SOMALIA: Juballand Forces take control of the strategic port city of Kismayu

Juballand Forces have strengthened their grip on Kismayu after three days of fighting against rival militias battling for control of the strategic southern port city, residents said on Sunday.

At least 16 people have been killed in the fighting between forces loyal to Juballand , who was chosen in May by a regional assembly to preside over the Jubaland region, where the port lies. He now appears to have extended his control.

 

Juballand election had prompted rival claims to the regional presidency, including a clan leader viewed as backed by the Mogadishu government, Barre Hirale. The fighting has raised worries it could spark broader clan warfare across Somalia.

 

The African Union peacekeeping force, AMISOM, said the city was now calm and its troops had intervened to facilitate talks between rivals, although it said its mission was not to mediate.
“Most of my relatives have been killed today,” Faiza Nur, a mother of seven, told Reuters by telephone, without giving numbers. “I hear the sound of gunshots far out to the outskirts. I understand Juballand Forces now controls all of Kismayu.”

The fate of Kismayu is viewed as a test of Mogadishu’s skill in building a federal system of government in a nation riven by two decades of conflict and still fighting Islamist rebels who were driven from power by African troops.

Self-proclaimed prez & SFG The Hawiye government led by Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, which controls  the Somalia federal Government from Mogadishu sponsored warlord Iftin Baasto surrenders himself to Jubbaland security forces according to sources in Kismaayo.  jubbaland  State in Somalia confirmed that Somali Government backed up militiamen has been defeated badly with their Al-Shabab combatants. Jubbaland State Government confirmed that Federal President Hassan Sheikh Mohamed is warlord who started every fight in Kismayo city

This is worst outcome to their overreach.  They have no leverage over Jubbaland now. All cards are in the Jubbaland hands

 

The government has said it is ready to compromise but has not spelled out how. Diplomats with a close knowledge of the Kismayu situation say Mogadishu is expected to back down and let  Juballand Ahmed Madobe hold the presidency, but only in an interim capacity.

Controlling the port is a lucrative prize for clan leaders, bringing with it revenues generated from port taxes, charcoal exports and levies on arms and other illegal imports.
Residents had said on Saturday they saw more than 20 bodies of those killed in fighting. Hirale told Reuters the death toll of fighters and civilians was at least 50 from the street battles that had erupted on Friday.

Given the clashes and poor communications, it was impossible to obtain a clear death toll. Dozens of people have been reported killed in earlier flare-ups since May.

“We are trying to facilitate their talks, but we are not there to mediate,” Colonel Ali Aden Houmed, spokesman for AMISOM in Somalia, said by telephone, adding that African troops had intervened to restore calm which he said now prevailed.

Hirale said from Kismayu that Kenyan forces had deployed but said they had helped Juballand Forces . The AMISOM spokesman denied this, saying African troops were neutral.
Madobe is seen as close to Kenya, which has played a key role clearing Islamists from the southern port that lies near Kenya’s border. Nairobi acknowledges no such alliance and says its aim with the African forces is to restore peace in Somalia.

Regional and Western powers worry a slide back into conflict would hand the ousted al Shabaab Islamist militants a chance to regroup and spread their militancy beyond Somalia’s borders.

 

terror free Somalia kismayu Somalia

Jubbaland State Vice-President H.E.Abdullahi said that Federal President H.E. Hassan Sh. was responsible in Kismayo war

SFG sponsored warlord Iftin Baasto surrenders himself to Jubbaland security forces according to sources in Kismaayo.

 AXMED MADOOBE OO WARSAXAFADEED UU NAIROBI KU QABTAY KAGA HADLAY DAGAALADII KISMAAYO KA DHACAY

 

Somali Shebab extremists kill two of their own chiefs: spokesman

A top Islamist in villa somalia with his follow hawiye clansman . terrorist Most Wanted Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, has arrived in the capital Mogadishu hawiye clan  stronghold.

(terrorfreesomalia) – MOGADISHU — Somalia's Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab extremists have killed two of their own top commanders, one with a $5 million United States bounty on his head, the insurgents said Saturday."We have informed their widows of their deaths, as they must now wear the clothes of mourning," Shebab spokesman Abdulaziz Abu Musab told terrorfreesomalia.The pair killed are two co-founders of the Islamist group, including US-wanted Ibrahim Haji Jama Mead, better known by his nickname Al-Afghani -- "the Afghan" -- due to his training and fighting with Islamist guerrillas there.Washington offered the $5 million bounty for Afghani, who opposed the command of top Shebab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane.Godane, who the US have offered $7 million for, earlier this month ordered the arrest of Afghani and at least a dozen other leaders, according to security sources.Shebab gunmen also killed Abul Hamid Hashi Olhayi, named as another senior commander and co-founder of the group.The deaths show the splits in the long-running insurgency to topple the internationally-backed government, but also signal Godane's efforts to sweep away opposition to his command and cement his more radical leadership.Family members -- including Afghani's sister -- said they were arrested and then executed, but the Shebab said they were killed during a gun battle."We deny reports that the men were killed after capture," Musab told terrorfreesomaia."The two men were killed in a shoot out when they were resisting arrest on court orders."Somalia's Shebab is fractured into multiple rival factions, some based along clan lines and others ideological.Some are more attracted by a nationalist agenda to oust foreign forces from Somalia, while others -- including Godane -- have more international jihadi ambitions.However, despite its divisions, analysts say it remains a dangerous and powerful force.Earlier this month the Shebab showed their strength with a brazen daylight attack on a fortified United Nations compound in Mogadishu, with a seven-man suicide commando blasting into the complex and starting a gun battle to the death.The coordinated attack on the UN killed 11, tactics already tried in April when they attacked a Mogadishu court house.-- Somalia's 'Night of the Long Knives' --In April, a letter was circulated on extremist websites reportedly penned by Afghani to Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, criticising Godane's leadership."They disobeyed orders, and feebly tried to divide the group by issuing statements contrary to the position of the Shebab," Musab added.Security sources report that clashes broke out between Godane's troops and rival factions on June 20 in the southern Somali port of Barawe, one of the few towns still held by the Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents.After the fighting in Barawe in which Afghani was killed, factions opposed to Godane have scattered.Veteran Islamist leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys escaped north by boat to his homeland, the autonomous Himan and Heeb region.But on Saturday, security officials in Mogadishu confirmed he had flown to the capital, where he was reported to be in talks with government officials.However, the exact terms of his position -- and how far he had voluntarily gone to Mogadishu -- were not clear.The former army colonel -- a hero of Somalia's 1977-78 war with Ethiopia -- is on both United States and UN Security Council terrorism sanctions lists, but no bounty has been placed on his head.Aweys, in his late 70s, was a top leader of the Islamic Courts Union, a radical group that ruled Somalia in 2006 before being overthrown by Ethiopian troops who stormed Somalia in a US-backed invasion.Washington also offers $5 million for another Afghan war veteran at odds with Godane, former Shebab "spiritual leader" and spokesman Mukhtar Robow, also fighting with Godane.Robow, according to unconfirmed sources, also fled Barawe and headed towards the Hudur in the southern Bakool region, a stronghold of his clan.Godane has also issued death sentences in absentia for at least a dozen foreign fighters with the Shebab.They include Alabama-born Omar Hamami -- better known as Al-Amriki or "the American", who also has a $5 million bounty for his arrest offered by his own government.Long active mainly in southern and central Somalia, a string of key towns have been wrested from the Shebab by a 17,700-strong African Union force, fighting alongside government troops.But analysts warn that the divisions among the Shebab do not necessarily dent its strength."The evolution of the Islamist group appears to be aiming at a future objective where it might not be in charge of the country, but where it could make the country ungovernable," South Africa's Institute for Security Studies (ISS) 

Al-Shabab Leader Terrorist Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys (Habar-Gidir sup-clan Hawiye clan) 'Captured' Habar-gidir Hawiye pirate stronghold Town in Somalia

Senior al-Shabab officer Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys leads faithful in prayers on the first day of Eid al-Adha in Somalia's capital Mogadishu November 6, 2011.

NAIROBI — Somali officials say they have captured a leading al-Shabab commander designated a terrorist by the United States. The new development underscores a growing rift within the group.

 Hawiye / Habar Gidir sub-clan saleeban Local officials in central Somalia say Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys was captured in a coastal area around three in the morning Habar gidir clan town , Hawiye pirate stronghold Town . A spokesman for the Hawiye clan  Habar gidir clan Saleen clan  area administration hibin and Heeb , which controls the region, said the militant commander was apprehended without a fight.

“After long negotiation with him and his fighters we were successful to convince him to hand himself to the authorities,” said spokesman Mohamed Omar Hagafey The spokesman added the administration is now discussing a handover with the Somali federal government.Aweys, who is in his 70s, is the former leader of the extremist group Hisbul Islam, which fought against Somali authorities and merged with al-Shabab in 2010.

But in the last year, Aweys has been critical of other al-Shabab leaders, evidence of growing tension in the group.A United Nations monitoring group report on Somalia released last year says the Aweys faction is “considered to be more pragmatic” than the other wing of al-Shabab, headed by Ahmed Abdi Godane.


Al-Shabab Leader  Aweys surrendered himself to his own clan authorities Habar gidir , believing his life to be in danger. The Aweys wing of al-Shabab has always been more interested in Somali affairs, rather than taking part in a global jihad, which is the aim of the Godane faction.

 al shabaab claims to be working with al-Qaida terrorist group Hassan Dahir Aweys believes in establishing an Islamic state in east Africa , beyond the Somali borders.

 Analysts say it is unclear what impact Aweys’ apprehension will have on al-Shabab since the aging leader’s authority has been weakened since joining the group.

Al-Shabab has lost territory and influence in the last two years, and has been pushed out of its major strongholds in the capital and the port city of Kismayo due to concerted military operations led by the African Union peacekeeping force AMISOM.

But the group remains the most serious security threat to the country, and has claimed responsibility for attacks on government and foreign targets, including an assault last week on a UN compound in the capital that killed at least 21 people.

In Memoriam: Fallen Colleagues: UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia statement on Mogadishu UN attack

This UNDP tribute, currently in progress, is for those who lost their lives in the attack on the UN Common Compound in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 19 June 2013.

 

Tribute to Rita Muchucha

"It is with great sorrow that we share with you the loss of our UNDP colleague Rita Muchucha, who was tragically killed in yesterday's attack in Mogadishu.

Rita was a young, dynamic, committed woman who joined UNDP Somalia in January 2005 as an Operations Associate. Over the past seven years, she took on increasingly responsible roles in Operations and Administration. She was respected and well-liked by colleagues within UNDP and across the UN family.

Rita served as focal point for common services. This was a challenging and demanding role, but one which she fulfilled with excellence and unwavering enthusiasm, especially during the difficult planning and implementation stages of re-location to Mogadishu.

Rita's promotion to UNDP Somalia as International Operations Specialist and her re-location to Mogadishu was welcomed by all, and provided a sense of confidence that operational activities on the ground were in good hands. Rita played an instrumental role in supporting the management of the UN Common Compound. She was an open, friendly and fun-loving colleague; tragically lost to us in the prime of her life.

Rita is survived by her young daughter, Sanaa, 5 years old, her husband Roy, her brothers Dennis and Eric and her parents, to whom we extend our very
deepest condolences at this terrible time.

Whilst we say goodbye to the earthly version of Rita, her spirit will live on in every smile brought on by her memory and in the hearts of all of us who have been honoured to know her."

— UNDP Somalia Country Office
20 June 2013

UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia statement on Mogadishu UN attack

Al-Shabaab: The key to support of Islamist rebels was their navigation of Somalia's competing complex of clans

Amid the recent talk of defeating al-Shabaab it's worth remembering where and how the militant outfit was born.

In 2005 a few dozen Somalis declared themselves to be the youth wing of a new Islamic Courts movement that was becoming influential in a country ravaged by warlords and their battling militias.

Shabaab (Arabic for “youth”) emerged as the dominant force within the courts as they took control of the capital Mogadishu imposing some order on what had become the world's most failed state. The Islamic authority was rolled back in 2006 by foreign powers as the United States backed an invasion of Somalia by its neighbours Ethiopia.

Far from a defeat, al-Shabaab emerged as a national force during the occupation and took control of half the country after the Ethiopians retreated. They held sway despite imposing a form of Islam largely alien to most Somalis, which included bans on music and sport, heavy restrictions on women and atrocities against Sufi Muslims.

The key to their support was their astute navigation of Somalia's competing complex of clans.

The militants were eventually driven out of the capital by African Union forces in 2011 and then out of their last major urban stronghold in the port city of Kismayo last year. But it has been a campaign of containment, not eradication. The radicals still hold sway over the parts of southern and central Somalia which are not occupied by foreign armies.

As Somalia now fumbles for a federal solution that will award separate fiefs to its most powerful clans with an undetermined central authority in the capital, al-Shabaab remains a useful tool to those unhappy with the deal they are getting.

Many of the the militant group's remaining fighters, also serve in clan militias or the Somali security forces. Outside the bullet-ridden UN compound two of the dead Shabaab fighters who lay on the ground were wearing army uniforms. 

That may have been a stolen uniform used as a disguise but it may just as well have been the uniform the dead man was wearing in his second job the day before. The military solution has contained al-Shabaab but its ultimate defeat will only come with a comprehensive political settlement for Somalia...via independent

Somalia: Al-Shabaab militants claim three Britons dead after bomb attack on UN compound

Twenty killed during gun battle with Somali militants as staff try to flee to secure bunker

The United Nations' gradual, peaceful return to Somalia was shattered this morning as a truck full of explosives was detonated at the front gates of its compound in the capital, Mogadishu.

Less than a month after declaring the end of the transition period in the East African country and reinforcing its mission, the UN came under sustained attack from Islamist militants al-Shabaab.

After an explosion, seven gunmen, from what the al-Qa'ida affiliate calls its "martyrdom brigade", ran into the compound. A battle lasting more than an hour ensued, as African Union peacekeepers and security guards fought the militants. At least 20 people were killed, including the seven terrorists and four of the security forces. Most of the UN staff inside found shelter in a secure bunker within the building, but not everyone made it.

"There was not very much time to get into the safe area," said UN spokesman Ben Parker, who warned there may be news of more casualties.

The initial blast sprayed shrapnel and masonry across a busy street, killing at least five civilians and wounding many more. Inside the compound, reports suggested that two South African de-mining experts, as well as a Kenyan and a Somali member of UN staff were among at least 20 dead. A Somali government official said all seven attackers had been killed.

Throughout the assault, a Twitter account purporting to represent the Somali militants gave live commentary, claiming that the attackers had killed 16 UN workers, including three Britons, two Kenyans and a South African. The Foreign Office is investigating reports of British casualties.

Survivors were evacuated to the Amisom military base only a few metres away, which is the closest that Mogadishu has to a green zone.

The attack comes after a prolonged period of optimism during which Britain reopened its embassy in Mogadishu and the new President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, was fêted at a London donors conference in May.

Earlier this month the UN declared the end of a troubled eight-year political transition in Somalia and appointed former British ambassador, Nick Kay, as special envoy. Speaking last night, he said that the attack would not prompt the organisation to withdraw from the nation: "The UN is here to help and we are here to stay."

Mr Kay condemned the attack on the humanitarian and development workers: "This was an act of blatant terrorism and a desperate attempt to knock Somalia off its path of recovery and peace-building," he said. President Mohamud called al-Shabaab a "disgrace" to Somalia last night but insisted his country had "turned a corner".

Much has been made of the first Somali President to be elected since the collapse of the central government and the descent into civil war in 1991. That conflict was sustained by stockpiles of arms left over from the Cold War and topped up by various foreign governments including the US, which backed the corrupt and ineffective Transitional Federal Government that was dismantled last year.

However, the new Somali leader was selected, not elected. He was chosen by a new tranche of unelected MPs after days of clan-based political horse-trading in a deeply flawed process last September. The fact that the former university dean and civil rights activist was an improvement on his predecessor, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, was an almost accidental outcome.

The security gains made since al-Shabaab left Mogadishu at the height of a terrible famine two years ago are constantly threatened. Last month a car bomb was rammed into a convoy of Qatari officials travelling with Somalia's Interior Minister.

Neither the minister nor the visitors were hurt, but 11 bystanders were killed. A fortnight previously gunmen stormed the Supreme Court complex, killing at least 30 people and fighting gun battles with police and soldiers...via independent

Madaxweynaha Jubaland State oo isbitaalka ku booqday Col: Yaasiin Nuur Gaas(Daawo Sawirada)

Madaxweynaha Jubaland State oo isbitaalka ku booqday Dhaawacii Col: Yaasiin Nuur Gaas oo ku jiro Isbitaal ku yaalo Magaalad Nairobi.Xaalda caafimaad ee Col.Yaasiin Nuur Gaas ,Radeer oo ahaa gudoomiyihii ku xigeenkii maamulkii ku meel gaarka ahaa ee kismaayo ayaa maanta qaliin lagu sameeyay ayadoo xaaladiisa ay aadu fiican tahay.

Col: Yaasiin ayaa lagu wadaa in dhawaan uu ka soo baxo isbitaalka.

UN envoy sizes up Somalia challenges : New special representative sees restoring peace in the country's southern city of Kismayo as key mission

Shabaab was more or less defeated but SFG took its eye of the ball & decided create instability in Jubbaland

The Somali government says it will host a reconciliation conference to calm tensions in the southern city of Kismayo after an eruption of fighting between rival clans during the weekend. Restoring peace in Kismayo is a key challenges facing the UN's new special representative to Somalia. In this exclusive report, Al Jazeera's Peter Greste interviews Nicholas Kay, the UN's special envoy to Somalia, in Nairobi, Kenya's capital.

Somalia: Ban Ki-moon & Jan Eliasson are greatly saddened by attack on UN compound in Mogadishu. Statement

New York, 19 June 2013 - Deputy Secretary-General's remarks at Security Council Thematic Open Debate on Conflict Prevention and the Extractive Industries

Before I begin my remarks let me say a few words about the tragic events in Mogadishu today.

The Secretary-General and I were greatly saddened and shocked by the outrageous attack on the United Nations compound this morning in Mogadishu.  Full details are still emerging, but we know that several people have died.                              

The Secretary-General and I express our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.  Our thoughts are with the United Nations staff and all those who have suffered through this tragedy.  We remain committed to the principles of achieving peace and to keep Somalia on its path to recovery. 

  We thank the Government of Somalia and the African Union Mission in Somalia for their prompt response.  I have just learnt that the Secretary-General and the President of Somalia have spoken.

Mr. President,
Excellencies,

This Council is well aware of the link between abundant extractive resources and conflict.  In Sierra Leone, guns financed by blood diamonds and illegal timber are now silent.  Liberia’s Charles Taylor is facing international justice.  The scars of war are healing. 

But, in too many countries, a wealth of resources – such as timber, oil, coal, diamonds and precious metals – fail to translate into equivalent wealth for the people.  Instead, communities and individuals pay a terrible cost in terms of corruption, human rights abuses and environmental damage.  Only a powerful few benefit.  The result of this inequality – this injustice – is bitterness, mistrust and alienation.  These are the precursors of conflict.  This is the resource curse.

Yet, managed wisely, extractive resources can – and should – be the foundation for sustainable development and lasting peace.  I therefore welcome Mr. President, this thematic open debate of the Council and the opportunity to outline how the United Nations system is working with Member States, the private sector and other partners to help transform the resource curse into a resource blessing.

Last month, the Secretary-General briefed the Council about his joint visit with World Bank President Dr. Jim Yong Kim to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda.  Their message was clear.  Peace, development and the rule of law go hand-in-hand. 

That is why the Council and the United Nations system are supporting the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region.  That is why the World Bank is investing heavily in the region and encourages business to follow.

The private sector is a key player in equitable, transparent and sustainable exploitation of extractive resources – from Botswana to Brazil; from Cambodia to Colombia; from Malaysia to Mozambique.  But it is only one among a broad cast of actors.  Civil society, national governments and international organizations have important roles.  And, where conflict rages or is a distinct risk, the Security Council has its obligations. 

The primary responsibility for preventing conflict and transparently and equitably managing resources, lies with governments.  Political leaders are to ensure that extractive industries generate employment and tax revenues which support economic development and the provision of basic services.  And leaders are to be held accountable by national institutions which promote social cohesion and inclusion, based on rule of law and an independent judiciary. 

Transparency, it should be noted, is not just limited to tracking the flow of payments from extractive industries.  Information about the quantity, value and location of resources is also essential to managing public expectations and reducing tensions. 

Preventing conflict related to resources also means identifying social, economic and environmental impacts.  Measures must be taken to mitigate negative consequences, in close contact with local communities.  And clear processes for compensation must be available to prevent tensions and disputes.  The United Nations Environment Programme has been working closely with the Government of Nigeria to assess the environmental and public health impact of oil contamination in Ogoniland, in the Niger Delta, and to identify the options for clean-up.

United Nations political and peacekeeping missions and country teams support dispute resolution and grievance mechanisms through their rule of law programmes.  We also work to ensure that issues related to extractive industries are part of mediation efforts and are addressed in peace processes.  We have now included an expert on natural resources in our stand-by team of mediation experts.

Together with international financial institutions, we can help governments develop capacity on taxation policies and regulations relevant to extractive industries, and to address the impact of inflation and currency fluctuations. 

There is also a significant gender dimension to extractive industries.  The UN is working to ensure that this aspect is addressed.  In Mozambique, HIV-AIDS is a major problem related to migrant workers working in South Africa’s mines.  UNAIDS is working with companies in South Africa and with the miners’ home communities to raise awareness and reduce transmission.  And with the rapid expansion of Mozambique’s own extractive industries, the UN system as a whole is working on the broad spectrum of related health and development issues.

Where countries are recovering from conflict, the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission and country teams can engage extractive companies in training and employing former combatants. 

Where resource extraction is fuelling conflict, the Security Council, of course, has a crucial role.  The expert groups that support sanctions committees are a valuable tool.  They have presented findings on extractive industries, such as charcoal, timber, diamonds and gold.  Their recommendations to the Council, its committees and to Member States should be important catalysts for action. 

The expert groups have also provided guidance to the private sector, for instance on due diligence for individuals and entities that trade, process and consume minerals from eastern DRC.  Private sector initiatives, such as the Kimberley Process in relation to Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire, and the Extractive Industry's Transparency Initiative, are important to accountability, conflict prevention and sustainable development.  Ending corruption must be a core goal of the United Nations.

Voluntary action by the corporate sector also underpins the United Nations Global Compact and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.  Endorsed in 2011 by the Human Rights Council, the Principles provide a global standard for preventing and addressing human rights abuses linked to business activity. 

Member States should support these initiatives and principles – both the traditional major players, as well as the emerging economies that are increasingly entering the resources market.

Ultimately, all parties need to recognize – and act upon – the links between poverty, inequality, conflict and sustainable development.  As demand for extractive resources increases, so will competition and rivalry.  This must not lead to more violent conflicts in fragile nations but, rather, to cooperation and a sense of shared responsibility 

As we are seeing in many developing countries, resource wealth can be a catalyst for development.  As the Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda states: “We need a transparency revolution, so citizens can see exactly where and how taxes, aid and revenues from extractive industries are spent.” 

Let us support this process of transparency and sharing so that the people of developing nations can benefit from their own natural resources.

White House condemns attack on UN headquarters in Somalia

The Jubaland State President, H.E Ahmed Madobe condemns the cowardly act in the UN complex in Mogadishu

The Jubaland State President, H.E Ahmed Madobe condemns the cowardly act in the UN complex in Mogadishu

For Immediate Release

Statement of Jubbaland State President

 

 The Jubaland State President, H.E Ahmed Mohamed Islam condemns the cowardly act in the UN complex in Mogadishu by Al-Shabab terrorist, where innocent people have lost their lives. The purpose of this heinous act to disrupt relative calm that Mogadishu enjoying for the last few months. However, this will not dislocate the efforts to recuperate from violence and a peaceful place for international community.

This ruthless attack of Al-Shabab will not discourage our collective efforts to continue focusing to liberate the remaining districts. Jubaland State administration will bravely continue fighting Al-Shabab with the support of Somalia Government and International.

H.E. Ahmed Mohamed Islam,

President of Jubbaland State of Somal

 

Islamist al-Shabaab rebels say they attacked UN office in Somalia's capital

The al-Shabaab militant group said on its Twitter feed  its fighters were responsible for suicide attack on compound that killed 16 people including UN personnel

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden on al-Shabaab’s Attack on the United Nations in Somalia

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

The United States condemns in the strongest terms al-Shabaab’s despicable attack on the United Nations in Somalia today.  The attack targeted people and organizations working in partnership with the Somali Government to provide health services, clean water, sanitation, education, and economic opportunity – people striving to build a better future for the Somali people.  We commend the brave and swift response by the Somali security forces and the African Union Mission in Somalia, and send our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of this heinous act.

Today’s attack highlights the repugnant terrorist tactics al-Shabaab continues to use to stand in the way of efforts to ease the suffering of the Somali people.  Whether by denying food and medical aid during one of the region’s worst droughts, or by repeated attacks against fellow Somalis and soldiers helping to build a lasting peace, al-Shabaab has shown again and again that it stands on the side of death and destruction.

The United States remains a steadfast partner of the Somali people and their government as they work to build a safer, more prosperous future.  We reiterate our strong support for the important work of the United Nations toward reaching that goal.  Those seeking to derail Somalia’s progress will not succeed.

Shabaab suicide assault team storms UN compound in Mogadishu, Militants from Al Shabaab attack UN complex in Somalia, leaving at least 16 dead ( Exclusive Pictures )

 

A suicide assault team from Shabaab, al Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, attacked a United Nations base in the capital of Somalia, killing several UN employees after briefly taking over the compound.

The suicide assault team, which was made up of eight fighters armed with assault rifles and suicide vests, struck at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) compound earlier today. The attack began as a suicide bomber detonated "a pickup truck rigged with explosives" at the main gate, according to a UN statement. The blast breached the perimeter of the compound, and allowed the seven other Shabaab fighters to enter the base.

African Union soldiers surrounded the UNDP base and engaged the Shabaab fighters, killing them all after nearly two hours of fighting.

Reports of casualties indicate that more than 20 people were killed in the fighting. Four "UNDP foreign staff, four Somali security guards," and seven "civilians" were killed, according to Garowe.

Shabaab claimed credit for the attack in a series of Tweets on its official Twitter site, HSMPRESS1.

Shabaab described the UN as "a merchant of death & a satanic force of evil," which "has a long inglorious record of spreading nothing but poverty, dependency & disbelief."

"Serving #US goals, the #UN is a monolithic block in the path towards the astablishment [sic] of Allah's Law on earth & must therefore be dislodged," Shabaab said.

Shabaab "intel teams" claimed to be among the dead are "16 #UN workers, including 3 #British, 2 #Kenyan and 1 #SouthAfrican," as well as 19 "UNDP security guards" and African Union troops.

"Some of the 'white Kuffar' [non-Muslims] who tried to engage the Mujahideen in combat inside the offices were killed and thrown out into the compound," the terror group stated.

Casualty counts for the attack have not been released by the UNDP, AMISOM, or the Somali government.

In the past, Shabaab has shown it can penetrate security at the heavily protected areas in the capital and carry out deadly attacks. AMISOM, Somali government and military officials, and nongovernmental organizations have been the target of Shabaab suicide assaults and bombings. In one such incident, in September of 2012, three suicide bombers attacked Somalia's president and Kenya's foreign minister as they were speaking at a hotel in Mogadishu.

Shabaab has also executed a suicide attack outside Somalia's borders: the July 11, 2010 double suicide attack in Kampala, Uganda, that killed 74 people. It was carried out by a suicide cell called the Saleh ali Nabhan Brigade, which is named after the al Qaeda leader who served as Shabaab's military commander before he was killed in a US special operations raid in September 2009.

Although Shabaab abandoned Mogadishu, Kismayo, and other large cities in Somalia after a combined African Union, Kenyan, Ethiopian, and Somali offensive, it still controls several major towns and cities along the coast between Kismayo and Mogadishu, including Jilib, Baraawe, and Merca, as well as other areas throughout the country.

Shabaab and its Kenyan branch, the Muslim Youth Center, formally joined al Qaeda in February 2012. The east African terror groups were closely tied to al Qaeda for years prior, however; Shabaab leaders had openly proclaimed their allegiance to al Qaeda long before the official merger.

Al Qaeda and its affiliates and allies have carried out numerous suicide assaults such as the one in Somalia today in countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, Algeria, Mali, and Niger.via .long war journal

 

Militants from Al Shabaab attack UN complex in Somalia, leaving at least 16 dead

UN's peaceful return to Somalia shattered as al-Shabaab bomb kills 16 at compound

Al Shabaab suicide attack on UN office in Somali capital Mogadishu leaves 16 dead
 

Politics of polarization destabilizing the new Somalia [Editorial]

President Hassan – defend the legitimate federal constitution or you will not be president of Somalia.

 

There is no question that Somali politics has been further polarized since the election of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on September 10, 2012. President Hassan’s irrationally obsessive refusal to recognize the rights of local communities in Jubaland State is the root cause of this new, and dangerous, polarization in Somali politics.

Political fragmentation is not a new phenomenon in Somalia. The country disintegrated in 1991 after the violent overthrow of former President Mohamed Siyad Barre. The Somali people, and the internationally community that supports them, have since been struggling to reinstitute and rebuild the nation, using the politics of peace, dialogue and reconciliation.

It is worrisome that President Hassan unreasonably rejects the formation of Jubaland State.  Why does President Hassan reject the facts: a) Jubaland State formation process began four years ago in neighboring Kenya (TFG, predecessor to the current Somali Federal Government, also originated in Kenya); b) Jubaland Conference was underway in Kismayo for 5 months and the conference organizers are on the record repeatedly inviting the Somali Federal Government to Kismayo; c) over 800 community delegates voted to adopt the Interim Jubaland State Charter; and d) 500 community delegates voted for the Jubaland state president, electing Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Ahmed Madobe) on May 15, 2013, among a number of presidential candidates.

It is not worrisome, however, that President Hassan remarks that “Jubaland has many self-declared presidents”; indeed, this is an intentional remark with a specific political value. The remark was based on President Hassan’s ill-fated hope to achieve his unreasonable goal: reject Jubaland, whatever the cost. When the “many self-declared presidents” political scheme failed shamefully, then came the Somali Federal MPs and Minister of Defense travelling to Kismayo, to foment trouble and mislead public (and international) opinion about the so-called “impending conflict” in Kismayo.

When no conflict came, the Somali Minister of Defense’s own bodyguards who travelled with him to Kismayo were involved in an armed skirmish on June 7 and June 8, 2013, and it is well-known that the Defense Minister who had initially refused to politely leave Kismayo fled back to Mogadishu on an airplane transporting wounded bodyguards. Why did the Somali Defense Minister’s bodyguards begin an armed skirmish in Kismayo against Jubaland security forces?

This, of course, is a self-fulfilling prophecy. President Hassan, and the cronies who support his ill-fated policies such as Defense Minister, Interior Minister and a certain MP Hosh, have repeatedly claimed there are “many self-declared presidents in Jubaland” and warned of an “impending conflict” and when nothing worked their way, the Defense Minister’s own bodyguards began shooting in Kismayo. The U.N. Security Council, the U.S. Government and other powers are well informed of this and the destabilizing role of the Somali Defense Minister, a U.S. citizen.

President Hassan must address the real national crisis in Somalia. The country does not seem to have a legitimate constitution. Somali Roadmap Signatories signed the only legitimate federal constitution in Somalia – the Provisional Federal Constitution – page by page in Nairobi on June 22, 2012. This legitimate constitution was hijacked and the current so-called constitution that the Lower House of Federal Parliament was distributed on Sep. 7, 2012, is illegitimate and puts into question the very legitimacy of Somali Federal Institutions.

The Federal Constitution was signed, page by page, precisely to prevent any future tampering which is a constitutional violation. Without a legitimate constitution, Somalia does not have a legitimate president, nor a legitimate federal government.

So when President Hassan claims that Jubaland State formation “violates the constitution”, it pleases the Somali people to know precisely which constitution President Hassan refers to.

And next time President Hassan speaks of the “rights” of local people in Kismayo, it pleases the Somali people to know President Hassan’s position on the legitimate rights of Somalis who were targeted, persecuted, killed, raped, and displaced from their homes and properties in Mogadishu and whose homes and properties remain under the forceful (and shameful) occupation of President Hassan’s clansmen in Mogadishu to this day and age.

It is clear President Hassan is not committed to address any legitimate national issues in Somalia. It is increasingly clear that President Hassan is pursuing a vengeful clan agenda that former Gen. Mohamed Farah Aideed could not achieve with all the muscle and manpower of 1991.

Indeed, it is also clear that the Somali people have bore witness to President Hassan’s polarizing and clan-centric politics and, from within Somalia and in the Diaspora, the Somali people have risen and have protested President Hassan’s vision for Somalia to return to the clan wars of the 1990s.

President Hassan – defend the legitimate federal constitution or you will not be president of Somalia. Soon, it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy that “Somalia has many self-declared presidents”. 

Meanwhile, Jubaland will have only President Ahmed Madobe until the next election, inshallah.

Kenya to employ drones to thwart gunrunners, al-Shabaab

Kenya is preparing to employ drones as part of increased security operations along its borders with Somalia and Ethiopia to monitor and halt the movements of al-Shabaab and gunrunners, security officials told Sabahi.

• Kenyan security forces conduct a search mission in Liboi along Kenya's border with Somalia in October 2011 after two Spanish aid workers were kidnapped from Dadaab refugee camp. [Tony Karumba/AFP]
• Kenyan paramilitary police in Nairobi burned this pile of seized illegal weapons in March 2009. [Simon Maina/AFP]

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Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, are needed to help Kenyan security forces on the ground patrol the country's frontiers, said Patrick Ochieng, director of the Kenya National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

"We face an unprecedented security challenge," he told Sabahi. "Not only do we have threats from within the country, but also from al-Shabaab insurgents."

Gunrunning and infiltration by al-Shabaab into Kenya's north-eastern region have brought insecurity with deadly effects, he said, adding that the past two years have seen an increase in violence from illegal guns, with criminals and gunrunners devising new ways to smuggle in firearms.

The unarmed drones will be equipped with state-of the-art technology including night-vision cameras to help Kenya stay ahead of criminals and evolving security threats, Ochieng said.

Security officers are receiving training on working with the drones, which will be operational by the end of the year, Ochieng said. He declined to reveal more details about the programme, saying that doing so could aid gunrunners.

Policing Kenya's porous, more than 800-kilometre border with Somalia is a difficult challenge, said north-eastern regional Police Chief Charlton Mureithi, and deploying drones will aid officers on the ground.

"We hope this technology will go a long way in addressing security threats in the region because the drones will keep an eye on the most remote routes the smugglers use," he told Sabahi.

Investing in security

Retired army Major Bishar Hajji Abdullahi said the government should invest in such technologies even if they are expensive because the goal of safeguarding the country should supersede the costs.

"Despite the drones being a controversial subject all over the country, in some cases, the government has the responsibility of protecting its citizens by whatever means," he told Sabahi.

Nonetheless, better technology will not yield desired results without proper training for security officers, he said. "The government has to be careful not to sink money into ineffective technology," Abdullahi said.

As security equipment becomes less expensive to acquire, Kenya should invest heavily in it to counter criminal threats, particularly from al-Shabaab, he said.

"For instance in the north-eastern region, where there are frequent al-Shabaab attacks, the government should provide security officers with armoured vehicles and bulletproof vests," Abdullahi said.

The government unveiled its national budget for 2013-2014 on June 13th, setting aside 67 billion shillings ($784 million) for security.

National Treasury Secretary Henry Rotich said 4 billion shillings ($46.9 million) of the allocated money will go towards security equipment, 4.5 billion shillings ($52.7 million) for enhanced operations, and 1.5 billion shillings ($17.6 million) for research into improving crime-prevention methods. ..via sabahionline

Terror suspect shot dead in Mombasa, Al-Shabaab releases photos of captured Kenyan police, weapons

Anti-terrorism police on Monday shot dead a terror suspect at Mlaleo, Kisauni in Mombasa County and recovered two hand grenades, 200 bullets and a firearm.

Mr Kasim Omondi was shot dead at his residence after a fierce battle.

Last week, 16 people were injured when an explosive device was hurled at an open-air crusade in Likoni. Read (16 injured in Likoni church terror attack)

The attack followed another that happened towards the end of last year at Shonda, near the Likoni Approved School where a police officer was killed when a grenade was hurled at their vehicle

 

Last month, two terror suspects were killed and six police officers injured during an operation in Nairobi's Githurai estate. Read (Terror suspect who trained in Somalia)

Police also recovered parts of four expended grenades and two other grenades.

Al-Shabaab releases photos of captured Kenyan police, weapons

Press Release:The Jubbaland State Government welcomes the UN Security Council Press Statement of June 13, 2013

JUBBALAND STATE OF SOMALIA
June 14, 2013
Press Release
The Jubbaland State Government welcomes the UN Security Council Press Statement of June 13, 2013 and supports its provisions that “all parties to refrain from any action which may threaten the peace and stability of the Juba regions” and to “engage in dialogue in a constructive manner to achieve a peaceful resolution to the current crisis and to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation”.
It is well known to all Somalis and the international community that the Somali Federal Government (SFG) is responsible for the recent disturbance to the peace and stability of Jubbaland through openly financing and inciting conflict which was carried out by SFG Ministers and senior military officials who visited Kismayo on a number of occasions. The Jubbaland State urges the SFG to desist and refrain from further destabilization actions against the State Government and people of Jubbaland, and takes this opportunity remind the SFG of the tremendous cost of the painstaking gains made against Al-Shabaab terrorism.
Following the recent fighting in Kismayo, the Jubbaland State Government undertook extensive campaign of stabilization, peace awareness creation and local reconciliation. Fortunately, the situation of Kismayo in particular and Jubbaland in general is now calm despite the continued and combined warfare of the Al-shabaab and the SFG against the people and State Government of Jubbland.
The Jubbaland State Government assures the people of Somalia, UN Security Council, IGAD, UNSOM and the international community that it will do all in its power to promote peace and stability in Jubbaland and in Somalia as a whole. With regard to alleviating the humanitarian crisis, the Jubbaland State Government wishes to emphasize the urgency of this issue, to assure humanitarian actors that the situation is now stable, and stands ready to extend all facilitation required.
The Jubbaland State Government is ready for peace and cooperation dialogue with the SFG through fair and just mediation of IGAD in a neutral venue with a conducive environment for peaceful dialogue. It should be noted, however, that this conflict is not only between the Jubbaland State Government and the SFG.
It is a larger, more serious constitutional and governance conflict between the Centre and the Regions of Somalia i.e. the SFG, on one side, and all the Regional entities (Puntland, Somaliland, Jubbaland, Northwest, Hiiran and Central regions etc) and it requires the urgent benevolent and neutral mediation of all Somalis and the international community.
The President of Jubbaland State of Somalia has formed a committee to investigate recent Kismayo disturbance of June 07 – 08, 2013 where innocent lives and properties were lost.
Once again, Jubbaland State of Somalia confirms its commitment to IGAD and UN resolutions and hopes the SFG will practically and sincerely commit to respect IGAD and UN resolutions as well.
————————————————————-

 

END ———————————————————–
Abdinasser Serar
Contact: +252-616070007

Challenges to America's Counterterrorism Strategy in Somalia

By Breuk Bass, Katherine Zimmerman

June 10, 2013

 

Introduction

 

Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia, al Shabaab, has suffered a series of defeats at the hands of Somali clan militia forces, internationally-backed African Union peacekeeping troops, and Somali federal government forces. Notably, al Shabaab lost a major stronghold in the southern Somali port city of Kismayo at the end of September 2012.[1] As al Shabaab suffered setbacks, the Somali government made major progress: The United States formally recognized a government of Somalia in January 2013 for the first time since 1991, for example.[2] The government controls the majority of Mogadishu today, whereas it held only a few blocks of the capital city in 2010.

Yet the Somali federal government’s sovereignty over the territory recognized as Somalia is far from complete, and faces significant challenges. Somaliland, which declared its independence in 1991, has been relatively stable and has sought recognition as a separate state. Puntland established a separate government shortly thereafter, but the semi-autonomous region remains nominally part of the federal Somali state. The defeat of al Shabaab in southern Somalia has galvanized a movement to establish a similar region – Jubbaland – that would also be nominally part of a federal state. The initiative did not stem from the federal government, but rather from local warlords, threatening a codification of the form of the warlordism that originally collapsed the Somali state...more

Help Waamo Unity Group and Regional Sustainable Development raise $22,000 to send a 40-foot container of medical supplies to Kismayo General Hospital in Somalia.

Kismayo General Hospital is located in the large port city of Kismayo in Lower Juba Region. It was built in 1931 by the Italian Administration in the Region. The security situation in the city, held together by a precarious armed peace, is not sufficient for most humanitarian agencies to operate. Many organizations have visited the hospital and have said that they would help, but so far there have been few promises fulfilled. ..more

Jubbaland Security Review - June 13, 2013. President Madoobe talks about his meeting with Hassan Sheikh and the fighting in Kismayo Jubbaland

 Newly elected presidents of Jubbaland, Ahmed Madobe, said that he is willing to hold meetings in Mogadishu in order to reach an agreement with the Somali government. Madobe also asserted his independence from the Kenyan government saying they were not involved in the creation of the Jubbaland administration. Finally, Madobe announced that his troops were planning to carry out security operations in Kismayo, Lower Jubba region in the coming days.Spokesman for the Kenyan Defense Forces said the recent violence in Kismayo is a nothing to be alarmed about and that the situation will soon be remedied.Kenyan authorities released the identity of a suspected terrorist who jumped bail and traveled to Somalia to join al Shabaab. Fuad Abubakar Manswab was arrested in December 2011 but fled when he got out on bail and traveled through Lamu to Somalia sometime this year.

via terror free Somalia.
President Madoobe talks about his meeting with Hassan Sheikh and the fighting in Kismayo Jubbaland

 

Row over Somali’s Kismayu could upset fragile peace, strengthen Al-Shabaab militia. Dangerous Play By Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Over the Jubbaland Affair

Dangerous Play By Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Over the Jubbaland Affair

 

Al-Shabaab could take advantage of the row between Somalia government and leaders of the Kismayu-based Jubaland State, a new report has warned.

Researchers called on key stakeholders to resolve the crisis immediately and strengthen Mogadishu’s authority. The report called on leaders in Somalia’s capital to “robustly engage” Nairobi and reassure their legitimate security concerns by sharing a workable plan to stabilise border regions.

“The growing crisis in Kismayu has the potential to undermine the Somali Federal Government,” said the researchers. “It also threatens to bring the fragile and recovering nation back to the brink of civil war.

“The report warns of hardening political positions over the fate of the port city that could “destabilise the entire country if not properly dealt with”.

Jubaland State

“The government (of Somalia) is mortgaging its political capital to undermine the efforts to establish a ‘ Jubaland’ state,” the report warned.

The document, prepared by The Mogadishu-based Heritage Institute for Policy Studies, called on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to endorse the current leader of the Jubaland State, Ahmed Mohamed Islam, to lead a fresh interim administration that paves the way for the formation of a new federal state in the region. Islam, better known as Ahmed Madobe, was on May 15 elected president by hundreds of clan elders who met in Kismayu. Mohamud rejected the vote as unconstitutional and unilateral.

A regional bloc has recently urged Mogadishu to “convene and lead a reconciliation conference” to chart out a way to set up an interim administration in regions recently liberated by Kenyan and allied forces. In the interim, though, it called upon the stakeholders in Kismayu “to go to Mogadishu and dialogue with the Federal Government”. 

Mohamed Husein Gaas, a Horn of Africa analyst with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, said it “not practical” for the federal Government at this stage to lead a reconciliation conference on Jubaland because it has lost the trust of the people in the region.

“What is imperative now is to launch a substantial trust building between Mogadishu and Kismayu, and that begins with the recognition of the elected administration of Jubaland,” Gaas said.

Ethiopia and Kenya have spearheaded IGAD’s process to help Somalia’s government in setting up local administrations in the country. Both countries are wary of insurgent groups operating in Somalia who can easily penetrate their vast, porous borders.

The Heritage Institute’s recommendation is significant as it is comes from researchers whose clan, Hawiye, is overwhelmingly against the Jubaland State. It also shows that some Hawiye are willing to differ with President Mohamud. When the President burst onto the political scene in September last year, many Somalis, regardless of their clan affiliations, welcomed him as a unifying figure. But his stand on the Jubaland issue has cost him popularity among members of the Darod clan, who now accuse him of trying to impose a Hawiye hegemony on other clans.

“First, the Kismayu crisis should be recognized as a critical reconciliation issue that requires creative political solutions,” the report said. “Second, the (Somali Federal Government) must recognize the realities on the ground and articulate a pragmatic political dispensation.”