30 Jun 2011 – Daily Monitoring Report
Key Headlines:
- TFG troops paid as new Prime Minister approved by Somali parliament
- Prime Minister visits Mogadishu seaport
- Somali PM calls international community to support drought affected people
- Residents start moving as war tension renews in Gedo region
- Puntland seizes illegal weapons entering Garowe town
- Hiiraan Online journalist detained in Puntland
- We apologise that the French translation of the headlines is not available until further notice
PRESS RELEASE
TFG troops paid as new Prime Minister approved by Somali parliament
29 Jun – Source: Office of the Prime Minister – 196 words
Under the supervision of the AMISOM Coordinating Mechanism, Administrators from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have been this week paying TFG soldiers $200 each at a pay parade in Mogadishu.
Regular monthly payment of $100 stipends had been instituted since December 2010, and are set to continue under the new government. Security will be one of the top priorities for the new government.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Hon Abdihakim Mohamud Fiqi, said:
“The payment of stipends will continue as we seek to improve the welfare of our soldiers. This will keep morale high as we continue to defeat the Al Shabaab extremists and their backers. We are very grateful for the support of the international community in this matter and believe that the progress we are making speaks for itself.”
The last payment was made at the end of April. May payments were impractical due to the political and military situation at the time, so May and June payments are being made together now. Before being handed the money, soldiers queue to confirm their identity and then leave a fingerprint on a registration sheet to prove that they have been paid.
Prime Minister visits Mogadishu seaport
30 Jun – Source: Office of the Prime Minister – 386 words
The Prime Minister of Somalia Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has paid an official and supervisory visit to the main Mogadishu seaport where he received aid from the United Arab Emirates comprising of food and vehicles for the Somali public.
The prime minister who spoke at the occasion said: “I am overwhelmingly happy to pay a supervisory visit to Mogadishu seaport, which is the cornerstone of the country’s economy. I am happy to see the officials and the staff doing their job at the seaport. As you see, our brothers in the United Arab Emirates have donated these valuable items and machinery to their Somali brothers. On behalf of the Somali people and the government, I send my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to our brothers in the United Arab Emirates. They have remembered us at a critical moment when such aid is badly needed by the Somali people. We have very long and intimate relations with the UAE and at the same it is where the Somalis have the largest business.
This is not the first time the UAE have reached out their benevolent hand to the Somali people. This is a clear manifestation of how they are dear to us and remember us at our worst moments. I assure and promise them that their donations will reach the neediest Somalis.
I call upon the international community, particularly brother countries, to support the Somali public with humanitarian aid and to do as the UAE has done in reaching out to the Somalis.
Lastly, I ask the Somali businessmen and all the Somalis who are able to assist their brothers who are in need of assistance to do so. The people of Somalia should depend on themselves so that they will be able to do without foreign humanitarian aid. The Somalis are known to assist one another and to help their neighbors. The month of Ramadan is approaching, so we are required to show mercy to one another. The UNHCR reports that more than 10,000 refugees are flocking to the refugee camp of Dadaab in Kenya and another 5,000 to 6,000 register themselves in Dolow refugee camp in Ethiopia.
I also thank the officials and the staff of Mogadishu Seaport including the police who have been foughting corruption. I urge them to continue their important work at the seaport.
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali PM calls international community to support drought affected people
30 Jun – Source: Radio Mogadishu, Shabelle and Kulmiye – 167 words
The Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gas has urged the international community to support the weak and drought affected Somalis in Somalia, following the aid agencies’ expressed concern over the livelihood of more than 2.5 million.
Mr. Abdiweli held a press conference in the Somali capital Mogadishu and expressed concern over the deteriorating situation of famine and drought being experienced by the Somali people in south and central Somalia as well as the situation of displaced people who are in camps. He reiterated his call for support to save more lives on the verge of death from famine and starvation.
Residents start moving as war tension renews in Gedo region
30 Jun – Source: Raxanreeb – 115 words
Residents in Burdhubo and Bardhere districts of Gedo region in southern Somalia began to leave their homes after new tensions arose between government forces and Al-Shabaab rebels in the region.
Residents in Burdhubo told RBC Radio on Thursday that nearly hundred families evacuated from the district on Wednesday to Kenyan-Somali border to run from possible battle in their town and have now reached Elwak, a district near the Kenyan border. The new displacement started after the Somali government on Wednesday announced a fresh military offensive against Al-Shabaab fighters in the region.
Puntland seizes illegal weapons entering Garowe town
30 Jun – Source: Mareeg Online – 164 words
The police forces of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland have seized weapons reportedly entering to Garowe, the centre of Puntland administration in the northeastern Somalia, officials said on Wednesday.
Said Abdi, a police official of Puntland told reporters that the police seized 29 AK47s saying that they were being taken to Garowe town secretly.
He said both the weapons and the men were captured by the police forces in an operation by the troops of Puntland in Purtinle district of Nugal region adding that the men with their vehicle were detained in central prison of the district. The Puntland police are investigating the arms trafficking case.
Somali embassy in Kenya to mark 1st July of Somali Independence Day
30 Jun- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 108 words
The Somali embassy in Kenya is commemorating the 51st anniversary of Somalia’s Independence Day which falls on 1st July.
The ambassador of Somalia to Kenya, Mohamed Ali Nur told Radio Bar-Kulan that the commemoration will happen tonight in front of the former Somali embassy which was given back to the custody of the Somalis by the Kenyan high court after it was sold off in the early 1990s. He said the occasion will be attended by leaders, Somali refugees who will come from the Dadaab refugee camp, musicians notably Saado Ali Warsame and Ahmed Naaji Saad among others.
Hiiraan Online journalist detained in Puntland
30 Jun – Source: Hiiraan Online – 143 words
Authorities in the Semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland have been holding a local journalist incommunicado since morning hours on Wednesday. Sources in the northern city of Bossaso revealed that one Hiiraan Online correspondent was detained since mid morning hours.
Faysal Mohamed Hassan aka Boston who has been reporting for the online portal, a leading Somalia news source, was detained from his office in down town Bossaso, the business city of the Eastern region of Puntland. Regional security personnel gave no explanation for his detention as local sources told Hiraan Online that until late into the night the journalist was still detained. Hiiraan Online officials are seeking an explanation from the authorities of Puntland.
AU summit due to open in Equatorial Guinea – Somalia on the top agenda
30 Jun – Source: Raxanreeb – 172 words
The 17th African Union summit is due to open on Thursday in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea and will focus Somalia, Sudan, the Libya crisis as well as accelerating youth empowerment.
Somalia’s transitional federal government is sending a high profile delegation, led by president Sheikh Sharif Ahmed to attend the three-day summit.
President Sharif flew from Addis ababa late on Wednesday to Malabo after he met with Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi. Somalia Information Minister, Abdikarim Hassan Jama said the president would urge African leaders maintain their support for his government.
Parliamentary Speaker reaffirms stance on Somaliland’s sovereignty
30 Jun – Source: Somaliland Press – 168 words
Somaliland’s speaker Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi (Airo) reaffirmed that Somaliland’s sovereignty is non-negotiable while speaking to the VOA’s Somali service yesterday.
Mr. Abdullahi made clear Somaliland’s stance on sovereignty as he spoke with the local press on his way back from Djibouti where he led a delegation from Somaliland to the celebrations to mark the 34th anniversary of Djibouti’s independence from France.
Speaker Abdillahi was responding to a statement made by Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed in which he said southern Somalia was ready to apologise for the atrocities that were committed against the people of Somaliland by the previous Siad Barre government.
Clan militias clash in central Somalia, two killed 30 Jun – Source: Shabelle – 106 words
Armed militias from two fraternal clans clashed in central Somali, reports said on Thursday. The clashes between the clan militias started following a dispute over wells between two clans in Dhegtur village in Mudug region. The militias used both heavy and light weapons during the confrontation, according to residents. At least two people have been confirmed dead and three others injured in the clashes. However, calm is reported to have returned to the village, according to reports Shabelle obtained early Thursday morning.
http://www.shabelle.net/article.php?id=8168
REGIONAL MEDIA
Museveni makes changes in UPDF
29 Jun – Source: the Observer – 469 words
President Museveni, Commander in Chief of the armed forces, has caused some changes in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
The reshuffle, according to military sources, is mainly aimed at boosting the AMISOM offensive against Al Shabaab extremists in Mogadishu, Somalia. The changes, according to the military source based in the Somali capital, have seen three Mogadishu-based Majors promoted to lieutenant colonel, albeit in acting capacity.
They are Paddy Ankunda, Chris Ogumiraki and Joab Ndahura, the 1st battalion commander. Ankunda continues to serve as Commander, Communications/Public Relations, for AMISOM, a Ugandan and Burundian peacekeeping force that is defending Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed’s Transitional Federal Government in the name of the African Union.
Back home, Museveni has appointed Col Apollo Kasita Gowa as the new deputy commandant of the Jinja-based Senior Staff and Training College, Kimaka. Col Gowa, until this appointment, has been attending a military course abroad.
Similarly, Museveni has appointed Col Stephen Kashure, who has been attending a course abroad, to oversee foreign training in the East African Community (EAC). Lt Col Godwin Karugaba has been moved to command the school of logistics and engineering, formerly Uganda Mechanical Engineering College, based at the former Lugazi university campus.
Together we must fight piracy off the Horn of Africa
30 Jun – Source: Daily Monitor – 836 words
Piracy can’t be condemned too strongly. Piracy is a breach to the most fundamental principles of the modern civilisation. In the worst-hit areas off the Horn of Africa, no seafarers – be it on a merchant ship or even a yacht – can be safe at sea. Uganda has a strong engagement in Somalia, and Uganda’s efforts in this regard are important elements to also fight piracy.
Today, more than 600 seafarers are being kept as hostages by Somali pirates. They are all innocent victims to the unscrupulous hijackers operating at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Indian Ocean. Their families are afraid that they will never see their beloved ones again. Piracy is unacceptable by all humanitarian, security and legal standards. On top of this come the economic impacts on the global trade and traffic. Though it is difficult to calculate, experts estimate the total cost of piracy to be about$16b in 2010.
From 2007 to 2010, the number of attacks and hijackings by pirates at sea has more than quadrupled. Even though the growing number of pirate attacks is centred in the area off the Horn of Africa and Indian Ocean, it takes a global concerted effort to fight it. No single country could or should carry the burden alone. We all have a responsibility. As Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs, I encourage all governments and parties to take part in the global fight against piracy. Today, a broad range of countries around the world as well as multilateral and regional organisations such as UN, Nato, EU and IMO are engaged in handling the challenges. However, let’s be honest, there is still room for improvement in our joint efforts. More needs to be done – and it needs to be done with comprehensive, concerted and international action.
President Museveni used to say “Unless these pirates live in water, which I doubt, the solution to ocean piracy is to ensure a stable government in Somalia”. I agree with President Museveni that long term solutions have to be found in Somalia itself to reverse two decades of conflict. I would like to commend President Museveni and the Ugandan people for the leadership and courage they have shown in order to stabilise Somalia. Amisom’s troops come from Uganda and Burundi operating in an extremely hostile environment and the UPDF is a key partner in training Somali security forces and building the country’s security sector.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/1191658/-/137w1pmz/-/index.html
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UN calls for action to avert a humanitarian crisis in Somalia
30 Jun- Source: xinhua- 315 words
The situation in Somalia is rapidly deteriorating, Mark Bowden, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, said on Wednesday and called for a rapid response to avert a larger crisis.
“If we’re not able to respond rapidly and effectively many more lives will get lost as a result of malnutrition,” Bowden said.
Somalia has the highest rate of malnutrition in the Horn of Africa and that rate is further increasing. More and more people are arriving in refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia, the UN envoy reported.
The crisis occurred due to the increasing food prices, which have gone up 270 percent in the past year, creating “levels of stress throughout the country,” according to Bowden.
The epicentre of the crisis is taking place in South Somalia, an area held by the Islamist rebel group Al Shabab, who is fighting to overthrow the government of Somalia. “Access to that area is difficult but certainly not impossible,” Bowden said and noted that it is possible to provide health assistance, supplementary and therapeutic feeding as well as providing support to livelihoods.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-06/30/c_13957380.htm
UAE urges India to lift Somalia embargo
29 Jun – Source: The Hindustan Times – 170 words
As the world grapples with the issue of piracy, the United Arab Emirates has made a strong pitch for ending the arms embargo on Somalia and urged India to work towards doing so. However, India believes the arms embargo on Somalia must stay for the time being as the institutions of governance are non-existent there.
The United Nations monitoring group on arms embargo on Somalia had earlier said that Arab nations had violated the embargo, which has been in place since 1992.
During his meetings with external affairs minister SM Krishna in India on June 26-27, UAE foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan said the Somalian government should be equipped to take on the heavily armed pirates. He said that besides lifting the arms embargo, arms training should be given to the Somali police to defeat the pirates. But India maintains that “there should be greater international coordination” in dealing with piracy.
“We shouldn’t forget that there are not many functional institutions of governance in Somalia”, a ministry official said.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/UAE-urges-India-to-lift-Somalia-embargo/Article1-715409.aspx
Chinese navy to send escort fleet to Gulf of Aden and Somali waters
30 Jun – Source: Xinhua, English people’s daily – 111 words
The ninth group of Chinese escort ships will set sail from Zhanjiang in Guangdong Province on July 2 for the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia on an escort mission, China Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said Wednesday.
Yang told reporters during a press briefing that the new task force will comprise the destroyer, Wu Han, and frigate, Yu Lin, as well as the supply ship, Qinghaihu.
Yang said Chinese navy fleets had escorted 3,953 ships from countries all over the world by Wednesday. Among the escorted ships 47 percent were foreign commercial ships, he added. Yang said Chinese navy fleets had rescued 40 ships chased by pirates to date.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/7424884.html