March 4, 2015 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

SNA Convoy Targeted With Explosives

03 March – Source: Radio Danan/Universal TV – 106 Words

A Somali National Army convoy was targeted with explosives driving near Towfiiq neighbourhood in Mogadishu’s Yaaqshiid District today. The death toll is not yet known but area residents told Danan that they saw two soldiers injured in the explosion– authorities later denied those reports. Local authorities in Yaaqshiid District said casualties were minimal; in an exclusive interview, the Yaaqshiid district commissioner told Danan that Al Shabaab might have been behind the explosion, and that the authorities are now pursuing suspects

Key Headlines

SNA Convoy Targeted With Explosives (Radio Danan/Universal TV )
Defense Minister Hold Talks With Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamaah Officials (Radio Goobjoog)
Benadir Hospital Receives Donation From AMISOM Police (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Sharia Court Sentences Government Soldier To Death In Gedo (Radio Goobjoog)
Minister Of Foreign Affairs Receives Qatar Diplomat (Radio Muqdisho)
Belet Hawo: 11 Arrested (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Longest-Held Pirate Captives Released (Emirates 24/7 News )
Radio Journalists Given Hefty Fines In Somalia One Still Detained (CPJ)
Canada Helping Brits Buy ‘Bosnian’ And ‘Somali’ Targets For Shooting Practice (Global News)
Somalia: A Land Of Opportunity? (Al Jazeera )
Somali Remittances Are A Matter Of Life And Death (Seattle Times)
Reflections On The Life And Learnings Of Prof. Said Samatar (African Arguments )
What Your Advisors Will Not Tell You – An Open Letter to President Hassan Sh. Mohamud (Hiiraan Online)

PRESS STATEMENT

Joint Press Statement: AU And UN Envoys Call For Increased Measures To Combat Sexual Violence In Somalia

03 March – Source: UN – 338 Words

Speaking at a high level panel discussion on sexual violence in Somalia the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), Nicholas Kay and the Special Representative of the AU Commission Chairperson (SRCC), Maman S. Sidikou made a joint call for increased measures to protect Somalia’s women and girls and reiterated their commitment to support efforts to combat sexual and gender based violence in Somalia.

The event was organized by an international Non-Governmental Organization, Legal Action Worldwide in Mogadishu. Other panelists included Somalia’s Minister for Women and Human Rights Development, Hon. Minister Zahra Mohamed Ali Samantar, the European Union Special Representative for Somalia, Michele Cervone d’Urso, the Director of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre, Ms Fartun Aden and the Executive Director of Legal Action Worldwide, Ms. Antonia Mulvey.

“Preventing and responding to sexual violence is vital. There should be no impunity for these crimes. The United Nations is committed to working with the Somali people and authorities to increase measures to protect the rights of Somalia’s women and girls.” said SRSG Kay.

SRCC Sidikou reinforced AMISOM’s commitment and determination for efforts to combat sexual exploitation and abuse. ”There should be no safe haven for perpetrators of such heinous crimes against some of Somalia’s most vulnerable women and girls. By working together, sharing our knowledge and our experience, mobilizing resources and committing our political will we are determined to end rape and other forms of sexual violence in conflict situations. We remain committed to working with the Somali people, the Federal Government, and the United Nations to support all efforts to hold any perpetrators to account and to improve the response and support to victims and their access to Somalia’s justice system.” He said.

Panel members also highlighted the importance of providing better, more timely and comprehensive assistance and care to, including health and psychosocial care that addresses the long term consequences of sexual violence in conflict to victims and their families.

SOMALI MEDIA

Defense Minister Hold Talks With Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamaah Officials

03 March – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 134 Words

Federal Defense Minister, Abdikadir Sheik Ali Dini, held talks with officials from Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamaah in Guri El in an effort to mediate a ceasefire between government forces and the group’s fighters. There have been recurrent clashes between the two sides since December; each fighting over the control of Guri El Town. The town, which has changed hands several times, is now under the control of Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamaah fighters, while government forces are stationed just outside the town. There have been calls for the government to intervene the clashes which have claimed 40 lives, wounded more than 60 people, and displaced hundreds of residents. The nature of the talks remains unclear, but government seems to be going into new heights to achieve peace in the area by sending the highest security official.

Benadir Hospital Receives Donation From AMISOM Police

03 March – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 102 Words

Officials from the AMISOM Police Unit made a donation of food items to the Benadir Maternity hospital today. A commander of the AMISOM police contingent handed the food donation to the management of the hospital., and was thanked by the director of the hospital, Abdirahman Hassan Ali. The District Commissioner of Wadajir , Ahmed Abdulle Afrah, who was present during the handover ceremony said he was happy to see the donation of food items to the hospital; he urged Somali businessmen to aid the hospital such that it fulfills its obligation to the needy public.

Sharia Court Sentences Government Soldier To Death In Gedo

03 March – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 160 Words

A Sharia Court has ruled that the family of slain deputy district commissioner can avenge his killing according to Islamic law. The court found a government soldier guilty of killing Ali Matan, the late Burdhubo deputy district commissioner on January 31, 2015. More than 20 soldiers were initially arrested for the murder of the deputy commissioner, but only one in still in remand. The commander of Somali National Army in the area Col. Osman Tux Haji told Goobjoog that both concerned families are happy with verdict. “The verdict has been reached, but the person who supposed to avenge the killing according to the Islamic law is just 6 years old, and you know for someone to do this he has to be 15 years or older,” said Col. Osman. “So now it’s up to the family of the slain deputy governor to wait until this child reaches 15 years old or accept compensation instead. We are waiting their decision.”

Minister Of Foreign Affairs Receives Qatar Diplomat

03 March – Source: Radio Muqdisho – 87 Words

Foreign Minister Abdusalam Hadliye Omar received Hassan Bin Hamza Asad Mohammed, the acting Ambassador of the Qatar embassy in Mogadishu, today to discuss ties between the two nations .
Both sides exchanged views on shared interests and ways to enhance relations according to a statement from the ministry of Foreign Affairs. Somalia and Qatar share strong relations based on brotherhood, cooperation, economic, politics and social issues, and Qatar is one of Somalia’s key supporters.

Belet Hawo: 11 Arrested

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

Security forces in the town of Belet Hawo in Gedo region have arrested 11 people in connection with the killing of a youth in the area. The victim, Ibrahim Qase Liban, was killed by unknown gunmen in the middle of Belet Hawo. The District Security Commander, Osman Kofi, who spoke to Radio Bar Kulan, said the arrested are those suspected of carrying out the killing of Ibrahim Qase Liban. According to the commander, the suspects will be investigated and those found with evidence will be taken to court while the others with no evidence will be released.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Longest-Held Pirate Captives Released

03 March – Source: Emirates 24/7 News – 492 Words

Taken hostage at sea by Somali pirates on the 18 April 2010, four crewmen of the FV Prantalay 12 vessel were finally released by their captors on 25 February and handed over to the Somali Regional Administration in Galmudug, according to the Vienna-based UN Information Service (UNIS). “This is the longest period of captivity endured by any hostages taken by Somali pirates,” said UNIS in a press release Monday. The crew, all Thai nationals, are currently being repatriated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Hostage Support Programme. During their captivity, the hostages were sustained by support, including private medical visits and food, from the UNODC Hostage Support Programme, funded by private donations from Oceans Beyond Piracy, a private foundation, and working in conjunction with Thai Embassy in Nairobi. Negotiations for the release of the crew were conducted for a private charity with the support of Holman Fenwick Willan, a London Law Firm specialising in this work, and a Kidnap and Ransom negotiator from Compass Risk Management – all working pro bono.

“Today’s rescue mission to recover the hostages was conducted by UNODC, funded by the Trust Fund of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. The plane with UNODC officers on board flew into South Galkayo and successfully retrieved the four hostages. The FV Prantalay 12 was a Taiwanese flagged fishing vessel. After being seized in 2010, it was used by the pirates as a mother ship, before it eventually capsized in July 2011. The remaining crew were then taken ashore,” added UNIS. Besides these four released men, of the original 24 crew members, six succumbed to illness at various stages of captivity, and 14 crew members from Myanmar were released to the Puntland Maritime Police authorities. They were repatriated by the UNODC’s Hostage Support Programme in May 2011. While this is indeed good news, many more hostages remain in the hands of Somali pirates. UNIS said that a further 26 hostages are currently being held, having been abducted from the FV Naham 3. The UNODC Hostage Support Programme is also supporting these victims in similar ways such as contact, proof of life and occasional medical visits funded by the Oceans Beyond Piracy.

Radio Journalists Given Hefty Fines In Somalia, One Still Detained

03 March – Source: CPJ – 484 Words

A Somali court in Mogadishu on Sunday convicted one journalist of public incitement and two others of publishing false news and imposed harsh fines on them, according to news reports. The journalists are out of prison, but a fourth is still being detained, the reports said. The Banadir Regional Court in Mogadishu convicted Abdimalik Yusuf Mohamed, owner of the independent Shabelle Media Network, of public incitement and fined him US$10,000, according to news reports and local journalists. Mohamud Mohamed Dahir, director of Sky FM, and Ahmed Abdi Hassan, a presenter for Shabelle FM, were fined US$2,000 and US$500, respectively, for publishing false news with the intent to disturb public order, the same sources said. The court postponed the journalists’ hearing twice before issuing Sunday’s verdict. The Shabelle Media Network paid the journalists’ fines, and Mohamud was released from jail, news reports said. Abdimalik and Ahmed had been released in October, months before the verdict. Sky FM and Shabelle FM are two stations in the network. A fourth journalist, Shabelle radio producer Mohamed Bashir Hashi, is still being detained on accusations of promoting insurrection against the state. The court postponed his hearing, local journalists told CPJ.

“By imposing hefty fines, the Somali government is attempting to silence the flow of news in the country. These measures have a chilling effect on the ability of journalists and news outlets to publish and broadcast freely,” said CPJ East Africa Representative Tom Rhodes. “We welcome the release of Mohamud Mohamed Dahir from jail, but call on the Somali government to free Mohamed Bashir Hashi immediately.” On August 15, 2014, security agents arrested Abdimalik, Mohamud, and Ahmed in the offices of the Shabelle Media Network and confiscated the transmitters of Radio Shabelle and Sky FM, according to news reports and local journalists. OnSeptember 6, security agents arrested Mohamed Bashir Hashi near his home in Mogadishu, the same sources said. Radio Shabelle and Sky FM have been off the air since the raid, but the website has continued publishing, local journalists told CPJ.
The journalists were arrested after authorities accused the network of inciting the public to violence and urging clans to fight security forces, government spokesman Abdirahman Omar told CPJ via email. Shabelle’s broadcasts came at a time when authorities were attempting to disarm a militia in the capital, news reports said.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Canada Helping Brits Buy ‘Bosnian’ And ‘Somali’ Targets For Shooting Practice

03 March – Source: Global News – 545 Words

British soldiers training in Canada will soon be firing at foam targets with names like “Bosnian Male RPG” and “Somali Male AK 47″. A notice of procurement published on the Government of Canada’s website on Feb. 24 shows an order for 650 of the targets with ethnic descriptions that some are calling offensive.After Global News questioned the government about the targets, the descriptions were quietly removed. Global News captured screenshots of the tender before and after the changes were made: In a statement, a media liaison with the Department of National Defence (DND) said, “DND requested that the product codes be removed when the impropriety of their descriptions was brought to our attention. We have also contacted the vendor, who are reviewing their catalogue as a result.” The words “Bosnian Male” and “Somali Male” have been removed, but the initials “BM” and “SM” remain. While the descriptions are gone, the purchase still appears to be going ahead.

Members of the Bosnian-Canadian and Somali-Canadian communities said they are offended by the targets, which are purportedly designed to look like them. “This is very humiliating for our tiny community here in Canada,” wrote Midhat Cehajic of the Bosnian Canadian Relief Association in an email. “Most people of the Bosnian Canadian Community have escaped the Bosnia Genocide 1992-95. Many of them went through concentration camps and found Canada as a safe haven.”

Somalia: A Land Of Opportunity?

03 March – Source: Al Jazeera – 120 Words – Video – 2:11 Minutes

Somalia was once seen as a failed state, suffering from violence and lack of governance. But now hundreds of Ethiopians are moving to Somalia in search of a better life – although Somalia is a much poorer country. And while many of these migrants help boost the local economy, they face xenophobia and hostility from some locals who want to see them deported. Abdi Noor Galayr, one community leader, says: “We are not happy with their presence. They have brought many problems in terms of health. We don’t know what health issues they may have. They brought criminals to this town like people smugglers. They are also putting pressure on the job market.” Al Jazeera’s Hamza Mohamed reports from Mogadishu.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Cutting off remittances is not a minor inconvenience for the people of Somalia; it is a matter of life and death. Deepening the suffering and hardship of millions of innocent people still contending with immense humanitarian challenges as a precautionary measure against an enemy as nebulous as “terrorists” is not sound policy. It is not a solution.”

Somali Remittances Are A Matter Of Life And Death

03 March – Source: Seattle Times – 251 Words

There is more to Somalia than war, looting and piracy [“Loss of lifeline to Somalia shocks immigrants in Washington,” Local News, Feb. 23]. I grew up in an area that hosts one of the largest Somali communities in the country. I used to enjoy going to “Somali Town” near Sea-Tac airport for an espresso and chat. The coffee was always better than Starbucks and the conversations enlightening.

I learned how hardworking and hopeful Somalis are and how much they sacrifice — not only to support their families here in America but back home in Somalia. Eighty percent of Somalis rely on cash transfers (remittances) from Somali refugees and émigrés abroad for their survival, depending on this assistance for basic things like food and shelter.

Remittances are a collective solution to the destructive forces of war and famine that have ravaged the country for decades. But now this lifeline is under threat as banks, under pressure from tightening U.S. anti-terrorism regulations, are cutting off these transfers. However, this policy will surely have the opposite effect, jeopardizing Somalia’s rebuilding efforts and heightening an already desperate situation, driving more people into the arms of terrorist groups.

“In a BBC Somali Service discussion on the USC infighting in 1991, Prof. Samatar commented on the difficulty of reconciling USC factions in the following words (translated from Somali): “If you go to Mogadishu and, like the poet Salaan Arabey, say to the warring factions in Mogadishu “O clansmen stop hostilities! (Tolow colka jooja!)”, you will have your ears and nose cut by gun-toting young men high on khat and alcohol.” What Professor Samatar was referring to was a new situation in which Somalis found themselves, that of pre-modernity and post-tradition.”

Reflections On The Life And Learnings Of Prof. Said Samatar

02 March – Source: African Arguments – 1,143 Words

Said Sheikh Samatar, a Somali-American historian who passed away in New Jersey last week, was a Professor of African history at Rutgers University for more than three decades. Professor Samatar’s name came to my attention through his paper on Sayyid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan in the Proceedings of the first Somali Studies International Conference held in Mogadishu in 1980. The paper was a summary of his PhD dissertation, which was published as a book entitled ‘Oral Poetry and Somali Nationalism: The Case of Sayyid Mahammad Abdille Hasan.’ This piece is not an assessment of Professor Said Samatar’s academic output. It is a reflection on his engagement with the public through essays and interviews with the BBC Somali service during the late 1980s, when Somalia was edging towards total civil war, and during the 1990s, when the state collapsed.

Prof. Samatar’s opposition to the former Somali military dictatorship culminated in his boycotting of the International Conference of Somali Studies held in Mogadishu in 1989, a decision on which he elaborated in an open letter to academic colleagues in Somali studies, published in Horn Africa Journal, of which he was the managing editor. His hope for the toppling of the military dictatorship was undermined by the armed opposition groups, which did not have a pan-clan agenda for post-dictatorship Somalia. He was aware of the incompetence and political unpreparedness of clan-based opposition groups when he told a BBC Somali Service interviewer in 1990 “armed Somali opposition groups are swirling around each other like smoke… If the overthrow of the dictatorship means replacing the regime but keeping the state intact, it cannot be successful.” Professor Samatar’s prognosis of the failure of the opposition hit the bull’s eye: Mohamed Siyad Barre’s regime was ousted but it was not replaced by any government. Anomy and vicious warlord infighting filled the void.

Even though Al-Shabab is militarily on the decline, the political climate created by the endless squabble in the highest levels of your government gives it the breathing space to reconstitute, rearm and wreak havoc on the defenseless public. Undoubtedly, Al-Shabab remains a clear and present danger that acts at will with the added potential to regroup and possibly regain political power

What Your Advisors Will Not Tell You – An Open Letter to President Hassan Sh. Mohamud

02 March – Source: Hiiraan Online – 1,877 Words
It was barely two years ago when literally the whole nation rejoiced over your rise to power and elated on the notion that an ordinary civil society leader can assume the presidency of a war ravaged fragile state where warlord-ism reigned for so many years. In retrospect, your relative obscurity and detachment from Somalia’s past ills, gave you the edge and made you a safe bet over other deeply entrenched contenders. In essence, you were afforded a lifetime opportunity to serve your nation, bestowed without reservation, the highest favorable rating imaginable, carrying on your shoulders the hope and aspiration of a war fatigued society. Because of your humble background, contagious smile and soothing demeanor, Somalis and friends of Somalia were relieved in your selection and found in you a ray of hope that the nation’s intractable political conflict may be a thing of the past and a new dawn for effective leadership, statehood and development is in the offing. In fact, you are among rare leaders afforded a massive political mandate sufficient to carry the nation forward, rekindle its dimming appetite for nationhood and restore social and political stability.
Mr. President, it is not an overstatement to underscore the fact that unfortunately you did not live up to these expectations and on the contrary the nation may return back to a period of conflict and mayhem if the current political trajectory prevails before the expiration of your term. Mr. President, a great deal of opportunity and momentum were lost during your presidency and a very valuable political capital carelessly squandered that could have catapulted the nation into political stability. Consequently, public confidence in your leadership is at arguably all-time low, clanism and warlordism is unabashedly on the rise and after a sharp military and economic decline, Al-shabab is breathing once again and flexing its muscles in and around your presidential compound. Mr. President, I am writing this letter not as a critic of your administration, but out of concern for our country’s future and a burning desire to shake your inner spirits for immediate positive change before it is too late. My concern, Mr. President, is that if left to your own devices, you may leave Somalia much worse than you found it. Here is a glimpse of current political realities that your advisors may not relate to you.