12 Dec 2012

SOMALIA / JAWHAR CAPTURED

The Somali National Army with support from AMISOM troops captured Jawhar, one of the few remaining strongholds of al Shabaab in the Middle Shabelle region of Somalia. AU-UN IST

Posted at: December 12, 2012 4:42 pm

Duration: 02:06

Available in: SD

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STORY: SOMALIA / JAWHAR CAPTURED
TRT: 2.06
SOURCE: AU / UN IST
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 10 DECEMBER 2012, JAWHAR, SOMALIA

SHOTLIST:

1.  Wide shot, soldiers and civilians on the road in Jawhar
2.  Med shot, Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers on the road
3.  Various shots, SNA soldiers on armoured vehicles driving past
4.  Wide shot, children on the road
5.  Med shot, children cheering
6.  Wide shot, AMISOM soldiers walking through the bush
8.  Wide shot, Somali Minister of Defence taking a tour
9.  SOUNDBITE (English) Abihakim Haji Mohamud Fiqi, Somali Minister of Defence:
"Al Shabaab have been defeated, they are on the run now and this victory will continue and this momentum will continue until we have freed or liberated the rest of Somalia, even the villages."
10. Med shot, AMISOM troops looking at a map
11. Close up, hand pointing on the map
12. Close up, Jawhar location on the map
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Brigadier Michael Ondoga, Uganda Contingent Commander, African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM): 
"Jawhar is important in that it is one of the key areas where al Shabaab has control of the minds of the people. This is a big area; we have farmers here, they do a lot of agriculture and also a lot of pastoral farming. They raise money and al Shabaab has been getting 'zakat' from them. How does al Shabaab get 'zakat', of course it is by terrorising them and this is the money he uses to run his operations. So removing Jawhar from al Shabaab is one way of killing his effort."
14. Med shot, Somali forces on armoured vehicles
15. Wide shot, armoured vehicles driving off 
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Brigadier Michael Ondoga, Uganda Contingent Commander, African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM):
"Capturing a town like this is just winning a battle, but the bigger war is the war of the minds and hearts of people, because once you have the people with you, then the war is over."
17. Wide shot, donkey-carts moving
18. Wide shot, people walking on the road
19. Wide shot, people at the market

STORYLINE:

The Somali National Army with support from African Union troops this weekend captured Jawhar, one of the few remaining strongholds of al Shabaab in the Middle Shabelle region of Somalia.

Jawhar, which lies 90 kilometres north of the capital Mogadishu, had been under the control of the Islamic extremist militia group al Shabaab up until they were forced to flee the town on 9 December 2012. There was little resistance.

Touring the town on Monday (10 December), the Somali Minister of Defence, Abihakim Haji Mohamud Fiqi, congratulated the troops on the ground and commended them for the gains they are making in the fight against al Shabaab.

SOUNDBITE (English) Abihakim Haji Mohamud Fiqi, Somali Minister of Defence:
"Al Shabaab have been defeated, they are on the run now and this victory will continue and this momentum will continue until we have freed or liberated the rest of Somalia, even the villages."

The radical group linked to al Qaeda has been losing ground to the Somalia National Army (SNA) with support from the African Union troops whose mandate is to bring security to regions of Somalia after over 20 years of civil war.

SOUNDBITE (English) Brigadier Michael Ondoga, Uganda Contingent Commander, African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM): 
"Jawhar is important in that it is one of the key areas where al Shabaab has control of the minds of the people. This is a big area; we have farmers here, they do a lot of agriculture and also a lot of pastoral farming. They raise money and al Shabaab has been getting 'zakat' from them. How does al Shabaab get 'zakat', of course it is by terrorising them and this is the money he uses to run his operations. So removing Jawhar from al Shabaab is one way of killing his effort."

Commercial activities across the country have improved and business has picked up taking advantage of the improved security situation over the last eighteen months in Somalia.

Jawhar is a vital agricultural area whose produce feeds the rest of the country.

SOUNDBITE (English) Brigadier Michael Ondoga, Uganda Contingent Commander, African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM): 
"Capturing a town like this is just winning a battle, but the bigger war is the war of the minds and hearts of people, because once you have the people with you, then the war is over."

Somalia is emerging from two decades of conflict and is looking at nation building with a new president and cabinet in place. Government forces and AMISOM troops are expanding their control into south and central Somalia.

Filed under 01.03.00 - MAINTENANCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY AU/UNIST SOMALIA.