COMMENTARY ON ISLAMIC WEBSITES
Amiir Nuur - The pro-al-Shabaab website claimed the Somali National Security Agency duped the media into believing al-Shabaab's top leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys will surrender to the TFG administration in Afgoye and he will be presented to the media at a press conference. The Chief of Somali National Security Ahmed Mo'allim Fiqi has allegedly instead used the press conference to call for al-Shabaab Mujahideens to peacefully surrender to the TFG-AMISOM forces in Afgoye town. Somali Language
POLITICS
New Vision - President Yoweri Museveni has said Uganda’s involvement in Somalia is to show solidarity with the people of Somalia and to support the process to ensure that they regain their sovereign rights, adding that it is through elections that leaders will know what their people want. Museveni said with the improving security in Somalia, re-empowering the people by giving them back their sovereignty through the vote especially at the village level where the logistics are not complicated is paramount. This however, was not suitable for Somalia at the moment and that they had decided to use clan and sub-clan leaders to select a new interim group of leaders in August according to reports. Museveni was assured by the two leaders that the true clan leaders have been identified through inheritance and that an arbitration committee will resolve any arising issues.
Reuters - In a sprawl of plastic refugee shelters and mortar-blasted buildings in Mogadishu, a mud-caked Turkish engineering team monitors the drilling of a new borehole while their armed guards chat lazily under a tree, guns across laps. These government contractors are on the frontline of a huge Turkish development effort in one of the world's most dangerous cities - one which U.N. agencies and international charities prefer to deal with from the safety of neighbouring Kenya. "Our government likes to help anyone in crisis so we came here without thinking anything," said the lead engineer, Mehmet, who asked Reuters to use a pseudonym because government employees are not authorised to talk to the media without permission.
Daily News - The President of the transition government of Somalia, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, flew to Arusha over the weekend where he held talks with the Tanzanian head of state, Mr Jakaya Kikwete. The Somali president asked President Kikwete to help him build a stable government. "We want Tanzania to help Somalia to set up government institutions and build the public sector because at the moment there are positive developments in the horn of Africa. We are in the process of putting together national armed forces," said President Sharif Ahmed through an interpreter. The nearly four-hour meeting between President Kikwete and Striving to ensure that peace reigned at the horn of Africa, President Jakaya Kikwete assured Somali that his government will do everything to help stabilize the country's governance because the political strife at the horn of the continent also had adverse effects to East African region.
SECURITY/AL-SHABAAB
Garowe Online - Police in Galkayo and Bossaso captured a suspect and the alleged mastermind of the bombing that killed 5 last Wednesday in Galkayo, Radio Garowe reports. Last Wednesday in Galkayo, the capital of Mudug region, two men planted an improvised explosive device (IED) in the neighborhood of Garsoor that killed 5 people and injured 15 others, which included senior police officials in Mudug region. As the two men were planting the IED, a police officer spotted the men and asked them to surrender, after they failed to comply the officer shot and killed one and injured the other who escaped. "The mastermind of the operation that killed 5 in Galkayo was also arrested. He is a native of southern Somalia in particular the Middle Shabelle region. The two men will be brought in front of a court shortly," said Minister Mudan.
Capital FM - The Somalis are at the Bihanga military camp, which lies in a region of lush green rolling hills in south-west Uganda. The fighters are neither battle-hardened soldiers nor Islamist insurgents, but rather new recruits wrapping up their training in a mock urban environment. About 600 Somalis, including 15 women, from the security forces have spent the past six months being coached by instructors from Uganda and the European Union. Since April 2010 the mission has trained some 1,700 recruits. The idea of the training came after the overthrow of Somalia’s Islamic Courts Union in 2006 by the US-backed invasion of Ethiopian troops. It was followed by the establishment of a weak Western-backed transitional government, protected by an African Union force, AMISOM. At the time, the international community reckoned it had “the best opportunity of the past 20 years to stabilise Somalia,” said EU political advisor Jean-Francois Hasperue. "It was obvious there was no army in Somalia. The army was more a jumble of militia groups than an actual army and so we had to recreate one."
MARITIME
FOX News - Horrific Somali piracy attacks are occurring with less frequency, but as a nefarious and risky enterprise — business is booming. FoxNews.com reported 31 ransoms in 2011 brought in a record $160 million for Somali pirates — with ransoms running about $5 million each -- and the trend is only increasing. Geopolicity estimates this number could reach $400 million in the next three years. Douglas Burnett, partner in the Maritime Practice Group at Squire Sanders U.S. LLP, said the model is succeeding because these ruthless pirates are hanging onto their captures for longer, and charging more money than ever before. "They’re getting better at their business, and the escalation is going up dramatically," Burnett said. "There are fewer successful hijacks, so when they get they want to make back their investments."
OP-ED
Somaliland Press - The author, Yusuf Dirir Ali predicts of failure of Turkey's endeavors in Somalia by a lack of understanding Somali politics and culture and putting much trust behind corrupt Somali leaders. "Having only met with the ignorant and power obsessed trio-TFG leaders and their opportunistic followers, the Turks are jumping up and down with joy and thinking that they have all over again discovered a new 21st century Americas in the continent of Africa, which is heaving with riches. The Turks wrongfully assume that they will be able to settle in Somalia, dominate Somalis politically and simply drain Somalia’s natural resources as the European settlers did in the 15th century Americas."
RADIO ROUNDUP
Radio Mogadishu - A pro-government radio station
Al-Shabaab militias started to forcefully recruit the young children after the Somali government and their allied forces, AMISOM defeated them the fighting in Somali regions. At least 30 children were kidnapped in El-lahelay village in Galgadud region by al-Shabaab militias over the last days. Ahmed Abdulle, 15, was captured by Ahlu Sunna Waljama' (ASWJ) forces during a fighting in Galgadud region and he stated that he and 30 other children were trained how to use the AK47 and were forcefully brought in the fighting frontlines. The group took advantage of the recent drought and hunger in the country to recruit children into its militias by giving food and other handouts to their parents.
Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has returned to Mogadishu after he attended the recent Istanbul Conference on Somalia. He was accompanied by the defense minister, minister of women's affairs and other TFG officials including parliament members.
The Somali National Forces in Hosingow district of Lower Juba region seized a vehicle carrying explosive devices and seven terror suspects. TFG security officers in Lower Juba told Radio Mogadishu that the vehicle was heading to Kenya and the captured men said that they wanted to enter Kenya to conduct terror operations.
Radio Andalus - A pro-al-Shabaab radio station
One of the largest clans in Middle Shabelle region, Agon-yar sub-clan of Abgal of Hawiye clan, declared that they have readied more than 500 new fighters to defend Middle Shabelle region if the enemy forces try to attack. The traditional leader of the Agon-yar sub-clan Ali Haji told Radio Andalus that all the different sectors of the clan including women, elders and children are ready to take part in the holy fighting against the enemy.
Al-Shabaab Mujahideen spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage stated that the Turkish government is destabilizing the country. "The result of Turkey's presence in Somalia is clear evidence to destabilize Somalia, they are trying to keep our country under colony and they are not doing any good for the Somali people who suffered years of violence and famine," he said in a special interview with Radio Andalus.
Radio Al-Furqan - A pro-al-Shabaab radio station
At least five foreign AMISOM troops were killed in hit and run attacks in which grenades were used in Mogadishu over the last 24 hours. The heaviest fighting took place near Maslah Military Camp building in Hiliwa district after al-Shabaab Mujahideen fighters attacked a convoy of foreign troops, burning one vehicle. Several other attacks also took place in Waberi, Wardhiglay and Howl-wadaag districts.
Radio Shabelle - An independent radio station
At least four people, including women and children, were killed and several others injured after gunmen opened fire at civilian vehicle traveling in Mudug region of central Somalia. Reports said the vehicle was a mini-bus that was en route from Mogadishu to Galkayo. "The gunmen opened fire at the vehicle traveling in the Abaarey area, near Galkayo town, four were killed and at least five injured," one of the passengers told Shabelle Radio.
Radio Bar-Kulan - An independent radio station
Somaliland police in Las Anod town have reportedly detained a group of journalists who were on their way to Hargeisa to attend a seminar. The journalists who came from Bosaso, Galkayo and Beledweyene were accused of illegally entering Somaliland administered areas, according to the area police boss Ali Ismail who spoke to the local media. Ismail stated that the journalists did not have legal permits to allow them enter Somaliland in order for them to attend the seminar in Hargeisa. He added they will only be released if they will return to their base towns.
Locals in Modekarey village, about six kilometers from Garissa town of Kenya, were today shocked after unidentified bullet-ridden bodies of six middle aged men were found dumped in the area. The grim discovery was made by local villagers who later informed the police. The six men were shot dead late last night by unknown gangs armed with pistols, according to local villagers who spoke to the media. Locals say the victims were travelling by foot when they were intercepted by the gangs. The motive and those behind these brutal killings are not yet known. Kenyan police officers who rushed to the scene of the incident reportedly conducted search operations in the area, but it is not yet known whether they made any arrests.
Radio Kulmiye - An independent radio station
The Banadir Administration began installation of solar powered street lights in Mogadishu as part of a reconstruction project of the Somali capital. Run by the Somali government under the support of foreign governments like Turkey and Denmark, Mogadishu is seeing a wide range of reconstruction projects, which is supported by the people.