November 2, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
ISIL Surrogate Still In Control Of Somali Town A Week After Capture – Official
02 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 257 Words
Pro-Islamic State fighters have remained in control of their first big town in northern Somalia for more than a week, local administration has said. Jamaa Mohamed Kuurshe, the District Commissioner of Qandala in the Bari region has confirmed that fighters loyal to the group known as Daesh are still in the area days after reports emerged that they have withdrawn from the town.
Kuurshe who is now in Bosaaso, said he is receiving reports from residents of the town who fled their house using boats. “I am in Bosaaso. There is still the presence of Daesh fighters in the town and a few residents. A lot of people have been displaced who have already arrived in Bosaaso and other areas,“ Kuurshe said. He noted the presence of warships in the waters of Qandala who as he said are monitoring the situation.
Early last week, the residents in the town said that about 70 fighters entered the town and hoisted their flag on top of the police station and another historical building. During the past year, Sheikh Abdulkadir Mumin’s group has been busy evading attacks by rival militants from Al-Shabaab, while also seeking recruits and finding a space to grow, according military experts.
Qandala is a strategic port town facing the coastal towns of Yemen and the former Somali government built one of its biggest fish factories in the town. Qandala town dates back to the 1850s, according to Somali historians. It has a beautiful beach, 20 kilometers of sand dunes along the sea, and rich fishing grounds.
Key Headlines
- ISIL Surrogate Still In Control Of Somali Town A Week After Capture – Official (Goobjoog News)
- MP Calls Puntland President For Clarity On Financial Donation (Garowe Online)
- Warring Regions In Somalia Agree To Immediate Ceasefire In UAE Sponsored Talks (Goobjoog News)
- Suspected U.S. Jets Bomb Al-Shabaab Base Near Mogadishu (Shabelle News)
- California Cabbie Who Aided Terror Group Returned To Somalia (Associated Press)
- Abu Dhabi Meeting: A Quest To Steal Somalia’s Election And Maritime Territory (Wardheer News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
MP Calls Puntland President For Clarity On Financial Donation
02 November – Source: Garowe Online – 283 Words
A member of Puntland Parliament has presented reports on financial donation received from Federal government that was previously denied by Puntland President during the recently opened 38th session of Parliament. In a SBC interview, Osman Diriye Kulane said that the Puntland government has received an amount of $3,250,000 Million as part of the $20 Million foreign donation to Somalia, whereas $10 Million of it were distributed to the regional states.
Kulane who obtained an annual financial report of the Federal government, which indicates a financial support to regional states, has questioned the Puntland Finance Minister and Puntland President to shed light on the report but both claimed they were not aware of the donations. During the interview, Kulane called on the Federal government to clarify on whether Puntland government has received the financial aids or it is a falsified information.
Last Saturday, President of Puntland, Abdiwali Mohamed Ali Gaas was questioned on financial donations that were omitted from government budget during a an address to the parliament. However, the president only explain the exceeded budget expenditures of the State House. So far Puntland government officials have not released any statement in relation to the claims of financial support from the Federal government.
Warring Regions In Somalia Agree To Immediate Ceasefire In UAE Sponsored Talks
02 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 204 Words
Galmudug and Puntland have agreed to immediate ceasefire in the border town of Galkaayo which has been the epicenter of fighting in the last few weeks. This follows an Emirati sponsored peace talks in Abu Dhabi. In a five point statement, the two warring states have also agreed to stop any provocation and that all displaced persons be facilitated to a safe return.
The talks which were attended by Galmudug’s President, Abdikarin Guled, Puntland’s Abdiweli Gaas, Jubbaland’s President Ahmed Madobe and Prime Minister Omar Sharmarke settled for a joint committee to find a lasting solution to the fighting. The UN said two weeks ago an upwards of 75,000 people had been displaced from their homes and dozens killed in a vicious fight over control of Galkayo by both states.
Leaders from both regions will converge in November 20 in Kismayo to seal an agreement, the two states said in a joint statement Tuesday. Similar peace agreement reached last December failed to yield lasting peace despite local and international intervention. The UAE government on Tuesday commended the agreement and noted it ‘will stand by Somalia in efforts to stop bloodshed, restore peace and stability, and deliver on aspirations of the Somali people.’
Suspected U.S. Jets Bomb Al-Shabaab Base Near Mogadishu
02 November – Source: Shabelle News – 141 Words
Suspected U.S. fighter jets have launched an airstrike on Al-Shabaab controlled position near the Somali capital, Mogadishu on Tuesday night, reports said. Local residents in Yinbis area, located 20km away from Afgoye district in Lower Shabelle, said the warplanes fired at least 20 missiles on a training camp belonging to Al-Shabaab.
There was no immediate reports of casualties on the militants as a result of the airstrike, which was the latest in series of attacks on Al-Shabaab in southern Somalia. The latest reports from Yinbis indicate the airstrike which had began midnight resulted in panicking the residents. There has been no comment from Al-Shabaab officials on the overnight air raid.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
California Cabbie Who Aided Terror Group Returned To Somalia
02 November – Source: Associated Press – 130 Words
A California cab driver convicted of funneling thousands of dollars to a terrorist organization in his home country of Somalia has been turned over to authorities in the African nation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says officers turned over Ahmed Nasiri Taalil Mohamud to law enforcement in Mogadishu on Tuesday.
The 41-year-old former Anaheim resident was among four Somali immigrants convicted in 2013 of raising and sending nearly $11,000 to al-Shabab, a militia group linked to al-Qaida. Mohamud served six years in prison. The other three men received sentences between 10 and 18 years. The case was built on hundreds of phone calls the government secretly recorded. ICE says that Department of Homeland Security databases show Mohamud became a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. in August 2004.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“UAE’s rivalry with Turkey goes beyond Somalia’s political arena, but it is more serious here because of the positive perception and high favorability that Turkey enjoys over UAE in Somalia.”
Abu Dhabi Meeting: A Quest To Steal Somalia’s Election And Maritime Territory
02 November – Source: Wardheer News – 894 Words
In this week, Somali regional leaders were invited to a gathering in Abu Dhabi organized by foreign interest-groups to influence upcoming elections by crowning individuals with a history of colluding with foreign entities at the expense of the state. As key meddlers in Somalia with dubious interest, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are committed to ensure the outcome of this election turns favorable to their candidates.
Each party is driven by a particular motive, but the overall goal is to rob Somalia from its maritime space and resources. According to insiders, one of the options is crowning the unpopular Prime Minister, Mr. Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke, into the presidency, with the support of some regional leaders, to be used as a rubber stamp for key decisions with respect to Somalia’s maritime and natural resources.
But how will that scenario be possible, one may ask? First, the foreign interest groups are prepared to shift the power towards unscrupulous politicians, who acted on dereliction of duties in previous instances. Secondly, financial offers will be made as incentives, as evidenced in past cases, to drop and retract Somalia case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This will be the ultimate goal intended to achieve by foreign meddlers through aspiring politicians.
In this context, Kenya is among the active meddlers in Somalia throughout the past decade, asserting its influence both militarily and politically. Besides its geopolitical interest in the region, Kenya has a lot at stake, particularly in the disputed maritime border with Somalia. Thus, the September hearing at the ICJ between the two has proven this inevitable truth, where observers noted the merits as well as the compelling argument presented by Somalia team.
TOP TWEETS
@Abdi_AlSheikh : Somalia National Police members gain marksmanships skills while training at a range in Djibouti – U.S.… http://dlvr.it/MZXVT4 #Somalia
@Africa_Energy: #Somalia sees a future in oil and launches a licensing round for renewed exploration –http://ow.ly/DZXN305LDwM
@SomaliEmbKenya: Embassy has been involved in the process of repatriating Somali national offenders from Kenya 2 #Somalia.@Alibagedi this week w/ prisoners
@Tuuryare_Africa : #UPDATE: Unpaid Somalia army forces have withdrawn #Gofgadud town in Bay region as #AlShabaabfighters seen in the town – Residents #Somalia
@Somaliupdate: #Somalia‘s Air Force Base Re-opened After 25 Years of Destruction #Somalia2016Electionshttp://somaliupdate.com/
@Rus_Eng_News : Maritime #pirates in 2016 the least active for 20 years: statistics #Somalia #Indonesiahttp://news.liga.net/news/
@UNSomalia: Report by @UNSomalia and @UNHumanRightscondemned targeting of journalists in #Somalia. #EndImpunity#JournoSafe
IMAGE OF THE DAY
President Hassan Sheikh taking a tour around the new Somali Airforce base that was re-opened after two decades.
Photo: @HarunMaruf