September 9, 2016 | Morning Headlines

Main Story

Somalia Plans To Coordinate Stabilization Activities

08 September – Source: Xinhua – 262 Words

The Somali government and its partners have agreed to harmonize all stabilization programs or activities in areas recently liberated from Al-Shabaab militants in the Horn of Africa nation, officials said on Thursday.
The program reached during a two-day conference held in Mogadishu was aimed at coordinating stabilization efforts between the government, regional administrations and other key stakeholders.

Head of Stabilization and Early Recovery Working Group of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Dr. Opiyo Ododa said in a statement issued in Mogadishu that the conference had been critical in ensuring the adoption of the framework by all stakeholders. “AMISOM is a key player in issues of stabilization. You realize that stabilization cannot happen without security and our major role is to provide security and the space in which stabilization activities can happen,” Ododa said.

“Most of the identified districts in which stabilization occurs are districts which AMISOM has recovered from Al Shabaab. It is in these districts that the stabilization programs under the Wadajir framework are going to be implemented,” he said.

The meeting was convened under the Wajadir Framework, which was launched in March and seeks to support reconciliation, civic dialogue and the establishment of local governance structures. Ododa also noted that future stabilization activities would now be coordinated through the Ministry of Interior and Federal Affairs. He said the meeting had enabled the mapping of stabilization activities and facilitated networking and partnerships, expected to improve efficiency.

“As AMISOM, the conference has shown us how we can coordinate all our efforts, especially those dealing with issues of stabilization,” Ododa said.

Key Headlines

Somalia Plans To Coordinate Stabilization Activities (Xinhua)
Mortars Land Near AMISOM Military Base In Mogadishu (Shabelle News)
Puntland Commandos Release Seized El-Bur Bound Vehicles (Garowe Online)
Unilateral Decisions Aren’t Unprecedented In Somali-Kenyan Relations Says Planning Minister (Goobjoog News)
AU Forces Capture Key Location From Al-Shabaab In S. Somalia (Xinhua)
Miraa Farmers In Agony On Day 3 Of Flights Ban (Daily Nation)
UNHCR Says 70000 Somalia Refugees Willing To Return Home (Xinhua)
UK Pledges More Peacekeeping Troops For South Sudan And Somalia (The East African)
‘Do You Have An AK-47 And Can You Swim?’ (BBC)

NATIONAL MEDIA

Puntland Commandos Release Seized El-Bur Bound Vehicles

08 September – Source: Garowe Online – 194 Words

Puntland commandos have released technicals and a bulletproof vehicle destined to Central Somalia following talks with Nugal clan elders. Puntland commandos in August have seized four technicals and a bullet-proof Toyota Land Cruiser bound for Somali government troops’ allied militias in El Bur town that is fighting Al-Shabaab militants group in Central Somalia.

Since the start of the crisis, Puntland government didn’t negotiate with Puntland commandos to release the vehicles from its custody, but clan elders and politicians who hail from Nugal province intervened in the situation and their efforts to end the seizure crisis ended successfully today following two weeks talks. Sources confirmed to GO that Puntland commandos have transferred the vehicles to Nugal clan elders, who will then hand them over to Puntland government.

The seized vehicles were embedded in a shipment of food aid meant for Puntland, Interim Galmudug Administration (IGA) and Hiran region in August. Puntland commandos blamed the situation on Puntland government for unpaid salaries and negligence to repair military trucks used by Puntland army. Puntland civil workers and security forces have in several occasions protested against unpaid government salaries and entitlements in the past years.

Mortars Land Near AMISOM Military Base In Mogadishu

08 September – Source: Shabelle News – 121 Words

Several mortar rounds have landed near Halane compound, which serves as the largest military base for African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in Mogadishu on Thursday, witnesses said. Eyewitness said four mortar shells hit residential areas near Halane base that is adjacent to Mogadishu international airport, housing AMISOM troops. Two of the shells struck nearby houses.

A woman is reportedly injured in the shelling after a mortar struck her house at Danwadagta area outside Mogadishu airport. No group has yet claimed credit for the attack. The Halane base is expected to host IGAD heads of states of IGAD summit expected to kick off on Saturday next week, with security of the city heightened by Somali police and African Union forces.

Unilateral Decisions Aren’t Unprecedented In Somali-Kenyan Relations, Says Planning Minister

08 September – Source: Goobjoog News – 142 Words

Somali Planning and International cooperation Minister Abdirahman Aynte speaking to Goobjoog news played down the Significance of Khat Suspension on Somali-Kenyan Relations, adding that unilateral actions is not unprecedented in Somali-Kenyan relations. Somali government announced suspension of all Khat flights from Kenya on Monday and said the decision will be in place indefinitely.

“The two countries are a little bit advanced to spoil their relations over one incident, the causes of the decision needs to be addressed, and I can tell that the Kenyan government have previously taken many unpleasant decision,” said the minister.

Somali government did not state the reason at first but later Somali ambassador to Kenya Jamal Mohammed Hassan said the decision was based on a visit carried out by Kenyan Meru state Governor Peter Munya to Somaliland. The Khat trade between Kenya and Somalia worth millions of dollars annually.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

AU Forces Capture Key Location From Al-Shabaab In S. Somalia

08 September – Xinhua – 85 Words

The African Union (AU) peacekeeping troops backed by Somali National Army (SNA) captured a key location in southern Somalia from Al-Shabaab militant group Thursday.

“Our AU forces, together with SNA, took control of Abdalla Birole location. The militants fled the area and there were no casualties during the operation from our side,” AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Force Spokesman Joe Kibet told Xinhua by phone.

Abdalla Birole location lies about some 60 kilometers west of Kismayo town, the administrative capital of southern Somalia’s Jubaland State.

Miraa Farmers In Agony On Day 3 Of Flights Ban

09 September – Daily Nation – 409 Words

Traders in Meru and Nairobi were on Thursday counting their losses for the third day after Somalia banned miraa cargo flights. Nyambene Miraa Traders Association spokesman Kimathi Munjuri said farmers had incurred losses amounting to millions of shillings.

With the onset of the dry season, miraa prices were set to rise but traders now fear losing the booming business in Somalia, the largest export market after the 2014 United Kingdom ban. “About 20 planes transport miraa worth $100,000 to Mogadishu daily. The losses between Monday and today will be huge,” Mr Munjuri said.

He said several tonnes of the mild stimulant had gone to waste and growers had been advised to stop harvesting until the ban is lifted. “Only two planes have left for Somaliland, but the authorities in Mogadishu have threatened to withdraw the licences of their owners if they are found to have broken the law,” Mr Munjuri said. There has been no official communication from the Kenya Government.

UNHCR Says 70,000 Somalia Refugees Willing To Return Home

08 September – Xinhua – 252 Words

Approximately 70,000 Somalia refugees based at Kenya’s Dabaab refugee camp are willing to return to their home country by the end of the year, the UN refugee agency said on Thursday. UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Kenya Assistant Representative in Charge of Protection Catherine Hamon Sharpe said that this figure represents approximately 25 percent of Somalia refugees in Kenya.

“We therefore think that the deadline given by the Kenya government to close the Dabaab camp in Nov. is not realistic if the refugees are to be repatriated voluntarily in a dignified and humane manner,” Sharpe said during a panel discussion on refugee issues in Nairobi. Sharpe said that they have urged the Kenyan government to reconsider its decision to close the Dabaab camp. “We are therefore engaging the Kenyan authorities so that they extend the voluntary repatriation agreement that expires in November,” she added.

The UN official said that currently 2,000 Somali refugees at the Dabaab transition camp have signed for voluntary repatriations.”However, they can’t leave the camp because the Jubaland (in southern Somalia) officials have refused to receive them,” she said. In 2013, the UNHCR, Kenya and Somalia signed a tripartite agreement for the voluntary repatriation of Kenya-based Somali refugees back to Somalia.

In 2011 during the Horn of Africa drought, Kenya hosted over 500,000 Somalia refugees, however by December 2014, the figure had reduced by 100,000. Sharpe said that since 2014, UNHCR has assisted in the voluntary repatriation of 28,000 back to Somalia.

UK Pledges More Peacekeeping Troops For South Sudan And Somalia

08 September – The East African – 238 Words

The United Kingdom has pledged 100 more troops to South Sudan to boost the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The UK already has 300 troops in Juba that since June have been involved in engineering works to strengthen infrastructure and offering advisory support to the UNMISS headquarters.

This comes as South Sudan President Salva Kiir’s government appears to be reneging on its commitment to allow the deployment of 4,000 regional protection force a few days after meeting a delegation from the UN Security Council in Juba. Presidential spokesperson, Ateny Wek Ateny, issued a statement saying that government would not accept deployment of troops from countries sharing immediate borders with the young nation “because they have already developed conflicting interests the country.”

According to Tobias Ellwood, the Minister for the Middle East and Africa, Britain will also deploy about 40 troops to the African Union force in Somalia combating the Al Shabaab. “When I visited Somalia last month I saw for myself that without security, the political progress made there may be lost.

It is essential that Somalia’s security forces develop swiftly, work closely and effectively with the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), and start to take on greater responsibility for Somalia’s stability,” said Mr Ellwood. He made the announcement at a defence ministerial meeting in London where more than 80 defence ministers converged from September 7-8 to discuss UN peacekeeping commitments in the world.

OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE

“Maritime piracy cost the world economy more than $700m (£528m) last year, according to Oceans Beyond Piracy, a non-profit organisation attempting to develop a globally co-ordinated response to the problem.”

‘Do You Have An AK-47 And Can You Swim?’

09 September – Source: BBC – 985 Words

“The first thing they ask you is if you have an AK-47 – and if you can swim,” says Abdirizak Ahmed. That, he says, is what pirate networks want of their new recruits.

Mr Ahmed is head of counter-piracy for the semi-autonomous northern state of Puntland, which has 1,400km (870 miles) of Somalia’s coastline – and is home to most of its pirates.

Maritime piracy cost the world economy more than $700m (£528m) last year, according to Oceans Beyond Piracy, a non-profit organisation attempting to develop a globally co-ordinated response to the problem. It has now spread far beyond Somalia to West Africa, with the Gulf of Guinea now regarded by many as having the most dangerous waters in the world. What’s more, piracy has gone hi-tech.

Cyber-pirates

When pirates raid ships, they generally have a good idea what they’re after, because shipping databases are often surprisingly insecure. Professional hackers break in online, steal ships’ manifestos and sell them on the dark web. This is why the pirates know exactly where to look, “down to the bar code and serial number of the shipping container, in some cases,” says Bryan Sartin, managing director of US company Verizon Risk, which investigates data breaches and cyber-attacks.

Servers aboard ships might not be regularly patched or updated, because of long stints on the water. This makes them easier hacking targets when they eventually do connect to the internet. “An insecure inventory and loading-bills database is akin to drawing these pirates a treasure map,” says Sian John, chief strategist for the area with Symantec, a cyber security firm.

Freely available vulnerability scanners would identify most shipping companies’ security flaws, Mr Sartin says. And simple security tools, like two-factor authentication – whereby log-in details are supplemented by a security code generated by a separate device – would also help.