Somalia"s Radio Andalus, operated by the hardline Islamist Al-Shabab, has been observed to have resumed broadcasts on 25 May in Marka, 73 km south of the capital, Mogadishu.
Radio Andalus went off air on 22 May when Al-Shabab withdrew from Ceelasha Biyaha, located in outskirts of the capital, following an offensive by African Union and Somali government forces, privately-owned Kismaayo news website reported on 24 May.
The pro-Islamist station on 22 May reported on fighting in Mogadishu between "Christian African troops backed by Somali apostate militias and mujahidin". The station aired a four-item bulletin on 22 May at 1540 gmt.
According to Kismaayo News website on 24 May, the station"s last broadcast before it relocated from Ceelasha Biyaha was "an audio message from (Al-Shabab official) Shaykh Abdiqadir Mumin, who is Galgala mountains".
The privately-owned Raxanreeb.com website reported on 23 May that Al-Shabab moved Radio Andalus to Marka on 22 May. The website also reported that Radio Al-Furqan, also operated by the Islamists, had also been relocated to Marka from Afgooye, which fell to government troops on 22 May.
The report said several senior Al-Shabab officials had arrived in Marka, including the leader, Hasan Dahir Aweys, the spokesman, Shaykh Ali Dheere.
On 25 May, the station was observed to air a bulletin at 1000 gmt, which appeared to be the first from its new location in Marka. The bulletin had three items, with the lead item on the fighting in Mogadishu and the second on a explosion targeting Kenyan troops.
The station was also observed to air news bulletins at 1000 gmt on 26 and 29 May.
Radio Andalus began its operations in the Islamist-controlled port city of Kismaayo after Al-Shabab seized the city, before setting up operations in other parts of the country.
The station had its headquarters in Mogadishu before Al-Shabab withdrew from in August 2011.
Andalus is the name of the Al-Shabab media franchise. Besides the station now broadcasting from Marka, the Islamists also run a radio by the same name in the southwestern town of Markabley. The other Radio Andalus stations are found in Kismaayo and Jowhar (north of Mogadishu). The fate of the Andalus station in Jowhar is unclear, following the flight of most Al-Shabab fighters from the area.
Al-Shabab ran another Radio Andalus in Baydhabo (a key town in south-western Somalia), but it closed in February 2012 after the town fell to Ethiopian troops. The Baydhabo station was reportedly relocated to Diinsoor District, also in the southwest. Radio Andalus in Baydhabo previously broadcast as privately-owned Radio Warsan. The outlet was seized by the Islamists after they conquered Baydhabo in January 2009.
Source: Media observation by BBC Monitoring, quoted by BBC Monitoring Global Newsline Media File 2 June 2012
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