September 25, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.
AMISOM Stretched To Its Limit: Uganda’s Armed Forces Chief
25 Sept- Source: New Vision- 388 words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) which is fighting the Al-Shabaab extremists has become a victim of its own success, says Ugandan Chief of Defence Forces General Katumba Wamala, who has raised an alarm that capturing more territory from the Al-Shabaab has widened AMISOM’s area of operation, which has over-stretched the troops.
Gen Katumba said here Tuesday that there was a need to raise the troop numbers from current 17,731 up to between 20,000 and 25,000 troops, equipped with force multipliers and enablers in the form of helicopters for aerial combat and evacuation.
“We have been stretched and we cannot get more with the present force level. We have reached the limit and cannot expand anymore. We can only consolidate and clean up areas,” Gen Katumba said.
Key Headlines
- Somali Interior Minister visit Iraq (Radio Mogadishu/al Shahid/SNTV)
- Fighting erupts in Lower Juba Shabelle regions (Radio Shabelle)
- Elders women in Kismayo condemn Nairobi mall attack (Kismayo Online)
- AMISOM Stretched To Its Limit: Uganda’s Armed Forces Chief (New Vision)
- Kenya’s Westgate Mall siege ‘over’ but death toll unclear (Standard)
- Crossing the al Shabaab frontline in Somalia (BBC)
- Kenya mourns mall siege dead (Reuters)
- Former President Rawlings Expresses Condolence Solidarity (Ghana.gov)
PRESS RELEASE
STATEMENT OF THE IGAD EXECUTIVE SECRETARY ON THE SUCCESSFUL NEUTRALIZATION OF AL-SHABAAB TERRORISTS AT THE WESTGATE MALL AND THE REGIONAL WAY FORWARD
25 Sept- Source: IGAD-396 Words
Following the successful neutralization of the terrorists at the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi this morning, the IGAD Executive Secretary wishes to congratulate H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of the Republic of Kenya and the Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) for handling the unfortunate, tragic situation in the most professional and delicate manner it deserved. Amb. Mahboub Maalim salutes the gallant men and women of the Kenyan security agencies whose colleagues paid the ultimate price while confronting the terrorists.
The IGAD Executive Secretary brings a message of regional solidarity from the people and the Member States of IGAD as their Kenyan brothers and sisters mourn over the loss of innocent, precious lives and nurse wounds inflicted by the cowardly heinous act of terror. “I personally commend the brave officers who took part in the multi-agency operation to crush the terrorists and bring the situation back to normalcy,” he adds, praising the outpouring generosity and unity demonstrated by Kenyans of all walks of life.
Amb. Mahboub, who is currently on an official mission in New York, further states that this regrettable event reaffirms the commitment of the eight-member regional organization and the international community to work together to stem out the menace of terror in the region as a whole and Somalia in particular.
“These terrorists shall neither discourage IGAD and the Member States in their collective efforts in Somalia nor intimidate AMISOM forces into pulling out of Somalia until total peace and stability has been achieved,” reiterates the IGAD Chief Executive Officer.
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali Interior Minister visit Iraq
25 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/al Shahid/SNTV- 127 words
A Somali delegation led by Minister of Interior and National Security Abdikarim Hussein Guled is visiting Iraqi capital Baghdad. The minister met with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and the Iraqi Interior Minister Adnan al-Hadi, to discuss strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
Somali interior minister and Iraqi counterpart, particularly discussed with regard to the cooperation of the two ministries in the area of security and exchange of information. The two ministers focused in their meeting also on the role of Iraq to participate in efforts to restructure and strengthen the Somali security institutions.
The Somali interior minister has handed over to the Iraqi Prime Minister a written message from the President of the Republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mahmud last Monday.
Fighting erupts in Lower Juba, Shabelle regions
25 Sept- Source: Radio Shabelle- 147 words
Heavy confrontations between Kenyan peacekeeping forces and al Shabaab fighters occurred at the outskirts of Kismayo the capital of the lower Juba region. The casualties caused by Tuesday night’s heavy fighting is not yet known as Sierra Leon and Kenyan troops admitted frequent attacks launched by al Shabaab fighters in Kismayo.
Meanwhile, reports from the lower Shabelle region of Somalia confirm that a military base manned by AMISOM troops and government forces was attacked by heavily armed men. According to the officials, a military base located at Shalaanbod town was attacked during the early hours of Wednesday morning by men believed to be al Shabaab fighters. However the officials in the lower Shabelle region said that they were not in a position to release the figures of death and injury casualties caused by the attackers.
Al Shabaab, government forces fight in Middle Shabelle region
25 Sept- Source: Radio Mustaqbal- 160 words
Reports from Jowhar town, center of Middle Shabelle region in Southern of Somalia say that heavy fighting between the militants of al Shabaab terror group and Somali federal government forces backed by AMISOM took place in the region.
Report said that the fighting erupted in Baya Cadde area around 40 KM to Mahaday district in Middle Shabelle region. Two al Shabaab were killed while a government soldier was wounded in the fight as the residents in Biya Cadde told Mustaqbal radio.
Reports indicate the government forces took over the control of Biya Cadde for a while but lately al Shabaab militants re-enforced and gained control of the area once again according to sources in Biya Cadde. No one could confirm the exact casualties of the war as both sides didn’t comment on the fight.
Elders, women in Kismayo condemn Nairobi mall attack
24 Sept- Source: Kismaayo online- 551 words
Elders and women groups in the port city of Kismayo have on Tuesday condemned the attack on an upscale shopping mall in Nairobi, perpetrated by the al Shabaab insurgent group.
Speaking to the local media in Kismayo, they sent their condolences to the Kenyan government and people for the tragic incident at the Westgate shopping mall.
Garad Ali Ahmed, known as Garad Ali Aar condemned the brazen assault in Nairobi while sending condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their loved ones during the deadly attack. Suldan Dini Mohamed Dini also denounced the attack and expressed his solidarity with Kenyans.
Yasmin Ahmed Abshir, one of the women leaders in Kismayo, expressed her grievances toward the assault on Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi. Abshir also urged international community to work together in order to eliminate al Shabaab from the region.
Somaliland President assent to Road Development Bill hours after Approved By parliament
24 Sept- Source: Somalilandpress- 358 words
Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud (Silanyo) has tonight in what is seen as many as been out of tradition, hastily signed into law # JSL/M/XERM/249-2048/092013 the controversial Road Development Bill and by passing the house of Elders (Guurti).
The Road development Bill # 64/2013 had earlier today 24/9/2013 approved # GW/G/KF-22/620/2013 by a parliamentary majority after MP’s voted in favor of the Bill, this after a week of heated debates which at times resulted to the exchange of blows by some members of the house.
The Speaker of the house presided over today’s vote with a majority of 58 MPs approving the Bill, 8 against and 3 abstentions with 71 MPs present at the time out 82 MPs , a proposed protest was supposed to be staged in the capital, Hargeisa today meant to oppose the newly passed Road Development Bill failed to materialize.
Jubba elders encourage execution of deliberate killers
24 Sept- Source: Kismaayo Online- 131 words
Elders in Jubba regions have urged the interim Kismayo administration to execute anyone who commits intentional killing. Speaking at the conclusion of three days meeting in Kismayo, the elders said that death penalty in accordance with Islamic law would likely lessen the deliberate killings taking place in the region. At least five people were killed in different incidents in Kismayo in the last couple of days.
Meanwhile, the elders hailed the agreement between Somalia federal government and Jubba administration officials held in Addis Ababa on August 28. They also welcomed the commencement of the Jubba reconciliation process of which its first phase was concluded in Mogadishu in early September. The second phase of the reconciliation conference is expected to be held in Kismayo soon.
REGIONAL MEDIA
AMISOM Stretched To Its Limit: Uganda’s Armed Forces Chief
25 Sept- Source: New Vision- 388 words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) which is fighting the Al-Shabaab extremists has become a victim of its own success, says Ugandan Chief of Defence Forces General Katumba Wamala, who has raised an alarm that capturing more territory from the Al-Shabaab has widened AMISOM’s area of operation, which has over-stretched the troops.
Gen Katumba said here Tuesday that there was a need to raise the troop numbers from current 17,731 up to between 20,000 and 25,000 troops, equipped with force multipliers and enablers in the form of helicopters for aerial combat and evacuation.
“We have been stretched and we cannot get more with the present force level. We have reached the limit and cannot expand anymore. We can only consolidate and clean up areas,” Gen Katumba said.
Kenya’s Westgate Mall siege ‘over’ but death toll unclear
25 Sept- Source: Standard- 442 words
As Kenya began three days of mourning on Wednesday for at least 67 people killed in the siege of a Nairobi mall, it was unclear how many more hostages may have died with the Somali Islamist attackers buried in the rubble.
Declaring final victory over the al Qaeda-linked gunmen from al Shabaab who stormed the Westgate shopping center on Saturday, President Uhuru Kenyatta said that three floors in a part of the mall had collapsed near the end of the operation, leaving an unknown number of bodies under steel and concrete.It was not clear what caused the structure to come down.
Somalia PM vows to ‘finish’ Kenya mall attackers
25 Sept- Source: newvision-/AFP- 488 words
Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon vowed that his government would “finish” the al Shabaab militants behind Nairobi’s deadly four-day mall siege. Promising that the killers would be brought to justice, Farah Shirdon also insisted that his government would not bow to their demands for Kenyan troops to be withdrawn from Somalia and said the two countries would continue cooperating in the fight against terror groups.
Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab fighters stormed the upmarket Westgate mall on Saturday, spraying shoppers with automatic weapons fire and tossing grenades, before engaging in fierce gun battles with Kenyan security forces.
Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister Meets with Somali President
25 Sept- Source: Saudi Press Agency- 150 words
Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is also head of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s delegation to the 68th session of the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly, met here on Tuesday with President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud of Somalia on the sidelines of their participation in the new session of the general assembly of the United Nations.
During the meeting, bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Somalia in addition to the developments in Somalia as well as the regional and international issues of mutual concern were discussed. The issues on the agenda of the 68th UN General Assembly were also reviewed. The meetings were attended by a number of officials.
Earlier in the morning, Prince Saud Al-Faisal attended the opening session of the UN General Assembly with the participation of more than 130 leaders and representatives of the world.
Puntland president arrives in Sana’a
24 Sept- Source: Yemen News Agency- 49 words
President of the Puntland State of Somalia Abdul-Rahman Mohammed Mahmoud, arrived in Sana’a on Wednesday on an official visit to Yemen lasting several days. Mahmoud said to Saba that the visit aims to strengthen the relations between Yemen and the Puntland State, especially in the security and health areas.
3 KDF soldiers die of wounds after mall siege
24 Sept – Source: Capital News – 149 words
Three Kenya Defence Force (KDF) soldiers have succumbed to injuries following the rescue mission at the Westgate mall. According to KDF Information Operations Officer Cyrus Oguna, the three were among 11 soldiers wounded when they confronted gunmen who staged a terror attack at the upmarket shopping mall on Saturday.
“KDF approached this mission with the highest degree of professionalism. Unfortunately, 11 KDF soldiers sustained injuries and were admitted to the Defence Forces Memorial Hospital. Regrettably, three of them succumbed to their injuries,” he explained.
He says the operation called for extreme care and caution to ensure the security officers and the hostages held there were safe. “The delicate and complex nature of the Westgate mall siege rescue operation called for extreme care and caution to ensure the safety and security of the hostages.” So far, the attack has claimed at least 62 lives while others remain in hospital.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Crossing the al Shabaab frontline in Somalia
25 Sept- Source: BBC- 828 words
When I saw the trenches and foxholes used by al Shabaab fighters on the front line just north of Kismayo, the war taking place inside Somalia suddenly became very real. I’ve always known that al Shabaab was an army as well as a radical group capable of the most extreme acts of terror – but here was the evidence of its military side before my eyes.
A series of scrape holes stretched across a broad front, littered with the recent detritus of fighting men – bullet casings, empty soda bottles and the odd scrap of uniform. I was on the front line between al Shabaab and forces from the African Union’s Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), accompanying the Bravo combat team of the Sierra Leone army.
Former President Rawlings Expresses Condolence, Solidarity
25 Sept- Source: Ghana -238 words
Ghana’s former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, has sent a message of condolence and solidarity to the government and people of Kenya following the terrorist attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi last Saturday.
In a signed letter addressed to Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, the former President who played a key role in the transitional process in Somalia which led to the election of Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud as President of Somalia in 2012, said: “I write with sadness to express my deepest condolences to the government and people of Kenya and indeed all members of the international community who have been affected in diverse ways by the senseless act of terrorism at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi.”
President Rawlings said: “Kenya has played a key role in ensuring peace in Somalia, first as the host of several international organisations pursuing peace in Somalia and later supporting the peace enforcement mission in that country by joining AMISOM.
Kenya mall attack: The training of a terrorist
25 Sept- Source: Toronto Star-374 words
A cache of intelligence detailing the training of al Qaeda’s East Africa group that was obtained exclusively by the Toronto Star may help explain how a small group of terrorists carried out the deadly siege that took Kenyan authorities four days to stop.
“Each martyrdom seeker will be trained in Somalia preferably for two months and he will only know his mission,” says one document discovered on a flash drive beside the slain body of the former African leader, Fazul Abdullah Mohammed. “The brothers will be pushed through many battles to see how they react under pressure and they will be analyzed to see if they can keep their composure. They will be tested mentally to see if they are smart enough to carry out these operations.”
The documents may be dated — “Fazul,” as he was most commonly known among intelligence officials, was shot dead by Somali forces in 2011 — but looking at the former al Qaeda leader’s meticulous planning in the wake of the Westgate mall attack in Nairobi reveals chilling clues.
Kenya mourns mall siege dead
25 Sept- Source:Reuters- 0:55 sec
Kenya begins three days of mourning for victims of the Nairobi mall seige after president declares the drama is over.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The siege may be over and the terrorists in custody, but the Westgate is still a smouldering ruin and there are bodies trapped in the wreckage. As Kenya’s leaders (no saints themselves) tackle the logistics of the clean-up operation, they’ve got a host of other difficult decisions to make.”
Kenya siege aftermath: A grim to-do list
25 Sept- Source: Daily Maverick-853 Words
By Tuesday afternoon, more than three days after it began, Kenyan security forces were finally in full control of Westgate shopping centre, the scene of one of the worst terrorist attacks in African history.
“Fellow Kenyans, we have been badly hurt and feel great pain and loss, but we have been brave, united and strong. Kenya has stared down great evil and triumphed,” concluded President Uhuru Kenyatta in a televised address. “We have ashamed and defeated our attackers.”
His was an emotional speech, for this is an emotional time. According to the President’s figures, 67 people died in the fighting, including six security officers. Eleven suspects –“cowards”, said Kenyatta – are in custody, while another eight were dead on the scene, five from gunfire and three from a collapsing floor. Somali militant group Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack.
“For the sake of 10 million Somalis, who have suffered so much and are working so hard, I ask the entire international community – especially the United States – to help us to obtain the tools that we need to rebuild our country.”
World must back stability in Somalia
24 Sept- Source: CCN Blog-800 Words
The deadly attack on the Westgate mall in Nairobi has reminded the world that terrorists don’t respect national borders, and people everywhere have a stake in stability and security in East Africa.
As my government marks its one-year anniversary as Somalia’s first democratically-elected administration in more than 20 years, we have made considerable progress, including driving the terrorist al-Shabaab network out of our capital, Mogadishu, and major cities and towns all around the country, as well as reforming our public financial management systems.
But the terrible assault in Nairobi underscores why the international community must continue to support state-building in Somalia. This is the message that I am bringing during my visit to the United States, including meetings with senior administration officials and members of Congress, as well as an address to the United Nations General Assembly.
“Such crossed wires are perhaps understandable in the face of the worst terrorist attack the east African country has experienced since the American embassy bombings in 1998, but the government will need its credibility more than ever once the crisis does come to an end. That is when it will seek to assure investors, tourists and ex-pat workers that Kenya is safe and that the security services can protect them.”
Attack on Kenya: Claims and credibility
24 Sept- Source: The Economist Blog-358 Words
ONE of the victims of the siege at the Westgate mall in Nairobi, was the credibility of Kenyan authorities. A “final assault” that police said was under way on the night of September 22nd failed to materialise. Official claims that “most of the hostages” had been freed turned out to false. Constant reassurances that the operation was almost over followed the next day. Even as Kenyan soldiers were fighting battles with heavily armed militants loyal to the Somali Islamists of the Shabab, officials claimed the mall was largely under control.
That pretence was exploded on the afternoon of September 23rd when a series of deafening blasts shook the battered shopping centre and a column of black smoke billowed from its roof. When the fighting had died down by the evening, Kenya’s police chief, David Kimaiyo, took to Twitter to declare: “We’re not here to feed the attackers with pastries but to finish and punish them.” This was followed by updates from police and government officials declaring victory. But those claims proved premature, too: the next morning blasts and gunfire once again rocked the Westlands suburb in the Kenyan capital.
Top tweets
@re_nicholson Ambassador of #Somalia, Yusuf Bari-Bari, expresses wish for “complementarity cooperation with our vibrant civil society” #HRC24 #HRDs
@BBCAfrica UN Special Rep Secretary-General for #SomaliaNick Kay @somalia111 – Can Amisom defeat Al Shabab? ‘It is in need of extra resources’
@MinisterHashi The #Somali F. Parliament will consider and vote on a motion on whether future Cabinet members are confirmed individually? What do u think?
@LailaInNairobi Many from the #Somali community keen to know ethnicity of attackers &hopefully lift collective cloud of suspicion hovering over community
@amisomsomalia The AU to step up efforts against Al Shabaab “Our resolve is to fight now more than ever before’ AU Deputy Chairperson
Image of the day
Kenyan soldiers clear the top floor balcony and interior of the Westgate mall in Nairobi on September 24, 2013. Photo: AFP