March 8, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

International Women’s day celebrated in Mogadishu

08 Mar – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 124 words

Thousands of Women, Somali community Parties, leaders from Transitional Federal government (TFG) including president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed attended a comminatory occasion to clebrate the international day for women which is commemorated on 8 March every year. Women’s unions and other women activists in the country are credited to have played great role in every social commotions.

Somali women have being suffering from the conflict in twenty years and also the famine which struck last year in their country and throughout in horn of Africa. Somalia has been in conflict for almost 20 years since the collapse of former Mohamed Siyad Bareh’s regime in 1991 when clan militias have ousted him from the rule.

Key Headlines

International Women’s day celebrated in Mogadishu ( Radio Kulmiye)
SRSG Augustine P. Mahiga on the Commemoration of the International Women’s Day (UNPOS )
EU pledges Sh11b for AMISOM force (Standard)
Tension mounts in northern Somalia town (Radio Shabelle Jowhar Online)
Puntland to hold constitutional referendum meeting (Bariga Afrika Shabelle)
Dawn blasts rock Ethiopian troops in central Somalia ( Shabelle Bariga Afrika RBC)
TFG and UN discuss details of draft Action Plan to address child soldiers (UNPOS)
EU calls on Kenya to further cooperation to combat piracy in Somalia ( Radio Bar-kulan)
Kenya may resume registration of Somali refugees: UNHCR (Coast Week Xinhua)
Former US soldier accused of trying to join Somali terror group (Guardian)
‘Terror plot Brit dressed as a woman’ (The Mirror)

PRESS STATEMENT

SRSG Augustine P. Mahiga on the Commemoration of the International Women’s Day

08 Mar – Source: UNPOS – 707 words

The International Women’s Day (IWD) also known as the United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace, is a global day annually held on 8 March to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women throughout history and across nations. This century old event only received global attention in 1975 when the UN called for an International Women’s Year, convening the first conference on women and with the UN General Assembly inviting Member States to proclaim 8 March as the “UN Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace” in 1977. The IWD aims to help nations worldwide eliminate discrimination against women and focuses on helping women gain full and equal participation in global development.

This year’s theme for IWD is “Connecting girls, inspiring futures”. The theme goes beyond the call for the involvement of girls in the day’s events and looks at ways to empower and enable girls to take their place as future leaders of tomorrow. Despite the fact that women and girls account for more than half the total population in most countries and globally, there is little recognition that equal opportunities has a direct impact on efforts for sustainable peace and development.

The United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS), in solidarity with all women of the world, and especially those in conflict and post-conflict contexts, expresses its solidarity and admiration for the struggles of women for a just peace and stability in Somalia. Somali women – inside Somalia and in the Diaspora – have long realized that peace and security are non-negotiable prerequisites for sustainable development as demonstrated by the great role they have played and continue to play in the search for lasting peace.

TFG and UN discuss details of draft Action Plan to address child soldiers

07 Mar – Source: UNPOS – 517 words

On 7 March, representatives of the TFG led by the Ministry of Defence, and UNPOS and supported by the Office of the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, conducted a workshop to determine the details of an Action Plan to establish safeguards against child involvement in the Somali National Security Forces (NSF). The Action Plan responds to the UN Security Council’s call in Resolution 1612 (2005), for concrete and time-bound action to halt the recruitment and use of children by parties listed in the Secretary-General’s annual reports on Children and Armed Conflict and to ensure that the National Security Forces are child-free.

“As the UN Special Representative for Somalia, I feel pain to see Somalia listed as a violator of child rights. I want to work with the Government to ensure removal of TFG forces from the UN list,” the Special Representative of the Secretary General, Dr. Augustine P. Mahiga, stated during the workshop. “It will also contribute to the professionalization of the TFG forces, which will be critical in the context of efforts to stabilise the country and ensuring respect for human rights.” Dr. Mahiga added: “ownership of the Action Plan by the Somali people and its Government is central to its success.”

During the workshop, the TFG and UN discussed four key areas, including the establishment of measures to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers; the process by which children associated to the TFG forces would be identified and released; the reintegration of former child soldiers; and the strengthening of the legal framework to criminalise recruitment and use and promote child protection.

“I wish to reiterate our commitment in eradicating the scourge of child soldiers in Somalia,” declared the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Mr. Hussein Arab Issa, during the workshop. “We continue to face challenges in cultural attitudes, capacity building and resources. We urge UNICEF to provide inputs and technical expertise in supporting us in securing residential programmes, as well as education and livelihood opportunities for children separated from the armed forces. I remain convinced that we will be able to finalise the plan as soon as possible so that we can move into the
implantation phase.”

The next steps will include finalisation of the drafting of the Action Plan and its signature by the TFG and the UN, tentatively set for April 2012. While the signing of the Action Plan will constituted a key milestone, the most significant phase of the process will begin with the implementation and verifiable completion of the plan. Successful implementation of the Action Plan will be the shared responsibility of the TFG and the UN.

Both the Somali Government and Al-Shabaab are listed in the United Nations SecretaryGeneral’s annual report on Children and Armed Conflict for recruiting and using child soldiers. In accordance with Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), listed parties must sign and implement action plans to end this unacceptable practice or face the possibility of Security Council sanctions. In June of this year, the Security Council expanded the criteria for sanctionable offenses in Somalia to include grave violations against children.

SOMALI MEDIA

Dawn blasts rock Ethiopian troops in central Somalia

08 Mar – Source: Shabelle, Bariga Afrika, RBC – 136 words

Ethiopian forces in Beledweyne district of Hiiraan region have been targeted in dawn landmine blasts on Thursday morning as they were passing inside Howlwadag village for water supply, eyewitnesses said. Residents confirmed to Shabelle Media that the blasts damaged Ethiopian personnel carriers but could not verify the exact number of casualties. So far, no military spokesman has briefed the media on the incident.

“They were very big explosions. It woke up the residents, Investigations are underway concerning the incident,” an eyewitness said. Locals also state that the blasts momentarily halted business and public transportation operations after Ethiopian forces opened fire at crowds that subsequently dispersed.

International Women’s day celebrated in Mogadishu

08 Mar – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 124 words

Tension mounts in northern Somalia town

08 Mar – Source: Radio Shabelle, Jowhar Online – 144 words

Residents in Las-anod town of Sool region in northern Somalia said on Thursday that tension has been mounting between Somaliland soldiers and local clan militias over the control of the town. Residents said the tension started after a large number of demonstrators took to the streets in the town to show support for the newly established Khatuma state in northern regions of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn that was recognized by Somalia government on Wednesday in Mogadishu.

The protesters were also carrying banners with slogans against Somaliland military presence around SSC administrated towns and villages, which ignited military exercises from both sides. At least four innocent people have been wounded and thirty other were arrested in Las-anod town on Wednesday by the Somaliland forces as they were trying to disperse the demonstrators. The army used live bullets to the protestors, witnesses said.

Clan clashes leaves three dead in Galgadud

07 Mar – Source: Somalia Report – 158 words

At least three civilians were killed and two others wounded in two separate incidents on Wednesday in Abud-Wak, a district of Somalia’s Galgadud region, according to witnesses. Armed men attacked Lan-dhere village, 25km from Abud-Wak district, early in the morning and opened fire at people gathered in tea shop, killing two people. Among the victims was Khalif Wehliye, a well-known traditional elder.

‘’About 6:30 am local time an armed militia attacked Lan-dhere village and killed two people and wounded some women,’’ a witness told Somalia Report. The pro-government Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama (ASWJ) militia immediately sent it’s armed forces to the village, but have not yet arrested anyone.

‘’Our forces reached the scene and we are still investigating. It looks like ethic clan revenge, but we will definitely capture the murderers. Now the situation is clam in the village people are doing their daily activities,’’ Ahmed Adan Dhere, the ASWJ deputy chairman in Abud-Wak district, told Somalia Report.

Puntland to hold constitutional referendum meeting

08 Mar – Source: Bariga Afrika, Shabelle – 150 words

The semi-autonomous state of Puntland of Somalia is to hold a major constitutional referendum meeting in Garowe town a head of the upcoming presidential elections, officials said on Thursday.Abdirah man Sheik Mohamed Farole, the leader of Puntland administration told reporters in Garowe town on Wednesday after returning home from London conference that the main objective of the meeting is to ask people of Puntland to vote for a new constitution.

“The meeting is to be hold near future in Garowe town, I can’t tell the exact time and the people of Puntland will vote at a referendum on their future constitution so I urge peace partners to cooperate in order to implement the constitutional referendum,” Abdirahman Sheikh Mohamed Farole, the leader of Puntland administration told reporters at the airport. This move comes as people in Puntland prepare to go to the polling stations in this year 2012.

EU calls on Kenya to further cooperation to combat piracy in Somalia

08 Mar – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 229 words

The European Union (EU) has urged Kenya to strengthen its cooperation with the EU in combating piracy off the coast of Somalia. Speaking to the press in Brussels shortly after meeting with the Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Amollo Odinga, European Union (EU) Council Chief, Herman Van Rompuy, said the east African country is an important partner for the EU in fostering peace, stability and development in the Horn of Africa.

Van Rompuy expressed his satisfaction with the Kenyan agreed to integrate its forces in Somalia into the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to save the peace and security in Somalia. He announced that the EU will continue to support AMISOM with an additional EUR 100 million until 2013.
Last week, the EU decided to extend the EU Naval Force Operation ATALANTA off Somalia for two years until December 2014. Van Rompuy said the EU will continue to seek transfer agreements with countries in the region to ensure that suspected pirates are brought to justice.

The EU also announced that it will to deploy a civilian crisis management mission to strengthen maritime capacities in the Horn of Africa and Western Indian Ocean region. On his part, Kenyan prime minister, Odinga who briefed Van Rompuy on the developments in Somalia and his country’s position on the issue called on the international community to remain focused on the issue of Somalia.

REGIONAL MEDIA

EU pledges Sh11b for AMISOM force

08 Mar – Source: Standard – 119 words

The European Union has pledged to increase funding for Amisom forces in Somalia by about Sh11 billion (100 million Euros). EU also promised to strengthen its military presence in the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean waters up to 2014 to help contain piracy.

The President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy disclosed this at a meeting with Prime Minister Raila Odinga at the Council’s headquarters in Brussels, on Wednesday. Raila had appealed to EU and the international community to stay committed to the cause of restoring stability in Somalia.

The PM said there was “light at the end of the long tunnel” of Somalia crisis and the international community “must not let the opportunity slip by” again. Raila said stabilisation of Somalia must include investment in improving livelihoods in the Horn of Africa, including northern Kenya, which has paid steep price for Somalia chaos.

He thanked the EU for its consistency in seeking a lasting solution to the instability in Somalia. The PM urged the international community to uphold the declaration of the Nairobi Initiative on drought and famine in the Horn of Africa. He called for collaboration in development of green energy and environmental conservation.

Somalis give views on constitution

07 Mar – Source: Daily Nation – 130 words

A Somalia commission has begun seeking views from the public on the constitution. The opinions were given at a meeting called by the Independent Federal Constitution Commission in Mogadishu on Tuesday. Participants included individuals drawn from across the society.

They included traditional clan elders, community leaders, civil society activists and intellectuals. Commission chairman Abdullahi Jama said that his team was now close to the people in Somalia. “The gathering in Mogadishu on Tuesday was meant to ensure that we consult the people, who have different views,” said Jama.

“The constitution needs a lot of input before being submitted for endorsement,” he added. Federal and Constitutional Affairs minister Abdurahman Haji Jibril, who attended the meeting, said that the constitution needed enrichment by all and sundry. “We have been here today to offer worthwhile contributions,” said Jibril.

Military chaplain juggles spiritual and combat roles

07 Mar – Source: Daily Nation – 525 words

As Kenyan troops crossed into Somalia last October, a man among them was making history of sorts — entering a war zone with the Bible in one hand and a gun in the other. That man was Fr Major George Makau who, unlike many other priests, was going into the lawless state on a military and not on a humanitarian mission.

There were many firsts with the start of Operation Linda Nchi, among them the fact that Fr Makau was the first military chaplain to go to war in Kenya. Unlike the soldiers, whose arduous task is the liberation of southern Somalia from al Shabaab and the limitation of the threat posed to Kenya’s security and stability, Fr Makau’s job involves boosting morale.

In the event that they fall sick, get injured or die in battle, it is likely the priest will be by their side, anointing them, urging them to be strong or ultimately escorting them back home. “As a chaplain, my work is to talk to and give encouragement; it is to see to it that the morale of the soldiers is up. Some of them can be under stress, and it is my job to encourage them,” he said. As an officer and with the regimented structure of the command of the military, he would be the one issuing orders to the soldiers and Non-Commissioned Officers, so to get a feel of how they feel, Fr Makau often drops the official line.

Kenya may resume registration of Somali refugees: UNHCR

08 Mar – Source: Coast Week, Xinhua – 597 words

The Kenyan government may soon resume registration of Somali refugees fleeing drought and conflict in the Horn of African nation to help ease suffering among the refugees, the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday.

“There are indications from Kenya’s Department of Refugee Affairs that the registration process may resume soon following a halt in October due to security and other concerns,” the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in its Somali Displacement Update released in Nairobi.

The East African nation suspended registration of refugees in October last year as part of a security effort to restrict members of al Shabaab from taking residence in the camp. The halting of the exercise came after a spate of deadly attacks using explosive devices in Dadaab camps that shelter more than 500,000 refugees, the majority of them from Somalia. Several Kenyan police officers and civilians have been killed in blasts while aid workers abducted near the refugee settlements in the Dadaab complex.

Turkey’s principled Islamic foreign policy

07 Mar – Source: the Star (Kenya) – 201 words

Turkish Airlines has started flying twice a week into Mogadishu. This is the first long-distance scheduled international flight to Mogadishu for nearly two decades although several Somali airlines, including Kenya-based African Express, fly there from neighbouring countries. Recently Turkey was the first country to set up an embassy resident in Mogadishu. Along with AMISOM, Turkey’s support for the new Somalia will go a long way to rebuilding confidence in what was a failed state. Turkey is charting a new independent foreign policy based on principle rather than realpolitik.

Turkey has been leading the pressure in the Middle East to force regime change in its Syria because the regime’s repression has reached unacceptable levels. Turkey has also taken a tougher line on Israel after it blocked the relief flotilla going to Gaza in 2010. It has halted its previous military cooperation and downgraded diplomatic relations.

Turkey is also still pushing ahead with social reforms to help it become a member of the European Union. Yet Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party is avowedly Islamic as is its President Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey has shown that it is a myth that an Islamic government cannot be independent, progressive and principled in its foreign policy.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Former US soldier accused of trying to join Somali terror group

08 Mar – Source: Guardian – 128 words

A former US soldier has been indicted on charges that he tried to join a terrorist organisation in Somalia. A federal grand jury indicted Craig Benedict Baxam on Wednesday on charges of attempting to provide material support to the al Shabaab group, which is affiliated with al Qaeda. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years if convicted.

The 24-year-old served in the army from 2007 to 2011. He was arrested on a criminal complaint in January upon returning to the US from Africa. Prosecutors say Baxam cashed out his retirement savings and bought a plane ticket to Kenya with plans of travelling to Somalia and joining al Shabaab. He was arrested in Kenya before reaching Somalia. Baxam’s public defender has said Baxam was naive, impulsive and simply exploring his religion.

‘Terror plot Brit dressed as a woman’

08 Mar – Source: The Mirror – 135 words

A BRITISH man allegedly linked to a plot involving a 7/7 bombing widow was dressed as a woman when he was arrested, a court heard yesterday. Kenyan police said they caught Jermaine Grant, 29, on a bus in a burka as they hunted him over an attack on a police base in 2008. A police sergeant alerted by passengers told the Nairobi court: “I closely looked at his head and realised he was a man.” London-born Grant later escaped custody but was recaptured.

Police believe he was associated with 28-yearold Samantha Lewthwaite, widow of London bomber Jermaine Lindsay, suspected of planning to bomb Kenyan resorts. She has now gone on the run and is believed to be hiding in Somalia. Grant denies charges of violent robbery over the police base attack. The case was adjourned.

Is narcotic khat funding terrorism?

08 Mar – Source: CNN – 966 words

It’s an oval-shaped, bitter tasting leaf that makes you chatty after chewing it, while inducing a feeling of euphoria and alertness. The East African plant khat, a mild narcotic, has been chewed for centuries by people in the Horn of Africa and parts of the Middle East for its stimulating effects. The green leaf is central to cultural and social activities for many communities across the area and key to the economic survival of thousands of khat farmers who grow it legally.

In recent years, high demand for the herbal stimulant by the Somali diaspora — despite it being illegal in several western countries, including the U.S. — has helped open up a booming industry in fertile parts of Kenya, such as the Meru county.

But now the livelihood of these farmers is under threat after the Netherlands, which has a vibrant Somali community and is a key khat hub to other European countries, announced a ban on all imports of the plant in January. Until now, the Netherlands and Britain were the only major European countries allowing the trade and consumption of the flowering shrub.

“If the ban is accepted or if it is enforced, the whole Meru county, the economy of the Meru county will be crippled,” says Kenyan khat farmer Edward Mutuura, who exports the majority of his crops to the Nertherlands. “The economy of the population here where khat is grown will be totally crippled and people will have no source of income,” he adds.

Somalia: Benefits – and risks – of Puntland oil

08 Mar – Source: IRIN News – 965 words

The recent discovery of oil deposits in the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, could improve its population’s livelihoods as long as it is handled properly, officials and locals told IRIN.

“The discovery of a valuable natural resource anywhere in Somalia is welcome and it should benefit all the people of Somalia. The finding of adequate oil in Puntland would change the lives of the people of Somalia for the better provided it was managed properly and Somali authorities learned from the experiences of other African countries where oil was found. Oil has the potential of bringing corruption and curses to a country if not handled well,” said Mohamed Abshir Waldo, an independent analyst and Somalia expert.

Farah Ali Jama, Puntland Minister of Finance, said he was confident that any money from the oil would be handled properly and improve the lives of all Somalis. “I am 100 percent confident that this resource will improve people’s livelihoods,” he said, adding, “we will not fall into the mistakes made by others.” Jama said any funds from the oil find, which is expected to come on-stream soon, “will not fall into the pockets of any individual or group. This is for all of the Somali people wherever they may be.”

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“There is no clear idea of what Somalia’s political landscape will look like following the expiry of the TFG’s mandate in August, and the looming political uncertainty is a concern for politicians internationally and within Somalia. What role the burgeoning number of self-declared regional entities within Somalia should play in efforts to find a stable political solution is one of the key items on the agenda.”

Somalia needs a political solution

07 Mar – Source: Business Daily – 507 Words

Last month Foreign Secretary William Hague made a surprise visit to Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, ahead of the international conference on Somalia which took place in London. Twenty one years without functioning state institutions has left the country ravaged by violence, food insecurity, terrorism and extreme poverty.

The current political authority, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), is internationally-recognised but ineffectual, controlling only a few kilometres within the capital city in a country more than twice the size of the UK.

The TFG is supposed to be temporary, and is mandated to prepare the way for a democratically elected government to eventually take power, but it has become increasingly entrenched.

“Tackling piracy and improving security is a must, but the country’s long-term problems mustn’t be forgotten. Strong, democratic institutions will coordinate the future response to both these challenges, and the international community needs to commit to supporting their establishment and then supporting its programmes in both these areas, however long that takes.” “Somalis need security, but they also need health, life and opportunities. Better security will help secure that – but we mustn’t forget the basic development issues that are just as badly needed in the long-term.”

We mustn’t let piracy rule development agenda on Somalia

07 Mar – Source: Left Foot Forward – 442 Words

As the summit concluded, achieving security and stability is indeed crucial to Somalia’s future – no state will ever achieve its full potential while it is riven with conflict.

The humanitarian crises caused by the war must also be properly dealt with, for as long as needed – with half the Somali population living in need of immediate food aid, and 10% in “extreme famine”, the country’s talent is tied up with surviving, not rebuilding.

But alongside these urgent needs we must also recognise the importance of basic long-term development assistance in the process of helping Somalia make the transition from being a failed and fragile state to being an independent and secure country.

“Some Somalis are also skeptical about the potential for oil to save their country. It is a promise that seldom works out as well as promised, especially in Africa. One only has to look at oil-producing countries like Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria, where the quality of life for the population in the oil-producing regions has actually gotten worse since the discovery of oil, for evidence of this trend. A number of Somalis cited in articles about Puntland’s oil are skeptical of the alleged windfall coming to their nation and worry that most of the wealth will wind up in the hands of foreign companies.”

Somalia’s Latest Problem: The Resource Curse

07 Mar – Source: World View Blog – 530 Words

It is looking like Somalia may have another problem to soon deal with: the resource curse. The first oil from a new well drilled in northern Somalia could flow to the surface just weeks from now. As is typically the case when a new national resource is discovered in an under-developed nation, the new oil patch is being described as the cure for Somalia’s ills – a domestic source of income that will promote stability and development for the nation that will bring the Somalia diaspora home. The reality is much more problematic.

While Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has signed deals for oil exploration, the oil field is actually located in the northern part of the country in Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia that has little to do with the TFG. To further complicate matters, the TFG’s mandate runs out in August (it is suppose to be a “transitional” government after all), so what will happen to their authority to enter into contracts such as this is a question.

Top tweets

@ChenguGold #Somalia discovers oil and #FriendsOfSomalia trends. Uganda discovers oil #stopkony trends. If only Palestine could discover oil.

@albanyassociate @BBCr4today: Inside former al-Shabab stronghold in #Somalia – watch Will Ross’s video report bbc.in/wXDUbP.

@iNomadRadioShow We are back today and we will discuss various topics! Feedback on London #Somalia… fb.me/1rvdkpiTT.

@MissBihi #Somalia you’ve uncovered a bittersweet generation and with all this our women still stand tall & strong & continue to be our backbone, #IWD.

@InvestSomalia Quick Info on my new Non-Profit Org. called “Invest In #Somalia now”.

@USEmbassyKenya How did Congressman Donald Payne, who died March 6, try to promote peace in Sudan, #Somalia, Northern Ireland and… fb.me/WNlhWVtb.

@lil_taha Minister of education of #Somalia he is in India.

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Image of the day

Image of the day Somali Women celebrate International World Woman’s Day on 08 Mar in Mogadishu.