December 31, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report

Key Headlines

Mogadishu Police Confiscates Tank Weapons In A Mosque (Horseed Media)
Jubbaland President Meets With Ethiopian Officials In Addis Ababa (Hiiraan Online)
Federal Parliament Summons Finance Minister (Wacaal Media)
Somalia’s Auditor General Accuses Turkish Firms Of Evading Financial Accountability (Hiiraan Online)
Somali National Army Formed To Take Over When KDF Leaves (Daily Nation)
Minnesota Somalis Suspicious Of U.S. Efforts To Stymie Islamic State Recruitment (Washington Times)
Richfield Officer Apparently Shown Hitting Somali Teen Won’t Be Charged (Associated Press)
Embrace Teachers To Save Children’s Future (Hiiraan Online)

UN Envoy: Somalia Momentum Toward Peace ‘Unstoppable’ (Voice of America)
Al-Shabaab Threatens To Kill More Government Officials (Radio Dalsan)
Berbera Poised To Become African Regional Hub (Somaliland Nation News)
Puntland Sees Hope For Revival In Basketball (Garowe Online)
Two Al-Shabaab Militants Killed Seven Suspects Nabbed In Somalia (Xinhua)
UN Envoy To Somalia And UAE Ambassador Discuss Relations (Emirates News Agency)
Helicopter Crew Of ESPS Victoria Returns Home To Spain After Successful Deployment With Operation Atalanta Off The Coast Of Somalia (EU NAVFOR)
Sudden Death Of A Beloved 320-Year-Old Acacia Tree Breaks Hearts In North Kenya (Mail & Guardian Africa)

Joint Forces Kill Three Militants In Gun Battle With Al-Shabaab Following Ambush (Wacaal Media)
Government Deploys More Troops To Qoryoley Following Al-Shabaab Attack (Shabelle News)
Government Of Iran Refutes Claims By NISA (Goobjoog News)
President Abdiweli Awards Students Upon Completion Of Public Finance And Management Special Courses (Villa Puntland)
Galmudug State Extends An Olive branch To Ahlu Sunna (Shabelle News)
Somalia New Law Offers Much Needed Protection For Journalists (CCTV)
ISIL’s First East African Affiliate Conducts Attacks in Somalia Kenya (Defense News)
Muslim Migrant Debate Reverberates In Heartland (Stars and Stripes)
Somalia 2016: An Upgraded New Deal A New SRSG And The Role Of Somaliland (Wardheer News)
For Somali Families A Bridge Between School And Home (MPR News)

UN Envoy For Somalia Nicholas Kay Ends Tour Of Duty (UNSOM)
Hiiraan Middle Shabelle Inter-Regional State Formation Conference Set To Open In Jowhar (Hiiraan Online)
Governor Demands Arrest Of Police Officers Involved In ‘Al-Shabaab’ Killings (Shabelle News)
Puntland President Sees Off Students Leaving For Saudi Arabia After Winning Scholarships (Wacaal Media)
QC Drought Relief Project Benefits 71000 People In Somalia (The Peninsular)
Somali High School Student Punches Teacher In The Face Over Perceived Gay Overture (The College Fix)
Report: 69 Journalists Died On The Job In 2015 (Associated Press)
Northern Kenya Attacks May Shed Light on Country’s Security (Voice of America)
Soccer In Puntland Somalia: Giving Kids A Chance (Deutsche Welle)

11 Militants Killed As Al-Shabaab Ambushes KDF Convoy Says Police (Shabelle News)
Top Al-Shabaab Militant Surrenders In Bay (Baidoa News)
Somali Parliament Passes Controversial Media Bill (Hiiraan Online)
Puntland Officials Dismiss Shia Doctrine Claims (Garowe Online)
Brilliant Start For Dekedda As They Beat Heegan In Somalia Premier League (Hiiraan Online)
Puntland Toiling To Improve Justice Sector (Villa Puntland)
Somalia President Pays Tribute To The Outgoing Nicholas Kay (CIHAN)
Eastleigh Boycotts Levies To Nairobi From 2016 Over Poor Services (The Star)
Minnesota Prepares To Receive More Refugees In 2016 (Star Tribune)
New “Breakaway” Administration Forms In Somalia In Latest Federalism Dispute (Somalia Newsroom)
A Tale Of Two Alis (BBC)

Parliament Passes Media Bill (Goobjoog News)
Seven Wounded In Bomb Explosion In Bardhere Town (Shabelle News)
Hiiraan Elders Reject Inter-regional State Formation Deal With Gov’t (Hiiraan Online)
State To Begin Border Operation To Flush Out Al Shabaab (Standard Digital)
UAE Ambassador In Somalia Meets Minister Of Islamic Affairs (Emirates News Agency)
Al-Shabaab Militants Soldiers Die In S. Somalia Gun Battle (Xinhua)
Somalia’s Second Class Citizens (Hiiraan Online)

Somalia Arrests Two Iranians Over Shiite Indoctrination In Mogadishu (Hiiraan Online)
Interior Minister Led Delegation Arrives In Jowhar (Radio Muqdisho)
Al-Shabaab Attacks Government Forces Base In Qoryoley (Wacaal Media)
Somalia’s First Female Presidential Candidate Inspired By Rwanda’s Recovery Process ( New Times)
Al-Qaida-linked Somalia Militants Claim Killing Four Security Troops In Northeast Kenya Ambush (Japan Times )
Somalia Is No Longer A Failed State: Rhetoric Or Reality? (Somali Current)

Somali Aid Workers Kidnapped In Gedo Have Been Freed (Shabelle News)
Political Meetings Banned In Belet Weyne (Goobjoog News)
Senior Government Official Gunned Down In Mogadishu (Wacaal Media)
Mogadishu Mayor Urges Public Support In Securing Capital (Hiiraan Online)
Upper Bakool Leader Says Not Open To Talks With South West State In First Interview (Garowe Online)
Two Police Officers Killed In Al-Shabaab Attack In Mandera (Daily Nation)
Resurgence In Insurgent Attacks Stall Revival Of Mogadishu ( DPA)
African Union Hails Outgoing Nigerian Police Contingent For Job Well Done In Somalia (AMISOM)
The Magnificent Mogadishu I Did Not Know (Nep Journal)
Mogadishu’s Peace Garden Attracts Hundreds Of Families Every Weekend (CCTV)

Somali Minister: No Ban on Christmas New Year’s Parties (VoA News)
Somali Parliament Nullifies Former Headquarters’ Lease By Local Government (Hiiraan Online)
Banadir Regional Police Boss Assaults Hamarweine DC (Wacaal Media)
Hiiraan Elders Welcome President’s Call To Join Jowhar Conference (Shabelle News)
Qatar Red Crescent Society Opens TB Centre In Somalia (The Peninsula)
Horseed Crowned 2015 Somalia Super Cup Winners (Soko25east)
The Mogadishu That Stole Christmas (Foreign Policy)

Somali Islamists Publicly Execute Two Officials (Reuters)
Al-Shabaab Retakes Berhani Town (Wacaal Media)
Pro-ISIL Militants Al-Shabaab Clash In Deadly Puntland Infighting (Garowe Online)
Puntland Head Of State Names New Governor For Mudug Region (Wacaal Media)
Al-Shabaab Now Split In Two And Competing To Show Lethalness IG Boinnet Says (Standard Digital)
Imams Laud Muslims Who Shielded Christians From Being Killed By Al-Shabaab Attackers (Daily Nation)
Why Hargeisa Is A Beacon Of Literary Prowess (The Star)