November 14, 2016 | Morning Headlines
Somali Leader Appeals For Aid Amid Severe Drought
13 November – Source: Xinhua – 208 Words
Somali President Hassan Sheik Mohamud has appealed to the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by severe drought which is ravaging the Horn of Africa nation.
President Mohamud said several parts of Somalia have been affected by drought especially in regions in northern Somalia. “I appeal to the international community to immediately come to the aid of the Somali people in the affected areas before the situation gets worsened, it is time that aid is delivered very urgently in particular drought-stricken areas of the country,” Mohamud said in a statement received on Sunday.
His statement comes after the UN said in September the total number of people facing acute food insecurity across Somalia has risen to five million, or more than 40 percent of the country’s population does not have sufficient food. The assessment report released in Mogadishu reveals the number includes over 300,000 children under five who are acutely malnourished, including more than 50,000 children who are severely malnourished and more vulnerable than any other group.
The president said the drought has widely affected the country, worsening in some areas and called on Somalis spread across the world to do everything to aid their brothers and sisters suffering from severe drought.
Key Headlines
- Somali Leader Appeals For Aid Amid Severe Drought (Xinhua)
- Allied Forces Recapture Village In South West Somalia (Goobjoog News)
- Puntland And Jubbaland States Elect Twelve More MPs In Lower House Elections (UNSOM)
- Galmudug Seeks US Compensation Over Jehdin Airstrike (Goobjoog News)
- Two Soldiers Dead Several Injured In Mogadishu Attack (Shabelle News)
- Rival Somalia Regions Agree To Bury The Hatchet Again (AFP)
- More Troops Called For To Secure Somalia (Xinhua)
- AU Mission Probes Alleged Civilian Killing In Somalia (Xinhua)
- More Somali Refugees Opt For Returning Home (Xinhua)
- Muslim Americans Share The Pain Of Having Family Convicted Of Supporting Terrorism (The Washington Post)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Allied Forces Recapture Village In South West Somalia
13 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 197 Words
A joint operation between Somalia National Army and African Union forces led to the recapture of a village in south western Somalia which was under Al-Shabaab control, residents said. Residents in El Garas village, near Tiyeglow town in Bakool region, said that the allied forces had entered the village from two directions, ending pockets of resistance by Al-Shabaab fighters who were later pushed out of the village.
“Al-Shabaab withdrew after being defeated by AMISOM and Somali government troops who were armed with tanks. The village is now under control of the allied forces,” Mohamed Kheyre, one of the residents in El Garas village. There were no reports of casualties in the battle for control of the village, which has been under the control of Al-Shabaab for years.
Somali federal government said it will liberate all towns retaken by Al-Shabaab in recent weeks, after Ethiopian troops who are not serving under AMISOM began pulling out key areas in south of the country. Al-Shabaab lost key strongholds in between 2012 and 2015 to the AU troops and Somali national army.
Puntland And Jubbaland States Elect Twelve More MPs In Lower House Elections
13 November – Source: UNSOM – 419 Words
Jubbaland state completed its fifth day of voting for seats in the House of the People with another six members elected to the lower chamber of the federal parliament. A total of 26 candidates have now been elected to the House of the People from Jubbaland, with only 17 seats still to be decided. All six of the winning candidates in today’s balloting in Kismaayo are men. “I have to do what my people elected me to do,” said the newly elected member of parliament (MP) Liban Abdirahman Osman after being declared the winner in his contest. “The country needs to restore its infrastructure, enhance education and, most importantly, sort out the security of the country.”
Electoral college delegate Jamila Abdi Malabow said voters sought to choose leaders committed to improving the status of their fellow citizens. “The member of the Lower House we elected today have to address the interests of the Somali public,” said Jamila. “He must not be a person who seeks personal interests. He has to work for the people, for the country, and for religion. ’’ Electoral college delegates in the Puntland capital of Garowe also chose another six MPs in voting for seats in the House of the People, bringing that state’s number of MPs-elect to 18 out of a total of 37. Two of the winning candidates are female. MP-elect Saido Mohamed vowed to champion women’s rights as a legislator and urged other Somali women to follow her example and register themselves as candidates. “I want to call on all other Somali ladies to come forward and contest,” said Ms. Saido. “I ask them to compete for the remaining seats.”
University student Shamsa Farah Dahir failed in her bid to win a seat in the lower chamber of parliament that was reserved for only female candidates. But Ms. Dahir remained optimistic about her prospects for victory in a future election. “This was the first time I contested in an election,” she said. “I wanted to represent my clan (but) I lost, and I congratulate my sister who won.” The second day of voting in Galmudug state for seats in the House of the People got off to a delayed start today in the interim capital of Cadaado. The first day of balloting in Galmudug last Thursday also began late, resulting in the election of only three MPs. Only two MPs were elected in Galmudug state today, bringing the total number of candidates elected to the Lower House to 5 out of 36 seats.
Galmudug Seeks US Compensation Over Jehdin Airstrike
13 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 178 Words
Authorities in central Somalia state of Galmudug have appealed to the US government for compensation over the September airstrike which killed Galmudug forces amid confirmation by US that it killed friendly forces. The September 28 strike carried out by US drones in Somalia’s Galkayo area killed 10 fighters and wounded three soldiers sparking demonstrations and accusations between Puntland and Galmudug. Speaking to Goobjoog News, Galmudug reconciliation minister, Osman Mohamed Ali said Galmudug is seeking compensation from the US government over the killing of soldiers in Jehdin military base near Galkaayo town.
“It is good progress and a good step taken to see US government acknowledging the killing of our soldiers in the errant strike, but we want US government to give out compensation,” said Ali. Somalia’s government had asked the United States to explain the strike, which it said had been conducted against forces of the semi-autonomous, northern region of Galmudug. On Thursday US military said a September U.S. air strike in Somalia killed local militia forces and not Al-Shabaab militants as the Pentagon had initially believed.
Two Soldiers Dead, Several Injured In Mogadishu Attack
13 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 119 Words
At least one soldier was killed, and two others were injured in an attack at army checkpoint in Somali capital, Mogadishu on Sunday, a witness said. Confirming the incident, an eyewitness said gunmen in a moving vehicle sprayed an army checkpoint run by Intelligence officers in Wardhigley district.
A civilian passerby was among the two persons wounded in the attack, which was the latest in string of assaults in Mogadishu by Al-Shabaab militants. The gunmen sped off in their car, after the shoot-out, the witness said. In a separate incident, unidentified gunmen shot and killed a Soldier, and seized his gun in Mogadishu’s Bakara market. The gunmen who carried out the attack are reportedly fled the scene.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Rival Somalia Regions Agree To Bury The Hatchet, Again
13 November – Source: AFP – 303 Words
The leaders of two neighbouring Somali regions have agreed to respect a ceasefire whose repeated violations have claimed some 45 lives in recent weeks, the UN said on Sunday. President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali of Puntland and Abdilkarim Hussein Guled, his counterpart in Galmudug, met on Saturday in the central Somalia town of Galkayo – scene of the latest clashes – “to re-commit to a (December 2015) ceasefire in the disputed city”, UNSOM, the UN mission in Somalia, said in a statement.
The ceasefire was designed to end frequent clashes between rival clans and armed groups but never entered into effect. Fighting broke out again in September, killing at least 45 over the past six weeks and prompting some 90,000 civilians to flee their homes, according to UNSOM. “The renewed commitment made in Abu Dhabi on 1 November to a ceasefire, to support the return of displaced people and establish a committee to find a solution to the conflict has not been honoured,” the statement said.
Saturday’s meeting was led by Somalia’s prime minister, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke. UN, EU and African Union officials were present. Tension between Puntland and Galmudug, which are semi-autonomous entities, flared in September after Galmudug said 13 of its troops had been killed in a US airstrike targeting Islamist fighters in the Shabaab group after Puntland – according to Galmudug – gave the Americans wrong intelligence. Clashes have since broken out in Galkayo, where rival clans vie for control. Puntland has accused Galmudug of attacking its forces in revenge for the US air strike. Galmudug says the fighting arose from a territorial dispute.
More Troops Called For To Secure Somalia
12 November – Source: Xinhua – 188 Words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has called for additional forces to facilitate operations in Somalia as the conflict-torn nation held elections amid constant threats from Al-Shabaab. The call was made after a meeting between Chiefs of Defence Forces of Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) of AMISOM on Fridayin Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.
The meeting was held to review the progress made in the provision of security in support of the electoral process in Somalia, as well as to consider options for strengthening the AMISOM operational effectiveness in light of future offensive operations, according to an AU statement on Saturday.
The meeting requested the deployment of additional forces to enable AMISOM and Somalia National Security Force (SNSF) to conduct necessary operations in Juba Valley, Hiraan regions and North East coastline. In this regard, the meeting stressed the need for the UN and the international community to support additional forces of up to 4,000 troops for a maximum period of six months to conduct offensive operations. Chiefs of defence forces of TCCs, namely Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya, and the defense representative of Uganda attended the meeting.
AU Mission Probes Alleged Civilian Killing In Somalia
12 November – Source: Xinhua – 172 Words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said Saturday they are probing into claims that its troops killed at least seven civilians in central Somalia after a fire-fight with Al-Shabaab on Wednesday. The AU mission said its convoy which was traveling toward Ceel Buur foiled an Al-Shabaab ambush and inflicted heavy casualties on the militants. “AMISOM is aware of allegations in the media of civilian deaths attributed to its troops. It’s not aware of such deaths,” AMISOM said.
AMISOM said its troops took utmost care to protect civilians in all its operations, adding that all allegations are investigated with relevant Somali authorities. According to media reports, seven civilians were shot dead by Ethiopian troops serving under AMISOM. The reports claimed that the AU soldiers carried out a mass shooting in Dac area, after they were ambushed by armed Al-Shabaab fighters in the central Somalia town.
Al-Shabaab militants have in recent months increased their attacks to overthrow Somalia’s central government and establish a state based on its interpretation of the Islamic law.
More Somali Refugees Opt For Returning Home
12 November – Source: Xinhua – 524 Words
Despite a raging war in many parts of Somalia, many Somali refugees are choosing to return home, Somali and UN officials told Xinhua, while calling for international support to support this trend. Mariam Yassin Hagi Yussuf, a senior official in Somalia’s Office of the Prime Minister, told Xinhua in an interview in Kampala that many Somalis in the diaspora are choosing to return due to enhanced security back in Somalia.
“People miss home, if you feel you are stuck in your life, you are not moving, then it is better that you go back home,” said Yussuf, who is also in charge of children and migrants’ rights. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) over 200,000 of the 600,000 Somali refugees in Yemen have expressed willingness to return home. Another 200 Somali refugees in Djibouti are also willing to go home, while thousands are set to be voluntarily repatriated from Kenya.
In anticipation of the increasing number of returnees, the Somali government has established a national coordination mechanism where migration issues will be handled both at the federal and regional government level. Yussuf said the government is also waiting for parliament to enact a law on anti-trafficking and smuggling of migrants. According to the Somali government, many local youths are being trafficked out of the country. Many end up being abused and some die on the Mediterranean Sea as they try to access Europe. “We are tackling the root causes of migration starting from insecurity, non-sufficient education, and lack of job opportunities. By tackling the root causes, we believe we will reduce the risk of people leaving the country,” she added.
Mohamed Abdi Affey, UNHCR Special Envoy for the Somalia Refugee Situation, told Xinhua in an interview that the country is in a critical stage and needs all the international support as many Somalis are willing to return home. He argued that the Somali crisis seems to have gone off the international agenda, which is now occupied by other emerging crises. “This return means there should be focus on facilities inside the country so that the conditions are bearable for those who are coming back,” he said on the sides of a regional meet on migrants in eastern Africa.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“In the decade following 9/11, as an increasing number of terrorism prosecutions cropped up around the country, civil liberties lawyers and activists noticed the need to support Muslim families with members who were targets of counterterrorism investigations. They created a group called the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms and, in 2012, held their first conference.”
Muslim Americans Share The Pain Of Having Family Convicted Of Supporting Terrorism
12 November – Source: The Washington Post – 926 Words
When Farhiyo Mohamed’s eldest son was convicted on charges of supporting the Islamic State, her world was upended. It wasn’t just that her son was headed to prison; her support system evaporated. Longtime friends in her tightly knit Somali community in Minneapolis stopped visiting, afraid they might be tainted by association. “You call your friend, and your friend says, ‘Don’t call me because the FBI is following you,’ ” said Mohamed, a 40-year-old mother of five who escaped war in her home country, survived years in a Kenyan refugee camp and immigrated to the United States in 2003.
Her face had been plastered on the local news. One day this summer, during the height of her son’s trial, she was yelled at and called a “Muslim terrorist” during a trip to the post office.
On a recent weekend in Reisterstown, Md., Mohamed learned she was not alone. About 60 Muslim Americans whose family members had also been convicted of terrorism charges were gathered at a yearly retreat to share their stories. For many of them, the group has become the only support system they have.
In the decade following 9/11, as an increasing number of terrorism prosecutions cropped up around the country, civil liberties lawyers and activists noticed the need to support Muslim families with members who were targets of counterterrorism investigations. They created a group called the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms and, in 2012, held their first conference.
“For a lot of us, it was the very first time we had met,” said Mariam Abu Ali, who maintains the innocence of her brother Ahmed, convicted in 2005 of plotting with al-Qaeda to kill President George W. Bush. “It was a breath of fresh air, a sense of finally finding the support that we had been seeking all along.” Abu Ali said she had heard of many terrorism cases in Virginia, where she lived at the time, but it wasn’t until the conference that she realized how many others were in her family’s situation. At the retreat, families participated in moderated discussions on different issues, including the criminal justice system. Many families shared their concern that their husbands and sons were “entrapped” by the government because paid informants were used to build cases against them.
“Are we being treated as equal citizens as Somali Americans?” asked Harun Abdurahman, a senior in high school who was at the retreat with his father, Yusuf Abdullah. His brother, Zacharia Abdurahman, was one of the six men who pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State in the Minneapolis case. Abdurahman said there should be educational programs for young men such as his brother, not prison sentences.