October 16, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Parliament Secretary dismisses existence of motion against cabinet
16 Oct – Source: Raxanreeb/Hiiraan Online – 130 words
After local media reported that Federal Parliament of Somalia is preparing motion against Somali cabinet, On Tuesday the Parliament’s General Secretary Abdikarim Haji Buh dismissed the existence of such motion.
In a press statement released shortly after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with the lawmakers in his Presidential Office late on Tuesday, Mr Buh said that the parliament asked the Prime Minister to face the parliament in his “State of Nation” following the end of his first year in office.
“I wish to clarify to the public and the media that our recent request to the Prime Minister was to address the parliament and talk about the achievements and the challenges faced the government during his first year in office,” Mr Buh said speaking with the media at the Presidency.
Key Headlines
- Somali President hosts lunch for Federal MPs in Mogadishu (Garowe Online/SNTV/Hiiraan Online/Raxanreeb)
- Parliament Secretary dismisses existence of motion against cabinet (Raxanreeb/Hiiraan Online)
- Five children die of unknown causes in Elwaq (Radio Ergo)
- Puntland launches Natural Resources Conference (Garowe Online)
- Somaliland government bans Somalia’s E-passport usage (Somaliland Sun)
- Suspected al Shabaab recruiter arraigned in court (The Star)
- Al Shabaab militants destroy khat in southern Somalia (Africa Review)
- Ethiopia arrests suspected bomb plotters (Sudan Tribune)
- Somalia: Children recover from acute malnutrition (ICRC)
- Pirate can be prosecuted in Denmark (politiken)
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali President hosts lunch for Federal MPs in Mogadishu
16 Oct – Source: Garowe Online/SNTV/Hiiraan Online/Raxanreeb – 104 words
Somalia’s federal government President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Tuesday hosted a lunch for Federal Members of Parliament at Villa Somalia Presidential Compound in Mogadishu with Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon and Parliament Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari present.
Before hosting the dinner, President Mohamud alongside the Prime Minister and Parliament Speaker attended prayers on the feast of sacrifice, Eid Al Adha at Isbahaysiga Mosque.
While speaking to the parliamentarians at the event, President Mohamud boasted of significant progress in the areas of security, public finance, political reconciliation and diplomatic initiatives but emphasized the need for greater efforts to improve the security situation.
Parliament Secretary dismisses existence of motion against cabinet
16 Oct – Source: Raxanreeb/Hiiraan Online – 130 words
After local media reported that Federal Parliament of Somalia is preparing motion against Somali cabinet, On Tuesday the Parliament’s General Secretary Abdikarim Haji Buh dismissed the existence of such motion.
In a press statement released shortly after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with the lawmakers in his Presidential Office late on Tuesday, Mr Buh said that the parliament asked the Prime Minister to face the parliament in his “State of Nation” following the end of his first year in office.
“I wish to clarify to the public and the media that our recent request to the Prime Minister was to address the parliament and talk about the achievements and the challenges faced the government during his first year in office,” Mr Buh said speaking with the media at the Presidency.
Five children die of unknown causes in Elwaq
16 Oct- Source: Radio Ergo- 156 words
Five children died unidentified diseases in Likoley village, about 90 km northeast of Elwaq district in Gedo region, last week. An elder in Likoley, Ibrahim Muse, said all five children were infants under the age of one. He described symptoms that may indicate whooping cough and cholera.
“We have no access to clean water and there have been no vaccinations in the village for the past fours, which I blame for the outbreak of the diseases,” Muse told Radio Ergo’s local reporter. There is no health centre in the village and residents have to walk 30 km to Dhamaso village to find the nearest basic health facility.
Aden Abdi Kheyr, head of the Red Cross office in Elwaq, told Radio Ergo that they have received reports of the outbreak of unidentified diseases in Likoley. He said they have sent a medical team to help residents. Our reporter said Elwaq district has no fully equipped medical centres.
US Special Representative for Somalia James P. McAnulty wishes Somalis happy Eid-day
15 Oct – Source: Bar-kulan/Radio Mustaqbal – 114 words
I wish Somalis everywhere a happy Eid al-Adha The Eid reminds us of the important virtues of sacrifice and gratitude that are revered by both Americans and Somalis. As scenes of family, friends, and neighbors exchanging good tidings stretch across our lands, let us also remember the importance of sacrificing to serve those who are less fortunate.
At this special time of year may we put into practice the advice of former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt: “Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.” Eid Mubarak!
Puntland launches Natural Resources Conference
15 Oct – Source: Garowe Online – 96 words
Somalia’s Puntland government launched a one-day conference on the future of Puntland natural resources in Puntland capital of Garowe on Tuesday, Garowe Online reports.
The conference which held at Puntland parliament building brought together Puntland government officials led by Vice President, Gen. Abdisamad Ali Shire, civil society organizations, businessmen and representatives from international NGOs.
The conference focused on the constitutional rights that Puntland government has to tap the region’s large reserves of natural resources; organizers said adding that the attendants shared their views regarding the exploitation processes and the legitimacy of awarding licenses to foreign companies.
Somaliland government bans Somalia’s E-passport usage
15 Oct- Source: Somaliland Sun-178 Words
The government of Somaliland has revealed that the Somali passport is no longer a valid travel document in the country and those with the Mogadishu issued boarder pass currently in residence or transiting should seek other arrangements to legalize their stay.
The minister of interior Mr. Ali Mohammed Waran-ade was briefing the press in his office in Hargeisa, after holding discussions with a delegation from Ethiopia’s zone five region that is comprised of ministers and the ruling party senior official were on an official visit to the country.
Mr. Waran-ade and the Ethiopian delegation discussed about bilateral ties between the two friendly countries and matters of interest to both. “We share a long border with Ethiopia so we talked about how citizens from both countries could cross the borders, security and economic development of their people, many people use Somalia’s passport and want to cross the border into zone five regions (Kilinka)”.
President Silanyo Extend’s Eid-ul-Adha Greetings to the whole Muslim World
15 Oct – Source: Somaliland Press – 127 words
Somaliland president Ahmed Mohamed Mahamud Silanyo has sent a message extending his personal wishes of good tidings and heartfelt felicitation members of both house, Cleric men, traditional leaders and to the people of Somaliland and those in the diaspora and the whole Muslim world on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha.
The president in his message said, while sharing the joy and happiness with Somaliland people on this festive occasion I pray to Allah almighty to reward all Muslims for their prays during the holy month of Ramadan.
The president in his message prayed to almighty Allah to grant the sick a speedy recovery and to those who are in dire situation of whom cannot share the joy and the happiness on this great occasion of Eid-ul-Adha.
Guurti Warns Criminal Gangs Causing Insecurity in Hargeisa
15 Oct – Source: Somaliland Sun – 123 words
Guurti elders have raised concern on the unchecked profusion of Marauding gangs of youths causing fears at night among citizens who are violently robbed sometimes ending with grievous injuries and/or deaths.
The elders raised this concern during a press conference held at the house of Guurti by the chamber’s security committee that also asked citizens especially city residents to keep an eye on those among them who are members of the gangs causing a state of insecurity in their respective estates.
While urging gang members to cease harassing citizens immediately or face the wrath of law, the chair of the committee Elder Ahmed Musa Obsiye said, “the government will take stern action on the perpetrators by convicting them to long jail sentences”.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Suspected al Shabaab recruiter arraigned in court
16 Oct- Source: The Star- 191 words
A man believed to be a top al Shabaab recruiter was today arraigned in a Garissa Court alongside two of his alleged recruits. Aden Mohamed Maalim alias Bashir Somalia 38, together with Juma Waziri Suleiman alias Ras Katana 22, and Mohamed Abdalla Kamau alias Raymond 21, denied charges of being members of an unlawful group before Garissa Chief Magistrate Hannah Ndungu.
Suleiman and Kamau were arrested by anti-terror police at the Tana Bridge police barrier in Garissa over the weekend aboard a Garissa bound bus from Mombasa. They had reportedly travelled to Garissa to link up with Bashir for transportation to Somalia. After interrogating the two, anti-terror police proceeded to lay an ambush at the supposed meeting point where they nabbed Bashir who is said to be the top recruit and link man for the al Shabaab network in the Coast region.
The court directed they be released on bond set at Sh. 2 million each with a surety of a similar amount failure to which they would be kept in remand pending the hearing of their case to be heard on February 3rd.
Al Shabaab militants destroy khat in southern Somalia
16 Oct – Source: Africa Review – 125 words
Al Shabaab loyalists on Sunday burnt to ashes a pick-up truck and several donkey-driven carts which were transporting khat, according to reports from Geo region in southern Somalia. The incident happened in Bardhere town, about 420km south-west of the Somali capital Mogadishu. The donkeys were spared.
The burnt vehicle and the carts were transporting the khat imported from Kenya. Khat is a mild stimulant widely chewed in Somalia and in the Somali diaspora.
Residents told local media that 10 persons were involved in transporting the khat. Each was fined Somali shillings 5 million ($250). “Non payment of the fine will lead to incarceration,” warned the local al Shabaab authority. All the arrested persons paid the money to avoid being locked up inside the Islamist group’s notorious jails.
Ethiopia arrests suspected bomb plotters
16 Oct- Source: Sudan Tribune-249 Words
Ethiopia has arrested three suspects in connection with Sunday’s bomb blast in which two people were killed. A police source told Sudan Tribune that the bomb went off while the two were making it to carry out a terror attack against soccer fans gathered to watch a world cup qualifier football match.
“The victims were Somali nationals who entered the country illegally” the police said on Tuesday. The incident happened in Bole district near the country’s international Airport. It is not clear if the incident and the arrested suspects are linked with al Qaeda allied militant group, al Shabaab. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bomb blast.
AU approves more troops to Somalia
15 Oct – Source: Daily Monitor – 139 words
The African Union has endorsed another 35 per cent force to Somalia to step up its fight against l Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels. According to a press statement from AU’s Peace and Security Council, 6,235 troops have been approved for deployment to Somalia which brings the total number of forces to 23,966. The decision comes in the wake of last month’s deadly attack in a Nairobi shopping centre which was claimed by the al Shabaab.
“We are happy that another force has been approved to boost our efforts in Somalia due to the serious threat al Shabaab continues to pose in Somalia and in the region but of course we are awaiting approval by the UN Security Council before the forces are deployed,” said Capt. Deo Akiiki, the Uganda Contingent Public information officer AMISOM, in an interview.
Al Shabaab ratchets up scare tactics in Barawe following US raid
15 Oct – Source: Sabahi Online – 652 words
Al Shabaab has stepped up its harassment of civilians in the Somali coastal town of Barawe following the attempted capture of a senior al Shabaab leader by US Navy SEALs earlier this month.
Each morning since the US operation, armed and masked al Shabaab fighters have forced their way into district shops and homes to harass people, locals said, amid reports that more than 200 additional militants have arrived to reinforce the town.
“This is not an easy situation. Ever since the American commandos carried out the attack on the beach home in Barawe, where I heard there were al Shabaab fighters and senior officers, the many problems we faced have increased,” said Asha Mumin, a 35-year-old mother of four who lives in the town.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia: Children recover from acute malnutrition
16 Oct – Source: ICRC – 83 words
The ICRC has 33 feeding programmes in south-central Somalia. Each year, we treat over 20,000 children with severe acute malnutrition in the clinics that we are supporting in conjunction with the Somalia Red Crescent Society.
As well as feeding these children, we help their families generate an income, spreading the benefit still more widely. Hilary Floate is the nutritionist for our Somalia delegation. She tells us about the programme and how rewarding it is for her to see children recover from malnutrition.
Pirate can be prosecuted in Denmark
16 Oct- Source: politiken -265 words
Belgian police are holding a Somali pirate warlord who has been lured to Belgium on promises of a film role. If Danish police have enough evidence to couple him to the hijack of the Danish vessel Danica White, he can be prosecuted in Denmark, according to a maritime law expert.
“The Belgians have arrested him because they want to prosecute him themselves,” says University of Southern Denmark Ass. Prof. Birgit Feldtmann.
“Depending on Belgian law, it could be possible to include the Danica White case in the Belgian prosecution. But legally there is nothing to prevent Denmark prosecuting him alone if there is sufficient evidence,” Feldtmann says.
Money Transfer System Used to Arm Militants in Kenya
16 Oct- Source: IPS- 1100 words
Arms are being transferred from Somalia into Kenya through hawala, an unregulated and traditional Somali transfer system that works with a network of agents, according to immigration officials and hawala brokers here.
“A lot of weapons are being transferred without moving them physically, in the same exact way that money is transferred without moving it physically,” Hussein Aden, a hawala broker from Garissa in Kenya’s North Eastern Province, told IPS.
Hawala, an undocumented system, works when a client pays a broker or “hawaladar” the money they wish to transfer. The broker then calls his counterpart at the transfer destination authorising the payment. The broker on the other side usually pays the recipient with his own funds, charging a commission of up to two percent. But this system is now being used to transfer arms.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“EJ Hogendoorn, Africa deputy program director at International Crisis Group, answers GPS readers’ questions about the recent U.S. military raids in Libya and Somalia, how al Shabaab might respond and the implications of Africa’s “youth bulge.”
What next for al Shabaab?
16 Oct- Source: CNN Blog-1589 Words
Do the two U.S. raids in Africa this month signal a shift from drone attacks?
It’s not possible to tell at this point. The two raids underscore one limitation of drones: they cannot be used in urban settings where the possibility of killing civilians is very high. This would not only violate international humanitarian law, but would be counter-productive, since it would turn the population against the United States and its allies and possibly radicalize others into joining jihadi groups like al Shabaab.
The raids also suggest that the U.S. government recognizes that capturing a jihadi leader is much more valuable than killing one, even if there are risks to U.S. servicemen. The intelligence that can be gleaned from these men not only allows governments to learn about impending attacks, but also about their organization, financing and networks.
Even if a captured militant does not divulge any information, the possibility that he might forces groups to alter plans and change communication protocols and locations. It also sows suspicion and discord that will hamper operations and could reveal the location of other commanders. This disruption is more significant than the elimination of one, or even a small group, of leaders, who can often be quickly replaced.
“Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, reduced to ruins by two decades of civil war, has seen a return to an uneasy peace. Everything is still in short supply and violence is still present, but the inhabitants are trying to rebuild the city as well as their lives. FRANCE 24 went to meet them.”
Mogadishu Revisited
16 Oct- Source: France 24-15:20mins
Mention the words ‘failed state,’ and Somalia is perhaps the country which springs most readily to mind. The central government there collapsed more than 20 years ago, unleashing a period of chaos and conflict ruled by clan warlords, ethnic militias and, latterly, Islamic extremism.
But over the last couple of years, a semblance of normality has returned, at least to the capital, Mogadishu, and other urban centres. Al Shabaab – a militant group which operates as part of the al Qaeda network – has been forced out of most major towns, thanks largely to a military intervention by the African Union and assistance from Western donors.
A new government is nearing its first birthday, raising tentative hopes that a restoration of state authority is within reach. Our reporters Duncan Woodside and Stephanie Braquehais visited Mogadishu, where they spent time with female basketball players and the city mayor, to gain a sense of how people are adjusting to the challenges of a post-conflict environment.
“A senior Somalia official admits that the only way to defeat the militia is either by stealth or by forcing it to fight a conventional war as it is known to guard itself well.”
Change tack to secure troubled Somalia now
14 Oct- Source: The Standard Media-345 Words
Hopes are high that Somalia will get the support it needs to defeat the militia groups controlling swathes of its countryside and some key towns, including a strip of its coastline nearly 250 miles long. The Somali government controls Mogadishu and the country’s second city, Kismayo, after African Union and Kenyan troops helped flush out al Shabaab.
Last Saturday’s meeting of the African Union heads of state and governments in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, backed the call to boost by about a third, the number of troops in an African peacekeeping force in Somalia to reinforce a campaign against militants who attacked Westgate Mall in Nairobi last month.
The continental body’s Peace and Security Council said 6,235 soldiers and police should be added to the AMISOM peacekeeping force to raise its total strength to 23,966 uniformed personnel for a limited period of 18 to 24 months. The council endorsed recommendations to review the force but it still requires the approval of the United Nations Security Council.
Top tweets
@amisomsomalia October 16 marks two years since the #Kenya Defense Force first intervened in #Somalia under Operation Linda Nchi http://on.fb.me/17IQB06
@HLooyaan Interesting look into diaspora & local ideas on #Somalia future. Building a New Somalia: The Diaspora Experience http://www.voanews.com/
@Aynte #Somalia‘s best known author, Nuruddin Farah, questions president Mohamud’s committment to the rule of law http://nyti.ms/1gFnXF4
@jaeldius Banks like @Barclays need to keep #Somalia cash lifeline open. Don’t shut accounts that help people survive. Pls RT
@DavidThomsonWV Learning from #Somalia where Dryland farming tech increased access to & availability of food, reducing # of food scarce months #WFD2013
Image of the day
Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, centre, the Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawaari, left and the Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdoon Saa’id present at a lunch event on the occasion of Eidul Adha. Photo: Hiiraan Online