March 25, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Uhuru Kenyatta seeks US help to fight terrorism
25 Mar- Source: Daily Nation- 679 words
The United States of America will support to the Kenyan government to protect and secure its porous borders in the fight against terror. Speaking to the Nation in Mombasa, US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec said the atrocities committed by the al Shabaab in the country were a serious security threat that would have adverse impact to the stability and livelihoods of the people.
Mr Godec said President Uhuru Kenyatta had put a specific request for assistance from the Barack Obama-led administration to protect Kenya’s porous borders in the fight against terrorism.
“We realise it’s hard to secure the very long and difficult border stretch. We will ensure it is done and deal with this underlying problem of the al Shabaab in Somalia,” he said.
Key Headlines
- Al Shabaab terrorists engaging in anti-Islam behaviour (AMISOM)
- Government forces AMISOM seize Mahaas district (Radio Goobjoog/Wehel Media)
- Thousands of families fleeing Burdubo conflict appeal for aid (Radio Ergo)
- Business activities in Kismayo come to stand still after security crack down (Radio Goobjoog/Shabelle)
- Increased Somali al Shabaab threat in East Africa UN envoy says (AFP)
- World TB day marked in Puntland (Radio Bar-kulan)
- Al Shabaab attacks Badhadhe Lower Jubba region (Somalicurrent)
- Puntland leader accuses Somaliland of financing al Shabaab (Garowe Online)
- Al Shabaab vandalize Hudur town before fleeing AMISOM onslaught (AMISOM)
- Uhuru Kenyatta seeks US help to fight terrorism (Daily Nation)
- Kenya takes manhunt for Mombasa terror planners to Somalia (Standard Media)
- Somali Pres. arrives in Kuwait for 25th Arab summit (Kuwait News Agency)
- Haphazard repatriation of Somali refugees could boost al Shabaab recruitment (Sabahi Online)
- AU troops battle al Shabaab rebels in Somalia (Source: punch)
PRESS STATEMENT
Statement to the 425th meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council by SRSG Nicholas Kay
24 Mar- Source: UNSOM- 1283 words
Statement to the 425th meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council by Ambassador Nicholas Kay, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia
[AS DELIVERED]
Your Excellency, Chairperson of the Peace and Security Council.
Your Excellencies, members of the Council, Ambassadors, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you very much indeed for inviting me to address the Council today and thank you for the African Union’s continued support to peace and stability in Somalia.
It is a moment, I would say full of promise and progress but not without challenges. It is a time today, in which we are all turning plans into actions. I would certainly like to pay sincere tribute to the brave men and women of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Without them, we would not be where we are today. It is important to underline that under Ambassador Annadif’s resolute leadership, AMISOM continues to be the single most important contributor to the security of Somalia, and a vital partner for the Federal Government and the United Nations in peace-building, state-building and stabilisation.
SOMALI MEDIA
Government forces, AMISOM seize Mahaas district
25 Mar – Source: Radio Goobjoog/Wehel Media- 98 words
Al Shabaab withdrew from Mahaas district as the residents of the town confirmed to our correspondent in Hiiraan region Khalid Ilkacase.
The government forces and African union troops in joint military offensive against al Shabaab are control of the town. The administrator of Mahaas district Mohamed Mumin Saney told Goobjoog FM that the forces will enter the centre of town in the coming hours.
The administration of Mahaas district and the joint forces held a closed-door meeting in the outskirts of the town. Many people fled from the town to avoid possible confrontation between the two sides in Mahaas town.
Thousands of families fleeing Burdubo conflict appeal for aid
25 Mar- Source: Radio Ergo- 108 words
Hundreds of people who fled from the conflict in Gedo’s Burdhubo district are calling for aid, Radio Ergo’s local reporter said. Mohamed Ali, one of the IDPs, said about 2,000 families were now living in Suriya village, seven kilometres from their homes in Burdhubo.
They fled the district when Somali National Army and AMISOM forces launched a wide-scale offensive against the militant group Al-Shabaab along the Somalia-Ethiopia border region last month.
Though the district is under the control of the federal government, the displaced families say Burdhubo is still unsafe for them to go back to their homes. “It is the hot season and we can’t get food and water,” Ali told Radio Ergo.
There are no vehicles entering Burdhubo and the villages surrounding it. This has led to a food scarcity, with prices of remaining item soaring to more than double.
A displaced mother with several children, Habibo Mohamud, told Radio Ergo’s local reporter the displaced families are sleeping in the cold, out in the open, without adequate food and no medical care. “We have no protection from the sun or cold,” she said.
Business activities in Kismayo come to stand still after security crack down
25 Mar- Source: Radio Goobjoog/Shabelle/Kismaayo News/Dhanaan Online- 111 words
The business activities in Kismayo town came to standstill after Juba interim administration in Southern Somalia launched operations to capture the perpetrators of killing of a famous elder who was killed in Kismayo Monday afternoon.
The security forces forced the businessmen to close their premises, on the other hand the huge presence of the forces in the streets has suppressed the movement of people and hampered public transport.
Dozens including two men armed with pistols were apprehended by the forces as investigations are under way. Security officials declined to give comments about the operations in the port city of Kismayo.
World TB day marked in Puntland
25 Mar- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 152 words
An event to commemorate world TB day was held in Garowe, the capital of Puntland state of Somalia. Speaking during the event Dr. Ali Hassan the head of anti TB has said more than 1800 people have been treated of the disease every year.
Dr. Ali said 85 percent of TB patients who seek treatment are now doing well adding that 50 percent of those patients are far from treatment areas becomes difficult for them to access medical centers.
The director of health Dr. Abdirizack Hirsi who also spoke at the event has confirmed that the government has set up six health facilities to treat the disease for the last five years.
Somalia which is one of the countries affected by TB has only 67 centers to treat the disease. World TB day is an annual event marked at 24th of March every year.
Al Shabaab attacks Badhadhe, Lower Jubba region
24 Mar- Source: Somalicurrent- 102 words
Lower Jubba authorities said that Jubba administration forces backed by African Union troops had resisted to an attack from al Shabaab militants on Sunday night in Badhadhe town.
Badhadhe governor Farah Haybe stated there are no casualties from their side but the joint forces seized weapons from the militants. Haybe added they are carrying out security operations in pursuit of the people involved in Badhadhe attack on Sunday night.
Al Shabaab communication officials who are known to claim the responsibility of similar assault had not commented on this attack.
Puntland leader accuses Somaliland of financing al Shabaab
24 Mar – Source: Garowe Online – 138 words
The President of Somalia’s Northeastern State of Puntland Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas for the first time disclosed at public meeting in the port city of Bossaso that Somaliland’s separatist administration finances al Qaeda linked al Shabaab group on Monday, Garowe Online reports.
Puntland leader said, Somaliland continues to provide financial muscle with the Al Shabaab fighters operating in Galgala area near Golis Mountain Ranges following escalations of deadly hit-and-run attacks shortly after Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud (Siilaanyo) made a surprise visit to Laasqoray coastal town which lies 107km from Bossaso.
Speaking about al Shabaab’s infiltration into the hard and mountainous terrain along Golis chains, President Gaas noted that al Shabaab remnants who were fleeing from African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) onslaught in southern and central Somalia easily passed through Somaliland borders and crossed into Puntland.
Somaliland: SONYO & Labor Ministry Launched a Commercial Venture for Youths in Sool Region
24 Mar – Source: Somaliland Sun – 125 words
The Somaliland National Youth Organization (SONYO), officials from the Ministry of Labor & regional leaders from Sool have provided a ten member youth group from Las Anod with a collective commercial enterprise.
. Sool region become the first administrative unit of the country to clinch the investment opportunity in securing ‘Sool electronic & cosmetics enterprise’ in a program intended to be rolled out to other regions soon that had been preceded by propose & race for a formidable joint business venture by different youth groups in the country.
In line with its mandate of reducing rampant unemployment facing the youth SONYO spearheaded an expanded delegation led by its chairman Mr. Mubarak Ismail Taani to avail an electronic & cosmetic business enterprise to youths in Lasanod town on Sunday 23rd March.
Al Shabaab vandalize Hudur town before fleeing AMISOM onslaught
24 Mar- Source: AMISOM-556 Words
The al Qaeda affiliated al Shabaab terrorists recently showed their disregard for life and open animosity towards Somalis by deliberately vandalizing the only water well in the town, the main hospital and schools after hearing that AMISOM and Somalia forces were closing in on the strategic town.
In a move that shocked many, the militants went on a rampage destroying the main water pump and even going to the point of covering up the well with stones in order to deny water to returning Somalis whom they had rendered homeless in the first place when they captured the town a year ago.
The terrorist also ransacked shops and stores taking away food before storming the main Hudur hospital sweep off medicines from shelves. Schools were not spared either by the callous terrorist’s tail of destruction that left the town bleeding. Hudur is the regional capital of Bakool and was an al Shabaab stronghold for the last one year until AMISOM and Somalia forces dethroned al Shabaab on March 10 after the terrorists melted away without putting up any major resistance.
As a result of the al Shabaab vandalism, food prices in Hudur have shot up as scarcity continues to bite prompting AMISOM and Somalia to appeal for urgent humanitarian assistance to be extended to the poor population in Hudur and other liberated areas in Somalia badly affected by the al Shabaab moment of madness and disregard for life.
Al Shabaab terrorists engaging in anti-Islam behaviour
24 Mar- Source: AMISOM-367 Words
The ongoing offensive by African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) together with the Somali National Army against al Qaeda linked al Shabaab group in Buulo Burto town located 125 kilometres from Beledweyne in South Central Somalia, has exposed al Shabaab insurgents engaging in practices contrary to Islam, the religion which they claim to fight for.
During the security and search operations carried out jointly by AMISOM and Somali security forces, discoveries consisting of assortment of drugs, bottles of alcohol, khat, cigarette among others were discovered in the raided al Shabaab’s centers. Also discovered during the security and search operations are unkempt houses littered with clothes belonging to women suspected to have been detention cells for females.
Speaking after the discovery, the town residents said it was ironic that the insurgents that purported to fight for religion would be acting contrary to its commands. Abdi Asiis Durow, the former Commissioner Buulo Burto town says the discoveries were quite disheartening.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Uhuru Kenyatta seeks US help to fight terrorism
25 Mar- Source: Daily Nation- 679 words
The United States of America will support to the Kenyan government to protect and secure its porous borders in the fight against terror. Speaking to the Nation in Mombasa, US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec said the atrocities committed by the al Shabaab in the country were a serious security threat that would have adverse impact to the stability and livelihoods of the people.
Mr Godec said President Uhuru Kenyatta had put a specific request for assistance from the Barack Obama-led administration to protect Kenya’s porous borders in the fight against terrorism.
“We realise it’s hard to secure the very long and difficult border stretch. We will ensure it is done and deal with this underlying problem of the al Shabaab in Somalia,” he said.
Kenya takes manhunt for Mombasa terror planners to Somalia
25 Mar – Source: Standard Media – 176 words
Kenya has supplied a list of suspects it wants the Somali government to arrest for interrogation over the foiled terror plot in Mombasa last week. Police announced in Mombasa Monday that the investigation on Abdiaziz Abdillahi Abdi and Isaak Ibrahim Noor who are linked to a booby-trapped car in Mombasa has been extended to Somalia.
The two appeared in court yesterday and the prosecution sought a 10-day adjournment to enable detectives complete their investigations. The two suspected terrorists have been charged with being in possession of six bombs in a Mombasa court. Mombasa Senior Resident Magistrate Irene Ruguru ordered the suspects who be remanded in the police custody for 10 days to give the police more time to investigate the matter.
State counsel Peter Kiprop had urged the court to give the police more time as investigations had now extended across the borders. The suspects, who phones were seized by the police on March 11 when they were arrested at Changamwe in Mombasa, were first remanded in the police custody for five days on March 12 .
Somali Pres. arrives in Kuwait for 25th Arab summit
24 Mar- Source: Kuwait News Agency- 124 Words
President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mahamud and an official delegation accompanying him arrived in Kuwait on Monday to participate in the 25th Arab summit, due tomorrow. Mahamud was received at the airport by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim, deputy head of the National Guard Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Arab League Secretary General Nabil Al-Araby, First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Amiri Diwan Minister Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, Ministers, senior commanders of the Army, Police and National Guard.
Haphazard repatriation of Somali refugees could boost al Shabaab recruitment
24 Mar- Source: Sabahi Online-746 Words
Solving the dilemma of repatriating Somali refugees in Kenya continues to be struggle between parties with opposing interests, with Kenya’s future, the refugees’ vulnerability and Somalia’s tenuous security all hanging in the balance.
While some in the Kenyan government have been urging the immediate return of all Somali refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has cautioned that repatriation must be voluntary and could take years to complete.
Another concern is that young Somalis returning to their home areas, which were only recently liberated from al Shabaab by Somali and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) forces and are still lacking many basic services, could provide an easy target for the militant group’s recruitment drive.
Al Shabaab has forcefully recruited children and youths, and also intimidated, harassed and assaulted residents in areas under its controls, said retired Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) Major Bishar Hajji Abdullahi.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Increased Somali al Shabaab threat in East Africa, UN envoy says
25 Mar- Source: AFP- 253 words
The United Nations warned Monday of an increased threat of attacks from Somalia’s al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab as a major offensive launched against them this month gathers pace.
“Coinciding with the offensive and even ahead of it, al Shabaab have become more active,” UN envoy to Somalia, Nicholas Kay, told AFP.
“They feel threatened and endangered, and so they have carried out significantly more terrorist attacks in Mogadishu in the last couple of months.”
UN-mandated African Union troops have been battling al Shabaab militants in Somalia since 2007, but earlier this month launched a fresh offensive, fighting alongside Somali government forces.
Kay said the operation is pushing the rebels out of key bases, which could prompt them to stage attacks in Mogadishu, as well as other countries in the region such as Uganda and Kenya.
AU troops battle al Shabaab rebels in Somalia
25 Mar- Source: punch-294 words
The UN and African envoys on Monday said the 21,126 African troops deployed to Somalia in January had launched military assault against the Somali Islamist militant group al Shabaab.
UN Special Envoy to Somalia, Nicholas Kay said that the deployment of the additional troops made it possible to launch the “most ambitious operation’’ since the launch of the African Union Mission in Somalia.
“I can describe the situation in Somalia as a moment full of progress and challenges,’’ Kay said after attending an AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) briefing on Somalia in Addis Ababa.
The 15-member council met at its 425th session to discuss the situation in Somalia and called for the contribution of 12 tactical helicopters. AU Special envoy to Somalia, Saleh Annadif said that the AU had appealed for the 12 helicopters to boost the ongoing operation against the al Shabaab.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Given its endless spiral, its crazy impulses or its illogical spontaneity in the social fabric and political landscape of the nation, the politicized Somali clan system is cancerously nonpareil, while it doesn’t have understandable principles or rules except aphoristic representation of random evil, nonsensible destruction and lack of reasoning.”
Somalia: Politicized Clan Addiction
25 Mar- Source: Eurasia Review-898 Words
Somalia has been in a state of civil war since the overthrow of the military regime in 1991 by warring factions and then factions turned on each other. About 16, 17, national reconciliation conferences were held since then and most of them miserably failed. Out of the last reconciliation conference held in neighboring Kenya in early 2000s, the current federal government was born with interim status. In 2012, permanent federal government was elected through a long process. The federal government forces and the African peacekeeping forces in the country are now jointly fighting with the Al Qaeda-linked group, Al Shabab.
In a nutshell, Somalia has become a virtual orphan, a waif, a stray neglected by its guardians. Howbeit, the guardians, the Somali people in this case, have still the chance and the opportunity to fix more than 20 years of political disaster in Somalia, no matter the duration and the complexity of it.
Usually the Somalis are considered the only one homogeneous nation in Africa in particular and in the world in general, because they speak the same language, hold the same religion and possess almost the same identical features. The Somalis are also considered one tribe with clans and subclans.
“The trade which supports terrorism is not found in Al-Shabaab camps in Kismayo, mosques in Mombasa and Garissa, among Somali immigrants in Nairobi’s Eastleigh suburbs or the refugee camps in Dabaab; it is directed and controlled by the movers and shakers in the corridors of power, in the very seat of government. So even as we direct our missiles at misguided youth in Mombasa, Nairobi and Garissa or terrorist infiltrators from Somalia, let us never forget for a moment that the real enemies, saboteurs and traitors lie within.”
We have a war on our hands; it must be fought with everything we possess
24 Mar- Source: Daily Nation-1073 Words
Once again, we have to confront the threat of terrorism in our midst. Officials want to put a soft spin on the dastardly Sunday morning attack on a Mombasa church, but nobody can convince me that gunmen raiding a service and indiscriminately mowing down worshippers could be an act of “ordinary” crime.
Whether it be to the scale of major incidents like the 1980 Norfolk Hotel bombing, the 1998 US embassy suicide bomb, the 2002 Paradise Hotel attack, and the Westgate shopping Mall assault last year; or the numerous grenade and gun attacks in Nairobi, Mombasa, Garissa, Mandera, Wajir and other places, the fact is that we have become a soft target for terrorists out to disturb our easygoing way of life.
This situation might well be of our own making. So consumed are we with endless politics that we pay scant attention to what clearly is becoming a state of permanent insecurity.
Top tweets
@harunmaruf 138 students graduate from HOPE UNIVERSITY in #Mogadishu today, among them Minister of Women & HR Devlpmt. #Somalia pic.twitter.com/ecCnRt18Ac
@Xamdi_Abdinasir Solar panels are widely used across Somalia!Especially in villages where there is no electricity.Panels are bought by relatives from outside
@HanaWarda8 It was built by last Sultan of Zanzibar b4 bought city RT @MuzyKahin1: Somali Museum, exhibition 1940’s.#Somalia pic.twitter.com/4AM49f10Dy”
@SomaliaNewsroom UNSOM is helping #Somalia govt to support “interim local admins” in cities taken over from Shabaab with $3 mil from UN Peacebuilding fund.
@BeilehMofa President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mahamud and an official delegation accompanying him arrived in Kuwaiton Monday pic.twitter.com/LqBCJw1lAA
Image of the day
His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receives Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud after arriving at Kuwait city for Arab Conference. Photo: @evolvingprimate