September 20, 2012 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Civilians at risk in fight for Somali rebel city: UN, US

19 Sept- Source: AFP- 409 words

The United Nations and United States warned Wednesday that civilians must be protected as forces battling Somalia’s Islamist fighters tightened the noose around the key insurgent bastion of Kismayo.

More than 6,000 civilians have fled ahead of the anticipated assault on the strategic port city, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said Wednesday, with aid agencies preparing for a potential swift escalation of those needing support.

Key Headlines

Four soldiers killed in southern Somalia blast (Jowhar Online)
Somali president not attending UN meeting in New York (Bar-Kulan)
U.S calls for restrained civilian casualties as battle for Kismayo intensifies (Bar-Kulan)
England terms Kenya’s navy operation in Somalia illegal (Radio Risaala)
Kenya Japan begin training Somalia doctors (The Standard)
KDF seizes key town on its march to Kismayu (The Star)

PRESS RELEASE

AMISOM urges calm in Kismayo, calls on fighters to lay down arms

19 Sept – Source: AMISOM – 185 words

The African Union Mission in Somalia has called for calm among residents of the southern port city of Kismayo following reports of Al Qaeda-affiliated al Shabaab terrorists fleeing the town.

“AMISOM is concerned about reports that civilians are being attacked by militants in their homes and being forced to flee the town,” said AMISOM Deputy Force Commander Maj. Gen. Simon Karanja. “We appeal for all to remain calm. AMISOM’s intent remains to liberate the people of Kismayo to enable them to lead their lives in peace, stability and security,” he added.

Troops from AMISOM’s Kenyan contingent have captured a string of towns on the road from Afmadow to Kismayo, most recently the strategic town of Bibi.

“We urge all the fighters remaining in Kismayo to lay down their arms. Already a number of them have contacted us indicating their wish to cease fighting and we have assured them of their safety if they give themselves up to our forces,” Gen. Karanja said.

Gen. Karanja also appealed to humanitarian agencies to come to the aid of the people fleeing to areas liberated by AMISOM and Somali security forces. “We stand ready to facilitate any efforts to ease the suffering of the population,” he said.

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali president not attending UN meeting in New York

19 Sept – Source: Bar-kulan – 143 words

Somalia’s newly elected president has announced that he will not attend the upcoming UN meeting in New York due to what he called “tough tasks in his in-tray”. The meeting is scheduled to kick off next Monday (24 Sept. 2012) in New York, U.S.President Mohamud made the announcement on Tuesday night at his Villa Somalia residence in Mogadishu while meeting the newly selected parliament.

Four soldiers killed in southern Somalia blast

19 Sept- Source: Jowhar Online- 91 words

Reports from Afgooye in southern Somalia say government forces have been targeted with an explosion. Reports add that the explosion at Carta neighbourhood injured four soldiers. Government forces arrested people suspected of being behind the attack.The blast affected businesses in the areas as operators shut them down. Afgooye deputy security chief Mahad Ahmad Hasan said they arrested al Shabaab members in connection of the blast.

Al Shabaab gunned down two clerics in Bardale

19 Sept – Source: Raxanreeb – 136 words

Reports from Bardale town of Bai region of Somalia say that al Shabaab militias on Tuesday night attacked the residential house of two Muslim clerics, shot dead the clerics in Bardale and abducted two others. Local residents told RBC that the deceased clerics identified as Aden Moalim and Sheikh Mohamed Dhoble were earlier threatened and informed that they would be soon killed by the group.

Baidoa administration of Somalia’s government talks operations conducted in the town

19 Sept – Source: Radio Mustaqbal – 150 words

Baidoa administration for Somalia’s government thas alked about operations conducted by the government troops in the town. The representative of Baidoa town for Somalia’s government Hassan Mohamed Bif said the operation was aimed to ensure the security of the town. He said many people were seized in the operation. The commissioner denied that any explosions had occured in the town on Tuesday as reports indicated the landmine blasts targeted Ethiopian troops.

U.S calls for restrained civilian casualties as battle for Kismayo intensifies

19 Sept – Source: Bar-kulan – 105 words

The United States has called on all parties in the Kismayo conflict to ensure full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance to reach those civilians affected by the fighting in the Kismayo area. In a press statement from its embassy in Kenya, the U.S said that it understands that humanitarian agencies have begun contingency planning to respond to the needs of those civilians fleeing from Kismayo to other regions in Somalia or into Kenya.

Somali coach signs with Australian soccer club

19 Sept – Source: Somaliweyn – 127 words

Senior Somali football coach Abdul Haq Mohamed Ahmed has signed a two-year contract with the Australian football club the Jaguar FC, becoming the first Somali coach to lead such an international team club in history. The coach said in a press statement that the signing of the two-year contract marked the end of nearly 4 month-long negotiations between him and his new club which plays in the western Australian division A soccer league.

England terms Kenya’s navy operation in Somalia illegal

19 Sept- Source: Radio Risaala- 106 words

England’s ambassador to the United Nations Mark Grant has condemned Kenya for its navy campaign in Somalia that caused a lot of harm in Kismayu. England’s ambassador to the United Nations said Kenya’s navy is not part of the AMISOM operations in Somalia.

He urged the Security Council to take action against Kenya’s navy campaign that left dead many civilians in Kismayu.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenya, Japan begin training Somalia doctors

19 Sept- Source: Standard- 229 words

Health experts from Somalia, Somaliland, and Puntland are in Kenya for training on strengthening health care programmes. The health workers will undergo a four-day intensive training by experts from Medical and Public Health ministries and the Japan International Co-operation Agency (Jica) in Kisumu.The countries have entered into an agreement with Kenya to help train their health workers.

Car breakdown saved Nairobi from suicide bombers

19 Sept- Source: Star (Kenya)- 672 words

Only a car breakdown saved Nairobi from a suicide bomb attack last week. The two terrorism suspects arrested with bombs in Eastleigh last week were sent to Kenya by a top al Shabaab leader Jafra Hussein from Kismayu. Hussein, the Shabaab commander in the besieged Somali city, was responding to the Kenya Defence Force’s continued advance on Kismayu.

KDF seizes key town on its march to Kismayu

19 Sept- Source: Star (Kenya)- 434 words
AMISOM and the Somalia National Army troops have taken another al Shabaab stronghold in Sooyac and laid seige to Jana Cabdalla town on their march to the insurgents’ Kismayu port stronghold. Military sources confirmed that KDF and the SNA allies had been battling the al Shabaab until yesterday to take over control of Jana Cabdalla, about 40m kilometres from Kismayu.
The fighting which has taken more than 60 hours is the longest ever engagement between AMISOM troops and insurgents.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

U.S. Ships Armored Vehicles to Tunisia, Somalia

19 Sept – Source: The Wall Street Journal – 94 words

The U.S. State Department is airlifting armored vehicles and other equipment to its missions in Tunisia and Somalia, part of efforts to boost security in the wake of last week’s attacks on diplomatic compounds in North Africa and the Middle East.
A large cargo plane operated by Russia’s Volga-Dnepr Airlines LLC took off from Washington, D.C., with the equipment early Wednesday .

Kenyan forces in Somalia to try to minimize impact on civilians – UN humanitarian official

19 Source: UN News Center – 148 word

Kenyan military troops serving with a UN-backed African Union force in Somalia will endeavour to reduce the potential of civilians being hurt during an ongoing operation, according to the top United Nations humanitarian official for the Horn of Africa country. “Today, Kenya’s Minister of State for Defence assured me that the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) would do everything possible to minimize the impact of their ongoing military operation on civilians,” the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Mark Bowden.

Civilians at risk in fight for Somali rebel city: UN, US

19 Sept- Source: AFP- 409 words

Somalia called to task by United Nations

19 Sept – Source: UPI News – 110 words

The U.N. Security Council called on Somali leaders to form an inclusive government but also expressed concerns about political intimidation. Somalia leaders last month appointed some members of Parliament and drafted a constitution in a move that ended a political transition period. Somali President Hassan Sheik Mohamud was inaugurated last weekend.The Security Council adopted a resolution welcoming the formal end to Somalia’s political transition but called on the country’s leaders to form an inclusive government to define national priorities.

Somali rebels reinforce Kismayu, fears of showdown grow

19 Sept – Source: Reuters – 131 words

Somalia’s al Shabaab Islamist rebels fell back on their last bastion on Wednesday, pouring hundreds of fighters into the port city of Kismayu and raising fears of a bloody showdown with advancing African Union soldiers, residents said. Locals said the al Qaeda-linked insurgents drafted in militants from several outlying regions in southern Somalia. The reinforcements arrived in convoys of machinegun-mounted pickup trucks and set about building defenses, witnesses said.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“If politics is the art of possibilities, Somalis see the possibility of regaining their nationhood in this President. Broadening his political base and carefully using his “political capital” could prove the last factor for our deliverance.”

Somalia’s New President: Issues and Opportunities

17 Sept – Source: Wardheer News – 1572 words

The benchmark for the enormous “political capital” of president Hassan Sh. Mohamoud, the 56-year-old former peace activist, is not only the near mandate votes (190 votes) he received from the members of the 275-strong law makers, but also the full endorsement by the Somalis all over and the International Community, Washington DC, and the UN. To get to Ken Menkhaus’ positive tipping point, the next few steps that President Hassan takes to balance regional groupings and steam up his diplomacy boat, however, is worth the watch. His skills to carefully use his newly acquired “political capital” and sort out murky national and international issues may ease or complicate his political life for the next four years.