Somalia: not piracy catch all thread

[davidbfpo]

A lengthy article, for once, although somewhat reliant on official press briefings:http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...ion?CMP=twt_gu

[AdamG]

The U.S. military carried out a missile strike in Somalia on Sunday targeting a suspected militant leader with ties to al-Qaeda and al-Shabab, a U.S. military official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The strike took place in southern Somalia, the official said, without offering further information, including the identity of the suspect or whether the strike was believed to have been successful.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-car...ader-1.2511956

[davidbfpo]

A way back I posted a reference to the charcoal export trade from Somalia, via Kismayo (then just re-taken from Al-Shabaab) and the surprising difficulties encountered in shutting down a trade - which could aid Al-Shabaab.

This is an update, although few will expect much from Interpol:http://moneyjihad.wordpress.com/2014...oal-smuggling/

[davidbfpo]

An academic analysis from Georgetown University on the evolution of the insurgency, the authors explanation:

Here, we analyze what can be discerned about the current shape of al-Shabaab’s insurgency from data about all al-Shabaab-related attacks that have been conducted between the group’s loss of its Kismayo stronghold and the end of February 2014. We draw from a Foundation for Defense of Democracies database that attempts to chronicle every reported al-Shabaab-linked attack carried out since al-Shabaab was encircled in Kismayo and stood on the verge of losing the city; the database draws from both the English-language and also the Somali-language press.

Link:http://journal.georgetown.edu/2014/0...s-henry-appel/

[JMA]

Al-Shabaab publishes alleged photograph of dead French commando

Al-Qaeda's army in Somalia taunted Francois Hollande's government by publishing photographs of a dead white man they claimed was a French commando killed during a failed hostage rescue mission at the weekend.

[davidbfpo]

JMA - this report is dated:

14 Jan 2013

Three days later Al-Shabaab announced:

The Somali Islamist group al-Shabab says it has killed French intelligence agent Denis Allex in retaliation for a failed French operation to free him.

Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21056592

Denis Allex had been captured in July 2009, whilst undercover as a journalist; his colleague managed to escape - no date readily found.

[davidbfpo]

While the kids play in the street, young adults walk in groups to the city centre to play soccer. They go to a place locally know as Sallax, a centre that hires out fields for various sports, including football and basketball . There are not enough football fields in the city and with everyone at work during the day, Sallax is very popular at night. Games usually last two hours. From my flat, I can often hear the youngsters chatting away past midnight on their way back home.

Link:http://voicesofafrica.co.za/the-moga...nt-read-about/

Self-explanatory.

Yes I did note the attack on the parliament building this week.