May 2, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Somali President Says Terrorists Are Defeated

02 May – Source: Sky News – 163 words

The Somali President says the al Shabaab terrorists operating in his country have been “defeated as a fighting force” after decades of creating havoc. But he has warned that the extremists are an international network with links to al Qaeda – and they still have the ability to mount attacks both inside Somalia and abroad.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud travels to England next week to jointly chair an international conference with the British Prime Minister on Somalia’s future. He’ll be trying to convince backers like Britain and America that despite more than two decades of financial support, their help is not only still needed but as crucial as ever now.

“Somalia is so close to coming out of the quagmire,” he told Sky News in his only television interview ahead of the conference. “I say, please bear with us and stretch your patience just a little bit and you will get the kind of Somalia you have been dreaming of for 22 years.”

Key Headlines

President Hassan Sheikh: those who poison our coastline shall face international law (Shabelle)
Radio Ergo Journalist attacked in Hiiraan (Radio Ergo)
Mogadishu roads closed for third day running (Shabelle/Hiiraan Online)
Somaliland’s President Concludes Visit to Washington U.S. Officials Re-affirm Partnership (Somaliland Informer/Somaliland GOV)
Dh11.6 million joint funding for Somalia (Khaleej Times/Gulf Today)
Somali President Says Terrorists Are Defeated (Sky News)
Ethiopian FM holds discussions with US Secretary of State John Kerry (Walta Information Centre/ENA)
UN Approves Funding to Support Anti-Piracy Efforts in Somalia (UN News Center)Bullets to babies Somalia’s war surgeons learn skills of peace (AFP)

SOMALI MEDIA

President Hassan Sheikh: those who poison our coastline shall face international law

02 May – Source: Shabelle – 105 words

The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud who addressed the media said that those who contaminated the coastline of Somalia will face international law. He said foreigners were the one’s responsible and his government shall seek justice from the international community.

The president said that his government will take tough actions against the trespassers and will face justice.

The president said that he sent a recorded video to the New York conference which is addressing piracy and illegal fishing in the Somalia coastline. He added that the committee in New York will come up with clear resolutions.

Radio Ergo Journalist attacked in Hiiraan

02 May – Source: Radio Ergo – 272 words

Journalist Abdullahi Salad, Radio Ergo reporter in Hiiraan, was attacked and seriously injured on Monday in Beledweyne by a man wielding an axe. Relatives said Abdullahi received serious wounds to the back of his neck and head in the attack, which took place in daytime while he was taking tea in a public place in town. He lost a lot of blood and was unconscious for some time.

On the phone to Radio Ergo on Tuesday morning, Abdullahi said the man approached him from behind and struck him three times on the head and neck with an axe, before people nearby intervened. “The man’s intention was to kill me; there are no people, I know of, with any grudge against me, I don’t know why that man attacked me,” Abdullahi said. He was clearly very weak and had difficulty talking.

Locals said the assailant did not appear to be someone from the regions. He escaped after the attack but was later caught by the police and is currently being held in Beledweyne police station. The Beledweyne police station commandant, Ali Abdi Mahad Alle (Ali Dhuux), told Radio Ergo that the attacker was a 50 year old man who was a resident of the area. The commandant said he had admitted to the attack on the journalist. The motive behind the attack is not yet clear, though the police said investigations would continue and the man would be charged in court soon.

Mogadishu roads closed for third day running

02 May – Source: Shabelle/Hiiraan Online – 71 words

The federal government troops have closed all major roads in the city of Mogadishu for the third day running.
Members of the public are raising their concerns over transport as public service vehicles are not operating at full capacity.

Government troops consisting of military and police are operating along the roads and ordering any moving vehicle to return to where it came from or diverting them to small un tarmacked roads.

AMISOM thwarts suicide attempt in Kismayo

02 May- Source: Radio Shabelle/Dhanaan Online – 140 words

African Union troops and Somali forces on Tuesday morning arrested a woman wearing a vest packed with explosives in the city of Kismayo, the capital of the province of Lower Juba, southern Somalia.

The arrest of the woman came after trying to enter the University of Kismayo in which, politicians and elders and prominent figures, are holding the meeting.

Abdinasir Serar, a spokesman for the interim administration of Kismayu said in a statement to reporters that the African Union troops and Somali forces have managed to thwart suicide attempt in the city.

Serar added that the African Union forces and Somali troops arrested a woman wearing an explosive belt, stressing that she was arrested at the police station and facing interrogation at the hands of the security authorities there.

Puntland farmers urged to increase food production

02 May – Source: Radio Ergo – 250 words

Puntland’s Minister of Agriculture has called on farmers to improve their production and expand their crop variety by growing basic food crops such as maize, beans and sorghum. Speaking at an agricultural fair in Garowe last week, the minister Mohamoud Haji Selah Bisrishkalo said: “People should consume locally produced foods; it is a sign of progress when people get sensitized and invest in farming and in food production.”

The agricultural fair was attended by representatives from the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) and Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the NGO ADESO. Vegetable and fruit production has increased in Puntland and consumers are now able to buy mostly local products, except bananas, mangoes and oranges that come from outside the region.

Fatuma Jibril, of ADESO, urged farmers to focus on the kind of crops that are known to grow well on their particular type of land and soil in the region. The minister warned farmers against misusing agricultural chemicals. “Out of ignorance some farmers apply on their crops insecticides they bought from drug stores, without knowing the property of the product they use, which is dangerous,” he said.

Somaliland’s President Concludes Visit to Washington, U.S. Officials Re-affirm Partnership

02 May – Source: Somaliland Informer/ Somaliland Gov – 745 words

President of Somaliland Ahmed Mohamed Mahamoud Silanyo met in Washington, D.C. last week with U.S. Administration officials, Members of Congress and others with a key role or interest in the Horn of Africa.

Before departing Washington, President Silanyo said, “I am grateful for the enduring partnership between the United States and Somaliland, and for the friendship that has been extended to our people since the Administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In my meetings at the State Department—and in consultations with other U.S. government officials and lawmakers—I offered Somaliland’s experience building democratic and representative government as a model for expanded stability in the Horn of Africa.

The United States’ commitment to the dual track policy and continued direct engagement with Hargeisa will encourage the deepening of political ties between Somaliland and Somalia as the new government in Mogadishu builds a better future for its people.”

Illegal road blocks removed from Lower Shabelle

01 May – Source: Mareeg Online – 110 words

The governor of the lower Shabelle region Abdikadir Mohamed Nur Sidi who said that his administration has removed the illegal road blocks that were erected along the roads leading to the region.

He said that he his administration started a campaign to remove the roadblocks which used to haunt motorists using the roads. He added that some still existed but his administration will use force to cleanse the remaining few.

Mr. Abdikadir added that his administration will not allow illegal roadblocks along the busy highways and will fight anyone who tries to put any illegal roadblock along any road in the region.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Dh11.6 million joint funding for Somalia

02 May – Khaleej Times/ Gulf Today – 301 words

A joint funding of Dh11.6 million (2 million pounds) to help Somalia tackle the issue of sexual violence was announced by UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and British Foreign Minister William Hague, at the end of bilateral talks at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, according to a statement.

The new funding, agreed during the first state visit to the UK by the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, comes ahead of a major London conference on Somalia on May 7 at which tackling sexual violence will be discussed. The Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) is a top British priority, supported by the UAE.

The Federal Government of Somalia has publicly committed to improving the lives of women in Somalia, addressing the problem of sexual violence and combating the impunity which surrounds these terrible crimes. The two million pounds (one million each from the UK and UAE) will provide support to the Somali government, including training and capacity-building and help for them to deliver PSVI recommendations due to be made by the UN Team of Experts when they visit Somalia this year.

Commenting on the announcement, Shaikh Abdullah said: “The UAE applauds the UK’s strong leadership in bringing countries together to tackle the unacceptable prevalence of sexual violence in conflict situations. Through this contribution, the UAE is delighted to be able to support the Somali government in its efforts to protect and empower women.”

Ethiopian FM holds discussions with US Secretary of State John Kerry

02 May – Source: Walta Information Centre/ENA – 256 words

On the final day of an official state visit to the United States, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Dr. Tedros met US Secretary of State John Kerry for a brief discussion on developments in the Horn of Africa.

The Minister briefed Secretary Kerry on Somalia, stating that the situation on the ground is improving but warning that hard fought gains against al Shabaab had to be consolidated.

Dr. Tedros cautioned that al Shabaab would regroup if the proper measures were not taken against it.
Regarding additional support for the Government of Somalia, Dr. Tedros affirmed that the security sector should take priority and that support for this area should be well coordinated amongst the international community.

The Minister also emphasized that the provision of basic services to people living in liberated areas should be increased as the building of trust and confidence would go a long way towards ensuring peace and security.

AU soldiers destroy key al Shabaab base

01 May – Source: Daily Nation – 90 words

African Union peacekeeping forces in Somalia have destroyed an al Shabaab base in Kismayo amid reports that the jihadist group is fast disintegrating due to internal wrangles.

A statement from the Department of Defence said the peacekeeping forces killed several al Shabaab militants during the Monday raid at an installation they had erected near Kismayo International Airport.

This was the second attempt by the militants to monitor the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops at the airport. The militia’s first observation post was dismantled by the peacekeepers in October last year.

Potential pathways to Somalia’s economic recovery

01 May – Source: Sabahi Online – 963 words

Somalia’s first permanent government in 22 years faces significant obstacles in getting the nation’s economy back on track. However, in comparison to the corruption rife in previous administrations, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government has so far garnered positive reviews inside and outside the country, and expectations are high that his administration is in a position to jumpstart the economy.

If the government pursues innovative solutions in the telecommunications, agriculture and fishing industries, and reduces risks associated with tapping the country’s natural resources, Somalia’s economy could see a well-needed lift that would also be a boost for peace and development.

At present, the central government in Mogadishu collects approximately $84 million per year in state revenues sources, such as taxes on seaports and airports. It therefore must rely on direct support from foreign governments as well as local and international non-governmental organisations, and on the approximately $1.6 billion each year in remittances, according to the United Nations.

Somalia marks fete after decades

01 May – Source: Africa Review – 170 words

The citizens of Somalia Wednesday joined the rest of the world in celebrating Labour Day for the first time in over two decades.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud addressed the public via the media on the occasion of the workers’ day.
It was the first time Somali officials honoured the May Day since the collapse of the military regime of the late General Mohamed Siad Barre.

For two decades, in the 1970s and 1980s, the socialist government observed the workers’ day on May 1 as the second most important holiday, after the October 21 Revolutionary Day when Gen Barre overthrew a civilian rule.

President Mohamud urged employers in Somalia to respect the rights of the employees. Employees’ rights must be respected, especially in the areas of security and health, stated the President.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali President Says Terrorists Are Defeated

02 May – Source: Sky News – 163 words

UN Approves Funding to Support Anti-Piracy Efforts in Somalia

02 May – Source: UN News Center – 256 words

The United Nations Trust Fund for the Fight against Piracy today approved a package of projects in support of anti-piracy efforts in Somalia and other affected States in the region, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Maldives and the Seychelles. The announcement was made in New York by United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Tayé-Brook Zerihoun, who chaired the Board of the Trust Fund to Support Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.

“The dramatic decline in pirate attacks is clear evidence of years of hard work by United Nations Member States, international and regional organizations, and actors in the shipping industry,” said Mr. Zerihoun.

“But, while acknowledging the gains, we should not be under any illusion that piracy has been conclusively brought under control,” Mr. Zerihoun stressed. “The international community should continue to support the efforts of Somalia and States in the region to strengthen their maritime law enforcement capacities and their rule of law sector”. He added, “With the Trust Fund’s resources largely spent, now is the time to replenish the Fund to bridge critical gaps in counter-piracy efforts.”

The five projects approved today, worth $2 million, aim to ensure that the ongoing piracy trials are conducted in a fair and efficient manner and that the human rights, health and safety of individuals suspected of piracy are protected. The projects approved today will also facilitate the repatriation from the Maldives to Somalia of detainees suspected of piracy, as well as supporting Kenyan prisons in meeting minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners.

Bombers from Minnesota tied to al Shabaab case, U.S. Says

01 May – Source: Bloomberg Business Week – 420 words

Three men charged with supporting the Somali terrorist group al Shabaab had ties to two suicide bombers from Minnesota, the U.S. said.

The three defendants were “closely associated” with Farah Mohamed Beledi, a suicide bomber from Minnesota who participated in a 2011 Somalia attack, prosecutors said in a letter filed today in federal court in Brooklyn, New York.

Another bomber from Minnesota, Shirwa Ahmed, took part in a series of simultaneous 2008 attacks discussed by two of the defendants in detail during intercepted communications, prosecutors said in the filing. Beledi and Shirwa Ahmed were U.S. citizens, according to the document, dated April 5.

The letter, providing supplementary evidentiary material to the defense, was filed in the case of Ali Yasin Ahmed, Madhi Hashi and Mohamed Yusuf. The three were arrested in Africa by local authorities in August and taken into U.S. custody in November, according to prosecutors. They were indicted on charges of conspiracy, use of high-powered firearms and providing material support to a foreign terrorist group.

Prosecutors allege that from December 2008 until their arrest, the men participated in weapons and explosives training and a suicide-bomber program with associates of al Shabaab and were deployed in combat operations to support the group, which has said it is affiliated with al Qaeda.

Bullets to babies, Somalia’s war surgeons learn skills of peace

02 May – Source: AFP – 166 words

Not yet named but much loved by watchful parents, a newly born baby boy is a small symbol of change: a birth, not a death for Somalia’s key war hospital.

After more than two decades of bloody civil war, Somalia remains a very dangerous place, but security has slowly improved, with militant fighters linked to al Qaeda on the back foot despite launching a deadly bombing campaign.

For the surgeons of Medina hospital, whose specialised war wound operating theatres were set up shortly after the collapse of the government in 1991, that gradual reduction has meant they can start to focus on more everyday health problems for the first time, and not just bomb blasts or bullet wounds.

“Medina… is the thermometer of the temperature of the security in the city,” said hospital director Mohamed Yusuf Hassan. Surgeons now are tackling elective surgeries — scheduled operations, not emergencies — and the decrease in war wounds the Mogadishu hospital treats shows how the “situation has improved”, he added.

Midwives at heart of Somalia’s new reproductive health strategy

01 May – Source: WHO/Dillapress – 730 words

A reproductive health programme in Somalia is breaking new ground in rapidly expanding access to birth spacing services, safe childbirth, antenatal and postnatal care.

By 2010, two decades of internal conflict and famine and a collapsed health sector had left 80% of Somalia’s population without access to basic health services. The prospect of giving birth in the presence of a trained midwife or of accessing family planning – or “birth spacing” – services was thus a distant dream for the vast majority of Somali women, and one in 14 pregnancies ended with the mother dying.

Spacing births more widely can dramatically reduce maternal mortality and improve the chances that children will survive. Dr Nima Hassan, a surgeon in Banadir Hospital in Mogadishu describes an all-too frequent Somali tragedy: “One patient died last year when she was in labour with her twelfth child.

I warned her she would have problems and she shouldn’t get pregnant again, but her husband put pressure on her to get pregnant and her body couldn’t cope.” But as Somalia’s new government begins to rebuild public health services, a number of women are beginning to realize that dream.

Somali MP Asha Haji Elmi on women in Somalia

30 Apr – Source: UK FCO Youtube – 2:13 mins

Asha Haji Elmi MP talks about the upcoming Somalia Conference in London and what the conference can achieve for women.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“50 Countries will meet in London on May 7 to support the nation-building project in Somalia. It is crucial that women, children and displaced people are at the forefront of the debate.”

Will London Respond to Somalia’s Needs?

01 May – Source: Think Africa Press – 881 words

I met Fatuma in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, late last year. A few days before, she had been raped by an armed militia man while she slept in one of the city’s camps for displaced people. She had nowhere to turn for redress. Months earlier, 13-year old Abdi told me how he had been kidnapped from school by armed members of the militant group al Shabaab and forced to serve in Mogadishu’s battle zones. I asked Abdi, who had fled to Kenya in late 2011, about his hopes for the future:

“We, the children, are suffering, our fathers are killed, our mothers suffer, and we have been taken to the front line. We love our country and want to be its leaders.” As representatives from over 50 countries gather in London on 7 May to pledge support for the new Somali government, which is barely eight months old, Abdi and Fatuma’s stories continue to resonate.

The conference co-chairs, the Somali and UK governments, along with others, are expected to make a commitment to support police and judicial reform, which they have identified as top priorities, and to provide technical assistance to tackle sexual violence. But these much-needed resources will only contribute to durable improvements if the rights of the most vulnerable Somalis – children, women, displaced people – are placed at the forefront of debates.

“I believe that the plans the Somali government intends to present on 7 May are a real attempt to deal with many of the concerns I heard in Ohio. The UK stands ready to put more time and money into helping them succeed. I hope that Somalia’s other friends and neighbours will too.”

Talking Somalia in Mogadishu, London and… Columbus, Ohio

30 Apr – Source: FCO Blog – 560 words

Last week I went to Columbus to talk to representatives of the 50,000 or so Somali diaspora community living in Ohio. It was hosted at a community learning centre set up to help Somali youths succeed in school. It seems to be working as I was told growing numbers are going to university.

I set out our priorities for the Somalia Conference on 7 May in London in similar terms to a speech our Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds MP, gave in Washington a couple of days earlier. I echoed his message that the UK recognises that there is a real opportunity in 2013 that must be seized if Somalia is to build on the remarkable progress it has made over the last twelve months. This year is a potential turning point in Somalia’s history. We must not miss the opportunity.

Over two hours of lively discussion I heard very positive things about the effort the UK is putting into Somalia but, unsurprisingly from such a well-informed group, there were also some challenging questions. Many told stories of continuing violence in parts of Somalia, including sexual violence against women. They stressed that security was vital above all else for stability and development.

Several audience members asked that we urge the Somali government to ensure that power and wealth are distributed fairly across the different regions of the country. It was a fascinating evening and a good reminder of how much diaspora communities have to contribute both to their original countries and their adopted ones.

“In al-Muhajir’s 12-page letter, which was posted on several jihadist websites on April 20th and titled “Yes, there are problems”, he said his purpose in writing the letter was to “relieve myself in front of God and the nation of all the aggressions and legal violations committed by some of us […and to] warn all lovers of jihad among the muhajireen inside or outside the country that the situation is not as it is depicted by the movement”.”

Open letter to al Shabaab leader reveals: ‘Yes, there are problems’

30 Apr – Source: Sabahi Online – 798 words

A scathing letter addressed to al Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane from one of the group’s top foreign fighters has exposed the deepening mistrust and communication breakdown between various factions within the al Qaeda-allied organisation.

Little is known about the author — al Zubayr al Muhajir — but from the letter it is evident that he is a high ranking official in al-Shabaab closely connected to the muhajireen (foreign fighters).

In the letter, al-Muhajir explains how Godane, also known as Mukhtar Abu al Zubayr, appointed him as a member of al Shabaab’s Shura Council and as chairman of a special sharia court that mediated between Godane and movement’s other top three leaders — Ibrahim al Afghani (whose real name is Ibrahim Haji Jama Meeaad and is also known as Abu Bakr al Zaylai), Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Ali (or Abu Mansur) and Fuad Mohamed Khalaf.

“It makes no sense that thinking for radical visions of the future be restricted to the richest and smartest cities in the world. Start with the poorest and most wrecked instead—and Mogadishu, which is ruined and must be rebuilt—can be a proof of concept. Science by itself cannot cure poverty, and technocracy is bound to fail in the face of insecurity and venality, but precisely because Africa is the future, it needs to be avant-garde.”

Somalia can move from destruction into the space age

30 Apr – Source: Quartz – 598 words

The situation in Somalia remains challenging, but has improved considerably. An alliance of African Union and Somali troops has driven the Shabab out of its strongholds without major loss of life. The jihadists will fight on—earlier this month, they sent out more suicide bombers and commandos to kill—but they will be powerless to halt the emergence of a liberated 21st century Somalia. To secure the peace, pirates will have to be kept from putting out to sea, warlords crushed, and young men disarmed. Education and health will need massive investment. Trees and fishing grounds must be protected as a matter of national emergency.

But the bigger picture needs fantastic thinking. Stability in future Somalia and across future Africa will require choosing and implementing the most advanced technologies. Thinking in space age terms is not far-fetched. Somalia is reemerging in an age of planetary networks. Its lack of a regulatory environment has helped it become one of the most innovative users of cellular technology in the world.

Its strong oral tradition and sophisticated trading networks will produce new thinking on how to make the best use of smartphones. But information and communications technology is just the start. Mogadishu, the country’s ruined but beautiful seaside capital, will double to 4 million inhabitants in the coming decades.

Since this growth will happen without enough water and food, with hardly any cash, even less industry, the city will have to manage its inputs and outputs intelligently in order to offset the political risk presented by its underemployed and clannish young men. It will need to capture nearly all of its rainfall for home use, urban farming and landscaping. It will have to learn to recycle sewage by installing microwave latrines that zap waste into fuel bricks and pioneer solar powered-reverse osmosis of brackish water into potable water.

Top tweets

@UNPOSomalia #UN Trust Fund approves $2 million for 5 anti-#piracy & maritime security projects in #Somalia & the region. http://bit.ly/131K95H @UN_DPA.

@WilliamJHague 1 week to go to London #Somaliaconference. Somali people deserve a bright future. UK rallying international help for them.

@OCHASom ~4.6% of the population and 10% of children under 5 died in South/Central #Somalia during the #famine.http://www.fsnau.org/ @faoinsomalia.

@MarkC_Anderson #Somalia #Somaliland: Briefing on last month’s bilateral talks in #Turkey urging more engagement |http://bit.ly/11ZpoFz via @HIPSINSTITUTE.

‏@e_sarin Back in 2011, the media was too distracted w/other things (*sigh*) to cover the #Somalia famine crisishttp://bit.ly/18izp2m h/t @RoWMedia.

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Image of the day

Image of the day Residents in Wanlaweyn, 90 km north of Mogadishu persist through recent flooding from heavy rains in Somalia. @SomaliaNewsroom.