A Short Report of Somalia

BBC Somali service, in its website, has reported the death of senior Somali army officer in Baladwayne, Hiiraan, Central Somalia.

The officer died after confrontation between his small unit, as reported by the governor of the region to BBC Somali service today, october 31^st, 2012, A/Fatah Hassan Afrah, and thieves who mounted a checkpoint to collect revenues from travelers.

The officer wanted to remove the illegal checkpoint[1].

The late officer made a deadly mistake, he wanted to do something that he lacked the capacity to do so.

BBC reported that the people, who mounted the illegal checkpoints, were also members of Somali national security agencies, even though the governor of the region who spoke to them to day,  denied such claims.

The governor also stated that the people in the region are armed, as a consequence of prolonged civil war which has been going on for two or even more decades. It is for this reason, he said, that it is easy for ordinary people to use deadly force for variety of reasons, including mounting an illegal checkpoint and collecting fees from travelers.

The solution, therefore, the governor suggested, is to collect weapons from people and secure the borders to ensure the general security of the people in the region.

BBC Somali service have also reported, in its morning program, today, October, 31st, 2012,  the death of a soldier and injury of another one in Garissa, Northeastern part of Kenya, mostly inhibited by ethnic Somalis[2].

The event occurred as unknown gunmen opened fire to police officers in the center of the town. Exchange of fire ensued, causing people to flee and close their businesses.

The reporter of the BBC in Garissa said he was informed by Garissa chairman Mr. Moalim Mohamed that the people who were behind these attacks were same people who last month killed two officers. They appear, he told the reporter, to have substituted planting mines with direct attacks against elements of Kenya’s security forces in in the town.

The BBC Somali services have also reported to day the injury of four people in Kismayo, Lower Jubba region. Someone lobbed a hand grenade into members of government army in the town; they missed their target and harmed ordinary people[3].

 

 

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[1] BBC Somali Service.Taliye lagu dilay magaalada Beledweyne. BBC Somali, october 31, 2012. WEB. October 30, 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/somali/maqal_iyo_muuqaal/2012/10/121031_beledweyne_taliye_dil.shtml

[2] BBC Somali service.Morning program. BBC  Soomaali, october 31, 2012. WEB. October 30, 2012.

[3] BBC Somali service.Morning program. BBC  Somali Service, october 31, 2012. WEB. October 30, 2012War