08 Jun 2011 – Daily Monitoring Report
Key Headlines:
- Talks to mediate between Somali leader speaker to resume in Kampala
- Prime Minister Farmajo sets off to Kampala
- Al Shabaab arrests 10 youth for playing soccer
- Ethiopia Kenya and Somalia face ‘world’s worst food security crisis’
- Iran sends submarines to Gulf of Aden Red Sea
Titres Principaux:
- Les discussions afin d’assurer la médiation entre le chef Somalien et le porte-parole du parlement se poursuiveront à Kampala
- Le premier ministre Farmajo quitte pour Kampala
- Al Shabaab arrête 10 jeunes pour avoir joué au football
- L’Ethiopie le Kenya et la Somalie font face à la ‘pire crise alimentaire et sécuritaire au monde’
- L’Iran envoie des sous-marins vers le Golfe d’Aden dans la Mer Rouge
SOMALI MEDIA
Talks to mediate between Somali leader, speaker to resume in Kampala
08 Jun – Source: Shabelle – 173 words
Talks to shuttle between the president of Somali interim federal government of Somalia and parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adam are expected to resume in the Ugandan capital of Kampala.
The mediation discussions are due to be held in the Presidential Palace of Uganda as Yuweri Museveni will be the mediator. On Tuesday afternoon, Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed, the prime minister of Somalia flew to Uganda to join in the discussions hours after he vehemently condemned the speaker of the parliament for not wanting a peaceful solution to the current bickering. A meeting scheduled for overnight was postponed because of the prime minister’s late departure to Kampala.
The president of Somalia wants a one year mandate extension for all governmental institutions while the speaker is insisting on holding presidential and parliamentary elections.
http://www.shabelle.net/article.php?id=7330
Museveni, Mahiga trying to resolve misunderstanding among government officials
08 Jun- Source: Radio BBC Somali Service – 117 words
The TFG’s president and the country’s parliamentary speaker are still in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, days after attending a meeting aimed at resolving misunderstanding among government officials.
Reports say that the United Nations envoy to Somalia, Augustine Mahiga and the Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, are trying to mediate between the two leaders. The parliamentary speaker wants elections held in August this year, when the mandate of the TFG expires. On the other hand, the president, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, wants one more year to complete the job that his government has initiated. The BBC’s Mohamud Ali in Kampala reported that there have not been any agreements between the two leaders so far.
Prime Minister Farmajo sets off to Kampala
08 Jun – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 184 words
The prime minister of the TFG Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo flew to Kampala to join the one-toone meeting of the president and the speaker of the parliament in Kampala. The prime minister who took off from Adan Ade international airport went to Uganda to participiate in the meeting organized for the top officials of the government and which is meant to solve the differences of the officials that revolve around the existence of the government for another year.
The International Contact Group meeting that was held in Kampala on Somalia ended with no outcome at all. In speeches delivered by the leaders, each one of them gave divergent views about the government’s extension. The presidents of Uganda and Burundi both emphasized on the term extension for one year with Museveni threatening to pull out his troops if such extension is not granted.
A press release is expected in the coming hours from the meeting. Separate meetings between Sheikh Sharif and the speaker of parliament are going on, in which sources say they are closing up on common grounds about the issue in question.
Al Shabaab arrest 10 youth for playing soccer
08 Jun – Source: Radio Shabelle – 70 words
Al Shabaab fighters have arrested 10 youths for playing soccer at a displaced peoples’ camp in Lafole locality in the outskirts of Mogadishu.
The arrest made by al Shabaab has caused panic among the youth in Lafole Locality and have suspended playing football following the arrest of their colleagues. No al Shabaab official has so far commented about the arrest of the boys playing soccer. Al Shabab has in the past banned soccer in areas under its control.
Gunmen kill Gaalkayo court judge
08 Jun- Source: Radio Gaalkayo- 63 words
Unidentified gun men killed on Wednesday night Gaalkayo court judge Mahamud Aw-Gelle in the centre of the town. The judge was shot three times in his head and the armed men fled from the scene. Puntland security officials in the town did not comment on the situation but only confirmed that the judge was killed.
Somali Army Commander sends stern warning to the public
07 Jun – Source: Bariga Afrika – 119 words
General Commander of Somali armed forces Mr. Abdikarim Yusuf Aden in a press conference today warned the public against haste in heading back to the areas recently captured by the Government forces until the full security of those areas is confirmed. He also pointed out that the government forces will continue to advance their fighting until they clear the insurgents group out of Somalia.
The statement of the Commander comes a time when heavy battles are continuing in the capital, Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia between government forces and al Shabaab militia.
http://www.barigaafrika.com/en/read.php?id=4336#axzz1OffISNYF
An independent political party: gov’t should step down
08 Jun – Source: Shabelle – 137 words
An independent Somali political party on Wednesday called for the interim federal government to step down. Prof. Said Isse Mohamoud, the chairman of Somalia’s People Party, who is currently in London, said in an interview with Shabelle Media Network that every Somali citizen has the right to display his point of view about the political situation in Somalia.
Mohamoud said that the mandated tenure of the transitional government led by the president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has expired. He said that holding presidential election is what the people of Somalia need in order to be able to cast their votes.
Asked about his view regarding the mediation meeting between Somali leaders in Kampala, the People Party chairman noted the meeting will no be fruitful for Somalia and Somali people.
http://www.shabelle.net/article.php?id=7328
Aid assistance distributed to over 100 families in Somaliland
07 Jun – Source: Radio BBC Somali Service – 77 words
Aid assistance has reportedly been delivered to over 100 families in Tokob area, Saraar Region of Somaliland administration, after their properties were devastated by floods. BBC Somali correspondent in the region, Hussein Ow-Jama’a Jibril, said that the families were offered assistance in terms of food and cash money. He added that the assistance followed a visit of the area by Somaliland’s first lady. It has been reported that three children died while six others sustained injuries following the floods.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Somalia presidency bid
07 Jun – Source: The Star (Kenya) – 140 words
A candidate for the forthcoming presidential elections in Somalia, Haji Mohammed Yassin has promised to stabilize the lawless Mogadishu within the first six month after his election. Addressing civil society and clan elders in Nairobi, Yassin called on his supporters to elect him during the upcoming presidential election slated for August 20.
“Once Mogadishu is under the control of the Transitional Federal Government, peace will eventually return to the entire country. The current president is responsible for 60 percent of Somali’s problems,” said Yassin He said more than a million people have been killed, 1.5 million displaced from their homes and others maimed since the fighting began. The wealthy businessman, who first launched opposition against Siad Barre in 1978 and was defeated in the 2004 elections in Nairobi by former president Abdullahi Yusuf, accused past leaders of failing the country.
http://www.nairobistar.com/national/national/27111-somalia-presidential-candidate-promisesreforms
Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia face ‘world’s worst food security crisis’
07 Jun – Source: Nazret (Ethiopia) – 700 words
The eastern Horn of Africa has experienced two consecutive seasons of significantly below?average rainfall, resulting in one of the driest years since 1995. Crops have failed, substantial livestock mortality has occurred, and local cereal prices are very high. More than seven million people in the sub?region need humanitarian assistance and emergency levels of acute malnutrition are widespread. This is the most severe food security emergency in the world today, and the current humanitarian response is inadequate to prevent further deterioration. Following a complete failure of the 2010 October- December rains and related harvests, the 2011 March,May rains began late and performed erratically. In some areas of northern Kenya and southern Somalia, rainfall was less than 30 percent of the 1995?2010 average.
Excess livestock mortality of 15?30 percent has been reported across the region, with mortality levels as high as 40?60 percent in localized areas, especially for cattle and sheep. Staple cereal prices remain much higher than last year and are approaching or have exceeded record levels. In southern Somalia, red sorghum prices have risen up to 240 percent over the last year. The combination of extremely high food prices and average to below?average livestock prices and wages has substantially eroded purchasing power in pastoral, cropping, and urban areas. In Juba region of Somalia, for example, the value of one cow plummeted from 430 kg to 161 kg of maize between May 2010 and May 2011.
Given the losses of crops and livestock, reduced purchasing power, and unusual shortfalls in emergency response – as well as conflict, interrupted trade flows, and limited humanitarian access in eastern Somali region of Ethiopia and southern Somalia – poor households across all livelihood zones in the sub?region are unable to meet livelihoods protection needs. In southern Ethiopia and some marginal cropping and pastoral areas of Somalia, poor households are unable to access the basic food supplies needed for survival.
Recent nutrition surveys indicate global acute malnutrition (GAM) prevalence of 27.5 percent, 24 percent, and 23 percent in Mandera Central (Kenya), Meda Welabu of Bale (Ethiopia), and Wajir East (Kenya), respectively. Nutrition surveys and rapid assessments in southern Somalia suggest that GAM prevalence remains above 20 percent across the region, with levels as high as 30 percent possible in some pastoral and agropastoral areas of Gedo, Juba, and Middle Shabelle.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Iran sends submarines to Gulf of Aden, Red Sea
07 Jun – Source: Xinhua – 126 words
Iran’s Navy submarines have been deployed in Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea to conduct maritime surveillance operations and also identify warships of other countries, the local English language satellite Press TV reported Tuesday.
The military submarines entered the Red Sea waters on Tuesday and are sailing alongside the warships of Iran’s Navy 14th fleet, said the report. The fleet entered the Gulf of Aden region in May and on Tuesday entered the Red Sea in the continuation of its mission, said the report.
The deployment of Iranian military submarines in the Red Sea is the first such operation by Iran’s Navy in distant waters. Iran has deployed warships further afield, as far as the Red Sea, to combat Somali pirates, according to the report.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-06/07/c_13915750.htm
Parliament speaker lambasted over Somali govt’s protracted bickering
07 Jun – Source: AHN – 268 words
With the continuation of the wrangle in Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs), the government has decided to postpone the country’s June consultative conference at the end of this month. The prime minister of Somalia’s interim federal government on Tuesday accused parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adam of being behind protracted political bickering in the government.
Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed, the premier of Somalia, made the comments at a news conference held in the presidential palace, Villa Somalia. “He (the speaker) is not sincere on the general interest of the country because he running after his personal ends. We are at state of war against naughty militants, who are committed destroying our beloved nation, and that made impossible elections to be hold at this time,” Mohammed told journalists.
“My government has several occasions attempted to have direct discussions with the speaker to end the internal rift, but all ended in vain,” he added. With the continuation of the wrangle in Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs), the government has decided to postpone the country’s consultative conference at the end of this month.
The statement of the premier comes as the United Nations special representative to Somalia, Augustine P. Mahiga, and the Ugandan leader Yuweri Museveni are trying to mediate the conflict between the president and the speaker in Kampala after the conclusion of the meeting of the International Contact Group on Somalia late last week.
EDITORIAL/BLOGS/CULTURE
Ex-al Shabaab commander explains why he defected
07 Jun – Source: Terror frees Somalia. Blog spot – 552 words
A forme al Shabaab commander who defected to the TFG along with six fighters, AK-47s, grenades and ammunition said he never saw the importance of their jihad, in an exclusive interview with Somali Local Radio Report. “After witnessing the dilemma we were facing at the hands of the extremists, I found it necessary to convince my three brothers and three cousins to flee with me,” said the commander. The commander, who asked to be called Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed for security reasons, said he began his duties in Baidoa, later relocated to Mogadishu and finally shifted to Luuq region in the Southern region of Somalia.
“We had to flee all the way to Gedo and hide for three days from al Shabaab so that we could finally create an escape plan. Finally we made our move when the chance was best and the TFG forces welcomed us,” explained Ahmed.
The commander said that they managed to bring with them more than one thousand rounds of ammunition, seven AK 47 rifles, and three hand grenades that were meant to attack a TFG defense post in the Luuq region of Somalia.
“Al Shabaab leaders told us that if we opt to join the TFG side then we risk being killed. They also told us that the TFG forces do not condone former al Shabaab militia fighters and there was possibility of us being executed by their military court martial, but we have seen and confirmed all this is false,” Ahmed told our correspondent.
Now it is the desire of Ahmed to fight al Shabaab tooth and nail as a member of the TFG forces. He also wishes for a stable life for himself and his brothers who he is planning on sending to South Africa for education.
http://terrorfreesomalia.blogspot.com/2011/06/al-shabaab-commander-explains-why-he.html