May 15, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somali PM meets with Italian foreign operations commander

14 May – Source: Al Shahid – 114 words

Somali Prime Minister, Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed on Wednesday received General Bataroni, Italian foreign operation commander in Mogadishu. A press statement from office of the prime minister says, “Italy has been our friend for longtime. Italian government supported us in many occasions. Our meeting was aimed at smoothing bilateral relationship. They distributed dress and training to our forces. At this time military experts from Italy are in Somalia so they help us in training programs,” the PM said. Somali defense minister, Mohamed Hasan Hamud, briefed the outcome of the meeting saying, “General Bataroni, Italian foreign operations commander visited us in Mogadishu. Somali Prime Minister and general Bataroni discussed how to develop or increase Italian military support to Somalia”.

Key Headlines

Somali PM meets with Italian foreign operations commander (Al Shahid)
UN delegation visits formerly al Shabaab held town in Hiiraan region ( Hiiraan Online/BBC Somali Service)
Government forces conducts operations in Marerey locality (Radio Goobjoog)
Baidoa Hospital Faces Shortage of Drugs (Radio Dalsan)
Britain U.S. warn citizens of high risk of attacks in Kenya (Reuters)
President Silanyo Dismisses the Director General of the Ministry of Livestock and Animal Husbandry(Somaliland Informer)
Terror suspects denied bond (Daily Nation)
Bomb scare closes businesses in Kenya’s Mombasa (World Billetin)

SOMALI MEDIA

UN delegation visits formerly al Shabaab held town in Hiiraan region

14 May – Source: Hiiraan Online/BBC Somali Service – 155 words

With increasing humanitarian crisis in Somalia, a United Nations delegation from key UN aid agencies paid a short visit to the formerly al Shabaab-controlled town of Bulo Burde in the central Hiiraan region, a government official confirmed here on Wednesday. Abdul Aziz Durow Abdi, the district commissioner said in an interview with BBC Somali service that the UN delegation’s tour to the region was the first of its kind since the town fell into the hands of Somali government forces backed by the Djiboutian contingent of AMISOM nearly two months ago. “The UN delegation came to us here in Bulo Burde yesterday (Tuesday) and the main objective of their travel was to witness themselves the current situation and humanitarian crisis in the town which is experiencing the worst inflation and as well as a severe lack of medical services,” the commissioner said in his interview with BBC Somali service on Wednesday.

Government forces conducts operations in Marerey locality

14 May – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 85 words

The security forces of federal government of Somalia have conducted security operations in areas under Afgoye district . The forces have carried out door- to- door search in all villages of Mareerey locality of Lower Shabelle region, dozens of people mostly youth were arrested. The administrator of Mareerey locality, Baale Mayow told Goobjoog FM that this operation is part of the efforts of the government to maintain the security of the region. The business activities in the region was seriously affected by the ongoing security operations.

Baidoa Hospital Faces Shortage of Drugs

14 May – Source: Radio Dalsan – 107 words

In Baidoa General Hospital, there are many injured people from the car bomb that exploded in the town two days ago.It has now been reported that there is shortage of drugs and equipments in the hospital and this is a major problem facing the medical staff there in the hospital, as they cannot treat those injured people. Hassan Hussein Maxe who is the Finance Minister of the Administration of the Three Region that was recently formed spoke to Dalsan Radio about the matter. Referring to the injured, he called for all the Somalis to assist their brothers and sisters who are suffering in Baidoa General Hospital.

President Silanyo Dismisses the Director General of the Ministry of Livestock and Animal Husbandry

14 May – Source: Somaliland Informer – 89 words

Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud alias Silanyo has on Wednesday issued a presidential decree number RSL/XERM/249-2493/052014 sacking the Director General of the Ministry of Livestock & animal Husbandry and appointing a new D. G that will assume the mantle. Mr. Jama Mohamed Odowaa has been appointed as the new Director General of the Ministry of Livestock and Animal Husbandry.The president stated in the press release that after having seen the qualifications and experience can effectively assume the responsibility of running the ministry smoothly.

Hormuud Foundation provides cash aid to 200 families

14 May – Source: Bar-kulan/Goobjoog/Shabelle – 99 words

Hormuud Foundation, a local charity in Somalia has today provided cash aid to over 200 displaced families from Lower Shabelle region. The families who sought shelter in Elasha Biyaha in the outskirts of the Somali capital, Mogadishu following recent droughts were given 100 USD each. Abdullahi Noor Osman, the head of Hormuud Foundation told Bar-kulan that the cash aid is part of a wider scheme designed to assist displaced and drought-hit families in various parts in the country. Osman added that the foundation will continue its relief efforts to the communities affected by the severe water and food shortages.

Somaliland Health Ministry sends doctors & nurses to Tanzania for further studies

14 May – Source Somaliland Informer – 114 words

Somaliland Ministry of Health on Monday dispatched two professional doctors and five nurses to Dara Salam where they are expected to further pursue specialization at IFAKARA Institute in Tanzania. The health groups sent to the Tanzania is to specialize in becoming trainees of trainers pertaining to Clinical Officers Curriculum. Days before the team was about to leave for Dara Salam, a well organized ceremony was held at Mansoor Hotel where many offices from the Hargeisa General Hospital and THET were in attendance. Speaking at the venue, Wario Guchara who spoke on behalf of THET told the dispatches that inspectors from the Ministry of Health & THET will arrive in Dara Salam who will asses them.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Somali PM meets with Italian foreign operations commander

14 May – Source: Al Shahid – 114 words

Terror suspects denied bond

14 May – Source: Daily Nation – 113 words

Two men accused of committing a terrorism act at Reef Beach Hotel in Kisauni, Mombasa County have been denied bond.In his ruling Wednesday, Chief Magistrate Maxwell Gicheru directed that Nassir Abdallah Ali Sikanda Ahmed Abdallah Ali be remanded for 20 days to allow police complete their investigations. Initially, senior prosecution counsel Peter Kiprop had asked Mr Gicheru to allow police to detain the two for 90 days in order to give them enough time to complete investigations. Mr Kiprop told the court that the investigation is wide and complex since investigators would be required to travel to Somalia to gather evidence. “The nature of the investigations are trans-border and complex,” he added.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Britain, U.S. warn citizens of high risk of attacks in Kenya

14 May – Source: Reuters – 150 words

Britain and the United States warned of potential terrorist attacks in Kenya and British citizens were urged to immediately leave the east African country’s port city of Mombasa following a series of attacks. The latest warnings, issued on Tuesday and Wednesday, may further damage Kenya’s tourism sector, one that President Uhuru Kenyatta said was “on its knees” after high-profile attacks in resorts along its Indian Ocean coastline. Explosions in Nairobi and Mombasa killed seven people on May 3-4, and Kenya has blamed a series of gun and grenade attacks countrywide on the al Qaeda-linked Somali group al Shabaab. The militants killed at least 67 people, including many foreigners, in a raid on an upscale Nairobi shopping mall in September. Britain’s Foreign Office said that unless on essential travel, all its citizens should avoid Mombasa and the surrounding area “following recent terrorist attacks and the continuing terrorist threat in the area”.

Bomb scare closes businesses in Kenya’s Mombasa

14 May – Source; World Bulletin – 165 words

Local business was brought to a standstill on Tuesday after an unattended bag sparked a bomb scare in Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa, which has recently been rocked by a string of bombings. “A man left a bag outside the doors of the Summerlink Hotel and disappeared, prompting somebody to raise an alarm. Before long, every shop in the area was closed,” eyewitness William Oga told Anadolu Agency. Shortly afterward, police arrived at the scene in the city’s central business district where they scrambled to disperse the crowd as bomb experts examined the suspicious bag. “I saw a great number of police officers arriving. Bomb experts put on their protective clothing and moved closer to the bag before we were asked to lie down,” Oga said. “We then heard a loud explosion, but we were informed that no explosives were present,” he added. While addressing reporters at the scene, Tom Okoth, deputy Officer Commanding Police Division in the Mombasa area, tried to reassure the public.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“The idea that Dadaab harbours militants long predates the Westgate attack. Following a string of attacks by al Shabaab in 2011, a columnist for Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper wrote: “Dadaab presents a huge threat to Kenyan security … the refugee camp is probably crawling with militia. What better way for al Shabaab to penetrate Kenya’s borders than to become refugees within our borders?”

Dadaab refugee camp: A hotbed of extremism?

14 May – Source: Trust Blog – 573 words

Established in 1991, Dadaab camp in northern Kenya is home to some 335,000 Somali refugees, making it the second largest city of Somalis after Mogadishu. It’s increasingly become a place that a growing number of Kenyans want to get rid of, blaming Somali refugees for harbouring Somali al Shabaab extremist militants who have carried out a series of terrorist attacks on Kenyan soil. When al Shabaab attacked Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi last year, killing 67 people, a senior Kenyan MP urged the government to close Dadaab, which costs the international community between $100 million and $200 million a year to run, calling it a “nursery for terrorists”. But is it? Former Human Rights Watch researcher Ben Rawlence, who’s just spent a year researching the hopes and aspirations of refugees in the camp, bustling with businesses large and small, says it’s actually an “engine for moderation”. It’s full of rural conservative Somalis, most of whom have grown up in the camp away from the war in an atmosphere of peace, and are now some of the best educated Somalis in the world, Rawlence told a meeting at London-based think tank Chatham House recently.