November 2, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report

Somali Hotel Attack Underlines Need For Supporting Somali Army – UN Envoy

02 November- Source: Hiiraan Online – 396 Words

In the wake of the deadly attack on a Mogadishu hotel on Sunday, the United Nations envoy to Somalia has called for more support to the Somali Army, which is struggling to contain the guerilla war staged by the Al-Shabaab militants. On Sunday members of the Al-Qaeda linked group were gunned down by Somali Army forces after they killed at least 15 people including a Somali legislator, former general and the owner of Sahafi hotel in Mogadishu.

“The bloody attack in Mogadishu underlines the need to help Somali security forces & government counter-terrorism.” Nicholas Kay said in a Twitter post on Sunday. UN Envoy Kay condemns terrorist attack on Sahafi Hotel in Mogadishu. In a follow up press statement posted on the United Nations Assistance Mission to Somalia (UNSOM), the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) , condemned the terrorist attack on the Sahafi Hotel in Mogadishu that resulted in several deaths and injuries.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack in Mogadishu today,” said SRSG Kay. “The killers will not succeed in impeding the progress and extraordinary efforts of the Somali people and government. I also wish to commend the quick response of Somalia’s security and first responders.” The SRSG Kay offered his sincere condolences to the families and friends of all those who lost their lives in the senseless attack as well as to the Federal Government of Somalia.

“The United Nations and international partners will remain resolute in our efforts to help the Somali people to realise their aspirations for a secure and stable future,” SRSG Kay added. As the Horn of Africa nation is recovering from decades of war, security challenges remain, as Al-Shabaab continues to carry out deadly attacks against the government and the African Union force. Deployed in Somalia in 2007, the outsourced African Union force have been trying to kick out Al-Shabaab fighters from the areas still under their control, an attempt which despite relative success has proved elusive for the 21000-strong force.

Key Headlines

Somali Hotel Attack Underlines Need For Supporting Somali Army – UN Envoy (Hiiraan Online)
Al-Shabaab Issues More Attack Threats A Day After Deadly Hotel Attack (Wacaal Media)
Ex-MP Denies Being Among Victims In Mogadishu Hotel Attack (Garowe Online)
UN Security Council Slams Al-Shabaab Attack Against Hotel In Mogadishu Somalia (Xinhua)
Police in Mombasa Are Looking For Al-Shabaab Agents Said To Be Recruiting Kenyan Youth Into The Somali Terrorist Group.(Daily Nation)
Foundation Stone Laid For New Somali Embassy Building In Abu Dhabi (WAM)
The Four Factors Behind Kenya-Somalia Maritime Border Row (The Star)

NATIONAL MEDIA

Al-Shabaab Issues More Attack Threats A Day After Deadly Hotel Attack

02 November – Source: Wacaal Media – 84 Words

A day after carrying out a deadly raid on Hotel Sahafi in Mogadishu which left more than 15 people dead, Al-Shabaab is at it again, this time with threats of more attacks. In a statement published by the pro-militants’ media, the terror group says no barriers or stringent security measures will stop them from carrying out their deadly missions. The group “justified” their attack on the hotel saying it was because government officials and their western allies were planning attacks against them in the hotel.

Ex-MP Denies Being Among Victims In Mogadishu Hotel Attack

01 November – Source: Garowe Online – 111 Words

Long time Federal Member of Parliament Hassan Abshir Farah has denied reports published on some news sites claiming he was dead.The politician clarified that he was in good condition in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, Garowe Online reports. Farah said the rumors that he was a victim of the Sunday blast could be attributed to the fact while in Mogadishu he prefers staying in Sahafi Hotel, which Al Shabaab militants laid siege in the early hours on Sunday morning. In an interview with Puntland-based independent station, Radio Garowe, he confirmed that many government officials lost their lives during the attack on Sahafi hotel. Farah who served as Mogadishu Mayor in 1970s and lately federal Member of Parliament vacated the post earlier last month.

Floods Destroy Crops And Displace Hundreds In Afgooye District

02 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 280 Words

Hundreds of people have been displaced and over 25000 hectares of newly sown crops destroyed by floods after a river burst its banks in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region, locals told Goobjoog News. The worst flooding occurred in areas under Afgooye town, which lies 30 km outside somalia’s capital city Mogadishu, where River Shabelle burst its banks. “In Araarmoog villages alone, some 200 families were affected; we are completely surrounded by water,” one of council elders of the told Goobjoog News.

He added, “The River burst its banks and destroyed our crops. We lost about 1,000 hectares of crops. We were hoping for a good harvest, but now I am not sure we will be able to salvage anything.” The most common crops grown in the area are maize, sesame, cowpeas and millet.Abdi a local resident from Awgoore village said residents had stemmed the flooding with sandbags thanks to help from a local NGO. “For now we are safe but cut off,” he said. “We are accessible by boat only.”

Another elder from Irdoole village, 10 km northeast of Afgooye and one of the worst affected villages, told Goobjoog News some 1000 hectares of farmland were washed away by the floods. “We are trying to stop the flooding but we seem to be fighting a losing battle.” He said the community was not getting any help. “No one is here to help.” he added “The danger has not passed as the river water is still high and more rain is expected.” The recent floods and have affected several areas including Haartoy and Warta-Sagaalga’al with a combined estimated population of 15000 families. Some people had been forced to move to higher ground.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

UN Security Council Slams Al-Shabaab Attack Against Hotel In Mogadishu, Somalia

02 November – Source: Xinhua – 148 Words

The UN Security Council on Sunday condemned “in the strongest terms” the Al-Shabaab attack against the Sahafi hotel in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia.At least 12 people were killed Sunday as Al-Shabaab militants stormed a hotel in Mogadishu. Local authorities said a car bomb hit the gate of the Sahafi hotel and then several gunmen stormed in. In a press statement released here, the 15-nation council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivation, wherever and whenever and by whomsoever committed.”The members of the Security Council reiterated their determination to support Somalia’s transition to greater peace and stability,” said the statement. “They underlined that neither this, nor any other terrorist attack would weaken that determination.”Al-Shabaab, allied to Al-Qaida, has been fighting for years against the Somali government and carried out waves of attacks in the country and in neighboring Kenya.

Police in Mombasa Are Looking For Al-Shabaab Agents Said To Be Recruiting Kenyan Youth Into The Somali Terrorist Group.

01 November – Source: Daily Nation – 553 Words

Kenya’s Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa said the government has a list of individuals recruiting teenagers aged between 12 and 16 in Old Town and Kisauni for training on how to launch attacks. He explained that the terror agents were especially targeting street children, adding: “The Al-Shabaab representatives in Mombasa lure the youth with promises of salaries of Sh70,000 per month if they agree to travel to the war-torn country. They find the street children an easy target for recruitment as nobody will raise the alarm if they are taken to Somalia.”

The agents were luring the teenagers with promises of cash for their families if they agreed to be trained, Mr Marwa told journalists at the weekend, adding that there was gang calling itself “the Young Turks” masquerading as a football club although it was a terror group: “Police should immediately arrest the leaders of this Likoni gang, which uses soccer to cover its terror acts,” he said and asked university lecturers to be wary of terror activities in their institutions.“We have information that terror agents target students who are pursuing engineering, physics and chemistry courses for Al-Shabaab recruitment,” he said.The official sought to assure local and international visitors that the government had stepped up security at the Moi International Airport and tourist attractions.Meanwhile, a Kenyan who was recruited into Al-Shabaab, rising to sectional commander, has claimed there are differences between factions over leadership

The man who recently surrendered to security authorities said the differences are between indigenous Somalis, Kenyans and other foreign trainers sent to Somalia by Al-Qaeda. The man is being held in a “safe location,” where a group of Kenyans granted amnesty after returning from Somalia are being rehabilitated. According to an official privy to the interrogations, the man said some terrorists from Western countries, as well as Arabs, were pushing Al-Shabaab’s top leadership to pledge allegiance to Isis in Syria.But the group was bent on maintaining allegiance to Al-Qaeda, which officially recognised Al-Shabaab as its partner a few years ago. “Isis has been putting pressure on Al-Shabaab to announce its allegiance to them and their caliph Ibrahim al Baghdad. Al-Shabaab leaders fear that announcing this would render them irrelevant since they would owe their very existence to the caliph,” the official quotes one of those under rehabilitation as saying.

Foundation Stone Laid For New Somali Embassy Building In Abu Dhabi

01 November – Source: WAM- 99 Words

President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, and Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, have laid the foundation stone of the new Somali Embassy building at the Embassies’ quarter in the capital, Abu Dhabi.
The President of Somalia commended the wise leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the cooperation between the UAE and Somalia.Somali Foreign Minister Abdulsalam Hadliye Omar, UAE Ambassador to Somalia Mohammed Ahmed Osman Al Hammadi and Ambassador of Somalia to the UAE Abdel Qadir Shaikhi Mohammed Al Hatemi were also present.

OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE

“Somalia has protested on several occasions against the ongoing construction of a boundary wall on the 860 km border by the Kenyan government to act as a barrier to terrorists. The Mogadishu government has complained of not being consulted and involved in this mega project yet it is going to hurt its people.”

The Four Factors Behind Kenya-Somalia Maritime Border Row

02 November – Source: The Star – 789 Words

Last week, Kenyan authorities submitted data evidence to the UN on the ongoing Kenya-Somali border row. This follows an earlier suit filed by the Somali government at the Hague-based International Court of Justice concerning the maritime boundary dispute. What started as simple matter has degenerated over time into a complex problem, finding its way into the corridors of international courts.Two neighbours with a lot in common are embroiled in a crisis they couldn’t sit down and resolve. One is left to wonder why, within a short time, good friends and neighbours have turned into foes. These strange developments have exposed deep-rooted suspicion and mistrust that have been brewing for the last few years between the Mogadishu and Nairobi government. Somalia has greatly benefited from Kenya’s generosity, good neighbourliness and friendship.

The relative peace prevailing in Somalia today is due to Kenya’s tireless and unrelenting efforts. Knowing very well that terrorism threat is not only a Somali problem and that a peaceful and stable Somalia is key to its stability and growth, Kenya had no option but to rally other nations to bring lasting peace. The fruits are there for all to see. Apart from sharing a border, the two countries share the Somali ethnic group, whose language is Somali. Kenya has hosted thousands of Somali refugees for decades in Ifo and Dadaab — Africa’s largest refugee camp — both in Garissa county. These refugees arrived here due to persistent violence, war, drought and famine. Some just came to seek social services absent in their home country, like education and medical care. Kenya, on the other hand, has benefited from export of miraa to Somalia by Kenyan miraa farmers. So what might be the possible causes of this deep mistrust, despite a show of friendship and mutual respect whenever the two Presidents meet?

TOP TWEETS

@Somalia111:Bloody attack in #Mogadishu underlines need to help #Somalia security forces & government counter terrorism. My deep condolences to all.

@SalahOsman0: Good Morning from #Mogadishu After Al-shabab Yesterday attack, live moves on Somalis’ resilience z strong #Somalia

@MosheikHz:The president of #Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, awarded honorary degree by Barkatullah University in Bhopal India.

@UN_News_Centre:.@UN Security Council strongly condemns terrorist attack against hotel in #Somalia http://bit.ly/1Q4j1vN #UNSC

@AbuAhmedFuad: @MinisterMOFA Accountability is a crucial for rebuilding a healthy nation, So such #terror incident must have real security reviews #Somalia

Follow the conversation →

IMAGE OF THE DAY

AMISOM forces in Kismayo and Interim Jubba Administration Police Force participate in a community football match over the weekend. Photo: AMISOM .