September 29, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
Militants Attack Somali Military Base, Kill At Least 15
29 September – Source: Reuters – 283 Words
Al Shabaab fighters killed at least 15 soldiers in an attack on a military base near Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, the militant group and Somali officials said on Friday. The militants used guns and car bombs to take control of the base and a nearby town, Barire, 50 km (30 miles) southwest of Mogadishu, in an early-morning attack.
The fighters also took 11 pickup trucks mounted with machine guns, known as “technicals”, said Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operation spokesman. “The other soldiers ran helter-skelter into the woods. We now control the base and the village,” he said. A Somali military officer put the number of dead at 15; al Shabaab said 21 were killed. The government and al Shabaab often give differing accounts of death tolls. “There was a battalion of soldiers but it was a fierce fighting; twin suicide car bombs and hand-to-hand fighting,” Captain Osman Ali told Reuters. “The attacked soldiers were Somali military and the special forces trained by the U.S. called Danab.
There were neither AMISOM nor other foreigners there,” Ali added, referring to African Union peacekeeping troops. Reinforcements were being sent, he said. Al Shabaab aims to topple the government in Mogadishu and impose its own strict interpretation of Islam. Somalia has been at war since 1991, when clan-based warlords overthrew dictator Siad Barre and then turned on each other. The al Qaeda-linked group was driven out of the capital in 2011, but it still carries out frequent attacks on security and government targets and African Union peacekeeping troops. Civilians sometimes get caught in the crossfire. Ali Nur, the deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region where Barire is situated, confirmed the fighting. So did local residents.
Key Headlines
- Militants Attack Somali Military Base Kill At Least 15 (Reuters)
- AU Envoy Condemns Terror Attack in Mogadishu (Somali Updates)
- President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre Jet Back To Mogadishu (Jowhar Media)
- Turkish Army Chief Of Staff General Arrives In Mogadishu (Hiiraan Online)
- UAE Commends UN And AU Missions In Promoting Security And Stability In Somalia (Emirates News Agency)
- Somalia: Fishing Trade Sees Boost From Boat Engines Freezers (ICRC)
- DP World To Fund Improved Water And Healthcare Access In Somaliland (Emirates News Agency)
NATIONAL MEDIA
AU Envoy Condemns Terror Attack in Mogadishu
29 September – Source: Somali Update – 141 Words
The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Caetano Madeira, has strongly condemned last evening terrorist attack on civilians, at a market in a suburb in the capital Mogadishu. A Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) targeting harmless city residents going about their daily activities, exploded at Hamar-weyne market, leading to loss of innocent civilian lives. “My deepest condolences go to the families of the victims of this senseless attack. It is unfortunate that Al-Shabaab continues to kill and maim the very people it claims to defend”
Ambassador Madeira stated. “He commended the Somali security forces for the “great job they are doing at dismantling the terror cells” in the capital and the regions; and pledged AMISOM continued support to the Federal Government of Somalia in the war against violent extremism and terrorism.
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre Jet Back To Mogadishu
29 September – Source: Jowhar Media – 88 Words
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ‘Farmaajo’ on Thursday afternoon returned back to the country from Saudi Arabia, where he met with top Saudi officials. Also, Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre returned back to the capital city after attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The Prime Minister arrived on Thursday becoming the first top government official to arrive in Mogadishu landing at night time after many years since the airport started nightly operations. Both delegations were warmly received by government officials at the Aden Adde International Airport.
Turkish Army Chief Of Staff General Arrives In Mogadishu
29 September – Source: Hiiraan Online – 112 Words
A delegation led by Turkish Army Chief of Staff General Mr. Hulusi Akar has arrived in Mogadishu and was welcomed by Commander of Defense Forces (CDF) of Somalia, General Ahmed Jimale Gedi, and Turkey’s Ambassador Mr. Olgan Baker and other senior officials. Security of Mogadishu was under tight control and armed security forces were deployed in major roads, while civilian transport was not permitted in some areas.
Mr. Akar and his delegation from Turkey are in Mogadishu to attend the opening ceremony of the Turkish-built military training facility that is planned to train Somali security forces. The Turkish government has invested US$50 million in the construction of this facility which began in March 2016.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UAE Commends UN And AU Missions In Promoting Security And Stability In Somalia
29 September – Source: Emirates News Agency – 257 Words
The United Arab Emirates has commended the role played by the United Nations and African Union, AU, missions in assisting Somalia to promote its security and stability. This came in a statement delivered by Saeed Ahmed Al Jarwan, Third Secretary of the UAE’s Permanent Mission in Geneva, in a speech during the 36th session of the Human Rights Council, concluding today, as part of an interactive dialogue on the report of the independent expert on the provision of assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights.
Mr. Jarwan, speaking at the outset, welcomed UN Independent Expert on the Situation of Human Rights in Somalia, Bahame Tom Nyanduga, and expressed his thanks and appreciation for his report, which highlighted notable improvements in the human rights situation in Somalia. Mr. Jarwan stressed that the UAE welcomes the continued cooperation of the Federal Government of Somalia with the independent expert within the framework of special procedures to improve the human rights system, particularly in the areas of the protection of women’s rights, children’s rights and other vulnerable groups.
In response to the independent expert’s recommendation regarding the urgent need for continued support and assistance to enable the Government of Somalia, Mr. Jarwan noted that at the beginning of the year, the UAE, in implementation of the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, launched “#For You Somalia” campaign, which has contributed to providing health care to needy people in remote areas most vulnerable to disease outbreaks, benefiting over half a million Somali children and elderly.
Somalia: Fishing Trade Sees Boost From Boat Engines, Freezers
29 September – Source: ICRC – 476 Words
The ocean breeze and endless waves lash the golden shores of the small coastal town of Eyl in northern Somalia. Located at the edge of a rocky landscape, this old town feels hidden from the rest of the world, a perfect get-away spot. Only a decade ago this sleepy town made global news headlines as Somalia’s “pirate capital”, a fact captured in books and movies recounting vessels hijacked for ransom, including the Hollywood blockbuster “Captain Phillips.” Piracy may now be a part of Eyl’s past, fittingly for a town full of history. An old fort that once housed Somalia’s anti-imperialist hero, Sayyid Abdulle Hassan, stands in the old city. Combined with the sweeping natural panoramas, the distinctive characteristics of Eyl town is showcased. For now the peace and quiet gives residents time to focus on their fishing.
Mohamed Mire is a 34-year-old fisherman seated on the beach removing the scales from fish. His day’s catch is low, but that’s expected during the off season. The high waves and strong winds make it difficult to venture out to sea for small boats. There is only a small window at dawn before the wind picks up. “During the monsoon season it is difficult working in the ocean. The boats can’t enter. The sea is furious and winds are very strong,” says Asha Abdikarim, one of the few women fishing here. A number of the locally made wooden boats, typically three to ten metres long, are grounded at the beach because of motor failure, limiting the number of trips the fishermen can make. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been working with small-scale fishing communities– in the towns of in Eyl, Qaw, Lebed and Hobyo — to help improve their haul. Due to the prevailing drought conditions in the country, a number of livestock farmers who lost their animals have moved to these coastal towns to seek alternative livelihoods like fishing.
In Eyl, 20 new boat engines and 20 solar-powered freezers were given to the community to be shared among the fishermen. The assistance allows residents to make more trips into the sea, and ensures that the local cold chain is reliable, enabling them to cover their needs sustainably. When the next high season arrives, in October, the fishermen are ready. “We are hopeful, inshallah. We will get our fortune. This sea is a blessing given by Allah,” says Asha, a leader in the community who has been fishing for nearly two decades. Asha, who is wearing a flowing brown scarf, has a solar-powered freezer that is well stocked with lobsters, shark meat and different types of fish to keep her guest house business going. Fortunes are changing here in Eyl. It may be some time before the tourist trade picks up, but the residents are happy that the next fishing season looks like a bountiful one.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“The Sahil region has been affected by a devastating drought for two years and only one in three people in Somaliland currently have access to safe drinking water, according to the UN. Part of the donation will also help finance improvements to Berbera hospitals to ensure access to better medical facilities and reduce the need for local residents to travel outside of the town when they require assistance.”
DP World To Fund Improved Water And Healthcare Access In Somaliland
28 September – Source: Emirates News Agency – 424 Words
In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, of the United Nations to build a better world over the next 15 years, DP World will provide a US$2 million donation to help increase water availability and improve healthcare in Berbera, Somalia, following an agreement with the government of Somaliland. The funding builds on DP World’s ongoing work in Somaliland where it has a 30-year concession to develop a multi-purpose project at the Port of Berbera. The initiative aligns with the UN’s 17 goals for sustainable development that address major issues such as access to clean water and sanitation, ending poverty and hunger, improving health and education, combatting climate change, and protecting oceans and forests. It also forms part of DP World’s “Our World, Our Future” global sustainability programme.
As part of the project, DP World will drill four water wells in Berbera and three outside the Sahil region to address recent water shortages and meet the increasing demand for water following the growth of Berbera’s infrastructure and the development of the port. The Sahil region has been affected by a devastating drought for two years and only one in three people in Somaliland currently have access to safe drinking water, according to the UN. Part of the donation will also help finance improvements to Berbera hospitals to ensure access to better medical facilities and reduce the need for local residents to travel outside of the town when they require assistance.
DP World Group Chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, said, “The UN’s SDGs fit with our intention to work in a sustainable and responsible way, especially our commitment to minimise impact on our environment and to build vibrant, secure and resilient societies. This support for Berbera is part of our commitment to help develop the areas in which we operate and we are confident that our donation will have important benefits for many people across the region. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Somaliland authorities and local people to improve people’s quality of life through key infrastructure and sustainability projects.” Since taking over the Port of Berbera, DP World has backed a range of initiatives on water scarcity, education and healthcare in the Sahil region. Ongoing efforts include donating 4.5m litres of water to the drought committee in Berbera, sponsorship of 11 schools and a maritime education academy, as well as two hospitals and a clinic. To help tackle food insecurity and famine in the area, the company has also supplied 3,000 families with food provisions.
TOP TWEETS
.@engyarisow: #Somalia celebrated #WorldHeartDay in#Mogadishu, discussed the importance of public awareness on health issues
@HAliGesey: Yesterday Wonderfully attended@SGMOGADISHU event with guest speaker @AbdihakimAinteCo-founder of Somalia’s first technology hub @iRiseHub
.@US2SOMALIA: #US2Somalia sends condolences to the family of SNWO Chair Battulo Sheikh Ahmed. We honor those who push for women’s rights despite threats.
.@engyarisow: Thanks to the Mayor of #Mogadishu@ThabitMhd for his tireless efforts to support Tourism initiatives in the country
.@DalsanFM: “I Will Resign if the Killers Of Women Rights Activists Are Not Arrested In 48hrs” Security Minister Dualle Says http://radiodalsan.com/en/i-
.@HarunMaruf: BREAKING: Al-Shabab claim their fighters “overrun” the base, killed soldiers, seized weapons but regional officials say fighting is ongoing.
.@Goobjoognews: UN INDEPENDENT expert pledges to mediate between two factions of Somali journalists unions –
.@HarunMaruf: Key ministers could be removed in possible reshuffle by @SomaliPM: reports @radiogarowe
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre received a warm welcome last night at Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu.
Photo: @SomaliPM