Monthly reports for Somalia
Time line of events and links to Security Council website.
September events Somalia
September snapshot:
- September 3- Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the town of Merka south of Mogadishu held a demonstration to draw attention to their situation. Up to 6,000 people have settled there, mostly women and children.
- September 15- two kidnapped Somali workers for the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) were released, while 11 other aid workers remain in custody. There are reports that the government is encouraging attacks on aid workers, telling citizens that they help Islamist insurgents.
- September 17- Mogadishu’s main airport was shut down amid threats issued by members of the Somali militant Islamist al-Shabaab group to attack any planes using the airport; airport also houses African Union (AU) forces. Meanwhile, talks resumed between Somalia’s Transitional Force Government (TFG) and a faction of Eritrean Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia in Djibouti.
- September 19- Insurgents again delayed ceasefire they were supposed to sign, disagreeing over wording regarding Ethiopian troop withdrawal. An AU plane landed at the occupied Mogadishu airport, sparking clashes.
- September 24- 17 civilians killed in Mogadishu as Islamic militants launched massive attack on African Union peacekeepers. The AU mission in Somalia (AMISOM) says the attacks are an attempt to bait the peacekeepers into fighting and thus appearing to contribute to insecurity in the country.
September 2- Weekend clashes in town of Jowhar between militias of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), who supported the Djibouti Agreement, and the faction of the opposition Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia, leave town on alert.
September 8- Kidnappers announce they want $2.5 million for release of three journalists kidnapped last month.
September 22- Ethiopian troops allegedly fired mortar shells on a busy Bakara marketplace in Mogadishu killing 30 people.
September 26- Somali pirates took over a Ukranian ship carrying 33 Russian tanks, rounds of ammunition, and other various spare parts. Russia sent a patrol ship to the area. This latest incident brings total of 14 ships and 300 crew members being held by Somali pirates this year.
September 29- Continuing clashes and shelling attacks between insurgents and Somali government forces in southern Mogadishu have forced over 18,000 people to flee the city.
UN/Security Council
On September 5th, the Security Council issued a non-binding statement reiterating its desire to deploy a mission “at the appropriate time” to take over from AMISOM once security conditions have improved.On September 16th, the Security Council released a report documenting 16 years of its longest running “sanction regime” dealing with Somalia, which also has proved to be its least successful sanction endeavor as there has been no dramatic change since 1992. The Council’s own lack of proactive will and engagement remain a contributing factor, as well as the general instability of the area and the disinterest of surrounding African countries.
New sanctions are possible in October. The regular report on Somalia is expected in the middle of the month, as is a report on implementing resolution 1816, which allows ships to enter Somali waters to counteract piracy. Debates continue regarding a peacekeeping operation- or any “intervention force”- and the Council skeptical regarding the acquisition of troops for a UN peacekeeping operation.
[1] http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24297901-12335,00.html
[2] http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/site/c.glKWLeMTIsG/b.4504111/
[1] http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/e55818604447f61b97640fb788a9e4bd.htm
[2] http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/09/15/somalia.wrap.ap/index.html
[3] http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=80432
[4] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7628794.stm
[5] http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/09/24/somalia.fighting/)
[6] http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=80120
[7] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7628794.stm
[8] http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/09/26/ukraine.somalia.ship.seized.ap/index.html
[9] http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=80643
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August events Somalia
August snapshot:
- The United Nations expressed concern about the continued attacks on aide workers in Somalia following reports of death threats to an aide worker in Mogadishu received day after Abdikadir Yusuf Kariye , the head of an orphanage which also housed internally displaced persons (IDPs) was killed August 6th.
- Ethiopian army generals talked with Somalia interim president Abdullahi Yusuf and Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein to discuss ways to keep transitional government from collapsing. They later reached a formal agreement in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa about the new makeup of the Somali government.
- On August 19, 2008, representatives from Somalia’s Transitional Force Government and Eritrea-based opposition formally signed the Djibouti peace deal, which was only tentatively initialed back on June 9, 2008.
- Reports surfaced near the end of August that the Shabab terror group in Somalia may be linking with al-Qaeda.
August 3- roadside bomb in Mogadishu killed 20, ten of whom were women street cleaners.
August 4 - 16 civilians die in crossfire in fight between Ethiopian and Somali government soldiers and Islamist insurgents, who fired mortars at military troop camps.
August 20 - 4 civilians killed in Mogadishu due to fighting b/t Islamist insurgents and Ugandan peacekeepers.
August 24- Islamic Courts Union (ICU) fighters took control of southern port city Kismayo, Somali’s third largest city; fighting between ICU and militias killed 70 people and displaced thousands according to a UN official.
August 27- Reports released regarding Somali pirates as a growing threat to one of the world’s most important waterways. Heavily armed pirates have hijacked 30 vessels since the beginning of the year in the Gulf of Aden and are allegedly funding businesses in surrounding countries as well as Somali warlords.
UN/Security Council:
Somalia continues to be a country of concern to the UN. On August 19, Security Council voted unanimously to extend the African union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) for 6 more months, also calling upon the Secretary General to enact measures to strengthen AMISOM and bring it up to speed. The Sanctions Committee will give a briefing in September regarding stricter measures against those who willingly violate arms embargos and the peace process. An issue for the Security Council in September is figuring out if significant progress has been made toward peace process in light of countries surrounding Somalis focusing on the Darfur conflict.
[1] http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79722
[2] http://allafrica.com/stories/200808110421.html
[3] http://uk.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUKWAL928391._CH_.242020080819l
[4] http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-shabab25-2008aug25,0,7041237.story
[5] http://news.scotsman.com/world/Peace-shattered-as-20-die.4353171.jp
[6] http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=awpOJKxteUXY&refer=africa
[7] http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hEtbcadTQR8idzsrZWb0BFHQg3GQ
[8] http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2008/08/2008824151125251807.html
July events Somalia
July snapshot:
- Death tolls resulting from fighting between anti-government fighters and Uganda/Ethiopian forces rising
- Opposition forces are targeting aid workers
- According to the Office of the Coordination of Human Affairs, Somalia aid operations will cost $641 million this year and the number of people needing food and assistance is up 40% from January.
- UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Mark Bowden, warned that a major crises in Somalia is months away as severe drought, hyperinflation, and conflict continue to affect the country.
July 7- Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein stated that a United Nations peacekeeping mission must be deployed immediately to avoid continued insecurity.
July 8- The town of Baidoa, the seat of Somalia’s government, was attacked by al-Shabaab fighters, killing a number of people and displacing hundreds of families, most of which had already been displaced due to fighting in the region; reportedly targeting area near Ethiopian troop base and presidential/military sites
July 14- Aide organizations consider pulling out of Somalia or suspending their activities due to increased aide worker deaths.
July 20- According to a New York Times report, 20 aide workers working to prevent famine have been killed since January and 17 have been abducted, severely jeopardizing the UN food relief mission.
July 23- Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys (accused of ties with Al Qaeda) announced he has taken control of opposition group Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) from Sheikh Sharif and declared plans to continue attacks on government to get rid of Ethiopian forces that aid Somalia’s government.
July 25- Residents of the town of Beledweyne north of Mogadishu flee after fighting between Ethiopian forces and Islmaist fighters killed 19 people.
UN/Security Council:
So far, little progress has been made towards improving the Djibouti Agreement. Whether or not formal action can be expected from the Security Council is unclear, as is whether or not greater non-military support from the UN is the way to go. The Secretary General's recommendations on improving security in Somalia are due August 15. The Security Council wants to renew the UN's mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which expires August 20.
[1] http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2008/07/200872184651164396.html
[2] http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/africa/080707-Somalia-aid)
[3] http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article27956
[4] http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79390
[5] http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0707/breaking42.htm
[6] http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=79143
[7] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7505135.stm
[8] http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/07/20/Somalia_aid_workers_targeted_for_killings/UPI-84301216553596/
June events Somalia
June snapshot:
- Thousands of Somalis were displaced at the beginning of the month in renewed fighting in Mogadishu.
- UN envoy Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah lead peace talks in an attempt to stave off further conflict
June 9- A “peace” accord between the Somali Transitional Federal Government and faction of Eritrea opponents named the Djibouti Agreement was finally signed. It called for the cessation of violence and armed conflict within 30 days and the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops. Ethiopian involvement in Somali peace talks quickly became a point of contention the day after the agreement had been officially announced.
June 12- Human Rights Watch brief reported that “gross human rights abuses” were being committed by Ethiopian forces against ethnic Somalis in Ethiopia, presumably in response to the tense situation already existing between the two countries.
June 13- The spokesman for al-Shabaab announced that attacks on Ethiopians and Somalis would continue despite the ceasefire. Six east African countries desperately called on the UN to send a peacekeeping force to Somalia to quell the violence and enforce the Djibouti Agreement and on
June 17- UN envoy Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah met with international partners to discuss plans to support and further Djibouti Agreement.
June 18- A bomb attack targeted the President in Mogadishu and the Somali death toll since the Djibouti Agreement was announced as being 38 at that point.
US action:
So far, no definitive proactive plan has been announced by the UN or the US. According to Department of State spokesman Sean McCormack, the US has acknowledged the Djibouti Agreement and has encouraged compliance on both sides.
UN/Security Council:
Antonio Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, called for the deployment of a peacekeeping force in Somalia. The situation in Somalia remains dire. Because approximately 2,100 people have been killed in Somali violence since the beginning of the year, there is an underlying sense of desperation regarding the success of the present Djibouti Agreement. “Somalia is no longer on the verge of catastrophe,” says Médecins sans Frontières director of operations, Bruno Jochum. “The disaster is happening now.”
An anticipated report on Somalia from the Secretary-General is due in early July.
Sources:[1] http://allafrica.com/stories/200805280001.html; http://irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=78643
[2] http://news.yahoo.com; http://www.reuters.com/article/africaCrisis/idUSL09716972
[3] http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=78667
[4] http://allafrica.com/stories/200806120775.html
[5] http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?article66521
[6] http://mg.co.za/
[7] http://uspolicy.belgium.usembassy.gov/Article.asp?ID=17D22051-DCB5-4B6D-BAC4-2DDFA887FA87
[8] http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-06-26-somalia-conflict-kills-more-than-2nsbp100-this-year