SOMALIA / QORYOOLEY STABILITY

Residents of Qoryooley, a town South West of the Somali capital Mogadishu are enjoying relative peace and improved security, weeks after the town was rescued from the hands of al Shabaab insurgents. AU / UN IST

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:03:01
• Production Date: 2 May 2014
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS ASSISTANCE MISSION IN SOMALIA - UNSOM
• Subject Topical: PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: SOMALIA
• MAMS Id: U140502e

Description

STORY: SOMALIA / QORYOOLEY AL SHABAAB
TRT: 3.01
SOURCE: AU UN IST
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/SOMALI /NATS
DATELINE: 29 APRIL 2014, QORYOOLEY, SOMALIA

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, Amisom troops patrol road leading into Qoryooley town
2. Mid shot, an AMISOM soldier driving truck
3. Wide shot, AMISOM truck on the bridge leading to Qoryooley town
4. Wide shot, AMISOM soldiers patrolling through Qoryooley town
5. Med shot, Qoryooley town residents
6. Med shot, AMISOM patrolling town
7. Med shot, residents buying and selling commodities
8. Wide shot, a street in Qoryooley town
9. Med shot, Qoryooley town residents
10. Close up, girl with a goat in the town
11. Med shot, AMISOM soldiers walking through town
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Major Henry Cherotich, AMISOM Ugandan commander of Infantry battalion:
“We are doing well with them, they are co-operative, they assist us very much. They tell us the movements of al-Shabaab. The problem they are facing is with al-Shabaab; they have managed to block these roads coming to the town threatening the civilians not to come to stay in this town where AMISOM is occupying.”
13. Wide shot, AMISOM soldier guarding the bridge before you enter town
14. Med shot, the bridge
15. Wide shot, the river with the AMISOM soldier guarding
16. Med shot, Qoryooley residents
17. Wide shot, a farm of one of the Qoryooley residents
18. Med shot, a farmer picking tomatoes in the garden
19. Close up, tomatoes in the garden
20. Close up, some of the tomatoes in the garden
21. Close up, a woman picking tomatoes
22. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Resident of Qoryoole:
“Our life is ok, we do not have problems, thanks to God. The AMISOM soldiers are good people, they gave us peace. The al-Shabaab were troubling us but now they were chased away and that is good. We are harvesting these tomatoes, we sell our products at the market, we don't have problems thanks to God.”
23. Med shot, tomatoes
24. Wide shot, orange trees
25. Close up, oranges
26. Wide shot, farmer and his wife.

Storyline

Residents of Qoryooley, a town South West of the Somali capital Mogadishu are enjoying relative peace and improved security, weeks after the town was rescued from the hands of al Shabaab insurgents.

Located 120 kilometres from Mogadishu, Qoryooley was rescued by joint forces of the Somali National Army and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in an operation conducted last month.

Today, farmers are able to return to the gardens and the people are able to conduct business freely in the town, simple acts previously impossible while the town was under al Shabaab terror.

The AMISOM troops guarding the town together with SNA soldiers say the local residents have been cooperative and work closely with them.

Major Henry Cherotich, AMISOM Ugandan commander of Infantry battalion, said
“we are doing well with them, they are co-operative, they assist us very much.
They tell us the movements of al-Shabaab. The problem they are facing is with al-Shabaab; they have managed to block these roads coming to the town threatening the civilians not to come to stay in this town where AMISOM is occupying.”

The residents say their lives are now much better and they are able to go about their business without having to worry about being attacked by al Shabaab.

One of the residents said “our life is ok, we do not have problems, thanks to God. The AMISOM soldiers are good people, they gave us peace. The al-Shabaab were troubling us but now they were chased away and that is good. We are harvesting these tomatoes, we sell our products at the market, we don't have problems thanks to God.”

Qoryoole previously served as a strong training and logistical base for the insurgents.

The operations launched by AMISOM in February this year saw at least 10 towns rescued from the al Shabaab and are to be spread to other areas.

AMISOM, working together with the SNA says the operations will continue to allow freedom for the Somali people and a more conducive environment to facilitate the Federal Government of Somalia in ensuring law and order.