March 5, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Somali president reacts angrily to UN envoy statement
05 Mar – Source: Shabelle – 180 words
The president of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has on Monday reacted angrily to a statement from the United Nations Special envoy for Somalia Augustine Mahiga.
During a tour in a frontline district in Mogadishu, where TFG soldiers seized areas from the militants, Somali president Sheikh Sharif Ahmed denied the comment made by by the UN envoy for Somalia, Amb. Augustine Mahiga in which he said ‘there is a palace coup that has taken place in Villa Somalia. The Ala-Sheikh group is back in power, which should not be downplayed.’
Mahiga accused the Ala-Sheikh group of being against the Roadmap because of its inclusiveness to bring in the regions, to bring in Ahlu Sunna, to bring in civil society. He claimed that the group is not very different than al Shabaab, ‘except that they don’t take up arms.’
Key Headlines
- Somali president reacts angrily to UN envoy statement ( Shabelle)
- MMHouse Condemns the murder of Radio reporter in Galkayo (TFG)
- Somali president asks aid agencies to help IDPs ( Shabelle)
- AMISOM sensitizes its officers on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (AMISOM)
- Minister of Defense Hussein Issa Interviewed (Somalia Report)
- Under al Shabaab we suffered a lot say locals in Baidoa ( Radio Bar-kulan)
- Two soldiers killed in Somalia capital (Radio Shabelle Kulmiye )
- Broadcast Journalist Shot Dead in Central Somalia (Markacadeey Jowhar Online Shabelle)
- Somali speaker returns home speaks of TFG victory over militants (Shabelle Radio MogadishuKulmiye)
- Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister attends fundraising for Somalia famine relief ( Hiiraan Online)
- Somali pirates move towards the UAE in hunt for easier prey (National)
- Somali residents welcome Ethiopian troops after rebel rout (Reuters)
- Somalia conflict: Visiting al Shabaab fallen stronghold (BBC)
PRESS STATEMENT
MMHouse Condemns the murder of Radio reporter in Galkayo
05 Mar – Source: TFG – 221 words
The Mogadishu Media House (MM House) condemns with the highest term possible, the killing of local Radio Journalist in Galkayo, Puntland, central regions of Somalia. Ali Ahmed Abdi, 26, was gunned down by four masked men Sunday night as he was coming to his house from his job at Radio Galkayo. “It is very sad, this is the fourth journalist killed in 4 consecutive months in Somalia, three in Mogadishu and one in Galkayo” said Abdulahi Mohamed Hassan (Black) the Director of MM House.
“We condemn all those targeting the journalists, this is slow genocide, we call on the government to act on the killers of the journalists” he added. Mr. Black called the targeting of the journalists as an example of the ongoing intimidation against the journalists working in Somalia, one of the most dangerous front lines in the world and the worst in Africa for Journalists.
The Director called for the “full and independent investigation” of the killing of the four journalists by the Transitional Federal Government and Puntland Authority and urged the killers to stop targeting the journalists. The Mogadishu Media House Director called a “Painful” and “Terror” to kill two radio journalists in one week in Somalia. Ali Ahmed Abdi was killed one week after the former Director of Somaliweyn Radio station Abukar Kadaf was killed by masked men in Mogadishu.
AMISOM sensitizes its officers on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
03 Mar – Source: AMISOM – 206 words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) held a one day sensitization workshop on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse for its officers drawn from the military, police and civilian components. The workshop sought to enlighten the officers on the legal frameworks regarding sexual exploitation and abuse.
The Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Honorable Wafula Wamunyinyi officially opened the workshop at the AMISOM Conference Centre in Mogadishu. He said the workshop was a good opportunity for the officers to understand issues of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and how they relate to International Humanitarian and Human Rights Laws.
“The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has clear mandates, clear written laws and guidelines to be followed by all those serving in the mission area. Allegations of sexual exploitation and gender based violence will not only tarnish the image of the officers involved and their respective countries but also that of the African Union Commission.” said honorable Wamunyinyi.
AMISOM has established effective awareness programmes and internal investigation procedures to deal with allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in Somalia. The AU Deputy Special Representative emphasized that; “non compliance of the relevant laws on sexual exploitation and abuse will not be tolerated.”
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali president asks aid agencies to help IDPs
05 Mar – Source: Shabelle – 153 wordss
Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has called on the international community and the aid agencies to help people in south and central regions of the country where allied and government forces recently recaptured territories from al Shabaab.
While speaking to reporters in the capital, Mogadishu, Mr. Ahmed urged humanitarian aid agencies to come to the aid of hundreds of Somali people that are still at risk of hunger and diseases after drought and famine washed down the crops and livestock, the two the main economic resources of Somalia.
President Sharif also spoke about the ongoing operations by TFG and AU troops against al Shabaab militants, saying improvement towards the security have been made in the past few months in the country.
Under al Shabaab we suffered a lot, say locals in Baidoa
05 Mar – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 260 words
Locals in Baidoa town have for the first time since the ouster of the rebel rule in the city reveled the hard times they endured under the three year-old al Shabaab rule in the city. Mohammed Ma’alim Barhi, a clan leader, told reporters in the city 250 km northwest of Mogadishu that al Shabaab colonised them for three years and 12 days, saying many of them were killed while others were forced to leave the city.
He said under al Shabaab’s control, locals in the city became poorer, conditions worsened and many were forced to flee. He further said they now support the Ethiopian troops who overran the rebel rule in the city few days ago, adding that their intervention was a welcome relief.
Barhi urged the international community to help locals in the city who are “very hungry”, saying that their most immediate priority was meeting basic needs like food. Abdifatah Mohamed Gesey, governor for Bay region, said local residents have undergone over-taxation and brutal killings during the three year al Shabaab rule in the region.
Somali president reacts angrily to UN envoy statement
05 Mar – Source: Shabelle – 180 words
The president of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has on Monday reacted angrily to a statement from the United Nations Special envoy for Somalia Augustine Mahiga.
During a tour in a frontline district in Mogadishu, where TFG soldiers seized areas from the militants, Somali president Sheikh Sharif Ahmed denied the comment made by by the UN envoy for Somalia, Amb. Augustine Mahiga in which he said ‘there is a palace coup that has taken place in Villa Somalia. The Ala-Sheikh group is back in power, which should not be downplayed.’
Mahiga accused the Ala-Sheikh group of being against the Roadmap because of its inclusiveness to bring in the regions, to bring in Ahlu Sunna, to bring in civil society. He claimed that the group is not very different than al Shabaab, ‘except that they don’t take up arms.’
Al Shabaab fighters moving to Kismayo
04 Mar – Source: Somalia Report – 414 words
Over the last 24 hours, residents of Kismayo have witnessed large numbers of al Shabaab militants moving in to the city from the route that connects Kismayo to Bay and Bakol region. The mass movement, which started late yesterday afternoon, has brought fear and dismay among the residents who see this indicating further battles and bloodshed. Somalia Report spoke to some of the residents who witnessed the arrival of the unfamiliar militants in their city. Residents expressed frustration over what they see as an invitation for air strikes by allied forces.
“Late yesterday afternoon, new al Shabaab militants arrived, who were heavily armed onboard vehicles seeming to have travelled far, because their tires were muddy and well- worn. They passed beside me while I was standing by a tea restaurant near the hospital of Kismayo,” said Abdinoor, a local resident in Kismayo. “They went towards the Central Police Station in Kismayo where they have did not stop but proceeded to the Kismayo airport.
This has created fear in me and my other friends who were also in the restaurant because we thought this would either be followed by fighting or airstrikes,” added Abdinoor. In an effort to understand whether these militants were destined for the airport or had another mission, Somalia Report spoke to a businessman who was at the airport when the militants arrived.
“The militants were addressed by their senior commanders, and they proceeded towards the outskirts of the city, heading towards Afmadow. I cannot confirm to you where they have reached so far, but I guess they were going to the front lines. They were armed with heavy weapons, and they were accompanied by other militants who were in the airport waiting for them,” said Ahmed, the owner of a small business near Kismayo airport.
Two soldiers killed in Somalia capital
05 Mar – Source: Radio Shabelle, Kulmiye – 122 words
Armed men have killed two government soldiers overnight in the lawless Somali capital, Mogadishu as they have been on their way to a nearby police station, witnesses said. The attack took place at Towfiq village in Yaqshid district which is now under the full control of Somali government troops. The attackers escaped from the scene after the incident and hundreds of forces have reached at the site of the killing to hunt for the perpetrators.
Residents told Shabelle Media that the two were former al Shabaab fighters, but later surrendered to Somali government. It was not clear the reason behind the murder so far. The Somali capital is experiencing a series of organized killing and assassinations against TFG officials and local civilians.
Broadcast Journalist Shot Dead in Central Somalia
05 Mar – Source: Markacadeey, Jowhar Online, Shabelle – 370 words
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) condemns the brutal murder of the broadcast journalist in the restive central Somalia town of Galkayo on Sunday night March 4, 2012, around 10:00pm local time by unidentified assailants in the semi-autonomous regions of Puntland.
Witnesses said four unidentified assailants shot and killed the journalist, Ali Ahmed Abdi, 20-25, near Hotel Guhaad, on his way home after returning from his work place on Sunday night on March 4, 2012 around 10:00pm local time in the town of Galkayo, controlled by the Puntland authorities.
“The assailants shot three bullets; two on the head and one on the chest,.” said an eyewitness journalist who only gave his name Guled. He was rushed to Galkayo General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. It was not immediately clear the reason behind the killing. No group had claimed the responsibility of the attack. Late Abdi had worked both Radio Galkayo and a news website Puntland.com.
Somali speaker returns home, speaks of TFG victory over militants
04 Mar – Source: Shabelle, Radio Mogadishu, Kulmiye – 126 words
The Speaker of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Parliament Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden has on Sunday returned home after attending London conference on Somalia held on 23rdFebruary. The speaker received a cordial welcome from several MPs in the parliament at Mogadishu’s international airport. Mr. Aden hailed the recent military operations by TFG and AU troops against al Shabaab militants beyond the capital.
The Somali speaker also noted that al Shabaab has invited al Qaeda operatives to get save heavens in the war-torn horn of Africa country and escape from prosecutions. He urged people to help the government to overcome the overall insecurity in the country.
Minister of Defense Hussein Issa Interviewed
03 Mar – Source: Somalia Report – 703 words
Hussein Arab Issa, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) Minister of Defense, is one of the most well-admired government officials. He enjoys high respect in the eyes of the TFG as well as the international community for his bravery. He has contributed to the security of Mogadishu, and it was through his strategic plans that the TFG is gaining grounds against al Shabaab. Somalia Report sat down for an interview with Hussein Arab Issa.
Thank you for your time. Could you please tell us how you are feeling about current TFG operations?
Thank you. I thank Almighty God, our morale is good, and I am very content to see the developments taking place in our security. It was through our capable army that we have restored law and order in a good number of regions, including Mogadishu, that gave the government a sigh of relief. Thanks be to God.
These days, the Islamist al Shabaab are retreating. How do you see the situation?
It is true that the Islamists are retreating, due to intensified pressure from our joing forces, thanks to the international community. We have also put measures in place to ensure our army is fully equipped and are well trained. We have trained some soldiers in Kenya and Ethopia, some in Uganda. Recently we were joined by Ethopia and Kenya to increase the pressure. Al Shabaab have now seen how serious we are. I am very happy to gain ground without much bloodshed.
It is rumoured that the Ethopians entered Somalia without consent. Is that true?
It is not true that the Ethopians entered Somalia without consent. Ethopia is here under our invitation. There is a need for international co-operation against the terrorists. When we called for international assistance, Ethopia was one of the first countries to respond, and as long as we find any remains of al Qaeda in the Horn of Africa, we shall continue calling for more countries to join us.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister attends fundraising for Somalia famine relief
05 Mar – Source: Hiiraan Online – 483 words
On Thursday March 1st Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird attended a fundraising event for Somalia famine relief efforts organized by the Ottawa Somali-Canadian community which raised money for the international NGO Doctors without Borders. The event which was entitled “New Dawn for Somalia” was attended by guests from different levels of government, private businesses and civil society in Canada.
In his remarks Constable Abdulkadir Abdi of the Ottawa Police Service who was spearheading the event thanked all the participants. When asked by Hiiraan Online about the reason behind the event Mr. Abdi said “seeing the famine and poverty in Somalia motivated me to undertake this effort to bring together Canadians from all walks of life in order to help those who were afflicted”. The Constable who worked very hard to make this event a reality along with colleagues and friends also said that he would continue efforts to raise Somalia’s profile.
Al Shabaab beheads 3 boys in southern Somalia
04 Mar – Source: Shabelle – 152 word
Body of three young Somali boy, whose head were decapitated, were found on Saturday afternoon in al Shabaab stronghold in southern part of Somalia, witnesses said. Residents in Mohamed Sa’eed area near Jowhar town, just 90 Km south of the Mogadishu say they saw three pastoral youths with their heads chopped off and dumped on the outskirts of the town.
Eyewitnesses who asked for anonymity for security reasons told Shabelle Media by phone that al Shabaab was behind the vindictive murder of the three young boys whom they accused of being involved in spying activities. We were informed of the death of three guys in the nearby Jowhar town. We got panicked and extremely fearful soon as we saw how gruesome the killing was conducted,’ said residents.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Somali pirates move towards the UAE in hunt for easier prey
05 Mar – Source: National – 588 words
In recent years, Somali piracy has moved from isolated incidents to become the main talking point in the shipping industry. The pirates have constantly been evolving their strategy and reacting to the developing security measures being brought against them. In the last two weeks, two UAE-owned vessels have been hijacked while trading with Somalia. This is just a small indication of how the Arabian Gulf has been and continues to be affected by the phenomenon.
Piracy is in no way limited to the shores of Somalia and the Indian Ocean. Piracy and armed robbery at sea is a global phenomenon. Hijacking vessels is not a unique tactic of Somali gangs; West African pirates target small tankers to offload their cargo and occasionally members of the crew. Some South-East Asian criminal gangs target barge-towing tugs for their value on the international market. But Somali piracy has seen the highest-profile hijacking for ransom model, which last year generated nearly $200 million (Dh735 million) in payments.
The Middle East has always been affected by the growth of these hijacking groups; however, piracy has gradually targeted vessels on more and more trading routes, so that any vessel leaving the Arabian Gulf is now threatened by Somali gangs.
Outrage over Murder of Young Journalist in Galkayo, Somalia
05 Mar – Source: Al Shahid – 270 words
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has expressed great shock and outrage over the murder this evening of young radio journalist in Galkayo, Mudug region. Ali Ahmed Abdi, 26, was shot dead by unknown hooded gunmen while walking in Is-Raac neighborhood of northern Galkayo around Hotel Guure. He was a reporter for Radio Galkayo until recently.
“This is an outrageous and brazen act of cruelty committed against a young journalist and his killers must not be held above the law,” said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General. Ali Ahmed Abdi was a member of NUSOJ northeastern branch and has been campaigning for seeking justice for victim journalists after his colleague Horriyo Abdulkadir of Radio Galkayo was fatally wounded in the same town.
“It is very urgent that those who care Somalia and its journalism community to send a clear message that those who murder, threaten or harm Somali journalists, no matter if they are politicians or rogue elements, that they will be brought to justice and are not immune from prosecution,” said Osman.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali residents welcome Ethiopian troops after rebel rout
05 Mar – Source: Reuters – 275 words
After three years of killings and violence under the rule of al Shabaab rebels, residents of the Somali city of Baidoa said they were happy to see the arrival of Ethiopian soldiers, whose presence they once resented. Under al Shabaab’s control, Baidoa’s leaders say the city’s people became poorer, conditions worsened and many were forced to flee. The return of Ethiopian troops, once seen as Christian invaders in a Muslim country, was a welcome relief.
Ethiopian and Somali troops seized the city from al Shabaab insurgents last month, in a major blow to the militants battling Somalia’s weak interim government. Somalia has been in turmoil since warlords toppled dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Fighting has killed more than 21,000 people since al Shabaab launched its insurgency in 2007.
Gunmen kill 4th journalist in 4 months
05 Mar – Source: AP – 126 words
A colleague says unidentified gunmen have shot dead a Somali journalist in a central Somali town, the fourth such killing in four months. Reporter Liban Ajib Haji said Monday morning that 24-year-old Ali Ahmed Abdi was walking home in Garsoor village in central Somalia on Sunday night when two gunmen approached him and shot him at least three times in the head.
Abdi has previously worked for Radio Galkayo before joining a Somali news website. Haji says the motive for the killing is unclear. Attacks on journalists are common in war-ravaged Somalia. Gunmen killed Abukar Hassan Kadaf, the director of Somaliweyn radio, six days ago. A journalist from Shabelle radio was killed in January and another journalist shot dead in the capital of Mogadishu in December.
Somalia conflict: Visiting al Shabaab fallen stronghold
05 Mar – Source: BBC – 1056 words
The Ethiopian army – along with Somali pro-government troops – has recently captured the key al Shabaab stronghold of Baidoa. The BBC’s East Africa correspondent Will Ross was one of the first journalists to visit the town since its seizure from the Islamist militants. The dark red berets of the Ethiopian army are back in Baidoa.
At the airstrip, there was plenty of military might on display: hulking tanks, heavy artillery and dozens of alert troops. We are told Somali pro-government soldiers were backed by the Ethiopians as they seized the town from al Shabaab but it is clear who is the dominant partner in this relationship.
Inside Baidoa’s presidential palace there are signs of the just departed Islamist militants. The walls of this battered, squalid building are covered in jihadist graffiti – mostly images of guns apparently drawn by very young al Shabaab recruits.”They preach to them, so these kids think only about jihad,” says Ethiopian army Capt Mohammud Yissak. “We saw very small guys between eight and 12. They had been in the al Shabaab training camps. They ran away and we welcomed them. Some of them were used as couriers to plant explosives.”
South Africa: SADC recommits to aid Somalia
04 Mar – Source: 7th Space – 303 words
SADC countries have recommitted themselves to helping the people of Somalia with member countries on Friday emphasising the importance of solidarity with the poverty stricken country. The bi-annual Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers meeting held in Luanda, Angola also noted South Africa’s contribution of US$4 million for airlifting and shipping of the contributions from SADC Members States of humanitarian aid to the people of Somalia. The contributions were made concomitant to the SADC Summit decision in August 2011 last year.
At least six SADC member states, namely Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia provided a total of 8073 tons of perishable and non-perishable goods, food stuffs and other relief supplies. Meanwhile, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said SADC would continue to serve as the primary vehicle for South Africa’s foreign policy in relation to regional development and integration within Southern Africa.
“South Africa’s future remains inextricably linked to the future of the African continent and that of its neighbours in Southern Africa,” the department said in a statement.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The western focus on pirates and militants, although understandable, can seem very myopic from a Somali viewpoint; they are the symptoms of dysfunction rather than the causes of it. A UN force of 30,000 went after a few warlords in the early 1990s and only succeeded in entrenching them for a further decade. A saner and less costly strategy would be to emulate the process of reconciliation and institution-building seen in Somaliland.”
The way to a new Somalia
04 Mar – Source: The Guardian – 712 Words
Ask a Somali taxi driver in Streatham or Shepherd’s Bush what they remember of Mogadishu and their eyes widen, their hands leave the steering wheel in wild gesticulations and they become poets, rapturously describing it as a jewel, the ancient, sophisticated pearl of the Indian Ocean.
I have my own vision of the capital buried deep in my memory, some time during the few weeks I spent there as a four-year-old, waiting for our Aeroflot flight to London. Someone took me to the top of a lighthouse, and the view from its height is still with me: an expanse of ocean bordered by blindingly white buildings and merging at its fringes with the sky.
A whole generation of Somalis have never known that Mogadishu and instead have to watch nostalgic videos of its former glory on YouTube; the films have a dream-like quality, the camera floating over the city and looking down on pedestrians innocently, carelessly going about their business. The London conference on Somalia a week ago made me wonder if that aspic-preserved world could be brought back to life.
“Singling out the UK for possibly pursing oil interests is also a little short-sighted given that a bunch of others got there first, and not just two decades back: Canadian Africa Oil Corporation are currently exploring in Puntland, as are Australian Range Resources. This isn’t news, and it isn’t secret. Somali politicians have also been in talks with CNOOC.”
Parochialism Will Not Solve Somalia’s Woes
03 Mar – Source: The (Nairobi) Star – 778 Words
Clutch – your – pearls, ladies: Britain, host of the recent Somalia conference, is looking for oil concessions in Somalia. Are you gasping along with me in shock and horror at this sneaky neo-colonial resource grab? Well, I wasn’t gasping, nor was I shocked or horrified. I barely twitched on the sofa.
For one, it’s not exactly new that Somalia might have commercial quantities of oil: Go back roughly two decades to the US invasion/humanitarian intervention in Somalia. Even back then, there were suspicions that the US were motivated not by starving Somalis, but more by oil. In 1993, the LA Times reported that four US oil companies, Conoco, Amoco, Chevron and Phillips, had been allocated oil blocks by Siad Barre. It probably didn’t help that the US military used Conoco facilities in Mogadishu.
“UN agencies and their sister NGO’s took hundreds of millions last year alone on behalf of Somalia. But, who are these international agencies accountable and who is ensuring the money reaches Somalia? The answer is disappointing no one. No one is watching them and the TFG is labeled corrupt thanks to help of the UN and its NGO siblings. A trickle of that millions goes to the causes it has been intended to address. And, what you get is Somalia, a nation marred in chaos, corruption and war.”
“It is time to give the label of corruption index of Somalia to its rightful owner The United Nations agencies for Somalia and hundreds of NGO’s working on behalf of Somalia. We also encourage the international community to reconsider their aid for Somalia and directly provide the funds to the TFG.”
Somalia and UN Corruption Index
04 Mar – Source: Source: Hiiraan Online – 1030 Words
Somalia is ranked top among most corrupt nations. It is not certain what criterion was used to place Somalia among the list of corrupt countries. However, it is certain that this is the work of the United Nations agencies for their own convenience so to avoid accountability.
The Somalia Transitional Federal Government (TFG) does not receive money and is yet to collect taxes. The billions of aid money for Somalia are handled by the United Nations office for Somalia in Nairobi Kenya and their sister NGOs. For example, the Somalia’s Defense and Education Ministries combined monthly running budget is less than $20,000.
The money that the government collects from the airport and sea port is very small that some government ministers are paying from their pocket to cover their travel expenses. We know that the United Nations for the last five months has failed to pay the salary of the Somali Defense forces. Ironically, the food, clothes and transportation for the Somali Defense Forces is paid by the TFG on time from their meager Airport and Sea port fee collection.
“Linking emergency assistance with long-term measures can offer a way out of protracted crisis and onto a path of sustainable development. By stepping up current efforts, agriculture can also become a key factor in establishing peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.Droughts are not preventable. But hunger and famine are. It is unthinkable for the international community to allow them to persist.”
Long-term strategy needed to banish hunger
04 Mar – Source: Daily Nation – 511 Words
After six months and the deaths of tens of thousands of people, the famine in Somalia — caused by the worst drought in 60 years — is over. But a wider crisis in Africa continues. In the Horn of Africa, some 14.6 million people remain without enough food, while to the west in the Sahel countries, another 14 million are threatened.
Even worse, there is a high risk in Somalia that famine will recur unless coordinated, long-term action is taken. We cannot avoid droughts, but we can try to prevent them from becoming famines.
“In another insulting statement, Mahiga characterized the honourable members of the Somali parliament as “warlords and spoilers,” and threatened to submit their names to the International Criminal Court for prosecution.” “In making such frivolous statements, Mahiga has voluntarily relinquished his role as the intentional community’s top peace mediator. His repugnant remarks will effectively render him unfit to facilitate reconciliation among competing groups and warring factions as he has forcefully injected himself into the political foray. ”
Daljir Forum is Appalled by Augustine Mahiga’s Reckless Statement
04 Mar – Source: Daljir forum/Hiiraan Online – 555 Words
Daljir Forum is appalled by a statement made by the UN Secretary General’s Somalia Representative, Ambassador Augustine Mahiga. In a recent interview with Somalia Report website, Ambassador Mahiga questioned the fundamental tenets of the Somali people: Islam and Somali Nationalism, and questioned the viability of Somalia as a nation-state.
Uncharacteristic of his diplomatic position he insulted the Somali Parliament, the Somali Presidency, a former Somali Prime Minister, Daljir Forum and more importantly the Somali people.
Top tweets
@JamalMOsman This week #TurkishAirline will fly to #Somalia, the first international airliner in 20 years. It’s great news for the #SomaliDiaspora.
@tomgara Awesome, because what #Somalia really needs is the discovery of 110 billion barrels of oil: upi.com/Business_News/…
@AJEnglish #Somalia burns through its charcoal supply aje.me/xz7C3I
@alykhansatchu “Cameron and his incompetent ‘headbangers’ ought to think twice” HSM is from #London not #Somalia rich
@whatishotnow1 The day I will be a pilot, #Somalia through kids’ eyes bit.ly/xKjbJL
@moneymaker00760 MN Somalis set deadline to pull money from Wells Fargo | Twin …: The only way that many people in #Somalia surv… bit.ly/
@marcusolang “When #Somalia
Image of the day
Lit-Col. Kayanja Muhanga, AMISOMcommander in northeastern Mogadishu shows Somali President Sheikh Ahmed and senior government officials recently liberated areas in outskirts of the city.