AP)

PRESS RELEASE

AMISOM repulses al Shabaab attack, moves to capture Maslah

02 Mar – Source: AMISOM Force HQ – 168 words

The Somali Government Condemns Murder of former director of Radio Somaliweyn

01 Mar – Source: TFG – 134 words

The Somali government strongly condemns the assassination of Mr. Abukar Hassan Kadaf the former Director of Radio Somaliweyn on Tuesday evening. Mr. Abukar was killed by two men in front of his home and died instantly.

Mr. Abukar’s radio station was attacked and looted by al Shabaab (the al Qaeda sponsored terrorists) in 2010. The Acting Minister of Information, Posts and Telecommunications, H.E. Abdullahi Bille Noor, in a statement to the press said today,” Mr. Abukar is the latest victim of the Al Shabaab campaign to intimidate and murder journalist, media house owners and executives that has been going on since their reign of terror on the Somali people started.”

“On behalf of the Transitional Federal Government, I am sending my condolences to the family and the friends of Mr. Abukar; may God bless him.” The minster concluded.

SOMALI MEDIA

Somalia, AU Troops Attack al Shabaab Bases in Mogadishu

02 Feb – Source: Radio Kulmiye, VOA – 147 words

Somali forces backed by African Union troops have begun an operation against al Shabaab rebels in northern Mogadishu. The African Union Mission in Somalia said the operation launched early Friday is meant to clear al Shabaab fighters from the northern fringes of the Somali capital, from where the militants have been able to stage several recent attacks.

The move comes two weeks after TFG forces backed by the Ethiopian troops delivered a major defeat to al Shabaab, forcing the fighters out of Baidoa, the country’s third largest city, which was considered an important rebel stronghold. Last month, al Qaeda announced a formal alliance with al Shabaab, though the groups are thought to have had informal ties for several years.

AMISOM Captures Maslah, North of Mogadishu

02 Feb – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 138 words

The spokeman added that the operation was aimed at pushing al Shabaab out of Maslah, a depopulated neighbouhood in the north. Meanwhile, Commander of Somali National forces,Gen. Abdikarim Yussuf Deqobadan confirmed to Bar-Kulan his forces in support with AMISOM fighters have captured Maslah military base after the press release.

Maslah was a former military base during Siyad Bare’s regime where al Shabaab militias were recently staying before this new capture. Gen.Abdikarim told bar-kulan they are now staying in Maslah and vowed to wipe-out al Shabaab militias operating areas surrounding Mogadishu capital.

Al Shabaab arrest businessmen, elders in Afmadow town

02 Mar – Source: Shabelle – 127 words

Reports from the southern Somalia town of Afmadow in Lower Jubba region say on Friday the militants, al Shabaab have arrested dozens of business people and local elders over TFG connection allegations.

Witnesses say fighters from al Shabaab have taken the arrested into custody in Afmadow town. The arrested people include 6 locals and elders whom they accuse of having links with Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government TFG and Kenyan army in the region. Some relatives of the detainees confirmed to Shabelle Mediathat their beloved ones were arrested by al Shabaab this morning because they say the arrested have no idea about the charges against them.

Al Shabaab demolishes building in KM13

01 Feb – Source: Somalia Report, Radio Mogadishu – 251 words

On Wednesday afternoon al Shabaab insurgents completely demolished the largest building in the KM13 neighborhood on the outskirts of Mogadishu. According to the local residents, the insurgents feared that the building, which was owned by a prominent local businessman, would become a base for the rapidly advancing African Union Peacekeepers (AMISOM) and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces. AMISOMand TFG troops are poised to seize the building after having taken Maslah Building and Sarkusta last month.

On Wednesday morning the insurgents removed all valuable equipment from the building, which they had forcibly taken over from its owner two years ago. “They set explosive charges at 2:00pm (1100 GMT) and told people not to come near the building, but it didn’t explode the way they wanted. So they came back at 11:00pm (2000 GMT) with other explosives, which brought the building crashing down,” Fahiyo Dahir Mohamud, a KM13 resident, told Somalia Report.

A relative of the building’s owner described the action as an “act of enmity,” mentioning that two years ago the building was taken from his family forcibly and the property looted. “Over the last two years the building was not in our hands. Yesterday, after they took the tractors and the machines and everything which was worth anything, they destroyed the building. We can’t understand the reason,” he told the local media.

Shabelle Valley militia displays dead bodies of al Shabaab fighters

01 Mar – Source: Shabelle – 118 words

The administration of Shabelle Valley (SV) in the central Somalia town of Beledweyne, about 350 Km away north of Mogadishu has on Thursday displayed at least seven dead bodies of al Shabaab militants that have been killed in the latest battles in the region, officials say.

Mohamud Noor Ago-jof, the Information Minister of Shabelle Valley displayed to the reporters in Beledweyne town the corpses that he said were left behind by al Shabaab during a combat near the town on Wednesday. Al Shabaab militants staged attacks against TFG and Ethiopian forces in Beledweyn town since they were pushed back by the end of last year 2011.

Radio Bar-kulan celebrates Second Anniversary

02 Feb – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 126 words

Last night Radio Bar-kulan celebrated its second anniversary in Nairobi and congratulates the Somali community for participating in its activities for the last two years. Radio Bar-kulan is a public Service radio station broadcasting non-partisan news, Information, Culture, Entertainment and Development programmes to Somalia and the Somali Diaspora.

Bar-kulan as a media station has been working for the Somali people for the last two years through participation in peace ,Youth and Health issues by hosting different programs touching all these topics.www.bar-kulan.com website updates listeners with 24hours news both in Somali and English from Mogadishu to Minneapolis. The English language section of the website extends services to the non-Somali speaking audience. The station has yesterday entered its third year of broadcasting news for the Somali people.

Galmudug authority accuses al Shabaab of instigating insecurity

02 Feb – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 107 words

Officials of Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Galmudug have expressed great concerns over increasing insecurity which is threatening the stability in their region. Authorities say cases of planned killings, kidnapping of the foreigners, and also targeted attacks have become rampant in the region, accusing al Shabaab fighters, who recently joined al Qaeda to dismantle the governments and authorities in Somalia.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenya and Ethiopia appeal for sustainable peace in Somalia

02 Feb – Source: Coast Week, Xinhua – 493 words

Kenya and Ethiopia on Thursday appealed to the Somali leaders to resolve theirexisting political differences amicably for the sake of their country. Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and visiting Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said in a jointstatement issued after a bilateral meeting in Nairobi that sustainable peace and political stabilityin their country will only be achieved if the leaders resolve their disputes peaceful.

“The two leaders noted with appreciation that the ongoing operations by the Kenya DefenseForces jointly with their Ethiopian and Somali counterparts to diminish the threat posed by al Shabaab insurgents is paying off,” said the communique which was read by Kenya’s Ministerfor Foreign Affairs Moses Wetangula after fruitful bilateral talks in Nairobi.

Kenya sent troops and tanks to Somalia mid last October to crackdown on members of al Shabaab blamed for a series of terror attacks on its territory. The Kenyan troops have so far driven out al Shabaab fighters from several command bases near the border in a joint operation with Somali soldiers. Kenya has said it will hunt the fighters they accuse of being behind several recent kidnappings of foreigners.

Ethiopian Prime Minister dubs Kenya strong partner

01 Mar – Source: Ethiopian News Agency – 367 words

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Kenya is strong partner. The premier , who is on the two-day official visit to Kenya, said Kenya is a key partner in economic and social cooperation in which he said Ethiopia seeks to further revamp its relation.

He said Ethiopia is closely working with Ethiopia in the fight against terrorism, according to the spokesperson of the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The premier said the ongoing infrastructure connection between the two countries would further enhance their ties to the higher level.

Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki on his part said the infrastructure development carried out in partnership with the Ethiopian government would help the two countries to harness their potentials. He said his government would extend support for Ethiopia in its efforts in ensuring peace and stability in Somalia and Sudan.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

AU troops attack al Shabaab positions in Mogadishu

02 Feb – Source: AFP, Yahoo News, VOA – 419 words

African Union-backed Somali government forces attacked Islamist al Shabaab rebel posts on the outskirts of the war-torn capitalMogadishu with tanks and artillery Tuesday, officials and witness said. Burundian troops with the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) launched a pre-dawn attack against holdout positions of the al Qaeda allied al Shabaab, to secure a key road leading from anarchic Mogadishu to the rebel-held town of Afgoye.

“Somalia’s army and AMISOM troops advanced on new locations in the Afgoye corridor, they have taken bases there and will continue moving towards Afgoye,” said Mohamed Anole, a Somali security official. “The al Qaeda militants started to fight back, but they were defeated and ran away after a brief exchange of gunfire.”

On Sunday, AMISOM Deputy Commander Audace Nduwumunsi told AFP that the force would soon attack Afgoye, some 30 kilometres (19 miles) northwest of Mogadishu, which is home to around 400,000 displaced people.

Kenya police: Wanted UK woman part of terror cell

01 Feb – Source: AP – 664 words

Kenyan police are hunting for a British woman who has been using the identity of the widow of one of the suicide bombers who attacked London’s transport system, an official said Thursday. Police suspect that she is fundraising for a terrorist group, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

The suspect has been using a number of identities, including those of Samantha Lewthwaite and Natalie Faye Webb, the official said. Lewthwaite is the widow of Jermaine Lindsay, one of the suicide bombers who killed 52 commuters in multiple bombings of London’s transport system on July 7, 2005. British newspapers report that Faye Webb is the victim of identity theft.

The official said he cannot confirm if the woman is Lewthwaite herself. Police are working closely with Scotland Yard on the case, he said. Lewthwaite’s father, a builder from the town of Aylesbury near London, said that he and the wider family had not heard “for some time” from his daughter. “I just wish she would get in touch with us,” Andy Lewthwaite, 57, told The Sun newspaper. “Samantha would not be involved in anything to do with terrorism. She was badly affected by what happened before and would have nothing to do with it. I am sure of that.”

The police official said the woman is suspected to be part of a cell that had been planning to bomb the Kenyan coast in December in retaliation for the Kenyan military incursion into Somalia. Kenya sent troops across the border in October after a series of attacks by Somali gunmen on Kenyan soil. The Kenyan government blamed the attacks on the al Qaeda-affiliated Somali militant group al Shabaab.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“With improved prospects for political and military stabilization, the development space is opening up in Somalia. But success will depend largely on a better understanding of Somalia’s economy –including its regional characteristics- and the political ramifications of aid.”

Stabilizing Somalia – the development moment

01 Mar – Source: World Bank Blog – 561 Words

The gathering of world leaders in London last week to consider the fate of Somalia may be heralding a new development moment for the war-torn country. But we are in unchartered waters: we know very little about Somalia’s economy.

First, from a development viewpoint, there is no such thing as one Somalia. Ironically, the unrecognized Somaliland entity [see the Somaliland success story in “Yes Africa Can” ] has enjoyed stability and democratic governance, pursuing classic development interventions (service delivery through the state, infrastructure investment, capacity building …). [In addition, Somaliland appears to have very good statistics.]

“The Garowe Somalia political faction members are already politically posturing themselves in capturing the Somalia political bull by the horns. This faction is now on the move in making a favourable arrangement for their political future through misinformation campaigns and deceptive manoeuvres both locally and internationally.” “God forbid, if the Garowe group get their own way to Somalia’s political power after August, 2012, then the Somalia people and the international community must prepare themselves and expect no change in Somalia’s disastrous status quo.”

The London Conference on Somalia: The next step

02 Mar – Source: Somaliland Press – 808 Words

The Somaliland people are grateful to the UK government for organizing the triumphant London conference on Somalia. We appreciate and applaud wholeheartedly the great hard work and resources put into that conference. Prime Minister Mr. David Cameron, foreign minister Mr. William Hague and the minister for international Development Mr. Andrew Mitchell did not only bring the international leaders together, but have also shown their humanitarian and diplomatic conscientiousness to tackle Somalia’s chronic blight.

“Somalia’s future remains uncertain. The next six months will see contentious jockeying for power and intense international pressure. Nonetheless, the prospect of stability may be inching nearer for a country whose recent past has seen little but abject desperation and chaos.”

A Window of Opportunity for Somalia

01 Mar – Source: World Politics Review – 987 Words

When U.N. peacekeepers withdrew from Somalia in early 1995, a brief era of concerted international pressure aimed at bringing stability to the embattled Horn of Africa nation ended in defeat. The U.N. mandate to restore law and order in the Somali capital failed dismally: A shattered Mogadishu was abandoned, and prevailing wisdom deemed the country too difficult a challenge.

Today, Somalia remains the globe’s archetypal “failed state,” plagued by pervasive poverty and endemic lawlessness. But faint glimmers of hope are now emerging. As Somalia prepares to draft a new constitution and end its period of transitional governance, indicators on the ground suggest the best prospects for peace in years, even as international confidence in a resolution to the country’s crisis appears at its highest.

Story of Somali Environmentalist and Social Humanitarian Activist

01 Mar – Source: Soobaxblog

Heard of Somali environmentalist and humanitarian Fatima Jibrell? Fatima is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Horn of Africa Relief and Development Organization and co-founder of Sun Fire Cooking. She was also instrumental in the creation of the Women’s Coalition for Peace. Daughter of a Somali merchant marine and wife to a diplomat, Fatima was educated in Syria and the United States with degrees in Social Work and English. Through her work, she continues to tirelessly work on issues affecting Somalia. For her efforts, she was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2002, the largest award for grass-roots environmentalists.

Top tweets

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@ferigom69 Life in Bosaso. Locals worry about piracy, electricityl, militias and PMCs. goo.gl/kHWx5 #somalia

@ferigom69 Saracen in Puntland: On the slippery trail of military deals. goo.gl/HnMSs #somalia

@SomaliaUnite Why does the TFG want to exchange oil for aid when the ca have politicall leverage the whole point of oil is2get rid of poverty&aid #somalia

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Image of the day

Image of the day An exhibition of Traditional Somali Cultural Artifacts, held at East Africa University in Bosaso, the commercial capital of Puntland.