November 21, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Shirdon says security remains government’s top priority
21 Nov- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mogadishu/ Radio Dalsan- 190 words
The Prime Minister of Somalia Abdi Farah Shirdon has reiterated that the top priority of his government remains securing the nation and driving out al Shabaab from rest of Somalia. The Premier made the call during a visit to the Ministry of Defence where he and top security officials discussed plans to heighten the security of the country.
“The main point of my visit and all our discussions was security. We discussed plans to extend deployments in liberated areas and intensify the fight against al Shabaab to complete their defeat. Security has been this government’s greatest priority and its greatest success. There will be no let-up on this front.” Prime Minister said in a statement.
Shirdon and the officials have also discussed the way forward in the war against al Shabaab as well as the ongoing rebuilding process of the security forces. The Prime Minister thanked Somali security forces for their efforts and commitments in bringing peace and security back to war-ravaged country. He added that top security officials expressed the need for further logistical support to the national army in its quest to defeat the militant group.
Key Headlines
- Shirdon says security remains government’s top priority (Radio Mogadishu/ Radio Dalsan)
- Somali government forms ministerial committee of the Lower Shabelle battles (/Somalia Today/ SNTV)
- Qatar: 32m aid raised for Philippines and Somalia in 3 hours (The Peninsula Qatar/Gulf Times)
- CECAFA praises Somali President’s announcement to encourage football (Raxanreeb)
- Somali refugees in Kenya fear early return (Al Jazeera English)
- Somaliland: Landmine blast kills one woman and three injured (Somaliland Informer)
- Somalia arrests woman over rape allegations (Al Jazeera English)
- Al Shabaab: Somali educational improvements undermine Islam (Sabahi Online)
PRESS RELEASE
Government Spokesman clarifies rape case story
21 Nov- Source: Office of the President-216 Words
In an online news story, “Somalia arrests woman over rape allegations”, published on Al Jazeera on 21 November, the Somali government spokesman Abdirahman Omar Osman was misreported by the journalist. He categorically denies making the comments that were wrongly attributed to him and has called on the media organization to correct the story.
The Government spokesperson, said: “Rape and sexual violence against women are completely unacceptable in Somali culture, are against our laws and have no place in the new Somalia. The Federal Government of Somalia is completely committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and tackling the root causes of sexual violence and exploitation. As part of this commitment, we have this year established an Independent Human Rights Task Force which has already made a series of recommendations which are being worked through.”
“Journalists perform a critical role and we want them to be able to work without fear or favour. A free press is at the heart of every democracy and is guaranteed under our new constitution.” “Somalia has an independent judiciary and we must allow the police and judiciary to carry out their investigations. It is inappropriate for the government to get involved in the judicial process as it is any other country. Justice must be allowed to take its course.”
Teachers are the lifeblood of Somalia, President declares on Somali Teachers Day
21 Nov- Source: Office of the President-261 Words
His Excellency President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud today hailed the “transformative role” played by teachers in Somalia.
Speaking from Villa Somalia, the President said teachers laid the foundations for a new generation of decently educated Somalis, protected from extremist ideology and ready to take on leadership roles in all walks of life.
“Teachers Day has been an important date in the Somali year since 1974, but during so many of the intervening years our country has been disfigured and distracted by fighting,” the President said. “Today we must start reaping the benefits of peace that is spreading across Somalia. Teachers play a transformative role in the life of a nation, none more so than in a country like Somalia which is recovering steadily from the ashes of conflict. I have been professionally involved in education most of my working life, so take particular pleasure in giving teachers the praise and attention they deserve today.”
The President praised the bravery and commitment of Somali teachers, whose responsibilities placed them in the frontline of the ideological battle with extremists.
“Providing a decent education is the nail in the coffin for extremist groups. Just as we fight our enemies on the battlefield with bullets, so we fight them in the classrooms with books. The recent fatwa against Al Shabaab plays a very important role in educating our children and I call on all Somali teachers to ensure they warn impressionable boys and girls of the dangers of extremism and the perverted versions of our great faith peddled by those who have taken the wrong path.”
SOMALI MEDIA
Shirdon says security remains government’s top priority
21 Nov- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mogadishu/ Radio Dalsan- 190 words
The Prime Minister of Somalia Abdi Farah Shirdon has reiterated that the top priority of his government remains securing the nation and driving out al Shabaab from rest of Somalia. The Premier made the call during a visit to the Ministry of Defence where he and top security officials discussed plans to heighten the security of the country.
“The main point of my visit and all our discussions was security. We discussed plans to extend deployments in liberated areas and intensify the fight against al Shabaab to complete their defeat. Security has been this government’s greatest priority and its greatest success. There will be no let-up on this front.” Prime Minister said in a statement.
Shirdon and the officials have also discussed the way forward in the war against al Shabaab as well as the ongoing rebuilding process of the security forces. The Prime Minister thanked Somali security forces for their efforts and commitments in bringing peace and security back to war-ravaged country. He added that top security officials expressed the need for further logistical support to the national army in its quest to defeat the militant group.
Somali government forms ministerial committee for Lower Shabelle crisis
21 Nov- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Somalila Today/ SNTV- 114 words
The federal government appointed a ministerial committee to look into the fighting that erupted in Lower Shabelle after a meeting of the Council of Ministers Mogadishu. The Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon on Wednesday discussed the reasons that led to the battles that take place in km 50 area, in Lower Shabelle province, pitting between government forces and militias belonging to the district administration.
After the end of the meeting , spokesman for the government Radwan Haji Abdiwali told the media that the Council appointed a ministerial committee to spearhead efforts in ending Lower Shabelle battles led by Interior Minister Abdikarim Hussein Guled, and Justice Minister Abdullahi Abyan Nur.
CECAFA praises Somali President’s announcement to encourage football
21 Nov- Source: Raxanreeb- 458 words
Referring to Somali president’s commitment to support football development in the country, the council of east and central Africa football associations (CECAFA) has vehemently lauded Somali president’s comprehension of football’s importance for peace and integration in the war-weary country.
CECAFA secretary General Nicholas Musonye who wrote to Somali Football Federation noted that peace in Somalia was encouraging the regional body to take one of its youth competitions to Mogadishu in the soonest time possible.
“Dear SFF Secretary General, this is a wonderful and excellent work you are doing for Somalia, I am pleased to note that you have brought the youth of Somalia together through football,” CECAFA secretary General Nicholas Musonye said in a letter sent to Somali Football Federation Secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arabon Wednesday.
Somaliland: Landmine blast kills one woman, wounds three
20 Nov- Source: Somaliland Informer- 156 words
A landmine blast has on Wednesday claimed a woman in Buroa after driving over a landmine in Hodan Qaylo village nearby Abdi Nuor School. The vehicle was owned by police officer named Mr.Ahmed Awil Abdilahi “Ganey” who is in charge of Buroa central police station. The car was said to have transported individuals on board from wedding ceremony at Egal Hotel. The driver along with two other women on board at the time of landmine blast sustained injuries.
The head of police station confirmed that one woman died and three others were injured in the landmine blast has damaged the vehicle. Togdheer Police Bomb Disposal squad reached the site of the blast and launched an investigation.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Qatar: 32m aid raised for Philippines and Somalia in 3 hours
21 Nov- Source: The Peninsula Qatar/Gulf Times -233 words
A three-hour live-broadcast fundraiser on Tuesday as part of Qatar Solidarity Day with the People of Somalia and Philippines raised QR31m and 40 tonnes of goods worth QR1m. Qatar Petroleum donated QR2m while Qatar National Bank and RasGas donated QR1m each, organisers said yesterday.
Relief efforts are being made in coordination with International Committee of the Red Cross; Philippine Red Cross; Somali Red Crescent and other organisations in both disaster-hit countries. The month-long campaign which started on Tuesday will focus on providing support to take steps to rush aid to victims of natural disasters in both countries.
Somali refugees in Kenya fear early return
21 Nov- Source: Al Jazeera English-993 Words
Kenya and Somalia agreed last week to a deal with the UN to reintegrate some of the 600,000 refugees in Kenya back into Somalia. But many are wondering whether the country is ready for the returnees. Medina Ibrahim Issack, 46, left Kismayo, Somalia, in 2011. Faced with growing insecurity, a sick husband unable to work and four children to feed, the food seller had few options but to take the gamble of a better life for her family in Kenya.
Using their savings to rent a driver and vehicle, the family travelled for two days to reach the Kenyan border and safety. Along the way they were ambushed by gunmen, firing in the air as they approached the vehicle. They arrived at the border with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. “We felt welcomed in Kenya. Finally we felt safe,” she said.
Somalia arrests woman over rape allegations
21 Nov- Source: Al Jazeera English-235 Words
Police in Somalia have arrested a 19-year-old alleged rape victim and a journalist who interviewed her about the attack, a government official told Al Jazeera. Both the victim and Mohamed Bashir, a reporter for Radio Shabelle, were arrested on Wednesday for defamation, according to government spokesman Abdirahman Omar Osman. The owner of Radio Shabelle, Abdi Malik Yusuf, was also arrested, but has been released on “medical grounds,” according to the spokesman.
Bashir and the victim have “been arrested and are being questioned by the police,” he said. During the interview, which has been posted on YouTube, the victim alleges that she was attacked by another journalist working for state-owned radio station, Radio Mogadishu. The victim said during the interview that she was raped at gunpoint in Mogadishu and names her alleged attacker.
“She admitted to have been pressured to make the video by [Bashir],” Omar Osman said, adding that police have not arrested the man accused of the rape. The spokesman said the victim and the arrested journalist will appear in court in the coming days.
Al Shabaab: Somali educational improvements undermine Islam
20 Nov- Source: Sabahi Online- 641 words
Al Shabaab first mounted a campaign in Barawe in October to scare residents off from using smartphones, warning them that the hi-tech gadgets are tools used “to spy on Muslim people”. Then the group banned Barawe residents from watching television, saying it compromises their faith.
Now, al-Shabaab is trying to convince the citizens of Barawe, one of the towns the militants control in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region, that sending their children to school could also harm their Islamic faith, locals told Sabahi. By one resident’s account, al Shabaab operatives gathered locals at a public square on November 7th to incite them to defy the Somali government’s plan to improve education nationwide.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali PM vows to continue fight against al Shabaab
21 Nov- Source: Xinhua/Global Times-271 Words
Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon on Wednesday said the government will upscale the battle against al Shabaab, a day after the rebel group carried out a deadly suicide attack in the central part of the Horn of Africa country. The premier made the remarks during a visit to a hospital at the Mogadishu headquarters of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to see those injured in Tuesday’s attack in the cental town of Beledweyne.
“The government alongside AMISOM will continue the fight until we have eradicated the plague of al Shabaab from Somalia,” he said. “Somalis know that this foreign inhumane agenda has no place here. Al Shabaab offers nothing but indiscriminate violence and suffering to innocent Somalis,” Shirdon added. More than 20 people were killed and dozens more injured including Somali government police officers after a suicide car bomb hit a police station in the town, 300 km north of the capital Mogadishu.
Suspect charged over Kenya mall massacre rejects killing
21 Nov- Source: AFP- 287 words
“I am a Muslim who believes in the sanctity of human life, and had nothing to do with the murderous attack on the Westgate Mall whatsoever,” said Adan Mohamed Abidkadir Adan during a bail application. At least 67 people died in the four-day attack in the upmarket shopping centre, claimed by Somalia’s al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab. They said it was a warning to Kenya to pull its troops out of southern Somalia, where they are fighting the extremists as part of an African Union force.
Adan, along with three other suspects — Mohamed Ahmed Abdi, Liban Abdullah Omar and Hussein Hassan Mustafa — All the gunmen in the Westgate attack — totalling just four, not the dozen that security forces initially reported — are understood to have died during the attack.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Make no mistake about it, though. Racism against Somali Canadians is a real problem. It is present not only on the right, but the left as well. And it is playing an important role in conditioning the public response to the mayor’s actions.”
Rob Ford and Canada’s “Somali Problem”
20 Nov- Source: Africasacountry-1235 Words
No matter where in the world you are, by now you have likely heard about Toronto mayor (to some a human trainwreck) Rob Ford and the infamous video in which he appears to smoke crack cocaine while making racist and homophobic remarks.
Like many right wing populists, Ford’s racial insensitivity is, for a certain segment of his supporters, part of his blue collar “down home” appeal. (Of course, like many politicians of his ilk, Ford isn’t actually blue collar at all.) Whether intentionally or not, however, Ford’s critics are also guilty of racism. In their attacks against the mayor, they have played on the prejudice against Somalis that is prevalent in Toronto and other major Canadian cities
“History’s verdict is quite often hard to predict when it comes to those who dropped the ball and failed the nation in its most critical moment. The most fundamental is that President Hassan Sheikh and Prime Minister Said must put their differences aside and put the country’s welfare first and foremost. However, if these leaders fail to resolve their differences for the sake of saving the nation, history will judge them both harshly and will never forgive them for botching the best opportunity the nation received for the last two decades.”
The Music Stops
20 Nov- Source: Hiiraan Online-1230 Words
The troubling revelations about the recent disagreement brewing between the Somali President and the Prime Minister provide further evidence, if any were needed, that political stability is as far from a reality in Villa Somalia, as many supporters professed in the recent past. This latest political discord between the President and his Prime minister comes against the backdrop of increasing attacks of Al-Shabab forces in the capital and around the country.
Not to mention new allegations of corruption by the recently resigned Central Bank Governor, Ms. Yusur Abrar who resigned only after seven weeks in the job because she was overwhelmed with the amount of corruption that’s still going on in the country, and “feared for her life” ensuing threats from businessmen associated with the President. This has demoralized the minds of every Somali who had hoped this time around the country was turning a corner and the blaming-game politics were no longer the norm.
Top tweets
@UNLazzarini Saw first-hand extent of #Jowhar floods from air yesterday. Thousands displaced and crop lands lost: those affected getting aid. #Somalia
@Somalia111@UNSomalia monitors new rape allegation in#Mogadishu. Legal representation, proper investigation & media freedom important issues. #Somalia
@SomaliPM#Barawe resident: ‘Al-Shabaab will be gone soon…We do not want al-Shabaab” http://allafrica.com/stories/
@ggatehouse As Kenya (backed by the UN) tells Somali refugees “it’s time to go home,” @Doylebytes finds Somalia still dangerous http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
@amisomsomalia AMISOM #Burundi troops distribute fresh drinking water in the village of Modmoday #Somaliahttp://on.fb.me/QqTSeN pic.twitter.com/2JEbmVIpzF
Image of the day
Somali ministerial delegation led by Interior minister Abdikarim Hussein Guled, seated 2nd right and Defence minister, Abdihakim Haji Fiqi, seated centre hold meeting with locals at K-50 to defuse deadly clashes between soldiers, local clan militias. Photo: Radio Mogadishu