May 28, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report
Al-Shabaab Leader Who Met Osama Bin Laden Dies After Long Illness
28 May – Source: Radio Dalsan – 110 Words
Al-Shabaab Spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage has confirmed to the media that one of its high profile leader Sheikh Hassan Turki has died. Sheikh Rage sent his condolences of the 73 years old who he said has succumbed after long illness. Sheikh Turki survived several US airstrikes inside Somalia before. US blacklisted and added him to most wanted list on June 3rd 2004 for close relation with Al Qaida. Al-Shabaab spokesman said Sheikh Turki meet Al Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden three times before his death, two times in Afghanistan and one time in Sudan. Turki, who survived in Somali military before the collapse of central government in early 1990s was also key figure in Hizb Al Islam which was an offshoot of former Islamic court union.
Key Headlines
- Al-Shabaab Leader Who Met Osama Bin Laden Dead After Long Illness (Radio Dalsan)
- Somalia: Puntland President Fires Bari Governor And Bosaaso Mayor (Horseed Media)
- EU Donates $6M To Somalia Government (Somali Current)
- Somali Government Forces Engage In Direct Gun Battle In Mogadishu (RBC Radio)
- Somalia: Female Journalist Summoned To Puntland Court (Garowe Online)
- Somaliland To Pick Berbera Port Partner By End Of Year (Reuters)
- Terrorism Conviction Upheld For Ex-janitor At Minneapolis Mosque (Star Tribune)
- Somalia: A Threat By Any Name (Financial Mail)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia: Puntland President Fires Bari Governor And Bosaaso Mayor
27 May – Source: Horseed Media – 176 Words
Puntland President Abdiweli Mohammed Ali has fired the governor of Bari province and the mayor of Bosaaso city, the capital of Bari, Horseed Media reports. The Presidential decree was announced on Wednesday by the spokesperson of the Puntland government who did not give the reason of the sackings. A new governor, Yusuf Mohamed Dhedo, was appointed by the President while a caretaker mayor was also named. Mr Ali dismissed the local municipal council members.
The sackings of Bari governor and Bosaaso mayor comes after months of insecurity incidents in the commercial hub of Puntland state. Al-Shabaab militants have carried out attacks in the city, targeting mainly police posts. The outgoing Bari governor, Abdisamad Gallan survived an assassination bid in March when a group of Al-Shabaab militants attacked his house in Bossaso. “We hope that the new changes bring good governance and reforms in the province,” said one of the local elders. Since coming to office last year, President Ali’s leadership cleanup amounts to the dismissal of figureheads in almost a third of the autonomous state’s provinces.
EU Donates $6M To Somalia Government
27 May – Source: Somali Current – 144 Words
European Union has today announced it will donate $6M to Somalia government as part of Somalia Stability Fund. The funds will help the government to rebuild local governance, infrastructure and livelihoods in the newly accessible districts in Central and Southern Somalia. “Local governance and socio economic recovery are key for achieving sustainable peace and stability in Somalia. The partnership between the Somali Government and SSF is crucial in progressing towards this common goal”, said Michele Cervone d’Urso, Head of the EU in Somalia.
The EU also promised to help emerging Interim administrations such as Jubba administration, South West administration and possibly Central regional administration. EU is Somalia’s main development partner with half of EU assistance focusing development projects such as governance, education and economic development. On the other hand ,EU said they will actively engaged in diplomacy and support the political process and security.
Somali Government Forces Engage In Direct Gun Battle In Mogadishu
27 May – Source: RBC Radio – 139 Words
Forces belonging to Somali Federal Government have today engaged in direct gun battle in Mogadishu, RBC Reports. Somali forces of two sides have fought today in the capital city killing at least one according to witness to who spoke to Raxanreeb Online on anonymity condition. At least one person confirmed dead as the forces of Somali Government sides with two sides. The motive of this confrontation has been clearly established but early reports indicate that the two sides have disputed on house that the Banadir region administration ordered to be demolished. Banadir regional administration has so far not made any remark on this incident. Somali government forces have several other times engaged in direct battles after disputing on minor matters. Somalia toils to build well-trained and administered forces as the country recovers from decades of civil war and lawless.
Female Journalist Summoned To Puntland Court
27 May – Source: Garowe Online – 405 Words
An appeals court in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, northern Somalia has ordered the arrest of two journalists including a reporter with the Voice of America Somali service to face charges of “offending” judges in the region’s court. In a letter addressed to the police headquarters in Bosaaso, which was seen by Garowe Online, the court instructed the arrest in an urgent priority, accusing journalists of insulting and threatening judges in the court.
Faduma Yasin Jama, a Puntland-based reporter for VOA says that she received a short text message from the Bari region’s court in which she was summoned to come to the court on Wednesday. No further details have been given on the reasons behind the instructions; however, local journalists told Garowe Online that the magistrates are apparently upset on airing of the recent interview the journalist had with the Puntland president Abdiweli Mohamed Ali who questioned the region’s judiciary system credibility. “It’s truly a ridiculous thing for them to summon me without giving a reason.” She told Garowe Online.
Local journalists have been mobilizing to talk into the court authorities to drop possible charges against the female journalist. The development comes few days after the Puntland president has declared that his government would take a legal action against media houses perceived to be biased. In a recent interview with the VOA Somali service, he also noted that his government would not show goodwill to media houses in the region that give voices to the oppositions politicians. “That’ll be intolerable,” Mr. Ali said.
As parts of a new anti-media crackdown, Puntland security forces have arrested two journalists with the local Daljir radio after their radio hosted a debate on the insecurity in the region. Soldiers raided radio Daljir’s Garowe bureau and arrested the director Abdirahman Gardi and the reporter who hosted the debate discussing about the insecurity in region which saw several security incidents including a bomb attack on UNICEF minivan that killed four UN employees last month. Government officials declined comments on the arrest; however, media watchdogs often accuse Puntland administration of arbitrary arrests against media workers. The government led by the former Somali prime minister faces criticism on security failure and shortcomings, an accusation often dismissed by his administration.
Puntland is locked in a deadly war against fighters from the Al-Qaeda-linked militants in Somalia who are trying to set up a key base in the region which escaped Somalia’s two-decades old conflict.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somaliland To Pick Berbera Port Partner By End Of Year
27 May – Source: Reuters – 334 Words
May 27 Somaliland expects to choose a partner to develop and manage its Berbera port by the end of the year, with construction expected to start early next year, the breakaway territory’s foreign minister said on Wednesday. Mohamed Behi Yonis said the state, which broke away from Somalia in 1991 but is not internationally recognised, was in talks with France’s Bollore, the Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Company and Dubai’s DP World.”Those are the three major port management companies that are interested in developing the port.
We have been discussing with all of them,” he told Reuters on the sidelines of an African Development Bank meeting in Ivory Coast. “We have not made up our minds. We’re looking at all options,” he added. Yonis said the port was expected to become a major transit hub for goods entering and leaving the Horn of Africa and particularly Somaliland’s landlocked but economically thriving neighbour Ethiopia. Ethiopia lost its direct access to the sea in 1993 when Eritrea gained independence following a three-decade civil war. It is currently heavily dependent on the port of Djibouti.
Terrorism Conviction Upheld For Ex-janitor At Minneapolis Mosque
28 May – Source: Star Tribune – 224 Words
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the appeal of a former janitor at a Minneapolis mosque who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after his conviction in 2012 of aiding foreign terrorism by helping some young Twin Cities men fly to Somalia to fight for Al-Shabaab. A three-judge panel of the court found that Mahamud Said Omar, 49, had been properly identified by government witnesses.
The judges also found that Chief U.S. District Judge Michael Davis properly withheld from the defense certain evidence obtained pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) on grounds that revealing it might harm national security.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“A military option remains the number one priority of the Somali government, and is intended to limit the growth of Al-Shabaab. This is a group which has more than 7000 fighters who come from divided clans in Somalia and were well trained by foreign jihadists, so we cannot expect its end very soon,” he says. Al-Shabaab wants to establish an Islamic state in Somalia, based on Islamic law and the elimination of foreign influence. It has recently waged major attacks in Somalia and neighbouring countries including Kenya, Djibouti and Uganda. ”
Somalia: A Threat By Any Name
28 May – Source: Financial Mail – 745 Words
UGUS, the acronym for the Somali words meaning “the Group that Massacres the Somali People”, is how the Somali government told media houses to refer to militant group Al-Shabaab last month. Al-Shabaab, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda, hit back with exactly the same acronym to mean “the Group that Subjects the Somali People to Humiliation.” Propaganda has been part of the war between Al-Shabaab and the Somali government for years. The weak federal government of Somalia, formed in 2012, has also tried to adopt a military strategy, but with little success. It wants to eliminate the group, prevent more youth recruitment to its military ranks and prevent funds from reaching it, Somali security analyst Abdihalim Yasin says.
TOP TWEETS
@Daudoo:BREAKING: Sheikh Hassan Turki, one the most senior #AlShabaab leaders dies aged 73 after long illness.#Somalia
@UNDP:#Youth in #Somalia finds alternative options w/@UNDPSomalia anti-piracy mentors: http://on.undp.org/NsaQi #UNDP4Youth
@Eye_on_Somalia :#allAfrica VOA Journalist, Faduma Arrested By Puntland Forces in Bosaso: [Shabelle] Bosaso-Somalia’s … http://bit.ly/1G1P5gX #somalia
@AbdirachidFidow:What should I tell my children about#Somalia? War? Tribalism? Tribe? Hatred? Envy? Warlord? Federalism? Genocide? Corruption? Al-Shabaab?
@Ridwaanhaji:#Somalia is drafting ‘Refugee law’ to protect & promote the rights of refugees, Non Somalis from #Yemen. Help please
IMAGE OF THE DAY
United Nations Support Office for AMISOM (UNSOA) Director Amadou Kamara greets AMISOM Military officials on arrival at Baidoa Airport.
Photo: AMISOM