September 22, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Somali government plans to start negotiations with Puntland

22 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan – 146 words

Somali federal government said it is planning to start negotiations with the semi-autonomous state of Puntland. A press release from the office of the prime minister stated that the government is planning to open serious negotiations with Puntland to end political rift between the federal government and semi-autonomous state.

Deputy Prime Minister Ridwan Hirse Mohamed said the federal government is ready to work with Puntland in an attempt to restore the lost confidence between the two sides and to preserve the unity of the Somali nation.

The press statement added that the negotiations were delayed several times in the past due to technical hitches. Puntland declared to have cut its ties with the federal government following the signing of an agreement sponsored by government in Mogadishu for the formation of a central state for Galgadud and Mudug regions.

Key Headlines

Somali president left for UN General Assembly in New York (Radio Mogadishu)
Joint forces advance to new areas in Lower Shabelle region (Radio Goobjoog)
Somali PM urges Somalis in Norway to rebuild the country (Radio Bar-kulan)
Abdi Qeybdiid: Puntland restricted airport in Southern Galkayo (Radio Dalsan)
Somali government plans to start negotiations with Puntland (Radio Mogadishu)
Government to launch population census ahead of 2016 elections (Radio RBC)
Government forces arrests over 45 people in Afgoye (Radio Goobjoog)
Kenya Eager to Return Somali Refugees Wants Jubaland Settlement (Bloomberg)
Col Abdurahman Mohamed named new Somali security chief (Africa Review)
Towns liberated from al Shabaab slowly come back to life (Sabahi Online)
Dhoobley commissioner: government forces have freed trucks transporting food aid from al Shabaab(Radio Goobjoog)
Somaliland government opposition parties reach a deal over the civic registration row (Somaliland Informer)
Baidoa calm after brief confrontation (Radio Goobjoog)
Two refugees shot dead in Dadaab refugee camp northeastern Kenya (Radio Bar-kulan)
Sudanese delegation visits Somaliland (Somaliland Informer)
Three arrested with bomb making materials in Guriel (Radio Bar-kulan)
Majority of Kenyans wary of al Shabaab attacks want KDF troops back home (Standard Media)
‘Terrorists hit my marriage’ but it survived (Daily Nation)
Dozen al Shabaab rebels surrender in Somalia (worldbulletin)
Kenya Eager to Return Somali Refugees Wants Jubaland Settlement (Bloomberg)
Kenya returns al Shabaab suspects to Germany (Deutsche Welle)
Australian navy seize 5.6 tonnes of cannabis off the coast of Somalia (AAP News)

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali president left for UN General Assembly in New York

22 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan- 115 words

A delegation led by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Monday left for an official visit to the United States. The president is scheduled to attend the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly fromSeptember 22 to 24 in New York.

He is expected to address the general assembly over his government’s achievements in various sectors including peace and reconciliation progress and the tough challenges that are facing his country including terrorism threats and a looming famine in many parts of the country.

The president is also scheduled to meet with his Kenyan counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta where the two leaders are expected to discuss the controversial maritime boundary dispute between Kenya and Somalia.

Joint forces advance to new areas in Lower Shabelle region

22 Sept- Source: Radio Goobjoog- 151 words

Somali national army backed by African union peacekeeping troops have advanced to new areas in Lower Shabelle region vacated by al Shabaab. Qoryooley district commissioner Mohamed Haji Osman speaking to Radio Goobjoog stated that the forces are in full control of all the areas in the outskirt of the district vacated by al Shabaab.

The commissioner added that the joint forces are conducting security operations aimed at maintaining the overall security of the district particularly the vacated areas and avert the planned attacks of al Shabaab.

On the other hand the commissioner confirmed that the delegates who reached the district recently have promised to rebuild government institutions, schools and hospitals in the district so speed up its services to the public. Qoryoley is one of the districts in Lower Shabelle region taken over by the first phase of the joint offensive military against al Shabaab.

Somali PM urges Somalis in Norway to rebuild the country

22 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan- 188 words

Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed has called on Somali community members in Norway to return home and take part the rebuilding process of the country.

Speaking at a meeting with the Somali community members in Norwegian capital of Oslo, the prime minister urged the community to play their part in helping the government execute its plans and fulfill its promises.

“We are making progress towards free and fair elections which will allow Somali people to choose their leaders,” said the prime minister.

“We organized reconciliation conferences to give Somali people a chance to forgive each other and to establish inclusive federal states in the country in preparation for the 2016 elections.” He added.

Some members of the Somali community in Norway who spoke at the meeting with the prime minister lauded the government for its efforts to restore peace, security and good governance in the country.

Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed and his delegation arrived in Norway days after he met with Somalia’s international partners in London over the rebuilding of the Somali security sector and the national army as the war against al Shabaab militants intensifies.

Abdi Qeybdiid: Puntland restricted airport in Southern Galkayo

22 Sept- Source: Radio Dalsan- 177 words

The president of Galmudug State of Somalia, Abdi Qeybdiid said the semi-autonomous government of Puntland has restricted the planes that would land at an airport his government established at a place 10 km south of Galkayo.

He said for three days he has been at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu and he cannot get a plane to catch for Galkayo landing on that airport due to the restrictions. “We have contacted with the authorities of Puntland so that the restrictions can be lifted.” Qeybdiid said. He added that the president of Puntland and his deputy said they said they would lift the restrictions but all in vain. President Qeybdiid wrote a complain letter to the federal government of Somalia wanting the restrictions on the airport to be lifted.

The current problem is said to be revolving around the intent to make a new unitary state for central Somalia which Galmudug is part of and which claims parts of Puntland. Galkayo town is divided into two parts with one part laying in Galmudug, the other in Puntland.

Dhoobley commissioner: government forces have freed trucks transporting food aid from al Shabaab

22 Sept- Source: Radio Goobjoog- 145 words

The administration of Dhoobley district in Lower Juba region confirmed to Radio Goobjoog that the government forces have freed trucks transporting food aid blocked by al Shabaab in a locality near Dhoobley.

Dhoobley district commissioner Qeeh Mohamed Abdullahi stated that the government forces reached the area after they received solid information from the locals in the area where the trucks were held. He added that the members who were preventing the vehicles from passing through the roads fled from the area before they get to the locality.

After the joint forces of federal government and AMISOM troops pushed al Shabaab out of major strongholds in the South and Central Somalia, Al-shabab imposed blockade on some towns preventing vehicles transporting food aid and essential goods from passing through hence the humanitarian crises in the region doubled.

Somali government plans to start negotiations with Puntland

22 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan – 146 words

Government to launch population census ahead of 2016 elections

22 Sept – Source: Radio RBC – 172 words

Somalia will launch its population census for the first time in more than two decades ahead of the planned referendum and elections that are expected to take place in the nation in 2016. On 18 September 2014 the Ministry of Planning & International Cooperation published a preliminary report on the progress of the census initiative in the country. UNFPA has been assisting the Ministry of Planning with this initiative.

“The census is critical to the development of the country and in particular for the implementation of Vision 2016, as the country is expected to carry out a referendum, local elections and general elections by 2016″ Said Abdullahi Dani, the Minister of Planning & International Cooperation.

The Minister stated that the process is going very well and that he is very hopeful that the country will soon conduct a census. Somalia’s Acting Prime Minister Ridwan Hersi Mohamed who is also the Minister of Religious Affairs, spoke at the event in Mogadishu and emphasised the importance of the initiative for the people and for the country.

Government forces arrests over 45 people in Afgoye

22 Sept- Source: Radio Goobjoog- 145 words

Federal government forces comprising of police and Somali intelligence have jointly launched operations in Afgoye district of Lower Shabelle region. Over forty five people mostly youth were arrested from all the villages of Afgoye district during the massive security operations in the town.

The arrested people were gathered in a secondary school where their investigation is underway.
The motive behind the security crackdown in Afgoye district is not clearly known as security officials declined to give immediate comment.

Public transport within the town and business activities that came to standstill during the operations is now back to normal as our correspondent in Lower Shabelle reports.

Somaliland government, opposition parties reach a deal over the civic registration row

21 Sept – Source: Somaliland Informer – 177 words

Somaliland government and two opposition political parties reached an agreement that both registrations will be finalized at the agreed time. They also jointly agreed that those who does not have the chance to register for the civic will not be compelled to take the voter registration card.

The historic agreement that is expected to bring to an end a month’s long squabble that was between how the civic registration will be carried out in nationwide.

Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Silanyo, Vice President Hon. Abdirahman Saylici, the chairmen of two opposition parties Mr. Faisal Ali Warabe and Mr. Abdirahman Irro as well as Ministers were in attendance.

The historic agreement was also attended by the current chairman of Kulmiye ruling party Mr. Musa Bihi Abdi. VP Saylici has spoken at the venue and told that the squabble has been resolved through dialogue and that both parties as well as the government reached a historic agreement.

Mr. Ali Mohamed Waran Adde has also told the public that the row over the registration has been resolved.

Baidoa calm after brief confrontation

21 Sept – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 77 words

Baidoa district is calm and business activities back to normal after brief confrontations between government forces and militia. At least five people mostly women attending wedding ceremony sustained injuries during the brief confrontations in the town.

The confrontation came after some participants of the wedding fired bullets on the air a move which sparked suspicion, hence government forces opened fire. Baidoa administration and security officials have declined to give comment about the brief confrontations in the city.

Two refugees shot dead in Dadaab refugee camp, northeastern Kenya

21 Sept- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 126 words

Gunmen on Saturday shot dead two Somali refugees in Dhagahley camp in Dadaab Refugee Complex in Kenya’s northeastern province according to reports from the camp.

The assailants escaped from the scene shortly after killing the two refugees, however, the motives behind the killing of the two men are yet to be established.

A freelance journalist in Dabaab Refugee Complex who spoke to Bar-kulan said, Abdifatah Ahmed Ismail, a former official from Dhagahley refugee camp was shot dead along with Abdi Mohamed Andi, an ordinary manual worker in the refugee camp.

Refugees in Dabaab Refugee Complex in northeastern Kenya which hosts more than half a million refugees, mainly from Somalia, have in the past experienced similar incidents.

Sudanese delegation visits Somaliland

21 Sept – Source: Somaliland Informer – 93 words

Country’s Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation Minister Hon. Mohamed Bihi Yonis has received on Saturday at his office a Sudanese delegation including traditional Chiefs, religious Imams and politicians. Mr. Bihi has revealed that the mission of the delegates is to consolidate the ties between the two brotherly nations. He stated that advisors to Sudanese president and Prime Minister are part and parcel of the delegation. It is the first time that such high level Sudanese delegation has visited Somaliland ever since it broke away from Somalia in 1991 although it is not internationally recognized.

Three arrested with bomb making materials in Guriel

21 Sept- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 140 words

Somali police forces in Guriel town of Galgadud region on Friday conducted security operations and arrested 3 men suspected of making explosive materials according to security officials in the area.

Guriel police commissioner Gallah Mohamud Qeyliey said in an interview with Bar-kulan that the security forces have also seized a vehicle loaded with 4 sacks filled with bomb making powder during the operation.

He added that the four suspected criminals are being held at Guriel district police station as investigations are underway and promised they will be taken to court when the investigations are concluded.

He said the police are trying to apprehend 7 fugitives who are believed to have involvements in the incident. He urged the residents of Guri-el to work with security agencies to maintain law and order in the area

REGIONAL MEDIA

Majority of Kenyans wary of al Shabaab attacks, want KDF troops back home

22 Sept- Source: Standard Media- 327 words

On the eve of the first anniversary of the terrorist attack on Nairobi’s Westgate Shopping Mall, a new opinion poll has been released showing that majority of Kenyans believe that chances of another deadly attack by the Somalia-based al Shabaab militants were “extremely high”.

The study shows two in every three Kenyans think they are sitting ducks in the face of the al Qaeda-linked terrorist group. Nearly all those interviewed by Ipsos Kenya Limited (formerly Ipsos Synovate) said al Shabaab was still a danger lurking in the shadows threatening their safety.

The poll results were released yesterday at Ipsos headquarters in Nairobi. The poll shows only three per cent of those interviewed, which statistically means “hardly anyone” believe that al Shabaab is not a threat “at all”.

Col Abdurahman Mohamed named new Somali security chief

21 Sept- Source: Africa Review- 262 words

Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ridwan Hersi Mohamed presided an extraordinary cabinet meeting on Sunday, during which Colonel Abdurahman Mohamed Turyare was appointed Commander of the National intelligence and Security Agency (NISA).

The nomination of Col. Turyare was proposed by the National Security Minister Khalif Ahmed Ereg.

Col. Turyare has been the Chief Judge of the Court of the Armed Forces since earlier this year. During his tenure at the court, he presided a good number of cases that landed many suspected militants of al Shabaab in death and long-term sentences

The colonel caused controversy when he said that parents who know or suspect their family members being Al-Shabaab associates must report, otherwise they will be considered as accomplices of crimes committed.

‘Terrorists hit my marriage’ but it survived

21 Sept- Source: Daily Nation- 722 words

The iconic picture of a four-year-old girl running through a corridor towards a rescuer at Westgate Mall during last year’s terrorist attack remains etched on the minds of many Kenyans.

Portia Walton, 5, had accompanied her mother and four siblings to shop at the mall when four gunmen stormed in and started spraying shoppers with bullets.

Portia’s mother, Mrs Katherine Walton, 39, grabbed her three daughters and followed another woman to hide under a promotion table outside Nakumatt Supermarket.

Towns liberated from al Shabaab slowly come back to life

20 Sept- Source: Sabahi Online- 592 words

Traditional elders from the Hiran and Lower Shabelle towns of Bulo Marer and Jalalaqsi, which were liberated by allied forces in recent weeks, say life is slowly coming back to normal.

Farah Abdi Ware, a prominent elder from Hiran region, said elders have started regular meetings to discuss how to help the hundreds of civilians who fled from al Shabaab’s harsh rule, many of whom are displaced in remote areas of the region, return home safely.

“Most of the residents of Jalalaqsi fled due to the mistreatment of al Shabaab. Everyone is aware of the hardships al Shabaab inflicted on the population, whether it is socially, culturally, religiously or economically,” he said. “Now, since the city has been freed from al Shabaab, as the traditional elders, and with the help of various sectors of the public, we decided to work on how to bring back the civilians who fled.”

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Dozen al Shabaab rebels surrender in Somalia

22 Sept- Source: worldbulletin- 345 words

A 45-day ultimatum and amnesty offer by the Somali government has seen dozens of al Shabaab militants surrender their arms, a government official has said.

“We are receiving defectors on a daily basis since the president issued the amnesty,” National Security spokesman Mohamed Yusuf Osman told Anadolu Agency by phone.

“We are talking about a number of about 100 to 130 who have so far defected since the leader of the group Ahmed Godane was killed,” he said.

The amnesty was announced by the president after the killing of the top militant. In a major blow to the militant group, Godane was killed by a U.S. drone attack earlier this month in Somalia’s remote Lower Shebelle Region.

Kenya Eager to Return Somali Refugees Wants Jubaland Settlement

22 Sept- Source: Bloomberg – 348 words

Kenya is proposing that Somali refugees living at camps in the country’s north be moved to a settlement in southern Somalia as part of the United Nations-supported repatriation process, an Interior Ministry official said.

Kenya, Somalia and the UN signed an agreement last year to pave the way for Somali refugees to voluntarily return home as the nation seeks to overcome the threat of the Islamist militia, al-Shabaab. Kenyan Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku has said militants operate from the camps to plan attacks and the presence of refugees poses a risk to national security.

Somalia’s Jubaland administration has offered 10,000 acres (4,047 hectares) of land on which the Kenyan government wants donors to build schools, hospitals and facilities to cater for relocated refugees, Interior Ministry spokesman Mwenda Njoka said in an interview on Sept. 19 in the capital, Nairobi.

Kenya returns al Shabaab suspects to Germany

21 Sept- Source: Deutsche Welle -308 Words

German federal prosecutors say Kenya has extradited back to Germany two suspected members of the Somalia-based terror group al Shabaab. Both are German citizens, while one also has Tunisian nationality.

Germany’s Federal Prosecutions Office announced on Sunday that the two suspects were arrested on arrival at Frankfurt airport on Saturday. Kenyan authorities had captured them in August.

On Sunday, they appeared before Germany’s top Federal Court of Justice and were remanded in custody on charges of participating as members of al Shabaab, which is classified as a terrorist organization, the Karlsruhe-based office said.

The prosecutors identified the pair as the 30-year-old German-Tunisian Mounir T. and 22-year-old Abdiwahid W., without giving their full surnames.

They had left Germany in 2012 bound for Somalia, the prosecutions office said. The pair were suspected of receiving weapons training at a terrorist camp and then taking part in attacks staged by al Shabaab. German authorities made three similar arrests at Frankfurt airport earlier this month.

Australian navy seize 5.6 tonnes of cannabis off the coast of Somalia

21 Sept – Source: AAP News/Sky News- 96 words

Australian authorities have reportedly seized 5.6 tonnes of cannabis, worth $280 million, from a boat off the coast of Somalia according to Australian media.

The haul was discovered after a five-day operation, 260 km off the coast of Africa, involving Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Toowoomba and a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion. Australian navy officers found the cannabis in hessian bags stowed in hidden compartments.

HMAS Toowoomba is deployed to the Middle East and Indian Ocean region as part as maritime security operations aimed at combating illegal activities used to fund terrorism.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“A year on from the assault by Islamist militants on the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi, Kenyans still have questions about the four-day siege and its aftermath.”

Kenya’s Westgate attack: Unanswered questions one year on

21 Sept- Source: BBC-935 Words

It was the worst attack on Kenyan soil since the 1998 US embassy bombing by al Qaeda – leaving 67 people dead and more than 200 wounded. The military, police and spy agency have been battling to save face over the handling of the rescue operation still dogging them on the first anniversary.

Here are the five issues that remain unresolved: Initially, the police and members of the public tried to repel the attack. As hours went by the government panicked and sent in the military.

Rivalry between the two started when a commander of the police elite squad was killed in friendly fire by the military. The changeover angered the police and they left in protest as the army took control of the building.

A military commander who was involved in the operation, who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said that is when things started to go wrong.

“The Westgate and Mpeketoni attacks were not just shocking in the scale of their barbarity, but also because they illustrated in a deep and tragic way how flawed and incompetent our security forces are. Kenyans have never felt safe since Westgate and Mpeketoni, not because of al Shabaab, but because they have lost faith in the people who have been entrusted to defend them. Westgate and Mpeketoni showed Kenyans that they are on their own when it comes to their own security.”

A year later, Kenyans still don’t know what actually happened at Westgate

21 Sept- Source: Daily Nation-691 Words

We do not know how to remember our dead. I am not talking of funerals, where bulls are slaughtered for mourners and where the sounds of wailing fill the air. I am talking about ensuring that when someone dies, his or her memory stays alive, for example in books, paintings, poems and memorials, not just for a year or two, but for generations.

It took Kenya 50 years to build a statue in memory of the slain Mau Mau freedom fighter, Dedan Kimathi. We have yet to name a place after J. M. Kariuki or Dr Robert Ouko. So it will not surprise me if, in a few years, we will have forgotten those who died in the Westgate mall terror attack exactly a year ago, or in the Mpeketoni massacre this year. Their names and their memories will fade as quickly as the stars that disappear as soon as the sun rises.

However, while the State appears to be encouraging this amnesia, ordinary citizens and writers gathered at the Storymoja Festival in Nairobi last week to remember all those who died in the Westgate mall tragedy.

“Even with the killing of the al Shabaab leader Ahmed Godane by American drones early in the month, the extremist ideology continues to spread. The region must be alert, in case the new leaders plan revenge attacks.”

Westgate lessons should inspire EA in war on terror

20 Sept- Source: The East African-469 Words

Kenya, and by extension the entire East African region, is marking the first anniversary of the Westgate Mall terrorist attack with trepidation. Trepidation because Kenyan intelligence agencies have not proved they have developed enough capacity to avoid a repeat or manage one better. Trepidation because the region is still at risk of serious threats.

Reviews of how Kenya’s security agencies handled the Westgate situation have revealed a lack of co-ordination and preparedness and little intelligence sharing.

Video footage of the attack reveals the chilling truth that victims were at the mercy of the terrorists for hours and it took the intervention of civilian licensed firearms holders and a few plainclothes police officers to save hundreds of people before the security agencies arrived. This was a major indictment on Kenya’s terror preparedness.

Those charged with the country’s security have admitted the inadequacy of the agencies’ response last year. They say they learned from Westgate and a repeat would not occur. But only recently, the country’s security agents left yet another group of Kenyans at the mercy of attackers in the coastal region of Lamu for days. This does not inspire confidence in the security agencies.

Top tweets

@OCHASom In #Somalia, some 11,000 people have been recently evicted from #Mogadishu #IDP settlements:http://bit.ly/1ucPoPp pic.twitter.com/HTqeQnqUm3

‏@democracynow Fatema is from Somalia and lives in NYC. She says the fight against climate change should unite, regardless of faith pic.twitter.com/WGNeCKJiF3

@LiveFrMogadishu Waayaha Cusub took the stage today at@masterpeace2014 in Amsterdam, representing #Somalia.pic.twitter.com/ABVRNVia97

@SomaliEmbassyUS @SomaliPM says that diplomatic ties in#Norway are “strong”;& they are active supporting rebuilding works #Somalia pic.twitter.com/sEZyZdN0ih

@ASSIYYA Nabad La’an waa nolaal La’an (Without peace is without life) commemoration of International Peace day in#Somalia pic.twitter.com/gR2sAt8PU1

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Image of the day #Somalia’s PM Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed @SomaliPM met #Norway’s PM Ema Solberg @erna_solberg earlier (Friday) night. Photo: @onelpeleg