November 8, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
Somaliland To Shut Down The Internet During Elections
07 November – Source: Garowe Online – 267 Words
The Electoral Commission of Somaliland called for the internet to be turned off during the Presidential Election expected to be held on 8 November 2017. “The commission has requested for the shutdown of the Internet access across Somaliland amid fears of violence during the election period,” said an election expert, who spoke to Garowe Online over the phone. “It’s the first time that three influential candidates are vying for the Presidency,” he told Garowe Online over the phone on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
The internet providers have agreed with the electoral commission to the shut off of their servers of the internet access and social media platforms to ensure peace prevails throughout the voting. “We all agreed with the electoral body’s decision and recommendation. We are waiting for a go-ahead email to shut down the Internet service,” said one of the managers of Internet providers in Hargeisa. The Internet will go down for four days, starting from next Monday, November 13 and continue until 17th of this month to keep the ballot information secret, according to the sources.
It’s unclear if the political parties contesting for the region’s top seat will accept the move. This will be the first time that the internet goes out of service for 4 days, the longest ever since Somaliland has unilaterally declared independence from the rest of Somalia on 18th May 1991. Pundits say the reason behind this plan is due to security concerns as the tough rivalry between the presidential aspirants and their supporters are heating up ahead of the polls.
Key Headlines
- Somaliland To Shut Down The Internet During Elections (Garowe Online)
- Traders In HirShabelle State Agree To Use Local Currency After Earlier Boycott (Goobjoog News)
- Mogadishu Car Bomb Leaves At Least 1 Injured (Garowe Online)
- UN Security Council Asks For Comprehensive Response To Piracy Off Somali Coast (Xinhuanet)
- Somalia’s Solar-Powered Recovery (Medium.com)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Traders In HirShabelle State Agree To Use Local Currency After Earlier Boycott
08 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 273 Words
Traders in HirShabelle state reached a deal on Monday with the state finance ministry to allow use and circulation of the Somali shilling following weeks of boycott over fears of counterfeit money flooding the market. The state acting finance minister Mohamed Mohamud Abdulle noted in a meeting with the local traders that the circulation of the shilling shall begin from today after it was rejected by the local traders for almost a week. “The money has to be accepted across the state. We reached an agreement with the traders and public transport operators. We shall take 50% tax on Somali shillings and to pay our staff on the same currency to ensure money circulation. We decreed tomorrow Wednesday 8th November 2017 for implementation of this ruling,” Abdulle said.
The local traders on their side welcomed the finance ministry’s direction and pledged to implement the order accordingly. “On behalf of the money exchange traders, the usage of the Somali shillings will take effect from Wednesday. We fully accept the proposal,” said a local trade leader who spoke in the meeting.
The local residents in Beledweyne were jubilant following the agreement after they were adversely affected especially the consumers, labourers and beggars in the town who were constrained economically since they could not afford to buy items using US dollars. Mobile money transfer known as Evc plus which transacts in US dollars was the only source of money exchange in the region. The financial crisis started early July on speculation that large amount of counterfeit money flooded the local market from Puntland state, a neighbor state they have extensive business dealings with causing high inflation.
Mogadishu Car Bomb Leaves At Least 1 Injured
08 November – Source: Garowe Online – 174 Words
At least one person was confirmed wounded on Wednesday, in a car bombing in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu. The powerful blast took place around the headquarters of Somali Immigration department located on the busy Makka Al Mukarama street in the heart of the capital, according to the eyewitnesses. The Government security officials said one person has been seriously injured when a bomb attached to his car exploded on the road while heading to work. He was taken to a hospital right away for treatment. The culprits are yet to be identified, they said. Police cordoned off the scene near the Immigration Head Quarter following the explosion, but no arrest was reported.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for today’s car bomb, although similar attacks have been carried out in the past by Al-Shabaab, including Oct 14 truck bombing at Km5 junction, which left more than 350 people dead. The Al Qaeda-linked militants are fighting to overthrow the country’s internationally backed Somali Federal government in Mogadishu protected by 22,000 strong African Union forces (AMISOM).
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UN Security Council Asks For Comprehensive Response To Piracy Off Somali Coast
07 November – Source: Xinhuanet – 322 Words
The Security Council Tuesday adopted a resolution to condemn the acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia and to call for a comprehensive response to prevent and suppress such acts and tackle their underlying causes. Resolution 2383 underlines the primary responsibility of the Somali authorities in the fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea off the Somali coast. It urges the Somali authorities to continue their work of passing a comprehensive set of anti-piracy and maritime laws and establishing security forces with clear roles and jurisdictions to enforce these laws.
The resolution asks Somalia to continue to develop the capacity of its courts to investigate and prosecute persons responsible for acts of piracy and armed robbery. It requests states to work with relevant international organizations to adopt legislation to facilitate the prosecution of suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia. It calls on the Somali authorities to have mechanisms in place to safely return effects seized by pirates.
It also appeals to the Somali authorities to make all efforts to bring to justice those who are using Somali territory to plan, facilitate, or undertake criminal acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea, and calls on UN member states to assist Somalia to strengthen maritime capacity at the request of the country. The resolution calls on states to cooperate on the issue of hostage taking, and the prosecution of suspected pirates for taking hostages.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“We are about to begin our first mini-grid in Somalia and we think the potential is limitless. As is the case in many countries rebounding from conflict and natural disasters, like this year’s severe drought, financing will be one of the greatest obstacles. There are so many other competing priorities for the government, civil society, private sector, and international community,”
Somalia’s Solar-Powered Recovery
07 November – Source: Medium – 827 Words
In late 2011, I visited Mogadishu to observe first-hand the Somali capital’s fresh wounds from the latest round of fierce fighting. Glimmers of hope appeared that this time would be different, that some semblance of stability and governance could take hold. As a graduate of electrical engineering with a specialization in renewables, I was pleasantly surprised in the immediate interest by some businesses and non-governmental organizations in solar power. They connected the dots between one of Somalia’s greatest resources its reliable sunlight and one of its greatest needs reducing the extraordinarily high costs of energy for households and businesses.
Having studied engineering at the University of Nairobi, I knew the potential for the market to take off in Somalia. I was witnessing solar solutions in Kenya go from a novelty to a multi-million dollar sector. So I made the decision in 2012 to return to Mogadishu and found SolarGen Technologies. Like other start-ups, we tried everything in the early days to gain our first clients, access our first seed capital, and most importantly deliver high quality products and services to those who were willing to take a chance with us.
At SolarGen, we take great pride that our projects are contributing to the recovery of Somalia’s economy. We remember our early projects like the installation of 79 solar street lights in Mogadishu which provided light for security at night for residences, as well as helped businesses stay open later. Likewise, we helped electrify an important marketplace in Mogadishu with a 20 kilowatt photo-voltaic system, and installed a 17 kilowatt system to power a water pump for a borehole that served both a large number of internally displaced persons as well as a nearby dairy farm.
International donors funded these type of projects, but after less than two years the always entrepreneurial Somali business community began to make their own investments in solar-powered solutions. In 2014, we completed a large solar-powered irrigation system outside of Afgoye — an important farming town 30km away from Mogadishu. The system is still producing 2,800 cubic meters of water a day for the farmer who grows lemons and bananas. We also began to work with local businessmen who were operating diesel-powered generators to run community boreholes.
We explained the economic advantages of solarizing their systems: large reductions in fuel costs and fewer down-times. We then helped them access finance to make the upfront investment in the solar technology. These businessmen have already made a profit and, because of the consistent volume they are producing, they have also dropped their prices.
TOP TWEETS
@DalsanFM: Mayor @ThabitMhd commends the people of Puntland state for their generous contribution at the time of need for the people of #Mogadishu
.@Mohamedqamsa: Another beautiful Day, more focus on defining problem based on end user prospective.
@DalsanFM: Pre @M_Farmaajo in full military fatigue makes a visit of the Ministry of Defence interacting with staff & neighbouring residents #Somalia
@Vatescorp: #Somalia: UN Security Council urges ‘comprehensive response’ to piracy, tackle their underlying causes
@Somalia: President Mohamed Abdullahi is holding consultations with the army commanders to implement a plan to stabilize the country.
#Somalia #Somali
@Alihalane: In 2020, better to achive “One Man One Meal/Bread”, before we have “One Man One Vote”. The former is more relevant than the second in #Somalia
@kushiriki: Understanding the role of #climatechange & its impact on patterns of #drought is key to ending violence in#Somalia http://ow.ly/Au4i30gqYB2
@LnLnews: Somalia seeks help to defeat Al-shabab insurgencyhttps://www.lnlnews.
@Somalia: President Mohamed Abdullahi is holding consultations with the army commanders to implement a plan to stabilize the country. #Somalia#Somali
IMAGE OF THE DAY
President, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo address members of the Somali National Army in preparation for an all out offensive against Al-Shabaab.
Photo: @TheVillaSomalia