October 4, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
Grenade Explosion In Kismayo
04 October – Source: Garowe Online – 165 Words
Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) base was targeted in a grenade attack on Tuesday, in Kismayo city, regional capital of Jubaland. Unidentified armed men thought to be Al-Shabaab militants have tossed grenade bomb at the base located at Guul Wade neighborhood in Kismayo, according to an eyewitness. State officials in Kismayo said the explosion didn’t cause causalities but part of the building was damaged from the attack. Subsequently, NISA troops were deployed in the town and captured over 15 people during security operations, in connection to the grenade attack against NISA base.
No group has claimed responsibility of the attack, but Al-Qaida linked Al-Shabaab group have carried out frequent attacks against security officials and government officials. Al-Shabaab group once used to control large parts of the country in Southern Somalia, were pushed out by Somali government forces backed by AMISOM in recent years, but it still continue to launch sporadic attacks in a bid to topple the Somali government.
Key Headlines
- Grenade Explosion In Kismayo (Garowe Online)
- Puntland President To Name Upper House Nominees (Garowe Online)
- Minister Denies Allocation Of Public Land To EU (Jowhar.com)
- Quarter of Somalis In Dadaab Refugee Camp ‘willing’ To Leave Soon (Daily Nation)
- More Federal Money for Somali Refugees In Maine (Breitbart.com)
- Chasing Mirages Across Somalia (The Huffington Post )
NATIONAL MEDIA
Puntland President To Name Upper House Nominees
04 October – Source: Garowe Online – 137 Words
Puntland President Dr. Abdiweli Ali Gas has intensified the search for the State’s representatives to the Upper House with sources indicating he will soon make public his list. According to Garowe Online, Dr. Gas held talks with his deputy Abdihakim Amey and Speaker of the State’s parliament Ahmed Ali Hashi to strategize for the much awaited list of nominees and iron out challenges encountered so far.
There is increased pressure on the leaders from tribal leaders and candidates jostling for the few available positions. Gas is expected to submit a list of 22 nominees to the State parliament which will then select 11 representatives.The move is aimed at convincing the large number of candidates who declared their interest for the State’s 11 slots. This delicate balancing of regional and clan dynamics is challenging for the leaders.
Minister Denies Allocation Of Public Land To EU
04 October – Source: Jowhar.com – 165 Words
Somalia’s Federal Minister for Public Works Eng. Salah Sheikh Osman has denied reports indicating a public land has been allocated to the EU. The minister termed the allegations as unfounded. “These are false allegations, public lands belong to the public and if anything, the government will only sanction its use for public purposes such as construction of schools and hospitals among other public amenities,” said the minister speaking in an interview with Horn Cable TV. His sentiments come after local politicians alleged a scheme to grab public land in the name allocation to aid agencies affiliated to the EU. Governor of Banadir region. Yusuf Hussein Jimale recently allocated public land, near the busy Mogadishu airport, to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
After the fall of the central government, most public land and government offices were taken over by members of the public, individuals and business. Although some have since relinquished ownership and returned some properties to government hand, many other properties remain in private hands.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Quarter of Somalis In Dadaab Refugee Camp ‘willing’ To Leave Soon
04 October – Source: Daily Nation – 628 Words
Nearly 70,000 Somalis in the Dadaab refugee complex have indicated a willingness to return home soon, United Nations officials said on Monday.
That amounts to about one-quarter of the 284,000 individuals found to be living in the Dadaab camps in the course of a “verification exercise” that the UN refugee agency conducted in July and August.These 70,000 Somalis had responded affirmatively when asked by UN census-takers if they want to return home soon, said Duke Mwancha, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency.“This does not mean in any way that the remaining 75 per cent are not interested in returning,” Mr Mwancha cautioned. He noted in an email message in response to Nation queries that the remaining 214,000 refugees “were not probed on their return intentions (when and how).”The outcome of the Dadaab population survey also “does not mean that the 25 per cent will leave immediately,” Mr Mwancha added.“Despite their open declaration in the population verification exercise, they will have to approach Return Help Desks in the camps where return-related information will be shared with them in detail.”
Depending on how and when Dadaab’s population is calculated, the Kenyan government may be on course to achieve its stated aim of reducing the number of refugees in the camp by half before the end of this year.Prior to the start of the verification three months ago, the UN put Dadaab’s population at 341,574.But the head count showed that 58,016 fewer persons were actually living in the camps. Included in the reduced figure for Dadaab’s population are 40,454 persons found not to be genuine refugees and believed to be Kenyan citizens.“There will be further investigations to be conducted on these individuals, and once their citizenship is confirmed, they will be removed from the refugee register,” Mr Mwancha said.
More Federal Money for Somali Refugees In Maine
03 October- Source:Breitbart.com- 672 Words
The federal government is sending more taxpayer money to Somali refugees in Maine.“The United States Department of Agriculture is committing nearly $400,000 to increase food access for the Somali community in Lewiston,” the Associated Press reports: Members of the Somali Bantu community in the city are partnering with the Cumberland County Food Security Council on the project. The funding is expected to support Somalis’ agriculture and help them reconnect with their cultural heritage.
The USDA says the objectives of the project include building the capacity of the Somali Bantu community and its farmers to produce food and address the problem of limited food access. The agency describes the Somali Bantu community as the poorest community in the city, which is the second largest city in the state.
Cumberland County Food Security Council will recruit people in the community to help increase access to healthy food.News of this grant comes on the heels of a $300,000 federal grant designed to help limit domestic assaults occurring in Maine’s Somali community.“The federal Office on Violence Against Women is giving a Maine immigration resource center $300,000 for sexual assault and domestic violence advocacy in the immigrant community,” according to the Washington Times.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Four years ago, I have privately counseled and publicly cautioned that the newly elected President was bound to fail if his government does not provide direly needed public services, make genuine reconciliation and transparency to end corruption his top priorities.”
Chasing Mirages Across Somalia
04 October – Source: The Huffington Post – 1175 Words
Hopelessness is a dangerous dead-end. As in people, nations need sense of hope to exist and to deal with inevitable challenges throughout their development and indeed existence. But that sense of hope must be grounded on reality; otherwise, it turns into delusion. With the so-called election being around the corner in Somalia, it is fair to say that this systematically eroding nation is in the thick of that season of delusional self-assurance. Positive change is inevitable without making any change in method and mindset. Many candidates are lined up to replace the de facto President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose term has ended on September 10th, who is enjoying an extension without mandate, who himself is a candidate. The Parliament is sidelined as in 2011 right before the transitional period came to an end. Worse, there is no Constitutional Court to judicially arbitrate. These candidates, by and large, have only one thing in common: the conviction that “The president must go.” This sentiment which resonates with the majority of Somalis has ironically rendered any substantive inter-candidate debate on critical issues unnecessary, at best.
Most seem confident that a replacement would automatically bring about the direly needed change to repair brokenness and rectify ills. However, history reminds us of successive disappointments that resulted from such false assumption in the past decades. Governance by Tourism: Four years ago, I have privately counseled and publicly cautioned that the newly elected President was bound to fail if his government does not provide direly needed public services, make genuine reconciliation and transparency to end corruption his top priorities. And fail, he did. Against this backdrop, President Mohamud has been expanding his authority by issuing unconstitutional decrees that are intended to become part of the policies shaping the electoral process.
TOP TWEETS
@garsoornews:Grenade bomb targets #Jubbaland Intelligence HQ in #Kismayo. 5 Intell officers wounded, security forces detain over 100 suspects. #Somalia.
@UNODC_MCP:To strengthen capacity of law enforcement and criminal justice systems,mentoring is central to Bosasso Port police operations #MCP #Somalia
@UNSomalia welcomes the appointment of Hubert Price as Director of Mission Support for @UNSOS http://bit.ly/2drr1cV
@MukhtarNuur:Huge deforestation risks turning Goob wayn 15 KM north of #Kismayo into a desert, just like many other regions in #Somalia.
@HassanIstiila:Hundreds of #IDPs families living in government buildings in were forcefully evacuated from their houses in#Mogadishu a year ago. #Somalia
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Delegates at the state formation conference of Hiiran and Middle Shabelle discuss the draft state constitution.
Photo: Radio Muqdisho