Al-Shabab rally in Somalia where the U.S.-backed Transitional Federal Government is being proped up by the western-funded AMISOM military forces composed largely of Ugandan and Burundian troops., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Al shabaab admits its withdrawal from Mogadishu
MOGADISHU (Sh. M. Network) – The spokesman of Al shabaab movement Sheikh Ali Mohamoud Rage on Saturday admitted that their fighters have abandoned Mogadishu, the capital of conflict ridden Somalia.
Speaking to the local media, Rage said they made tactical move to hit and break the backbone of AMISOM and Somali government forces.
He accused the United States and France of backing and helping AU forces in Mogadishu battles that prompted their failure.
The spokesman of the Al shabaab reiterated they will never neglect the Somali people in the capital.
He threatened they will launch heavy offensives on Somali and AMISOM forces in the hours to comes and recapture the areas they have retreated.
Al shabaab deserts Mogadishu
MOGADIHSU (Sh. M. Network) – The Al shabaab movement, which controls much of southern and central Somalia, has deserted many parts of Mogadishu, the capital of war ravaged horn of African nation.
The withdrawal comes as heavy fighting between Somali government forces allied with AU troops and moderate Sufi group of Ahlu Sunna Waljama ASWJ from one side and Al shabaab on the other side rocked Mogadishu on Friday night, according to witnesses.
Most of the battles, which were launched by Al shabaab fighters, took place in the districts of Hodan, Howlwadag, Wardhigley, Daynile and parts of northern Mogadishu.
At least ten people have been killed and dozens more injured during overnight’s battles, according to sources who talked to Shabelle Media Network.
Al shabaab apparently encountered heavy losses in Mogadishu armed confrontations and that has precipitated to withdraw from seaside Mogadishu.
Reports say that the group’s fighters fled from Bakaara Market, Daynile district and many key positions in the capital following Friday night battles.
Al shabaab: We killed an American officer in Mogadishu battle
MOGADISHU (Sh. M. Network) – The Al shabaab movement on Saturday proclaimed an American officer for training was killed in Mogadishu battles.
Speaking to the local press, Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Abu Mus’ab, the spokesman of Al shabaab fighters said the US officer was slain while giving combat instructions in the seaside city of Mogadishu.
Abu Mus’ab mentioned they have documents proving the identity and the job of the killed US official.
However, he declined to give father details including the name, the identity and information.
But, he reiterated the American has been involved in providing training course to African Union soldiers in Somalia.
No comments about the claims of Al shabaab were so far given by the United States government, Somalia’s TFG and AMISOM forces. Some of the article is sourced from AHN.
Death toll of Mogadishu aid food violence rises to 11
MOGADISHU (Sh. M. Network) – After some Somali soldiers clashed themselves over aid food looting in Mogadishu on Friday, death toll rose to 11 people, reports said.
Source said that at least 20 people mainly drought displaced people at Badbado IDPs camp in Mogadishu have been wounded.
Somali prime minister, Dr. Mohamed Ali has visited to Badbado IDPs camp to witness what had happened there.
Mr. Ali said that the soldiers who have been involved in the looting of aid food will be harshly punished, adding that they had established an investigative committee which will be tracking the perpetrators.
Some of the IDPs started to flee from the camp fearing from another fatal clash to repeat.
Seven killed as food aid looted in Mogadishu
MOGADIHSU (Sh. M. Network) – At least seven people have been killed and dozens more injured as starving refugees and government soldiers looted food aid at a Somali camp for those fleeing drought conditions in the interior of their country,
The Badbado camp for internally displaced people (IDPs), recently established in Mogadishu by the transitional federal government, was the scene of the bloody incident, according to Deqo Hussein, who noted that at least two trucks were driven by Somali soldiers to loot the supplies.
Hussein said the firefight broke out after other government forces tried to stop the looters from taking the loaded trucks.
“For three days, the WFP (World Food Program) chartered trucks loading aid food had been at the Badbado IDPs camp; because of security concerns, the aid food distribution was delayed for days” she said.
“Early Friday morning, the drought committee there started to distribute the aid food, but the situation got worse after some soldiers drove several trucks to loot,” she explained.
Minutes after the incident, more government forces were deployed to stop the looting. Police and military officers declined to give further details about the looting, but said an investigation is underway.
The World Food Program has not released any comments about the event.
The incident comes as the United Nations said that famine could spread into other regions of southern Somalia. It’s sourced from AHN.
Security probe into al Shabaab recruitment of young Kenyans
MOMBASA (Sh. M. Network) – The Kenyan government said it will not take lightly the report by the United Nations which says that the Somalia militant group al Shabaab has strong network in the country.
Kenya’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Director Ndegwa Muhoro said on Saturday the report is very serious and touches on the government security.
Muhuro said in Mombasa that the government is waiting for a formal report from the United Nations in which a minister and lawmaker are mentioned in funding the recruitment of Al-Shaabab, a group associated with al Qaida.
Tourism Minister Najib Balala has since distanced himself with reports that he funded al Shabaab activities to the tune of 2, 200 U.S. dollars which was given to the Pumwani Riyadha Mosque Committee, allegedly the nerve centre of terror activities.
Muhuro said the government will act decisively and make sure those behind the group are apprehended and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
According to the report, Balala and Nominated lawmaker Amina Abdalla are among prominent Kenyans funding the activities of the al Shabaab terror group.
The report further stated that majority of the Kenyan youths recruited to al Shabaab are from non-Somali communities.
Speaking on phone the CID director said the government has remained on high alert from threats posed by the al Shaabab group.
'Am also urging Kenya to be vigilant to report suspicious characters to the police,' Muhoro told Xinhua in Mombasa.
The development came as the U.S. Treasury Department announced on Friday that it is imposing financial sanctions on a Kenyan described as both a key figure in Somalia’s al Shabaab insurgency and the leader of a mosque in Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate.
The Daily Nation reported on Saturday that Hassan Mahat Omar is said by the United States to have decision-making authority regarding the internal political and operational affairs of al Shabaab, which the United States terms a terrorist organisation.
'Omar as well as other top militants use the Eastleigh mosque to raise funds, recruit and disseminate propaganda on behalf of Shabaab,' the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement.
It has also been established that the top anti-terror unit of Kenya was locked up in a security meeting for the whole day on Friday in Nairobi discussing the UN report which was described as shocking.
The report said al Shabaab activities are mainly conducted by the Muslim Youth Centre based at Pumwani in Nairobi.
The report said the centre is used to recruit Kenyan youths into the terror group.
According to Kenya’s anti-terror police unit (ATPU), a Kenyan who hails from Majengo area in Nairobi is among top commando of al Shabaab terror groups in the war-torn country of Somalia.
Efforts to get comment from the country’s Anti-terror Unit boss Francis Kamwenda were futile because he could not be reached on phone.
A few months ago Muslim clerics condemned some radical Muslim clerics in Mombasa who are using mosques to lure innocent Kenyans to join the Somali group.
Several Kenyan youths have been arrested in Mombasa as they try to cross over to Somalia to join the group.
The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously on Friday to reestablish the UN Monitoring Group on Eritrea and Somalia for a 12-month period.
The report also said that scores of Kenyans are fighting in support of al Shabaab inside Somalia. The UN Security Council acted on Friday without commenting on the monitoring group’s findings.
Source: Xinhua
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