Eritrea deny arming Al-Shabaab

Eritrea has rejected Kenyan suspicions that it may be arming Al-Shabaab rebels in Somalia, as a diplomatic row between the two countries intensifies, reports say.

Eritrea denies arming the fighters and says such allegations are stirred up by regional rivals to sully its reputation.

It described Kenya’s implied threat of action as “unfortunate” ahead of an anticipated visit to Kenya by its own foreign minister.

The denial comes a day after Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula summoned Eritrean ambassador and asking Asmara to explain the reports that arms supplies are flowing from his country to Al-Shabaab.

He said Kenya, whose troops are fighting the Al-Shabaab militant in southern Somalia, had “a series of options,” which he did not specify, to deal with the alleged arms supplies.

Kenya deployed troops inside Somalia three weeks ago to crush the Al-Shabaab militants it blames for a wave of kidnappings in Kenya and frequent cross-border attacks.

Nairobi has warned of air strikes on a number of rebel bases across southern and central Somalia in response to what is said were reports Eritrea had flown consignments of weapons into the militant enclave of Baidoa.

Turkey to set up second hospital in Somalia

Turkish Health Ministry will set up a second field hospital in Somalia within the scope of Turkey’s assistance to the famine-stricken country.

The second hospital will be set up near the former parliamentary building where shelters take place, and it will be resistant to heavy climate condition.

Health Ministry Somalia team’s head, Dr. Akif Saatcioglu, told AA on Saturday that the second hospital would be larger than the first one which the ministry previously set up in the region.

Saatcioglu said the second hospital would take place one of the best places of capital Mogadishu, adding that it would be close both to shelters and the city center.

The hospital will begin to serve patients soon, he added.

Turkey set up one field hospital and one mobile hospital, and now the second field hospital in Mogadishu, thus, it will be able to help people in a very large part of the capital.

Somalia is facing with one of the worst droughts in the past 60 years.

The epicenter of the drought lies on the three-way border shared by Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, a nomadic region where families heavily depend on the health of their livestock. Uganda and Djibouti have also been hit by the disaster.

Tens of thousands of people have so far been displaced due to the humanitarian situation in the region.

Clerics, elders arrested in Kismayo, Lower Juba

Al-Shabaab militia group on Saturday arrested ten people including clerics and traditional elders for conducting separate Eid prayer, reports say.

Heavily armed rebel fighters stormed Sheikh Ali Gel-don prayer centre and rounded up some of the faithfuls conducting their Eid prayer. The militia accused them of defying its earlier call for people in the area to conduct their prayer in one open field.

The militia leaders earlier called on people to join them in Kismayo’s Wamo Stadium for the Eid prayer.

Meanwhile, rebel leader Hassan Yakub has called on locals in Kismayo and it’s environs to join them in the fight against the Kenyan and Somali troops in the region.

He urged all people in the area to take part what he called “liberating Somalia from Kenyan and TFG” who he accused them of trying to overthrew them.

Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha

Millions of Muslims around the world are celebrating the annual Eid al-Adha holiday, which coincides with the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, the birthplace of Islam.

Eid al-Adha, or the “Feast of the Sacrifice”, is one of the biggest events in the Muslim calendar, marking Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his own son as an act of obedience to God. At the last minute, God intervened, and gave Abraham a ram to sacrifice instead.

In Mogadishu thousands of Muslims started streaming into open fields as early as 6 am to await the 8.30 am congregational prayers marking Eid-al-Adha.

Similar gatherings for prayers were held in other major cities in Somalia including Hargeisa, Las Anod, Garowe, Bosaso, Galkacyo, Dusamareb, Borame, Beledweyne, Baidoa, Kismayo and Jowhar.

Men in white robes and women in long, flowing gowns filed into open fields in all towns in Somalia.

After the prayer, there were emotional moments as people greeted and hugged each other, uttering congratulations of Eid Mubarak (Blessed festivities).

Jovial children dressed in new cloths took the better part of the day as they enjoyed their feast for the occasion.

“God is great! Many praises Many praises are due to Him! May He be glorified each morning and evening,” the worshippers chanted melodiously in Arabic.

Local clerics who led the prayers different grounds urged Muslims not to spoil the festivities by engaging in immoral behaviour but encouraged them to spend time with their family and friends.

Traditionally, Muslims sacrifice an animal at Eid and share the meat with their families, neighbours, and people less fortunate than themselves.

On Saturday, vast crowds of pilgrims dressed in white to symbolise purity and equality under God — marked the beginning of the annual Hajj pilgrimage by climbing Mount Arafat, just outside the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, where Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) has delivered his farewell sermon.

The ascent of Arafat is the first event associated with the five-day Hajj, a time to seek forgiveness for one’s sins and for individual meditation on the faith.

One of the five pillars of Islam, Hajj is a religious duty that must be carried out at least once by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it and consists of a series of detailed rituals in Mina, Muzdalifa, Arafat and Mecca.

Elders condemn Al-Shabaab’s ban on jabs in Bay region

Elders in Bay region has strongly condemned Al-Shabaab’s recent ban on WHO facilitated vaccination aimed at reaching over 2000 underage children in the region.

Malaq Issack, an elder in Baidoa called Al-Shabaab’s latest actions as in human. He said as elders, they tried to convince the rebel group over the importance of the vaccination but their efforts were futile.

On Saturday, the rebel group blocked the UN world Health Organisation from vaccinating underage children from measles and other crippling child diseases.

The WHO has not yet commented on this issue but reliable sources say the militia has demanded $15,000 from the organisation.

The ban comes in less than a moth after Al-Shabaab banned the UN Children agency from vaccinating underage children in Jowhar, Middle Shabelle, from measles.

Al-Shabaab called the vaccination campaign as a western blander to fight Muslim population growth as it can cause infertility.

An official with UNICEF who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals said the rebel group has banned them carrying out measles vaccination campaign in the region.

He said the campaign was aimed at vaccinating a good number of children from the killer disease but Al-Shabaab outlawed it, citing religious reasons.

In all most all cities in Somalia hosting internally displaced people, hundreds of families displaced by drought and conflict are living in camps. Quarters are tight, making the conditions ripe for an infectious disease like measles.

Al-Shabaab has in the past ordered an immediate halt to a polio immunization programme in southern Somalia.

In March this year, the group has stopped the World Health Organisation, which was involved in running a vaccination programme to administer anti-polio drops to young children in Bay region.

Al-Shabaab imposes curfew on Hudur Town

Al-Shabaab rebel group has imposed a nighttime curfew on the entire Hudur town, Bakol region, following government troop’s military maneuvers in Yed and El-barde areas.

Announcing the nighttime curfew in a mosque, the area rebel leader, Adan Yare, said people are required to remain indoors as from the evening prayer till morning.

He threatened to take decisive measures against sympathisers of the Somali government once an operation aimed at stamping out government supports starts in the area. He said TFG sympathisers will face server punishment in the hands of his militias.

The curfew comes as government troops in Yed and El-barde prepare for a major offensive against rebel held areas in the region, prompting heightened trepidation among rebel fighters in the area.

Reports say government troops who were recently dispatched from a training camp in Ethiopia are building up their troops in the area in efforts to flush out rebel fighters from the area.

Government’s area District Commissioner designate, Mohamed Maalim confirmed that their troops in these areas are heading towards Hudur and other rebel held areas in Bay and Bakol regions.