Somalia News Update: Two Officials Arrested From Somaliland in Mogadishu

Areas shown on map of breakaway regions in northern Somalia known as Puntland. Explosions rocked the area on October 29, 2008., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Somaliland arrests two officials for visiting Mogadishu

Authorities in Somaliland this week detained two officials in the seaport town of Berbera after their return from the Somali capital where they held talks.

Ahmed Dhego and Mohamed Hussein Dhabeye, from the Somaliland Football Association and Ministry of Civil Aviation respectively, were arrested at the airport by security forces.

The two officials visited Mogadishu for key talks with Somali officials and institutions. According to reports in Hargeisa, Mr. Dhego was detained for holding alleged talks with the Somali Football Federation (SFF) in Mogadishu, who are currently organizing a regional tournament in the capital for the first time in many years. The SFF president Ali Said Guled Rooble recently asked the African Union peacekeepers in Somalia (AMISOM) to relocate from the country’s largest football Stadium for the tournament. Themed “peace and development”, Mogadishu will host the event in December and plans to invite all Somali football clubs.

Mr. Dhego has reportedly expressed interest but the current administration is trying to keep tight grip of all Somaliland society after a number of high profile officials defected to the south. More and more people from Somaliland are beginning to fly to Mogadishu to seek alternatives and new opportunities due to improved security.

The Somaliland Football Association is trying establish relations between Somaliland football clubs and those in Mogadishu to improve the game at national and regional levels. The current arrest could isolate the football groups in the country if the meddling by the current administration of Ahmed Silanyo continues, who is increasingly growing unpopular.

The Somaliland deputy Health minister Nimo Qawdan was reportedly have visited Mogadishu back in July along with other officials who since took up posts in the Somali Parliament.

It is not clear what the authority will do with the two officials but locals suspect they might be tried for treason. Somaliland is not internationally recognised and is regarded as part of Somalia as does the Somali government.

The Kulmiye government might ban Somaliland football clubs from attending the tournament in Mogadishu, which could anger and alienate the large youth population. Unofficial estimates show that at least 65-70 percent of Somaliland’s 3.5 million people are under the age of 30, in which 75 percent are unemployed and with no recreational activities.

Somalilandpress


'Huge explosion' in Somalia; no injuries

Published: Oct. 22, 2012 at 1:06 PM

KISMAYO, Somalia, Oct. 22 (UPI) --Government offices in the port city of Kismayo, Somalia, were bombed early Monday but no injuries were reported, officials said.

A witness told of a "huge explosion," the Shabelle Media Network reported.

Somali and Kenyan forces wrested control of Kismayo from al-Shabaab militants early this month.

Kismayo, an Indian Ocean city about 310 miles south of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, was occupied by al-Shabaab for three years.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/10/22/Huge-explosion-in-Somalia-no-injuries/UPI-24621350925580/print#ixzz2A5OT3AYz

Monday, October 22nd, 2012 at 06:23 pm

SOMALIA: Al Shabab fighters attack the home of Baidoa district commissioner

Baidoa (RBC)At least three people were killed in nighttime hit-and-run attack on the home of Baidoa district commissioner in Baidoa town of Somalia’s Baay region on Sunday night, RBC Radio reports.

Al Shabab fighters have claimed the responsibility of the attack saying that senior government military official was killed during fierce gun battle between the assailants and the body guards of the home.

The Baidoa district commissioner Adam Bid who was at the home at the time of the attack was reportedly unhurt.

Pro-Al Shabab website has claimed that the fighters managed to enter the home of the district commissioner during attack and later withdraw from it. But the governor of Baay region Abdifatah Ibrahim Geesey who spoke to local media today has dismissed the claiming saying that the local police were ready due to previous information obtained from the intelligence unit .

“They attacked the home but the local police resisted back with heavy lose of their fighters. We have seen one body of their fighters who was wearing the dress of the government forces.” Mr Geesey told journalists this morning “We were informed hours before the attack”. he said.

He added that two other fighters from Al Shabab were killed in the attack.

Independent reports say that the Al Shabab fighters also hit several hand grenades on the city’s police station around 12.00 pm in the midnight.

Al Shabab rebels have been maintaining hit-and-run assaults against government bases and police stations in Baidoa following their new tactics of guerrilla war which they declared after they withdrew from Mogadishu on August 2011.


Monday, October 22nd, 2012 at 06:06 pm

Somalia: Mogadishu residents complain government forces

Mogadishu (RBC) there are widespread complaints risen from the residents in Mogadishu that Somali government forces have deliberately offend and castigate the residents in the areas they patrol despite government officials deny accusations.

The grievance and complaints come from all residents in parts of the capital and they claim that government forces do intentionally offend them.

Most offenses and complaints come from the females live in the different parts of the capital arguing that the government soldiers ravish and rape them intentionally.

A woman who declined to be named told raxanreeb, that government forces have committed crimes against humanity and she is offended by the troops a day she was in her village despite she declined to detail on the matter.

She added, that govt. troops have robbed her by taking her cell phone and gold as they wanted to ravish but she narrowly managed to escape.

There have been reports that government forces have recently raped a young girl aged just 14 at livestock market in Mogadishu that shocks many residents.

Despite all these offenses and crimes committing by the governments forces thus there is nothing that government officials done in response of all these allegations apart from by just condemning.

Raxanreeb.com