NATIONAL MEDIA
12 September – Source: SONNA – 234 Words
The Federal Government of Somalia condemns the humiliation and atrocities being committed by the terrorist group, Al-Shabaab, to the Somali nationals. These cruel and inhuman actions are taking place in far and remote areas, which are currently under their control. A video recently released by the terrorist network indicates that individual being tortured and forced to speak from a pre-dictated script. These actions are new to the ways of Somalia and are popular with the international mafia and extremist religious cults; forcing someone to give a false statement is against Islam and its teachings.
The government of Somalia discloses that the elders displayed by al-Shabaab are impersonations and do not genuinely represent the sections of the society they claim to represent in the recording with their faces covered to distort facts and misguide the public. The government is cautioning the public against complying with Al-Shabaab instructions, aiding them to spread their terror message is a crime and anyone who does will be considered an accomplice to terror activities.
Al-Shabaab’s capability has been greatly weakened, due to sustained and well-planned government operations in their hideouts in the country. The number of defectors defecting to the government has increased due to the pressure placed by the government troops on Al-Shabaab. Finally, the government will take firm action against anyone found guilty of aiding a terror group to propagate hate and terror to the innocent population.
11 September – Source: Halbeeg – 154 Words
Somali Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khaire, laid the foundation for a new health facility in Hudur on Wednesday. Once completed, the new modern hospital will serve the community in Hudur district and its environs, while saving time and resource used to travel to the capital for further medications. Accompanied by Southwest regional leader, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed ‘Laftagareen’, Hassan Ali Khaire also inaugurated new street light installed along the road connecting Hudur district headquarters to the airstrip. Additionally, PM Khaire handed over financial support to upgrade Dr. Waberi Sports Stadium in Hudur as he promised during his visit one day ago. The premier later toured a training camp for forces where he pledged to speed up their biometric registration and capacity building before integration into the national armed forces. PM Khaire urged the local forces for their efforts in keeping armed group al-Shabaab out of the area without relying on support from the federal government.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
12 September – Source: The Star – 343 Words
Police are still searching for the two Cuban doctors abducted in April in Mandera, the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has said. Herrera Correa and Landhi Rodriguez who were working at Mandera County Referral Hospital were kidnapped by gunmen suspected to be al Shabaab militants as they headed to work from their residence. One of their bodyguards was shot dead on the spot before the doctors were bundled into two waiting cars that sped off towards the Somali border. They have not been heard from since.
Mutyambai said on Wednesday the government was making every effort to safely rescue the two doctors from the hands of their captors. He said suspected abductors of the Cuban doctors had been arrested and charged. The police boss spoke to the press in Mandera town after a meeting with area security chiefs. He was on a familiarisation tour of the security dynamics of the region. Mutyambai was accompanied by regional security chiefs among them Northeastern regional commissioner Mohamed Birik. The IGP visited the Kenya-Somalia border and police units across the county. He said police will continue working with security organs including the military and police reservists to ensure security is enhanced not only in Mandera but the entire northeastern region.
On Wednesday morning, suspected al Shabaab militants attacked the border town of Holugho and destroyed a Safaricom mast. The militants are said to have disappeared into the thick Boni forest. They are yet to be arrested. Northeastern regional commissioner Birik confirmed the incident but refused to divulge more information. “As I have said before, the government will never relent in our effort to rid the region of al Shabaab,” Birik said. A resident who spoke to the Star on phone said they heard a loud bang followed by gunshots at night and upon waking up found the mast destroyed. The militants have remained active in Holugho, Ijara, Fafi and parts of Lamu county. In a span of six months, they have destroyed five Safaricom masts in Ijara, Galmagala, Yumbis, Konton in Wajir county and now Holugho.
11 September – Souce: Xinhua – 354 Words
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta vowed on Wednesday to continue with peacekeeping operations across the world and the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) will continue supporting the quest for peace and stabilization of Somalia under the auspices of the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). “Not only does this bring peace, security and stability to a neighbouring state with which we share deep historic bonds, it also provides our nation with safety and security from terror groups and other asymmetrical threats,” said him in Eldoret in northwest Kenya where he presided over a KDF recruit passing out parade.
Kenyatta said the soldiers will continue to carry on Kenya’s proud tradition of participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations whenever called upon. He said Kenya has always stood together with all nations and peoples of the world, who adhere to the universal principles of utmost respect for human rights, democracy and freedom. “We shall never waiver from that solemn commitment, and each graduand today should expect to be called upon to continue that tradition wherever the demands of keeping the peace may require,” said Kenyatta.
He said the government will continue investing to give security forces the best training and equipment necessary for the security challenges of the 21st century. “It is also important to note that the 21st-century defence landscape is one that requires our warriors to be better, stronger, more committed and more competent than ever before. I have the utmost confidence in the ability of the Kenya Defense Forces to rise up to these challenges,” he said.
The president lauded role KDF’s efforts to speed up the pace of Kenya’s industrialization, noting that the country’s prosperity goes hand-in-hand with an environment of peace and security enabled by the KDF and sister agencies in the security and defence sectors. He called upon the military to be direct drivers of Kenya’s prosperity by contributing to the national industrialization processes. The Kenyan leader said the KDF will continue playing its role in regional and international security with more vigour, noting that he appreciates the role KDF has continued to play in securing Kenya within the framework of multi-agency operations.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Seierstad said some families like Juma’s often hide their faces or refuse to reveal their names when talking with the media. “Those families have a commonality: They would use the excuse that ‘my child has been brainwashed’ and ‘our child is too young to take responsibility’ to shirk their duty as parents. However, it is not true. Those children could not have such a power and decision to go to Syria just by ‘being brainwashed,’ and their parents should take up the duty to protect their children’s mental health,” she said.”
11 September – Source: Global Times – 795 Words
A tall and fit figure in a black coloured dress, the deep blue eyes peeking out from behind the war correspondent’s blond hair seemed to have seen too much of war. Those eyes belonged to Åsne Seierstad, a Norwegian freelance journalist and writer, who had arrived in Beijing to attend the Chinese language launch of her book Two Sisters. A war correspondent since the 1990s, Seierstad is no stranger to the battlefield, especially when it comes to covering the war in Afghanistan and the Battle of Baghdad. Her in-depth coverage of people’s suffering due to wars and terrorist attacks led to her being named one of the 100 most influential women in Europe. “As a journalist, I have a high curiosity to explore humanity. That’s part of the reason that I wanted to write the story “Two Sisters”, and I wanted to come to China to see what my Chinese readers think about my work,” Seierstad told the Global Times in an interview on Friday.
Dire warning
Two Sisters covers the true story of a Norwegian immigrant family from Somalia. On the evening of October 17, 2013, Sadiq Juma received an email from his two teenage daughters that read, “Muslims are under attack from all quarters, and we need to do something…” Juma soon learned that the two sisters had left to Syria to support Islamic terrorists. This lead to tragedy for the family as Juma departed to Syria to bring them back, and their mother, who never integrated into Norwegian life, took their sons and returned to Somalia, which they had fled due to war. “I first refused Sadiq to write the book because the family is telling this story from their own perspective, while as a journalist, I was willing to see the core of the matter. But later I realized that this event was very important and decided to meet him,” she said.
Seierstad explained that many young people from Europe began to participate in jihadist activities starting in 2012. Most of them registered through some recruitment websites and entered the war zone in Syria through Turkey. Since European countries were not taking prompt measures to stop this recruitment, thousands of families were broken. “Sadiq told me he hoped the book can be a warning to those young people, like his daughters, that are going to be extreme or radical, which indeed was my reason to write the book. Sadiq said he was very shocked and disbelieving when he received his daughters’ emails. Then he started to recall recent events and felt very guilty that he did not notice his two lovely daughters had gradually become extremists,” Seierstad said, noting that she did receive some feedback from her Norwegian readers that the book has helped warn some of their friends who were thinking about joining Islamic extremist groups.
Intercultural communication
Some Chinese readers at the book launch pointed out that, besides the religious aspect, the book also makes readers think about family education. Seierstad said some families like Juma’s often hide their faces or refuse to reveal their names when talking with the media. “Those families have a commonality: They would use the excuse that ‘my child has been brainwashed’ and ‘our child are too young to take responsibility’ to shirk their duty as parents. However, it is not true. Those children could not have such a power and decision to go to Syria just by ‘being brainwashed,’ and their parents should take up the duty to protect their children’s mental health,” she said…… |
