September 23, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Number of al Shabaab defectors continue to increase
23 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio RBC- 202 words
The number of al Shabaab defectors who have surrendered to the government security continue to increase as the joint forces plan to move on the second major military offensive.
Lower Shabelle Governor Abdukadir Nur Siidii has mentioned that 41 newly defected al Shabaab members have surrendered to the security forces in Qoryoley district in the past two days.
“We are currently screening them as the number is expected to rise.” the governor said in an interview this morning.
Mr Siiidii said the security apparatus and government officials in the region are doing very key job to secure the defectors from the threat from al Shabaab “because these young men were mostly lured by al Shabaab”.
Last week, the government officially declared that it has received 300 al Shabaab defectors who put down their guns and called the security forces in the Lower Shabelle region.
“As the second phase of the military offensive is due to commence on soon, we are experiencing that more fighters are willing to surrender.” he added.
According to security source, Since the death of the al Qaeda-linked militant group al Shabab Ahmed Abdi Godane on early September, the number of al Shabab members who laid down their weapon.
Key Headlines
- Number of al Shabaab defectors continue to increase (Radio Mogadishu)
- Somali Telecommunication Development conference opens in Nairobi (Somali Current)
- Hundreds of families from drought hit areas in Galgadud region reach Balanbale (Radio Goobjoog)
- Three children die of thirst in Hiiraan (Radio Ergo/Radio Bar-kulan)
- Nairobi mosque seeks clearance over al Shabaab links (Standard Media)
- Al Shabaab militant group kidnaps 8 religious men in Hiiraan region (Radio Bar-kulan)
- Turkish Company took over management of Mogadishu port (Africa Review)
- Temporary displacements reported as second phase of operation begins (Radio RBC)
- Buhodle schoolgirl dropouts on the rise (Radio Ergo)
- Kenya Interim Jubaland state discuss repatriation of refugees (Radio Dalsan)
- Kenya gets 1000 Somali refugees (Star Kenya)
- Qatar Somalia Hold Talks on Bilateral Relations (Qatar News Agency)
- On Mall Attack Anniversary Kenyan Security Strategy Questioned (iwpr)
- Reps say Somali and East African communities unfairly targeted in Capitol Hill crackdown (capitolhillseattle)
SOMALI MEDIA
Number of al Shabaab defectors continue to increase
23 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio RBC- 202 words
The number of al Shabaab defectors who have surrendered to the government security continue to increase as the joint forces plan to move on the second major military offensive.
Lower Shabelle Governor Abdukadir Nur Siidii has mentioned that 41 newly defected al Shabaab members have surrendered to the security forces in Qoryoley district in the past two days.
“We are currently screening them as the number is expected to rise.” the governor said in an interview this morning.
Mr Siiidii said the security apparatus and government officials in the region are doing very key job to secure the defectors from the threat from al Shabaab “because these young men were mostly lured by al Shabaab”.
Last week, the government officially declared that it has received 300 al Shabaab defectors who put down their guns and called the security forces in the Lower Shabelle region.
“As the second phase of the military offensive is due to commence on soon, we are experiencing that more fighters are willing to surrender.” he added.
According to security source, Since the death of the al Qaeda-linked militant group al Shabab Ahmed Abdi Godane on early September, the number of al Shabab members who laid down their weapon.
Somali Telecommunication Development conference opens in Nairobi
23 Sept – Source: Radio Mogadishu/Somali Current/Bar-kulan – 124 words
A two day forum to discuss ways to improve Somali Telecommunication sector has opened in Kenyan capital Nairobi on Monday.
World bank and African development bank have pledged to support the improvement of the Somali Telecommunication sector according to Somali Communication Minister Mohamed Adan Ibrahim who is attending the forum on behalf of the federal government.
This is the second meeting converged to discuss the revival of Somali Telecommunication sector which was greatly impacted by the two decades of the civil war in the country. On May this year similar meeting was held in Nairobi,Kenya.
Though the civil strife has hampered the sector,Somali Telecommunication industry is believed to be a head of some of African countries which experienced relative calm for years.
Hundreds of families from drought hit areas in Galgadud region reach Balanbale
23 Sept- Source: Radio Goobjoog- 133 words
The administration of Balanbale district of Galgadud region in Central Somalia confirmed that many families from the drought hit areas in the region have reached the district.
Hareri Hassan Barre, Balanbale district commissioner stated that the number of families reaching Balanbale have increasing day after day adding that they are desperate for immediate humanitarian support.
He reiterated the families have not received any support since they fled their houses except inadequate help they got from the local community.
The administrator called the federal government of Somalia and humanitarian aid agencies to deliver emergency support to affected families.
The Gu’ rains that have delayed in South and Central Somalia and conflicts have worsened the situation causing many people to flee their homes.
Three children die of thirst in Hiiraan
23 Sept- Source: Radio Ergo/Radio Bar-kulan- 362 words
Three children have died of hunger and thirst related complications in a rural village in Hiran region. The children from pastoralist families died in Buq-kosar village which is 55 km west of Beledweyne district, the provincial capital of Hiran region.
Buq-kosar village chief Maalim Adan Mohamed said a breakdown of a pumping machine at a borehole in the village had caused critical water shortage in the area.
Mohamed said that many people and livestock in the area and its surroundings were on the verge of dying from the water scarcity.
He said the only available water in the village was water for sale brought in by tankers from El-Der village, 15 km from Buq-kosar.
“The price of water has skyrocketed to a level most of the villagers cannot afford. A barrel of water is now costing about 350,000 Somali shillings,” said Mohamed.
He said the acute water problem had compounded the drought situation and the situation was getting worse by the day. “Already 35 pastoralist families from this village have abandoned their livestock and fled to Beledweyne to join an IDP centre there.”
Mohamed called on the Somali government and the international aid agencies to support them and start water trucking to alleviate the catastrophic water situation.
Meanwhile, at least two people have reportedly died of thirst in the rural areas near Mahas district in Hiran region in last two days according Mumin Mohamed Halane, the commissioner of Mahas district.
The commissioner told Bar-kulna that the people Bukurre, Teeda and Hees villages in Hiran region along with their livestock are at risk of dying of thirst if their plight is not immediately addressed.
He added lack of adequate rainfalls in past few seasons is believed to have contributed to the water shortages in many parts of the region.
Al Shabaab militant group kidnaps 8 religious men in Hiiraan region
23 Sept- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 122 words
Al Shabaab militant group has reportedly kidnaped 8 religious men from the Tabligh religious group in Halgan village which lied few kilometers outside of Buloburte town, the second largest town in Hiran region.
The eight men were captured by the militant after they left the town of Buloburte and headed to the north along with Shabelle River in Hiran region.
Locals told Bar-kulan that they attempted to negotiate with the militant group to secure the release of the religious men but the group rejected to release them.
This incident comes six months after al Shabaab militant group reportedly killed three Tabligh religious men in Garasyani village near Beledweyne, the provincial capital of Hiiraan region.
Temporary displacements reported as second phase of operation begins
23 Sept – Source: Radio RBC – 139 words
The second phase of the offensive by the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) and the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) against al Shabaab began in late August. The objective of the offensive is to regain control of towns and areas currently under control of armed groups.
While the situation remains fluid, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) estimates that 6,400 people have been uprooted due to insecurity in the last few weeks. Some displacements are reportedly attributed to orders by armed groups for civilians to vacate the affected areas. About 1.5 million people live in the areas which could be directly affected by the military offensive.
Aid workers have reprogrammed to address the most critical needs across the country to mitigate the crisis, but concerted efforts are urgently required to save lives and prevent a free fall.
Buhodle schoolgirl dropouts on the rise
23 Sept- Source: Radio Ergo- 440 words
Education officials in Buhodle town, Sool region, have expressed concern over the high number of girls who have been dropping out of school in recent years.
Mukhtar Ahmed Farah, administrator of Hawd primary and secondary school in Buhodle, said that 50 girls had dropped out of their institution since 2012, citing lack of money and early marriage as the main reasons.
“In 2012, the number of girl students in our primary school was 119. Today, there are only 69 girls,” said Farah.
He also said that many secondary girl students did not complete their education because of early marriage problems. “There are only 12 girls in the secondary school now. Many girls are leaving school for marriage,” he said.
He added that an average of three girls dropped out of the school every month due to various challenges. “Most of the girls stop education to help their parents with money or look after their animals,” he noted.
He called on the local authority to tackle this problem by encouraging parents to enroll their girls in schools and keep them in schools until they complete their education.
Halima Mohamed Jama is a mother of 11 children, five girls and and six boys. She told Radio Ergo that only one of her five daughters goes to school, while another three sell vegetables in the market and the sixth looks after the animal.
Some parents in the area have none of their girls enrolled in schools.
Ibado Ali Mohamed is a mother of six children, two girls and four boys. She told Radio Ergo that none of her daughters goes to school. When asked why she didn’t enroll any of her daughters in school, she cited economic reasons.
“I sent one of them to school, but I couldn’t afford to pay the school fees,” said Mohamed.
“Their father is very old and doesn’t go to work. I depend on 150 USD sent to me by a relative living abroad. And this is not even enough for our living.”
Most of the schools in Buhodle town are privately owned. Parents whose children go to the primary schools are required to pay 7 USD a month, while others whose children go to secondary schools pay 11 USD a month.
The head of Care International in Sool region, Ibrahim Hassan Bile,said they were aware of enormous challenges that keep girls away from school.
Bile said their organization was working on a project that would see the establishment of six schools in Buhodle district and surrounding areas in the near future.
He said several of the schools they were going to build would be for girls only and would provide free education.
Kenya, Interim Jubaland state discuss repatriation of refugees
22 Sept- Source: Radio Dalsan- 185 words
The spokesperson of the Kenya Interior Ministry suggested that the Somali refugees in Dadaab can be resettled in Jubaland. The spokesperson, Mr. Mwenda Njoka pointed out that the leaders of Jubbaland State accepted the resettlement of the Somali refugees in Jubaland. This followed discussions between the Kenyan government and the government of Jubaland, according to Mr. Njoka.
He said they have already set aside a portion of land for the resettlement of the refugees measuring 4.047 hectares. Mr. Njoka said the Kenyan government has asked funds for schools and other amenities for these refugees from the donor countries. The Kenyan minister for internal security Joseph Ole Lenku claimed that terrorists hide in the refugee camps and plot their targets there. However, Mr. Njoka said all refugees are not criminals and most of them are good people.
However, the federal government of Somalia was part of the tripartite agreement with UNHCR and the Kenyan government on the repatriation of refugees who want to go back to Somalia voluntarily. But it is not fully aware of the plan to repatriate refugees and resettle them in Jubaland.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Kenya gets 1,000 Somali refugees
23 Sept – Source: Star Kenya- 110 words
Although efforts are underway to repatriate 500,000 Somali refugees, the government and the UN refugee agency may be looking at a new headache of 1,000 more refugees fleeing Somalia in the last three months.
The new displacements are attributed to drought in central and southern Somalia. Military offensives by the Somalia government and African Union peacekeepers against al Shabaab in south-central Somalia is also cited as a factor.
Department of Refugee Affairs officer in Dadaab Moses Muroki said new arrivals are a “significant worry”. “Some of the new refugees have relatives in the camp. They bypass concerned agencies, putting strain on other refugees and aid agencies,” he said.
Nairobi mosque seeks clearance over al Shabaab links
23 Sept- Source: Standard Media- 531 words
Officials of a major mosque in Nairobi that has been alleged to have links with the al Shabaab rebel group in Somalia have called on the Inspector-General of Police David Kimaiyo to officially clear their names from the grave allegations hanging over them.
The Management Committee of the Pumwani Riadha Mosque in Majengo area said Tuesday that it is three years since the police launched investigations into the mosque alleged recruitment and financing of al Shabaab militants but not results have been released as yet.
Vice Chair of the Committee Ali AbdulMajid said that if the police have found them to have no links with criminal groups, they should officially clear their name to remove the dark clouds of suspicions that are still hanging over them.
Turkish Company took over management of Mogadishu port
22 Sept – Source: Africa Review – 137 words
Somali government has outsourced the management of Mogadishu’s port to a Turkish company Al-Bayrak. The facility serves as a major national seaport and is the largest harbour in the Horn of Africa country
Government Ministers, Port Authority officials, Business people, were among those who witnessed the transfer of management on Sunday. The Chairman of Somalia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mohamoud Abdikarim Gabayre, is optimistic that the new management will improve the dynamics of the harbour.
“Al-Bayrak is expected to modernise the port and the services it offers,” he said Gabayre. He added, “Well managed harbour will certainly boost the government’s revenue, benefiting the general populace.”
Mr Ahmed Sami who spoke on behalf of Al-Bayrak was happy that the relations between Somalia and Turkey is growing since President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Mogadishu in 2011.
Qatar, Somalia Hold Talks on Bilateral Relations
22 Sept- Source: Qatar News Agency- 55 words
Somali Minister of Commerce and Industry Adam Mohamed Nur met here today with the Charge d’Affaires at Qatar’s Embassy in Mogadishu, Hassan bin Hamza Assad Mohamed. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations between Qatar and Somalia and ways of boosting them in various fields.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Reps say Somali and East African communities unfairly targeted in Capitol Hill crackdown
23 Sept- Source: capitolhillseattle- 381 words
Responding to a letter first reported by CHS, representatives of Seattle’s Somali and East African communities have called on Mayor Ed Murray for “a [thorough] investigation” of a rash of robberies and street crime in the Pike/Pine neighborhood and asked the mayor to consider more than “the voice of just one group of citizens.”
“We hereby express our strong belief that these crimes are the work of a tiny number of misdirected youth, and fear they will result in the indiscriminate profiling law abiding Somali citizens of Seattle,” a portion of the letter reads. We have posted the full letter below. It was first posted here.
Yemane Gebremicael, president of African Diaspora of Washington, and Hassan Diis, identified as an East African community activist, also allege that Capitol Hill businesses are discriminating against “Somali community members and students.”
On Mall Attack Anniversary, Kenyan Security Strategy Questioned
23 Sept- Source: Institute for War & Peace reporting- 491 words
Rachel used to run a beauty salon in Nairobi’s Westgate shopping centre. A year ago, as she tried to escape from the carnage unleashed by Somali Islamist militants, she was hit by a grenade. She lost her right foot and still has shrapnel embedded in the other. Now on crutches, Rachel does not know whether she will be able to walk again and needs round-the-clock care from her family.
“Sometimes… I feel like running, but I remember my two feet were hurt. So I tell God to give me grace, but it is not easy,” she told IWPR. “Sitting in the house for long [periods] with pain here and there makes me feel more traumatised, but I know one day I will stand on my feet.”
A year on from the Westgate mall attack, Rachel is still coming to terms with her injuries.
“You don’t know what the doctors are going to tell you,” she said. “And then the nightmare of staying in the hospital for long – that is not what you had prepared for your life. It becomes more and more hard.”
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Somalia’s lifelines are already frail and reflect a system under threat. Disease is already claiming the lives of a malnourished and immune-suppressed population. Aid agencies fear that malaria, cholera, typhoid and measles could sweep through the south of Somalia with devastating effect. The message is clear: immediate intervention is needed to avoid yet another humanitarian disaster. The life path of women and children in Somalia should not be determined by their ability to survive the triple catastrophe of drought, famine and conflict.”
Famine Alert: Immediate Response Is Needed to Combat Somalia’s Growing Humanitarian Crisis
22 Sept- Source: Huffington Post-933 Words
Famine is at Somalia’s door once again. In May, U.N. officials alerted the international community that up to 200,000 children under the age of five could die from severe malnutrition by the end of the year. The situation is exasperated by the limited international response. The United Nations lacks the emergency funds needed to stave off a second famine in three years. This year it has met only 25 percent of the $933 million requested from the international community. Greater international mobilization is needed to mitigate this fast evolving reality in Somalia to prevent yet another human catastrophe.
According to the U.N. definition, a famine is declared on a three criteria basis when: a fifth of households face extreme food shortages; 30 percent of people have acute malnutrition, and two deaths per 10,000 people every day. Famine results from the triple failure of food production, access to food and the political response by governments and international donors. Somalia is reaching perilously close to this scenario. Indeed the Somali Government sees today’s situation as “a precursor to the situation in 2011 in its intensity.”
“In conclusion, al Shabaab strengths and weaknesses should be considered within the nuances of the dynamics laid out above–while keeping in mind that there is still little information about how the group could respond to new realities in Somalia, the region, and beyond.”
Analysis: Is al Shabaab Stronger or Weaker after Godane’s Death?
22 Sept- Source: Somalia Newsroom-1587 Words
Since al Shabaab chief Ahmed Abdi Godane was killed in US airstrikes in early September 2014, one of the biggest questions was how this would affect the strength of the group. The strengths and weaknesses of al Shabaab can be assessed from three different lenses: territorial ownership, clan support, and operational capabilities.
Al Shabaab is getting marginally weaker through losing territory it directly administers due to the ongoing AMISOM/Somali offensive. This would be the case whether Godane was dead or not since the group has continued to tactically withdraw from towns in order to preserve its numbers of militants as AMISOM/Somali forces make their advance.
Instead of trying to hold major towns during the offensive, al Shabaab has preferred to [1] allow its fighters to melt into towns and the outskirts, [2] put commercial and humanitarian blockades on towns under government control, which has caused significant increases in prices for goods, “Post-liberation” Shabaab commercial blockades equal higher prices
“The naive optimism that welcomed Hassan Sheikh to power over two years ago is now fading. And as evidence mounts that the president and his cronies are profiting from selling off pieces of the state, Somalia’s brave new era is looking a lot like its past.”
The President’s Bank: corruption allegations tarnish Somalia’s brave new world
22 Sept- Source: African Arguments-2323 Words
The election of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in September 2012 was heralded internationally as an almost messianic break from the past, an end to Somalia’s never-ending progression of corrupt “transitional” governments and the beginning of a brave new era. Once in office, Hassan Sheikh was feted by Western powers in London and Brussels, where he spoke of rebuilding Somalia and opening up the country to foreign investment. At a Brussels conference in September 2013, enthusiastic European donors delivered the ultimate endorsement – a pledge of $2.4 billion as part of a “New Deal” for Somalia.
But Hassan Sheikh’s tenure as the international community’s chosen one may be coming to an end. On 9 July 2014, the U.N. Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea submitted a 37-page letter – leaked to Reuters news agency and this writer – to the U.N. Security Council accusing the president and a Maryland-based law firm of “a conspiracy to divert the recovery of overseas assets” belonging to the Central Bank of Somalia (CBS). At least one of the president’s close advisors, who was paid by the law firm for services rendered, was implicated in the letter for supplying arms to the al Qaeda linked Islamist group al Shabaab.
Top tweets
@OCHASom In #Somalia, some 11,000 people have been recently evicted from #Mogadishu #IDP settlements. Read more here: http://bit.ly/1ucPoPp
@UNSomalia Students in #Mogadishu join others in Juba, Kampala & Nairobi for a live video chat hosted by @UNESCO for#PeaceDay pic.twitter.com/IdyUgH0GLv
@MareejoXaamud Another Coffehouse recently opened in Mogadishu .- #Somalia pic.twitter.com/v3ozZgO4UC
@stability_fund We visited Shibis district #Mogadishu where rehabilitation of the roads is almost complete,very encouraging#Somalia. pic.twitter.com/anMuYdBfE2
@UNLazzarini With funding from #CHF @unicefsomalia is airlifting #emergency supplies to towns unreachable by road. Video: http://uni.cf/1pkd0to @OCHASom
Image of the day
Puntland Vice President Abdihakim Abdullahi Haji Omar “Amey” and Omar Aboud, head of UN Assistance Mission in Somalia’s {UNSOM) Garowe office, lead a march in the city to mark the International Day of Peace, organised by the Media Association of Puntland (MAP) with the support of the UNSOM on 21 September 2014. Photo: UNSOM