May 14, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Foreign al Shabaab fighter caught near Kenya border
14 May – Source: Garowe Online – 213 words
An alleged foreign fighter with the al Shabaab was captured near Hosingow located in Lower Jubba region, Garowe reports. The man named Ali Bakaari was captured near the Kenyan border, after Transitional Federal Government (TFG) troops stopped a vehicle Mr. Bakaari was in. TFG officials say the vehicle which was stopped at night after Mr. Bakaari attempted to flee troops who were conducting a search of the bus. The bus was carrying civilians headed from Kismayo to Kenya when it was stopped at Howsingow located 160 kms west of Kismayo.
Key Headlines
- President Sharif travels to U.S to attend UNSC meeting in New York (Bar-kulan/RBC/Radio Mogadishu)
- Landmine Blast rocks Ethiopian convoy in Beledweyne (Shabelle)
- Foreign al Shabaab fighter caught near Kenya border (Garowe Online)
- UN signs MOU on human rights with Somalia (Al Shahid)
- Daljir alliance hosts constitutional debate in Mogadishu (Radio Risaala)
- Fierce fighting kills 6 in southern Somali town (Shabelle)
- Sharjah Charity Association distributes infant formula to Somali children (Emirates News Agency)
- Health Ministry: Aid agencies must register with government (Radio Kulmiye)
- U.S. trains African soldiers for Somalia mission (Washington Post)
- Turkish commandos arrest 14 pirates free seven Yemenis (AFP)
SOMALI MEDIA
President Sharif travels to U.S to attend UNSC meeting in New York
14 May – Source: Bar-kulan/RBC/Radio Mogadishu – 140 words
Somalia’s president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Sunday evening travelled to the United States where he is expected to attend the upcoming UN Security Council meeting in New York. President Sharif and his entourage left Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi where they were in transit after returning from an official trip to Ugandan capital, Kampala.
Defence minister Hussein Arab Isse who is among the Somali officials accompanying the president told Bar-kulan that the president will be attending the UNSC meeting which is set to kick off in New York in the next coming few days. President Sharif is expected to address the UNSC meeting on issue regarding Somalia, according to Isse. During his stay in the airport, the president held talks with the U.S and British ambassadors to Somalia but details of what they discussed still remains unknown.
Landmine Blast rocks Ethiopian convoy in Beledweyne
14 May – Source: Shabelle – 147 words
A landmine blast has on Monday morning rocked an Ethiopian convoy in the heart of Somalia’s central strategic town of Beledweyne, local residents confirmed. The witnesses said the blast occurred when a landmine went off as a convoy of the Ethiopian military forces snaked its way through the eastern part of the district, causing an unconfirmed fatalities on the troops.
“I don’t know the exact number of casualties, but Ethiopian soldiers shot dead two civilians following the blast,” one of the witnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity told Shabelle Media by telephone. No group or individual has claimed the responsibility for the attack so far.
Tension was high in the area moments after the explosion. Both the Ethiopian troops and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) cordoned off the scene of the attack. The main roads leading to the region were also closed to traffic.
Foreign al Shabaab fighter caught near Kenya border
14 May – Source: Garowe Online – 213 words
An alleged foreign fighter with the al Shabaab was captured near Hosingow located in Lower Jubba region, Garowe reports. The man named Ali Bakaari was captured near the Kenyan border, after Transitional Federal Government (TFG) troops stopped a vehicle Mr. Bakaari was in.
TFG officials say the vehicle which was stopped at night after Mr. Bakaari attempted to flee troops who were conducting a search of the bus. The bus was carrying civilians headed from Kismayo to Kenya when it was stopped at Howsingow located 160 kms west of Kismayo.
Banadir administration promise to crack whip on ‘security impeder’
13 May – Source: Radio Mogadishu/SONNA – 122 words
Banadir regional administration has on Sunday said it will launch crackdown on groups dressed in T.F.G soldiers that are causing insecurity in the Somali capital Mogadishu. Deputy Chairperson of Banadir regional Administration, Warsame Mohamed Hassan “Jodah” told reporters that they will fight with soldiers dressed in Somali national forces that kill and rob people in the city.
Mr. Jodah said that the security in Mogadishu is improving, but warned that it still vulnerable to attacks. He praised national forces for keeping the security. There is growing tranquility and development that Mogadishu has been experiencing since al Qaeda linked group of al Shabaab was removed from the capital in August last year.
Daljir alliance hosts constitutional debate in Mogadishu
13 May – Source: Radio Risaala – 182 words
This debate organized by Daljir officials was held in Mogadishu. Present in this debate included: members of parliament, head of Somali clerics sheikh Bashir Ahmed salaad and some members of different political groups in the country. The purpose of the gathering was to seek clarity on disputed issues in the constitution from the independent constitutional committee.
All the participating officials put forward their questions and ideas to the constitutional expert committee who were able to answer all the questions. The chairman of the constitutional review commission professor Mahmud Jawaari who talked at gathering said they are working on how best to utilize the valuable ideas of the citizens.
Lastly the chairman of Daljir Alliance Dahir Mohamud Gelle addressed the gathering and he emphasized the importance of sharing ideas and he promised to hold such forums in future. The new constitution that is been worked on is expected to be passed soon while the prime minister visited the traditional elders while in a conference and he urged them to hasten the selection of the committee that will approve the new constitution.
Puntland President Flies to India after Meetings with Ethiopia Deputy PM in Addis Ababa
13 May – Source: Garowe Online – 164 words
The President of Puntland State of Somalia Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud (Farole) and a delegation arrived in New Delhi, India, on Sunday morning after meetings with senior Ethiopian officials in Addis Ababa. The President’s delegation, which includes Interior Minister Abdullahi Ahmed Jama (Ilkajir), flew from Puntland capital Garowe on Friday en route to New Delhi after receiving an official invite from India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
On Saturday in Addis Ababa, President Farole met with Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn. The leaders discussed security and political developments in Somalia. President Farole and the Puntland delegation were welcomed at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi by officials from Somali Embassy led by Ambassador Ebyan M. Salah and officials from India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
The Puntland leader is expected to hold talks with Indian Government officials regarding developments in Somalia and Puntland State, as well as capacity building for government institutions, counter-piracy cooperation skills and technology transfer, and trade and infrastructure development.
Health Ministry: Aid agencies must register with government
14 May – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 101 words
Dr. Abdi-Aziz Sheikh Yusuf, Somalia’s Health Minister has called on aid agencies to register with the transition government in Mogadishu and ensure that the medicine supplies they are distributing to the Somalia people in south and central Somalia are verified. The minister deeply outlined his concerns to the un-registered agencies that are distributing medicines to the people.
“We want to know anyone who go out and distribute medicine and stuffs like that to our people, they should have our permissions first, we will not tolerate any one who does not officially register with our departments,” the minister said.
Locals residents fight al Shabaab in Baidoa
12 May – Source: Somalia Report – 236 words
A heavy fight broke out around noon outside Baidoa, the capital of Bay region, between al Shabaab and local residents of Labaatan Jirow. Both sides used different weapons included heavy and small arms. Source told Somalia Reportweapons and other supplies were given to the Labaatan Jirow residents by the people of Baidoa, government troops and their allied forces of Ethiopian.
The rift began on Thursday when al Shabaab militias were ousted by the people of the city. In turn, al Shabaab killed boy from the village after accusing him of spying, sparking outrage from the local residents.
“It’s true, they killed on Thursday morning a young guy accusing him of spying for the Somali government. They shot him. We cannot tolerate their horrific actions. They want to kill and torture innocent people so we decided to fight against them. We got support from the people and forces of Baidoa city. We ousted the militia from our territory,” said Mohamed Hilow, a resident of Labaatan Jirow.
These incidents come a day after al Qaeda’s global leader, Dr. Ayman Al Zawahiri, sent a video to al Shabaab fighters in Somalia, encouraging them to change their tactics into hit and run. He also urged them to oust Somali the AMISOM forces and to double their attacks inside Somalia. He further added that the fighters should not be worried about American drones, saying that they cannot change your faith of war.
Mozambique beats Somali migrants, Tanzania frees them
14 May – Source: Somaliland Press / Mareeg Online – 136 words
Tanzania has released a group of almost fifty Somali refugees and asylum seekers that activists say includes three females from Mtwara prison. The Somali embassy in Tanzania helped the group regain their freedom after it negotiated a deal with the country’s Ministry of Interior.
Ahmed Abdulsamad Ahmed, one of the freed asylum seekers described their dangerous and harrowing passage through four east African countries. “My journey began in Mogadishu where I left due to grinding poverty, uncertainty and insecurity. After reaching the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, we embarked on a perilous boat voyage,” he told Somali reporters.
Speaking about the conditions on the boat he said: “After eleven days on the high seas, we ran out of food and supplies. The boat’s engine caught fire and we lost one young gentleman called Aweys due to starvation.”
Medical doctor killed in grisly road accident in Awdal region
14 May – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 99 words
A medical doctor was killed and two of his family members injured when the vehicle they were travelling in was involved in a fatal road accident in Dila district, Awdal region of Somaliland on Sunday afternoon.
The accident occurred when their Borame bound car overturned just few kilometres from Dila town, killing Abdirashid Sheikh Ali a medical doctor specialised in mental health and injured his two of his family members including his wife and a sister who were travelling together with him. The doctor was reportedly headed to Borame town on voluntary health mission.
Al Shabaab fighters arrive in Mudug, Galmudug
12 May – Source: Somalia Report / Shabelle – 299 words
Al Shabaab Islamic militia fighters, aligned with al Qaeda, have arrived in Somalia’s Mudug and Galmudug regions after fleeing their strongholds in the south due to pressure from the allied forces of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, according to to sources who spoke to Somalia Report. While it was known that the fighters had moved recently to Mudug region,Galmudug officials today confirmed al Shabaab fighters arrived in their territory last night.
“We received information that al Shabaab militia with number of armed cars arrived in parts of our province. They reached the villages of Bud-Bud and Barwaaqo, which are parts of Hobyo district of Galmudug state. We prepared our troops in order to prevent them for coming and our army are moving forward to these areas. We are ready to defend our people and our territory,” said Galmudug Security Minister Abshir Diini.
Somalia Report discovered that Abdi Shakur Ali Oma, the al Shabaab official leading the migration, originated from Galmudug. Mr. Omar talked to elders and people of Bud-Bud and Barwaaqo villages calling on them to obey Islamic Sharia. He also called on them to support an Islamic administration that he plans to announce, according to villagers.
Fierce fighting kills 6 in southern Somali town
14 May – Source: Shabelle – 170 words
An offensive by al Qaeda-affiliated militants of al Shabaab on Somali and Kenyan forces in Lower Jubba region has left at least six people dead and more others wounded, witnesses said on Monday. Eyewitness told Shabelle Media that the combat started when al Shabaab agents armed with heavy and light weaponry attacked joint Somali and Kenya military bases on the outskirts of Badade town, Lower Jubba region of southern Somalia.
“We woke up from the sleep in late on Sunday night, because of the thud of the artillery fire and mortar shells used by both warring sides (Somali forces, KDF and al Shabaab) at several locations on the outskirts of Badade town. At least six combatants from both sides were killed in the fighting,” a local resident told Shabelle Media station by phone under anonymity.
Somali and Kenyan army are still in control the town after the militants withdrew few months ago without any resistance in what a military spokesman characterised as a bloodless takeover. The City is adjacent to Kenya’s border.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Sharjah Charity Association distributes infant formula to Somali children
14 May – Source: Emirates News Agency – 127 words
Sharjah Charity Association said it had distributed infant formula to 120000 Somali children as part of its “Help Them” humanitarian campaign to assist Somalia and other countries in the Horn of Africa region. Ten thousand boxes of the formula prescribed for children under 6 months were given out through 40 health centers in six Somali governorates.
The campaign was launched in summer last year by Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council member and ruler of Sharjah last year to contribute to fight hunger and drought.
The Association’s delegation to Somalia also inspected progress at its projects which include water wells and a bakery in Mogadishu to provide bread to 500 families, according to Sultan Bin Butti Al-Muhairi, the deputy director general of the Association.
UN signs MOU on human rights with Somalia
14 May – Source: Al Shahid – 198 words
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and Somalia officials have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, both committing to improve human rights in the African country. Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Ali Mohamed said his government is committed to enhancing the capacity of its institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights while he noted that the ongoing constitutional process is in line with these principles.
He also called on the international community to assist his administration in the rebuilding of the countries law institutions that collapsed during the decades-long civil war. Officials from the UN Human Rights Council are challenging the current Somali administration to investigate human rights violation in Somalia. The officials also called for more protection for journalists and more investigation into the murder of senior government officials.
Briton’s who are joining Somalia’s al Shabaab
12 May – Source: Africa Review – 263 words
The black flag of Somali terror group al Shabaab flies on Twitter – and its tweets are in English – English that reads like it is written by a native speaker. It’s not known who the writer is – but over the last five years there have been mounting questions over the number of people from the UK who have been going to Somalia to help al Shabaab, an organisation affiliated to Al-Qaeda that controls part of the country.
This spring, those concerns have been focused on the case of East Londoner Jermaine Grant. He is accused in Kenya of being part of a bomb plot orchestrated by the Islamist movement. Grant, already convicted of entering the country illegally, denies involvement in a plot and his lawyers say he has been beaten and subjected to solitary confinement.
But it’s now emerged that Samantha Lewthwaite, the widow of 7/7 bomber Jermaine Lindsay, is wanted in connection with the same alleged bomb plot for which Jermaine Grant is now on trial.
Relief supply halted after explosive devices found in north Kenya
12 May – Source: Coast Week / Xinhua – 1012 words
Humanitarian operations in the world’s biggest refugee camp in northern Kenya neigbouring the war-ravaged Somalia, has been halted for several hours in less than a week, after vehicles carrying aid workers missed hitting an explosive device by a whisker.
The police have since arrested five suspects who are undergoing interrogation as investigations to establish the cause of recent explosive devices continue. This comes barely four days after the humanitarian activities were called off for a day after a similar security threat was reported when what was suspected to be a bomb was discovered at Dadaab main aid workers main office.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) also reported on Thursday that there has also been an increase in banditry attacks in Ifo 2 East in the Dadaab refugee complex which houses more than 460,000 refugees mainly from neighbouring Somalia.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
U.S. trains African soldiers for Somalia mission
14 May – Source: Washington Post – 528 words
The heart of the Obama administration’s strategy for fighting al Qaeda militants in Somalia can be found next to a cow pasture here, a thousand miles from the front lines.
Under the gaze of American instructors, gangly Ugandan recruits are taught to carry rifles, dodge roadside bombs and avoid shooting each other by accident. In one obstacle course dubbed “Little Mogadishu,” the Ugandans learn the basics of urban warfare as they patrol a mock city block of tumble-down buildings and rusty shipping containers designed to resemble the battered and dangerous Somali capital.
“Death is Here! No One Leaves,” warns the fake graffiti, which, a little oddly, is spray-painted in English instead of Somali. “GUNS $ BOOMS,” reads another menacing tag.
Despite the warnings, the number of recruits graduating from this boot camp — built with U.S. taxpayer money and staffed by State Department contractors — has increased in recent months. The current class of 3,500 Ugandan soldiers, the biggest since the camp opened five years ago, is preparing to deploy to Somalia to join a growing international force composed entirely of African troops but largely financed by Washington.
Turkish commandos arrest 14 pirates, free seven Yemenis
14 May – Source: AFP – 176 words
Turkish commandos have arrested 14 pirates thought to be from Somalia off the coast of Oman and freed seven Yemeni sailors they were holding hostage, the army said Sunday. A helicopter of the frigate Giresun, which operates with NATO forces in the region, spotted the boat Friday around 190 nautical miles from the Omani coast, the army said in a statement on its website.
Commandos stormed the boat and seized nine assault weapons, a rocket launcher and other materials, said the statement, which was accompanied by photographs showing the suspects with their arms in the air as the raid began.
Turkey has been a partner in the international campaign against Somali pirates and arms smugglers in the northernIndian Oceansince early 2009. The International Maritime Bureau recorded 439 acts of piracy in the world last year, mainly in Somalia, the Gulf of Guinea and Southeast Asia.
Al Zawahiri video urges Somali militants to fight
11 May – Source: Seattle Times/AP – 112 words
Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri has released a new video in which he encourages Somali militants to fight on despite the challenges. In the video, reported Friday by the Site Intelligence Group which monitors militant activities, al Zawahiri urges al Shabaab militants not to be deterred by U.S. drone attacks. It is al Zawahiri’s second video address to al Shabaab, which formally joined al Qaeda in February.
Al Shabaab has increasingly come under pressure in recent times from regional armies and government forces who are pushing it from three sides inside Somalia. Somalia’s prime minister said last month that al Shabaab militants were fleeing up north, into the semi-autonomous region of Puntland.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Over the years, IC’s attempt at tackling the Somali crisis yielded fantastic semantics. Dual track policy-entails dealing directly with armed Non-State actors to curtail the influence of terrorism and, or restore semblance of governance in regions out of the reach of the transitional government. This led to the mushrooming mini client states under different external actors, weakening the authority of the TFG in the eyes of the public and further Balkanizing the country. Puntland, Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a, Galmudug State, Ras Kamboni Brigade are some of the ‘Stakeholders’, as if Somalia was a corporate entity to buy shares in.”
The ‘International Community’ and the ‘Rejectionists’: A match Made In hell
13 May – Source: Wardheer News – 1307 Words
Ever since Somalia’s implosion and its subsequent anarchic state, the UN, US, EU, the Arab League, IGAD and most recently the African Union getting actively involved in resolving the Somalia conundrum hasn’t borne, as of now, fruition. The Road Map and the draft constitution are the latest in a long catalogue of prescriptions to heal an intractable wound that is Somalia. For the umpteenth time, the IC is attempting to fix the Somalia problem and I’m afraid it might prove futile once again.
“They say NO to the constitution. NO to the Roadmap. NO towards the program of ending the transitional federal government. No, no, no! Wouldn’t it be great if for once an alternative program were presented? Have you have ever read a counter-proposal other than the aforementioned political manifesto that can be summed up as: NO? This virus appears to have contaminated in all aspects of our society. Those who subscribe to this program extend beyond the illiterates, who know nothing but anarchy; they include our so-called intellectuals, sections of the Ulama, portions of our ‘civil society’.”
NO: Keyword in Somali Political Life
12 May – Source: Wardheer News – 894 Words
For over twenty years, any possible resolution to the quagmire that has befallen our glorious nation has faced a formidable obstacle. It’s a word formed of one syllable and composed of two letters: NO. This is the keyword in our political life.
Our recent history is exclusively that of a country held hostage by naysayers. Their entire political ideology or ‘program’ can be summed up with one word. NO! No to progress. No to development. No to peace. No to security. No to prosperity. No to the rule of law. No to reconciliation. No to justice. No to proper governance. No to accountability.
“We are encouraged by the progress that Somalia has made so far, but we recognize that the nation’s political process is fragile and could be easily set back by the actions of spoilers seeking to prolong the current status quo. In conjunction with our international partners, we are committed to making sure that spoilers do not undermine Somalia’s political transition.”
A New Day Coming In Somalia
11 May – Source: VOA – 228 Words
With just a few months to go before the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia is scheduled to make way for more representative rule in August, the troubled nation’s leaders have started the process of convening a constituent assembly reflecting Somalia’s diverse clans and communities.
The effort, agreed to in last year’s Roadmap for Ending the Transition, is one of several steps aimed at giving Somalia a long-awaited permanent government, and with it the security and stability for which Somalis have long sought.
An Eye on Somalia
14 May – Source: Kopo Kopo Blog – 174 Words
We love having conversations about mobile money — how it came about, how it’s evolved, and where it’s going. That’s probably no surprise. But we tend to turn heads when we get excited about Somalia.
Let me explain. Somalia — specifically South Central Somalia — is at the dawn of a new age. African Union forces in Mogadishu have secured, not only the international airport, K4 junction, and Bakara Market, but the entire city perimeter. Baidoa and Kismayo will follow. The Diaspora is beginning to return, and invest.
Add to the above a nomadic lifestyle, a deep appreciation for the bonds of kinship, a familiarity with trust-based value transfer systems (e.g. Hawala), robust telecom infrastructure, and the absence of a functioning central bank. Individually, each factor makes a strong case for mobile money. Together they create a “perfect storm”.
Top tweets
@Lebanonspring #Somali movie industry films love, not war: #Somali youth tired of seeing their homeland portrayed as a war-torn… http://bit.ly/
@jelinske #Somalia, the next land of opportunity? Can’t wait to see how this develops over the next 10 years http://nyti.ms/HhTcUD
@JHISmith Leader of #Somali Religious Council in #Mogadishu, Sheik Ahmed Dhi’isow: He who votes to adopt the draft constitution “is the enemy of Allah”.
@Aarmaanta #Mogadishu Beach Life; Even grandmothers go swimming these days. Photos courtesy of Radio #Mogadishu, #Somalia htt
@GCTAT Abou #foreignfighters
Image of the day
Somali security forces manning a checkpoint intercepted this youngster carrying explosives with the aim of targeting a district commissioner in Mogadishu. Photo: Radio Mogadishu.