March 23, 2015 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

At Least Ten, Many Of Them Children, Die Of Thirst In Southern Somalia

22 March – Source: RBC Radio – 112 Words

Scores are reported to have died due to water shortages in southern Somalia region, RBC has learned. At least ten people, many of them children, died of thirst in Yaqley village in Middle Shabelle after prolonged water shortages. Villages including Yaqley have been facing severe water shortages and droughts over the last couple of months due to reduced rainfall in the region and lack of water wells in the villages according to traditional elders. Locals have appealed to the Somali Federal Government and aid agencies to address the water shortages and the other crises in the region.

Key Headlines

At Least Ten Many Of Them Children Die Of Thirst In Southern Somalia (RBC Radio)
Somali Pirates Shifting Location Towards India: Manohar Parrikar (Goobjoog News)
Bulla Burte Residents Welcome Military Operations (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Deadly Clan Violence Leaves Over 10 Dead In Somalia (Horseed Media)
Somali Militants Execute ‘Ethiopia Spy’ (Hiiraan Online)
Kenya Begins To Construct Wall Along Her Border With Somalia Over Terror Attacks (Standard Digital)
Mo Farah Breaks European Half Marathon Record In Lisbon Win (BBC Sports)
Somali Families Gather For Vaccination Education (SC Times)
Somalia Auditor General’s Report To Detail Corruption In Ministries (Reuters)
AMISOM Head Engages With EU Partners And Somali Diaspora (AMISOM)
Somalis use Poetry to Build Peace and Combat Violence (UNSOM)

PRESS STATEMENT

AMISOM Liberates Kuday Island in Kismayo

22 March – Source: AMISOM – 195 Words

Mogadishu, 22 March 2015 – Somalia National Army together with troops of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have liberated the island of Kuday, in Kismayo, in the Lower Juba region, in the latest offensive undertaken against the Al Shabaab in Somalia. Kuday was the remaining Al Shabaab stronghold in the region and has been a key logistical and operational base used to launch attacks in Southern Somalia. It also served as a key point for entry of contraband goods into the area.

The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia Amb. Maman Sidikou has congratulated the troops upon yet another milestone, in ensuring the security of the Somali people. “The town of Kuday is very strategic and its liberation will greatly contribute to improved security in the Lower Juba region. We will continue to pursue Al Shabaab from every corner, until the entire Somalia is pacified,” he said. The adjacent islands of Mdoa and Dagazi are already under the control of the SNA and AMISOM and the fall of Kuday now pushes the enemy from all key ports in the region.

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali Pirates Shifting Location Towards India: Manohar Parrikar

22 March – Source: Goobjoog News – 408 Words

Beaten back in their usual area of operations, Somali pirates are “shifting their location” towards India, but the country is watchful to deal with such threats, Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday said. “Today’s threats are not traditional. Somali pirates, after being neutralised by various countries’ navies, are shifting their locations towards India. Because their (shipping) lanes are heavily guarded, they have moved 30-40 nautical miles, although they still are 450 nautical miles away from India. “They may not be next to India but… We are watchful and careful,” Parrikar said at an international conference on ‘India & the Indian Ocean: Renewing the Maritime Trade & Civilisational Linkages’, organised by the Institute of Social and Cultural Studies (ISCS) jointly with Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS). Calling for greater cooperation between the neighbouring countries, he said, “The Indian Ocean can be an enricher and also a destroyer, hence we should also be prepared for disaster and develop strong relationships and communication with neighbouring countries to avoid any kind of disaster.” Pitching for a creation of a common platform for the Indian Ocean rim region, he further said, “We are in a common grid and are tied to each other.

If India strengthens, being the focal point and located strategically, it can facilitate others.” He also said that India’s strength lies in non- violence, but it can be practised only by those that are strong. Stressing that the Indian Ocean region is “very important for us”, Parrikar pointed out that it “accounts for more than 50% of the world’s oil reserves and more than 45% of the world’s gas reserves”. Somali pirates have been a threat to international shipping in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, especially in the Gulf of Aden, which is a busy route, and have made millions of dollars in ransom by seizing ships. In 2011, there were 439 pirate attacks and 45 merchant vessels hijacked worldwide, of which 237 attacks and 28 hijackings occurred in the Gulf of Aden, off the Somali coast. The Combined Task Force — a multi-national coalition task force — took on the role of fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia by establishing a Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA) within the Gulf of Aden. The increasing threat posed by piracy has been a matter of concern for India since most of its shipping trade routes pass through the Gulf of Aden.

Bulla Burte Residents Welcome Military Operations

22 March – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 101 Words

Residents of Bull Burte in Hiiraan region have welcomed the ongoing military operations by the Somali National army backed by AU peacekeepers aimed at lifting a blockade on the town by Al Shabaab which has hugely affected living conditions in the area. An elder , Muhumed Halane Horow, told Radio Bar-Kulan that they are happy about the ongoing military operation aimed at opening the roads that link Bulla Burte to Beledweyne, and expressed hope that the blockade will soon be lifted.

Deadly Clan Violence Leaves Over 10 Dead In Somalia

21 March – Source: Horseed Media – 185 Words

At least 12 people were killed in a deadly clan-related violence in Central Somalia on Saturday, residents and witnesses confirm. The battle between militias from Hawadle and Surre tribes broke out in Deefow district which is close to Beledweyn district in Central Somalia in the early morning hours of Saturday. Residents and other sources told Horseed Media that at least 12 people died during the fighting, including militias from both clans and injured dozens. Local administrations have been criticized for not intervening in the battle between the clans, and some locals have accused government officials of fuelling the clash. In a recent rare visit to the region by the Presidents of Somalia and Djibouti, elders from both clans pledged to put an end to the violence. The clash between the two rival clans started last year following a land dispute, and while the local elders have been able to mediate, a lasting ceasefire has never been achieved. Other sources claim that the violence is about elective politics, with each clan wanting a dominant role.

Somali Militants Execute ‘Ethiopia Spy’

21 March – Source: Hiiraan Online – 264 Words

The Al-Qaeda linked extremist group in Somalia executed a man for allegedly being a spy for the neighboring Ethiopian government, the latest in series of executions by the group which is trying to extend its shrinking areas of control. Ali Salad Majin, a 20-year old Somali man was executed by firing squad in Galhareri, a rural village in Galgadud region on Friday after an ad-hoc court run by Al-Shabab convicted him of spying for Ethiopia, which has troops fighting against Al-Shabaab in Somalia. A self-proclaimed judge read the verdict at an open ground in the town, as a crowd gathered to watch the execution.

Reading the verdict, the judge declared that the convicted man admitted to all the charges, and immediately sentenced him to death by firing squad. “He admitted all charges, including the responsibility of the killing of many Muslims by Ethiopian troops in Elbur, thus the Islamic court sentenced him to death by firing squad,” he told the crowd, referring to a town in central Somalia. Suspected persons arrested by Al-Shabaab don’t get access to lawyers, prompting outrage from rights groups accusing the group of human rights violations. After the execution, officials from Al-Shabaab warned residents that espionage suspects would meet similar fates. Al-Shabab has carried out multiple executions in Somalia, and officials often accuse the group of executing innocents without evidence for the changes presented against them.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenya Begins To Construct Wall Along Her Border With Somalia Over Terror Attacks

22 March – Source: Standard Digital – 591 Words

Kenya will this week start constructing a wall to separate it from Somalia as part of efforts to contain terror attacks. Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery said the construction will start this week. “Mandera and Bulahawa are almost merged and you cannot tell which is which. Now we want to put a wall at border point one and close the border. That will reduce the porous border entries into our country. We will be starting the construction of the border next week,” said Nkaissery. Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow welcomed the move but argued it is not a long-term solution to the problem in the area. “He is admitting there are terrorists operating there and not bandits as he has been claiming. We hope it will help in containing the problem,” said Kerrow. He added it would be difficult and expensive to construct and man the more than 200 kilometer long wall at the border.

The Senator challenged Nkaissery to come up with long lasting solutions that can help in containing continued attacks. Other officials said the government had transported construction materials to the targeted areas and construction will start anytime. The region has suffered several attacks attributed to the Somalia based militia Al Shabaab. Mandera and Bulahawa are about two kilometers apart and officials believe it is the only area that has remained under attack whereas others are relatively calm and secure. Governor Ali Roba said up to 90 people had died in the area in the past seven months out of terror related attacks.

Roba said County Commissioner Alex ole Nkoyo is feeding Nkaissery with wrong information about terror attacks and demanded for his sacking. He also told Nkaisery to spend time to study the terror crises in Mandera before ridiculing himself in public. “I sincerely hope you will perform. If those in charge have resorted to denial then what do we tell Kenyans about the terror threats that are increasing by the day in Mandera.” He added that every week in Mandera people are losing their lives to terror attacks but Nkaisery is terming the incidences as banditry attacks. “If the person who is put in charge of internal security is in a state of denial of existence of increased terror threats then we are doomed,” he said. Kerow spoke in Nairobi while Roba spoke from Mandera. On his part, Kerrow wondered why police officers in Mandera covering more than 30,000 square kilometers are given small amounts of money as compared to other regions, which are less than 5,000 square kilometers.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Mo Farah Breaks European Half Marathon Record In Lisbon Win

22 March – Source: BBC Sports – 208 Words

Double Olympic champion Mo Farah has won the Lisbon half marathon in a new European record time, becoming the first Briton to break 60 minutes. The 31-year-old won the 13.1-mile race in 59 minutes, 32 seconds, to knock 20 seconds off the record set 14 years ago by Spain’s Fabian Roncero. Farah, also world champion at 5,000m and 10,000m, beat Kenya’s Micah Kogo. The world record of 58:23 was set by Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadese in the 2010 edition of the Lisbon race. Farah’s only world record is the two-mile indoor mark he set at the Birmingham Grand Prix last month. He clocked a time of one hour exactly in winning 2014’s Great North Run, becoming the first British man to win the North East’s famous half marathon for 29 years. Kenya’s Kogo, the 10,000m bronze medallist from the Beijing Olympics in 2008, was one of six men lining up against Farah to have already run under 60 minutes for the distance.

Somali Families Gather For Vaccination Education

22 March – Source: SC Times – 457 Words

Somali families gathered Saturday afternoon to learn more about the measles vaccine at an event hosted by CentraCare Health at Midtown Square Mall. The event came about after CentraCare pediatricians and community health worker Amina Ahmed became concerned about the recent measles outbreak in the U.S., and the potential for illness in Central Minnesota. Data tells them that vaccination rates are dropping, especially in the Somali population. So Dr. Denise Lenarz and Ahmed collaborated with the St. Cloud Somali Youth Organization to organize the event. “We feel a need for education,” Ahmed said. The Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is typically given at age one and again before kindergarten. Children can receive vaccinations at little to no cost because it’s preventative. Ahmed spoke with families and signed them up to come the event. SCSYO members handed out fliers and spoke with families, encouraging them to come, said director Farhan Abdi.

“We get a lot of people that really want to come and have an opportunity to ask a doctor one-on-one questions,” he said. “A lot of community members are excited that we had this opportunity.” Ahmed acknowledge some apprehension as well. “The community has a lot of fear about autism,” she said, thinking the MMR vaccine, which contains the measles vaccine, is a cause. A study linking the two, and the doctor who authored it, have been extensively discredited, but the rumor persists. “We want to give them a clinic point of view,” Ahmed said. “So doctors can answer and have a conversation with the community.” Lenarz said there’s higher rates of autism among the Somali population, so there is a little more fear among families. They didn’t do any vaccinations at the event. “We didn’t want to make the families feel like we were pushing them,” Lenarz said. “They get to choose at the end of the day,” Ahmed said. “We want to get them the information they need when they consider their decision.”

Somalia Auditor General’s Report To Detail Corruption In Ministries

21 March – Source: Reuters – 407 Words

Somalia’s corruption watchdog will soon publish a report showing financial irregularities in most government ministries, the auditor general said, findings likely to strain relations with donors helping to rebuild the east African country. Western and other donors have poured billions of dollars into Somalia, funding the army’s battle against Islamist insurgents and helping to rebuild vital state institutions destroyed during decades of war between rival clan militias and Islamist warlords. The donors complain President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s cash-strapped government is not doing enough to tackle corruption and say the theft of scarce government resources has frustrated efforts to build a functioning state.

Nur Jumale Farah, Somalia’s auditor general, said his office had investigated all 25 government ministries and would publish the findings when lawmakers return to the parliament next month following a recess. The report will show “there are malpractices in the financial sector of most ministries”, Farah told Reuters late on Friday, without elaborating. The government did not respond to requests for comment. Farah’s task has been complicated by dissent within his 61-strong team. He said he had suspended seven members due to “bribe taking from ministries” they were investigating.

He linked the suspensions to a complaint lodged against him by several of the staff, who earlier this year wrote a letter to the prime minister complaining about Farah’s working practices. “The prime minister has given me his (vote of) confidence,” Farah said in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. Farah’s report could further dent Somali government hopes for donors to start providing direct budget support, something they are reluctant to do due to graft concerns. Western diplomats say the donors’ relationship with Mohamud has never fully recovered from a 2013 corruption scandal involving the repatriation of overseas Somali state assets frozen at the outset of civil war in 1991.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“I have no doubt that Somalia soon will be one of the most vibrant members of the East African Community…because the resources are there, especially the human resources and the hearts. Because only hearts allowa people to survive what Somalia has gone through and continue as resilient as Somalis are today.”

AMISOM Head Engages With EU Partners And Somali Diaspora

22 March – Source: AMISOM – Video – 5:30 Minutes

The Special Representative of the African Union Commission Chairperson (SRCC) for Somalia and head of the AU in Somalia Amb. Maman Sidikou has appealed to Somalis in the diaspora to be the champions of the change and growth the country needs. He made the call during a diaspora engagement meeting in the Hague, Netherlands, that was held on the heels of a meeting with the EU Political and Military Committee composed of the ambassadors of all the EU member states held in Brussels. The SRCC also held bilateral meetings with senior officials of the European Commission.

Somalis use Poetry to Build Peace and Combat Violence

22 March – Source: UNSOM – 5:40 Minutes

Through more than two decades of conflict, Somalia has retained its powerful oral culture, with poets and singers reminding the country of its proud past and urging its leaders to focus on unity and bring peace back to the people. On World Poetry Day, we celebrate the men and women who have upheld Somalia’s rich spoken word tradition, using the power of language to urge a new era of peace and prosperity.