Spokesman for lower Shabelle region Mohamed Hussein Shino confirmed the incident to journalists that the Somalia National Army backed by the AMISOM forces wanted to recapture the region from the militants."Somali national army and AU forces wanted to recapture Owdhegle area back to our control. We lost two soldiers and one soldier was injured. We killed five Al-Shabaab fighters and the fighting will still go ahead until they surrender the area to us," Shino said.

The spokesman added the operation will continue until the insurgents are eliminated from the whole region.Somali National Army backed by the African Union Peacekeeping forces removed the Al-Qaida linked group of Al-Shabaab from many key towns in the south and central Somalia in the past two years.The group is carrying out hit and run attacks in major towns under government and deadly explosions in the capital Mogadishu.

 

Key Headlines

South West State Minister Resigns Joins SNA To Fight Al-Shabaab (Shabelle News)

At least 5 Militants Killed In Fighting Between AU Peacekeepers And Al-Shabaab (Xinhua)

Kulbiyow’s Security Improved Significantly Officials Says (Goobjoog News)

Somali Women Raise Voices Against The 4.5 Clan Power Sharing System In Somalia (Villa Puntland)

Somali President Pushes For Hiiraan Shabelle Inter-regional State Formation (Hiiraan Online)

United Nations Condemns Recent Attack In Somalia (Emirates News Agency)

Fear Grips Lamu’s Pandaguo Village As Man Stumbles On Armed Al-Shabaab Militants In Boni Forest (Daily Nation)

Black Week For Freedom Of Information In Somalia (Reporters Without Borders)

Trouble On The Homefront Part I: Somali Stories (Wardheer News)

4.5 Needs Rectification Not Regression (Hiiraan Online)

NATIONAL MEDIA

South West State Minister Resigns, Joins SNA To Fight Al-Shabaab

22 December - Source: Shabelle News - 170 Words

The Minister of Tourism and Wildlife of South West State Omar Hassan Aden has resigned and joined the Somali National Army (SNA) fighting to flush Al-Shabaab out the country. "I stepped down from my post of tourism and wildlife in South West State and gave notice of my resignation to President Sharif Hassan via text message,” said Aden while speaking to Radio Shabelle.

Mr Aden has been in the tenure for the past six months as he was serving as the regional minister of tourism and wildlife of Baidoa-based South West State of Somalia. He accused South West State president Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden of being a dictator who hijacked the power of the people. "He does not sit down with the people and discuss the leadership of the state.” Following his resignation, Omar Hassan Aden has turned into an army commander and is now in El Ali area outside Belet Weyne town,where he joined in the fight against Al-Shabaab

Kulbiyow’s Security Improved Significantly, Officials Says

22 December - Source: Goobjoog News - 113 Words

Kulbiyow stepped up security level after conducting a number of security operations to hunt down pugnacious individuals in the areas. Speaking to Goobjoog News, Kulbiyow Chief, Mohamed Mohamud Ismael said that his administration has put more efforts in improving security. "This significantly improved the security environment combined with the safety policies of our administration which is now bearing fruit,” he said. Mr. Ismael added that for the first time in years, hope is palpable for Kulbiyow people and its neighbours. He also said, the security forces have been combating the domestic front of Al-Shabaab and its sympathizers. "We will fight peace undermining factors in all its forms and manifestations, irrespective of who their sponsors are,” the chief said.

Somali Women Raise Voices Against The 4.5 Clan Power Sharing System In Somalia

22 December - Source: Villa Puntland - 125 Words

Women in Somalia have resolved to claim their share of national posts, both elective and non-elective, in order to take part in the country’s reconstruction efforts. Speaking at a women’s forum she held in Garowe today, the Chair of associations in the regions of Puntland, Khadro Jama Warsame, gave updates on the activities of women who participated in the recently concluded national consultative forum in Mogadishu.

Khadro said women in the country have raised their voice against the current election system of 4.5 which she said discriminated against women and other minority groups. Spokesperson of the Puntland Women Association read out the resolutions by women who attended the national forum. Today’s forum was attended by women representatives from Nugaal region.

Somali President Pushes For Hiiraan, Shabelle Inter-regional State Formation

21 December - Source: Hiiraan Online - 244 Words

Somali president has flown to Beletweyne town on Monday to meet with elders and politicians in Hiiraan region in an attempt to secure their endorsement for the proposed regions’ integration initiative. The region’s elders have earlier set tough terms for the formation of an inter-regional state with its neighbouring Middle Shabelle region, demanding that their region be picked as the proposed state's capital and conference's venue, a proposal dismissed by Middle Shabelle region.

Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud who will spend Monday night in Belet Weyne town is also pushing for reconciliations among the region’s clans following deadly clashes that killed at least 15 people last week. Elders in Belet Weyne town have also opposed an earlier suggestion by the president which proposed holding the two regions’ integration conference in Jowhar, the regional capital of Middle Shabelle region, vowing they would make no concession towards their stand.

During his meeting with elders, the president has urged flexibility in the talks that were stalled twice since early this year to fast-track the inter-regional state formation process. Somali officials say lack of concessions by the two sides adds strains to the challenges facing government as it tries to spread its new federalism system initiative across the country. Power sharing arrangement, the venue for proposed state's capital and formation conference are among the key challenges that political observers say would further chip away at the government’s efforts to bring the two sides on the table to neutralize their political tensions.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

United Nations Condemns Recent Attack In Somalia

22 December - Source: Emirates News Agency - 81 Words

The top UN official in Somalia, Nicholas Kay, has strongly condemned the recent car bomb attack in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, which killed and wounded many people. In a statement issued on Monday, Kay condemned the attack, for which Al Shabaab militants claimed responsibility, asserting that "the indiscriminate use of such methods against the Somali people is a brutal and heinous crime, and the United Nations reiterates its firm commitment to support Somalia and the region to ensure security and stability.

Fear Grips Lamu’s Pandaguo Village As Man Stumbles On Armed Al-Shabaab Militants In Boni Forest

22 December - Source: Daily Nation - 483 Words

Residents of Pandaguo Village in Lamu are living in fear after a 22-year-old man Monday reported to have come into contact with suspected Al-Shabaab militants when he went to harvest honey in Boni Forest. Mr Musa Genje said he found himself in the hands of six heavily armed men who harassed him and even threatened to kidnap him but later released him.

"I had left my home in Pandanguo Village to go into the forest to harvest honey. About two kilometres from the village, I spotted 6 men who were heavily armed. "They were wearing old military uniforms and their heads were masked. They ordered me to lie down. After a few minutes they commanded me to stand and go back where I was coming from without looking back,” said Mr Genje told theNation by phone.

"The men also gave me a strong message to deliver to the Kenya Defence Forces that the militants exist and that the KDF should be ready to face them,” he added. Following the incident, tension was high among residents of Pandanguo and Jima villages. The villages are occupied by over a 1000 locals from the marginalised Boni communities