May 4, 2015 | Morning Headlines.
Shabelle River Breaks Banks, Swamps Villages In Southern Somalia
03 May – Source: Hiiraan Online – 254 Words
After weeks fears over floods in the agricultural Middle Shabelle region, the Shabelle River burst its banks, flooding villages and destroying homes. Authorities are concerned about the possibility of even more floods because of the new rain. With no rescue teams to deal with the emergency humanitarian disasters, residents used woody boats to help fellow residents trapped in the flooded villages. Mahaday district is reported to be the most affected with more than 200 families fleeing from their homes. The new river floods also formed lakes across the district, raising fears of flood water surging towards new areas.
The water also cut off key roads in the region, bringing business movements to standstill, according to officials in the region. The forecast is pointing towards increased rainfall across the country with most places expecting heavy downpours in the coming days. In 2013, the area experienced the severe floods that put Jowhar, the provincial capital under waters and led to loss of human life, livestock and the destruction of crops. Water borne diseases also killed dozens during the disaster. The impoverished horn of Africa nation lacks capacity to deal with natural disasters after more than two decades of civil war that destroyed the country’s economic infrastructure.
Key Headlines
- Shabelle River Breaks Banks Swamps Villages In Southern Somalia (Hiiraan Online)
- Politicians In Central Somalia Slam Garowe Conference Outcome (Garowe Online)
- World Press Freedom Day Marked In Mogadishu (Radio Muqdisho)
- Somali Doctors Arrive In Flood-Hit Areas In Southern Somalia (Radio Danan)
- Ahmed Madoobe: “Third Phase Of Consultative Conference On Vision 2016 Will Take Place In Kismayo”(Goobjoog News)
- From Somalia With Fear (Malta Today)
- Kerry In Kenya To Discuss Terrorism Refugees Obama Visit (Bloomberg Business)
- Kenya Withdrawal From Somalia Won’t End Terror – UK High Commissioner (The Star)
- Parents Of Terror Suspect Call For His Arrest (Daily Nation)
- Ethnic Profiling Of Somalis Endangers This Community (Hiiraan Online)
- Mohamed Ali Nur: Al Shabaab Are Not Somalis They Are Criminals (Standard Media)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Politicians In Central Somalia Slam Garowe Conference Outcome
03 May – Source: Garowe Online – 307 words
Politicians in central Somalia have slammed the outcome of the three-day consultative conference in Garowe, signaling watershed moments for the country’s loose federalization process, Garowe Online reports. Abdikarim Hussein Gulled, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s close ally who is vying for the central state presidency called the four-party agreement ‘unconstitutional’: “I criticize [the Garowe Conference] for the point regarding central state formation…I am considering it as a ‘point’ that goes against the Constitution, and it’s a stumbling block to the state formation in central Somalia,” Gulled said on BBC Somali Service.When asked about the possible solution to the controversies facing state formation, he noted that residents of North Mudug should have the final say on their future.“If they [North Mudug residents] want to become united with the upcoming administration of Mudug and Galgadud, they should not be pressured,” he went on.
Galmudug leader and former warlord Abdi Hassan Awale (Qaybdiid) has also voiced opposition to the joint communiqué issued by the Federal Government, Puntland, Jubaland and the Southwest state administration. Qaybdiid took issue with the point in the agreement which bars North Mudug delegates from attending the ongoing convention in Adado. Remarks by the Galmudug leader came after Puntland acquitted alleged central state convention participants including a former MP of treason charges. Meanwhile in Adado, Galmudug and the paramilitary group of Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamea handpicked 35 members for a controversial technical committee a few days after the unilateral dissolution of a committee headed by Halima Ismael. In defiance to the decision to disband them, Ismael said she will continue executing tasks entrusted to the committee.On Wednesday, clan elder Abdinasir Jama Seed announced that they dissolved the technical committee for refusing to vet North Mudug delegates at the Adado convention.
World Press Freedom Day Marked In Mogadishu
03 May – Source: Radio Muqdisho – 136 words
World Press Freedom Day was celebrated in the Somali capital on Sunday. Attending the ceremony were government ministers, the chief of security of staff, NUSOJ and media representatives. The colorful occasion for World Press Freedom Day was held at Jazeera Hotel. The event highlighted the many challenges that journalists and media workers in Somalia face and celebrated the progresses made in the past year. Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mohamed Abdi Hayir ‘Mareye’ delivered speech at the event congratulating all Somali journalists. The minister also announced that his ministry is planning to bring a media law to the parliament.
Somali Doctors Arrive In Flood-Hit Areas In Southern Somalia
03 May – Source: Radio Danan – 194 Words
As Somalis struggle to help Middle Shabelle region’s flood victims, doctors have also decided to play their role by sending teams including academics and paramedics to work in the flood-hit districts. The Shabelle river broke its banks, swamping villages and districts around Jowhar town this week, raising fears of a catastrophic flooding in the farming region. New cases of waterborne diseases are also being reported from the region. The medical team are currently visiting Janbalul, in Lower Shabelle region which is next to the Middle Shabelle region.
Zakaria Ahmed, the volunteer doctors association chairman told DBN that they have seen alarming situations in the region as the result of the recent flash floods in the two neighboring regions. He said his team would help the flood victims by donating medicine and treatment to them. Doctors also warned of possible flooding in other areas of the country, including the town of Jowhar – 90km north of the capital, Mogadishu – where the river level is at “full crest”, and other riverine towns in the Lower Shabelle Region and in central and northeastern areas of the country.
Ahmed Madoobe: “Third Phase Of Consultative Conference On Vision 2016 Will Take Place In Kismayo”.
03 May – Source: Goobjoog News – 191 Words
The President of Interim Jubba Administration, Ahmed Mohamed Islam “ Madoobe” stated that the southern city of Kismayo will host the third phase of the consultative conference on the country’s Vision 2016 plan. “The conference to discuss on the country’s 2016 vision will take place after 62 days in the capital administrative of Jubbaland, Kismayo town” he said. He called upon people of Kismayo to work closely with the security forces to maintain security in the city.
“I urge my people, people of Kismayo, to collaborate with the administration and the security agencies [to] flush out the elements creating insecurity in our land,” he said. This comes after the two-day consultative conference on the implementation of Vision 2016, which is needed to steer the nation towards free and fair elections, concluded in Garowe, the capital of Puntland state. The last consultative meeting between the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia and the Presidents of the regional states of Puntland, Jubbaland and South West Somalia took place on 9 February 2015 in Mogadishu.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
From Somalia With Fear
03 May – Malta Today – 725 Words
For most migrants, the boat trip from Libya is only the last hurdle of a harrowing and often fatal ordeal. Ahmed Nuur Ibrahim, a journalist from Somalia, retraces the steps of his own nightmarish odyssey. “The only thing I ever wanted was to work as a journalist in my own country,” Ahmed Nuur Ibrahim, 27 from Mogadishu, tells me as we face each other across a desk in the African Media Association’s office in Hamrun. “I didn’t want to come to Europe at all.” In any other context this would seem a fairly humble aspiration, especially to someone who has done precisely that for years. But it was never going to be an easy option for Ahmed. The country he so dearly wishes to work in has been torn apart by civil war for the past 30 years; and it is a war fought as much through the media as with weapons on the streets.
The main bone of contention in the Somali civil war concerns a power struggle between the Transitional Federal Government, elected in 2006, and a militant jihadist group called Al Shabaab. But like most civil wars, the reality on the ground is much more complex than that. The country is also deeply divided among various tribes and clans, many of which are engaged in private wars of their own. And Al Shabaab has also declared war on all ‘infidels’ in Somalia: including all Christians, and particularly targeting the United Nations’ peacekeeping presence. In a country as volatile as that, attempting to faithfully report the news is often a fatal career decision.
“My job is to report exactly what happens in my country,” Ahmed resumes. “When there is fighting, I will report the truth of what happened: how many died, how many were killed or wounded… but when you tell the people these things, they contact you, saying things like: ‘when you tell the news, you damage the dignity of my clan…” Soon into his journalistic career, Ahmed was contacted indirectly by Al Shabaab with an offer to ‘join them’. Failure to accept such an invitation, he adds, can and very often does result in death. “They killed 18 of my friends for refusing to join,” Ahmed says. “Always you are threatened. You never know when you are going to die. You have to always be ready to die, when you are working as a journalist in Somalia…” Ahmed refused the invitation, and triggered off an intimidation campaign that escalated between 2007 and 2008. The last call on Ahmed’s mobile was to inform him that he would be dead within three days.
Kerry In Kenya To Discuss Terrorism, Refugees, Obama Visit
03 May – Source: Bloomberg Business – 121 Words
Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Kenya today for talks on terrorism, economic ties and President Barack Obama’s visit to the country in July. Kerry, who will meet with President Uhuru Kenyatta, opposition leaders and business groups Monday, will also address the refugee situation created in Kenya by unrest in Somalia, the U.S. State Department said. He’ll discuss ways to counter the Somali terrorist group al-Shabab, which has conducted attacks inside Kenya, including the assault on Garissa University that left more than 140 dead. The top U.S. diplomat is also finding time for some sight-seeing. He is spending this afternoon visiting an elephant orphanage and touring a national park.
Kenya Withdrawal From Somalia Won’t End Terror – UK High Commissioner
03 May – Source: The Star – 237 Words
Britain does not support the withdrawal of Kenya Defence Forces from Somalia, UK High Commissioner Christian Turner has said. Speaking on KTN on Thursday night, he said the withdrawal of the Kenya troops would not solve the threats posed by al Shabaab. “The causes of radicalisation are complex,” Turner said. “Al Shabaab is attacking Kenya not primarily because of KDF presence in Somalia nor because of poverty, but because of ideology.” The envoy said the war on terror will not be won militarily. He called for a community-based approach as “trust lies at the heart of effectiveness”. Turner said corruption destroys this trust and that Britain applauds the recent efforts by President Uhuru Kenyatta to tackle graft. The envoy said the UK has learned from experience the importance of winning the trust of communities. He cited the IRA bombings during the Northern Ireland Troubles and the London tube bombings in 2005. “An effective response to terrorism can’t just focus on the hardware,” Turner said. “It also needs to address the underlying causes of what leads some individuals to become radicalised and turn to violence.” He called for a combination of “military pressure, intelligence co-operation, a more effective border control and regional collaboration on refugees matters”.
Parents Of Terror Suspect Call For His Arrest
01 May – Source: Daily Nation – 272 Words
The parents of one of the four wanted, Issa Abdallah Kauni, Friday admitted that their son disappeared in November last year. Mr Abdalla Mohammed, the father of the 22-year-old, whose photo was released by police among three others linked with Al-Shabaab terrorists, asked the government to bring him back home to stand trial. Speaking at his home in Malindi, Mr Mohammed said his son disappeared from Kilifi County headquarters where he was the driver of Education Executive Salma Muhdin. Mr Kauni is the only son and third child of his mother, Riziki Mwalimu. His father is polygamous. He was born in 1991 and educated at Sir Ali bin Salim Primary School and Progressive Secondary School in Malindi. “We’ve searched for him without success. We have gone to the police and mortuaries and made announcements in radios and newspapers to no avail,” the mother said.
Kilifi County government Human Resource Department published a public notice on November 30 announcing Kauni as lost. Mrs Mwalimu said they were surprised to see her son’s name and pictures linking him to terrorism. The suspected terrorists are Mr Abulkadir Abubakar Abdulkadir, Mr Kauni and two brothers Mr Hussein Said Omar aka Babli and Mr Ahmed Said Omar aka Dogo. “He was a very good boy. We educated him through difficulties and he used to help us before he disappeared. We want the government to help us trace him,” she said, adding that she did not believe her son was a terrorist. Mr Mohammed said the family’s greatest desire was to see if Kauni would be jailed or set free.
OPINION/ANALYSIS/CULTURE
“Earlier, Somali businesses were accused of using proceeds from piracy to grab all the real estate in Nairobi, distorting the market. The Government then ordered an audit of all Somali properties and assets in 2011. Long after piracy has ended and Somalis quit real estate business, the property market prices have more than tripled; wasn’t it xenophobia then?”
Ethnic Profiling Of Somalis Endangers This Community
03 May – Source: Hiiraan Online – 565 Words
Kenyans reacted angrily to the xenophobic attacks on African immigrants in South Africa last month, terming it barbaric and primitive, and condemned the black South Africans who savagely killed and maimed their brothers. Equally, governments reacted with shock, and faulted the government’s slow response to perennial attacks. In Kenya, some political leaders are stoking fire by ethnicizing terrorism, a situation that may ultimately lead to xenophobic attacks, and the government seemingly tolerates it. A month after the Garissa attack, the Government is yet to give identity of the other three terrorists, all presumed to be non-Somali Kenyans. In the Mandera massacres, the two masterminds of the attacks arraigned in court were non-Somali Kenyans.
But some leaders have solely blamed the Somali community for the attacks in the country. This week, a Senator alleged that a disproportionate number of Somalis have been recruited in Parliament, posing imminent risk of terror attacks. The Speaker allowed him to single out an ethnic community discriminately, contrary to the provisions of the National Cohesion and Integrity Act. The effect of that statement is to ethnically victimise the Somalis working in Parliament, placing their lives and reputation at risk. But such prejudicial statements of hate and discrimination are not the preserve of MPs. The Government too has often held the community collectively liable for the actions of its criminals. Operation Usalama Watch in Eastleigh last year led to thousands of Somalis being rounded up indiscriminately and quarantined in Kasarani.
Nur: I forgave the killer of my 14 month old daughter, who confessed to be part of the gang that attacked my father’s house with grenades over 20 years ago. He said he had never had peace since. Some of his accomplices were either in jail or dead. But even with the anger deep inside, I forgave him. If Somalis who have suffered similar fates can forgive, we will get stability.
Mohamed Ali Nur: Al Shabaab Are Not Somalis, They Are Criminals
03 May – Source: Standard Media – 610 Words
Mohamed Ali Nur’s term as Somalia’s envoy to Kenya since 2007 ended last week. Standard Media interviewed him ahead of his departure.
Q: It is during your tenure that Kenya sent its troops to Somalia. Has this intervention worked?
Nur: The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and Amisom troops have helped in assisting the Somalia National Army fight the Al-Shabaab militia, which is almost being vanquished. Of course, there are some elements of the criminals who plan and execute attacks in Somalia and Kenya, but I believe with intelligence sharing, our security agencies will eliminate them.
Q: What is your greatest achievement during your tenure?
Nur: We have witnessed expansion on trade between Kenya and Somalia. We used to have three flights per week to Mogadishu, but we now have three to four flights daily. My hope is that soon, Kenya Airways will join Turkish airlines to fly frequently to Mogadishu and other cities. Somalia has the longest coastline in Africa, and with an enterprising people, further strengthening of trade ties will only mean that our economies will flourish. I am proud that today, the Somalia flag is hoisted high in our embassy after tireless war to reclaim the mission land, which had been irregularly sold in the 90s by one of my predecessors.
Q: What can you tell Kenyans?
Nur: Sometimes, whenever there are attacks, I see the media point fingers at Somalis. These Al Shabaab are not Somalis, they are criminals. Somali refugees are in Kenya because of these criminals. It is not therefore, right to profile Somalis. Kenya and Somalia have a common enemy and must be united to fight them. I thank Kenya for hosting our refuges for over 21 years, and the KDF for joining the Somalia National Army in fighting Shabaab.
Q: There have been reports that you are eying the presidency in the elections slated for next year. Already some of your supporters have come up with a hashtag on Twitter, #AmbAmerico2016 to launch a campaign to replace Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud. Is this the case?
Nur: Those are wishes of my supporters and friends, but I’m yet to decide. My immediate task is to return home and encourage reconciliation. Somalis are hurting from over two decades of war. Families have been displaced and killed. I want to be a peace ambassador then proceed on Diaspora tours to meet my countrymen and women over peace.