October 15, 2018 | Morning Headlines
Somalia Executes Perpetrator On Anniversary Of Deadliest Attack
14 October – Source: Daily Mail – Words
Somalia on Sunday executed by firing squad a man linked to one of the country’s deadliest ever attacks, one year after the tragedy which left over 500 dead, a court statement and police sources said. Hundreds of Somalis gathered at a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the attack in which a truck packed with explosives blew up at a busy intersection, destroying some 20 buildings in an apocalyptic scene in a city used to regular explosions at the hands of Islamist group Al-Shabaab.
A year on, the Al-Qaeda linked group which still governs large swaths of territory, has never claimed responsibility, which observers attribute to the public outrage caused by the attack. To coincide with the anniversary, a military court announced early Sunday morning that a member of the team involved in the attack, had been executed.
Hassan Adan Isak, was sentenced to death for “driving one of the vehicles used in the blast,” read a statement from the court. “Today, the 14th October 2018, the death penalty was carried out against him.” Isak was the driver of a vehicle which he parked near an airport checkpoint shortly after the truck went off, and was arrested for suspicious behaviour. The target of his attack was unclear and there were no casualties in the second blast.
Key Headlines
- Somalia Executes Perpetrator On Anniversary Of Deadliest Attack (Daily Mail)
- President Farmajo Arrives In Marka Town (Halbeeg News)
- Somalia EU Sign €100m Direct Budget Support Pact (Goobjoog News)
- AMISOM And Somali National Security Forces Undergo Training On Civil-Military Cooperation (AMISOM)
- We Will Not Withdraw Our Soldiers From Somalia Before Stability Is Restored President Kenyatta (Capital News)
- Bomb Blast Survivor Relives Fateful Day Last October As Somalis Mark First Anniversary Of The Deadly Twin Attacks On Zoobe Mogadishu (AMISOM)
NATIONAL MEDIA
President Farmajo Arrives In Marka Town
14 October – Source: Halbeeg News – 127 Words
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has arrived in Marka town, 100 km southwest of Somali capital, Mogadishu. The president is expected to hold talks with the residents of the town and the local authorities. He will also meet with hundreds of soldiers from 14th October Brigade who are currently based Marka town.
This will be the first time since the President visited the town since he assumed office. Somali forces have been carrying out operations against Al-Shabaab in and outside the town in recent months. In August, the forces recaptured parts of the town from Al-Shabaab fighters. Al-Shabaab fighters lost control of the town in 2016 after Somali forces supported by troops from the Ugandan contingent of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) defeated the group’s fighters.
Somalia, EU Sign €100m Direct Budget Support Pact
14 October – Source: Goobjoog News – 326 Words
The European Union will inject close to €100 million into Somalia’s national budget over the next two and half years, an agreement signed between the two parties today in Mogadishu. The EU said in a statement following the signing ceremony that up to €92 million will go to the federal government through budget support while the remaining €8 million will support capacity building to the federal and states’ governments and oversight institutions.
The signing ceremony between Prime Minister Hassan Khaire and European Commission’s Director-General for International Cooperation and Development, Stefano Manservisi follows an earlier direct budget support pledge by the EU, the first in 30 years. The EU has however been providing financial support to Somalia through the World Bank run Multi-Partner Fund.
Speaking during the event, Prime Minister Hassan Khaire said today’s signing capitalizes on the positive track record of Somalia. “Today, the European Union is taking one crucial further step: it is engaging with the Federal State of Somalia in its first fully-fledged budget support operation,” the PM said. “This operation is due to deliver EUR 100 million straight into the national budget over the next two years, and support capacity building. He warned however challenges abound which call for commitment from both the federal states and the federal government. This he noted include fiscal federalism reforms, revenue mobilization and currency reform.
EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica said today’s signing is indicative of the bloc’s trust in Somalia’s institutions. “Budget support shows the EU’s trust in Somali institutions. It gives the Government resources to implement reforms and build a stronger State able to deliver basic services to its people,” Mimica said. The new agreement follows last month’s World Bank approval of Somalia to access pre-arrears clearance through the International Development Association, a part of the World Bank which provides grants and low interest loans to poor countries. The direct budget is indicative of donor confidence in management of public funds.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
AMISOM And Somali National Security Forces Undergo Training On Civil-Military Cooperation
14 October – Source: AMISOM – 326 Words
Officers from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and Somali national security forces are attending a four-day workshop to familiarise themselves with the guidelines governing relations between humanitarian actors and security forces in conflict areas. The participants will also be taken through the Somalia Country Specific Humanitarian Civil-Military Guidelines which specifies how AMISOM and humanitarian actors should relate in conflict areas to ensure assistance is delivered to the needy population in hard-to-access areas.
Brig. Gen. Kitila Bulti Tadesse, the AMISOM Military Chief of Staff, who opened the training course, in Mogadishu, noted that in order for AMISOM to realise its mandate of securing the country, various approaches including civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) ought to be applied to win the hearts and minds of the civilian population. “As a line of operation, CIMIC is a soft approach that cannot be underestimated in peacekeeping operations,” said Brig. Gen. Tadesse.
He described CIMIC as an emerging strategy which can be applied by AMISOM and the Somali national security forces to build consensus with stakeholders such as local leaders and non-governmental organizations and also act as a bridge between the military and the general population. Brig. Gen. Tadesse challenged participants to take time to familiarise themselves with the important role CIMIC plays not only in improving the lives of the civilian population but also fighting extremism and other vices.
We Will Not Withdraw Our Soldiers From Somalia Before Stability Is Restored, President Kenyatta
14 October – Source: Capital News – 675 Words
President Uhuru Kenyatta today announced that Kenya will not pull its soldiers out of Somalia until the troubled country achieves peace, stability and security. The President said Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) will maintain their presence in Somalia under AMISOM until all terror networks operating from the war ravaged country are fully neutralized. “We went to Somalia in 2011. We shall continue our presence in the country until the restoration of full security in Somalia,” said President Kenyatta
President Kenyatta spoke during the 7th annual KDF Day at Kenyatta Barracks in Gilgil, Nakuru County. KDF Day is marked to commemorate Kenya’s fallen heroes and heroines who died while defending and protecting the sovereignity, territorial integrity, peace and freedom of the country.
The President said Kenyans are proud and appreciative of the proactive role played by KDF in security operations and peace initiatives in the region especially in the fight against terrorism, a challenge that continues to create fear and despondency among populations. “Kenyans are proud of their soldiers and the professional, patriotic and disciplined manner they have handled themselves,” the Head of State said.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“As Somalis mark the first anniversary of the October 14th bomb attack, which killed over 600-people and maimed tens of others, Adan urges his fellow Somalis to forgive each other and reconcile for the sake of achieving lasting peace and security.”
Bomb Blast Survivor, Relives Fateful Day Last October, As Somalis Mark First Anniversary Of The Deadly Twin Attacks On Zoobe, Mogadishu
14 October – Source: AMISOM – 708 Words
Traditional elder Adan Muse Hassan’s day started with optimism on October 14th of 2017. He predicted another rewarding day, as he carried out the challenging task of resolving disputes and encouraging reconciliation, within the capital Mogadishu. The sunny morning coupled with the gentle breeze from the imposing waters of the Indian Ocean, was the perfect weather he had hoped for, to enable him carry out his tasks.
On the fateful day, Adan left his house in Hamar Jajab district early in the morning to meet a group of elders from two feuding clans at Kilometre 4 area. He had barely brokered a peace deal, when he received a call asking him to rush to Digfeer hospital to resolve a quarrel between two individuals, who had been involved in a road accident. “I managed to resolve the conflict and we agreed that the accident victim be compensated for the injuries he sustained, and I decided to rush back home to attend to other matters,” he explains.
By that time, the afternoon temperatures had sored beyond 33 degrees centigrade and to avoid the scorching sun, Adan boarded a rickshaw, locally known as Bajaaj, to take him home but got stuck in the traffic jam as he approached the busy and crowded Zoobe intersection.
Suddenly, the afternoon calm was disrupted by twin explosions which tore through people and buildings. The powerful blast swept the rickshaw off the road and into the air, before it landed on its side, and reduced to smithereens by the impact of the explosion. “I saw my left leg break just below my knee when the Bajaaj landed on its side. My right eye was also injured after I fell on the ground. I could not trace where my driver was,” recalls the father of 10 children.
He tried to free himself from the mangled wreckage but toxic fumes that engulfed the area not only blurred his vision but also made breathing difficult. “My mouth, ears and nose were full of dust particles from collapsed buildings. I was gasping for air and I felt like it was the end of the world,” he says.
Despite being weak and in pain, Adan refused to give up and managed to free himself from the wreckage after several attempts. He crawled on the hard surface evading human body parts strewn on the road. Adan was saved by a team of rescuers and rushed to Daru Shifa hospital, before being flown to Turkey the following day for specialised treatment.