September 30, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Somali government praised for making great strides towards peace
30 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan/Universaltv- 132 words
Somali Parliament Speaker, Mohamed Osman Jawari on Monday met UN Special Envoy for Somalia Nicholas Kay and Turkish Ambassador to Somalia Olgan Bekar in Mogadishu.
Jawari and the two foreign diplomats discussed wide range of issues including Somali government efforts to restore peace and stability and the relations between the federal government, the UN and Turkey.
Ambassador Nicholas Kay and Ambassador Olgan Bekar praised Somali government for its continuous efforts to exert its authority in the country and to help its people after decades of war and civil unrest.
They reiterated their commitments to continue supporting the federal government and the people of Somalia.
Meanwhile, Somali Parliament Speaker, Mohamed Osman Jawar thanked both the United Nations and the government of Turkey for their unwavering support for the federal government and Somali people.
Key Headlines
- Somali president expresses optimism over his country’s future (Radio Mogadishu)
- Al Shabaab executes four teenagers in Barawe for “spying” (Radio Mustaqbal)
- Uganda: Police foil terrorist attack on Luzira Prisons (New Vision)
- Somali government praised for making great strides towards peace (Radio Bar-kulan)
- Armed men kill a religious man in Beledweyne (Radio Goobjoog)
- Kenyan arrested in US over terror threats (Daily Nation)
- Somali President: we are yet to be given the funds pledged by the international community (Radio Dalsan)
- Religious leaders to mediate between Puntland and Galmudug (Radio Goobjoog)
- Pastoralists in Hiran run out of water pasture (Radio Ergo)
- Car explosion leaves unconfirmed casualties in Bay region (Radio RBC)
- 30 SNA Soldiers trained in Mogadishu (Radio Dalsan)
- Uganda’s police chief says terrorists would plan major prison break (Xinhua)
- Korea seeks to extend troop deployment in Somalia UAE (Korea Times)
- Somalis ‘feeling safer’ in Mogadishu survey says (BBC)
- Edmonton Somali leaders denounce warning local men are being recruited by ISIS (metronews)
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali president expresses optimism over his country’s future
30 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan/Jowhar Online/Radio Risaala- 144 words
Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Monday night attended a colorful event at the headquarters of Banadir administration in the Somali capital, Mogadishu to display the success and the performance of the local Banadir administration over the last year.
Apart from the president, senior government officials including ministers, members of parliament and civil society representatives were all in attendance.
Speaking at the event, the president praised Banadir administration officials for their success and urged them to double their commendable efforts.
Meanwhile, the president was more optimistic about Somalia’s future saying there are a number of ongoing reconciliation and consultation conferences in many parts of the country to shape the country’s future and to set up inclusive local administrations in preparation for the upcoming general elections in 2016.
He said Somalia is on the right path for a better change ahead of the 2016 elections.
Al Shabaab executes four teenagers in Barawe for “spying”
30 Sept- Source: Radio Mustaqbal/Radio RBC/Somalimemo Online- 259 words
The Al Qaeda-linked militant group Al Shabab executed four young men in their stronghold town of Barawe lateon Monday after alleging them to be spying for the Federal Government of Somalia and security agencies.
Unnamed al Shabaab judge has ordered the execution of the four men who were arrested by the group’s Amniyat unit after alleging them to be spies working for the government of Somalia.
“These men have admitted that they were spies working for the Intelligence unit of the apostate government” the unnamed judge said through voice speaker.
The four young men Hassan Haji Awoow, 27, Mahdi Hassan Isse, 26, Iidle Mohamed Hassan 18, Ahmed Mohamed Adan, 42 were all executed by a masked firing squad of al Shabaab fighters.
The execution occurred at an open field in Barawe late on Monday where hundreds of residents including children and women were called to watch as the execution was taking place. None of the four young men had the opportunity to speak and defend himself of the alleged spying work.
According to sources in Barawe who spoke with RBC Radio, the four men were arrested from Barawe a month ago. Two of these young men have rejected to be recruited by the militant group and were jailed before they were alleged to be spies working for the government.
The Monday’s execution came two days after the militant fighters stoned to death 33-year old woman whom they said to have committed adultery after she has married four other men.
Somali government praised for making great strides towards peace
30 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan/Universaltv- 132 words
Somali Parliament Speaker, Mohamed Osman Jawari on Monday met UN Special Envoy for Somalia Nicholas Kay and Turkish Ambassador to Somalia Olgan Bekar in Mogadishu.
Jawari and the two foreign diplomats discussed wide range of issues including Somali government efforts to restore peace and stability and the relations between the federal government, the UN and Turkey.
Ambassador Nicholas Kay and Ambassador Olgan Bekar praised Somali government for its continuous efforts to exert its authority in the country and to help its people after decades of war and civil unrest. They reiterated their commitments to continue supporting the federal government and the people of Somalia.
Meanwhile, Somali Parliament Speaker, Mohamed Osman Jawar thanked both the United Nations and the government of Turkey for their unwavering support for the federal government and Somali people.
Armed men kill a religious man in Beledweyne
30 Sept- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Goobjoog- 110 words
Armed men have last night gunned down a Somali cleric in Beledwyne, the headquarters of Hiiran region. Reports state that three men armed with pistols attacked the man on his way to the mosque before evening prayer and immediately disappeared from the scene.
The motive behind the murder of the man is not known and no one has claimed the responsibility of the attack. Recently unknown assailants killed a famous teacher in the heart of Beledweyne, the administration has carried out operation to pursue the killers but no one was arrested in connections with the increasing number of planned attacks.
Somali President: we are yet to be given the funds pledged by the international community
30 Sept- Source: Radio Dalsan- 110 words
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said the money that the international community pledged during the meetings and conferences held outside the country are yet to be released. The president was speaking at an event held at the interim Headquarters of Banadir Region in Mogadishu’s Heliwaa District last night. He gave the Brussels Conference as an example which he said $3b was pledged but so far not a single coin of it was released. He added that some of the promises were meant not to be kept but were just a mere word of mouth. Therefore the president said the Somalis need to depend on themselves rather than waiting for foreign assistance.
Religious leaders to mediate between Puntland and Galmudug
30 Sept- Source: Radio Goobjoog- 162 words
Puntland religious leaders who met in Garowe, the administrative capital of the administration stated that they are ready to mediate the tensions the administrations of Galmudug and Puntland.
Sheikh Mukhtar Abdi, one of the religious leaders told Goobjoog FM that the religious leaders are taking their role of arbitration and solving the tensions between the administrations to allow people live peacefully and promote the social services to the people in the region.
Sheikh Mukhtar stated that they formed a committee of religious leaders consisting of the two administrations to quickly meet the leaders and end the hostilities between Puntland and Galmudug.
The aggression between the two administrations has caused the flights of Galkayo airport to stop for days before Galmudug administration announced to lift the restriction on the airport.
Earlier this week, PM Abdiweli urged the sides to solve their difference peacefully and refrain from anything that might lead to clashes in the region.
Pastoralists in Hiran run out of water, pasture
30 Sept- Source: Radio Ergo- 91 words
Pastoralists in parts of Hiran region in south central Somalia are raising the alarm over the desperate scarcity of water and pasture. Speaking to Radio Ergo, pastoralist Afyare Abdulle, who lives with his animals in Jiqey village, 40 kilometers north eastern of Hiran’s provincial capital Beledweyne, described having lost a large number of his livestock.
“It has not rained for the past two years. There is note any pasture or water for our animals,” he said. “Some of my livestock succumbed to the drought and the remaining are all weak.”
He said he was not aware of human deaths yet, but feared that this could happen if no help came fast. The price of water had increased four times from 20,000 Somali shillings to 80,000 Somali shillings, he said.
Falis Ahmed, a resident in Bur-digle village, 35 km northeast of Beledweyne district, said many people in her settlement had fled to Beledweyne town to escape the worsening drought. But women, children and elderly persons, who could not walk for long distances, had remained behind. The villages of Jiqey, Bur-digle, Indo-ad, Danjif are the hardest hit areas in Hiran region.
Car explosion leaves unconfirmed casualties in Bay region
30 Sept – Source: Radio RBC – 109 words
A car loaded with explosives has went off in Xaabere neighborhoods of Baidoa, the provincial capital of Bay region, leaving casualties that is yet to be established.
Men believed to be members of the losing Al-qaida affiliated militants Al-shabab are suspected to have loaded the car with explosives, which went off amid they were active on working on it.
Early reports indicate that civilians include the casualties caused by this explosion. Local authorities have not commented on this explosion so far.
Al-shabab, the International terrorist connected group Al-shabab have recently losing the control of the very few remaining areas they control in south and Central regions of Somalia.
30 SNA Soldiers trained in Mogadishu
30 Sept- Source: Radio Dalsan- 74 words
Thirty government soldiers have completed training in Mogadishu on Monday. The training took place in Jazeera. The soldiers were trained by trainers from the European Union. The commander of SNA Daahir Aadan Ilmi indhaqarshe thanked the trainers for conducting that invaluable training for the benefit of SNA soldiers. He also pointed that the soldiers who were just trained will be taken to different regions in the country where they will train more SNA soldiers.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Uganda: Police foil terrorist attack on Luzira Prisons
30 Sept- Source: New Vision- 328 words
Police have intercepted a communication from terrorists in Uganda to an al-Qaeda cell in Maghreb, North Africa, requesting for help to bomb Luzira Prisons. The terrorists wanted to free eight terror suspects who are on remand in connection with the July 11, 2010 Kampala twin bombings, the Police have revealed.
The Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura, made the disclosure Monday during a press briefing at the Police headquarters in Naguru, a city suburb.
Eight suspects who bombed Kyadondo Rugby Grounds on Jinja Road and the Ethiopian Village Restaurant in Kabalagala and killed 84 people are detained in Luzira. They await a date to be fixed by the Constitutional Court to settle a petition challenging their extradition from Uganda.
Kenyan arrested in US over terror threats
30 Sept – Source: Daily Nation/Standard Media – 106 words
A Kenyan man has been arrested in the US for making “terrorist threats”. Jacob Mugambi Muriithi, 30, was arrested last Friday for allegedly making threatening statements to a co-worker.
Mr Muriithi, who was an employee of Bellevue Nursing Home, is said to have threatened the co-worker by saying that he would “cut off her head.”
“We take these threats very seriously,” Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said. Mr Muriithi’s arrest came barely a day after a Muslim convert in Oklahoma identified as Alton Alexander Nolen, beheaded a co-worker after he was fired. He is alleged to have threatened the unidentified co-worker on September 19, 2014.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Uganda’s police chief says terrorists would plan major prison break
30 Sept – Source: Xinhua – 184 words
Uganda’s police chief Gen. Kale Kayihura on Monday said the recently arrested terror suspects were planning a major prison break on one of the country’s top prisons. Kayihura told reporters at the police headquarters that interrogations have shown that the terror suspects had written to Al Qaeda in the Maghreb seeking support on how to attack Luzira Prison.
He did not divulge more information but in Luzira Prison which is located in the Ugandan capital Kampala, there are some terrorists who were convicted of planning and executing the July 2010 twin bomb blasts in Kampala that left close to 80 people dead and scores injured.
Al-Shabaab, a Somali militant group with links to Al Qaeda took responsibility of the attack.
Kayihura said police is investigating the possibility of the Al Qaeda in Maghreb cooperating with the Al Shabaab in launching terror attacks in the East African region.
The Ugandan police on Sept. 13 arrested ten terror suspects with explosives in what it called a foiled attack. The suspects were on Sept. 24 arraigned in court where they were charged the taking part terrorist activities.
Korea seeks to extend troop deployment in Somalia, UAE
30 Sept- Source: Korea Times- 365 words
Seoul seeks to extend the deployment of its troops in Somalia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for one more year due to their successful and productive service there to date.
The missions of the anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit off the coast of Somali and the Akh Unit, which trains the UAE’s special operations forces, expire on Dec. 31.
The Cabinet, presided over by President Park Geun-hye, adopted a resolution that will keep the units in place until the end of next year. The bill of the deployment extension is subject to final approval by the National Assembly.
Somalis ‘feeling safer’ in Mogadishu, survey says
29 Sept- Source: BBC- 420 words
Residents of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, are feeling safer and more optimistic than they were a year ago, according to a new survey. The Heritage Institute of Policy Studies, which analysed data collected from more than 1,600 residents, said people reported a decline in violence.
However, serious concerns remain, such as attacks by Islamist group al-Shabab, and mistrust of the security services. Somalia has been ravaged by conflict for more than two decades. Thousands of Somalis have been returning from abroad to help rebuild the country as security has improved in recent years.
Edmonton Somali leaders denounce warning local men are being recruited by ISIS
29 Sept- Source: metronews- 369 words
Local leaders, youth and parents from Edmonton Somali community rallied together Monday to condemn a letter released last week that said at least six local men have been recruited by ISIS militants.
The letter — written by Mahamad Accord, president of the Canadian Somali Congress of Western Canada — warned Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper that Somali youth in Edmonton were being recruited to become front-line soldiers for the Islam extremists. Yet, President of Somali Canadian Culture Society of Edmonton Jibril Ibrahim said the warning is false.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“There is no doubt that Kenya has made huge strides against al Shabaab. The recent killing of their commander Ali Godane weakened the outfit. But much more needs to be done to tackle the threat the group poses, especially from within Kenya.”
Kenya: Do more to address youth radicalisation
29 Sept – Source: Allafrica/Star-Kenya – 229 words
A new report by the International Crisis Group paints a grim picture about the continued radicalisation of Muslim youth, but also recommends solutions that should be considered. Many youth are still joining the ranks of the Somali militia group, looking for purpose and destiny.
Recruiters prey on historical injustices of marginalisation to advance their agenda. The Jubilee government should facilitate Muslim-driven madrasas and mosque reforms. This will also entail review and approval of the curriculum taught and vetting of mosque committees.
Implementation of the recommendations of the 2008 Presidential Special Action popularly known as the ‘Abdullahi Sharawe Commission report’ is also overdue, to address grievances by the Muslim community in Kenya.
Top tweets
@ygaraad The 1st time I saw a cash machine in #Mogadishu#Somalia.
@mary_harper #Mogadishu residents feel saferhttp://bbc.in/1CArrmk even though #Africa rule of law index ranks#Somalia as worst http://bit.ly/1xvHzFz
@IlwadElman Presenting my statement at the UN General Assembly in NYC, speaking on #HumanitarianAction@ElmanPeaceCentr #Somalia
@UNSomalia PHOTOS: @UNSomalia‘s Rule of Law team meet#Puntland’s President Gaas on Security Sector Reform:https://flic.kr/s/aHsk4smiXc
@amisomsomalia #AMISOM forces thwart Al-Shabaab plot to cut off main road in Galgadud region. http://bit.ly/1rE80Wn
Image of the day
ROLSIG director Waldemar Vrey meets with President Abdiweli Gaas in Puntland state house in Garowe on 24 September 2014. Photo: UNSOM