UK Somalia top aid chief visits Baidoa, shocked by destruction

“I want to tell Somalis to keep talking to each other. Somalis need a political settlement with each other because no amount of international assistance can make that happen. Somalis need to make that happen for themselves,” DFID Somalia boss Joanna Reid said with a grin, before boarding her special flight back to the Somalia capital, Mogadishu.

Baidoa – Somalia: Joanna Reid, the United Kingdom Department of Foreign and International Development (DFID) Somalia chief visited Baidoa for the first time to check out progress and impact of DFID’s work locally implemented by various humanitarian organizations aimed at empowering the local community to be self-sufficient in the ongoing international efforts to stabilize Somalia.
During her short visit, Madam Joanna toured the Baidoa police station, where UK tax payer’s money is helping to renovate the dilapidated police station and since all the offices are under renovation she had to be briefed under a tree by the policemen.
She also met with a team of Somali mine experts under Mine Action who defuse and detonate bombs and other Improvised explosives devices (IEDs) and had the opportunity to detonate a small bomb under the supervision of the Somali mine experts, the bomb she detonated was among dozens of others planted by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Baidoa which have been safely recovered and are in the process of being defused.
“I find it encouraging hearing that people are saying now it is time for change in Somalia and that they have got some stability. People say now they want some development, they want to do something with that and that is very important and it is not seen as humanitarian assistance it is really development,” She said.
Joanna and her delegation comprising of DFID staffs in Somalia later visited the Baidoa central jail that is also in a very bad shape with leaking roofs and congested rooms for inmates. The jail is in the pipeline to benefit from the UK aid managed and implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
She later met with local Somali leaders and various representatives of humanitarian agencies implementing DFID programs in Baidoa to hear about the progress of the work, challenges faced by the implementers and more importantly what could be done differently to help improve the pathetic situation of Somalis.
“What we were saying to the governor is that it is not just sticking pasta, feeding people, we can now move on from that but you need the political will and you need stability and so if you have got that then I think we can see some development in Somalia,” Joanna said.
BROKEN BAIDOA
Baidoa governor Abdi Adan Hosow praised the UK government for its support to Somalia and in particular Baidoa. He said DFID programs are helping locals with much need skills and entrepreneurial skills to quickly settle from years of conflict and displacement.
“Baidoa town is so glad to host the DFID Somalia chief and her staff. We wish to greatly thank the people of the UK and their government for the much needed support in to our people. Your money is helping families cope with years of conflict and displacement and it is also imparting life skills to youths and women many of who would otherwise be languishing in poverty or in utter hopelessness,” Governor Hosow told the UK delegation. The governor is himself a Somali British diaspora returnee from London.
The little Joanna and her team saw of Baidoa simply shocked her. She was however full of praise to the African Union peacekeepers in Somalia, AMISOM, saying that they are vital in making peace happen which in the long term would help in the development of Somalia.
“Baidoa is very broken. I did not see a single building that was intact and so I think that in itself it is quite shocking and I think we need to remember just how fragile and how much people have been through here and what they have suffered and they deserve a better future, they really do,” She added.
Asked what message she had for Somalis, Joanna Reid posed, before carefully picking her words.
“I want to tell Somalis to keep talking to each other. Somalis need a political settlement with each other because no amount of international assistance can make that happen. Somalis need to make that happen for themselves,” DFID Somalia boss Joanna Reid said with a grin, before boarding her special flight back to the Somalia capital, Mogadishu.

Somalia returns Black Hawk Down remains to the US.

“America is Somalia’s biggest supporter and one of our closest allies. The American government has recognized the Federal Government of Somalia and is actually helping to train our forces and is also at the forefront in helping to reconstruct back Somalia. We have nothing to give them back and the least we could do is hand over the remains of the chopper to the government,” Prime Minister Shirdon said.

Mogadishu – Sometimes in September this year, Somalia allowed an American war museum to have the remains of a US fighter chopper brought down 20 years ago by clan militias in Mogadishu during the disastrous 1993 United Nations International Somalia Mission (UNISOM) vividly captured by the famous Hollywood movie Black Hawk Down.
The remains – which have been collecting dust at a Mogadishu backyard near the famous Bakara market – was donated to the Special Operations War Museum in Fort Bragg, USA, bringing to a close one of Somalia’s most written about story of its violent past about the bringing down of the US fighter chopper Black Hawk in Mogadishu on October 3, 1993 during the onset of the civil war in Somalia.
Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said Somalia currently enjoys a cordial working relationship with the US government and that out of the American goodwill shown to the Somali people and his government in these tough economic times, Somalia decided to hand over the remains of the American chopper to a war museum in order to give the American public an opportunity to view the remains.
“America is Somalia’s biggest supporter and one of our closest allies. The American government has recognized the Federal Government of Somalia and is actually helping to train our forces and is also at the forefront in helping to reconstruct back Somalia. We have nothing to give them back and the least we could do is hand over the remains of the chopper to the government,” Prime Minister Shirdon said.
The remains were shipped from Mogadishu in July with the help of an American private security firm belonging to an American couple living in Mogadishu whose philanthropic action is likely to improve relations between US and Somalia.
AMISOM peacekeepers in Somali also took part in the historic event by crucially safeguarding the Black Hawk Down remains at the Mogadishu seaport during its shipment.
Speaking from the US city of Minnesota in Minneapolis where he is attending a Somalia Diaspora consultative meeting organized by AMISOM, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and head of AMISOM hailed Somalia for its thoughtful decision to hand over the remains to the US government.
“Somalia is slowly recovering from its dark past and I am so pleased to see such a rare benevolent act from the Somalis to return the remains of the Black Hawk Down to its rightful owners, the American people. We hope that this will finally rest the sad events that transpired during that dark history of Somalia and instead usher in a peaceful era in Somalia. AMISOM is ready to stand with the Somalis in their quest to a peaceful and prosperous Somalia,” Ambassador Annadif said.
America’s most watched CBS television series 60 minutes, documented the story behind the shipment of the Black Hawk Down remains from Somalia to the US and aired it days before and after the October 3, 20th anniversary of the Black Hawk Down incident.
The latest gesture from the Somalis is likely to help its cause of seeking more support for their fledgling government that needs massive support as it struggles to battle out the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab militants who are out to destabilize the country which slowly healing from the effects of one of Africa’s longest civilian conflicts.
Ordinary Americans working in Mogadishu welcomed the move.
“This brings to a close the Black Hawk Down saga and opens a new door of friendship between Somalia and America. The Somali gesture will help with the healing process and acceptance by family members who lost their beloved ones in Somalia when the chopper was brought down. We can only say thank you so much to the Somali people for their thoughtful gesture, I hope my fellow Americans will laud this rare gesture from the Somalis,” said a lady US expatriate working in Somalia who did not wish to be named.

AMISOM trains first ever professional Somalia firefighters

“It means a lot for 20 young people to receive such an important training and to go back home to transfer the knowledge to others, it is so beneficial for the country. The benefit is that we have come from a point where we did not have these skills we have acquired and we have had challenges, but now we have the technical know-how to counter fire disasters,” Mohamed Abdullahi, the groups team leader added.

The AMISOM United Nations Trust Fund has helped train the first ever professional Somalia firefighters outside the Horn of African country after 20 young members of the Somalia Emergency and Rescue Team took part in a two week long high level training in Kenya as part of the ongoing efforts to restore peace and stability in war-ravaged Somalia.
Just like other national institutions, the Somalia Fire and Emergency Rescue Unit premises and equipment’s in Mogadishu were looted and property destroyed by unknown assailants during the last 20 years of civil unrest in Somalia.
With the help of the Somalia government, international partners and AMISOM, the unit is slowly being resuscitated by giving them the necessary expertise and tools they require to prevent fire and respond to any other emergency disasters.
The training in Nairobi was overseen by experienced fire fighters from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) with class-based theory lessons as well as practical fire-fighting techniques on how to attack airport fire which was held at an open field in the busy Jomo Kenya International Airport as planes landed and flew away during the fire drill.
“Airport Fire Fighting is a bit advanced, it is more technical because you have to deal with an aircraft with passengers on board and there is a lot of fuel and it is moving. So when it touches down, they you expect a lot of problems. And the fire is abrupt, it builds up very fast and people can inhale toxic gasses from within or even hot air,” Francis Ndeleva, one of the KAA Fire and Rescue Instructors said.
MOGADISHU CAN SLEEP IN PEACE
Talking of hot air and toxic fumes, some of the Somali trainees experienced near fatal incident in the last fire they tried to put off in Mogadishu in September last year prior to getting any training after several firefighters became unconscious from inhaling toxic form they were using to extinguish a fire caused by burning fuel at a petrol station.
At the time, they said they were not aware inhaling form was toxic.
But now that they have been equipped with the necessary knowledge and hopefully with the right gear, they are ready to face off any challenges and a raring to go.
“Several of our colleagues collapsed last year when we were still new to this risky but crucial job of being a firefighter. We are so glad to AMISOM, our government and the UN for sending us for the first ever training outside Somalia. We are happy to return home with a new set of skills and the public in Mogadishu can now peacefully sleep since we are ready to save their lives anytime,” Mohamed Sahal, Co-ordinator of the Somalia Emergency Rescue and Fire Fighters said after safely landing back home.
During their hands-on training in Nairobi, the trainers chose a perfect spot at the airport for the young Somali fire fighter next to a rusty but symbolic former Somalia air force military plane used by former Somalia President Mohamed Siyad Bare to flee the civil war in Somalia in early 1991.
As if the presence of their former plane gave them a gusto to do even better, the young Somali trainers extinguished a fire lit for them as part of training and showed their first aid techniques they have learnt by attending to dummies and some of their colleagues mimicking victims strategically placed inside and outside the rusty Somalia military cargo plane.
“It means a lot for 20 young people to receive such an important training and to go back home to transfer the knowledge to others, it is so beneficial for the country. The benefit is that we have come from a point where we did not have these skills we have acquired and we have had challenges, but now we have the technical know-how to counter fire disasters,” Mohamed Abdullahi, the groups team leader added.

Somalia’s once Al-Shabaab slaughter house town now enjoys peace.

If a horror movie about Al-Shabaab’s atrocious reign is ever to be made in Somalia, this little farming town would easily lead as the perfect venue for such a moving movie. In your way to the town, a grave yard is clearly visible just across the road with each grave marked with stones as a possible reminder of the ghastly Al-Shabaab rule.

August 27, AW-DIINLE, Somalia – Gone are the days when residents of the small strategic farming village of Aw-Diinle used to be terrorized by the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab militants who just a few months ago turned the village into a slaughter house where they would literally dump off dead bodies or simply chop off victims head’s.

Located approximately 274 km northwest of the capital Mogadishu, Aw-Diinle town is the last frontline in Bay region of northwest Somalia occupied by AMISOM peacekeepers from Burundi who together with Somalia forces captured the town 3 months ago from the much loathed rogue Al-Shabaab militants.

Since then, life is slowly returning to normal and residents enjoy an unprecedented peaceful spell as they go about freely tilting their farms and raring livestock. Even the camels of Aw-Diinle are these days looking healthier and produce abundant milk thanks to the stress-free life enjoyed by their keepers.

During a 5 year Al-Shabaab reign from 2009 to earlier this year, the town which lies in the busy and strategic road that connects Somalia to Kenya and Ethiopia was a major economic hub to the militants who used to extort money from the trucks and public service vehicles at a key junction in the town.

Aw-Diinle residents narrated their ordeal under Al-Shabaab saying that the militants chopped off the heads of 45 people including 8 from the same village during their reign which also saw hundreds of other innocent people simply sprayed with bullets and left for the dead and to rot in the open fields.

If a horror movie about Al-Shabaab’s atrocious reign is ever to be made in Somalia, this little farming town would easily lead as the perfect venue for such a moving movie. In your way to the town, a grave yard is clearly visible just across the road with each grave marked with stones as a possible reminder of the ghastly Al-Shabaab rule.

As if they never had enough blood, a few rogue Al-Shabaab members are still baying for more blood as they sometimes sneak into town from their hideout of Dambar village 8 km away from Aw-Diinle at dusk to try and disturb the peace the locals are enjoying by planting bombs and scaring off locals.

This month alone, two improvised explosive devices (IED) planted by suspected Al-Shabaab members at a restaurant frequented by government soldiers and officials have so far been unearthed and safely detonated by AMISOM peacekeepers. The bomb experts had to come all the way from Baidoa since those in Aw-Diinle do have the expertise and necessary gear to detonate the bomb.

HUMAN SLAUGHTER HOUSE
Disturbing images of headless bodies, other mutilated bodies including some riddled with bullets often appeared by the day and were a common feature in Aw-Diinle town during the Al-Shabaab reign making life worthless and leaving residents to wonder whether they would live to see the next day let alone ever surviving the ordeal to one day narrate their harrowing story.

“Al-Shabaab slit my sister’s head in Aw-Diinle without any reason whatsoever and refused us to bury her headless body. I also know a male friend of mine who had to part with $3000 USD in order to avoid being killed. I cannot describe the anguish and pain we have gone through as a family because of Al-Shabaab. Every day we pray for their downfall because they are no good at all,” said one young man who did not wish to be named for his own safety.

The local District Commissioner summed up the Al-Shabaab brutality saying that the locals are elated to host the AMISOM peacekeepers who are not only keeping away rogue Al-Shabaab militias away from the tiny farming village but are also helping bring back peace in their locality.

“This town used to be an Al-Shabaab human slaughter house. Al-Shabaab slaughtered 45 people in this village, 8 of whom are from this town. Dead bodies used to appear with daylight and people were so scared. The village is surrounded by graves and used to be a ghost town then. Business is now back and we are slowly recovering thanks to the peace we enjoy. We are so glad AMISOM peacekeepers are here to stay because without them we cannot have the peace we are enjoying now,” District Commissioner Mohamed Abdullahi said.

Coincidentally Aw-Diinle has a religious connotation as “Diin” is faith in Somali language but even that did not clearly deter the militants from shedding innocent blood and turning the town into a slaughter house and an abode of racketeers who killed, maimed and robbed off residents and passengers alike.

Even the poor farmers and pastoralists of Aw-Diinle did not escape the Al-Shabaab jungle rule as they were often forced to bribes their way in order to avoid arrest or torture even. For those who did not have money they would be required to pay up with their farm produce and the little livestock they reared.

The local AMISOM commander Captain Alexis Budomo from Burundi says that they plan to take the fight to Al-Shabaab and is full of praise to the local population for working closely with him by voluntarily informing them of any suspicious characters in order to keep the fragile peace Aw-Diinle town is currently enjoying.

“AMISOM and Somalia National Army took over Aw-Diinle in April. We are here to facilitate activities of Somalia government. We are the last AMISOM soldiers, the last frontline and we plan to expand the area. The populations do their activities because of our help. They do their activities because they are facilitated by AMISOM. The population is very excited of our help,” Captain Alexis said in his remote base overlooking the tiny town of Aw-Diinle.

Asked whether he has enough men and firepower to ward off any Al-Shabaab threat, the AMISOM commander simply smiled.
“We are very well trained to deal with Al-Shabaab. So there is no problem at all,” he confidently responded.

Mogadishu breaks Ramadan fast with grenades and mortar shells

Instead of the normal Ramadan menu of samosa, donuts and other Somali cookies and delicacies, Mogadishu residents broke their Ramadan fast on Monday with grenades hurled by suspected Al-Shabaab as soon as the evening maghrib call of prayer was made to indicate breaking of the Ramadan fast.

Normally Muslims break their fast with dates, samosas, donuts and other cookies and light meals, but it looks like the menu slightly changed on Monday night with a series of over a dozen grenade attacks and mortar bomb shells “distributed” by suspected Al-Shabaab adherents who themselves ought to have been breaking their fast at that moment when the call of prayer was made.

“We broke our fast today with grenades and mortar bombs thanks to Al-Shabaab kindness!” quipped one Mogadishu resident who only gave his name as Abdi for fear of reprisals.

“As soon as the call of maghrib prayers was made and we were preparing to break the fast all hell broke loose as Al-Shabaab decided to distribute their grenades and mortar shells across Mogadishu. I think in total there were over 15 explosions all together. These lads (Al-Shabaab) should know that not everyone literally eats grenades like them. I just hope they can leave us alone!” he sarcastically said with a broad grin.

The Somali capital Mogadishu has been enjoying its best peaceful spell since the ouster of the Al-Shabaab militants in August 6, 2011 by a combined Somalia and African Union peacekeepers forces from Burundi and Uganda until very recently.

In the past few months, Mogadishu has witnessed some sporadic attacks, grueling Iraqi-style suicide bombings and some daring commando-like assaults by Al-Shabaab militants like the June 19 United Nations common compound attacks and the April 14 Mogadishu courthouse attack.

Al-Shabaab attacks seems to have spiraled in the Holy month of Ramadan and specifically after their elusive commander Abdi Godane alias Abuu Zubeyr issued a rallying Jihad call to his adherents to increase their attacks during this holy month of Ramadan.

Whatever their plan is, I don’t think Al-Shabaab is going to bring back their old good days especially with such a blatant distribution of grenades and mortar shells during the Holy month of Ramadan.

Hell no, I don’t think I can take grenades for iftar, would you?

Suicide attack targets Turkish in Mogadishu

A suicide car bomb laden with explosives rammed into a Turkish guesthouse where Turkish diplomats and aid workers in Mogadishu were living opposite the Turkish red crescent hospital and the their embassy in the seaside Somali capital city in a spate of increased violence witnessed in Mogadishu

just hours after a remote controlled roadside bombed killed another Somali government official in a spate of renewed violence by suspected Al-Shabaab operatives.

This is not the first time for the Turkish to be targeted in Mogadishu presumably because of their increased presence and much fancied and visible aid and assistance to the Somali people.

Al-Shabaab recently said it was increasing its attacks in Somalia during the holy month of Ramadan and true to their words thhave carried out attacks against government forces and African Union peacekeepers in Mogadishu, Baidoa, Kismayu and Beletweyne in a synchronized manner aimed at undermining the little peace the Somalis have been enjoying in the recent past.

There is something with missed opportunities in Somalia that does not augur well with me. Every time the right step is taken to correct the past mistakes and things start moving smoothly someone somewhere who is probably NOT happy with seeing Somalia back on its feet pulls a plug and erodes all the good work dampening people's hopes.

Whether "that bad person" is Al-Shabaab or whether its somewhere else is yet to be clear and come what may one day the Somalis will know who the bastard is and he or she will be shamed.

Al-Shabaab commanders allegedly killed in bloody infighting

One day after Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in the UN Common compound in Mogadishu, the group’s leadership is said to have clashed in a deadly gun battle on Thursday in the seaside town of Barawe.

Security sources say that forces loyal to Al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane aka Abu Zubeyr twice attacked another group of rival Al-Shabaab militants including foreign fighters led by Maalim Ali aka Ibrahim Afghani.

The night and down attack in Barawe town 200 km south of the capital Mogadishu resulted in a number of casualties. In a bid to prevent the news of their clash the attackers reportedly cut off telecommunication systems in Barawe making it near impossible to get reliable information.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that Senior Al-Shabaab commander Afghani is among those apparently killed. Others reportedly killed include Abu Ayan, a Sudanese militant, Abu Sa’ad a Somali, a Kenyan militant called Abu Hussein, an unknown Spanish and Zanzibari foreign jihadists and another Somali militant called Samatar.

Another Somali man called Hikmater and believed to be Godane’s brother in-law was captured alive and is allegedly set to be executed.

If confirmed, the latest news about Afghani's death as well as the killing of his other comrades will seriously weaken Al-Shabaab and further split the already fractious group whose differences is centered around the hardline tendencies of Godane and Al-Shabaab's treatment of the Somali public including some callus suicide attacks that killed many innocent civilians attracting condemnation from even some Al-Shabaab senior officials.

In March 2012, American jihadist and Al-Shabaab senior commander Omar Shafik Hammami, also known by the pseudonym Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki accused Al-Shabaab of plotting to kill him. In May 2013, Fuad Mohamed Shangole, a senior Al-Shabaab official said that Al-Amriki was killed in Rama cadey area in Bay region.


Sources also confirmed that Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, a former Hizbul-Islam leader is said to be preparing for a showdown with Godane’s Amniyaat hitmen which the Al-Shabaab leader uses to assassinate whoever he considers a threat to his position.

Some local media in Somalia reported that Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Ali aka Abu Mansur, another top Al-Shabaab commander opposed to Godane, was allegedly heading to Baraawe to rescue the besieged Al-Shabaab foreign fighters and Somali commanders. However, it has since been established from his close allies that Abu Mansur is actually in Bakol region and did not travel overnight to Barawe as wrongly reported.

The timing of this attack coincides with a long seething wrangle among Al-Shabaab leadership and will further destabilize the group leading to more hostilities and possibly bloody clashes among its feuding leaders.