European Union Training Mission Somalia
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European Union Training Mission Somalia PRESS SUMMARY 20th April 2018 “In ‘Media’ stat virtus” EUTM - SOMALIA 20/04/2018 Somali National Army conduct operation in some areas in Central Somalia Apr 19, 2018 Mogadishu(SONNA)-Somali National Army on Thursday conducted operations at Camara and Bacad-weyne areas in Mudug region to fight against the militant group of Al-Shabaab, SONNA reported. ”Operations are aimed at to liberate terrorist militants hiding out in those locations, Somali National Army will continue until all areas under the terrorists’ control are completely managed to take control and secure them”, Army Commander in the area, Abdulahi Aden Hassan told SONNA. Such military operations are also taking place in some areas in Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle regions according to the military officials. http://sonna.so/en/?p=13061 EUTM - SOMALIA 1 EUTM - SOMALIA 20/04/2018 AMISOM convenes humanitarian facilitation training for civilian partners in Somalia’s HirShabelle state Apr 19, 2018 - Jowhar(SONNA)-The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) held a one-day training for partners in Jowhar, the administrative capital of HirShabelle state, to familiarize them with the Somalia Country Specific Humanitarian Civil- Military Guidelines, which guides the interaction between partners and the Mission. “Humanitarian challenges call for increased coordination and dialogue between AMISOM and partners operating in the recovered areas,” said Abdul Diabagate, AMISOM’s Senior Humanitarian Liaison Officer, during the highly interactive sessions. Diabagate expressed the need to increase humanitarian facilitation activities and interaction with communities in areas undergoing acute crises and natural disasters. The training aimed at fostering partnerships between AMISOM civilian liaison officers and the partners, also sensitized participants on the importance of observing the International Humanitarian Law, humanitarian principles and International Refugee Law. Diabagate emphasized the need to foster greater coordination between the Mission, state authorities and partners, in the area of humanitarian facilitation. During the one-day training the hosts also shared the 2017 Somalia Civil-Military Working Group Report, which was launched September 2017. The report details the working group’s achievements, best practices and strategic partnerships that contributed to the alleviation of suffering amongst drought affected populations and displaced civilians. The next training for uniformed personnel will take place next week in Belet Weyne, Hirshabelle. http://sonna.so/en/?p=13067 EUTM - SOMALIA 2 EUTM - SOMALIA 20/04/2018 KDF troops offer free medical care to residents of Somalia town Apr. 19, 2018, A KDF soldier in the African Union Mission in Somalia offers free medical checks to residents of Busaar town, April 18, 2018. Kenyan troops carried out free medical checks for residents of Busaar town in Somalia on Wednesday. The soldiers in the Amisom peacekeeping mission attended to the children, pregnant women and the elderly. The beneficiaries are among people most affected by a ban by terror group al Shabaab, against haram medical care. KDF soldiers in the African Union Mission in Somalia offer free medical checks to residents of Busaar town, April 18, 2018 Sheikh Mustafa Haji, who spoke on behalf of the residents, said they were grateful and will continue supporting the troops. Mustafa lost his pregnant second wife after the militants prohibited him from going to a clinic set up by the soldiers. “The traditional midwife sent for me after it had taken a while for the baby to [be delivered]. When I put my wife on a cart to rush her to the clinic, a group of armed militants beat me up. That’s how I lost my wife and child,” he said. Al Shabaab doesn't want the people to receive treatment from the military and international groups. Families have also suffered due to drought and the heavy rains that followed, leading to risky living conditions. EUTM - SOMALIA 3 EUTM - SOMALIA 20/04/2018 KDF soldiers in the African Union Mission in Somalia offer free medical checks to residents of Busaar town, April 18, 2018 KDF soldiers in the African Union Mission in Somalia offer free medical checks to residents of Busaar town, April 18, 2018. The medical camp came after the African Union Mission in Somalia hailed its close working relationship with locals who have information on potential attacks. Area residents say the military forces are welcome as they are tired of the militia outfit’s threats that have disrupted their lives. The Kenya Defence Forces will conduct similar exercises across South Somalia. https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2018/04/19/kdf-troops-offer-free-medical-care-to- residents-of-somalia-town_c1746533 EUTM - SOMALIA 4 EUTM - SOMALIA 20/04/2018 CriticalThreats.org: Al Shabaab’s Vehicle-Borne IED Campaign: January 2017– March 2018 Thursday, 19 April 2018 Al Shabaab's VBIED detonations in Somalia: January 2017 - March 2018 Al Shabaab’s vehicle-borne improvised explosive attacks serve as a metric to evaluate the group’s ability to disrupt the Somali National Army (SNA) and African Union Mission in Somalia forces and threaten the Somali Federal Government (SFG). An ongoing Somali military offensive, backed by the U.S. and an African Union peacekeeping force, has recaptured territory from al Shabaab in south-central Somalia, but has not eliminated al Shabaab’s ability to conduct VBIED attacks. The group uses VBIEDs to breach security installations, often times passing through checkpoints, and conduct high-casualty attacks against government and military personnel. Outside of Mogadishu, the group uses VBIEDs EUTM - SOMALIA 5 EUTM - SOMALIA 20/04/2018 to gain entry to military bases in order to procure weapons and other supplies and to eliminate AMISOM or Somali government forces from the area, allowing the group to supplant government influence and control populations. US-backed Somali ground operations along with improved counter-VBIED capabilities among Somali forces may have slightly decreased VBIED attacks between November 2017 and January 2018. These countermeasures, nevertheless, have not eliminated al Shabaab’s VBIED capability. Al Shabaab’s limited ability to manufacture new VBIEDs, evidenced by reset periods between clusters of attacks, may have contributed to the reduction in VBIED attacks. Al Shabaab will most likely innovate to adapt to new countermeasures. The group developed new ambush tactics to force convoys into IED-laden traps in order to counter IED-resistant vehicles in 2011, for example. Continuing to improve the Somali security forces’ and AMISOM’s counter-IED capabilities could reduce the effectiveness of al Shabaab’s VBIED attacks. But such a reduction should not be taken as success without simultaneous ground pressure and the reduction of local grievances. http://dehai.org/dehai/dehai-news/250842 EUTM - SOMALIA 6 EUTM - SOMALIA 20/04/2018 UAE says previous Somali gov't signed off on Berbera deal Thursday April 19, 2018- Mogadishu (HOL) - The government of United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it has reached a mutual understanding on the controversial Berbera agreement with the previous Somali government. The diplomatic relations between Somalia and UAE have been frosty since the beginning of the month when Somali aviation officials confiscated three unmarked bags stuffed with 9.6 million USD from an Emirati chartered Royal Jet airliner. The UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Mohamed Gargash said his government informed the previous Somali government of the port agreement. There had been a mutual understanding based the unity of Somalia and which was also fundamental to our operations," said Gargash. UAE was among Arab countries to reopen their embassies in Somalia's capital Mogadishu after country established its first transitional government following more than a decade of civil war. The Arabian Peninsula nation accused the Somali government of lacking gratitude to the UAE which has been supporting the horn of African nation more a decade. "If you had an issue with someone who has been supporting you 20 to 25 years, you should engage in dialogue with the person but you are not supposed to take-over plane carrying 45 Emirati soldiers who train your forces and seize around $10 million which is allocated to implement military projects for your soldiers, that is not good," the minister noted. The UAE closed Sheikh Zayed Hospital - a free treatment facility that treats Mogadishu's downtrodden - in retaliation for the seizure. Reports this week are indicating a slight warming of relations this week after Somalia acknowledged that the seizure may have been a misunderstanding. UAE officials have consistently maintained that the funds were allocated to pay for UAE-trained Somali soldiers. https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2018/Apr/157684/uae_says_previous_somali_gov_t_sig ned_off_on_berbera_deal.aspx EUTM - SOMALIA 7 EUTM - SOMALIA 20/04/2018 Al-Sharq Praises Qatar's Humanitarian Efforts towards Somalia Doha, April 19 (QNA) - Al-Sharq newspaper praised in its editorial Thursday the humanitarian efforts, steadfastness and recovery through partners such as Qatar Charity, Red Crescent and others, in partnership with the United Nations and national authorities. In this regard, the newspaper hailed the signing of a $200 million agreement with the Somali government that focuses on job creation, infrastructure support, education, economic empowerment and other economic sectors to be implemented in partnership with the United Nations.