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76 — EASO Country of Origin Information report — South and Central <strong>Somalia</strong> — Country overview<br />
or went to restaurants. They now tend to stay indoors ( 670 ). The trend of rising violence in the city continues with<br />
numerous attacks on security forces, assassinations and even mortar attacks ( 671 ) , for example on 30 May 2014 on<br />
Yaqshid ( 672 ). Violence is often directed against specific targets ( 673 ).<br />
Several larger and more deadly Al‐Shabaab attacks in Mogadishu involve follow‐up attacks, in which first responders<br />
and onlookers are targeted, resulting in more casualties. Al‐Shabaab also executes attacks on hard targets in<br />
Mogadishu, including international compounds and convoys ( 674 ). Recent prominent targets have been the presidential<br />
palace (Villa <strong>Somalia</strong>) on 24 February 2014 ( 675 ) and the Somali Parliament on 24 May 2014 ( 676 ).<br />
However, by attacking public locations and putting everyone frequenting these places at risk, Al‐Shabaab sends<br />
a message to the general public ( 677 ). According to the UNDSS: ‘Anyone who advocates for a normalisation of daily<br />
life in Mogadishu could be at risk.’ ( 678 ) On the other hand, many civilian casualties can be attributed to being ‘at the<br />
wrong place at the wrong time’ and not to Al‐Shabaab deliberately targeting civilians ( 679 ).<br />
Since even the so‐called secure areas are targeted by Al‐Shabaab‐attacks ( 680 ) on a regular basis, it is not possible<br />
to define completely safe areas in the Benadir region ( 681 ). Although the Airport‐Villa <strong>Somalia</strong>‐Shibis axis is heavily<br />
guarded, these areas are targeted ( 682 ). Al‐Shabaab operates openly in Dayniile, Heliwaa and Yaqshiid ( 683 ). People in<br />
these locations are afraid because, in its ‘nightshift’, Al‐Shabaab punishes those who assisted the government during<br />
the day ( 684 ). When Al‐Shabaab ordered residents of Heliwaa to switch off street lights at night as to facilitate their<br />
movements, a number of people complied in fear of retaliation ( 685 ).<br />
Al‐Shabaab, and probably other groups, conducted hit‐and‐run attacks on AMISOM positions in Dayniile, Heliwaa<br />
and Dharkenley ( 686 ). Open fighting occurs, for example in Yaqshiid on 19 May 2014, when the police station was<br />
attacked and fighting went on for hours ( 687 ). Attacks also happen at daytime ( 688 ).<br />
( 670 ) A Somali NGO in: Landinfo/Udlændingsstyrelsen, Update on security and protection issues in Mogadishu and South‐Central <strong>Somalia</strong>, March 2014 (http://<br />
landinfo.no/asset/2837/1/2837_1.pdf) accessed 26 May 2014, p. 15; a Diaspora researcher in: Landinfo/Udlændingsstyrelsen, Update on security and<br />
protection issues in Mogadishu and South‐Central <strong>Somalia</strong>, March 2014 (http://landinfo.no/asset/2837/1/2837_1.pdf) accessed 26 May 2014, p. 16.<br />
( 671 ) OODA Loop, Security and Political Awareness <strong>Report</strong> <strong>Somalia</strong> for March 29 2014, 29 March 2014 (http://www.oodaloop.com/wp‐content/uploads/2014/03/<br />
<strong>Somalia</strong>‐<strong>Report</strong>-32914.pdf) accessed 16 May 2014; e.g. for a mortar attack: Shells on Boondheere on 19 May 2014 (1 dead/4 wounded). See: EU <strong>Somalia</strong><br />
Mission, Press Review – Xog‐Ogaal, 20 May 2014.<br />
( 672 ) EU <strong>Somalia</strong> Mission, Press Review – Xog‐Ogaal, 1 June 2014.<br />
( 673 ) Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken (The Netherlands), Algemeen ambtsbericht Somalië, 19 December 2013 (http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/bestanden/<br />
documenten‐en‐publicaties/ambtsberichten/2013/12/19/algemeen‐ambtsbericht‐somalie-2013-12-19/algemeen‐ambtsbericht‐somalie‐december-2013.<br />
pdf) accessed 27 May 2014, p. 26.<br />
( 674 ) US Department of State, Country <strong>Report</strong> on Terrorism 2013 - Chapter 2 – <strong>Somalia</strong>, 30 April 2014 (http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/275199/391112_en.html)<br />
accessed 27 May 2014.<br />
( 675 ) BAMF, Briefing Notes, 24 February 2014 (https://milo.bamf.de/milop/livelink.exefunc=ll&objId=17084120&objAction=Open&nexturl=/milop/livelink.exe<br />
func=ll&objId=17046444&objAction=browse&viewType=1) accessed 16 May 2014, p. 4.<br />
( 676 ) BBC, <strong>Somalia</strong> parliament attacked by al‐Shabab in Mogadishu, 24 May 2014 (http://www.bbc.com/news/world‐africa-27554498) accessed 5 June 2014.<br />
( 677 ) UNHCR in: Landinfo/Udlændingsstyrelsen, Update on security and protection issues in Mogadishu and South‐Central <strong>Somalia</strong>, March 2014 (http://landinfo.<br />
no/asset/2837/1/2837_1.pdf) accessed 26 May 2014, p. 18.<br />
( 678 ) UNDSS in: Landinfo/Udlændingsstyrelsen, Update on security and protection issues in Mogadishu and South‐Central <strong>Somalia</strong>, March 2014 (http://landinfo.<br />
no/asset/2837/1/2837_1.pdf) accessed 26 May 2014, p. 18.<br />
( 679 ) An international agency in: Landinfo/Udlændingsstyrelsen, Update on security and protection issues in Mogadishu and South‐Central <strong>Somalia</strong>, March 2014<br />
(http://landinfo.no/asset/2837/1/2837_1.pdf) accessed 26 May 2014, p. 17; an international NGO in: Landinfo/Udlændingsstyrelsen, Update on security<br />
and protection issues in Mogadishu and South‐Central <strong>Somalia</strong>, March 2014 (http://landinfo.no/asset/2837/1/2837_1.pdf) accessed 26 May 2014, p. 18.<br />
( 680 ) Hansen, S.J., ‘An In‐Depth Look at Al‐Shabab’s Internal Divisions’, CTC Sentinel, Special Issue Vol. 7 Issue 2, CTC, February 2014 (https://www.ctc.usma.edu/<br />
wp‐content/uploads/2014/02/CTCSentinel‐Vol7Iss2.pdf) accessed 5 June 2014, p. 10.<br />
( 681 ) Security Analysis Expert, Austria: interview by the author, 13 May 2014.<br />
( 682 ) Security Analysis Expert, Austria: interview by the author, 13 May 2014; e.g. on 13 February 2014: suicide attack at the airport gate (7 dead). See: BAMF,<br />
Briefing Notes, 17 February 2014 (https://milo.bamf.de/milop/livelink.exefunc=ll&objId=17046521&objAction=Open&nexturl=/milop/livelink.exefunc=l<br />
l&objId=17047618&objAction=browse&viewType=1) accessed 16 May 2014, p. 4.<br />
( 683 ) OODA Loop, Security and Political Awareness <strong>Report</strong> <strong>Somalia</strong> for April 10 2014, 10 April 2014 (http://www.oodaloop.com/wp‐content/uploads/2014/03/<br />
<strong>Somalia</strong>‐<strong>Report</strong>‐through-4.4.14.pdf) accessed 16 May 2014; e.g. attack on AMISOM convoy on 17 March 2014 in the Afgooye Corridor. See: BAMF, Briefing<br />
Notes, 24 March 2014 (https://milo.bamf.de/milop/livelink.exefunc=ll&objId=17130038&objAction=Open&nexturl=/milop/livelink.exefunc=ll&objId=17<br />
130025&objAction=browse&viewType=1) accessed 16 May 2014, p. 5.<br />
( 684 ) Roble, M.A., ‘Mogadishu’s Dilemma: Who’s in Control’, Terrorism Monitor Volume 11, Issue 12, Jamestown Foundation, 14 June 2013 (http://www.jamestown.<br />
org/single/tx_ttnews%5Bpointer%5D=11&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=41022&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=228&cHash=8f501a5beeaa0e5ea0e1bbcc1dd<br />
0bed1) accessed 5 June 2014, p. 6.<br />
( 685 ) Security Analysis Department, Weekly Security <strong>Report</strong>, 23 April 2014.<br />
( 686 ) UNDSS in: Landinfo/Udlændingsstyrelsen, Update on security and protection issues in Mogadishu and South‐Central <strong>Somalia</strong>, March 2014 (http://landinfo.<br />
no/asset/2837/1/2837_1.pdf) accessed 26 May 2014, p. 9.<br />
( 687 ) Shabelle Media Network, Ministry of Defence carpes soldiers as becoming more ‘clan‐centered’ after transfers to other regions, 21 May 2014 (http://shabelle.<br />
net/p=21781) accessed 21 May 2014.<br />
( 688 ) BBC, <strong>Somalia</strong>’s al‐Shabab: Striking like mosquitoes, 26 February 2014 (http://www.bbc.com/news/world‐africa-26343248) accessed 2 June 2014.
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