March 25, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Police Officials, Military Clash At A Checkpoint In Afgooye
25 March – Source: Wacaal.com – 101 Words
Somali police officers manning a checkpoint clashed with their colleagues from the military in Afgooye, Lower Shabelle region. The forces reportedly fought at Baar Ismaail checkpoint. Three civilians and five others were injured in the clashes. The injured were transferred to a Mogadishu hospital. Casualties from from fighting officers could not be immediately established since no official comment has been made on the incident yet. Similar clashes have taken place at the checkpoint due to disagreement over tax collections.
Key Headlines
- Vehicle Loaded With Explosives Confiscated In Ceelbur (Radio Bar-Kulan)
- Police Officials Military Clash At A Checkpoint In Afgooye (Wacaal.com)
- Federal Government Of Somalia And Partners Approve Key Programmes Under The New Deal (Somali Current)
- South West State To Renovate Government Hotels To Attract Tourism (Goobjoog News)
- Somalia Interferes With Sweden-Saudi Arabia Row (Horseed Media)
- Somalia Rejects Kenya’s Plan To Construct Wall Along Border (The Star)
- ISIS Reaches Out To Somali Terror Group Al-Shabaab (Breitbart.com)
- Why A Delegation Of Turkish Officials Visited Minnesota (Minnpost.com)
- In Somalia Wire Transfers Go Underground (Marketplace)
SOMALI MEDIA
Vehicle Loaded With Explosives Confiscated In Ceelbur
25 March – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 105 Words
The federal government of Somalia administration in Ceelbuur with support from the Somalia National Army have yesterday captured a car loaded with explosives and weapons. The governor of Ceelbuur Nur Hassan Gutale told Radio Bar-kulan. He added that they arrested two people in the vehicle who are now in the custody of local officials and will soon be brought before court. He said local administration received a tip from a members of the public. The vehicle was heading to the town of Gal-hareeri which is under Al- Shabaab rule, according to the governor of Ceelbur.
Federal Government Of Somalia And Partners Approve Key Programmes Under The New Deal
25 March – Source: Somali Current – 659 Words
The Federal Government of Somalia led by Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has met with development partners under the Somali Development and Reconstruction Facility-Steering Committee to review projects to be funded under the New Deal for Somalia. The Somali Development and Reconstruction Facility is the umbrella architecture that streamlines funding instruments, coordinates and aligns development support towards projects under the Somali New Deal Compact. The New Deal identifies key priorities for Somalia such as Inclusive Politics, Security, Justice, Economic Foundations and Service and Revenue generation for the government. The meeting, held in Mogadishu, was attended by over 60 participants, among them seven key ministers from the Federal Government, ministers from Puntland, the Interim Jubba Administration and the Interim South West Administration and officials from the Banadir Regional Administration and Galmudug. Development partners including the United Nations, the World Bank, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Turkey, Norway, EU and the United States also participated in the meeting. The meeting endorsed 11 priority programs to be funded through the UN Multi Partner Trust Fund and the World Bank Multi Partner Fund established under the SDRF. The programmes range from support to constitutional review and state formation and electoral process, rule of law, youth employment.
“This is a crucial moment and a test on the Compact and its architecture, in which we collectively invested since 2013. As we expressed in Brussels, ultimately the success of the Compact will be measured by the improvement it brings to the lives of Somali people, that is delivery,” Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke said at the meeting. “Funding allocations have to be guided by the needs of Somalia and identified through the SDRF process and structures. Prioritization and sequencing of the needs will be necessary to match the available resources with the overall needs.” He reminded participants of their collective commitments and of the urgent need to advance delivery to the Somali people. Somalia’s Minister for Planning and International Cooperation Abdirahman Ainte whose ministry is the lead government agency in charge of the implementation of the New Deal Framework, expressed optimism that the programmes would be successfully implemented. “The intention of today’s meeting or objectives were to approve a number of programmes, about 11 projects that are going to be implemented, half of them by the UN and the other half by the World Bank and all funded through the SDRF funding windows. All the projects have been approved with some comments or discussions and I think the key element here was the need to strengthen the processes of the New Deal and to try to strengthen the Somali ownership and the government leadership and coordination on all of them,” Minister Ainte said.
South West State To Renovate Government Hotels To Attract Tourism
25 March – Source: Goobjoog News – 207 Words
The Minister of Tourism and Wildlife of South West State of Somalia Omar Adan Hassan has announced plans that his ministry would renovate the former Somalia government hotels in lower Shabelle and elsewhere in the three regions to attract tourism. He names Hotel Panaroma, Mayow and Sanguuni as some of the hotels they would put into operation in the coming months. The hotels have been in ruins after years of civil in Somalia, but are regarded as state properties.
The Minister of Tourism and Wildlife of South West State also spoke about the need for conservation in Somalia. He cautioned against what he termed as dangerous practice of exporting wildlife to Arab countries where they are often given away to Arab princes as gifts. “We notified all ports of entry and exit to stop such illegal shipment and arrest anyone with an animal” said the minister. He added that they are in the process of establishing game reserves and game rangers to protect whatever small number of animals are left in the country. His ministry will also engage in awareness campaigns to public to discourage them from hunting animals, the minister added.
Somalia Interferes With Sweden-Saudi Arabia Row
24 March – Source: Horseed Media – 551 Words
Somalia’s federal government has interfered with the on-going diplomatic row between the Swedish government and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The row between the two countries emerged after Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom criticized the record of human rights in the Kingdom. A statement from the Somalia’s foreign ministry released on Tuesday evening condemned the comments by the Swedish Foreign minister, saying that it violated diplomatic conventions and International law. “This behavior is clearly prohibited by the diplomatic norms and practices but also international law that governs the relationship between sovereign states. The foremost important aspect is the respect for sovereign nations to choose their mode of governance and systems without the interference by external parties,” the statement read.
The comment caused Saudi Arabia to immediately recall its ambassador from Stockholm and blocked a speech due to be given by Wallstrom to the League of Arab States conference in Egypt. The Swedish government went on to cancel a long-standing defence cooperation agreement with the kingdom. Millions of Somalis fled the country after the Central government led by former President Siyad Barre was overthrown in 1991. Most went to neighbouring African countries but large numbers sought sanctuary in Europe and America. Sweden is one of the European countries that hold largest numbers of Somali immigrants who have been granted citizenship and enjoy human rights protection and other privileges that are afforded to Swedish nationals.
Some Somalis who fled to Saudi Arabia seeking refuge and work have faced abuses such as rape, exploitation, under or unpaid employment. Human rights activists have described these conditions as “near-slavery”and attributes them to “deeply rooted gender, religious, and racial discrimination”. Many of them have been forcibly deported back to the country while still violence goes on in some parts. On the other hand, the Swedish government increased its presence in Somalia by being involved in humanitarian assistance. In 2012, the total assistance to Somalia amounted $41 million USD and appointed a new ambassador. While the Saudi government has not had a significant role in the country’s efforts towards development and stability. Somalis both inside the country and abroad took to social media criticise the Somali Ministry of Foreign affairs’ interference in the spat between Sweden and Saudi Arabia. Others called for the Somali President and Prime Minister to publicly apologise or retract the statement.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Somalia Rejects Kenya’s Plan To Construct Wall Along Border
25 March – Source: The Star – 478 Words
The Somali government has distanced itself from plans by Kenya to construct a barrier wall between the two countries. Somalia said it was not consulted in the planned erection of the wall as announced by Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery. “We did not get official communication from Kenya. We only read the matter through the media,” said Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya Mohamed Ali Noor. “While Kenya is at liberty to build anything within its borders, this matter affects both friendly countries and it should be done in consultation,” he said. He said his government welcomes any attempts to tame “the blood-thirsty al Shabaab”. He was however non-committal whether the wall is a solution to al Shabaab attacks and the entry of illegal immigrants.
“The benefits of the wall are hypothetical, as of now. We can talk about it if the two governments agree on the way forward,” he said. Nkaissery said the building of the wall will start this week. He said the construction will initially start in Mandera county, which is in the grip of terror networks believed to be from Somalia. Kenya shares an 860km-long border with Somalia, stretching from Mandera Point One in Mandera county to Kiunga Island in Lamu. Interior Ministry spokesman Mwenda Njoka said the project is part of a larger plan to ensure that Kenya’s borders are properly secured. “This is a multi-faceted project that will incorporate several systems, including physical obstructions, creation of buffer zones, electronic surveillance, and enhanced patrols both on land and aerial,” he said. He declined to indicate the cost of the project, citing the secrecy of security matters. However, if a similar wall erected by According to records available online, the wall is made up of a concrete base with a five-metre-high wire-and-mesh superstructure.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
ISIS Reaches Out To Somali Terror Group Al-Shabaab
24 March – Source: Breitbart.com – 389 Words
It has long been feared that ISIS could ally with Somali terror group al-Shabaab, which has been tied to al-Qaeda. As Osama bin Laden’s gang fades and the Islamic State rises, ISIS might look like a better partner for the Somali militants. ISIS recently accepted an oath of fealty from Boko Haram in Nigeria. Last October, the United Arab Emirates warned that the Islamic State might be interested in a similar arrangement with al-Shabaab, a prospect the UAE foreign minister described as frightening given his nation’s sizable Somali population. In the United States, Minnesota has dealt with a wave of Somali-Americans running off to join al-Shabaab.
Last month, the Somali terror gang released a video urging Muslims living in the U.S., U.K., and Canada to stage shopping mall massacres like the one it perpetrated at the Westgate Mall in Kenya. Some of the al-Shabaab operatives involved in that slaughter were Somali-American expatriates. According to a report at Al-Jazeera, an ISIS emissary sent a message to Somalia shortly before Boko Haram bent its knees to the caliphate, inviting the “emir” of al-Shabaab to do likewise. The message praised al-Shabaab as “brothers in Somalia” and called on them to launch attacks “inside Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia.” An alliance could prove useful for ISIS, as al-Shabaab is said to be doing brisk recruiting business in those African nations, using “slick recruitment videos and magazines” which “play upon the marginalization of Muslims and show details of high-profile attacks in Kenya.”
Why A Delegation Of Turkish Officials Visited Minnesota
24 March – Minnpost.com – 583 Words
More than 100 people squeezed into the Minneapolis Brian Coyle Center conference room Monday night to meet a delegation of Turkish government officials, who came to Minnesota over the weekend to bolster relations with Somali-Americans. Minneapolis City Council Member Abdi Warsame, who arranged the arrival of Metin Kulunk, a member of the Turkish parliament, delivered the opening remarks of the event, which drew elders and officials from the local Somali community, the largest in North America. The underlying reason of the invitation was to thank the Turkish people and their government for the humanitarian support to Somalia during a devastating famine experienced by the East African country five years ago.
When Kulunk took the stage Monday night, he described the growing bond between the two nations and applauded his government for the commitment to invest in Somalia. “The country that’s most well known in Turkey is Somalia,” Kulunk said through an interpreter. “Our beloved president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has built the bridge of brotherhood and understanding between our two nations. We’re happy to share both the pressures and your pains as brothers and sisters.” He added: “We have a common heritage. The only thing that is different between our cultures is the physical borders of our countries, not between our hearts or our souls. We’re brothers and therefore, Turkey has not left Somalia alone, and we will not.” Erdogan first visited Somalia in 2011 to witness the effect of the famine that killed nearly 260,000 people from 2010 to 2012. The visit by Erdogan — who was the country’s prime minister at the time — was the first by a non-African leader to the war-ravaged Somalia capital since 1991, when anarchy and civil war broke out after the ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. And though the famine has long been over, Turkey has stayed to build a relationship with Somalia.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“If I’m a bad guy, I’m going to be more inclined to want to move money though those guys,” he says. The suggestion: well-intentioned bank oversight may be backfiring and aiding terror finance.”
In Somalia, Wire Transfers Go Underground
24 March – Source: Market Place – Audio – 4:38 Minutes
Four years ago, famine in Somalia took an estimated 260,000 lives. It would have been worse without a key source of financial support: money transfers from relatives abroad. Family members “could send money in five minutes from Minneapolis to Baidoa,” says East Africa scholar Laura Hammond of the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies. Now, though, commercial banks that process remittances have pulled out of the sector. Banks fear extremist groups may be abusing the system to fund terror operations, and that they’ll be punished by U.S. regulators for allowing risky transactions.
Will more Somalis starve? Perhaps not. Many transfers have gone underground. It’s an open secret that couriers are hand-carrying wads of cash across borders, and sending money via non-armored vehicles. Lormel says the risk of so much money moving this way is that it’s not tracked and becomes a channel for potential money laundering. “If I’m a bad guy, I’m going to be more inclined to want to move money though those guys,” he says.
Top tweets
@UNLazzarini New Deal process was revived & 11 programmes endorsed at yesterday’s meeting w/ new #SomaliPM&Cabinet #UN @WorldBank
@SomaliPM Open, transparent and two-way exchanges will be key to achieve our Constitutional Review timeline and meet#Somalia 2016 objectives.
@farahblue Minister @MinisterMOFA This is not our business at this time #Somalia should condemn Saudi’s mass deportation instead.
@Aynte Met w/ #China ambassador to #Somalia Mr. Wei Hongtian. 2 govts will sign cooperation agreement on various sectors.
@UNSomalia Federal Government of #Somalia and partners approve key programmes under the #NewDealhttps://flic.kr/s/aHsk9z1vce #SDRF
@AJENews ISIL wants al-Shabab in Somalia to join their fight.http://aje.io/xdgv
Image of the day
Senior officials of Somali federal and regional governments and members of the international community attend a meeting of the Somali Development & Reconstruction Facility Steering Committee in Mogadishu. Photo: UNSOM