October 24, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Kenyan army reportedly arrests al Shabaab women’s leader in Kismayo
24 Oct – Source: Standard/NTV – 305 words
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and those of Somalia have nabbed an al Shabaab women’s leader in Kismayo port. Apart from the woman, the troops also arrested 72 suspected militants and recovered an assortment of weapons. The arrested woman, identified as Marianna Isa Muhammad, was identified by residents of Kismaao, as the a Shabaab women leader [al Shabaab women’s wing]. Her arrest is seen as a boost as the troops race to pacify the city that has been under the rule of the militants for long.
KDF information operations officer Col Cyrus Oguna said the Sunday [21 October] operation was a success because of the cooperation from the locals. Col Oguna added the troops also arrested five al Shabaab members as they tried to enter Kenya in Kolbio area. Two KDF soldiers were injured in the exercise after the militants engaged them in a shootout that left three of them killed and two AK 47 rifles and an RPG recovered.
KDF says the port in Kismayo has now started operations with with 5 ships carrying foodstuffs and cement having docked there today. The soldiers attribute the success they have achieved so far to the support and collaboration of the local residents even as they work to pacify the region.
Key Headlines
- Somalia’s government forces and al Shabaab battled at Shalambod Millie (Radio Mustaqbal)
- British Ambassador to Somalia condemns murder of journalist Ahmed ‘Saakin’ (UK in Somalia)
- Kenyan army reportedly arrests al Shabaab women’s leader in Kismayo (Standard/NTV)
- Somali TV journalist killed in northern Somalia (Bar-kulan/Raxanreeb/Hiiraan Online/Mareeg Online)
- Somali Police Force enters a new era (UNPOS)
- Puntland military court sentences Yemeni to death on terrorism charges (Garowe Online)
PRESS RELEASE
British Ambassador to Somalia condemns murder of journalist Ahmed ‘Saakin’
24 Oct – Source: UK in Somalia – 102 Words
The British Ambassador to Somalia, Matt Baugh has condemned the murder of journalist Ahmed ‘Saakin’ Farah Ilyas of Universal TV in Las – Anod. His death brings to 16 the number of Somali journalists killed this year. Speaking Wednesday Ambassador Baugh said:
“I condemn the senseless murder of yet another journalist in Somalia. I hereby send my condolences on behalf of the British government to the family of Ahmed at this trying moment.
I call upon Somali authorities to urgently bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous act of murder, which also represents yet another attack on a free press”.
SOMALI MEDIA
Somalia’s government forces and al Shabaab battled at Shalambod Millie
24 Oct – Source: Radio Mustaqbal – 82 words
Residents in Shalambod area reported military confrontation between Somalia’s government forces and Shabab fighters.This come after fighters attacked the base of government forces on Wednesday night in the area, igniting heavy gunfire. No comment from the two sides. It was impossible to get the officials of the government forces since their phones were not going through.
Somali TV journalist killed in northern Somalia
24 Oct – Source: Bar-kulan/Raxanreeb/Hiiraan Online/Mareeg Online – 144 words
Gunmen on Tuesday night shot dead a Somali TV journalist in northern Somali town of Las Anod, the latest in strings of attacks targeted against media workers in the horn of African country.
Ahmed Farah Ilyas, popularly known Saakin, who worked for Universal TV as a reporter, was gunned down in a targeted attack on Tuesday night. The identity of the assailants and the motive behind the killing still remain unknown as no group has claimed responsibility. Saakin, 25, was heading home from work when unknown armed men opened fire, killing him on the spot. He was laid to rest on Wednesday morning in the same town.
Local journalists say armed groups are threatening the lives of journalists in the area but both authorities are taking no step for their protection. More than 20 other journalists were detained in Las Anod for the last ten months.
Puntland military court sentences Yemeni to death on terrorism charges
24 Oct – Source: Garowe Online – 163 words
A military court in Somalia’s northern region of Puntland has convicted a Yemeni national on terrorism charges and sentenced him to death, Garowe Online reports. On Tuesday, Puntland military court’s First Instance Court convicted 50-year old Yemeni national Salihi Afifi Al Amoudi of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism on Puntland soil. Court prosecutor Abdikarim Hassan Firdhiye said Mr. Al Amoudi was charged under Puntland Anti-Terrorism Law and Article 221 of Somali Penal Code.
The prosecutor said Mr. Al Amoudi was arrested by Puntland security forces in the coastal town of Habo in July, 2012. Mr. Al Amoudi was transporting a cache of weapons from Yemen to Puntland, including pistols, rocket propelled grenades, hand grenades, fuses, and wires used to make explosives.
The Puntland military court chairman, Mr. Ahmed Abdi Botan, declared a sentence of death on Mr. Al Amoudi under the terrorism charges forwarded by the government prosecutor. Mr. Amoudi can take the case to the court of appeals, court officials said.
Somali graduates returning home from Sudan
24 Oct – Source: Bar-kulan – 128 words
More than 20 Somali nationals who have just graduated from Sudanese Universities in Khartoum have voluntarily returned home for the last few days to help rebuild their country, radio Bar-kulan reports. Most of them returned to Mogadishu which is now shedding off the infamous tag “world’s most dangerous city”.
The first group of graduates left Khartoum International Airport on Tuesday night heading to Mogadishu where they plan to join the rest of their compatriots trying to rebuild the country following the recent political change in the country. Although there has been reports of individual graduates returning to the country from Khartoum in the recent months, this is said to be the first such a large number of graduates returning to Mogadishu.
NUSOJ condemns the murder of TV journalist in Las’anod town
24 Oct – Source: Raxanreeb – 147 words
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) condemns the murder of yet another journalist in the Somali town of Las-Anod of Sool region controlled by the Somaliland authorities putting the number of the killed journalists in Somalia in 2012 to 16.
Assailants gunned down Ahmed Saakin Farah Ilyas, 25, Universal Television correspondent, in the town of Las-Anod on Tuesday night, October 23, 2012 around 10:30pm local time, according to Universal Television, where Farah had worked and witnesses accounts.
It is not yet clear the reason behind the killing. The town, Laas-Anod, is a notorious for jailing journalists with more than 20 cases of arbitrary arrests took place this year alone. “Our colleague, Ahmed Saakin was shot somewhere in the centre of the town by armed men.” A journalist in the town of Laas-Anod, whose name withheld for security reasons said, “Police have cordoned off the area now.”
Clash rocks outskirts of Kismayo
23 Oct – Source: Radio Mustaqbal/Jowhar Online/Radio Dalsan – 132 words
Reports from the port city of Kismayo, the headquarter of Lower Jubba region in Somalia say that clashes erupted on Wednesday night after al Shabaab fighters attacked a base of Somalia’s government forces near Birta dhere where the government forces are stationed.
Residents told Mustaqbal radio that the sounds of the heavy gunfire was also heard inside the port city. The casualties are not yet known , however, the residents mentioned that mortar shells landed in residential areas.
Puntland obtains new information on vessels illegally fishing in Somali waters
23 Oct – Source: Garowe Online – 118 words
Authorities in Somalia’s state of Puntland stated on Tuesday that they recently obtained new information about vessels illegally fishing in Puntland waters, Garowe Online reports. International Naval Forces patrolling the coast of Somalia informed Puntland’s Ministry of Marine Transportation , Ports and Counter-Piracy MoMTPC that they stopped an Iranian flagged vessel with documents to fish in Puntland waters.
Minister of MoMTPC Mohamed Farah Aden said the documents were given to officials in the Ministry and they recognized that the permits were falsified. “After receiving the permits it came to our knowledge that the Iranian flagged vessel was carrying fake permits,” said Minister Aden. Minister Aden stated that there are only two Iranian vessels with permits to fish in Puntland waters for 40 days.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Kenyan army reportedly arrests al Shabaab women’s leader in Kismayo
24 Oct – Source: Standard/NTV – 305 words
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and those of Somalia have nabbed an al Shabaab women’s leader in Kismayo port. Apart from the woman, the troops also arrested 72 suspected militants and recovered an assortment of weapons. The arrested woman, identified as Marianna Isa Muhammad, was identified by residents of Kismaao, as the a Shabaab women leader [al Shabaab women’s wing]. Her arrest is seen as a boost as the troops race to pacify the city that has been under the rule of the militants for long.
KDF information operations officer Col Cyrus Oguna said the Sunday [21 October] operation was a success because of the cooperation from the locals. Col Oguna added the troops also arrested five al Shabaab members as they tried to enter Kenya in Kolbio area. Two KDF soldiers were injured in the exercise after the militants engaged them in a shootout that left three of them killed and two AK 47 rifles and an RPG recovered.
KDF says the port in Kismayo has now started operations with with 5 ships carrying foodstuffs and cement having docked there today. The soldiers attribute the success they have achieved so far to the support and collaboration of the local residents even as they work to pacify the region.
Garissa police enforce relocation of refugees to Dadaab complex
23 Oct – Source: Sabahi Online – 813 words
In March 2010, Hussein Abdi Malik came to Garissa seeking economic independence away from the squalid living conditions in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee complex.
The 42-year-old refugee from Somalia set up a textile shop at the Mugdi market in town. By his own account, his business has enabled him to support his family of five who joined him in Garissa last January.
However, after government authorities issued a two week ultimatum ordering all refugees and unregistered migrants to move to designated refugee camps by October 20th, Malik said his livelihood has been threatened.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Police Force enters a new era
24 Oct – Source: UNPOS – 417 words
In 1979, newly recruited policewoman, Asha Hassan Hussein, was the first female to ride a police motorcycle to patrol the streets of Mogadishu. Three decades later in a nation devastated by conflict, now – Captain Asha specialises in tackling violence against women as head of the Somali Police Force’s (SPF) Gender Based Violence Department. Captain Asha is passionate about promoting equal opportunities. “Women should get the same opportunities in training and career development as our men colleagues,” she said.
Captain Asha explained that policemen trained by her in the past were now in higher ranks: “I have to salute them as they are now my superiors. There is no justice in the department,” she said, adding that she hopes the new era in Somali politics would bring with it a fresh mentality on equality in the force. There is new momentum for the police force which is being revamped following a push by the new Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud who has declared security as his top priority.
Consisting of 6,000 police men and women, the Somali Police Force and its leadership are determined to maintain law and order to control crime in this country, which has been virtually lawless following decades of conflict. Training and capacity building of officers is currently underway as well as ongoing rehabilitation of police stations, all supported by UNPOS.
Captain Asha recently participated in a workshop in Mogadishu designed to create a platform for the SPF to discuss issues such as equal rights for women in the force, community policing and human rights. More than 40 Somali police officers and SPF partners attended the workshop, organised by UNPOS on 11 and 12 October. Participants identified gaps in the forces’ legal framework and organisational structures. They also deliberated on different ways of improving police efficiency, effectiveness, accountability and professionalism.
Many Somalis Still See al Shabaab as Threat
23 Oct – Source: VOA News – 164 words
A United Nations report this month said half of Somalia’s population wants to leave the country despite security gains and the creation of a new government. Some Somalis who have fled still see the al Qaeda linked group al Shabaab as a threat to both their lives and the future of their country.
In 2008, Ismail Maalim Ahmed, was working with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Somalia’s Bay region. That year, in July, he came under attack from al-Shabaab.
“I was working with WHO as a health surveyor. Al Shabaab kidnapped me at a place which is 25 kilometers away from Baidoa and took me to a remote place. In the first place they deceived me by asking me a favor to give them a lift to some place.
When we arrived at the village they told me to come out of the car at a gunpoint and they said to me I was infidel and a spy and they shot me nine times,” Ahmed said.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The moral lesson of the story is that Somalis were blessed with a wonderful, strategic, prosperous spot of the globe where they could be better off than any other peoples on the planet if they were fortunate enough to realize only that fact to live in peace and harmony among themselves and their environment.”
Somalis in Search of Acres of Diamonds
23 Oct – Source: Wardheer News -1337 Words
Many years ago I read a story under the title: Acres of Diamonds. I believe it was one of the stories by Russell H. Conwell, a Yale College student in the 18th century. This is the summary of that story as I recollect what I read at that time since different people tell different versions of the same story.
Once upon a time there was a rich man somewhere in the Indian subcontinent. He had a lot of properties including huge agricultural lands, cattle and many workers to attend his wealth. One day, a man (perhaps a devil) came to visit him and told him: “Sir, I see you are too tired because of the hard work you are doing day in and day out to manage your businesses.
I want to help you out by giving you a piece of useful advice: a small piece of precious stone called “diamond” so small that you can hold it in your palm and is worth many times your entire net worth. Besides, there is no work to do except to sit back, relax and wait for its price to increase everyday and for ever”.
Following this advice, the story tells us, the rich man sold everything he had and started looking for that elusive diamond he could not find in his own homeland. He traveled to far off places across continents in search of the magic wealth and finally ended up in the land of Yuugga and Yamaayuugga (China) where, after miserable existence, lost his life in Yangtze River, feeding his own corps to the hungry crocodiles.
“Somalia wants to develop business and diplomatic ties with nations from around the world in mutually beneficial projects, without opportunism and exploitation souring relations. In light of Somalia’s openness to friendly relations, it is wholly unfair that Turkey exploits the good will of victims whose survival directly depends on feeding centers run by Western NGOs.”
Turkey’s New Love Affair with Somalia
23 Oct – Source: Kurdish Globe – 698 Words
The Somali crisis took place two decades ago, and the Turkish role in providing aid to the suffering people of Somalia is within recent memory. To many, the Turkish role in relief efforts looked more like token participation rather than genuinely humanitarian concern, despite ordinary Somalis, deep appreciation for the Turkish premier’s high-profile visit to Mogadishu during the height of the famine. Many Somali intellectuals looked on Turkey’s role with suspicion.
Meanwhile, Western nations have been taking Somali refugees in since the crisis, resettling them in their countries and providing amnesty. It is even possible to find resettled Somalis in Saudi Arabia, in spite of the countries horrific human rights record; but in Turkey, it is almost impossible to find a Somali with a Turkish passport or resettled as a refugee, despite the high population of Somalis living there.
Somalis are well aware of those who were their friends during their darkest days. “Friends in need are friends indeed”, and during the crisis, a number of African nations united to aid in the struggle against Somalia’s scourge, Al-Shabab, in order to restore peace and security.
Top tweets
@mikeybbq Sadly another journalist killed in #Somalia in targeted attack, taking death toll to 16 since start of 2012. He was only 25 years old #media.
@Afrinnovator #Internet penetration in #Somalia still stands at just 1.14% of the populationhttp://bit.ly/XS1sm5.
@UNPOSomalia International donors meet with #Somali President and #Parliament today in #Mogadishu to coordinate support #UNPOS pic.twitter.com/JjGDZVHN.
@HMAMattBaugh A great front page: “@PoetNation: Lido Beach on the front of @nytimes – Good news from #Mogadishu #Somalia pic.twitter.com/HGDpqvnL”.
@africathinker #Puntland has sentenced a Yemeni man to death by firing squad earlier today,for smuggling weapons into #Somalia on behalf of the #AlShabaab.
@OCHASomalia #Somalia latest access #UPDATE: in September at least 9 incidents of violence directed against humanitarian workers http://buzz.mw/-NEt_y.
Image of the day
Italian Foreign Affairs Minister, Giulio Terzi di Sant’agata, (L) shakes hands with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahamud following his visit to Mogadishu, on October 23. Photo: Somaliweyn.