September 1, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
Funeral Held For 10 People Killed In U.S.-backed Raid
31 August – Source: Garowe Online – Words
A funeral was held on Thursday for ten people killed in a U.S.-backed attack on Bariire town, about 50Km South of Somali capital, Mogadishu August 25. Members of Somali Parliament and relatives have attended the burial event. The Federal government of Somalia as reported has admitted killing civilians, and promised to pay a compensation for the victims, pledging “blood money” estimated $70,000 USD for each deceased person.
The bodies, including three children aged between 13 and 15 years have been kept in mortuary in a hospital in the capital for six days, in a protest to their killing by their families demanding compensation from the government. “These people were accidentally killed in the raid and the government has agreed to solve the stalemate through dialogue with their relatives and pay a compensation,” said MP Mohamed Ahmed Abtidon. Sources tell Garowe that six of the victims were from Habargidir, a Somali clan, part of the larger Hawiye group and the Government said it is investigating allegations that they were Al Shabaab members.
The government set up a ministerial panel to probe the killings of the people in joint military operation in Barire, last Friday, August 25, but the team’s investigation result has not yet been released publicly. The U.S. backed raid was carried out on a suspected farm located near Bariire, days after Al-Shabaab militants were pushed out of the area by Somali National Army (SNA), along with African Union forces (AMISOM).
Key Headlines
- Funeral Held For 10 People Killed In U.S.-backed Raid (Garowe)
- Armed Gunmen On The Outskirts Of Jowhar Rob Passengers (Shabelle News)
- UN Urges Somalia To Find Durable Solutions For IDPs (Shabelle News)
- Kenya: 2 Motorists Killed In Al-Shabaab Attack (Anadolu Agency)
- AMISOM Reiterates Its Commitment To Continue Supporting Somali Police Force (AMISOM)
- Somalis Can Rewrite Their Own History (The Scotsman)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Armed Gunmen On The Outskirts Of Jowhar Rob Passengers
31 August -Source: Shabelle News – 105 Words
Reports from the Middle Shabelle region indicate armed gunmen robbed people in the outskirts of Jowhar. The residents of the area where the incident took place mentioned that armed gunmen opened fire on cargo vehicles that were on their way to Mogadishu and heading towards the Middle Shabelle region and thereafter robbed passengers.
One of the residents who spoke to Radio Shabelle said the criminals robbed the passengers of money and other valuable on the vehicles. The resident said the gunmen were dressed in government army uniform. It is reported that the Hirshabelle forces went to the area on mission to hunt the armed gunmen.
UN Urges Somalia To Find Durable Solutions For IDPs
31 August – Source: Shabelle News – 320 Words
A senior UN advisor on internal displacement on Wednesday called on Somalia to develop an effectively framework to provide durable solutions for internally displaced persons (IDPs). Walter Kalin, Special Advisor on IDPs to the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General/Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, said durable solutions for displaced persons in Somalia require combined humanitarian, development and peace approach.
“Somalia is one of the only countries in the world where solutions for IDPs are presented as a key development priority. While absolutely necessary for saving lives and provide immediate assistance, humanitarian interventions can not achieve long term solutions,” Kalin said at the end of his week-long visit to Somalia. “A combination of humanitarian, development, peace and statebuilding approaches is required to achieve that objective and the National Development Plan provides a very solid basis for that,” he added.
The UN official said an effective framework and durable solutions in the country coupled with strong government leadership and the mobilization of multi-year flexible funding would provide sustainable livelihoods and adequate standards of living to IDPs and their host communities. “There are different categories of IDPs, those who came a long time ago, and those who have recently been displaced because of the drought,” said Kalim. “Thanks to the humanitarian assistance, we are able to save their lives, but in the long term, we need to switch to development approaches to help them become productive and self-sufficient again,” he added.
Kalin, who until recently was also Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of IDPs, visited Kismayo, capital of Jubaland State; Dollow, a small town in the Gedo region bordering Ethiopia; Baidoa, the administrative capital of South West State; as well as Somalia’s capital Mogadishu. This was Kalin’s third mission to Somalia and to various IDP camps across the country. Kalin will present the findings of his mission to the international community during a briefing later this week.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Kenya: 2 Motorists Killed In Al-Shabaab Attack
31 August- Source: Anadolu Agency – 204 Words
Somalia-based Al-Shabaab militants on Thursday shot and killed two motorists in Kenya’s Tana River County, according to both local residents and officials. The Al-Qaeda-affiliated militants ambushed the two motorists — one in a Toyota Probox and the other in a truck — and sprayed their vehicles with bullets. Calling on the government of the east African country to offer them more security, residents of the Lango la Simba area posted pictures of the vehicles on social media. Survivors from the Toyota were rushed to Witu Hospital in Lamu.
Confirming the attack to local media, Riziki Ali Tana Delta Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) said that the two vehicles were on a road leading to the town of Witu from Minjila in Tana River County.Speaking to Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity, an officer who was at the scene said, “The place has witnessed attacks in the past. It is unfortunate that we lost the two drivers. Security has been heightened in the area following the attack.” In the past two months over 40 people have been killed by al-Shabaab militants along the Kenyan coast, including 20 police officers patrolling the porous Kenya-Somali border.
AMISOM Reiterates Its Commitment To Continue Supporting Somali Police Force
01 September – Source: AMISOM – 332 Words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has reiterated its commitment to help establish a strong and professional police force capable of handling security challenges facing the horn of Africa country. The remarks were made on Thursday by the AMISOM Police Coordinator for Operations, Daniel Ali Gwambal, during the closing ceremony of a 10-day training course on child protection and basic counter insurgency for Somali police officers held in Mogadishu. The training was conducted by officers from the AMISOM Police component.
“AMISOM is ready at any time to offer training and contribute to the development of Somalia,” Mr. Gwambal said at the function presided over by the Somali Police Force (SPF) Commissioner, Brig. Gen. Abdihakim Dahir Said, and attended by senior police officers. Mr. Gwambal urged the participants to put into practice and also share the knowledge they have acquired with their colleagues. “As you go out to the field I want you to impart to your colleagues the same training you have gotten here and that is how we will be able to develop our capacities as police officers,” Mr. Gwambal added.
Speaking at the function, SPF Commissioner, Brig. Gen. Abdihakim Dahir Said, noted that the trainings were timely and of priority to the force, given the changing nature of crime in the country. “This training was important to the extent that we had to postpone other trainings and fast track this one so as to enhance the skills and capacity of the police,” Brig. Gen. Said stated. He added that the trainings were in line with the decision of the SPF leadership to localize basic and non-specialized training to help in strengthening capacity of the force.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Sadly, it may be images of hungry and emaciated people in the news and charity appeals over the years. It could be the Tom Hanks film about Captain Philips, where he perseveres over Somali pirates, or if may even be Mo Farah, the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history, who came to the UK from Somalia to escape violence.”
Somalis Can Rewrite Their Own History
01 September – Source: The Scotsman – 547 Words
When Somalia gained its independence from Italy and Britain in 1960, its future was unwritten. Across the country, Somalis share a common language, a common culture and religion, but poverty and weak governance have seen the country fracture time and again into clashing clans and militant groups. Since independence, the country’s civil war and two famines have collectively claimed more than an estimated million lives. But, through all of this Somalis often joke if there is one word to describe their national character, it’s “resilient” – such are the challenges that they have weathered.
Now, for the third time in three decades there is talk of famine. An unholy cocktail of drought in East Africa, conflict, ongoing poverty and poor services have brought six million of the country’s people to crisis, and half of those will struggle to survive without emergency assistance. Farmers, whose animals have died and lands have dried up, are gathering what they can carry and leaving their homesteads, often by foot, in search of water and food.
In November, the rains that should fall twice annually failed completely, dramatically escalating the situation. Since then more than 800,000 Somalis have abandoned their homes, with hundreds of thousands living in makeshift camps for displaced people on the edges of larger towns, where food and water is still scarce and disease is spreading. So far, it sounds familiar? But this isn’t the whole story.
The lesser known thing about Somalia in 2017 is how much Somalis are helping themselves, upending their image in past years as passive recipients of hand-outs and aid. My organisation Mercy Corps has worked in Somalia since 2005 and has helped more than one million people, increasing their access to food and clean water, supporting local markets and providing education and civic opportunities for young people.
We have been on the frontlines responding to the most recent drought but we have seen the enterprising attitude of young Somalis doing what they can to tackle their country’s issues for themselves. One of our projects worked with young people to ensure they received a good education and support to become community leaders, opening up their opportunities to improve their country’s future.
Over six years we worked with more than 67,000 young people, some of whom found new ways to work with local government or set up forums to debate issues that affected their lives. Most recently, we were humbled to see young people who had taken part in our leadership workshops begin to organise food collections in more well-off parts of the country to distribute to where the hunger crisis is most severe.
Somalis can’t surmount their huge challenges on their own, and so we must stand ready to help them. But the message we hear from Somalia is clear: give people the opportunity to improve their own communities and they will challenge your perceptions and can re-write their history.
TOP TWEETS
@FAOSomalia: NEW REPORT: humanitarian crisis in #Somaliaisn’t over: link. Read here: http://goo.gl/Hhf7Ad
@FAOSomalia: #UNFAO latest food security numbers show that 3.1 MN people in Somalia need of urgent humanitarian assistance:http://goo.gl/
@AmbAmerico: We #Somalia are very proud of @IlwadElman for been among the 100 most influential young Africans. Congratulations
@HarunMaruf: BREAKING:Ethiopia Communications Minister Negeri Lencho confirms to @VOAAmharic that Somalia handed over ONLF official Abdikarim Sheikh Muse
@SRSGKeating: Exchanging thoughts w Turkish Amb Bekar on challenges facing Somalia & role of long standing international partners
@IOM_Somalia: @wakaelin, Special Advisor to @UNdeClercqon #IDPs, distributed IOM solar lanterns on his recent trip to#Somalia:http://bit.ly/2wSuNYp
@Somaliupdate: #Somalia Government Confirms 10 Civilians were Killed in Joint Somali – U.S. Raid (PHOTOS)
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Somalia’s Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Madobe joins residents of Kismayo for Eid prayers.
Photo: Radio Muqdisho