October 18, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Al Shabaab’s regional threats after Kenyan mall attack

18 Oct – Source: AFP/News 24 – 788 Words

One month after Somalia’s al Shabaab fighters stormed Kenya’s Westgate shopping mall and massacred dozens of people, the threat from regional sleeper cells or local sympathisers remains high, analysts warned. “If you haven’t learnt the lesson Westgate, more is coming,” read posters put up this week at rallies in the southern Somali port of Barawe, a stronghold of the al Qaeda linked militants.

“For every Muslim killed in Kismayo, Kenya will pay the price,” another read, referring to a city Kenyan troops captured last year. The attack on the Nairobi mall which left 67 dead marked a significant and worrying step up in al Shabaab operations, and had required long periods of surveillance and planning, security experts said.

Richard Dowden, head of Britain’s Royal African Society, has warned that the Westgate attack suggests al Shabaab commanders have shifted from “Somali internal politics and closer to al Qaeda’s global agenda”.

Tackling the al Shabaab is on two key fronts: militarily inside Somalia where African Union troops have been battling the Islamists since 2007, but also in the wider region, especially those countries whose armies are in Somalia, including Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.

Key Headlines

Al Shabaab’s regional threats after Kenyan mall attack (AFP/News 24)
Puntland warns of FGS contracted oil firms (Somali Current)
Norwegian suspect named as Westgate mall gunman (Daily Nation/BBC/AFP/CNN)
Al Shabaab commanders attend Eid festival in Barawe (Radi Dalsan)
Somali migrants rescued off Malta coast (Al Jazeera)
2 more nabbed over terror training (Citizen News)
Fresh CCTV footage shows brutality of Westgate attackers (BBC/CNN)
Djibouti vows to carry on peace operation in Somalia (ERTA)
HMAS Melbourne nabs pirates off Somalia (The Australian)

SOMALI MEDIA

Puntland warns of FGS contracted oil firms

18 Oct – Source: Somali Current – 108 words

Puntland administration has strongly warned oil exploration companies contracted by the federal government of Somalia not to come to their region, in a protest against government’s cancellation of oil contracts signed by regional states.

The regional state’s president Abdirahman Mohamed Farole said that exploration firms cannot do any activities in Puntland.

“Soma Oil and Gas and other company called DNO was contracted [by the federal government] to explore oil in Northern areas including Puntland, and from Galmudug [state] to Jubba [regions], we already warned this issue several times that it may cause trouble, the people involved have to stop it,” Farole said during a press conference in Garowe town.

Al Shabaab commanders attend Eid festival in Barawe

18 Oct – Source: Radio Dalsan – 156 words

Al Shabaab commanders attended the festival Eid in all the districts that they are controlling like Barawe , Buuloburde, Eel-buur and Diinsoor. The commanders included group’s Spokesman Sheikh Ali Dhere, Fuad Khalaf “Shongole, Lower Shabelle governor Sheikh Mohammed Abu Abdalla, and many others .

The festival was a biggest one held by the al Shabaab so far and seeing that the people including children , militia and women’s playing games and taking training with assault weapons. Sheikh Ali Dheere, the spokesman of Shabab, addressed the participants, talking about the attack at Nairobi’s Westgate mall.

“This was just the start, Kenya will risk serious attacks like that, and the Mujahidin will prepare a new tactic and unswerving war against the Kenyan government.”

The spokesman also spoke about the US attack in Barawe, saying that they repulsed the attack and the ‘Americans wanted to revenge for the Kenyans’ but that did not happen .

Al Shabaab threatens attacks in Kenya

18 Oct – Source: Somali Current – 100 words

Somalia’s militant group al Shabaab threatens to carry out more terror attack in Kenya, after the last month’s deadly attack in Nairobi.

The al Qaeda affiliated group claimed the responsibility of terror attack that killed at least 61 people dead. Heavily Armed al Shabaab took to the streets of Bule-burte town in Somalia’s central region of Hiiraan, showing their strength and military equipment.

The militia had banners with a slogans and calling the public to join the war against the ‘invaders’. “Westgate was just the beginning,” read one slogan-banner. “For every Muslim killed in Kismayo, Kenya will pay the price!” other slogan read.

Fears of clashes loom in Gedo region

17 Oct – Source: Garowe Online – 108 words

Fears of armed confrontations were reported from Gedo regional district of Beled Hawa in southern Somalia after forces loyal to Somalia’s Jubaland administration retreated to Gedo region from the neighbouring Ethiopia border, Garowe Online reports.

The Jubaland forces that completed a military training program in Ethiopia made temporary bases on the outskirts of Beled Hawa Town and crossed the border into Somalia according to witnesses. Pro-government militias, Ahlu Sunna officials in Gedo region said that they informed Jubaland forces to return to their previous positions.

“We would take action unless Jubba forces vacate their military bases,” Ahlu Sunna official told the media via telephone from Beled Hawa.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Norwegian suspect named as Westgate mall gunman

18 Oct – Source: Daily Nation/BBC/AFP/CNN – 172 words

A Norwegian citizen of Somali origin is suspected of being one of the attackers who stormed a Kenyan shopping mall last month massacring 67 people, the BBC said. The 23-year-old was named as Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow, who the BBC said is suspected of helping to plan and carry out the attack on the upmarket Westgate mall.

Dhuhulow was born in Somalia, but he and his family moved to Norway as refugees in 1999, according to relatives who spoke to the BBC from the Norwegian town of Larvik, 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of the capital Oslo.

The BBC quoted one of Dhuhulow’s former neighbours Morten Henriksen, who described the young man. “He was pretty extreme, didn’t like life in Norway… got into trouble, fights, his father was worried,” Henriksen told the BBC, speaking of Dhuhulow as a teenager.

Last week Norway’s PST intelligence agency said it had launched a probe after it obtained information about the possible involvement of a Norwegian of Somali origin in both planning and carrying out the attack.

Somali migrants rescued off Malta coast

18 Oct – Source: Al Jazeera – 142 words

The U.S. Navy rescued 128 migrants Wednesday after their vessel sank off the Mediterranean coast of Malta, amid a fresh appeal by Malta’s prime minister demanding Europe take action to manage the influx of refugees.

The Somali migrants were left dealing with high winds and rough seas that were rocking their raft some 75 miles south of Malta when it was spotted by a Maltese patrol aircraft Wednesday. A tanker was the first on the scene, but its crew said they could not bring the migrants on board, forcing an intervention by the USS San Antonio, a U.S. navy ship headquartered in Naples, Italy.

It was the same American warship where al Qaeda terror suspect Abu Anas Al Liby, who was snatched from Libya by U.S. special forces earlier this month, was interrogated. The migrants were eventually taken to Malta.

2 more nabbed over terror training

18 Oct – Source: Citizen News – 123 words

Police are holding two more suspects in connection with illegal military training in a forest using al Shabaab manuals.

The arrest puts the number of people arrested to thirteen, according to Mtwara regional police commander Zelothe Stephen. A fortnight ago, eleven people were arrested at Makolionga Mountain in Nanyumbu District following a tip-off from informers, who saw them performing military drills.

Already, eleven suspects have appeared before a Nanyumbu court and were due to be transferred to Mtwara Town where, according to commander Stephen, their case was to be mentioned yesterday.

“The two suspects will be joined with their eleven colleagues…a team of our lawyers is looking at the proper provisions of legislation to be able to charge them,’’ said Mr. Stephen.

Djibouti vows to carry on peace operation in Somalia

17 Oct – Source: ERTA – 83 Words

Djibouti’s President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh has re-affirmed that Djibouti troops will carry on their peacekeeping operations in Somalia.

Troops from Djibouti are working under the African Union’s Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) helping stabilizing the country, operating in Belet Weyne and the region of Hiiraan.

Following the threats made by al Shabaab to attack neighboring countries, President Guelleh, on Tuesday, praised the Djiboutian troops in Somalia for their role in restoring peace there and underlined that they would continue to participate fully in AMISOM activities.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Al Shabaab’s regional threats after Kenyan mall attack

18 Oct – Source: AFP/News 24 – 788 Words

Fresh CCTV footage shows brutality of Westgate attackers

18 Oct – Source: BBC/CNN – 132 words

New CCTV footage has emerged from the siege at the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, shedding more light on the brutality of the attackers. The silent footage is from 21 September – the first day of what turned into a four-day nightmare for many of those trapped inside.

It depicts the terrified reactions among shoppers at the moment the gunmen first went on the attack. The gunmen shoot randomly, while taking phone calls and pausing to pray. At least 67 people were killed in the assault.

Only four gunmen can be seen on this CCTV footage. It is still not clear if they escaped or were killed. This footage from surveillance cameras was obtained by news organisation CNN, which edited out most of the footage it received, including the most graphic content.

HMAS Melbourne nabs pirates off Somalia

18 Oct – Source: The Australian – 127 Words

An Australian warship has captured a gang of nine pirates believed responsible for attacking merchant ships off the coast of Somalia. Defence said the suspected pirates were taken aboard the guided missile frigate HMAS Melbourne and would be returned to Somalia.

The two pirate vessels were destroyed by machine-gun fire from Melbourne’s helicopter. On Tuesday, the 29-nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) received reports of attempted pirate attacks against two merchant vessels during the previous four days.

HMAS Melbourne was appointed to lead a successful search operation, involving CMF ships and aircraft and European Union Naval Forces.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“It has often been said that ignoring the population in counterinsurgency is like playing chess while the enemy is playing poker. Deliberate efforts must be made to win the hearts and minds of the Somali population.”

Change tactics to neutralise al Shabaab threat

18 Oct – Source: The Standard Media – 772 Words

The smoke billowing from the Westgate shopping mall may have subsided but the scars of the attack will be permanent, the wounds difficult to heal. The al Shabaab insurgency has claimed responsibility for the attack, which coincided with World Peace Day killing 67. For us to confront them, a cogent analysis is primordial.

So far, the literature on the group represents an axiomatic view that al Shabaab is a Somalia based insurgency with links to al Qaeda seeking an Islamic government in Somalia and exit of foreign forces. What if the latter were to leave tomorrow and an Islamic government is established in Somalia? Would al Shabaab disband? In such cases, the insurgents would invent new grievances and continue what they know best; violence. So who are they?

Somalia has been seen as an in important destination to establish an al Qaeda bastion, but the treasure trove of analysis on Somalia points out that al Qaeda did not succeed due to many factors, which can be summarised as the wrong personnel, cause, time and allies.

I opine here that al Qaeda did not leave Somalia, but had to mitigate against the aforementioned drawbacks leading to the birth of al Shabaab, which is al Qaeda incarnate, by finding the right personnel, cause, time and allies.

“While the group lost ground in Somalia, on the surface indicating weakness, in reality, al Shabaab has adapted to new realities and taken on a more vicious cause and adopted more heinous tactics. Al Shabaab’s newly found will and blood lust demonstrate fervent non-capitulation in the name of jihad.”

The al Shabaab Westgate raid — A forewarning

18 Oct – Source: UPI – 919 Words

Recently released details on the al Shabaab raid on the Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya, have made it possible to more clearly analyze the attack and what it means. In historical terms, al Shabaab just went “pro” regarding international terrorism.

It has joined the ranks of Lashkar-e-Toiba — the 2008 Mumbai raiders — and al Qaeda. Al Shabaab is now a more forceful threat for Africa, the international community and the United States.

From Sept. 21-24, a platoon-sized formation of 10-15 al Shabaab fighters raided and seized the fashionable Westgate shopping mall, taking scores of hostages in the process. Several of the fighters were apparently locally recruited Kenyans.

This suggests possible support or participation by al Hijra, an al Qaeda-like organization in Kenya and Tanzania that has previously supported al Shabaab. At any rate, the terrorists reportedly breached the mall from at least two entrances, raking patrons with AK-47 fire and throwing grenades as they went.

Top tweets

@BBCAfrica .@tormodstrand tells #BBCNewsday Somalis in#Norway had in the past felt some sympathy towards #Al-Shabab – but not any more. #Westgate.

@ram_affair #HassanAbdiDhuhulow id’d as #Westgateattacker may have been involved in death of journalist#HassanYusufAbsuge last year. #Kenya #Somalia.

@InvolveYouth Empowerment and engagement of young people is shaping the future of #Somalia, http://bit.ly/15DPVwr Via @sportanddev #InvolveYouth.

@amisomsomalia Almost 4,000 #Somali troops have been trained by AMISOM in #Mogadishu and in #Uganda.

‏@willintune Hard to stop jihadis reaching Somalia. 18yr old Brits were arrested near Kenya Somali border in Oct 2011 only after father tipped off police.

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Image of the day

Image of the day A boy plays with a kite in front of his home in the Hamarweyne area of Mogadishu October 12, 2013. Photo: Reuters.