Madaxwaynaha Somaliland iyo weftigiisa, oo ka soo laabtay safar shaqo oo ay ku tageen dalka Imaaraadka Carabta, ayaa waxa soo noqoshadooda ku wehelinayey Guddoomiyaha xisbiga Mucaaradka ah ee UCID Eng Faysal Cali Waraabe oo ka soo raacay dalka Imaaraadka.

Madaxwaynaha Somaliland Md Siilaanyo oo markii uu ka soo degay madaarka diyaaradaha Berbera qolka nasashada ugu waramay waxyaabaha ay kala soo kulmeen dawlada Imaaraadka oo ay la kulmeen masuuliyiinta ugu sareysa oo uu ka mid yahay dhaxal sugaha Imaaraadka Carabta, wasiir ku xigeenka arimaha dibada iyo masuuliyiin kale, waxaanu Madaxwaynuhu sheegay in safarkaasi guul ugu soo dhamaaday isla-markaana masuuliyiintii ay la kulmeen si wanaagsan isugu afgarteen waxyaabihii ay kala hadleen.

Dhanka kale, Madaxwaynaha Somaliland, ayaa caawa ku nagaaday Magaalada Berbera.

Cadceednews Berbera

President Bashar al-Assad, 46, is under economic and political pressure to end an eight-month crackdown against demonstrators, inspired by popular movements that toppled leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. The violence has moved the country closer to a civil war as military personnel defect and take up arms against the government.

“Sanctions may put more pressure on Assad, but he will continue his current crackdown as is unless something really big happens,” Paul Sullivan, a political scientist specializing in Middle East security at Georgetown University in Washington, said in an e-mailed response to questions. “It has all the indications of a fall into civil war.”

The United Nations estimates that at least 3,500 people have been killed since the start of the protests in mid-March. Thirty-one people were killed by security forces yesterday, al- Jazeera television reported, citing activists. Syrian soldiers opened fire on a family as they tried to enter Jordan late yesterday, the Jordan Times reported today, citing Rakan Majali, Jordan’s minister for media affairs.

Iraq, Lebanon Abstain

The economic sanctions are the first the Arab League has imposed on a member state since its formation in 1945. In 1979, the league suspended Egypt’s membership after President Anwar Sadat signed a peace agreement with Israel. It reinstated the North African nation in 1989.
Syrian neighbors Iraq and Lebanon abstained from voting on yesterday’s decision. The sanctions were drafted to target Syrian officials and aren’t intended to hurt the Syrian people, Sheikh Hamad said.
The opposition Syrian National Council posted a statement on its Facebook page calling the sanctions “a defeat for the Syrian regime and an important step to isolate it and stop the supplies that feed its criminal war against peaceful protesters.”
The imposition of the measures was “unprecedented,” Syrian state TV said after the decision was announced.

‘Natural Capitalists’

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters in Beijing today that “China believes that the Syrian issue should be solved within the framework of the Arab League” and didn’t say whether it would go along with the League sanctions.

Assad, who inherited power from his father in 2000, has moved to ease Syria’s economic isolation and encourage foreign investment. He had encouraged private industry in Syria’s state- dominated economy to provide long-term financing for development and economic reforms.
“Syria is a trading nation and they are natural capitalists,” Andrew Tabler, a Syria analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said in response to e-mailed questions. “The businessmen in that country will never tolerate being cut off to such a degree. This move will get the business elite off the fence and against the regime.”

‘Financial Risks’

Syria’s $60 billion economy, which expanded 5.5 percent in 2010, may shrink 2 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Banque Saudi Fransi (BSFR), a Saudi lender part-owned by Credit Agricole SA, said on Nov. 26 that it will sell its 27 percent stake in bank Bemo Saudi Fransi Syria, citing “the financial risks” in the country.
The Arab League suspended Syria, a founding member, for its handling of the unrest about two weeks ago. It was the boldest action by the organization since its condemnation of Muammar Qaddafi’s repression of protests paved the way for the United Nations resolution in March authorizing a North Atlantic Treaty Organization campaign that ended after Qaddafi’s death.

Sectarian divisions in Syria, where the Alawite minority has ruled over a Sunni Muslim majority since the Assad dynasty took power in 1970, have come to underlie political tensions in the country. In 1982, Assad’s father crushed a rebellion led by Sunni militants in the city of Hama, killing at least 10,000 people according to estimates cited by Human Rights Watch.

“The Arab League also sees real trouble if Syria falls into a full civil war,” Sullivan said. “The closeness of Assad’s regime to Iran, and Iran’s support of them during this brutal time in Syria, worry and irritate many Sunni leaders in the region.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Abdel Latif Wahba in Cairo at alatifwahba@bloomberg.net

A Horn of Africa regional summit has given its blessing to the return of Ethiopian troops to Somalia, but the force will remain outside African Union command.

The Inter Governmental Authority on Development, or IGAD, Friday officially asked Ethiopia to support the campaign by Kenyan, Somali and African Union forces against Somalia’s al-Shabab rebels. At the end of a one-day regional summit, IGAD Secretary General Mahboub Maalim said Ethiopia had agreed to help.

“The members of the summit did request the Ethiopian government to come in and assist peace and stabilization activities that are going on in Somalia, and there was a promise from the Ethiopian government to help,” he said.

It was not immediately clear how Ethiopian troops would contribute to the campaign against the al-Qaeda linked rebels. But African Union Peace and Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra said the Ethiopian force would not be under the command of the AU mission known as AMISOM.

“The IGAD summit was ready to even consider the possibility of Ethiopian troops to be included in AMISOM, but it is the wish of the Government of Ethiopia to continue to support, to assist in any way possible both AMISOM and TFG [Transitional Federal Government] troops without being integrated into AMISOM,” Lamamra said.

Officials Friday said Ethiopia has not begun operations in Somalia, though news agencies have quoted witnesses saying Ethiopian troops have taken up positions several kilometers inside the border.

Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman Dina Mufti said Addis Ababa would respond to the IGAD call “as soon as possible”.

Diplomats say the Kenyan troops that entered Somalia nearly six weeks ago are expected to become part of the AMISOM force as soon as the United Nations Security Council approves an increase in the size of the mission. AMISOM currently has an authorized strength of 12,000, but the Security Council is considering a request to increase it to 20,000.

Commissioner Lamamra said Kenya’s inclusion in AMISOM would provide the force with much-needed “force enablers” to upgrade the military campaign.

“Once Kenya is re-hatted, [wearing caps of AMISOM] already you have enablers on the ground. Helicopters are there, aircraft are there, warships are there, so there will be be a need to make proper arrangements for those enablers to be usable by the etire opeations across the entire territory of Somalia.”

The communique issued at the end of the summit condemns regional outsider Eritrea for supplying ammunition to al-Shabab. Eritrea denies the charge. Eritrea suspended its membership in IGAD a few years ago, but its recent attempt to rejoin has been rebuffed.

The summit also took the opportunity to admit Southern Sudan as its newest member. The regional economic community now includes Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Southern Sudan and Djibouti.

Four heads of state attended the summit; Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki, Somalia’s President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelle, and the host, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Source: VOA

Neighbouring Kenya sent hundreds of troops into southern Somalia in mid-October to crush the Islamist insurgents it blames for a series of kidnappings on its soil and regular cross-border attacks. Its air force has launched sporadic strikes on what it says are rebel targets.
Ethiopia also sent dozens of military trucks and armoured vehicles into central Somalia over the weekend, witnesses said.

“I’m not saying that Kenya should consider negotiating with al Shabaab. I’m saying that all of us engaged in the effort to bring stability to Somalia should not shut the door to combatant elements who would want to put aside their weapons and talk politics,” said Jerry Rawlings, former president of Ghana and now AU representative for Somalia.

“Even as we are doing combat … let’s also create an opening for them to come on board politically. Let’s not shut all the doors to them,” Rawlings told a news conference in Nairobi.
The AU has backed Kenya’s pursuit of al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab inside Somalia to secure stability in the Horn of Africa country and ensure Kenya’s own security. But Rawlings warned on Wednesday that the conflict would be complex and bloody.

“It is important to maintain the support of the local populace,” he said. “The exercise that your armed forces are going to undertake is a complex one, because a lot of it will involve fighting in urban dwelling areas, and you will have to be prepared for some casualties.”
Somalia’s Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali told Reuters in September that his government was open to talks with al Shabaab’s top commanders and informal talks had been held.
Al Shabaab, fighting to impose a harsh interpretation of sharia law on the nation, have vowed to revenge against the region’s biggest economy and bring the “flames of war” to its neighbour.

LIBERATION?

Kenya’s Defence Minister Yusuf Haji, who attended the news conference, declined to say whether the east African nation would negotiate with any al Shabaab rebels. He reiterated that Kenya had the right to pursue the enemy inside Somali territory.

“What we are trying to do is liberate as many areas of Somalia as possible,” Haji said.
He urged Rawlings to help secure the assistance of the AU peacekeeping force, AMISOM, “to come and take position in the liberated areas whenever it is necessary”.
About 9,000 Ugandan and Burundian soldiers make up AMISOM, which is propping up the shaky Western-backed Somali government and now controls much of the capital Mogadishu after al Shabaab withdrew in August from the coastal city.

The Horn of Africa country has been racked by violence since the overthrow of dictator Siad Barre in 1991 allowed first warlords, then Islamist militants, to step into the political vacuum.
Ethiopia publicly denies its forces are inside Somalia. Addis Ababa has said a decision on whether to join the assault against al Shabaab in some form would be taken on Friday at a meeting of east African heads of state.

Ethiopia entered Somalia in December 2006, with tacit U.S. backing and at the invitation of a Somali government, and left under a cloud in 2009 after routing a previous Islamist administration. But Ethiopia’s perceived occupation deeply angered many Somalis, helping to swell the ranks of al Shabaab.
Asked if the Ethiopians’ re-entry into Somalia would be well received, Rawlings said: “Quite frankly I think they have learnt the necessary lessons and the feedback we are getting is that they are coming on board, we are on the same page.
Source: Reuters

President Kibaki of Kenya, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Sheikh Sharif Ahmed of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia expressed confidence that the joint Kenya-Somali operation presents the region with an historic opportunity to restore stability and security in Somalia.

In a Communiqué read by the Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula after a tripartite meeting, the Heads of State emphasised the need for enhanced coordination between Amisom, TFG and Kenya Defence Forces in order to successfully defeat Al Shabaab and other militant groups that continue to threaten peace and stability in the horn of Africa and internationally.

Discussing the status of the joint Kenya-Somalia security operation against Al Shabaab insurgents, the leaders noted with satisfaction the gains already made by TFG, Amisom and KDF forces and stressed the need to galvanize international support.

The leaders, who met at State House Nairobi, also reviewed the political and security developments in Somalia and observed that the protracted conflict had generated numerous problems including terrorism, organized crime, influx of illegal arms, the refugee crisis and internally displaced persons in Somalia.
The Heads of State further paid tribute to Amisom and the Troop Contributing Countries (TCC) for their continued sacrifices in the pursuit of peace and security in Somalia which has resulted in the liberation of Mogadishu and its environs.

They stressed the need for enhanced engagement by IGAD in galvanizing international support for the joint Kenya-Somalia operation with a view to building on the momentum created by the joint operation.
Noting with appreciation the decision of Djibouti to provide troops to Amisom by the end of the year, the leaders called on other African countries which have pledged contribution of troops to Amisom to urgently fulfill their pledges.

The tripartite meeting also welcomed Kenya’s willingness to contribute troops to Amisom, saying the United Nations Security Council resolution number 1744 of 2007 removed restrictions preventing states that border Somalia from deploying troops in the country.

The leaders, once again, reaffirmed previous commitments endorsed by the 41st Extra-Ordinary IGAD Council of Ministers on 21st October, 2011, to jointly pursue the objective of defeating Al Shabaab and other militant groups to its logical conclusion.
The Heads of States, at the same time, endorsed resolutions passed by the Ministers of Defence and Chiefs of Defence Staff of Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) and other interested countries at their informal meetings held in Addis Ababa on 25th and 26th October 2011 on the consolidation, co-ordination and expansion of Amisom.

On the influx of Somali refugees to Kenya, the leaders called on humanitarian aid agencies to relocate to the secure parts of Southern Somalia to provide humanitarian assistance closer to the famine-stricken communities in a more effective manner.

The tripartite meeting was attended by foreign affairs and Defence ministers from the three countries among other senior government officials.

Source: PPS

The prime minister described the east African nation as a “failed state that directly threatens British interests,” citing attacks on tourists and aid workers, and radicalisation of young Britons by militant Islamist groups with roots in the region.

Cameron announced last month that British merchant ships sailing off the coast of Somalia would be able to carry armed guards to ward off pirate attacks, bringing it into line with many other countries.

“Somali pirates aren’t invincible: they are violent and lawless men in small boats and it is time we properly stood up to them,” Cameron said in a speech at a banquet to honour the new Mayor of the City of London.

“But there is a real and pressing need to pull together the international effort,” Cameron said in the speech, traditionally a forum for setting out foreign policy priorities. “That is why Britain will host a major conference in London next year.”

Cameron has been strengthened by a foreign policy success after Britain and France took the lead in international military efforts to support Libyans who rose up and eventually overthrew Muammar Gaddafi, in power for four decades.

The Somali conference was to “focus attention on protecting merchant ships passing through the Gulf of Aden, tackling pirates, pressurising the extremists, supporting countries in the region and addressing the causes of conflict and instability in Somalia.”

The date of the conference was not announced.

Somalia was formed in 1960 from a former British protectorate and an Italian colony. It descended into chaos after the 1991 fall of dictator Mohammed Siad Barre. The government of President Sharif Sh. Ahmed controls only areas of the capital. (Reporting by Keith Weir; Editing by Janet Lawrence).

Source: Reuters

“I believe, if I were in his shoes, I would step down,” he has told BBC in an interview.

“I would step down and make sure whoever comes behind me has the ability to change the status quo that we’re seeing.”

“If Bashar has the interest of his country, he would step down, but he would also create an ability to reach out and start a new phase of Syrian political life,” Abdullah said.

Neighbouring Jordan has been highly critical of Syria’s crackdown on anti-government protesters in recent months.

Abdullah said the president should begin a new era of political dialogue before leaving office.

Jordan is not the first Arab country to be critical of the Syrian crackdown.

Both the Saudi and Qatari ambassadors left Damascus in the summer in protest at the repression.

Earlier on Monday, Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Muallem reacted defiantly to the Arab League’s suspension of Syria’s membership over the repression.

In Brussels, European foreign ministers are expected to approve moves to tighten sanctions against Syria later today.

French foreign minister Alain Juppe has said it was time to see how Syria’s civilian population could be better protected and said he hoped the UN Security Council would finally take a position on the matter.

The UN says more than 3,500 people have died since the start of the anti-Assad protests in March while the Syrian authorities blame the violence on terrorists.

Ney York Times

Nov 15-2011 Commissioner Georgieva will tell EU ministers that in spite of the ongoing international aid effort the situation in the Horn of Africa is likely to remain critical for the next six months. In the long term she will stress the need for structural measures to strengthen resilience to disasters in order to avoid similar humanitarian catastrophes in the future.

“We need to address the emergency of the food crisis. But we also need to tackle its root causes and engage in a new approach,” said the Commissioner. “Drought cannot be avoided but famine can if we work to build resilience in countries which are the most vulnerable. Developing this resilience needs to be a priority for the development community and the authorities in the region.”
Commissioner Piebalgs will stress the importance of linking humanitarian and development assistance and present a framework which we will be applying for the first time in the Horn. Ahead of the meeting, Commissioner Piebalgs said: “If we want to efficiently help the people in the Horn of Africa and if we want to avoid such crisis in the future, the EU needs to act coherently and consistently. By coordinating our work in the region we can increase the impact of EU aid and strengthen food security, resilient livelihood and agricultural sustainability”.

What is the EU doing to help in Somalia?

Over the past decade, the EU has been progressively setting up a comprehensive approach to Somalia, including long-term development interventions aimed at creating security, building peace, and improving democratic governance in the country. To date, the EU is the biggest donor to Somalia. From its main financial instrument for Africa, Caribbean and Pacific, European Development Fund (EDF), the EU has committed €390.4 million for the period 2008 to 2013. Development aid in the country focuses on governance, education, economic growth and support to food security, health, environment, water and sanitation.

Addressing the security situation and reinforcing governance in Somalia
The EU is one of the biggest donors to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which was launched in January 2007 to help humanitarian aid to be safely delivered and to create the necessary conditions for reconstruction, reconciliation and the sustainable development of Somalia. The total EU contribution to AMISOM since 2007 has been €258.4 million.

The EU is also supporting efforts of the Somaliland coastguard and the police in prosecuting and detaining pirates through the EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta. Operation Atalanta continues to escort World Food Programme shipments and to contribute decisively to maritime security in the strategic commercial sea routes of the Gulf of Aden.

One of the three key sectors of EU development programme in Somalia is strengthening the governance and institutions of the state. €60 million was already set aside for this purpose, and this amount has recently been increased with €53 million Examples of projects funded by the EU include:
The Support to the Rule of Law and Security project, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), strengthens the rule of law and security by helping to develop the Somali judiciary system including civilian police, improving access to justice for all, and training of custodial services.
The Pillars of Peace project, implemented by Interpeace, strengthens the role of youth and community groups in peace-building processes and promotes reconciliation through extensive public consultations, workshops, forums and stakeholder dialogue.

Strengthening the Participation of Somali Non-State Actors in decision making is also a priority area of intervention for the EU. Implemented by Saferworld UK, this project supports the development of Non-State Actor platforms in Somalia to enable their participation in decision-making on peace, security and development.

Encouraging results of international support, including from the EU, can be observed. Notably, free and fair elections were conducted in June 2010 in Somaliland, leading to the peaceful turnover of power and a renewed Somali-owned and Somali-led commitment to longer-term development outcomes. Village markets, health posts and community centres built as a result of the reforms have benefitted over 95.000 people. Partners were able to monitor and report human rights abuses across Somalia and conducted training for police and law officials. Free legal aid and representation were provided.
* Helping to provide food and support to agriculture in the Horn of Africa
The European Union has committed over €440 million since 2008 for agriculture and food security in the Horn of Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Somalia), helping to feed the most vulnerable people, improve nutrition and encourage sustainable agriculture.

The EU delivers aid via programmes funded by the European Development Fund, the geographic financial instrument covering African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, as well as through the EU budget – notably the Food Security Thematic Programme and the Food Facility instruments
1) Programmes funded by the European Development Fund (2008-2013)
The EU funds programmes in the Horn of Africa through its geographic financial instrument for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, the European Development Fund (EDF). The 10th EDF covers the period 2008-2013, and in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia agriculture and/or food security have been selected as focal sectors for cooperation.

Somalia
For Somalia, €135 million is allocated for economic development and food security. The EU is currently implementing an Economic Development Programme (€26 million), partly in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The objective of the programme is to increase the income and to reduce food insecurity through private sector-led economic growth. It is expected that the programme will help people to make a better living from agricultural and livestock, as well as enabling them to gain access to markets. It also aims at helping to create jobs and improve livelihoods of vulnerable households in urban and peri-urban areas.

* Livestock Support in Somalia
The Livestock Support programme has helped over 1.5 million people across Somalia. By improving animal heath services and increasing surveillance, inspection and certification of animals, livestock exports are protected, helping farmers to make a living. Support is also provided to pastoralists, through an animal vaccination scheme for example. Similarly, facilities have been built through the scheme to rehabilitate and construct livestock buildings such as slaughterhouses. The EU has given €2.5 million to this project.

Kenya
The EU has set aside €98.8 million for agriculture and rural development in Kenya. It has launched the Kenya Rural Development Programme (€66.4 million), which helps to fund projects on improved research and information, spreading knowledge on better crops and technologies, as well as providing better access for small-scale farmers to seeds and fertilisers and markets. The EU also supports the country in handling droughts; notably by strengthening a drought early warning system and developing drought-resistant crops and fodder.

Ethiopia
* Helping the poorest people in drought-stricken areas of Ethiopia
The EU has set aside €130 million for rural development and food security in Ethiopia. Large part of these funds directly benefits Ethiopia’s poorest people by providing food and cash in return for work (through the Productive Safety Net Programme or PSNP). The programme also funds public works to help improve areas that the whole country can benefit from, such as soil and water conservation, and rural roads and social services. Depending on the needs, in between 5 and 13 million people benefit from this programme. Faced with the current drought, the programme was able to quickly scale up, preventing vulnerable people from falling into destitution.

Eritrea
For Eritrea, the EU has allocated €70 million for Food security. A €37 million Support to the agricultural sector/food security in Eritrea programme was launched in 2011 with the objective of enhancing food security through increased agricultural production and productivity and improving food access at household level.
Djibouti
In Djibouti, the EU has used funds to finance a Food Aid programme (€1.54 million) as a complement to the humanitarian aid provided by ECHO. The programme was implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP) and targeted the most vulnerable groups of people.

Rinderpest eradication –regional approach

Rinderpest was a devastating disease affecting livestock. The EU largely contributed to free farmers from this disease by providing more than €203 million for Africa (€340 million worldwide) since the beginning of the eradication campaign in 1960s. In the Horn of Africa, the EU notably financed the Somali Ecosystem Rinderpest Eradication Coordination (SERECU) project (€4 million). Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia were granted disease freedom status by the World Organisation for Animal Health respectively in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and global eradication was declared in June 2011.
2) Food Security Thematic Programme (FSTP)

This instrument addresses food security at global, continental and regional levels and helps countries to improve food security in particularly fragile situations, especially during the transition period between receiving emergency assistance and long-term development cooperation.
Through the Food Security Thematic Programme (FSTP) Somalia has received €14.2 million in support (between 2007 and 2010) to link relief, rehabilitation and development in fragile situations and Ethiopia received €2.2 million in 2010 to support food security. Moreover Kenya benefited with €14.5 million and Eritrea received €2 million in 2009.

Agricultural research for development is crucial in building longer term resilience of countries and farmers to drought. Through the Food Security Thematic Programme, the Commission has allocated around €225 million (2007-10) to agricultural research. Programmes include breeding crop varieties which have a greater tolerance to drought, as well as research on climate change, agriculture and food security, to find ways of coping with current climate variability and adapting to the future effects of climate change.
3) Food Facility
The €1 billion EU Food Facility was set up in order to respond to the challenges of rising food prices in 2007/08. By the end of 2011, it is expected to have benefitted 50 million people in 50 developing countries. The Food Facility helps beneficiaries to re-invest in agricultural production and supports the needs of the most food insecure.
In the Horn of Africa, the Food Facility is providing:
- €13.5 million to Eritrea
- €42.9 million to Ethiopia
- €31 million to Kenya
- €14.1 million to Somalia (through the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources)

Nov 14-2011 People in the town of Afgoye, about 30 km (20 miles) outside the capital Mogadishu, heard a loud explosion late on Sunday from the direction of a known Al-Shabab base, housed in former government buildings.
Some residents said there had been a flurry of insurgent activity in the area on Sunday amid rumors that some of the rebels’ top commanders were meeting.

“I am sure there was a meeting going on in the base near the orphanage. Armored cars and expensive 4x4s were buzzing around yesterday afternoon,” Afgoye resident Osman Odowa told Reuters.
“One of the missiles struck right around there,” Odowa said.

Afgoye is a strategic junction on the road leading from the capital to the south of the Horn of Africa nation. A senior Al-Shabab official said two missiles were launched from warships off the anarchic country’s shores.

“Enemy warships in the Indian Ocean fired two missiles at us last night,” the official, who declined to be named, told Reuters by telephone.

There were no casualties, he said. It was not possible to verify his account.
One missile landed on a football field near an orphanage, the rebel official said. The other missile struck a waste ground near an area dubbed “Kilometer 50,” located 50 km from the capital, he added.
Residents living between the coastal capital, epicenter of Al-Shabab’s almost five-year insurgency, and Afgoye said they saw a bright light streaking overhead in the night sky on Sunday.
It was not clear who fired the missiles. The United States has used drones in the past to target top Al-Shabab officials. In 2008, a drone attack killed Aden Hashi Ayro, said at the time to be Al-Qaeda’s boss in the Horn of Africa.

Kenya sent hundreds of troops across its border into Somalia five weeks ago to crush the Islamist militants and has warned of air strikes on rebel enclaves across central and southern Somalia.
A fleet of foreign battleships are also patrolling the strategic sea-lanes off Somalia where pirates prey on commercial vessels and private yachts for ransom.
“I have already evacuated and am now passing the town of Elasha,” mother-of-five Samira Farah told Reuters, referring to the Al-Shabab-controlled town 17 km outside of the capital. “Mogadishu is our destination.”

A column of minibuses laden with mattresses was following, she said. “Who dares to stay in a place which is a target of planes and warships?” she said.

After a fairly smooth advance, Kenya’s forces fighting Al-Shabab have been camped near several rebel strongholds, but have yet to have a major showdown with the insurgents, nor seize any significant strategic bases.

By ABDI SHEIKH AND FEISAL OMAR | REUTERS

A military spokesman says Kenya was not behind strong explosions heard in a Somali town that is on a target list published by Kenya’s military.

A government statement Monday said Prime Minister Raila Odinga asked Israeli President Shimon Peres for assistance in building the capacity of the Kenyan police to deal with attacks by al-Shabab militants.

Israeli security forces are among the best in the world in dealing with terror threats, but al-Shabab could view Kenya’s request as a provocation.

Kenya last month sent hundreds of troops into Somalia to pursue al-Shabab, whom it blames for attacks and kidnappings in Kenya. In response, al-Shabab has threatened to carry out terror attacks in Kenya’s capital.