AP: Kenya asks US to lead int'l effort in Somalia
Kenya's president has asked the U.S. to lead a greater international effort to stabilize neighboring Somalia, a country that has been without an effective government for 19 years.
Kenya's leader was speaking at a Tuesday news conference with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.
Having the regional leaders publicly ask the US to intervene in Somalia (as if that hasn't been the case all along) provides talking points for justifying the more aggressive US military plans for Somalia getting press recently.
However, Kenya, and Somalia's neighbors do have their own interests as well,
From an article in the Daily Nation on Sunday, What Kenya wants from Obama’s man
On the Somalia issue, Nairobi would like Washington to add Mogadishu to its list of priorities in the region and to stop paying lip service to the risk that the “reservoir of terrorism” that Somalia has become presents.
Officials here now see al-Shabaab, the most powerful Islamic Somali militant group, as an immediate security threat, not because of its capacity on the battlefront, but because of it’s influence on moderate Muslim populations throughout the Eastern coast of Africa.
Officials are watching with puzzled anxiety the efforts of world powers, the European Union, the US, the United Kingdom and others, ineffectually try to deal with piracy, which is slowly squeezing regional economies.
Some 150 warships from navies across the world are patrolling the seas off Somalia. However, piracy has increased despite their presence.
World powers are not dealing with the problem and are content to try and attack the symptoms, Nairobi feels.
“Once there is an effective government in Somalia, the problem of piracy is solved,” an official told the Daily Nation.
In addition to piracy and terrorism, Kenya is dealing with other consequences of state failure in Somalia. Arms pouring across the border, more than a million legal and illegal immigrants, and rising social tensions, a natural consequence of rapid migration.
“The US and the UK hold the key in Somalia,” the official told the Nation.
Asked what kind of US intervention Nairobi would like to see, the official said only the UN system has the capacity to rebuild war-ravaged country. And the UN will not move without prompting from influential members of the Security Council.
“Somalia is more strategic than Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Darfur,” the official said, referring to the countries where international intervention has been strong.
Nairobi would like the African Union force in Somalia expanded into a full-fledged UN peace keeping operation, providing cover for the reconstruction of the country.
Although officials were adamant that there would be no need for US or Kenyan boots on Somali soil, they also lamented a lack of US enthusiasm for proposals to stabilise the Somali regions bordering Kenya.
Some self-governing regions of Somalia, such as Puntland and Somaliland, are stable and relatively secure and Nairobi would have liked international support in encouraging the sprouting of stable, self-governing regions along its border to act as a buffer zone.
The US is reportedly wary of such an approach, believing it could have “unintended consequences”, meaning that it is worried that it could provoke terrorist attacks against its interests in the region by groups such as al-Shabaab.
But some in Nairobi are hoping that Mr Biden, a foreign policy expert, will be curious about Somalia and possibly lend his support in finding a solution for it.
An editorial in the Daily Nation, timed w/ Biden's visit, lays it out more bluntly:
America can’t ignore Somalia any longer
Its terror breeding grounds will only be wiped out by a strong and functioning government. Piracy continues to flourish, defying 150 warships deployed by the world’s mightiest armies. Piracy will cease when there is law and order inside the Horn of Africa country.
Somalia is a job for the United Nations, the body with the expertise to reconstruct failed states. But it won’t lift a finger without the Security Council’s keen interest.
Countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Burundi would dearly love to have Somalia stabilised in their own interests. But they have neither the resources, expertise nor world influence to get the job done. Which is where America comes in.
The US cannot rely on a group of broke African countries to secure its interests in the region and, to some extent, its homeland. It’s influence is required to drain the so-called Somalia reservoir of terrorism.
African countries are willing to be part of the Somalia solution. Organisations such as Igad and the African Union have played a vital role in regional peace and they are capable of doing a lot more. But they need the support of the international community.
The peace agreement, which led to the formation of the Transitional Federal Government, was guaranteed by the US and the UN. It provides a good basis for a wider peace-keeping operation.
America and the UN need to stop making excuses and do their bit.
And speaking of timing,
Mareeg Online: Parliament speaker flies to Nairobi
High delegation led by the newly elected speaker of the transitional parliament Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden has flown to the Kenyan capital Nairobi where they would reportedly attend meeting with the international community for the coming hours, officials said on Monday.
Sharif Hassan, a former finance minister of the transitional government of Mr. Sharma’arke, but resigned and achieved to be the speaker of the Somali parliament.
Sources said that the speaker was accompanied with about 20 lawmakers and departed from Aden Adde International Airport in the Somali capital Mogadishu hours ago adding that the main aim of the delegation was to meet with some the international community in the neighboring Kenya.
Dar es Salaam Daily News Online: Tanzanian Minister Says Kenya to Hold Special Conference on Somali Crisis
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Mr Bernard Membe said in Dar es Salaam today that the special meeting would be convened in Nairobi, Kenya, in August to discuss the way forward in the Somali crisis.
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“The situation in Somali has deteriorated to an extent that the Transitional Federal Government President, Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed is carrying out his duties from Nairobi,” Mr Membe said.
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Senator Feingold is still hoping that those runnning US policy in Somalia will listen to him
Under the previous administration, our approach toward Somalia lacked coherence and was short-sighted. This discord gave rise to conflicting agendas that undermined each other and our credibility. Without clear policy guidance, the current administration’s efforts– however well intentioned – may fall into the same trap. There is great risk that by focusing too narrowly on tactical decisions we will continue to operate without a larger strategy.
Now, Mr. President, I understand in the early months of the administration there was an interagency effort to review our policy toward Somalia and the Horn of Africa. However, it is also my understanding that no overarching policy was established. Now is the time to renew such an effort and as part of this initiative, we need some way to measure whether we are making progress. The administration has rightly pressed the TFG to broaden its appeal and strength, but we have seen no major improvement on that front. With the exception of its agreement with Ahlu Sunna wal Jama, the TFG has done little to expand its reach and undercut its opposition. The TFG has not become more inclusive and it has not projected an attractive political vision to counter that of armed opposition groups. As a result, it is not becoming more legitimate in the eyes of Somalis.
Going forward, we need clear guidance on what we expect to achieve with our support for the TFG, the Djibouti Process, and our efforts to weaken al Shebaab and provide humanitarian assistance. Without such a coordinated and measurable approach, we run the risk of continuing to fund the same initiatives with little progress made. Such an assessment is important not only so that American taxpayers know their money is being well spent, but also so we know our safety and security are being enhanced.
There are some thoughtful observers who believe that the best option for the United States might be to just disengage altogether and let this crisis play out. The stakes, Mr. President, are too high to do that. However, these observers are right that a continuation of the status quo will only further entrench the crisis. The current efforts by the United States and the international community are insufficient to change the fundamental dynamics of the situation. We need to go back to the drawing board and develop a strategy with measurable goals and a clear plan of how we will reach them.
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In thinking about how we fit counterterrorism concerns into a broader strategy, we must be practical. Mr. President, tactical operations against individuals and networks may be justified in some cases, especially if the targets have clear ties to al Qaeda and pose a direct threat to the United States. But we need to think hard about the strategic implications and potential risks of these operations because at the same time we need to reach out to, work with and support all Somalis who seek a more stable and secure country. The perception that the United States is only interested in tactical counter-terrorism operations in Somalia has generated suspicion among Somalis and fueled anti-Americanism. Not taking that into account when planning or authorizing any tactical operations is counter-productive.
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Spreading it on nice & thick
WaPo: Pakistanis, Arabs and others teaching al-Qaeda ideas, tactics
Foreign fighters trained in Afghanistan are gaining influence inside Somalia's al-Shabab militia, fueling a radical Islamist insurgency with ties to Osama bin Laden, according to Somali intelligence officials, former al-Shabab fighters and analysts.
The foreigners, who include Pakistanis and Arabs, are inspiring the Somali militants to import al-Qaeda's ideology and brutal tactics from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. A significant number of Americans are also being drawn to the Somali conflict.
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"The foreign jihadists were once in the shadows," said Rashid Abdi, a Somalia analyst in Nairobi with the International Crisis Group, a conflict research organization. "Now, there is no doubt they have taken control of the movement."
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In February, al-Shabab formally declared ties to al-Qaeda. The militia has received praise from bin Laden and radical Yemeni American cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi, who has been linked to the suspect in last year's shootings at Fort Hood, Tex., and the suspect in an attempted attack aboard a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day. Aulaqi has been cited as inspiration by the Pakistani American held in last month's attempted bombing in Times Square.
Al-Shabab's main rival, Hezb-i-Islam, also has proclaimed bin Laden welcome. "We are both fighting the Christian invaders in Somalia," said Mohamed Osman Aruz, a spokesman for the group, referring to the West and to Somalia's mostly Christian neighbors who back the government.
The rise of the foreign fighters suggests a growing internationalization of the conflict, part of a trend emerging from Yemen to Mali, where al-Qaeda's regional affiliates are showing increasing ambitions nearly a decade after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
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In the capital, al-Qaeda-inspired tactics have altered the landscape. Hotels are tucked behind steel gates. Peacekeepers use high-tech gadgets to frisk visitors for explosive belts. Ordinary Somalis avoid empty, parked cars.
The foreign fighters in Somalia number 300 to 1,200, according to Somali and U.S. intelligence estimates. Most are from neighboring countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Yemen and Sudan. But they include Afghans, Pakistanis and Arabs, say former al-Shabab fighters. At least 20 Somali Americans have joined the militia, including a top field commander, Omar Hammami, an Alabama native whose nom de guerre is Abu Mansoor al-Ameriki. He has starred in propaganda videos to attract more foreign fighters.
"The foreign fighters are brainwashing our people," Mohammed Sheik Hassan, the head of Somalia's National Security Agency, said in a recent interview in Mogadishu. "They want one Islamic nation under the leadership of bin Laden. But the ambition of Somalis is only to gain power locally."
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"There's a parallel, converging interest between the al-Qaeda operatives in East Africa and al-Shabab," said a U.S. intelligence official. "There certainly is collusion, cooperation, probably training and some operational level of support."
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Foreigners in Somalia are the main link to al-Qaeda's central body, said Somali officials and former al-Shabab fighters. They train new recruits, both in weapons and ideology. Somalis who waged jihad in Afghanistan with bin Laden now lead the al-Shabab militia, which is loosely knit of at least 100 clan-based cells.
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Sheik Mohammed Asad Abdullahi, a former top al-Shabab commander who defected in November, said that bin Laden never gave direct orders but that al-Shabab commanders regularly consulted with al-Qaeda's central body. Literature and CDs on al-Qaeda tactics and ideology were regularly handed out to the rank and file, he said.
"I believed I was part of al-Qaeda," Abdullahi said.
He defected because he could no longer bear the suicide missions, which he described as orchestrated by the foreigners.
"If they conquer Somalia, they will not be satisfied," he said. "They will cross the borders."
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From the Obama administrations May 2010 National Security Strategy,
The United States is waging a global campaign against al-Qa’ida and its terrorist affiliates. To disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qa’ida and its affiliates, we are pursuing a strategy that protects our homeland, secures the world’s most dangerous weapons and material, denies al-Qa’ida safe haven, and builds positive partnerships with Muslim communities around the world. Success requires a broad, sustained, and integrated campaign that judiciously applies every tool of American power—both military and civilian—as well as the concerted efforts of like-minded states and multilateral institutions.
We will always seek to delegitimize the use of terrorism and to isolate those who carry it out. Yet this is not a global war against a tactic—terrorism or a religion—Islam. We are at war with a specific network, al-Qa’ida, and its terrorist affiliates who support efforts to attack the United States, our allies, and partners.
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Al-Qa’ida and its allies must not be permitted to gain or retain any capacity to plan and launch international terrorist attacks, especially against the U.S. homeland. Al Qa’ida’s core in Pakistan remains the most dangerous component of the larger network, but we also face a growing threat from the group’s allies worldwide. We must deny these groups the ability to conduct operational plotting from any locale, or to recruit, train, and position operatives, including those from Europe and North America.
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Wherever al-Qa’ida or its terrorist affiliates attempt to establish a safe haven—as they have in Yemen, Somalia, the Maghreb, and the Sahel—we will meet them with growing pressure. We also will strengthen our own network of partners to disable al-Qa’ida’s financial, human, and planning networks; disrupt terrorist operations before they mature; and address potential safe-havens before al-Qa’ida and its terrorist affiliates can take root.
AFRICOM's 2009 Posture Statement listed its number one theater strategic objective as "Defeat the Al-Qaeda terrorist organizations and its associated networks." The 2010 Posture Statement avoids making itemized lists but notes that
In East Africa, U.S. Africa Command's CJTF-HOA conducts operations to counter violent extremists throughout the region to protect U.S. and coalition interests. In cooperation with other USG departments and agencies, CJTF-HOA focuses its operations on building regional security capacity to combat terrorism, deny safe havens, and reduce support to violent extremist organizations. It accomplishes these objectives through the use of Civil Affairs Teams, Seabee construction teams, military advisors, and by importing security courses of instruction.
U.S. Africa Command has focused the majority of its CT capacity building activities in East Africa on Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Uganda, which-aside from Somalia-are the countries directly threatened by terrorists. For example, in Kenya, the Command is assisting in establishing a Ranger Strike Force and a Special Boat Unit, which will become the country's primary CT and border security forces. SOCAFRICA completed training two companies of the Kenyan Ranger Strike Force, and our Special Operations Forces (SOF) maritime efforts have created a nascent Kenyan Special Boat Unit capability to enhance Kenyan maritime security. When completed, Kenya will have a significantly improved capacity to counter the terrorist threat emanating from Somalia.
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From Iraqi journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad's series for the Guardian from inside Mogadishu, In the market for war
Farah, a former commander in the Islamic courts union, is now a respected arms dealer in the Huwaika market in Mogadishu.
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"The Ethiopians are arming the Sufi militias; the Europeans and US are arming the government; the Eritreans are arming the Hizb; and the government officers sell us their weapons, and we sell it to al-Shabab."
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The steady supply of arms means there is no victor and no vanquished – and probably never will be. Each time one side is about to lose the battle, a neighbouring country or other foreign power provides them with enough weapons to keep fighting, ensuring there is no end in sight.
"Ethiopia is the biggest supplier to anyone who wants to fight al-Shabab. Anyone who forms a front to fight the Shabab gets weapons from Ethiopia."
"Ahlu Sunna (the Sufis) in the middle regions go to Ethiopia for weapons, Eritrea was a big supplier for the Islamic courts during the Ethiopian invasion but they stopped, now they send little shipments to the Hizb. From Yemen, merchants bring small ammunitions of weapons, some pistols, nothing more.
"The Shebab they buy it from the market," he says rubbing his thumb and index finger together. The big military officers, they sell their ammunitions and guns in bulk, but the small soldiers can't sell their weapons unless they are not going back to barracks."
"When the people are poor, when the soldier's wife says they have no food … they come to me and sell their weapons."
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Jumping ship or precipitating the PM's fall?
Indha Adde Resigns
The state minister for defense of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia Sheikh Yusuf Mohamed Siad Indha Adde has resigned from his post on Tuesday.
Mr. Indha Adde said he submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke on Saturday.
“I decided to resign and submitted my resignation letter to the Prime Minister on Saturday,” said Indha Adde.
He declined to comment on the motive behind his resignation, but he said that he would explain soon.
Indho Adde accused his boss Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke of incompetence and also aiding some of the rebels before.
SMC quotes White-eyed saying,
“I have converted myself to the Somali transitional government thinking that it is mandatory upon every Somali person with wit brain to partake the re-building of the country, but since I have joined myself into the government there is no tangible development, so thus if I cannot get support from the Prime Minister why should I waste my energy in the frontlines of the battle against the Al-Shababs and Hizbul-Islam the two rival Islamist faction of course which I was once among them and their leader too” said the resigned defence Minister Indhade.
Reuters adds
Sheikh Yusuf Mohammad Siad said the status quo could not continue because the government had failed to deliver on its promises.
"Everyone has to evaluate himself before others judge his failure, and that is what I did before resigning. I realised that my government cannot do its job," he told Reuters.
"We cannot achieve security, therefore, there is no need to stay in office."
Could be an orchestrated effort, as the article continues,
Higher Education Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Omaar and the state minister for the Presidency Hassan Moalim Mohamud also resigned.
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Analysts say the resignations threaten the existence of an already weak government that controls little more than a few blocks of the capital.
"These are heavyweight ministers, and their resignation will mount pressure on the prime minister, possibly forcing him to resign or lose confidence in the parliament," Afyare Abdi Elmi, a Somali political science professor at Qatar University, told Reuters.
Mareeg Online reported the same
The motive behind the resignation of the ministers is not known, but sources say there is rift between the president and the Prime Minster and the resigned ministers who are very close to the president meant their resignation of pressuring the Prime Minister to step down.
Add one more on Wednesday
Somali International contact minister resigns
Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, the minister of the international contact of the transitional government of Somalia has held press conference in the Kenyan capital Nairobi and announced his resignation on Wednesday.
Three ministers of the Somali Prime Minister’s government had resigned on Tuesday and accused the government for not working the development of the TFG and more other things.
Mr. Abdirahman had joined the other ministers ... saying that Mr. Sharma’arke’ government failed to start a crack down for what the people were waiting from the government...
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Mr. Abdishakur had joined the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) from the Alliance of the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) based in Djibouti and is the fourth minister that leaves the office in two days.
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Mareeg Online is reporting that H.S.M.'s Robow was injured in combat last week
Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Ali Abu Mansoor, former spokesman of al Shabaab and the current deputy leader of the group has been reportedly wounded in Mogadishu, sources said on Tuesday.
The sources say Sheikh Mukhtar was injured in the fighting which occurred in the capital Mogadishu on Thursday.
He was wounded in the backbone at a time he was in Karan district in north Mogadishu on Thursday where a fierce fighting between government soldiers backed African Union Troops took place.
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Somaaljecel: Moderate Islamic Group readies major offensive against Al-Shabaab
Ahlu Sunnah wal Jama'a spokesman Shaykh Abdullahi Abdirahman (Abu Yusuf al-Qadi) has said that they have finalized troop mobilization they have been conducting lately. He said they would launch a major offensive, first targeting Ceelbuur town, which, he claimed, Al-Shabaab Mujahidin Movement had been using as a springboard to attack central regions.
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The remarks of the Ahlu Sunnah wal Jama'a spokesman came as [telephone] communications were cut off to a number of towns in central regions on the orders of Ahlu Sunnah wal Jama'a leaders. Reports say that the communications were cut off to prevent planes carrying arms that landed in Gaalkacyo town from being seen. The group restored communications three days later, though.
Some reports say that planes delivering Ethiopian arms to Ahlu Sunnah wal Jama'a arrived in Dhuusa Mareeb town, and the unloading of the weapons has been going on for the last two days.
SMC: Planes weighted down with Military equipments in central Somalia
Verified reports which Somaliweyn website has on Tuesday received from Dhusamareb town the headquarters of Galgadud region in central Somalia says that 3 planes laden with military equipments have landed at Galgadud airstrip on Monday.
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The officials of Ahlu-Suunah Waljama have not yet commented about the arrival of these military equipments in the region, and where has it arrived from..
“I am not authorized to say which country these weapons have arrived from, but all that I call tell you is that we have received adequate weapons from a close ally country which I am not intending to mention its name right here, we have enough weapons to eradicate the so called Al-Shabab and Hizbul-Islam in the central regions in Somalia and gradually from the entire of Somalia soon with the will of God the most Exalt” said Sheikh an officer from Ahlu-Suunah Waljama who has shortened his name as Sheikh Ahmed speaking Somaliweyn Website.
Garowe Online reports two planes
Two planes carrying weapons and ammunitions for Somalia’s pro-government militia, Ahlu Sunnah Wal-Jamaa has landed in Dhusamareb, the administrative capital Galgadud region in central Somalia.
The planes reportedly departed from neighbouring Ethiopia carrying arms including AK-47 rifles, Grenade Launchers and anti-aircraft missiles destined for the group’s stronghold.
According to sources, Ahlu Sunnah fighters secured the town’s airstrip where the planes landed while the telecommunication of the town was cut off for three days.
“There are plans to use these weapons to captures areas in Galgadud region that are currently not under our control,” said a senior Ahlu Sunnah official who requested not to be named.
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IRIN
..in Beletweyne, the regional capital of Hiiraan, some 4,000 families have been displaced by a combination of flooding and fighting.
"We were dealing with those displaced by the flooding when fighting broke out between pro-government forces and Hisbul Islam [which controlled the town]," said a local aid worker, who requested anonymity.
"Our estimate is that between 4,000 and 5,000 families [24,000 to 30,000 people] have been displaced by both the flooding and the fighting," he added.
A local journalist in Beletweyne told IRIN there was no administration in the town.
"As of today [8 June] Hisbul Islam has left and no one has replaced them," the journalist said. "Basically there is no administration and no one in control here," he said, adding, "I am sure one group or another will fill the vacuum."
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Inner City Press: At UN, Somalia Post Handed from Ould Abdallah to Mahiga
The UN's envoy on Somalia Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, who called for a moratorium on press reporting of civilian deaths in Mogadishu and cut a stealth deal about Somali off shore rights with Kenya and Norway, has been relieved of his functions.
Sources last week told Inner City Press that he was being replaced by Tanzania's current Permanent Representative to the UN, Augustine Mahiga. The affable Ambassador Mahiga has been seeking a UN job for some time.
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On June 4, rather than simply write the story without receiving confirmation, Inner City Press asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe:Inner City Press: Ould-Abdallah.. is leaving in July and seeks to remain as an adviser to the Secretary-General. I just want you to confirm that he is leaving, and to confirm or deny that Augustine Mahiga, the Tanzanian ambassador, is going to be named the SRSG [Secretary-General’s Special Representative].
Deputy Spokesperson: I have nothing on any appointments.
Inner City Press: But Ould-Abdallah has said publicly that he is leaving in July. Is that the case?
Deputy Spokesperson: I have nothing on that.
Inner City Press: He said it.
Deputy Spokesperson: I have nothing on appointments for Somalia today.
Even though Inner City Press knew it to be true, confirmation was sought from Mahiga himself. The Tanzanian Mission said he was in Europe through June 18, but they would ask him (the staffer said, "that is good news"). But Mahiga, who previously asked Inner City Press to email him articles, did not respond.
Now, five days after Inner City Press publicly asked about Mahiga and Somalia, Ban Ki-moon has formally named Mahiga to the Somalia post, which is actually based in Nairobi, Kenya.
On June 9, before the confirmation, Inner City Press asked Ban's Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq if the UN had consulted with the Transitional Federal Government about Mahiga. Haq said yes -- but we'll have more on this.
Several sources say that Mahiga is "so pro American, he'll make it all about counter - terrorism." Then again, that has already been the UN's approach.
These sources note that the UN way for a diplomat to seek a Secretariat job is for he or she -- almost always he -- to beginning selling out his Group and even his country, in exchange for the coming favor. The Secretariat uses the needs and wants of Permanent Representatives to obtain certain actions or forbearance in the budget committee -- which has continued meeting this week, despite the announced conclusion in May -- the General Assembly and in this case the peacebuilding commission.
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Garowe Online: Al Shabaab seize strategic town in central Somalia
Somali Islamist group Al Shabaab has peacefully seized control of Beledweyne, a strategic town in central Somalia located near the Ethiopian border, Radio Garowe reports.
Beledweyne residents said they awoke Saturday morning to find heavily armed Al Shabaab fighters patrolling the town’s center and had taken control of the administration building, the jail, and the police station.
The area was vacated overnight by Hizbul Islam rebels, who are also fighting to topple Somalia’s UN-backed interim government in Mogadishu.
It was not immediately clear why Hizbul Islam fighters withdrew from Beledweyne, but locals said Hizbul Islam commanders feared clashes with Al Shabaab, who have superior weapons.
Hiran region where Beledweyne is located is home to several armed factions, including remnants of the Somali interim government and the pro-government Ahlu Sunna militia.
But Al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam have jointly controlled Hiran region in recent months, although the Hizbul Islam administration in Hiran’s Jalalaksi district “joined” Al Shabaab last week.
Not sure about this report - the only source I'm seeing for this one is from the Daily Nation:
A landmark ceremony took place in Beledweyne town, the capital of Hiran region, 335 km north of Mogadishu [Sunday], where the regional authority of Hizbu Islam, one of the Islamist organizations opposing the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia, merged with Al-Shabaab, the top militant group in Somalia.
Sheikh Abdulkadir Haji Ahmed, the Chief of Hizbu Islam’s Mobilisation Officer in Beledweyne town, announced that his group resolved to join Al-Shabaab.
Talking to an audience, the sheikh recited verses of the Holy Koran, pointing to the need to unite the insurgents in Somalia.
“We are hereby declaring our resolve to unite with our fellow jihadists (holy warriors) in this strategic Hiran region,” said Sheikh Ahmed.
“Unity is certain to arouse strength.”
He urged other Islamists to take their example and join Al-Shabaab. “I am an elder and the sheikh of Hizbu Islam in this territory and I am leading you to unite with your fellow jihadists,” remarked Sheikh Ahmed amid chants of Allahu Akbar (God is Great) by those present at the ceremony.
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Reuters: Clash between Somalia police, soldiers kills 13
Fighting between Somali government troops and police has killed at least 13 people and injured 14 in Mogadishu after soldiers tried to rob civilians, police said Sunday.
The clash occurred Saturday in Hamarjajab district, in the south of the capital.
"The clashes came after some of the government troops started to rob a civilian car and the police were trying to stop it," Abdullahi Moalim Kerow, a police officer, told Reuters.
The clash resulted in the deaths of nine soldiers and four civilians who were not involved the fighting but were caught in the crossfire.
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"This kind of clashes among the government troops is unfortunate and been has repeated so many times, claiming the lives of nearly 100 troops since January."
Somebody might want to tell that to the fact checkers at the NYT
Somalia Experiences New Type of Fighting
From interclan fighting to religious battles to pirate wars, Somalia is plagued by countless kinds of conflict. But this weekend, another kind erupted: between the army and the police.
According to Somali officials, there was fierce fighting on Saturday between police officers and army soldiers — all working for Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government — in one of Mogadishu’s relatively quiet neighborhoods, Hamar Jajab. At least seven were killed, although it is not clear what started the conflict.
Some residents said army soldiers had been robbing cars, and when police officers intervened, a mini-war between the heavily armed men on each side broke out. Other residents said that the police had been trying to hijack trucks carrying desperately needed food aid when the army came to the rescue.
I've linked to press coverage of similar firefights in past threads, so this is nothing new. For instance, military and police clashed during the attempts to demolish housing near the airport back in March.
And then on one of those rare occasions where Jeffrey Gettleman actually reports something that catches you offguard, this NYT feature is accompanied by a photo of two TFG soldiers, reportedly ages 12 and 15, and a video of others:
Children Carry Guns for a U.S. Ally, Somalia
According to Somali human rights groups and United Nations officials, the Somali government, which relies on assistance from the West to survive, is fielding hundreds of children or more on the front lines, some as young as 9.
Child soldiers are deployed across the globe, but according to the United Nations, the Somali government is among the “most persistent violators” of sending children into war, finding itself on a list with notorious rebel groups like the Lord’s Resistance Army.
Somali government officials concede that they have not done the proper vetting. Officials also revealed that the United States government was helping pay their soldiers, an arrangement American officials confirmed, raising the possibility that the wages for some of these child combatants may have come from American taxpayers.
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Several American officials also said that they were concerned about the use of child soldiers and that they were pushing their Somali counterparts to be more careful. But when asked how the American government could guarantee that American money was not being used to arm children, one of the officials said, “I don’t have a good answer for that.”
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Somali government officials admit that in the rush to build a standing army, they did not discriminate.
“I’ll be honest,” said a Somali government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of the subject, “we were trying to find anyone who could carry a gun.”
Awil [allegedly 12] struggles to carry his. It weighs about 10 pounds. The strap digs into his bony shoulders, and he is constantly shifting it from one side to the other with a grimace.
Sometimes he gets a helping hand from his comrade Ahmed Hassan, who is 15. Ahmed said he was sent to Uganda more than two years ago for army training, when he was 12, though his claim could not be independently verified. American military advisers have been helping oversee the training of Somali government soldiers in Uganda.
Just to reiterate that bit from Michael Weinstein's closed source cited last week of the TFG having received more than 500 tons of weapons from Washington, rather than the 40 tons that has been officially announced.
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Why was the other party's identity not revealed? Was he really UPDF?
New Vision: Somali president’s driver buried in Luwero
ONE of the two UPDF peacekeepers killed recently in Somalia was buried over the weekend at his ancestral home in Kibula, Luwero district. Private Eriya Kabuye, 33, was killed by militants in the Mogadishu capital on June 3.
He had been attached to the Somali State House as one of the official presidential drivers.
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Lt. Michael Turiraba, a political commissar in the office of the UPDF’s chief of personnel and administration, on Saturday said Kabuye was killed by a mortar bomb as he returned to his base after dropping off Somali president Sheikh Ahmed Shalif at the airport.
Addressing mourners during the burial, Turiraba said Kabuye and a colleague, whose identity he did not disclose, were killed when a mortar bomb was fired at a parked car in which they were seated.
A death certificate from the African Union peacekeeping mission headquarters in Mogadishu, which was read to the mourners during the burial, stated that the soldier died of ‘severe burns from a massive bomb blast’.
Tempers flared during the funeral when soldiers blocked relatives from viewing Kabuye’s remains.
The soldiers insisted that they had instructions not to open the coffin.Viewing the body is part of the traditional last respects.
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Some more clues on what Biden was up to in East Africa earlier in the week
New Vision: Biden, Kiyonga meet over Somalia
US vice-president Joe Biden ... held talks with Uganda’s defence minister, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, about bringing peace to Somalia in Nairobi, Kenya.
Also at the meeting were the special representative of the African Union (AU) chairperson, Boubacar Gaoussou Diarra, the UN special representative of the secretary general for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, and the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISON) force commander, Nathan Mugisha.
Mugisha discussed the challenges facing AMISOM and the need for greater political inclusivity and stability in the Somalia transitional federal government.
Biden commended AMISOM for their peacekeeping efforts and discussed steps to bolster their capacity.
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