May 10, 2012 | Morning Headlines.
Al Shabaab arrest 100 local elders in south-Central Somalia
09 May – Source: Shabelle – 161 words
Fighters of al Shabaab insurgent group apprehended nearly 100 elders in three locations in central Somalia, a lawmaker confirmed to Shabelle Media. Dahir Sheik Amiin Jesow, a Somali MP said the arrests took place yesterday at three areas called Buqda-Aqable, El-Ali, Mukeyle located in Hiiraan, Lower Middle Shabelle regions of south and central Somalia.
The arrested elders were said to have been accused of planning to travel to Mogadishu as to join the continuing Somalia Traditional elders convening in the capital to select a national constituent assembly.
Key Headlines
- Lawmaker: at least 17 killed in Somalia fighting (Source: VOA)
- Somali cleric council: The draft constitution is against Islam (Source: Shabelle)
- Puntland’s constitution minister passes away in London (Source: Garowe Online)
- Three alleged militants killed by their own actions (Source: Bar-Kulan)
- Somaliland to skip Istanbul conference (Source: Somalia Report)
- Breakaway Somali regions boost education to deter militancy (Source: AFP)
- Jamal Osman named One World media journalist of the year (Source: Channel 4)
SOMALI MEDIA
Al Shabaab arrest 100 local elders in south-Central Somalia
09 May – Source: Shabelle – 161 words
Fighters of al Shabaab insurgent group apprehended nearly 100 elders in three locations in central Somalia, a lawmaker confirmed to Shabelle Media. Dahir Sheik Amiin Jesow, a Somali MP said the arrests took place yesterday at three areas called Buqda-Aqable, El-Ali, Mukeyle located in Hiiraan, Lower Middle Shabelle regions of south and central Somalia.
The arrested elders were said to have been accused of planning to travel to Mogadishu as to join the continuing Somalia Traditional elders convening in the capital to select a national constituent assembly.
Prison chief refutes alleged claims about Mogadishu’s central prison
09 May – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 116 words
Somalia’s chief of Prison services has refuted claims that corruption and mistreatment are rift in the Mogadishu central prison. Gen. Cadi Ismail Mohamed said such allegations are unfounded and baseless, saying that the facility is a corruption-free zone.
He said no one has ever been secretly released from this detention centre.
Puntland’s constitution minister passes away in London
09 May – Source: Garowe Online/BBC Somali Service – 162 words
A senior Cabinet official in Somalia’s Puntland government has died of illness in London on Monday, Garowe reports. Dr. Abdi Hassan Jimale, Puntland’s State Minister of the Presidency for Democratization Process and Federal Affairs passed away at 64 years of age at a hospital in London, relatives and Puntland officials said.
Three alleged militants killed by their own actions
09 May – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 114 words
Three people have died in two separate incidents where bombs they were allegedly planting exploded on Wednesday. In the first incident, a suspected militant man was killed by a remotely detonated bomb that he was allegedly burying along a road in an area between Bar-Ubah junction and Black Sea junction in Mogadishu, making him a victim of his own actions.
Somali cleric council: The draft constitution is against Islam
09 May – Source: Shabelle – 147 words
The leader of Somali Religious Council in Mogadishu Sheik Ahmed Dhi’isow says the current new draft constitution for Somalia is absolutely against the Islam.
“Every elder at the ongoing meeting of Somali traditional elders in Mogadishu supposed to select the constituent assembly that will adopt the draft constitution and choose a parliament is the enemy of Allah and the Islamic region,” he added.
Somaliland to skip Istanbul conference
09 May- Source: Somalia Report- 205 words
The government of the self-declared republic of Somaliland indicated it will not partake in the upcoming Istanbul conference scheduled for June this year, despite receiving an official invitation from the Turkish government over the weekend.
Addressing reporters in Hargeisa, Somaliland Foreign Minister Abdilahi Mohammed Omar said among others, the conference lacks clarity on its agenda and does not grant Somaliland the status it received during the London conference hosted for Somalia on February this year.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Somalia set to unify anti-militant forces
09 May – Source: Africa Review – 147 words
The high-powered Joint Security Committee for Somalia Wednesday backed a plan to unify pro-government forces fighting the militant Al- Shabaab and Al-Qaeda extremist groups.
The team, comprising representatives from the United Nations, African Union, Intergovernmental Agency on Development (Igad), United States and the United Kingdom, agreed that the forces would now all operate under the command of the Defence ministry.
Breakaway Somali regions boost education to deter militancy
09 May- Source: Alarabiya/AFP – 559 words
Spared the violence that has ravaged southern Somalia for two decades, the breakaway Somaliland and Puntland regions are investing in education to lure youngsters away from extremism and piracy. The self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland hopes to prove it can build a stable, independent state as the international community has not recognized its autonomy since it split away from Somalia in 1991.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Lawmaker: At Least 17 Killed in Somalia Fighting
09 May – Source: VOA News – 152 words
A Somali lawmaker said at least 17 fighters with militant group al-Shabaab have been killed in fighting with Ethiopian and Somali government troops. Parliament member Mohamed Mashru told VOA Somali Service the troops attacked an al-Shabaab base Wednesday at Agab-Bedey village, near the Somali town of Hudur.
Jamal Osman named One World media journalist of the year
09 May – Source: Channel 4 News – 129 words
Somali reporter Jamal Osman is named journalist of the year at the One World media awards for a collection of his films for Channel 4 News.
The awards, presented by Channel 4 News Presenter Jon Snow on Tuesday night, recognise outstanding journalism on the developing world. Jamal beat fellow nominees Sue Lloyd Roberts (Newsnight) and Felicity Lawrence (The Guardian) to take home the prize for a portfolio of work on Somalia.
Jermaine Grant in Kenya court over bomb plot
09 May – Source: BBC – 139 words
A Briton accused of Islamist extremist ties has appeared in court in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa.
Jermaine Grant, 29, was arrested last December and denies allegations that he was planning a bomb attack and possessed explosive materials.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“In a style reminiscent of colonial times, the SR, the AUSR, and IGADF consider the democratic movement, the new political parties, and the independent Muslim Ulema who are engaged in peaceful political activities as spoilers. These groups have carefully studied the UNDP drafted constitution and found it to be opposed to basic Somali and Islamic values. They have openly rejected the UN owned draft constitution without resorting to violence and have begin to mobilise the population.”
UN threatens the Somali democratic movement
09 May – Source: Aljazeera – 1387 Words
On May 1, 2012, the UN Special Representative (SR), The African Union Special Representative (AUSR), and IGAD Facilitator for Somalia (IGADF) distributed a press release threatening those they call spoilers of the Somali political process with sanctions. Here is how they articulated the threats which they might impose on the movement, including sanctions and other unspecified measures: