European Union Training Mission

Somalia

PRESS SUMMARY

03th December 2018

“In ‘Media’ stat virtus”

SUMMARY

TITLE PAGE

U.S. military says strike kills nine militants in Somalia 2

Car Bomb Near Parliament In Capital Kills 1, Police Say 3 Somali army to launch war on Al Shabab 4

Somalia: Al Shabaab welcomes defected soldiers 5 South West Presidential Polls Put Off For Third Time, Set For

December 19 6

Somalia plans to launch its first Int’l bidding for oil exploitation next year

7

Somalia: Govt deploys troops to Baidoa raising doubt on fair election

8

Traffic seals off Zoobe junction to ease jam 9

Iron Lady Inspector Cecilia Kabube Leads Zambian Mission in Somalia

10

Somalia’s top leaders meet over current situation in the country 12 EU, UN launch urban water project in northern Somalia 13

Armed men gun down businessman in outskirts of Mogadishu 15

Somalia seeks to regulate ICT sector 16 Blaming the victim rather than the perpetrators 18

Radicalism In Somalia: Rethinking An Alternative Solution 19

‘Somalia must be better addressed by media’ 21 Bush's Somalia mission to save 'innocents' echoes today 23

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 1

U.S. military says strike kills nine militants in Somalia

The U.S. military said it killed nine militants in an air strike targeting al Shabaab in Lebede,

Somalia, as part of its operations to support the government’s efforts to weaken the militant

group.

The military’s Africa Command (Africom) said the strike was carried out on Friday. “We

currently assess this airstrike killed nine militants with no civilians involved,” Africom said in

a statement late on Saturday.

The United States carries out periodic air strikes in Somalia in support of a U.N.-backed

government there, which has been fighting against an al-Shabaab insurgency for years.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-somalia/u-s-military-says-strike-kills-nine-militants-

in-somalia-

idUSKBN1O106A?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm

_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+

News%29&&rpc=401

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 2

Car Bomb Near Parliament In Capital Kills 1, Police Say

02 December –2018

At least one person was killed and two others wounded in car bomb blast in Mogadishu on

Sunday afternoon. A police officer said an official working for Ministry of Post,

Telecommunications and Technology died, when an explosive device was fitted into his

vehicle went off, outside the parliament building near the presidential palace. The policeman

who requested anonymity told reporters, that the car bomb injured two civilians who were

immediately taken to a nearby hospital. The explosion was heard several kilometers away

and a thick column of white smoke, was seen rising from the scene of the blast near the

Sayid junction, according to an eyewitness. “The charred and mangled wreckage of the car

remained in the street, hours after the blast as plumes of thick smoke spiraled into the air,”

said one witness. The huge blast damaged several nearby shops and many outdoor stalls

along the busy Maka Al-Mukarama street, near the main police checkpoint.

No group so far has claimed responsibility of the attack, but Al-Shabaab has been responsible

for such attacks, targeting government buildings and high-profile hotels in the capital. Last

July, at least 15 people, including government employees were killed and dozens were

wounded in car bombings and gun attack, at the Otto-compound in the same area, which

houses the Ministries of Interior and Security. The Horn of Africa nation continues to struggle

to counter the Islamic extremist groups, including a pro-ISIL faction the northeastern

Puntland State. Concerns have been raised over the plans to hand the country’s security

responsibility to Somalia’s forces, as AMISOM withdrawal is expected to be complete in

2020. The U.S. military has stepped up efforts against Al-Shabaab and the pro-Islamic State

militants since Trump came into power in early 2017, carrying dozens of drone strikes that

killed many extremists.

http://somaliamediamonitoring.org/december-3-2018-morning-headlines/

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 3

Somali army to launch war on Al Shabab

2nd December 2018

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somalia’s Jubaland state military says its forces will launch joint

military offensive against towns held by Al Shabaab.

Jubaland’s Minister of Security, Abdurashid Abdi Nour Janan told journalists that the

Jubaland military forces will flush out Al Shabaab in Jubba and Gedo regions.

The announcement was made after Janan and his delegates arrived in Baladhawo, a town

close to Kenyan border along Somalia.

The Al Qaeda inspired group also lost key towns to Somali army forces backed by African

Union troops following joint military operations.

But, the group still controls large swathes of territory in rural areas in south and central

Somalia.

https://mareeg.com/somali-army-to-launch-war-on-al-shabab/

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 4

Somalia: Al Shabaab welcomes defected soldiers

2nd December 2018

MOGADISHU, Somalia – The Al Qaeda

linked Al Shabaab group had

displayed two soldiers whom it says

were defetected from the

government of Somalia.

The two defected soldiers wearing

military uniforms and armed with AK-47s were part of Somali army forces operating in Marka

and Shalanbod towns.

The group says it had welcomed the soldiers and allowed them to join in Al Qaeda linked Al

Shabaab.

Al Qaeda inspired group has been waging insurgency for more than ten years in Somalia.

The Al Qaeda inspired group also lost key towns to Somali army forces backed by African

Union troops following joint military operations.

But, the group still controls large swathes of territory in rural areas in south and central

Somalia.

The group, which once controlled much of Mogadishu capital in 2011, wants to overthrow

the UN-backed Somali government and has imposed a strict version of Sharia in areas under

its control.

https://mareeg.com/somalia-al-shabaab-welcomes-defected-soldiers/

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 5

South West Presidential Polls Put Off For Third Time, Set For December 19

01 December 2018

South West state electoral committee has for the third time postponed the presidential

election, that was scheduled for December 5th. The electoral body which was reconstituted

late November, following the lack of quorum the resignation of some members, announced

on Saturday that the elections will be held on December 19th.

The polls body cited the lack of adequate preparation in which, state assembly lawmakers

are expected to cast their vote for a new president. The assembly is made up of 149

members. It is the third time that the elections are delayed. According to the state

constitution, the presidential poll was first scheduled for November 17th, but was later

postponed to November 27th and then again to December 5th.

The development comes amid the concerns raised by a group of leaders from the

region, following the deployment of federal police forces to Baidoa on Friday. However, the

federal government had indicated earlier that it would cooperate with South West

administration, to bolster security during the elections.

http://somaliamediamonitoring.org/december-3-2018-morning-headlines/

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 6

https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/somalia-plans-to-launch-its-first-intl-

bidding-for-oil-exploration-next-year

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 7

https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/somalia-govt-deploys-troops-to-

baidoa-raising-doubt-on-fair-election

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 8

Traffic seals off Zoobe junction to ease jam

December 2, 2018

The traffic department has sealed off the Zoobe

intersection in a bid to ease traffic snarl-up

forcing vehicles to take different routes.

The roadblocks will affect the vehicles from KM-4

and going to Bulla Xuubey which will now have to

take a U-turn around Banaadir junction while

those from Bulla Xuube will now drive towards KM4 to pick a U-turn should they want to

proceed to Banaadir.

The new roadblock is expected to ease traffic stress because Zoobe junction is one of the

busiest street junctions in the capital Mogadishu.

The busy KM5 or Zoobe Junction is one of Mogadishu’s vital roads, with a series of shops,

hotels and restaurants.

At least 500 people mostly civilians were killed and more 300 others wounded when a truck

exploded at Zoobe junction on October 14, 2017

Zoobe junction in Mogadishu was later renamed to 14th Oct in honour of victims of

Mogadishu truck bombing.

http://goobjoog.com/english/fgs-block-zoobe-junction-in-mogadishu-curb-traffic-jam/

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 9

Iron Lady Inspector Cecilia Kabube Leads Zambian Mission in Somalia

02 December 2018

Zambia’s African Mission in Somalia (AMISON) representative Chief Inspector Cecilia Kabube

says Zambians should value peace as war has a devastating effect on the general citizenry.

Inspector Kabube led a night patrol in Mogadishu where journalists were also taken on a

familiarization of the security situation in Somalia. Her platoon comprise forces from

Somalia, Ghana, Sierra Leone ,Kenya among others.

The journalists are in Somalia on a six day assignment to get an appreciation of the war

situation in Somalia. Inspector Kabube shed light on the terror acts of the world infamous El

Shabab group that inducts child soldiers. “The situation is bad here, you can’t trust anyone

,some individuals even masquerade as police officers and kill innocent people .These

terrorists have similar protected vehicles like ours locally known as the Mambas so it is

difficult to trust anyone we don’t trust police officers and they also don’t trust us unless the

ones that we have worked with on a regular basis”, She had said.

Inspector Kabube is the team leader for Side Four group whose mandate is mentoring,

advising ,reporting and following up on the activities of Somali Police on their professional

standards and Human rights obligations. She has been in Mogadishu for more than one year.

“What keeps us going is prayer which is a norm for officers to commit themselves in before

and after their operations as death is a normal thing , no place here in Mogadishu is safe as

safety here is compromised, guns can be fired at any time while bombs can also blast at any

given time,” Kabube said.

“People here don’t fear death,a bomb may blast, kills people and others will continue with

their activities at times even run to where a bomb has blasts.” However Inspector Kabube

has revealed that from the time she joined the mission there has been no record of a

Zambian Police officer who died from the bomb blasts or gunshots. A total of 31 Zambian

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 10

Police personnel are attached to the Somalia African Mission in Mogadishu and of the

number 20 are male while 11 are female.

These Zambian contingents live in AMISON safe zones were no individual is allowed to move

after 22:00 hours at night expect for officers who are on night patrols. And during the night

patrol journalists who were dressed in protective body colts or body arm with protective

headgears and under the protection of the officers who transported them to General Kaye

and old parliament building to witness the night life in Mogadishu.

http://somaliamediamonitoring.org/december-3-2018-morning-headlines/

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 11

Somalia’s top leaders meet over current situation in the country

December 2, 2018

Somalia’s top leaders have held a special meeting

at the office of the President in the heavily

fortified hilltop presidential compound in the

capital, Mogadishu on Saturday night.

The meeting was deliberate between the

President, the Prime Minister, the Senate chairman, and House of the People of the Federal

parliament speaker and his two deputies.

The meeting was attended by President Mohammed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo.

A source close to the meeting said that the overnight meeting was focused on the

controversy among members of the House of the People and the Southwest election.

Since the disbanding of the House of the People’s Finance committee last week, there has

been a standoff and wrangling among the Members of the Somali Parliament.

http://radioshabelle.com/somalias-top-leaders-meet-over-current-situation-in-the-

country/

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 12

EU, UN launch urban water project in northern Somalia

December 2, 2018

A sustained water system was launched on Sunday by Somaliland, the EU and the UN

children’s fund (UNICEF) in northern Somalia.

According to a joint statement issued in Mogadishu, some 800,000 people will now have

sustainable access to safe drinking water thanks to the concerted efforts by Somaliland

government, private water companies and communities.

“Water is a basic right. It plays a crucial role in our lives. We are glad that the people of

Somaliland and in particular Tog Wajaale now have access to clean and affordable water,”

EU Chargé d’Affaires to Somalia Fulgencio Garrido Ruiz said.

“We are extremely proud to be here, witnessing this important milestone and the realization

of the prayers of so many communities to have access to safe and clean water for the first

time,” he added.

Water systems in four towns — Borama, Burao, Erigavo and Tog Wajaale — were

rehabilitated or rebuilt with the funding provided by the EU and technical support from

UNICEF and partners.

According to UNICEF, some 68 percent of the population have access to a reliable water

source in Somaliland.

However, the disparity between urban and rural areas is significant, the UN agency said,

noting that only 28 percent of households can access an improved water source in rural

areas.

For many Somaliland communities, their struggle to get clean water is compounded by poor

infrastructure and intensifies in periods of crisis such as the 2017 drought.

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 13

UNICEF Acting Representative Jesper Moller said access to safe, affordable and sustainable

water is a dream for so many people in Somaliland.

“Today, that dream has finally been realized for many children, women and their families in

Somaliland. We are grateful for the government’s strong leadership and the EU’s generous

funding in making this huge undertaking a success,” said Moller.

He said the water project is a true testament to the commitment and hard work of all

partners involved, and the courage, resourcefulness and resilience of the people of

Somaliland.

http://radioshabelle.com/eu-un-launch-urban-water-project-in-northern-somalia/

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 14

Armed men gun down businessman in outskirts of Mogadishu

December 2, 2018

Armed men have shot dead a businessman in the outskirts of the capital Saturday,

eyewitnesses said.

According to witnesses, the three men walked into the shop of a popular businessman and

opened fire killing him instantly at Arbaow street in Eelasha Biyaha area.

The circumstances surrounding the killing of the businessman identified as Maow Omar is

yet unestablished.

Armed groups have in the recent weeks gunned down businessmen in the city. At least 10

staffers of the Hormud Telecom have been killed in the last two months in similar

circumstances.

http://goobjoog.com/english/armed-men-gun-down-businessman-in-outskirts-of-

mogadishu/

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 15

Somalia seeks to regulate ICT sector

Sunday December 2, 2018

Somalia's telecommunication industry regulator on

Saturday kicked off consultation process aimed at

regulating the information and communications

technology (ICT) sector.

Abdi Sheikh Ahmed, general manager of the

National Communications Authority (NCA), said the industry regulator will formally go

through consultation process every time it wants to introduce regulations and seek public

comment before they are adopted.

"We understand regulator is a new concept in Somalia, so does introducing regulations

developed by a regulator. Therefore we are not only inviting comments from operators, but

also want the general public to actively participate in our consultation process," Ahmed said

in a statement issued during the launch of the consultation process in Mogadishu.

Ahmed said NCA will give priority to rules of procedures to interact with NCA, numbering

regulation, interconnection regulation and public notice, spectrum and service provider,

Somalia frequency allocation table, and type approval guidelines.

The government in February established the country's first-ever ICT body NCA to help

regulate the country's telecommunication sector.

NCA later in March took control of the domain from the Somali National Information Center

(SONIC) and Cloudy Registry, who ran the operations and the management of the domain

Registry.

Abdi Ashur Hassan, minister for Post, Telecom and Technology, lauded the ICT stakeholders

for successfully establishing NCA that is now ready to take its due role in regulating the

sector.

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 16

Hassan said the ICT sector is of utmost importance for the government because of its

potential multiplier effect on all sectors of the economy.

The minister said once the ICT sector is regulated it will be a win-win situation for all because

investors will have assurances for their investment instead of the current chaos in the

market.

"Consumers will have better services such as interconnected mobile networks instead of

carrying several mobile phones, and finally government revenue from the sector will

increase through taxation and other charges, which will also help us in reinvesting through

infrastructure and universal access fund," Hassan said.

https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2018/Dec/161359/somalia_seeks_to_regulate_ict_secto

r.aspx

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 17

Blaming the victim rather than the perpetrators

December 01, 2018 - A recent published article on the

opinion section of Hiiraan Online by Taha Daud claims

that the latest spat of assassinations of Hormuud

officers was due to its multisectoral dominance of the

Somali market. Hormuud is mainly known, in Somalia,

as a Telecommunication’s Company but also for its charitable activities and philanthropy

inside the country. It is, ultimately, the Somali people who will benefit from any success

achieved by Hormuud through its provision of essential services and employment for the

country and its people. The author, of the above-mentioned article, blames the very

Company whose innocent and hardworking employees suffered unjustifiable, horrendous

and murderous attacks. In the article, the author puts squarely the blame on the Company’s

success in many sectors of the Somali market as the key reason for the killings of its

employees. At first, one would think, the article is kind of a bad joke on the dreadful

massacre of innocent and hardworking fellow Somalis whose blood has barely dried.

Further, the core message of the article can be summarized as: what happened to the

employees of Hormuud, would not have happened if it were not for its success in doing

business. It is so sad that some people instead of engaging in an honest and fair competition

would rather express their jealousy through taking advantage of such awful acts by defaming

and blaming the victim. To add insult to the injury, the author further advocates, for the

sake of shortsighted and biased interests, for imposing restrictions on the open and free

competition in the market in order to limit the market dominance of Hormuud. In

conclusion, the author and those behind him have shown a complete disregard for human

life and lack of compassion by blaming the victim rather than the evil-doers. And finally, the

logical conclusion of blaming the victim is that the author is supporting the perpetrators of

those murderous acts.

https://www.hiiraan.com/op4/2018/dec/161349/blaming_the_victim_rather_than_the_p

erpetrators.aspx

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 18

Radicalism In Somalia: Rethinking An Alternative Solution

01 December 2018

The history of Islam on the Horn of Africa dates back 1400 years. It came from the Arabian

Peninsula through migration and trade, mainly from Yemen and Oman. In Somalia, during

the 14th century many Somalis converted to Islam and gradually Islam became the dominant

religion. Today, almost 100 percent of Somalis are Sunni Muslim and largely adhere to a

Shafi’i version of the faith.

In the beginning, the Sufism interpretation of religion dominated Somali social and political

spheres and allowed them to successfully accommodate religion with politics. During the

anti-colonial era, Sufism played an important role and was used by anti-colonial leaders to

confront and fight the colonial powers.

During state formation, although some people could argue that the state was secular, civil

government leaders were affiliated with Sufism. Nevertheless, religion was never a threat to

the state. However, after the coup in 1969 ended the civil government, the military regime

shifted toward the Soviet Union and adopted scientific socialism. In the beginning, the

military regime stayed out of religion and showed secular state behavior. However, that did

not last long because the regime’s socialist political mobilization did not match well with

religious traditions. And finally, the military regime had to interfere in religious practices to

successfully implement scientific socialism.

Concurrently, new religious ideologies were imported to the country – mainly from Egypt

and Saudi Arabia and led by clerics that had received their religious educations there. They

brought different ideas and interpretations that contrasted with Sufism dogma and even

declared them a null and void sect because their religious practices indicated that they

committed “Shirki,” which associates partners with Allah, making them infidels.

They undermined and clashed with the military regime, claiming the righteous teachings of

Islam. This marks the beginning of a radicalized interpretation of Islam. They lacked key

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 19

principles that Islam promotes, such as acceptance, tolerance, peaceful debate and more.

Violence has been their only choice.

Their emergence was a part of a global phenomena, part of the “awakening Islam project”

taking place in the Muslim world that arrived in Somalia in the 1970s. Their arrival marked

the birth of radical Islamists in Somalia. However, the military regime’s oppression and

crackdown, more or less, helped them gain more supporters. They advocated for the

establishment of an Islamic state, like other Islamists movements that existed, and to attain

that they called for jihad.

As a matter of fact, there is confusion with the primary meaning of the word “jihad” in recent

years, as some scholars argue that it’s martial in nature, while others focus on its spiritual

dimensions. Linguistically, the term refers to the idea of “struggle,” and early Islamic sources

draw a distinction between greater and lesser jihad. The first is regarded as individual duty

and a person’s struggle to live in accordance with the religion’s obligations, while the second

is regarded as efforts to bring the surrounding communities into obedience with Islam with

clear instruction by how and who.

http://somaliamediamonitoring.org/december-3-2018-morning-headlines/

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 20

‘Somalia must be better addressed by media’

December 3, 2018

Somalia must be better addressed by media representatives, said a senior official of Turkey’s

leading news agency on Sunday.

“We need to better address Somalia which has stood up on its feet again,” said Metin

Mutanoglu, deputy director general and editor-in-chief of Anadolu Agency.

Speaking at the first annual East African Development Forum in Istanbul, Mutanoglu focused

on the role of media in rebuilding nations.

The forum was organized by the East Africa Association for Development and Research

under the theme “Turkish-Somali partnership: Stepping forward”.

He said that Somalia has dozens of television channels, newspapers, radio stations and web

portals but they are enough to tell the world about the nation.

Mutanoglu expressed his happiness on the “rebirth” of Somalia, noting that the country is

shifting from a static economy to a self-developing one.

“The contribution of Turkey in this [development] makes us happy,” he said.

Based on his research on how Somalia was represented in Turkish media, he said the most

highlighted news were about explosions, armed conflicts and Al-Shabaab’s terror attacks, as

well as Turkey’s support to Somalia.

Stating that Turkey runs its largest foreign military training base in Somalia, Mutanoglu said

that the benefits of this military base will be seen much better in the coming years.

He noted that the creation of a strong Somali army will give the country the ability to

eliminate threats on its own.

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 21

Turkey has been the biggest supporter of Somalia for years and has its biggest embassy in

Africa in Mogadishu.

Mutanoglu also provided brief information about Anadolu Agency underlining that it is the

biggest news source of Turkey.

Founded in 1920, Anadolu Agency is a well-established global news agency with operations

in most major regions around the globe, including the Americas, Europe, the Middle East,

Asia, and Asia-Pacific, and serves subscribers in more than 100 countries.

For its subscribers, the agency produces news stories in 13 languages: Turkish, English,

Arabic, BHS (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian), Russian, Kurmanji, Sorani, Persian, French,

Albanian, Macedonian, Indonesian, and Spanish.

http://www.somaliweyn.org/2018/12/03/somalia-must-be-better-addressed-by-media/

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 22

Bush's Somalia mission to save 'innocents' echoes today

2 December 2018

JOHANNESBURG (AP) - In the final days of

his presidency, George H.W. Bush

committed the U.S. military to a mission

many would later regret, ordering more

than 20,000 troops into Somalia to "save

thousands of innocents from death."

Within months, the image of dead U.S.

soldiers dragged through the streets of Mogadishu profoundly changed the way the U.S.

approached Africa. And yet it is barely mentioned in the explorations of Bush's legacy since

his death.

Only now, under President Donald Trump, is the U.S. returning regular troops to Somalia as

much of the military's work across Africa is conducted in far smaller doses, with drones and

special operations forces and little fanfare of the past. The death of a U.S. soldier in Africa,

as seen in Niger a year ago when four special operations were killed, brings sharp questions

back home about "what we're doing over there."

In Bush's time, it was different. The Somalia mission was promoted as an act of charity,

meant to protect starving Somalis from the attacks and looting that kept them from reaching

aid in a country torn by warlord-led fighting after the fall of dictator of Siad Barre. The United

Nations has estimated 300,000 people died.

"You're doing God's work," Bush said as he ended his live address from the White House.

"We will not fail."

Cheering Somalis greeted the first U.S. troops as they arrived to lead a United Nations

operation. And Bush became the first, and only, U.S. president to visit the drought-plagued

Horn of Africa nation.

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 23

In this Friday, Jan. 1, 1993 file photo, U.S. President George H.W. Bush holds a camera, which

he borrowed from the Marine to snap the picture, for a self-portrait with Marines at the

airport in Baidoa, Somalia. In the final days of his presidency, George H.W. Bush committed

the U.S. military to a mission many would later regret, ordering more than 20,000 troops

into Somalia to "save thousands of innocents from death." (AP Photo/John Moore, File)

A month after ordering in the troops, he shared a modest New Year's meal with dozens of

soldiers and Marines and told them the American people were fully behind them in the

mission to help Somalis, called Operation Restore Hope.

"Thanks to you, they got a shot. They got a shot at really living," Stars and Stripes reported

him saying.

These days, a visit to Somalia by an American president, wearing desert fatigues and dutifully

eating the soldiers' meal of "Menu No. 8: Ham slice with Accessory Packet A," is now almost

unthinkable.

As the humanitarian crisis eased, rebuilding Somalia became the goal, but it stumbled. The

end came in October 1993 when an elite U.S. raid in Mogadishu against a key warlord

descended into street battles. Hundreds of Somalis were killed. Two U.S. Black Hawk

helicopters were shot down, and 18 Americans were killed. As global outrage echoed, the

U.S. pulled out of Somalia five months later amid accusations that they had swept in well-

intentioned but unprepared.

A quarter-century later, Somalia's fragile central government is still trying to take hold. It

wrestles with widespread corruption, bitter relations with regional states and high-profile

attacks by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab - and now a new threat from fighters linked to the

Islamic State organization.

While Trump recently announced he would soon visit a "war zone," chances are it will not

be Somalia. After decades of the U.S. largely leaving Somalis to work out their own problems,

the Trump administration with its focus on counterterror operations has grown the number

of U.S. military personnel in the country to an estimated 500. But now the work is about

fighting extremists. U.S. airstrikes targeting al-Shabab, 37 so far this year, receive much of

the attention.

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 24

Two U.S. service members have been killed in Somalia since Trump took office, the first such

deaths since 1993. The widespread insecurity means the U.S. still has not re-opened its

embassy in Mogadishu, instead quietly using offices at the heavily defended international

airport there.

Bush's death has revived a debate among some Somalis about the U.S. presence years ago,

with some remembering their countrymen killed in the fight against warlords and others

arguing that thousands of starving people were saved.

The country's Somali-American president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, avoided

discussions of the past when he released a brief statement early Sunday expressing

"heartfelt condolences."

Bush, he tweeted, "was a true statesman who was committed to world peace and upholding

democracy."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-6451815/Bushs-Somalia-mission-save-

innocents-echoes-today.html

EUTM - SOMALIA 03/12/2018

EUTM - SOMALIA 25