September 30, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.
UN Envoy urges Somali Diaspora to rebuild homeland
30 Sept – Source: Somali Current/Hiiraan Online/Radio Mogadishu – 119 words
United Nations Special Representative of General Secretary for Somalia Nicholas Kay urged Somali diaspora to go back home and support rebuilding of their country.
In a meeting with Somali Community in Minnesota, Kay pledged that his office will make things easier for anyone who is willing to go back to Somalia to encourage the country’s rebuilding and recovery process. SRGS gave the Community a statement on the security and developments made by the federal government during its firs year in office.
“As you you know, Somalia’s transitional period has come to an end and the country has now a permanent recognized central government,” Kay said, adding that the security is now stable and al-Shabab was forced out of the capital.
Key Headlines
- Joint Statement Between the Somali Prime Minister and Turkish Prime Minister (Office of the Prime Minister)
- UN Envoy urges Somali Diaspora to rebuild homeland (Somali Current/Hiiraan Online/Radio Mogadishu)
- Consultative meetings for Hiiraan’s new administration underway in Beledweyne (Radio Mustaqbal)
- Somali Interior Minister attends clans’ reconciliation meeting in Mudug region (Radio Mogadishu/SNTV)
- Oxfam reaction to Barclays closing last remittance accounts to Somalia (Oxfam)
- Police Arrest Man Suspected Of Trafficking People From Somalia (Capital News/Citizen TV)
- Al Shabaab suspects arrested in Mogadishu (Radio Mogadishu)
- Stigma impedes HIV treatment in Somalia (Al Jazeera)
- ‘My lion’: a hero’s life awaits al Shabaab’s ‘Westgate men’ (Channel 4)
- Al Shabab fighters Puntland forces clash near Bosasso town (Radio Dalsan)
PRESS STATEMENT
Joint Statement Between the Somali Prime Minister and Turkish Prime Minister
29 Sept – Source: Office of the Prime Minister – 466 words
The Prime Ministers of Somalia and Turkey met in Ankara Turkey on Thursday, 26th September 2013. Present at the meeting were senior cabinet members from both countries and His Excellency Bekir Bozbag, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey.
His Excellence Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon extended his Government’s sincere gratitude and appreciation in the brotherly and selfless support that the government and the people of Turkey provided to the people of Somalia in their hour of need. As a result Somalia and Turkey have developed special relationship and a bond.
His Excellency Abdi Farah Shirdon said “This relationship is vital for the recovery and stability of Somalia and the political and economic cooperation between the two countries”. The Prime Ministers acknowledged the tremendous progress made by the Somali Government since the visit of the Turkish Prime Minister in August 2011.
The Somalia Prime Minister stated that Somalia still faces many challenges in particular the continuing threat posed by al Shabaab as demonstrated by their cowardly attack on Turkey embassy on 27 July 2013 and most recently the tragic attack terrorist attack at Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya.
Both Prime Ministers conveyed their sincere condolences to the Kenyan Government and people as well as the families who have lost loved ones in the cowardly attack at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya.
His Excellence Abdi Farah Shirdon conveyed to His Excellence Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the Turkish Embassy attack was not only an attack on innocent civil servants but it was also an attack on the Somali people with the intention of interrupting the brotherly development support by the government and the people of Turkey to Somalia.
His Excellence Abdi Farah Shirdon underlined that Turkey government’s support for Somalia is far reaching and diverse. Investment in education such as the scholarships to hundreds of students and the building of schools; Investment in Healthcare such as Digfare Hospital and other healthcare facilities; investment in Infrastructures and public services such as roads and sanitation services are example of Turkey’s commitment to Somalia.
“ Our developmental programs have contributed significantly in restoring hope, improved security, created jobs, and set Somalia on the path to recovery and reconstruction” said His Excellence Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His Excellence Abdi Farah Shirdon welcomed continued assistance in the areas of Technical assistance and institutions building, education and healthcare, agriculture and water management, infrastructure and rendering of public service, improving security and the justice system, and regional and developmental programs.
His Excellence Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his government’s strong commitment to Somalia and welcomed closer bilateral agreements and cooperation between the two sisterly countries. His Excellence Abdi Farah Shirdon thanked His Excellence Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the people of Turkey for their warm welcome and generosity and said he looks forward to His Excellences next visit to Somalia.
SOMALI MEDIA
Al Shabaab suspects arrested in Mogadishu
30 Sept – Source: Radio Mogadishu/al Shahid – 110 words
Authorities in Mogadishu announced that they have arrested several people suspected to have links with al Shabaab terror group in security operations carried out by the security officers Sunday night in several neighborhoods of the Somali capital.
The Somali security authorities found weapons, explosives and a number of mortar shells and a quantity of drugs in the operations. The report adds that a young girl was among those arrested during the operations. Security authorities said they believed that the mortar shells were used to bomb areas in Mogadishu, according to Radio Mogadishu.
Consultative meetings for Hiiraan’s new administration underway in Beledweyne
30 Sept – Source: Radio Mustaqbal – 222 words
Reports from Beledweyne town, center of Hiiraan region in the central of Somalia say that consultative meetings are underway in the town on Monday. Delegates led by the Director of Somali Ministry of Interior and National Security Ali Abtidon Halane have arrived in Beledweyne on Sunday to arrange the new administration for Hiran region since the mandate of the interim administration commissioned by Somali federal government already expired.
Reports indicate that consultative meetings between the traditional elders, youth, and other population of Hiiraan region and delegates from the government are ongoing in Beledweyne.
The Deputy Chairman of Social Affairs for the Interim Administration of Hiiraan region Husein Osman Ali speaking to mustaqbal radio said the delegate members are meeting with various people in Beledweyne, and the results of those meetings result establishment of a new administration that has the backing and will of the people of Hiiraan.
UN Envoy urges Somali Diaspora to rebuild homeland
30 Sept – Source: Somali Current/Hiiraan Online/Radio Mogadishu – 119 words
United Nations Special Representative of General Secretary for Somalia Nicholas Kay urged Somali diaspora to go back home and support rebuilding of their country.
In a meeting with Somali Community in Minnesota, Kay pledged that his office will make things easier for anyone who is willing to go back to Somalia to encourage the country’s rebuilding and recovery process. SRGS gave the Community a statement on the security and developments made by the federal government during its firs year in office.
“As you you know, Somalia’s transitional period has come to an end and the country has now a permanent recognized central government,” Kay said, adding that the security is now stable and al-Shabab was forced out of the capital.
Somali Interior Minister attends clans’ reconciliation meeting in Mudug region
30 Sept- Source: Radio Mustaqbal/Radio Mogadishu/ SNTV/ Somali Channel/Bar-kulan – 212 words
The Minister of Interior and National Security of Somali federal government has attended a reconciliation meeting between two clans that fought in Mudug region. After several consecutive meetings, the final one was held on Sunday in Mogadishu and the Interior Minister and MPs from the residences of Mudug attended the meeting.
Different issues relating to the reconciliation of the clans were signed in the meeting, and the important issue was that fighting between the two clans should not take place again and that the clans coexist peacefully.
The Interior Minister of Somalia Abdikarin Husein Guleid called on the two sides to maintain and uphold the peace process reconciliation meeting concluded in Mogadishu on Sunday by the MPs and elders from the two clans in Mudug.
Al Shabaab fighters, Puntland forces clash near Bosasso town
30 Sept – Source: Radio Dalsan – 124 words
The security forces of Puntland administration said they have confronted al Shabaab fighters in the Galgala mountains near Bosasso town on Sunday, killing at least one militant. According to Puntland military officer Colonel Jama Saed the forces have been battling against al Shabaab fighters more than two hours as the two sides exchanged heavy gunfire and shelling.
Colonel Saed said the battle started after Puntland security forces launched a massive raid on al Shabaab positions in Sugure village, about 25 km southwest of Bosasso, the main port town of Puntland.
“Our forces confronted the militants who were hiding in the Galgala mountain range, so far we can confirm one of them is dead.” Colonel Saed said. He added that three Puntland soldiers were wounded in the battle.
Somaliland arrests prominent cleric over remarks on Westgate attack
30 Sept – Source: Somali Current/Somaliweyn – 126 words
Somaliland police on Sunday arrested Sheikh Mohamuud Abdullaahi Gelle, a prominent cleric in the area and a leader of Islamic group dubbed Hezbollah. In press conference, Hezbollah Spokesman Ali Omar Mohamud confirmed the arrest of the group’s leader. The local police arrested Mohamud several times in the past.
Somaliland didn’t comment on the arrest of the cleric, but local media reports that he endorsed al Shabaab’s deadly attack in Nairobi’s Westgate Shopping Mal that claimed over 60 people.
Sheikh Mohamud Abdullahi founded Hezbollah group in December 2011 and immediately asked the regional administration to impose sharia law in the area. Hezbollah didn’t hide its interest to see Somaliland under sharia law, arguing that the population is 100% Muslim, therefore its needed instituting governance based on Islamic tenets.
Somaliland President attends graduation ceremony for University of Hargeisa
29 Sept – Source: Somaliland Press – 312 words
Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud Silanyo attended a graduation ceremony held for more than 744 students the 10th batch to have graduated from the various faculties which make up University of Hargeisa.
President Silanyo handed out awards to top students for their diligence. Speaking during the Graduation ceremony, the president told graduates that they are expected to become leaders in their communities and public services and capable of becoming fully competitive in all sectors and that they are the future of this country hence the need for them to be ingenious when it comes to employment, he also urged local enterprises to invest in local talents.
Rape cases on rise in Somaliland
29 Sept – Source: Somali Current – 129 words
Rape cases in Somaliland increases according to the officials. Interior Minister of Somaliland Ali Mohamed Waran-Ade said that only Friday (27th September 2013) the police has received eight cases of rape, including rape against children under the age of ten.
Somaliland has been stable region during the last two decades, but rape against women is considered rising in the region.The minister said that they are investigating the culprits of the shocking acts against the women.
Last year, 195 rape cases reported to the police, 67 out of that number were children under the age of ten and 19 years old boy, according to Baahi-Koob, a sexual assault referral office of Somaliland’s Ministry of health, Hirad radio in Hargeisa reported.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Police Arrest Man Suspected Of Trafficking People From Somalia
30 Sept – Source: Capital News/Citizen TV – 115 words
Police have arrested a man suspected to have aided several al Shabaab militants find their way into the capital city Nairobi. The suspect is said to be the link man in a human trafficking syndicate operating between Kenya and Somalia. North eastern regional CID commander Musa Yego said the suspect was arrested while heading to Somalia with 32 Kenyan identification cards.
Interior Affairs Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku has assured kenyans the government will move to further secure the borders but as Willis Raburu now reports the porous nature of the country’s borders poses a huge challenge to security agencies as they seek to bolster homeland security.
Are these the faces behind Westgate mall attack?
29 Sept – Source: Daily Nation – 828 words
Sheikh Mukhtar Robow alias Abu Mansur, al Shabaab deputy leader A leaked NIS report says Muktar Sheikh Robow and Dahir Aweys arrived in Hela Marer area, Gedo region, from Ufuro area in the Bay region, Somalia, on March 22.
They held a meeting with 50 other leaders where they discussed the mode of training for their operatives as well as plan on how to carry out attacks on vital installations in Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Mombasa and Nairobi. The FBI has put a $5 million bounty on Robow.
Stigma impedes HIV treatment in Somalia
29 Sept – Source: Aljazeera – 1009 words
In a small dark room in Mogadishu’s Banadir Hospital, a group of patients sits quietly on wooden chairs waiting to collect their monthly medication ration. They’re all HIV positive. The medicine they are given is anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs.
The female patients wear a face veil while the men cover their mouths with scarves and mostly look down, dodging eye contact. They all avoid answering their phones when at the hospital, as they don’t want someone in the room or nearby to recognise their voices.
In Somalia having AIDS or being HIV positive means doing everything in one’s power to stay invisible. The identity of HIV/AIDS patients at Banadir Hospital is kept secret. Nurses call the patients using identity numbers instead of names.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Oxfam reaction to Barclays closing last remittance accounts to Somalia
30 Sept – Source: Oxfam – 236 words
Today in response to Barclays bank closing its final remittance accounts from the UK to Somalia, Oxfam’s Director of Campaigns and Policy, Ben Phillips, said:
“Today is a sombre day for Somalis as Barclays closes accounts that allow the Somali community in Britain to send money home. The UK Government has shown international leadership on Somalia, including generous donations of aid. It has, however, failed to take strong enough action to stop this closure.
Banks, such as Barclays, have a critical role to play in allowing money from communities in Britain to reach loved ones at home. Amounts sent are usually very small, and used for essentials – healthcare, food, water and education.
Barclays is failing in its responsibility to the very poorest people. If these accounts are closed, transfer fees are likely to go up, hitting poorest people the most, and the industry is likely to go underground – completely contradicting the aims of the counter terror regulation that the banks say are their prime concern.
‘My lion’: a hero’s life awaits al Shabaab’s ‘Westgate men’
30 Sept – Source: Channel 4 – 742 words
We don’t know how many of them may have escaped, but at least half of them are thought to have made it to Somalia and are now safe in the al Shabaab-controlled territory.
While Kenyan authorities are busy blaming each other over the attack, the al Shabaab group is preparing for a “hero welcome”. The Westgate attackers’ lives will change forever in the eyes of the Jihadi community.
In the last five years, I’ve been traveling to al Shabaab areas during which I met some of their fighters who brought victory for the group and are highly regarded.
A fighter who goes into a mission, achieves the objectives, and comes back safely is known as the “living shaheed or martyr”. Within the Jihadi circle, the “Westgate men”, will be seen as the ultimate worriers and massive celebrities.
Charlie Rose with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud- Video
23 Sept – Source: Hulu – 20 min
Charlie Rose with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“There is a growing view from Nairobi that al Shabaab’s Westgate Mall attack was an act of desperation.”
Is al Shabaab dying or resurgent?
30 Sept – Source: Al Jazeera English Blog – 966 Words
There is a growing view both from Nairobi and the cloistered, heavily defended corridors of Villa Somalia – the Somali government’s main compound here in Mogadishu – that al Shabaab’s Westgate Mall attack was an act of desperation.
It was, says the theory, a lashing out by a movement on the ropes; a last-ditch attempt to prove its legitimacy and win supporters in the face of continued military pressure on the ground, a brutally damaging internal power-struggle, and a growing sense of irrelevance abroad.
The theory looks and sounds encouraging, particularly when it comes to an organization that all of a sudden looks very frightening indeed. And in a lot of respects, it seems to join the bits of evidence into a coherent narrative, particularly when it is seen from afar.
“To avert future attacks, both Kenya and Somalia need to understand al Shabaab’s threat cannot be managed without their mutual cooperation. And the international community at large needs to encourage and support a collaborative course between Nairobi and Mogadishu — the prime victims of the horror of al Shabaab.”
Defeating al Shabaab Requires Kenya-Somalia Cooperation
29 Sept – Source: Al-Monitor – 1000 Words
The news from Nairobi following the attack on Westgate Mall on Sept. 21 has been appalling. But given the frequency of attackers al Shabaab’s grenade-throwing in Nairobi, the incident should not have come as a surprise to regional experts. Yet, despite the magnitude of the death toll, the Kenyan government has shown a remarkable sangfroid, both in managing the crisis and taming the potential for ethnic flare-ups.
While investigations are still in progress, analysts and experts have choreographed the attack into different interpretations, but it seems to me that the focus has been misplaced. The attack at Westgate has received several misreadings, primarily on the part of Kenya, but to a large extent on the part of its allies in the wider war against al Shabaab.
In the beginning, the Kenyan invasion of the southern Somali city of Kismayo only broke al Shabaab’s back and, more importantly, created an opportunity for the group to reorganize and rebrand its operational tactics. Just a few days before the attack, I wrote a piece in which I argued that al Shabaab is now far more lethal than it has ever been before.
“Second-generation terrorists could broaden the grievance, and complicate the problem as they will also be motivated to keep alive the legacy of the elder terrorists who will have retired, been killed, died of old age, or been captured and imprisoned.”
Al Shabaab terror needs to be reverse-engineered
28 Sept – Source: The East African – 541 Words
As investigators dig through the rubble of the Westgate mall in Nairobi at the end of a bloody four-day terrorist siege, the story could get worse. The Red Cross says 69 were killed after the Somalia-based al Shabaab terrorists stormed the mall on September 21, sprayed shoppers with bullets, and took several hostage. Nearly 180 were injured.
From Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, to a host of security officials and political leaders, there have been firm promises to hunt down and punish the conspirators in the attack and dismantle their networks.
And that is as it should be. Better intelligence, spy cameras, guns, drones, a determination to hunt down and arrest or kill terrorist are all needed. But they are just the first stage. They will not eliminate terrorism.
“If the masterminds of the Westgate attack had hoped that the operation would demoralise Kenya and the rest of the AMISOM troop contributing countries, undermine social cohesion and catalyse a process of troop pullout, it seems likely the contrary will happen. Is a world shocked and galvanised by the horrors of the Westgate massacre now ready to fully commit itself and provide all the resources and help required to AMISOM?”
Will the Westgate massacre now galvanise support for AMISOM?
28 Sept – Source: The East African – 975 Words
Was it the Godane faction of al Shabaab, al Qaeda Central or a new splinter group that carried out the deadly Westgate Mall attack that has claimed the lives of close to 100 people? This is the key question that has polarised opinion within the analytical and intelligence community in Nairobi.
The testimony of Kenyan intelligence chief Michael Gichangi before a parliamentary committee is being eagerly awaited and could shed some light on who the perpetrators are. A dozen suspects are being interrogated and a large multinational team of forensic experts are scouring the mall, inch by inch, and the cumulative evidence obtained would likewise be of help.
Sources told The EastAfrican the NIS had “actionable intelligence” and “prior knowledge” of the attack and had warned the police to beef up security and to post armed police at all the key malls in the city. If true, this could further escalate the recrimination and bitter inter-agency and inter-departmental feud that has emerged in the wake of the attack.
“The KDF mission in Somalia is absolutely justified, and the forces must redouble their efforts not just to pacify the South but to track down the Shabaab leaders and bring them to justice. Turning back now would be a disaster. They must stay the course for the sake of both Kenya and Somalia.”
KDF must continue their mission in Somalia for both our countries’ sake
28 Sept – Source: Daily Nation – 669 Words
Al Shabaab have shown in the last few days that they are very talented at shooting children and pregnant women dead at close range, but they also demonstrated a very poor capacity for propaganda. The decision to ask some Muslims to identify themselves and leave the building at Westgate was a transparent attempt to divide Kenyan society.
They have been working on this script for a long time. Repeated attacks on churches over the last two years, for example, were aimed at tempting Christians into taking up arms against their Muslim neighbours and therefore winning the al Shabaab a wider recruitment pool by showing that Muslims were under siege in Kenya.
Yet as has been repeatedly pointed out, nobody suffers more from the atrocities perpetrated daily by assorted groups from the Pakistani Taliban, al Qaeda in Iraq or al Shabaab in Somalia than those militants’ fellow Muslims.
Top tweets
@NaleyeAbdi #UN envoy for #Somalia Nicholas #Kay urges the#Somali community in #Minnesota to return home because “their contribution highly is needed”.
@HLooyaan Why does Barclays want to cut #Somalia‘s money transfer line? Interesting video from @islamchannelCAhttp://bit.ly/1fpv9Hi #SomaliLifeline.
@UN_Spokesperson http://bit.ly/1beo0V7 #UNSG met President of #Somalia on progress of FGS launch of constitutional review & importance of support for AMISOM.
@ThinkAfricaFeed Home sweet home? The #somali #diasporamakes a #return with improved prospects in Somalia.http://buff.ly/15sKSkH.
@AnalystSomalia @MattBryden‘s take on the #Somaligovernment’s performance on its first year & how things might look like, come 2016 .
http://csis.org/multimedia/
Image of the day
A woman holding a banner in the colours of Kenya’s national flag lights candles Sunday, September 29, at a memorial event organized by the Muslim community to express their condemnation, and to pay their respects to the victims Westgate Mall attack. Photo: AP.