October 23, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
Not Time Yet For Amisom Exit, South West State Leader Adan Says
23 October – Source: Goobjoog News – 187 Words
The President of Southwest State, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan has warned against withdrawal of AMISOM forces noting it was premature to pull out the the troops as the country still needs the African Union troops. Adan said stabilisation of the country and development of the national security forces was critical and the support of AMISOM will ensure these objectives are achieved. Former president initiated the formation of states and it is time for President Farmaajo to build the security forces and stabilise the country, the South West state leader said.
“In the 4 years existence of the administration led by Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, they were engaged on how to build federal states and they succeeded. In the coming 4 years, we expect security to be worked on. I heard the need to cut down AMISOM. According to me, it is not the right time to reduce them” said Adan. The UN Security Council announced last month the first 500 troops will withdraw in December and a further 1000 by end of next year in phased exit which is expected to culminate into full exit after 2020 elections.
Key Headlines
- Not Time Yet For Amisom Exit South West State Leader Adan Says (Goobjoog News)
- President Farmaajo Meets The President Of Uganda (Jowhar.com)
- Second HirShabelle State Leader To Be Inaugurated Today (Goobjoog News)
- Senators Sharply Divided Over The Federal Member States Stand Over Federal Government (Dhacdo.com)
- AMISOM Calls For End Of Use Of Child Soldiers In Somalia (Xinhua)
- Deadly Somalia Blast Reveals Flaws In Intelligence Efforts (Reuters)
NATIONAL MEDIA
President Farmaajo Meets The President Of Uganda
23 October – Source: Jowhar.com – 110 Words
The President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo who is on a work trip to Uganda has held bilateral talks with his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni. The two presidents discussed how to strengthen the relationship between the two countries and the fight against the Al-Shabaab group. The President of Uganda reaffirmed his commitment to support Somalia. President Farmaajo took the opportunity to thank the government of Uganda for the important role it plays in the peacekeeping mission in Somalia and the fight against terrorist group. The duo agreed the importance of the fight against Al-Shabaab and to eliminate the risk it poses to Somalia
Second HirShabelle State Leader To Be Inaugurated Today
23 October – Source: Goobjoog News – 117 Words
HirShabelle state new leader Mohamed Abdi Waare will be inaugurated today as the second president of the newly established state following the ouster of immediate former leader Abdullahi Osoble in a no confidence motion. Prime Minister Hassan Khaire will be a leading a federal government delegation in observing the inauguration of the new leader who was elected September 16. Security in Jowhar town, the venue of the ceremony has been beefed up with security forces seen in various parts of the town. Waare, an agriculturalist won with 75 votes in the third round thrashing his closest opponent Dahir Abdulle Ware who got 22 votes out of the possible 97. Six other candidates had contested for the seat.
Senators Sharply Divided Over The Federal Member States Stand Over Federal Government
23 October – Source: Dhacdo.com – 101 Words
Members of the Upper House have on Sunday had a heated debate on the conflict between the Federal Government of Somalia and the Federal Member States. Some of the senators openly sided with the Federal Member States saying they a reason to meet and discuss issues affecting them while others said it was not in the interest of the country for Federal Member States to oppose the policies of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS). Senators allied to Villa Somalia argue the decision taken by the Federal Member States against the central government will only further disintegrate the country.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
AMISOM Calls For End Of Use Of Child Soldiers In Somalia
22 October – Source: Xinhuanet – 429 Words
The African Union peacekeeping mission (AMISOM) called for an end to the use of minors in armed conflict in the Horn of Africa nation. The Head of Protection, Human Rights and Gender Cluster at AMISOM, Kareem Adebayo, in a statement issued on Sunday also called for the protection of all Somali children to prevent them from getting involved in armed conflict. “The training that we have just concluded is therefore a pertinent training because in the context of asymmetrical warfare where you have non-state actors who are actively causing havoc where they are; whether in Somalia with Al-Shabaab, whether in Nigeria with Boko Haram or whether in Syria with ISIL – these people use children, they brainwash the children to achieve their dastardly acts,” he said.
He said the training was critical as every child born in Somalia was at risk of being recruited as a soldier. Adebayo, who is also AMISOM Acting Chief of Staff, was speaking at the conclusion of a 12-day training that involved at least 23 participants drawn from the Somali National Security Forces (military, police and intelligence) and Somalia government officials.The AMISOM-backed Training of Trainers (ToT), which was aimed at preventing the recruitment and use of children as child soldiers in Somalia, noted that the issue of child soldiers is an evil that needs to be eradicated.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“The size and methods of the latest truck bombing in Mogadishu show how international and Somali government efforts to stop the killings are failing, partly because intelligence gathering to counter such attacks is so disjointed, security sources say.”
Deadly Somalia Blast Reveals Flaws In Intelligence Efforts
23 October – Source: Reuters – 962 Words
More than 300 people were killed in the bombing in the heart of the capital on Saturday, the deadliest attack in the history of the Horn of Africa nation. The Islamist insurgency al Shabaab was blamed for the blasts, which happened when a car bomb and a truck bomb headed for the airport detonated prematurely. Somali security services and the donor nations working with them are both to blame for disorganisation in the divisions that are supposed to be working to detect and stop such attacks, said Hussein Moalim Mohamud Sheikh Ali, a former national security adviser to the president. “The national security architecture is in tatters,” he told Reuters. “The Shabaab attacks are a symptom of the greater political dysfunction of the state.”
The increasing frequency and growing size of the attacks threaten the fragile security gains made in Somalia ahead of the withdrawal of African Union peacekeepers at the end of the year. They also are a concern for other countries in the region where al Shabaab is active, such as Kenya and Uganda. In 2016, 723 people died in 395 attacks in Somalia, up from 46 dead in 36 attacks in 2010, according to a confidential report produced earlier this year by Nairobi-based thinktank Sahan Research.
Initial swab tests at the site of the attack showed traces of potassium nitrate, a fertilizer component, indicating al Shabaab is now manufacturing explosives as well as buying them or harvesting them from munitions, experts say. Competing programs funded by different donor nations and the lack of a centralised database are hurting efforts to analyse intelligence related to improvised explosive devices (IEDs), four Western and one Somali security source told Reuters.
A letter from Somalia’s minister of internal security addressed to the United States, Britain and the United Nations in May complained of competition and secrecy among agencies gathering intelligence. “Multiple actors involved means this process is highly disorganised … causing a severe problem for the governmental counter-terrorism efforts,” said the letter, seen by Reuters. The pressure is building on President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who must ensure Somalia’s fledgling security forces are ready to step in when the 22,000-strong AU force leaves.
His government is already stalling on releasing a report into a joint U.S.-Somali raid on Bariire in August that residents say killed 10 civilians. Political disagreements threaten co-operation between Somalia’s federal and regional forces. Last week the minister of defense and army chief resigned, without giving reasons. The interior ministry spokesman resigned this week. Somali police did not respond to requests for comment.
TOP TWEETS
@USAIDSomalia: Volunteers continue to deliver meals and water to #Mogadishu wounded with @MoHADM_Somalia and@USAID support. #gurmadqaran252
@MediaWatchF: President Farmaajo heads to Uganda to seek military support against Al-Shabaab – http://bit.ly/2z0Z3kY #Somalia #Mogadishu#Kampala #peace
@Somaliupdate: How the Deadliest Ever Bombing Highlights#Somalia‘s Weaknesses http://bit.ly/2yBmFfB
@M_Farmaajo: Had fruitful talks with H.E @KagutaMuseveni on security cooperation. Promised full support as we embark on new offensive against Alshabab
@AbdirahmanCumar: Deadly Somalia blast reveals flaws in intelligence efforts http://af.reuters.com/article/
@HassanIstiila:At least 11 people including women were killed when a minibus hit a landslide in southern #Somalia a week after deadliest blast killed 350.
@SakariyeDhegnas: One of the positive things that came out of 14th October is a united Somalia and Somalis that love one another. #Soomaalinimo#Hope
@addisstandard: 10 days after #MogadishuTruckBomb killed 300+, & wounded hundreds of civilians, #Somalia‘s Pres.Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed to visit #Ethiopia
IMAGE OF THE DAY
President, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo meets with Yoweri Museveni in Kampala, Uganda to discuss anticipated military operation against Al-shabaab.
Photo: Radio Muqdisho