March 25, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

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Arab leaders must rise to regional challenges, President declares as Arab Summit opens in Kuwait

24 Mar – Source: Office of the President – 201 words

His Excellency President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Kuwait City for the Arab League summit.

The President said: “Arab nations need to rise to the challenges that collectively face us. We lag behind in terms of human development and we need to do much better adapting our political institutions to the twenty-first century. The old models haven’t worked. We must now demonstrate unity of purpose if we are to make the progress our people deserve.”

Arab leaders will be discussing resolutions on the crisis in Syria and the Arab peace initiative. Arab countries were important diplomatic and development partners as Somalia was rebuilding its economy and political institutions, the President said. He will hold a series of bilateral meetings with Arab leaders focused on a range of issues.

“We will be discussing peace-building initiatives and development projects and updating our colleagues on the success we are having in our offensive against al Shabaab,” the President said. “After the military victory against our enemies we will be looking to find a lasting solution to the conflict and repeat our unconditional offer to work with all Somalis who renounce violence. We are all Somalis and must join forces to rebuild our country.”

Key Headlines

Somali President flies to Kuwait for Arab summit (Hiiraan Online)
UN Special Representative for Somalia condemns violence in Baidoa (UNSOM)
Somalia Minister for culture and higher education lay down foundation stone for Simad University’s faculty of Medicine (Radio Goobjoog)
Kenya hands over three suspected jihadists to Belgium (Africa Review)
Gunmen kill prominent elder in Kismayo (Radio Dalsan)
Djibouti president U.N. envoy discuss Somalia (Turkish Press)
Double-edged offensive in Somalia increases al Shabaab threat in East Africa (AFP)

PRESS STATEMENT

Arab leaders must rise to regional challenges, President declares as Arab Summit opens in Kuwait

24 Mar – Source: Office of the President – 201 words

His Excellency President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Kuwait City for the Arab League summit.

Arab leaders will be discussing resolutions on the crisis in Syria and the Arab peace initiative.

Arab countries were important diplomatic and development partners as Somalia was rebuilding its economy and political institutions, the President said. He will hold a series of bilateral meetings with Arab leaders focused on a range of issues.

UN Special Representative for Somalia condemns violence in Baidoa

24 Mar – Source: UNSOM – 265 words

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, condemned the brutal killing of eight traditional elders yesterday in the Bay region of Somalia as well as the violence that erupted in Baidoa between supporters of different state formation initiatives. The community elders were participating in a state formation conference in Baidoa after which they were according to the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) ambushed and killed by Al Shabaab.

“I condemn these cruel murders and express my heartfelt condolences to the families and communities of the elders” said SRSG Kay while calling at the same time for a full investigation into the attack and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice swiftly. “I remind all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and avoid provocative actions that could pose a security threat and lead to further instability” SRSG Kay noted.

Speaking to the African Union Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa earlier today, SRSG Kay called for an urgent response by the Federal Government to lead the peace-building process. “It is imperative that all stakeholders meet without delay to address the issues in Baidoa and support a peaceful state formation process under the leadership of the Federal Government.”

He welcomed the Government’s proposal to bring together urgently political and traditional leaders from all parties for immediate consultations. “UNSOM is committed to supporting the Government’s efforts and will work closely with its international partners, particularly the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and European Union (EU), to move forward the reconciliation and state formation process” he added.

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali President flies to Kuwait for Arab summit

24 Mar – Source: Hiiraan Online – 114 words

President Hassan Sheik Mahmoud of the Federal Republic of Somalia has on Monday travelled to Kuwait for the upcoming summit of the Arab league heads of state which is due to kick off in the capital ciy of Kuwait. In his expected address at the Arab league summit, President Hassan will outline about the latest developments in the country including recent major gains made by the Somali government forces backed by AU troops who took control of nearly 10 towns and cities from al Shabab militants. Sources close to the president indicate that Mr Hassan Sheik Mahmoud will ask Arab states to increase their involvement in the country in both humanitarian and development sectors.

Somalia Minister for culture and higher education lay down foundation stone for Simad University’s faculty of Medicine

24 Mar Source: Radio Goobjoog – 94 words

The Minister for Culture and Higher Education Hon. Dualle Adam Mohamed Laid down the foundation stone of the faculty of medicine at Simad University main campus. The new faculty will start operations in September 2014 as the officials announce in the ceremony. The minister while addressing the ceremony stated that the opening of faculty of medicine will promote and solve the health problems in Somalia. The rector of Simad University Abdirahman Odawaa said the administration was making tireless efforts the last three years to open such faculty so as to cover the health problems.

Gunmen kill prominent elder in Kismayo

24 Mar – Source: Radio Dalsan – 86 words

Gunmen in Kismayo have shot and killed a prominent Somali elder in the port city Monday afternoon, residents told Radio. Mohamed Hussein Hafow, a famous clan elder of the Cawramale clan was shot and killed by gunmen near Dal’adda area of Kismayo. The gunmen then fled the crime scene and no one was arrested for the killing. The killing is latest in string of attacks and target assassination that has engulfed the port city in the recent past.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenya hands over three suspected jihadists to Belgium

24 Mar – Source: Africa Review – 13 words

Kenya has extradited three men facing charges of membership of a jihadist network to Belgium, a Belgian newspaper reported quoting public prosecutors. Federal prosecutor Jean-Marc Trigaux told DH newspaper that the men – a Belgian, a Frenchman and an Algerian – arrived in Brussels on Saturday morning to join a trial in which they were being prosecuted in absentia. Mustapha Bouyahbaren, Rachid Benomari and Mohamed Said had been serving a one-year jail sentence in Kenya, after being found guilty in July 2013 of illegally entering the country. Kenyan authorities authorised their extradition to face terrorism charges as part of a trial involving 19 Belgians which began in Brussels on March 10. Belgian public prosecutors have requested a 20-year jail sentence for Benomari, a Belgian citizen, claiming he was the mastermind of the operation, and five years’ jail each for Said and Bouyahbaren. Another of the 19 accused, Brussels hairdresser Hassan Khafi, was extradited from Kenya last year and has since admitted to the court that he left Belgium in 2011 in an attempt to join Somalia’s al Shabaab rebels who have links to al Qaeda.

AMISOM captures key Somalia town

24 Mar – Source: Daily Monitor – 90 words

A combined force of African Union forces from the Ugandan contingent and Somali government forces have captured the key town of Qoryooley from al Shabaab insurgents. A statement issued by AMISOM said the capture of Qoryooley on Saturday morning was critical to the continental forces whose next target is Barawe, the insurgents’ headquarters in Lower Shabelle. Amisom forces resumed offensive operations against al Shabaab at the beginning of this month after the UN Security Council allowed the African Union to increase the number of troops from 17,771 to 22,000.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Djibouti president, U.N. envoy discuss Somalia

24 Mar Source: Turkish Press – 113 words

Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh on Monday held talks with U.N. Special Envoy to Somalia Nicholas Kay to discuss issues related to the instability-wracked Horn of Africa nation. Guelleh reiterated his support for the Somali people in their effort to establish peace and stability in their country, the president’s office said in a statement. He said Djibouti would support Somalia until all “terrorists” were driven from their remaining hideouts, according to the presidency. Kay, for his part, lauded Djibouti’s stated support for peace and stability in Somalia. He pointed out that Djibouti had sent peacekeeping troops to Somalia and had played a significant role in helping to ensure peace in the country.

Double-edged offensive in Somalia increases al Shabaab threat in East Africa

24 Mar – Source: AFP – 163 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, said. “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 Shebab 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. Security sources report some al Shabaab members are fleeing to mountains in northern Somalia’s Puntland region, but some foreign fighters may seek to cross to Yemen, or flee southwards into neighbouring Ethiopia and Kenya.

Death toll rise to six in Kenya church attack

24 Mar – Source: AFP – 174 words

Two people shot when attackers sprayed a Kenyan church with gunfire on Sunday have died of their wounds, taking the total killed in the attack to six, government officials said Monday. The attack, in the Likoni district near the port city of Mombasa, came amid heightened warnings of a threat of Islamist violence in Kenya and despite boosted security in major cities. “Two more victims succumbed last night, we still have 15 others admitted in hospital,” local Ministry of Health Chief Khadija Shikely said. Some of those wounded were young children. No group has claimed responsibility, but Kenya has been hit by a series of attacks since sending troops into southern Somalia in October 2011 to battle al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents. Local police chief Robert Mureithi said Monday that around 100 suspects had been taken in for questioning following the attack, but that the “main culprits are still at large”. Kenyan troops, which have since joined the African Union force in Somalia, are taking part in a fresh offensive launched this month against al Shabaab bases.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“The inhuman socio economic culture have long been going on in every region of Somalia and now have spread it’s practices as seen recently to Europe, North America and the other countries around the world that Somalis live in order to inflict the same discrimination of their forefathers and instil fear in to the new generation of these innocent victimised Somali communities in the West and back home.”

A DAY SOMALIS NEED TO MARK MORE THAN ANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

24 Mar – Source: Wardheernews – 953 Words

Somalia shares with the international community various international observance days set by the United Nations in order to commemorate events assigned for certain purposes such as the International Women’s Day, Human Rights Day, World Health Day, International Day for Zero tolerance to Female genital Mutilation, International Mothers Day, International Malaria Day to name a few, but Somalis do not celebrate or promote with the other parts of the world the event ‘the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’ that falls on 21th of March as they do the other aforementioned international events. But what it is not yet debated is why they do not give the respect to that day deserves, which as I believe have more important impact for Somalis than any other international observances as long as the cultural segregation of our minority societies exist in our country. If the United Nations assigned this day for the protection of the oppressed communities around the world why not Somalis follow suit and mark this day a national day to eradicate this cruel and primitive culture of marginalisation and discrimination against sections of the most vulnerable Somali society (Beelaha la hayb sooco or qabiilooyinka la quursado) who have been suffering untold miseries for decades if not centuries and still subjugated on daily bases.