November 24, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
11 Al-Shabaab Militants Killed In Southern Somalia
24 November – Source: Xinhua – 202 Words
Somali National Army (SNA) on Wednesday killed at least 11 Al-Shabaab militants during a heavy fighting at Gof-Gadud village near Baidoa town in southern Somalia. Special Police Commissioner for Southwest State in Somalia Mohamed Isak Hassan told reporters that the joint forces overpowered the insurgents during the fight resulting in the killing of the militants. “Al-Shabaab fighters’ dream of capturing the area was dashed when 11 of their fighters were killed on the spot and several others were injured. We lost three soldiers and two others sustained injuries, SNA and Southwest State forces fought with the militants here,” Hassan said.
The commissioner said the SNA and African Union troops will intensify attacks against the militants until they are flushed out of the Horn of Africa nation. However, Al-Shabaab also claimed victory over the latest clashes with Somali government and Southwest State forces, saying they killed three government soldiers. Independent sources say there were more casualties on Somali forces during the battle and some of the injured were rushed to the hospitals in Baidoa town. The latest attacks come amid tight security in Somalia due to the ongoing indirect elections which enter final round next week with the election of speaker and president.
Key Headlines
- 11 Al-Shabaab Militants Killed In Southern Somalia (Xinhua)
- 7 Killed In Fighting Between Herders And Al-Shabaab Over Livestock (VOA Somali)
- An Elder Gunned Down In Lower Shabelle Province (Shabelle News)
- Fear Of Cholera Outbreak Prompts Somaliland To Turn Away Yemen Refugees (Hiiraan Online)
- Lower House Elections For Somalia’s Federal Parliament Reach The Halfway Mark As Thirteen More MPs Are Elected In Four States (UNSOM)
- How To Hold An Election Somali-style (BBC)
- Watch The Trailer For The New Mo Farah Documentary ‘No Easy Mile’ (The Telegraph)
- In Somalia Voting Under Way But Democracy Delayed (France24)
NATIONAL MEDIA
7 Killed In Fighting Between Herders And Al-Shabaab Over Livestock
24 November – Source: VOA Somali – 165 Words
At least seven people reportedly died in a fierce fighting that erupted on the outskirts of the coastal town of Harardheere in the Mudug region, five of them are said to be Al-Shabaab fighters. The fighting came after Al-Shabaab militants arrested six herders in Dumaaye and Dabagale villages east of the coastal town of Harardheere for refusing to pay ‘zakat’ from their animals. According to local residents who spoke with VOA Somali service, Al-Shabaab later came back to forcefully take animals from the local residents, resulting in a fight that broke out between the two sides. The area residents have been severely affected by the ravaging drought that hit many parts of the country, and couldn’t therefore give out some of their few remaining livestock to Al-Shabaab. Al-Shabaab controls several areas that fall under Harardhere district for the last six years. The Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group conducts collection of what it calls zakats in areas under its control, forcing pastoralist communities to flee to avoid forced collection of their animals.
An Elder Gunned Down In Lower Shabelle Province
24 November – Source: Shabelle News – 84 Words
Unknown gunmen assassinated a famous elder near Km-50 area, the latest in string of killings targeting elders and army personnel in Lower Shabelle region. The elder, Nur Hussein Abukar was shot dead inside his farm in Bulo-Addey area on Wednesday by assailants armed with pistols, according to sources. The killers have reportedly fled the scene shortly after shooting dead the elder. The exact motive of the elder’s assassination and identity of the assassins remains unknown, but such killings are attributed to clan revenge in the areas.
Fear Of Cholera Outbreak Prompts Somaliland To Turn Away Yemen Refugees
23 November – Source: Hiiraan Online – 210 Words
Somaliland had ordered its immigration officials to stop processing refugees arriving from Yemen after it had already stopped a group of Somali returnees and Yemenis fleeing from the conflict. Hiiraan Online learned that the government intervened in stopping the refugees to contain the potential outbreak of cholera which health authorities have documented in Yemen. “The reason is that there have been outbreaks of Cholera in Yemen and that is why we have temporarily halted the receiving of Yemeni refugees; at least until the problem is solved,” the regional governor of Sahlil, Jama Yussuf Ahmed said. The governor noted that they are working with international NGOs to find solutions for the problem. Since the onset of the civil unrest in Yemen, Somaliland has seen similar waves of refugees arriving almost daily. According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), “The numbers of cholera cases in Yemen continue to increase, sparking concerns of a significant outbreak.” Ravaged by war, Yemen’s remaining health facilities have been unable to cope with the surge in suspected cases and NGOs are struggling to provide aid for the millions of displaced who still have no access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Lower House Elections For Somalia’s Federal Parliament Reach The Halfway Mark, As Thirteen More MPs Are Elected In Four States
24 November – Source: UNSOM – 548 Words
South West state added five more MPs to the House of the People today, among them one woman, in elections held in the administrative capital, Baidoa. To date, South West state has filled 43 seats in the Lower House, out of an allocation of 69 seats, of which five have been won by women. The Federal-level Indirect Electoral Implementation Team (FIEIT) predicts that the remaining 26 seats will be filled within the next five days. “South West state is among the states strongly pushing for inclusivity; ensuring special seats allocated to women are preserved only for women,” Mr. Adan Abdinasir Mohamed, a member of FIEIT said. He acknowledged the competitiveness of the female only seats, which he said had attracted highly qualified women. In today’s election, Jawahir Adaawe Abdi emerged victorious in the all-female race, getting 37 votes against her opponents Sacdio Mohamed Abdi and Fahdi Mohamed Abdulahi, who got 2 votes and 12 votes respectively. “We have had a male dominated parliament for so long, there has been no significant impact on the communities. This is the time to ensure qualified women join the political process, to bring positive change,” MP-elect Jawahir noted.
How To Hold An Election, Somali-style
24 November – Source: BBC – Video: 02:05 Minutes
Somalia is in the midst of a process to choose its new leaders even though the country remains too dangerous to hold a national election. So a unique system is being used, with women given a prominent role.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Mo Farah: No Easy Mile, the British track star offers an unprecedented insight into his life – through the trials and tribulations to ultimate success.”
Watch The Trailer For The New Mo Farah Documentary ‘No Easy Mile’
24 November – Source: The Telegraph – Video: 01:11 Minutes
Mo Farah’s journey from war-torn Somalia to four-time Olympic champion is an incredible story of one man’s determination to make the most of a God-given talent.
“In the absence of parties, clans remain at the heart of the process. MP’s seats are divvied up according to region and clan, with candidates voted for by “electoral colleges” of 51 representatives selected by elders. That makes it roughly 100 times more inclusive than 2012, as officials are keen to point out.”
In Somalia, Voting Under Way But Democracy Delayed
24 November – Source: France24 – 826 Words
With its security-sealed plastic boxes and cardboard polling booths, Somalia’s election under way since last month and still ongoing has the trappings of democracy, but few of the functions. Last week in the western city of Baidoa, 51 handpicked representatives of the Reer Aw Hassan clan took an hour to vote unanimously for Abdiweli Ibrahim Ali Sheikh Mudey, a current minister and the only candidate to show up on the day. Among Mudey’s backers were 15 enthusiastic female voters. “We selected the most beautiful man!” cheered one as Mudey smiled in his dark aviator sunglasses, a garland of purple tinsel round his neck. Just 14,025 of the Somalia’s perhaps 12 million citizens are voting for 275 MPs, who will join 54 appointed senators in voting for a new president, in an election described as “limited”. “It is a unique process and must be analysed within its uniqueness,” said Deqa Yasin, the deputy chair of the national election body, the Federal Indirect Election Implementation Team.
The voting process has been drawn-out and deadlines repeatedly missed, and it is unclear when the presidential stage will take place. Somalis were promised a one-person, one-vote election.But political infighting, backsliding and prevarication, combined with insecurity mainly due to Shabaab militants who control swathes of countryside and strike at will in Mogadishu and other towns, meant that plan was ditched last year. Instead a complicated hotchpotch is in place. It falls far short of a democratic election, but promises to be better than the last vote in 2012, when 135 clan elders nominated all the MPs.
TOP TWEETS
@AbdisalamAato : In #Somalia,a seat in the House of Parliament is sold for $1.3 million also a father hanged himself bc of drought http://vnt.rs/qme0a
@Tuuryare_Africa : #UPDATE: Seven dead as fighting broke out between local militias and #AlShabaab militants in #Harardheretown – Residents #Somalia
@Fatumaabdulahi : How women are changing the face of politics in #Somalia http://www.hiiraan.com/news4/
@lasoco : In Somalia, voting under way but democracy delayed – Capital FM Kenya (press release) (blog) http://j.mp/2gjQR5C #Somalia
@ZainabSirad : #Somalia‘s Electoral process is moving forward through it is behind schedule.
@MOALIMUU : UN envoy @SRSGKeating is asked about the deadline elections & said “The deadline in #Somalia isn’t the same the deadline in Switzerland “
@UNSomalia : Making strong progress on the electoral process in #Somalia. Over half of the 275 Lower House seats filled. See latest stats below: pic.twitter.com/sXKjCArVSN
@amisomsomalia : #AMISOM and #SNA Senior Commanders agree on new plans for joint operations against #AlShabaab.http://bit.ly/2frb3xP #Somalia
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Abshir Hashi Ali Radio Mogadishu Archivist shows Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, Michael Keating precious tapes & records dating back 60+ years. A priceless collection in need of preservation.
@UNSOM