November 26, 2012 | Morning Headlines.
Somali, AU forces move close to Jowhar town
25 Nov- Source: Shabelle/SNTV/Radio Mustaqbal- 103 words
Somali National Army (SNA) along with AMISOM forces on Tuesday moved closer to the main rebel-held city of Jowhar, some 90 km north-west Mogadishu.
Sources say on Sunday that the coalition forces backed by tanks and heavy artillery weapons set on foot on the main road leading to the city which is largely controlled by al Shabaab. Hundreds of local residents began fleeing from the city in fear of a major attack.
Key Headlines
- Government forces kill 4 al Shabaab militants in Beled-Hawo city (SONNA)
- Explosions hit Kismayo town (Bar-Kulan)
- AMISOM welcomes the structure the new Somali government (Shabelle)
- Somali parliament to meet in Mogadishu to discuss budget (Radio Mustaqbal)
- Somalia forces African Union troops seize strategic areas (Press TV)
PRESS STATEMENT
International Day to End Impunity
23 Nov- Source: UNPOS- 155 words
Today we condemn the targeted assassination of journalists in Somalia. We remember those journalists who lost their lives while exercising their right to freedom of expression and whose cases remain unsolved and unpunished.
This year alone, 18 media workers have been killed in Somalia, a statistic which starkly illustrates the dangers faced by Somali journalists as they struggle to tell their stories.
Free media is a prerequisite for a transparent, accountable and democratic society. We welcome President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s recent pledge on 9th November to tackle impunity and defend the right to freedom of expression, in line with the Somali provisional Constitution. We furthermore welcome the creation of a Task Force to investigate the killing of journalists and bring those responsible to justice.
This concrete step signals a new commitment by the Government of Somalia to address a culture of impunity. We stand ready to support the Government in this laudable and timely initiative.
SOMALI MEDIA
Government forces kill 4 al Shabaab militants in Beled-Hawo city
25 Nov- Source: Radio Mogadishu/SONNA- 149 words
Four members of al Shabaab are reported to have been killed and five others wounded including 3 civilians in Beled-Hawo city in Gedo region after government forces and militants fought inside the city. Fighting between the national army and the rebel group of al Shabaab occurred in Beled-Hawo city of Gedo region southern Somalia where militants held an ambush attack and got into the city, but were pushed back according to the officials there. Chairperson of the Gedo region, under the administration of the Somali Federal Government, Mohamed Abdi Kalil said the National Army killed four al Shabaab fighters.
Somali, AU forces move close to Jowhar town
25 Nov- Source: Shabelle/SNTV/Radio Mustaqbal- 103 words
Somali National Army (SNA) along with AMISOM forces on Tuesday moved closer to the main rebel-held city of Jowhar, some 90 km north-west Mogadishu. Sources say on Sunday that the coalition forces backed by tanks and heavy artillery weapons set on foot on the main road leading to the city which is largely controlled by al Shabaab. Hundreds of local residents began fleeing from the city in fear of a major attack.
AMISOM welcomes the structure the new Somali government
24 Nov- Source: Radio Mustaqbal/Shabelle/Risaala/
The African union peacekeeping forces command in Mogadishu has warmly welcomed the installment of the new Somali federal government by Prime Minister H.E. Abdi Farah Shirdon early this month, SONNA reported. Spokesman of the African Union Peacekeeping Forces, Col. Ali Adam Hamud who spoke to the reporters in Mogadishu said they are pleased with the new political change in Somalia. Speaking on security progress made in Mogadishu, the spokesperson of the African Union Peacekeeping Forces, Col. Ali Adam Hamud praised national security forces for their role in ensuring the security of the capital.
Somali parliament to meet in Mogadishu to discuss budget
25 Nov- Source: Radio Mustaqbal- 93 words
Members of the somali parliament discused the Parliament’s budget in the coming years. The meeting which was attended by most members of the parliament was chaired by the speaker of the parliament Prof. Mohamed Sheik Osman “Jawaari”.
Mogadishu security situation has significantly improved, AMISOM spokesman says
24 Nov- Source: Raxanreeb- 273 words
The spokesman of the African Union forces in Somalia Col. Ali Aden Humud has said that the security situation in Mogadishu has significantly improved. In his bi-weekly press briefing in Mogadishu, AMISOM spokesman has lauded what he mentioned as a new development after the local community started to report on al Shabaab hide-outs in some parts of Mogadishu, like in Suuqa Xoolaha village, where the National Security Forces raided a house and arrested 16 al Shabaab members and seized explosive devices and guns.
Explosions hit Kismayo town
25 Nov- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Shabelle- 105 words
At least one person is known to have died and several others injured after two explosions occurred in the port city of Kismayo. One explosion reportedly targeted a group of women cleaning the area district’s headquarters, killing one woman and injuring four others. Locals say the explosion was a remotely detonated landmine planted in the area.The other explosion which is said to be a hand grenade targeted Somali troops at Argada junction shortly after the first explosion. Reports say more troops were deployed into the city following the two incidents.
Somali interior minister meets with Police Officers in Mogadishu
24 Nov- Source: Shabelle- 110 words
Abdikarin Hussein Guled, the Interior and National Security Minister held a meeting with Somali army officials in Mogadishu. The meeting that took place on Saturday at the police command centre in the capital focused on ways to secure the war-torn Horn of Africa country. Minister Abdikarin Hussein Guled sent his heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families and friends of police bosses who lost their lives while serving their country.
Al Shabaab temporarily takes over Beled-hawo
24 Nov- Source: Radio Mustaqbal- 142 words
Al Shababa militant fighters in Gedo region near the Somali-Kenya border on Saturday afternoon took over the control of Beled-hawo town in southern Somalia near the Kenyan border shortly after a fire exchange with Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a and government troops who have been ruling the region. A residents of Beled -hawo who spoke to Radio Mustaqbal said that “around 3 in the afternoon we all heard a lot of fire exchange in the northern part of the city on the route to Luq district”. The attack comes days after the Kenyan government faced security threats from al Shabaab.
Two injured in violent protests in Qardo, Puntland
24 Nov- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Horseed Media- 96 words
Two people have been injured in a violent protest in Qardo town shortly after the arrival of Puntland president Abdirahman Mohamed Farole who visited the town early on Friday. Angry protesters reportedly took to the streets accusing the regional president of extending his term in office. The two were injured after police used live bullets to disperse the protesters gathered to express their concerns over the issue. Puntland’s Internal Security Minister Col. Khalif Ise Mudan later downplayed the incident.
Ahlu Sunna accuse al Shabaab of killing journalists
24 Nov- SOurce: Radio Risaala- 123 words
Mohamed Khaliif, one of the officials’ of Ahlu sunna, talking to Risaala news station in Mogadishu, said that al Shabaab are behind al the troubles faced by journalists in Somalia. The Ahlu sunna official also said that 4 years after they took control of central regions in the country, law and order in those regions have been restored.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Border fight injures four, several dead
25 Nov- Source: Standard/Daily Nation- 251 words
At least four Kenyans were injured when a mortar fired from Bulohawo town in Somalia landed on a residential house in Mandera Town. Bulohawo neighbours Mandera Town. The incident happened on Saturday when heavy fighting broke out between Al-Shabaab militants and Somalia troops. Reports said at least 12 people, most of them fighters were killed in the latest clashes inside Somalia.
Somalia wants UN arms embargo lifted
24 Nov- Source: Africa Review- 151 words
Somali Defence minister Abdihakim Haji Mohamoud Fiqi said Friday that the UN arms embargo was hindering progress in the fight against Al-Shabaab. Mr Fiqi underlined that his government had no sufficient power to fight the radical Islamist group. “We have no sufficient power to fight Al-Qaeda. It is a fact known by the International community,” said the minister.Al-Shabaab announced in February to have merged with Al-Qaeda.
Hope grows in a post-transition Somalia
24 Nov- Source: East African- 513 words
On the face of it, Somalia is on a roll. But will it last?
On November 8, Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon took part in a rally in Mogadishu, where hundreds showed support for the country’s newly nominated “lean and effective” 10-member Cabinet. Days later, on November 13, a total of 219 lawmakers voted yes to the Cabinet with three against while three others abstained.
War on al Shabaab fighters
24 Nov- Source: CitizenTV- 1:42 min
Citizen TV has obtained exclusive footage of what appears to be Kenya Defence forces soldiers beating some suspects in some unknown location to extract information from them. The soldiers are seen to be caning and speaking to suspects in Kiswahili demanding information. Although citizen TV obtained the footage in Garissa and was initially meant to believe the suspects could have been part of those involved in the killing of KDF soldiers in the town last week, KDF insists that the footage was obtained inside Somalia and that the suspects were believed to be al-shabaab sympathizers insiders plotting to cause terror attacks.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia forces, African Union troops seize strategic areas
24 Nov- Source: Press TV- 219 words
Somali government forces and African Union (AU) troops have taken control of key areas in southern part of the war-torn country, after they launched operations against al-Shabab militants, Press TV reports. On Saturday, Somali military commander, Major General Abdullahi Ali Anod told Press TV that key areas near Afgoye town, located in the Shabeellaha Hoose region, 27 kilometers (16 miles) northwest of the capital Mogadishu were seized during planned operations.
Report: Impunity endangers Somalia’s journalists
23 Nov- Source: ABCNews/AP- 503 words
Somalia’s journalists are urging their new government and the international community to help end the impunity they say is contributing to making Somalia one of the world’s most dangerous countries to practice journalism. So far 18 Somali journalists have been killed this year and 44 since 2007.
The National Union of Somali Journalists on Friday said that impunity has become a fundamental problem in Somalia. Journalists in almost every region of the country commonly face harassment, blackmail, arbitrary police detention and, in addition, criminals are hired to suppress them, said the group in a report to mark the International Day to End Impunity, sponsored by the free expression group, IFEX.
Isolating ringleaders and financiers vital to combating piracy – UN official
23 Nov- Source: UN News Centre- 371 words
It is vital to isolate the ringleaders and financiers of piracy to effectively combat this scourge, the head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said, as he ended a 10-day mission to East Africa. During the visit to Seychelles, Kenya, Somalia and Mauritius, UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov discussed counter-piracy efforts with national leaders, local counter-piracy and organized crime experts, and inspected prisons and a training academy.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The term al-Shabaab means ‘The Youth’ in Arabic. Though in the contemporary lexicon the term connotes extremism, militancy, and criminality, the youth at hand stand for the opposite of what their counterpart stands for.”
Working For Better Somalia: the other al-Shabaab
24 Nov- Source: Hiiraan Online/Mareeg Online-271 Words
On one hand, “youth”—as the cliché goes—“are the backbone and the hope of every nation”. On the other hand, youth could be a thorn on the side and a nightmare of a nation. Somalia has seen both the Somali Youth League (SYL) that mobilized a broad based anti-colonial movement that ultimately won independence for the country and the infamous al-Shabaab that is still wreaking havoc in current day Somalia…. This brief comment is about Somalia’s other al-Shabaab; the good side of the Somali youth that does not get much media coverage!
“The argument being advanced here is simple: the Kenyan state has been nakedly hostile to the Somali community. This predates independence: the British colonial administration kept the Northern Frontier District which is now North Eastern Province (it was redrawn as North Eastern Province in 1963 and became almost exclusively Somali) “a closed district: As such the NFD was isolated administratively – no person could enter the area without a special license. Development has remained virtually frozen since its days of colonial isolation.”
Kenya: Are the Somali Third Rate Citizens?
24 Nov- Source: The Star (Kenya)-993 Words
Lawyer Mohamed Ibrahim said he felt “like a third rate citizen” following the announcement and implementation in November 1989 of an obviously illegal nationwide operation by the Kenyan government to screen the Somali community. This characterisation is apt: this week has been witness to unbridled attacks against the Somali Community sparked by two reprehensible events. In one instance, a clear terrorist attack on a matatu in Eastleigh, Nairobi led to reprisal attacks against the sizeable Somali community resident there.