September 12, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Al Shabaab executes foreign fighters in south Somalia
12 Sept – Source: Radio Shabelle/Dalsan/Bar-kulan/
News from Bardere town located in southwestern Somalia region of Gedo confirm that armed men from al Shabaab group killed to western foreigners who fought along them for years.
American born Omar Hamami also known as Abu Mansur Al Amriki, British born Usama Al Biritani and a Somali only identified as Arafat who provided security for the foreigners have been killed in a shootout in Al Bate village near Bardere town. Other report say an Egyptian militant was also captured by al Shabaab fighters.
Al Shabaab who have not yet commented on the killings previously stated that they were hunting down former fighters among them Al Amriki. Al Amriki was accused of killing a fellow al Shabaab fighter in Rama Adde town located in Bay region.
Key Headlines
- Somali President to spearhead government delegation to Brussels (Raxanreeb)
- Al Amriki and Al Britani: Militants ‘killed’ in Somalia (BBC/AFP)
- Somali government welcomes outcome of religious leaders’ conference in Mogadishu (Radio Mogadishu/BBC Somali Service)
- Piracy war: UAE renews Somalia commitment (Khaleej Times)
- Somali religious leaders’ conference ends with a joint communique against al Shabaab (Radio Dalsan/Qurbojoog Online/Raxanreeb)
- Al Shabaab fighters kill pregnant woman in Sakow (Bar-kulan)
- EU leads efforts to win a ‘new deal’ for Somalia (European Voice)
- Jubaland leaders hold talks with Federal Govt officials in Mogadishu (Garowe Online)
- UNSOM opens regional office in Kismayo (Kismaayo Online)
- Somali Islamic scholars issue fatwa against al Shabaab (Africa Review)
- Renown elder gunned down in Beledweyne (Radio Shabelle/Radio Mogadishu/Hiiraan Online/Jowhar Online)
SOMALI MEDIA
Al Shabaab executes foreign fighters in south Somalia
12 Sept – Source: Radio Shabelle/Dalsan/Bar-kulan/
News from Bardere town located in southwestern Somalia region of Gedo confirm that armed men from al Shabaab group killed to western foreigners who fought along them for years.
American born Omar Hamami also known as Abu Mansur Al Amriki, British born Usama Al Biritani and a Somali only identified as Arafat who provided security for the foreigners have been killed in a shootout in Al Bate village near Bardere town. Other report say an Egyptian militant was also captured by al Shabaab fighters
Al Shabaab who have not yet commented on the killings previously stated that they were hunting down former fighters among them Al Amriki. Al Amriki was accused of killing a fellow al Shabaab fighter in Rama Adde town located in Bay region.
Somali President to spearhead government delegation to Brussels
12 Sept – Source: Raxanreeb – 111 words
Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will spearhead on Friday a high level government delegation to Brussels to attend the European Union International Conference on Somalia New Deal, RBC reports.
President Mohamud will fly from Dubai to Brussels late on Friday after the conclusion of the International Conference on the Counter Piracy in Dubai.
According to sources, the Finance Minister of the federal government of Somalia, and officials from the offices of the president and the prime minister will join the delegation from Dubai.
The European Union International Conference on Somalia New Deal will start on 16th September where the Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will co-chair with the European Union chairperson.
Somali government welcomes outcome of religious leaders’ conference in Mogadishu
12 Sept – Source: Radio Mogadishu/BBC Somali Service/ al Shahid – 110 words
Somali government has welcomed the outcome of the General Conference for the treatment of the phenomenon of extremism in the religion, which concluded its work on Wednesday in Mogadishu.
Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said the government welcomed the results of the conference. He added that the Somali Council of Ministers will discusses the results of the conference at its weekly meeting, pledging to implement the decisions issued by the religious leaders.
The religion leaders issued recommendations and fatwas against al Shabaab militia. Al Shabaab has not yet commented on the final statement issued by the Conference.
Somali religious leaders’ conference ends with a joint communique against al Shabaab
12 Sept- Source: Radio Dalsan/Qurbojoog Online/Raxanreeb – 273 words
Late on Wednesday, Somali religious leaders have wrapped up their five days conference with a joint communique against al Shabaab. After long discussions on the religion and the dangerous acts by al Shabaab militants, the religious leaders in Somalia said it was illegal to join Al Shabab or to provide any support to the militant group.
The 165 Somali religions leaders’ communique highlighted seven big articles, namely;
1- The Fatwa called al Shabaab as “strayed group” and that its ideology was based on to wander the Muslim people from the right path. The group’s views were imminent dangers against the Islamic religion.
2- That the Somali government is a Muslim government and it is illegal to call the government “apostate” or to fight against the government.
3- That the radical group of al Shabaab should repent of Allah from its stray ideologies and its wicked criminal acts.
4- That it is totally forbidden from anyone to be member of Al Shabab or to provide support.
5- That it is forbidden to give shelter to al Shabaab members, it is obliged to surrender al Shabaab members to the government security agents.
6- That it is taboo from anyone to seek advocacy for an arrested al Shabaab member under the government prisons.
7- That it is obliged on the Somali government to defend the civilians from al Shabaab’s dangerous acts, and that it is obliged on Somali people to assist the government in the fight against al Shabaab. The Fatwa becomes the first one against al Shabaab movement in Somalia from such leaders.
Al Shabaab fighters kill pregnant woman in Sakow
12 Sept – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 103 words
Al Shabaab militant group has reportedly killed a pregnant woman in Sakow areas of Middle Jubba region in southern Somalia on Wednesday, according to the locals. The killing happened after al Shabaab loyalist attempted to kidnap an aid worker who used to operate in the area.
Reports further add that al Qaeda-linked fighters detained the aid worker immediately after the woman was shot and killed. Neither the motive behind the aid worker’s kidnap nor where he was exactly taken to remains vague. Al Shabaab militant group often kill and kidnap aid worker who operate in the areas they still control.
Jubaland leaders hold talks with Federal Govt officials in Mogadishu
12 Sept- Source: Garowe Online – 203 words
The President of Somalia’s Jubaland administration Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe) held talks with Somali Federal Government officials including Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon and Parliament Speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari, Garowe Online reports.
The bilateral discussions between the delegation led by President Madobe and Federal Government officials mainly covered issues regarding the completion of “Jubba Agreement” according to Jubaland spokesman Abdinasir Seerar.
Mr. Seerar, member of Madobe delegation in Mogadishu who spoke to Garowe Online said: “In two separate discussions, Jubaland delegation on Wednesday met with Speaker Jawari and Prime Minister Shirdon and both sides agreed on important points”.
Renown elder gunned down in Beledweyne
12 Sept – Source: Radio Shabelle/Radio Mogadishu/Hiiraan Online/Jowhar Online – 95 words
Abdulle Moalim who is a well-known elder in Hiiraan region was Wednesday night shot several times by unknown armed men in Beledweyne town. Abdulle wa s a well-known peacemaker as he took part in implementing Somalia’s new constitution and solved clan disputes in Somalia.
Ahmed Abdalla Osman who served in the former administration of the region blamed the federal government and the local Hiran administrations for neglecting the security of the region. Elders who took part in the reconciliation process are frequently targeted in the region by unknown men.
Guriel IDPs suffer due to inflation caused by fake money
12 Sept – Source: Radio Ergo – 256 words
Displaced families in the central town of Guriel say counterfeit banknotes circulating in the region have caused inflation that is making living conditions especially harsh for them and other poor families. Food prices have risen steeply across Galgadud, since the counterfeit money came into the markets.
“We eat once a day because we can’t afford to pay for food from the market,” Mohamed Adan told Radio Ergo’s local reporter. “We are told the little cash we have is fake/.” Thousands of displaced Somalis live in more than 21 camps around Guriel, the regional capital of Galgadud, some 300 km from Mogadishu. Most fled from their original homes in Mogadishu, Bay and Bakool regions, and other parts of central Somalia, due to conflict, drought and famine.
Food insecurity and malnutrition among children were already big problems for the IDPS. The inflation has worsened their plight. The Italian Development Cooperation (Coopi) used to help the IDPs through food and water donations. But Radio Ergo’s reporter says the displaced families have not received any food for nearly a year.
Fadumo Aden, who has been living in Ajuran camp, told Radio Ergo that their problem was not only about food, but also poor health and lack of access to other basic services. “I gave birth to a baby who is sick just one night ago in this camp and I have not been able to see a doctor or get to a clinic for treatment for my child,” she said.
UNSOM opens regional office in Kismayo
11 Sept – Source: Kismayo Online – 154 words
UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) seems to have made good of its earlier promise that it will open a regional office in the Somali port city of Kismayo. In an effort to increase its regional presence in the country, UNSOM sent a national political affairs officer to Kismayo to open the new office, reports say.
Mr. Abdiaziz Mohammud Fara-badane met with acting leader of the Interim Jubba Admin, Maalim Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamud, senior political adviser to the Interim Jubba Admin leader, Abdikani Jama and AMISOM commander of Jubba regions, Brig Anthony Ngera to notify them of the opening of the office. The core office will temporarily be based at Kismayo Airport. UNSOM currently has offices in Mogadishu and Garowe.
This comes after the Somali federal government formally recognized the Interim Jubba Administration in an agreement signed between the two parties in Addis Ababa on August 28th.
Somali diaspora face obstacles in investing their country
11 Sept – Source: Somali Current – 320 Words
Ahmed Mohamed Jama, is among the Somali Diaspora that returned back to the country to open business after spending many years in London. Ahmed is the owner of the Village restaurant in Mogadishu that was targeted by al Shabaab on Sunday. It was the second time that the restaurant was attacked by suicide bombers and claimed by al Shabaab.
Ahmed refuted claims by al Shabaab that he is an agent of the British Secret Intelligence Service and added that he was not an agent but serving for the public.
“It is a baseless accusation that I am working for the British Intelligence and that is unfortunate,” he told in a oppress conference in Mogadishu. “I am working for the public and our job will not be deterred by their attacks,” he added.
First clinic opened in God-Allo village
12 Sept – Source: Radio Ergo – 137 words
A new health centre built and funded by diaspora Somalis and a local organization is set to bring much needed services to the remote village of God-Allo, in Sool’s regional capital of Lasanod. The hospital, built at a cost of around $35,000, has seven wards with a total of around 30 beds.
It will provide vital maternity services for women who previously had to deliver their babies at home, or face a tough journey to the nearest health centre at Lasanod, 120 kms away. Community leader Garad Abdisalan Hassan Mohamed told Radio Ergo’s local.
reporter: “Many pregnant women have died of blood loss while they were on their way to the hospitals in Lasanod. This new hospital will solve such problems and there will be no need of going to Lasanod to give birth to our children.”
REGIONAL MEDIA
Piracy war: UAE renews Somalia commitment
12 Sept – Source: Khaleej Times – 603 words
It’s too early for the world to drop its guard on maritime piracy, and the UAE on Wednesday said it is keen on a deeper engagement with Somalia to help rid it of the scourge and further development in the country. Following up on its $50 million commitment for Somalia in May, the UAE also plans to open an embassy in the Somali capital Mogadishu.
Foreign Minister Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, speaking at the third counter piracy conference in Dubai, renewed the country’s pledge to improve the lives of the Somali people with more investments and infrastructure projects.
He said the UAE shares the vision of the Somali government to bring stability to the country to keep a lid on maritime piracy. Pirate attacks have dipped to record lows this year from its high five years ago, but he said the fight is not over yet.
Somali Islamic scholars issue fatwa against al Shabaab
12 Sept – Source: Africa Review – 355 words
Some 160 Somali religious scholars have issued a fatwa denouncing al Shabaab, saying the group had no place in Islam. Observers say it is the first time Somali religious leaders have come up with a fatwa against the group, which controls much of the country.
At a conference on the phenomenon of extremism in Mogadishu, the scholars said it condemned al Shabaab’s use of violence. Al Shabaab, or “The Youth”, is fighting to create an Islamic state in Somalia.
Despite being pushed out of key cities in the past two years, it still remains in control of smaller towns and large swathes of the countryside.
Somalia president asks for long-term support to beat piracy at UAE conference
11 Sept – Source: National (UAE) – 632 words
Somalia must build its coastguard, judicial institutions and provide jobs to young people to tackle the root causes of piracy, said the country’s president.
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud asked for long-term international support while confirming his nation’s commitment to fight piracy before an audience of government ministers, military personnel and heads of maritime and security businesses at the third Counter-Piracy conference in Dubai on Wednesday.
“The country is now ready to work with international partners in implementing key priorities such as security, justice reform, public finance management, good governance,” Mr Mohamud said.
Gains should not go waste
11 Sept – Source: Khaleej Times – 516 Words
A fall in maritime piracy from Somalia does not mean the threat has ended, the US said on Wednesday, lauding the UAE for taking the lead in bringing together nations to keep the pressure on the pirates, while pushing ahead with development in the country on the Horn of Africa.
Speaking to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the third counter-piracy conference here on Wednesday, Donna Hopkins, Coordinator, Counter Piracy and Maritime Security, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the US Department of State, said the UAE continued to play a positive role in tackling the phenomenon and keeping maritime routes in the region safe, but other countries should share the burden.
“This includes facilities for prosecution of the captured pirates, providing humanitarian aid for Somalia, establishing the rule of law and strengthening the military institutions in the country,” she said. The GCC’s humanitarian intervention could prove crucial for Somalia to ensure piracy does not spread from its shores again. It would also promote political and social stability in the country, the US official said.
Hiba Nura to host music festival in Mogadishu
11 Sept – Source: Sabahi Online – 81 Words
Popular Somali singer Hiba Mohamed Huddon, better known as Hiba Nura, has returned to Mogadishu after 22 years living abroad.
Members of the Somali parliament, Benadir regional administration officials and Somali artists greeted Hiba Nura at the Aden Adde International Airport upon her return Tuesday (September 10th).
Hiba Nura is expected to host a music festival in Mogadishu in September, according to UN-funded Radio Bar-Kulan, celebrating the return of music to the capital city after it was forbidden under al Shabaab’s control.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Al Amriki and Al Britani: Militants ‘killed’ in Somalia
12 Sept- Source: BBC/AFP- 83 words
Two top Islamist militants, from the US and UK, have been killed in Somalia after falling out with al Shabaab, witnesses have told the BBC. Omar Hammami, known as Al Amriki, and Osama Al Britani, a British citizen of Pakistani origin, are said to have died in an early-morning attack in a village south-west of the capital, Mogadishu.
They have been hiding from al Shabaab since leaving the group this year. There have been several previous reports of Al Amriki’s death.
EU leads efforts to win a ‘new deal’ for Somalia
12 Sept – Source: European Voice – 130 words
The international community will gather in Brussels on Monday (16 September) to endorse a ‘new deal’ for Somalia that is intended to ensure that the country becomes a functioning state. The European Union, the host of the conference, is the largest single donor to the country, and currently runs three security missions there.
Alexander Rondos, the EU’s special envoy to the region, told European Voice that the conference is “about kick-starting the next stage of consolidation” following the end of an eight-year transition to a new government last September.
The European Commission underlined its commitment to boosting security on Monday (9 September), when it said that it would provide another €124 million to fund the African Union-led force in Somalia.
Somali Islamic scholars denounce al Shabaab in fatwa
11 Sept – Source: BBC – 368 words
Some 160 Somali religious scholars have issued a fatwa denouncing al Shabaab, saying the group had no place in Islam. Correspondents say it is the first time Somali religious leaders have come up with a fatwa against the group, which controls much of the country.
At a conference on the phenomenon of extremism in Mogadishu, the scholars said it condemned al Shabaab’s use of violence. Al Shabaab, or “The Youth”, is fighting to create an Islamic state in Somalia.
Despite being pushed out of key cities in the past two years, it still remains in control of smaller towns and large swathes of the countryside.
Al Shabaab hail ‘courageous’ 9/11 hijackers
11 Sept – Source: AFP – 227 Words
Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents on Wednesday celebrated the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks with a Twitter eulogy for the “courageous” hijackers. In a series of posts on Twitter, the Islamists vowed “the mujahideen will continue with their jihad against the West until the world is ruled by one sovereign state, an Islamic state.”
“A single attack by the mujahideen shattered US dreams of global domination, tarnished their reputation and severely crippled their economy,” al Shabaab said in one of a series of posts. “Today, the spark ignited by those courageous 19 martyrs has grown into a raging inferno that continues to threaten every kafir (infidel)aggressor,” said another post.
Another post praised the hijackers as “19 young men armed with a rigid faith and a firm conviction.” “History shall remember this day as the day America was subdued, with both its prestige and pride irreparably dented. It’s an Islamic revival,” the group said.
Somalia facing ‘cash flow disaster’
11 Sept – Source: AFP/Fox News – 339 words
War-torn Somalia will be dealt a devastating blow if international banks carry out threats to stop money transfer systems sending funds that dwarf levels of foreign aid, experts warned Wednesday. With their country ravaged by decades of conflict and no formal banking system, diaspora Somalis depend on money transfer services to support their families, sending some $1.3 billion (1 billion euros) each year, according to a recent report by aid agencies Oxfam and Adeso.
But Barclays, the last major British bank working with transfer companies, has said it will close all accounts with money transfer systems on September 30, cutting a $500 million (380 million euro) yearly flow. “Remittances are more and more the backbone of Somalia’s economy,” said Degan Ali of Adeso, an African charity and development agency.
“It is also a lifeline for the whole trading and business system,” she said, noting remittances were double that spent in humanitarian aid last year. International banks have been tightening rules in a bid to cut money laundering and funding of groups accused of terrorism, but experts said that there had been no actual cases recorded of regulatory failures by Somali companies. Closing organised transfers could drive them underground.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“….the human cost around the shores of Somalia can be understood from the desperation in the voices of relatives of hostages who have been held by Somali pirates for nearly three years.”
The high price of international piracy
12 Sept – Source: The National (UAE) – 376 Words
Pirate attacks on commercial vessels in waters off Somalia, in the Indian Ocean and off the coasts of the Arabian Peninsula, are becoming less frequent but no less mercenary. But the problem is far from solved.
Tempting as it is to call for more naval involvement, it’s clear that a purely military approach won’t stamp out maritime piracy for good. To avoid international warships patrolling the waters near Somalia , pirates are simply moving further afield. The seas between Somalia and India are too vast to be effectively monitored.
But as Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed made clear this week at a conference on the subject, there are answers to the piracy epidemic. What’s crucial is unity and cooperation. The UAE has long maintained that regionally-led solutions are the best ones to effectively fight piracy, and nations must work together to combat the attackers.
As the antipiracy conference kicked off in Dubai Wednesday, Sheikh Abdullah reiterated the stance that combating piracy must be backed by development programmes to strengthen local communities.
“A peace process is therefore just another form of schooling – training adults’ minds to accept that there is no alternative to peace. And above all – that is what Somalia needs right now.”
Nuruddin Farah: Getting kids back to school in Somalia
11 Sept – Source: Voices of Africa – 573 Words
A child’s right to education is as sacrosanct as a child’s need for water, food, shelter and peace. But tragically the education system, like much of Somalia, has been virtually destroyed over the last 20 years by the terrible, senseless civil war. Now only four out of every 10 children go to school – one of the lowest enrollment rates anywhere in the world. And the numbers are far lower for girls, who are often kept at home for housework or pushed into an early marriage.
I travelled home to Somalia back in 1996, which was after only five years of civil war and already the schools had stopped functioning. At that time, I told anyone who would listen that education needed a kick-start and in the intervening years the situation has only got worse and worse. Students attend religious schools learning Arabic rather than Somali, and secondary education has been almost wiped out. So, teenage boys were attracted to the militias, like al-Shabab and other militant groups, for the food and money they provided.
When I was a young child, we lived in the Somali-speaking part of Ethiopia. There were no decent schools at that time there either. So my father took it upon himself to travel around, recruit a few teachers and personally pay them. I got to go to school – and as I was nearing the end of my primary education, as luck would have it, some missionaries set up a secondary school.
Top tweets
@BBCAfrica #Somalia: An overflowing river has caused unexpected massive flooding in Jowhar near Mogadishu. People are fleeing – BBC reporter.
@ferigom69 Launch of Maritime Security Handbook: Coping with Piracy by The Nautical Institute | @scoopithttp://sco.lt/6koCW1 #somalia #piracy.
@FAOemergencies Number of people in crisis in #Somalia at its lowest since #famine, but 870 000 remain #foodinsecure.http://bit.ly/17qcyEm @faoinsomalia.
@t_mcconnell #Somalia religious scholars issue fatwa against Al Shabaab calling it “a gang that comes together to kill Somalis” http://bbc.in/14Gdbvn.
@amisomsomalia Snapshots of goings-on and daily life in#BeletWeyne town with AMISOM #Djibouti contingent and#Somali National Army http://bit.ly/1asGQY4.
Image of the day
An AMISOM soldier, belonging to the Djiboutian contingent, shakes the hand of a young boy in the village of Kabhanley during a meeting setup by AMISOM to facilitate a land deal between two neighboring clans. Photo: AMISOM Flickr.