October 31, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
African Union steps up training for Standby Force
31 Oct – Source: Africa Review – 223 words
The African Union has stepped up efforts to have the African Standby Force (ASF) ready to deal with regional challenges by 2015 with a new round of training set for Addis Ababa from October 29 to November 9.
The police and civilian training at the Eastern African Standby Force Brigade headquarters is meant to enhance the ability of the ASF to police regional hotspots.
The ASF is a military unit that would be deployed in crisis areas on the continent. If it were operational potential areas would include the Democratic Republic of Congo, the two Sudans, parts of North Africa in the aftermath of the Arab Spring and Somaliland. Situations such as violent disputed elections, piracy in the Indian Ocean and recent bombings or terrorism in various places in Africa would also be a target for the force.
Key Headlines
- 3 killed as Somali forces al Shabaab clash near Baidoa (Shabelle/Radio Kulmiye/Caasimada Online)
- African Union steps up training for Standby Force (Africa Review)
- Kenyan police officer killed in Garissa near Somalia (Bar-kulan/Hiiraan Online/Star FM)
- UK groups to observe Somaliland local elections (Somaliland Press)
- Al Amriki pleads for intervention to resolve ‘friction’ within al Shabaab (Sabahi Online)
SOMALI MEDIA
3 killed as Somali forces, al Shabaab clash near Baidoa
31 Oct – Source: Shabelle/Radio Kulmiye/Caasimada Online – 105 words
Heavy clashes between Somali government forces and fighters loyal to al Shabaab movement on Tuesday night near Baidoa, the capital of Bay region in southern Somalia. The fighting started after heavily armed militants ambushed Somali forces at Gof-gaduud area, about 20 kilometers from Baidoa.
“At least three combatants from both sides were killed during the fierce battle,” a witness said, adding that the rebels were warded off and pushed back of the area by Somali forces.
Kenyan police officer killed in Garissa near Somalia
31 Oct – Source: Bar-kulan/Hiiraan Online/Star FM – 168 words
A Kenyan policeman was killed and another one seriously injured when gunmen attacked them in northern town of Garissa on Tuesday night. The two policemen were on patrol in the town when they were shot at by the attackers who later managed to escape.
One of the officers died on the spot while the other was rushed to hospital for treatments. There was panic in the town after police officers started shooting in the air in anger after the attack, according to locals. Police say no arrest has been made so far.
The incident comes less than a month after two police officers were killed in similar incident in the same town. The two were shot at close range and died on the spot along Garissa’s Ngamia road while on the way to a regional girls’ secondary school for guard duties. Police later recovered the two G3 rifles the officers were carrying loaded with 40 bullets in a nearby thicket.
UK groups to observe Somaliland local elections
30 Oct – Source: Somaliland Press – 160 words
International development agency Progress, the Development Planning Unit at University College London (UCL) and Somaliland Focus (UK) are once again contributing to attempts to build a stable system of democracy in the Horn of Africa.
The three organizations have been invited by Somaliland’s National Electoral Commission (NEC) to act as coordinators of the international observation mission to the district and council elections in the self-declared republic of Somaliland. Voting has been set for 28 November 2012.
The mission’s leaders will arrive in Hargeisa early November, with the full team to be in place a fortnight before polling day. The mission will follow up with a post-poll interim report to the NEC and donors, with the final report to follow in early 2013. The invitation follows previous missions to the parliamentary elections in 2005 and the presidential election in 2010. The mission will be led by Dr Steve Kibble (of Progressio) and Dr Michael Walls (of UCL).
Somalis in China voice support for new government
30 Oct – Source: Bar-kulan – 84 words
Somalis studying and residing in China have hailed the new government in Somalia in a ceremony held in Wuhan town on the sideline of the Eid celebrations. The event was organized by Somali embassy in China and was attended by students and embassy staff in Wuhan.
Somali consul in Wuhan, Awale Ali Kulane who is also the acting Somali ambassador to China attended the event. Kulane sent message of goodwill to all Somalis in and outside the country as they celebrate Muslim holiday of Eid-ul-Adha.
Regional football development courses gets underway in central Somali state
30 Oct – Source: Radio Risaala – 375 words
The semi-autonomous Somali regional state of Himan & Heeb is hosting the second edition of the 2012 regional football development courses for coaches and referees from different cities across the regional state. According to SFF secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab the development courses are part of the SFF campaign under the slogan of ‘spread football’ throughout Somali regions which has been underway for the past several years.
“Today our dream has come true as we have opened development courses for 20 coaches and 20 referees who will benefit from these courses for the following five days, i.e.(30th Oct-3rd November 2012)” Somali Football Federation education officer and referee instructor Ali Mohamed Ahmed said at the opening ceremony.
Practical and theoretical lessons are being taken during the development courses. The education officer Ali Mohamed Ahmed who spoke at the opening ceremony of the courses on Tuesday on the behalf of Somali Football Federation said he was very grateful to the Himan & Heeb regional state for hosting the training.
Deadly blast in Kismayo leaves 4 dead
31 Oct – Source: Shabelle – 109 words
Witnesses said at least four people lost their lives in an explosion on Tuesday night in Somalia’s southern port city of Kismayo, former rebel bastion located 500 Km (310 miles) south of Mogadishu.
Tuesday’s blast was caused by a hand grenade that was hurled at a teashop, killing four nearby civilians on the spot, according to the witnesses. Dozens others were wounded seriously, in the attack and were taken to hospitals..
“It was a deadly blast at a popular teashop packed by dozens of people, including soldiers,” said resident, although government officials reported no army casualties. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Several held in connection with “poet’s killing”
30 Oct – Source: Bar-kulan – 87 words
Several people were on Tuesday arrested in a joint security operation by police and officers from the national security agency in parts of Mogadishu.
The operation in Waberi district followed the killing of prominent Somali poet Warsame Shire Awale who was shot dead by unknown gunmen Monday night. Officers conducted door to door search in most parts of the district arresting suspects.
Area District Commissioner Ahmed Meere Makaran told Bar-kulan the operation netted unspecified number of people suspected to have links with the killing of the poet.
REGIONAL MEDIA
African Union steps up training for Standby Force
31 Oct – Source: Africa Review – 223 words
The African Union has stepped up efforts to have the African Standby Force (ASF) ready to deal with regional challenges by 2015 with a new round of training set for Addis Ababa from October 29 to November 9.
The police and civilian training at the Eastern African Standby Force Brigade headquarters is meant to enhance the ability of the ASF to police regional hotspots.
The ASF is a military unit that would be deployed in crisis areas on the continent. If it were operational potential areas would include the Democratic Republic of Congo, the two Sudans, parts of North Africa in the aftermath of the Arab Spring and Somaliland. Situations such as violent disputed elections, piracy in the Indian Ocean and recent bombings or terrorism in various places in Africa would also be a target for the force.
Al Amriki pleads for intervention to resolve ‘friction’ within al Shabaab
30 Oct – Source: Sabahi Online – 143 words
Deep divisions are brewing once again within al-Shabaab, Somali analysts say, as another video message was released featuring American-born jihadist Omar Hammami, better known as Abu Mansoor al Amriki.
In the video released on October 19th titled “An Urgent Message”, Hammami said there is “friction” between a -Shabaab’s local leaders and foreign fighters. In his three-minute long video message, Hammami called on “the leaders of jihad and virtuous scholars” to intervene and find a fundamental solution to “the bitter situation that currently engulfs the Somali [foreign fighters]”.
“We are afraid that this conflict might end soon in the favor of those who do not want the battalions of global jihad to take off from [Somalia] to bother the disbelievers and destroy their interests around the world,” Hammami said. “Yet worse, we are worried that the end will have undesirable [consequences, including] injustice, imprisonment and infighting.”
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Unknown gunmen shot dead policeman, wound another in N.Kenya
31 Oct – Source: Xinhua – 670 words
Unknown gunmen shot dead a police officer and injured another in Garissa town of northern Kenya near the border with Somalia on Tuesday night. Divisional police commander, Gorge Losku said the two policemen were on normal security patrol in the town at around 20:00 local time (1700GMT) when they were shot at by the attackers as they were having coffee at a kiosk less than a kilometer.
Losku said the attackers escaped with a G-3 riffle of the injured officer. “It is not clear who are behind the killings and their motive but we are investigating,” he told Xinhua by telephone on Wednesday.
Somalia announce Cecafa Cup plans
30 Oct – Source: BBC – 139 words
Somalia have revealed they will arrive in Uganda on 8 November to allow time for 15 training days before the start of the East and Central Africa Senior Challenge Cup (Cecafa Cup). Instability in Somalia has left the team without training facilities in their country.
Somali Football Federation Secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab said: “The old soccer stadium is under construction by Fifa and the national facility the ‘Stadium Mogadishu’ is home to AU troops in Somalia. “For those reasons we have to encamp the team in Kampala.”
The team’s early arrival for the tournament, which kicks off on 24 November, also affords them the opportunity to acclimatise to different conditions. “The weather in Kampala is totally different from that in Somalia, so we want our players to adapt to that cold weather,” added the SFF general secretary.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“One periodical has even suggested that Somalia may be a global model for peacebuilding, noting that in the past year, Somalis have set up a new parliament and chosen a respected president, Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, under a new constitution. Credit must go to the various African nations that have contributed to and borne the sacrifices for this remarkable achievement. They include Uganda and Burundi, the first to deploy troops to Somalia and whose forces helped drive al Shabaab out of Mogadishu.”
Africa proves Somalia is Mission Possible
30 Oct – Source: Daily Nation – 548 Words
Not too long ago, Somalia was the poster-child for failure. There was much scepticism when the African Union established and deployed a mission to protect the Somali people from violent extremism and to help them build a secure, stable and prosperous country, at peace with itself and its neighbours.
After all, few thought African soldiers could succeed in a theatre considered to be too formidable even for larger and better equipped Western forces.
However, succeed they have. Thanks to their efforts, today Somalia is well on its way to losing its tag as “the world’s most failed state”, and its capital no longer considered “the most dangerous city on the planet”.
“The self-declared state of Somaliland, internationally recognised as a semi-autonomous region, is agreeing individual contracts as it has yet to release its own petroleum code. The only existing code dates back to the days of unity.”
Somaliland: oil first, recognition later
30 Oct – Source: FT Blogs – 694 Words
It’s not a country recognised by anyone other than its own government, but that doesn’t seem to phase three oil companies scaling up exploration in Somaliland. UK-listed Genel Energy and Ophir Energy, and Australia-listed Jacka Resources, are starting to explore for oil in earnest in the breakaway state, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991.
“We are embarking on the largest and most significant exploration this country has seen since it became independent 21 years ago,” oil minister Hussein Abdi Dualeh told beyondbrics from an oil conference in South Africa, hopeful the first drilling will start in 2014 following seismic surveys this year. They are starting in a major way – it’s going to be a massive year.”
“A country scared by years of war is something Hawa Aden Mohammed knows all about. The Somali refugee to Canada returned home to try and help Somali girls get an education and confront issues such as female genital mutilation. She recently was awarded for her work with refugees by the United Nations. Today, a conversation with the woman known as Mama Hawa.”
Honouring Mama Hawa
30 Oct – Source: CBC Radio – 110 Words
We started this segment with the children at the Galkayo Education Centre for Peace and Development in Somalia. If they’re singing with enthusiasm, it’s because they have a lot to be enthusiastic about.
The Centre’s founder has won the Nansen Refugee Award by the United Nations High commission for Refugees, recognizing her work on behalf of the forcibly displaced.
Hawa Aden Mohamed… also known as Mama Hawa has helped many Somali women become educated, financially independent and poised to take a more active role in their society. Her work now is in Somalia but she has a connection to Canada. Mama Hawa joined us from Nairobi, Kenya.
Top tweets
@COkwir #Turkish oil firm Genel to explore in #Somalia from 2013. Could this explain Turkey’s humanitarian aid rush? – http://reut.rs/PEKbgo.
@GenoWorldview #Germany aid for Somali refugee clinics is in jeopardy #Dadaab #Kenya #Somalia http://apne.ws/UgmjLS.
@africaforpeace The African Union calls on the UN Security Council to strengthen its support to the AU Mission in #Somalia http://bit.ly/UgmlU2.
@BNAfrica In Q4 2013 #Somalia is to hold its first bidding round for #oil block concessions since fall of Mohamed Siad Barre’s dictatorship in 1991.
SCR @SCRtweets Although the UN is closed tomorrow #UNSC will meet at 3pm to adopt roll-over #AMISOM resolution and PRST on women, peace and security.
Image of the day
UN Deputy Envoy for Somalia Peter de Clercq meets with Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon in Mogadishu, October 30, 2012. Photo: UNPOS.