October 3, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Central state formation conference discussed in Adado

03 Oct- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Codkamudug Online – 129 words

The technical committee for the formation of Somalia’s central state on Friday held talks with Himan and Heeb officials in Adado over the upcoming state formation conference which is expected to be held in Adado.

Omar Ali Roble, a member of the technical committee who spoke to Bar-kulan after the meeting said they discussed with Himan and Heeb officials a number of important issues including ways to provide security for the state formation conference delegates and the reconciliation efforts in Mudug and Galgadud regions.

Himan and Heeb administration spokesman, Areys Mohamed Hajji said the technical committee will remain in Adado in next few days and will meet with members of the society groups and traditional elders. He noted the committee is carrying out its activities without interference from his administration.

Key Headlines

Somali government thanks US for their commitment towards Somalia (Radio Mogadishu)
Central state formation conference discussed in Adado (Radio Bar-kulan)
Somali political Parties take part in training in Kenya(Radio Dalsan)
Poland based organization pledges security support to Banadir administration (Radio Mustaqbal)
Politician Abdullahi Sheikh Hassan released (Caasimada Online)
Mother appeals for release of second migrant son held hostage in Libya ( Radio Ergo)
Elders in Galkayo try to avert conflict between Puntland and Galmudug (Radio Dalsan)
Somali workers raise concerns over Turkish management of Mogadishu port (Sabahi Online)
Somali pastoralists in Hiran province decry raging drought (Somali Current)
Man charged with lying in Minnesota Al-Shabab Case ( Minneapolis Star Tribune‎)
Young people can ‘open new chapter’ for Somalia UN Youth envoy says in Mogadishu ( UN News Centre)
FDFA State Secretary Yves Rossier on a working visit to Somalia Kenya and Ethiopia ( Star Africa)
British terror suspect Jermaine Grant has a case to answer- Mombasa court (Star-Kenya)

SOMALI MEDIA

Central state formation conference discussed in Adado

03 Oct- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Codkamudug Online – 129 words

Himan and Heeb administration spokesman, Areys Mohamed Hajji said the technical committee will remain in Adado in next few days and will meet with members of the society groups and traditional elders.He noted the committee is carrying out its activities without interference from his administration.

Somali Government thanks US for their commitment towards Somalia

03 Oct- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Alshahid/Mareeg Online-458 words

Mustafa Duhulow, Somali Information minister visited Washington DC to enhance the bi-lateral relations between Somalia and US. Minister Duhulow landed in Washington DC on 28 September 2014 and had meetings with US Government officials which will continue till Friday 3rd October 2014. The Minister will be visiting Minnesota and Columbus Ohio to engage with Somali Community in the US.

The Minister of Information said: “I came to Washington DC to enhance the bi-lateral relations between the two countries and to express our gratitude and appreciation to US Government’s leadership and support for Somalia. I am also here in Washington DC to update US officials on the current situation in Somalia and the huge progresses made on the ground in terms of security, public finance management, judicial reform, implementation of Federalism, good governance, reconciliation, media development and the plans that we have to implement Vision 2016.”

The Minister of Information continued to say “Officials that I met so far in the State Department, US media groups and other departments gave me a hope and renewed commitment that US will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Government and the people of Somalia. I am also expecting the US to support our grand plans to develop Somali Media such as providing capacity building to private media and government owned media. Officials that I met so far have showed commitment and appreciation to the progress made so far in Somalia. US Government will also support the grand plans that we have to the public awareness campaigns such as the campaign against corruption, the promotion of peace, good governance and stability through media. Ministry of Information will take lead in civic educations towards the review the Federal constitution and the implementation of Federalism as well as to the democratization process leading up to elections by 2016.”

The Minister of Information concluded: “I am also planning to visit Minnesota and Columbus Ohio in order to meet with Somali Community in US. I look forward to having a fruitful discussion with Somalis in US. I will update them on the progress of the country as well as seeking their views and feedback on how we can move forward in order to ensure that in 2016 we hold fair and free elections in Somalia. As I am a member of Somalis in the Diaspora I will be discussing with them on how we together can stop our young people [from] joining terrorists groups. Somali culture and tradition promotes peace and harmony and that is against any sort of extremists’ ideology. I expect our religious leaders and young people [to] show their full and unwavering commitment to ensure that our young people do not join these terrorists groups.”

Somali Political Parties Take Part in Training in Kenya

03 Oct- Source: Radio Dalsan- 131 words

Oslo Center based in Oslo, Norway trained the members of ten Somali political parties. The training took place in neighboring Kenya. Oslo Center was conducting seminars to train Somali political parties since 2012. This particular training was on democracy, elections and freedom of speech. Oslo Center also trains the members of the parliamentary commissions. It is now preparing the political parties for the 2016 elections.

Such seminars are held despite the fact that the government has recently started arresting members of political parties in the country as well as staff of independent media some of which were shut down. Journalists who were arrested by the security forces are still in the jails in Mogadishu. Many journalists who were arrested are yet to be brought before a court.

Poland based organization pledges security support to Banadir administration

03 Oct – Source: Radio Mustaqbal/Radio Goobjoog/kenyd Media- 164 Words

The governor of Banadir region and mayor of Mogadishu Hassan Mohamed Hussein Muungaab has taken a closed door meeting with representatives of a Poland based organization in Mogadishu on Thursday.

The mayor and the officials discussed wide range of issues including rebuilding of the capital city, security, development and bringing of social services to the public. The mayor has given full reports of the city on security issues to delegates representing the organization.

After the meeting, Banadir administration spokesman Ali Mohamud Seko gave details of the meeting and confirmed that the organization pledged to support Banadir administration in maintaining the security of capital city, Mogadishu. The spokesman stated that the organization will instal satellite surveillance facilities that will monitor the security of the city.

This pledge comes a time when the federal government has been putting much efforts to maintain the overall security of the country especially Mogadishu through offensive military against Al-shabab.

Politician Abdullahi Sheikh Hassan Released

03 Oct- Source: Radio Daldan/Caasimada Online- 79 words

After efforts seeking his release, the security forces released the veteran politician Abdullahi Sheikh Hassan from jail. After he was released, Mr. Abdullahi told Dalsan Radio that he got his freedom back after efforts by politicians and members of the civil society organizations. “I am free and I was not tortured while I was in the detention of the security forces”. Abdullahi said. Abdullahi was picked from Aden Adde International Airport a day ago.

Mother appeals for release of second migrant son held hostage in Libya

03 Oct- Source: Radio Ergo- 456 words

A Somali mother has appealed for the release of her son being held hostage by militiamen in Libya. It is her second son to fall captive to armed gangs while trying to migrate to Europe.

Saida Yussuf, a mother of five, recently sold her two-room house in Garowe to pay an $8,000 US ransom demanded by gangs for the release of her first son. He came home to Garowe. But several months later, her second son disappeared and ended up in the hands of the same militia group.

“I received a phone call from the kidnappers demanding $10,000 for my second son’s freedom. They threatened to torture him till he died if I didn’t pay the ransom in time,” Saida told Radio Ergo.

Her son is being held by a gang led by a man known to Somalis as ‘Ma-gafe,’ meaning ‘the one who doesn’t miss migrants.’ Ma-gafe has won notoriety in parts of Somalia, particularly in Puntland and Somaliland, because of the high number of migrants from those regions who have been captured by his militia group.

Saida said: “My son called me two days ago. He said he was hungry and thirsty. They don’t give him anything to eat, so I am very worried about his condition…I sold the only house I owned to buy the freedom of his elder brother. Where can I get this money from? I don’t know what to do. If Ma-gafe hears my plea, please release my son. I can’t get the amount of money you have demanded.”

A relative, Hawa Abdullahi, said the family could not raise the ransom. “Saida is in a critical situation, she simply wants her son to be freed or her health will deteriorate. Her husband was injured in the civil war and doesn’t have any work. Her family is very poor,” she said.
Another migrant, Hussein Farah Jibril, was rescued from Ma-gafe’s group in 2009 after his parents paid a $10,000 ransom.

Jibril said he was captured with 37 other migrants after being smuggled over the Sudanese border into Libya. “After trekking for eight consecutive days, we reached the Libyan border, but unfortunately we were kidnapped by the gangs and thrown into a Toyota pickup. They took us to a ‘torture camp’ then ordered us to call our parents and loved ones. They demanded $10,000 for the release of each one of us,” Jibril said.

“The gangs were so merciless. The tortured us day and night. If your beloved ones couldn’t pay the demanded ransom, you would die in their camp like a dog,” Jibril said. He felt thankful to be released and vowed not to attempt to leave Somalia illegally again.

Elders in Galkayo try to avert conflict between Puntland and Galmudug

03 Oct- Source: Radio Dalsan- 160 words

Reports from Galkayo say that leaders in that area are engaged in efforts to solve the dispute over the airports between Puntland and Galmugug. Traditional elders and intellects are engaged with meetings and consultations so as to avert any deadly confrontation between the two states. Suldaan Abdikariin Mohamud Dagal is one of the intellects who are relentlessly trying to settle the dispute. He told the media that talks are underway and that they are making progress. He said intellects are at the forefront in finding solution to the problem which arose from the usage of airports in Galkayo town, a town which partially falls in Puntland and partially in Galmudug.

The president of Galmudug Abdi Hassan Awale Qeybdiid said early this week that his administration lifted a restriction it imposed on the Galkayo Airport which did not function for days at the time due to dispute between the two states.

Somali pastoralists in Hiran province decry raging drought

02 Oct- Source: Somali Current- 541 words

The pastoralists in parts of Hiran province in south central Somalia have decried shortage of pasture and water that has resulted from the drought in many parts of the war torn country.

Pastoralists Afyare Abdulle who lives with his animals in Jigey 40 kilometers north eastern Hiran provincial headquarters Beledweyn has described how he lost several of his lifestock due to the intensity of the drought. “It has not rained for past two years, no enough pasture and water for the animals,” He said. “Some of my livestock have succumbed to the drought and the remaining is weak,” He added.

Falis Ahmed who lives in the areas affected by the drought has said a lot of the residents in Burdigle have fled to Beledweyn 35 kilometers to escape the worsening drought situation.

REGIONAL MEDIA

British terror suspect, Jermaine Grant, has a case to answer- Mombasa court

03 Oct- Source: Star-Kenya- 283 words

A Shanzu magistrate has ruled that British terror suspect Jermaine Grant has a case to answer in relation to several counts of attempting to fraudulently acquire Kenyan registrations.

Resident Magistrate Anastasia Ndungu on Thursday said the prosecution led by an officer from the Director of Public Prosecutions had proved nine counts against Grant.

Ndungu said that several witnesses including three government administrators in charge of registration had established a primae facie case. “This means that Grant will now be put on defense to prove his innocence,” Ndungu said.

Somali workers raise concerns over Turkish management of Mogadishu Port

3 Oct – Source: Sabahi Online – 985 Words

Since Turkish company Albayrak took over management of the Port of Mogadishu on September 21st, port workers say they are concerned that their pay will be decreased by more than 70% and that their employment at the port is uncertain.

“Before this new company we earned $6.60 for a 50-kilogramme [load], however, the company has now proposed that we should earn $1.80, which is a very low rate that we cannot work on,” said Yusuf Warsame Afrah, chairman of the Mogadishu Port Workers Union.

Port employees work on a rotation schedule managed by the union, depending on the shipments arriving at the port, Afrah said. Under that system, with the previous salaries, port employees earned an average of $150-160 per month.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Man charged with lying In Minnesota al Shabaab Case

03 Oct – Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune‎ – 494 Words

A man who allegedly contacted a terror suspect who’s wanted in Minnesota for his ties to al-Shabab has been charged with lying to the FBI, according to an indictment recently unsealed in federal court. Mahdi Hussein Furreh is indicted in U.S. District Court in Minnesota on one count of making a false statement. He’s expected to plead guilty Friday.

According to the Sept. 24 indictment, Furreh lied to the FBI in January when he denied knowing anyone by the name of “Adaway,” even though the name was listed in his cellphone address book. He also told agents he had not contacted anyone by that name in March or April of 2013.

The indictment says that in fact, Furreh knew “Adaway” was a nickname for Cabdulaahi Ahmed Faarax, a Minnesota man who is at large and accused of encouraging local Somalis to return to their homeland and join al-Shabab.

Young people can ‘open new chapter’ for Somalia, UN Youth envoy says in Mogadishu

02 Oct- Source: UN News Centre- 348 words

The United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, Ahmad Alhendawi on a trip to Somalia this week reiterated his unwavering commitment to empowering young people to participate in development and peace processes, calling them the long-troubled country’s “biggest asset”.

“Young people in Somalia have paid the highest price of conflict and instability,” said Mr. Alhendawi in a statement released by his office.

As a result of over 25 years of conflict, two generations of youth have been denied education, employment and even a chance at a normal and peaceful life.

Currently, people under 30 years old represent more than two-thirds of Somalia’s population – one of the largest demographic youth bulges in the world. Yet, Somalia has one of the lowest school enrolment rates in the world, with only four out of 10 children in school. Two thirds of the country’s youth are unemployed and lack access to opportunities.

FDFA State Secretary Yves Rossier on a working visit to Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia

02 Oct- Source: Star Africa/ SECO – 235 words

FDFA State Secretary Yves Rossier is currently on a working visit to the Horn of Africa. After an initial stop in Somalia, he arrived today in Kenya where a visit to a refugee camp is among the items on his agenda. He will conclude his tour of the region with talks in Ethiopia.

FDFA State Secretary Yves Rossier is currently undertaking a working visit to the Horn of Africa. His tour began in Somalia, stopping first in Mogadishu and then in Somaliland. His visit to this country, which is suffering the consequences of 20 years of civil war and frequent terrorist attacks, is above all an opportunity for Switzerland to demonstrate its full solidarity with the country as it rebuilds and to offer support in particular for the implementation of a federal model that Somalia wishes to establish.

This leg of the trip will be followed by a visit to Kenya for bilateral discussions. Several large Swiss companies are active in Kenya, which is the economic motor of the region. A visit to the Kakuma refugee camp, which is supported by Swiss Humanitarian Aid, is also on Mr Rossier’s itinerary.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“It seems unlikely that Al-Shabaab will disappear from the political scene of Somalia any time soon as it remains a force that stands against the legitimacy of the central government, the presence of foreign troops in the country and the absence of sharia. These are all powerful motivating factors for many Somalis.”

Al Shabaab’s new leadership fights internal reform

03 Oct- Source: Garowe Online- 506 words

A month has passed since the US Government killed Ahmed Abdi Godane, former emir of Al-Shabaab, with a targeted air strike. Godane’s replacement, Ahmed Diriye ‘Abu Ubaidah’, has yet to issue a statement about his intentions and vision for the militant group. His jihadi credentials, however, were recently enhanced when the United Nations placed him on its list of international terrorists subject to sanctions. Not to be outdone, the Somali government put a $2M bounty on his head. Al-Shabaab vowed to retaliate for Godane’s killing and the group bombed Mogadishu two days after the new emir’s coronation – an incident that led to the deaths of 16 civilians. It is however, likely that planning for the attack was underway long before Godane was killed. It is a challenging time for the new emir to come into power. Operation Indian Ocean; a joint military venture by the Somali National Army and the forces of the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), has slowly been pushing Al-Shabaab from territories previously under its control. The next major target is the strategic port city of Barawe, which was formerly the headquarters of the group and remains the locus of the highly profitable charcoal trade.

“ This film could have been more surely and deftly put together.”

A Pirate’s Progress, and Backsliding, in Somalia: ‘Last Hijack,’ a Documentary with Animation

Oct 3 – Source: Newyorktimes.com – 267 Words

Piracy is apparently hard to get out of your system, as the filmmakers Tommy Pallotta and Femke Wolting find out in “Last Hijack,” a look at a man in Somalia having trouble going straight. It’s an ungainly documentary featuring animated sequences, but it also gives a sense of a country ruined by tribal wars and menaced by the temptation of easy cash.

Mohamed, a recidivist pirate, is one of the tempted, his criminal streak partly explained by war trauma as a child. We watch him as he divides his time between a new wife — who has married him on the condition that he not return to piracy — and a new hijacking endeavor. He works briefly at a manual-labor job. Throughout, his parents, who foster his children from previous relationships, berate him about his wayward life.

The rotoscope-style animations, meant to color in Mohamed’s psychology, are broadly similar to those Mr. Pallotta contributed to Richard Linklater’s films “Waking Life” and “A Scanner Darkly.” Childhood episodes blotchily whiz by, along with a past hijacking and a hokey fantasy about turning into a giant, taloned bird. These are sometimes evocative, sometimes just clunky, and in a couple of cases confusingly superfluous.

The film’s on-the-ground approach is impressive, including a visit to a radio station, where a worker must put up with ominous, anonymous cell phone calls. But it’s never quite as incisive as another (yet to be released) hijack documentary, “The Captain and His Pirate.” This film could have been more surely and deftly put together.

“Current Situation Despite all these obvious struggles and setbacks, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. The clan based killings have stopped, and people seem to understand that they can disagree without killing one another—there is a parliament and functioning government in place to some extent, and there seems to be a roadmap to establish a Federalism System for now.”

In spite of All—I am Proud to be a Somalian!

02 Oct- Source: Al Shahid- 426 words

Prior to the civil war, the country and the people of Somalia were known for their peace loving, accommodating, and friendliness to themselves and to others. Somalia was one of the most peaceful, prosperous, and powerful countries in the horn of Africa. Despite its centralized and dictatorial administration, the country proved very powerful both militarily and economically. The historical context of the country is full of noble virtues politically, religiously, and philosophically. After the freedom fighters “The Dervish” led by the great SayidMohamed “The Mad Mullah” as known by the British proved very powerful on ground assaults, Somalia was the first country in Africa to be air bombarded by the British colony… Adan Abdulleh Osman (Adan Ade) was Somalia’s first president and was the first postcolonial African head of state to voluntarily step down after losing an election.

While the livestock sector was the backbone of the economy, the agriculture sector was very prosperous in Banana, and Sugar cane among others. The Banana exports to Italy began in 1927 and gained primary importance after 1929. Because the Somali Banana was known for its luscious and delectable tests, in 1927 and 1930 Italy passed laws imposing tariffs on all non-Somali bananas. These laws facilitated Somali agricultural development so that between 1929 and 1936 the area under banana cultivation increased seventeen folds to 39.75 km². Correspondingly, the sugar factory located near Giohar had an output of 4,000 tons, enough to meet about 80 percent of domestic demand; by 1957 production had reached 11,000 tons, and Somalia no longer imported sugar. The country similarly developed another sugar factory in Marerey near Jilib in late seventies, the Mogambo irrigation project mainly focused on rice meal plantation. Separate from plantation factories were the Mogadishu based spaghetti, cigarette, matches, and boat factories and the petroleumrefinery. In addition, there were also the Kismayo based meat-canning factory, modern fish factory and many more.

Top tweets

@Aynte The brilliant @Moadow reports: “Building boom lifts Somalia’s economy” http://aje.me/1mT3hzH ” #Mogadishu via@AJENews

‏@UNFPA_SOMALIA Lets engage Adolescents and youth as agents for sexual and Reproductive Health Rights #Youth @Cheikh @GKyeyune @FMuhumed @UNFPA

@naukleist High-level partnership forum on #Somalia with#diaspora event – will the diaspora also part of the real meeting?http://www.hlpfcopenhagen.dk/diaspora-event

@El_Globalista Somalia: Somali Foreign Minister sees “the future is bright – Coming Soon” http://binged.it/10nSO5h

@somaligov #Somalia: Mohamed Osman Mohamud has been sentenced to serve for 30 years jail in Portland Oregon for terrorism charge so, what’s next?

@Alshahid Somali Government thanks US Government for their commitment towards Somalia http://wp.me/p2IWS4-bAM

@R2Pindex Elders in Galkayo Try to Avert Conflict Between Puntland and Galmudug: [Dalsan Radio]R… http://bit.ly/1mY12em #Somalia

@kiamalucy UNHCR Alex#confirms that funds for spontaneous return for Somali refugees has been factored in the Somalia Budget.

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Image of the day

On 2 October in Garowe, UNSOM staff members visited the Garowe Orphanage Center to celebrate Eid ul-Adha with the orphans. The orphanage was established in 1994 and currently supports 240 orphans including 75 girls. On this occasion, UNSOM donated gifts purchased with fund raised by UNSOM staff based in Mogadishu and Garowe. The orphans, “who love football more than food”, enjoyed playing football with UNSOM staff. Photo: UNSOM