October 14, 2016 | Morning Headlines
Tension Escalates In Galkayo As Puntland And Galmudug Forces Dig In For Battle
13 October – Source: Goobjoog News – 424 Words
Galmudug and Puntland forces on Thursday morning exchanged artillery fire in the contested town of Galkayo further escalating tension as more residents fled the area a day after the Federal Government said it would deploy the National Army. Goobjoog News correspondent in the area said forces from both sides clashed and with heavy combat deploying in the town but the number of casualties remains unknown. An eyewitness told Goobjoog News shelling started when Puntland forces with bulldozers attempted to trench more defence lines.
Federal Government Minister of Information Abdi Hayer Mareye called on the militaryWednesday to deploy in the region to avert a full scale clash. “On behalf of the Prime Minister, I would like to ask Somali military commanders to send all the ready military units to Galkayo to prevent more clashes,” said the minister. The two states have perennially clashed leading to deaths, displacement of populations and destruction of property. At least 40 people were killed last year in a deadly clash between the two regions whose enmity renewed in 2014 following the formation of Galmudug state.
Perspective into Puntland-Galmudug differences: In the mid 90s when Somalia was deeply into a vicious civil war, two major warlords who had served in the national army,
General Farah Aideed and Col Abdullahi Yusuf signed a pact which would lead to a cessation of hostilities between Galmudug and Puntland for more than ten years.
In the treaty, Aideed’s forces which had control over Galmudug and the larger south-central Somalia would pull out 30 kilometres away from Galkayo while Yusuf’s forces in the Puntland side would do the same. Civilians from both sides would easily operate in the buffer-zone with the absence of any military formations or weaponry. But tension built again after another warlord Ali Abdi Qeybdiid declared Galmudug a new state 2006, a development which did not receive the blessings of the national government. A former ally to Aideed, Qeybdiid failed to adhere to the earlier pact while Puntland also lacked strong leadership to enforce the treaty.
However the official formation of the new Galmudug state as part of the federalization process in 2014 brought to bear the differences between the two regions. Galmudug was formed out of one a half regions; that is Galgadud and half of Mudug whose northern part form Puntland. In effect therefore the southern part of Galkayo is in Galmudug while to the north is Puntland. But Puntland vehemently stood its ground during and after the state formation process arguing the whole of Mudug should fall under its jurisdiction.
Key Headlines
- Tension Escalates In Galkayo As Puntland And Galmudug Forces Dig In For Battle (Goobjoog News)
- Two Al-Shabaab Militants Killed In Mogadishu (Goobjoog News)
- IED Blast Targets Military Convoy Near Baidoa Five Dead (Shabelle News)
- Al-Shabaab Militants Kill ‘2 spies’ In Somalia (Anadolu Agency)
- Details Emerge Of Turkish Military Base In Somalia (Anadolu Agency)
- For Somalis Despite Its Wonderful Contribution To Public Health Sanitation Still A Taboo (Hiiraan Online)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Two Al-Shabaab Militants Killed In Mogadishu
13 October – Source Goobjoog News – 98 Words
At least two Al-shabaab militants were killed in Mogadishu, when a bomb that they were allegedly planting exploded prematurely on them on Thursday night. Somali government says. The bodies of two allegedly Alshabab fighters were seen after powerful explosion heard overnight at Ex. Control Bal’ad of Hilwa district. Somali security forces immediately reached the scene and found two dead bodies on the ground.“Overnight, Al-shabaab group was planting huge bomb. They were intending to harm people but thanks to God, it destroyed them”. Said, Abdifatah Halane, Banadir region spokesman. Al-Shabaab did not issued any comment about the incident.
IED Blast Targets Military Convoy Near Baidoa, Five Dead
13 October – Source Shabelle News – 139 Words
At least five soldiers were killed and five others wounded in a roadside bomb blast targeted on south west state army convoy near Baidoa city, the regional capital of Baay on Thursday.An anonymous Somali army officer in Baidoa and a lawmaker at South west state assembly have confirmed the deaths of the regional soldiers to Radio Shabelle’s Mogadishu station by phone.The attack took place at an area, just about 12Km away from Baidoa city on Thursday, according to the military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, because he was not authorized to speak to the media.The convoy was with targeted in IED blast as it was transporting military supply to Deynuney town in Bay region, where the interim south west state administration army has base. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the deadly bomb attack.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Al-Shabaab Militants Kill ‘2 spies’ In Somalia
13 October – Source: Anadolu Agency – 167 Words
Al-Shabaab militants shot dead a Kenyan and a Somali for alleged espionage in front of hundreds of people in Somalia’s southern town of Jilib Thursday, a resident and a Somali government official said.”Hundreds of Jilib residents…witnessed the execution at an open square in the town, where a firing squad from al-Shabaab militants carried out the killing of the two men,” Jilib resident Abdirashiid Nour told Anadolu Agency.Hussien Ali, a senior Somali government official in the area, confirmed the militant group killed a “foreign fighter from Kenya and Somali national” in Jilib town.
Al-Shabaab media identified the victims as Kenyan Abdullah Daleel Muse, 28, and Somali national Mohamed Ibrahim, 30, who was also accused of working for the British spy agency, MI6.On Wednesday, Al-Shabaab beheaded five people, including four clan elders in El-Ali town in Hiraan region after they were accused of supporting the Somali army and Ethiopian troops.Adan Sheikh in Hiraan region said militants took hostage at least 59 people in Al-Ali town.
Details Emerge Of Turkish Military Base In Somalia
13 October – Source: Anadolu Agency – 225 Words
More details about Turkey’s first military facility in Somalia emerged on Thursday with the construction firm behind the project confirming the base will be able to train hundreds of local soldiers.Istanbul Mogadishu General Construction Company Director Ebubekir Sahin told Anadolu Agency the $50-million base will open near the Somali capital Mogadishu in January 2017.It will occupy 400 hectares and house three military schools, dormitories and depots.
The facility, whose construction began in March 2015, will be used to train troops from Somalia and other African countries, Sahin added. It will have the capacity to train 500 soldiers at a time.Sahin said the facility would be located close to Mogadishu’s airport and three kilometers (1.8 miles) from Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital and the Port of Mogadishu.In recent decades, Somalia has enjoyed multi-tiered cooperation from Turkey.On June 3this year, President Erdogan visited Somalia as the last leg of a three-nation East Africa tour during which he inaugurated Turkey’s largest embassy in Africa.Turkey provides Somalia with military aid, education support, infrastructural development and skills training.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“It may be a high time we act decisively and do something about the looming catastrophe that may follow! Otherwise, the health and well-being of our people will remain in the doldrums for decades if not for centuries to come,”
For Somalis, Despite Its Wonderful Contribution To Public Health, Sanitation Still A Taboo!
12 October – Source: Hiiraan Online – 1727 Words
The other day, sitting at a cafeteria in Hargeisa for a cup of coffee, a friend of mine and I had just had a casual talk. He is one of the old folks who went to school in the British era and throughout the progressive days of Somalia when education was competitive and excellence was based solely on merit. Additionally, he has a post-graduate degree from Colombia University, New York, USA and with over forty years work experience in different fields. That literally means he is an expert in many fields: teaching, program management, science and technology, management, etc. And he is also a famous trainer of the young generation in this country for years.
By profession I am in the water, sanitation and environment sectors and knowing of their great role, value and place in human health, any mention/discussion of them takes me into a familiar territory where I can answer all my why’s and how’s! First, working in those areas for over 30 years, I understand that water is the source and sustenance of all life. And provision of adequate, safe and sanitary water and the proper maintenance of hygiene and sanitation are the basis for a healthy living; whereas poor hygiene and sanitation in your home or in the environment can have devastating impacts on your life and well-being. Unfortunately, water becomes easily contaminated. In fact, some reports say that one gram of a healthy person’s feces (let alone a sick one) for instance, can pollute thousands of gallons of water because poop contains countless microorganisms many of which are pathogens that have the potential to make a whole community sick or dead.