October 31, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

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UN Security Council hold special session on Somalia

30 Oct – Source: Radio Mogadishu/VOA Somali/Somali Current – 145 words

The United Nations Security Council held a special session on Somalia, discussing a package of logistical and non-lethal support to the Somali National Army and increasing the number of African Peacekeeping troops in Somalia. Somali Foreign Minister Fowsia Yusuf Adan addressed the opening of the session, relying Somalia’s gratitude to the UN’s Support and request a greater support for the horn of Africa nation. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Tuesday called on the United Nations Security Council to back calls for greater support for SNA and AMISOM to overcome the challenges ahead of his government. “Somalia has made huge progress across many areas in the last year and in particular on security. al-Shabaab has been driven back but is not yet finished. We must continue to make advances while the momentum is with us.” President Hassan Said.

Key Headlines

Somali president attends opening of Turkey’s new rail tunnel link to Europe and Asia(Radio Mogadishu/SNTV)
Somaliland president opens consultative meeting between government and donors(Hiiraan online)
Somali security forces seize a fugitive ex-prison commander(Al Shahid)
UN seeks surge in Somalia fight against al Shabaab(AP)
Spain convicts 6 Somalis of piracy arms possession for attack on Spanish warship in 2012(AP)
Iran Somalia Seeking to Strengthen Ties( Fars News)

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali president attends opening of Turkey’s new rail tunnel link to Europe and Asia

30 Oct – Source: Radio Mogadishu/SNTV – 129 words

The president of Somali federal government Hassan Sheik Mohamud has attended a project on new train tunnel that links Europe and Asia after the participation of 90 Anniversary of Turkish independence. Turkey opened the world’s first underwater rail link between two continents Tuesday, connecting Asia and Europe and allowing Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to realise a project envisioned by Ottoman sultans more than a century ago. The engineering feat spans 13 kilometres to link Europe with Asia some 60 metres below the Bosphorus Strait. Called the Marmaray, it will carry subway commuters in Europe’s biggest city and eventually serve high-speed and freight trains. The 5.5 billion lira (£2 billion) tunnel is one of Erdogan’s “mega projects”, an unprecedented building spree designed to change the face of Turkey.

UN Security Council hold special session on Somalia

30 Oct – Source: Radio Mogadishu/VOA Somali/Somali Current – 145 words

Somali President sends condolence on death of Somali lawmaker

30 Oct – Source: Radio Mustaqbal – 103 words

The President of Somali federal government Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has sent his condolence message on the death of Somali lawmaker named Omar Islaw who died in a hospital in Nairobi. The president was saddened by the death of the lawmaker, praying to Allah to forgive his sins and grant him paradise.. Omar Islaw who was one of the members of Somali parliament has been sick in a hospital in Nairobi and died of the illness on Tuesday.

Somaliland president opens consultative meeting between government and donors

30 Oct – Source: Somaliland Informer/Hiiraan Online – 66 words

Somaliland president Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Silanyo has officially opened on a meeting which is held biannually between international donors and Somaliland government institutions to assess the projects implemented by organization in the country. The meeting was held at ambassador hotel in Hargeisa was attended by officials from UN organizations based in the country, international organizations, representatives of donor countries, government institutions and civil society organizations.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Police in Hargeisa battle uptick in gang-related violence

30 Oct- Source: Sabahi Online-1027 Words
Violent crimes perpetrated by street gangs have increased in the Somaliland region in the past 18 months, but authorities say they are cracking down on the growing phenomenon. Gangs of youths, who used to be organised into football or neighbourhood groups, are now committing crimes and violent felonies in Hargeisa neighbourhoods, said Guled Ahmed, director of the Hargeisa-based Human Rights Centre. “The most serious [of these crimes] are gang rapes committed against women, with rape violations steadily on the rise,” Ahmed told Sabahi. One of the most notorious cases was the rape of two Hargeisa women by 21 men on the night of July 25th. Soon after, all of the men were convicted and most were sentenced to ten years in jail. Lately, some robberies have turned deadly, with the gang members using axes, knives, daggers and even rocks to threaten people, Ahmed said.

Somali security forces seize a fugitive ex-prison commander

30 Oct – Source: Al Shahid – 126 words
Somalia’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) confirmed on Wednesday that after an extensive investigation made by Somali security forces in parts of the capital, a fugitive who was sentenced to life in prison has been seized peacefully. Abdi Mahamed Isma’il, former Somali central jail commander who was accused of releasing a number of al Shabaab members from the prison and giving some of them false ranks to become the prison guards has been sentenced to life in prison in his absence.
The court issued a warrant of arrest against him. He has been seized hiding in Wadajir district in southern Mogadishu. In a press conference, Si’id Ahmed Kadiye, the commander of Somali Criminal Investigation Department confirmed his arrest.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

UN seeks surge in Somalia fight against al Shabaab

30 Oct- Source: AP/ABC News/Washington Post-381 Words
The war against al Shabaab militants in Somalia has “ground to a halt” and needs a surge of almost 4,400 more African Union troops and massive U.N. assistance to break the stalemate and avoid failure, a top U.N. official said Wednesday. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told the Security Council that the U.N.-endorsed African Union force and the Somali military lack “the capacity to push beyond areas already recovered” from al Qaeda-linked group in the last 18 months during a successful campaign to recapture several cities, including Mogadishu and Kismayo. Eliasson presented the Security Council with recommendations from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the AU force be boosted by 2,550 combat troops and 1,845 ground-support troops for the next 18 to 24 months. Ban also called for another 1,000 troops for a U.N. guard force to prevent attacks like the recent suicide bombing at the U.N. compound in Mogadishu, and for another 840 police officers.

Iran, Somalia Seeking to Strengthen Ties

30 Oct – Source: Fars News – 116 words

Senior Iranian and Somali parliamentarian laid emphasis on the further enhancement of all-out relations between the two Muslim nations. In a meeting between Chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commision Alaeddin Boroujerdi and a visiting delegation of the Federal Parliament of Somalia, led by Cabdalle Boss Axmed, the pair stressed the need for further development of mutual cooperation between Tehran and Mogadishu. “Expansion of friendly relations in political, economic and cultural fields with Muslim countries is among the basic policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Boroujerdi said during the meeting. Axmed, for his part, said the Federal Parliament of Somalia attaches importance to bolstering political, economic and parliamentary cooperation with Iran.

Spain convicts 6 Somalis of piracy, arms possession for attack on Spanish warship in 2012

30 Oct – Source: AP – 126 wordsSpain’s National Court has convicted six Somalis of piracy and arms possession for attacking a Spanish warship in 2012 off the coast of Somalia. The court said Wednesday all the defendants were sentenced to eight years in prison, and one was also sentenced to four years — to be served consecutively — for membership of an armed group. The six were arrested in January 2012 following a shootout when they tried to board the Patino, a navy supply ship. The Defence Ministry said the attackers possibly mistook the warship for a freighter. The Patino was part of a European Union flotilla fighting piracy in the Indian Ocean. The six claimed in the trial this month that they are fishermen and had approached the ship for help.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“The bigger unresolved question is whether, even when a safe corridor has been built and all the new safeguards are in place, the banks will be willing to get back into what is, after all, only a modestly profitable business. What if they still refuse to reopen the accounts?”

Keeping remittances to Somalia flowing

30 Oct- Source: IRIN-1378 Words
Never has the UK’s Somali community taken so much interest in a court case. Dahabshiil Holdings Ltd, by far the biggest company remitting money from the UK to Somalia, has taken Barclays to court to try to prevent the bank closing down its account, without which the company says it cannot legally continue to operate. Other remittance companies have already had their accounts closed, because of what banks say are security concerns about money laundering and terrorism. Faced with this threat to the system by which they support their families back home, the community has mobilized on an impressive scale. And they have got the government involved. Rushanara Ali, the MP for Bethnal Green and Bow in east London, who has many Somali constituents, had been one of those leading the campaign.