March 16, 2012 | Morning Headlines.
UN envoy strongly condemns attack on Somali government compound
15 Mar – Source: UN News Centre – 342 words
The United Nations envoy for Somalia has strongly condemned the suicide attack that took place yesterday at a government compound in the capital of the Horn of Africa nation.
Media reports differ on the number of casualties resulting from the blast in Mogadishu at the entrance of Villa Somalia, the seat of the TFG. However, several people are believed to have been killed in the attack, which the Islamic militant group al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for.
Key Headlines
- Thousands displaced by fighting in Gedo region (Source: IRIN)
- AMISOM to replace Ethiopian troops in Central Somalia (Source: VOA News)
- TFG Plan for the Newly Liberated Areas (Source: Office of the Prime Minister)
- Somali cabinet hold ‘emergency meeting’ following a suicide bomb (Source: Shabelle)
- Ministry of foreign affairs urged Somalis living abroad to return home (Source: Radio Risaala)
PRESS RELEASE
TFG Plan for the Newly Liberated Areas
15 Mar – Source: Office of the Prime Minister – 563 words
Today, the Somali government has concluded a National Steering Committee Consultative workshop regarding the reconciliation and stabilization plan for newly liberated areas. The two-day workshop was hosted by H.E. Abdiwahab Ugaas Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce and Industry; H.E. Abdullahi Godah Barre, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation; H.E. Abdurahman Hosh Jibril, Minister of Constitution, Federalism and Reconciliation; and H.E. Abdihakim Egeh Guled, Deputy Minister of Interior and National Security. Participants included members of civil society and traditional leaders from Mogadishu, Baidoa, Beledweyn, and Juba region.
As TFG forces liberate different parts of the country from Al-Shabaab, the government will be rolling out a process for establishing peace, fostering reconciliation and setting up local administrations, and participants reviewed and discussed this process.
The key priorities of the TFG are:
(1) Promoting social reconciliation and setting up civil administrations and peace committees
(2) Restoring law and order and justice
(3) Containment of heavy weapons, followed by comprehensive DDR
(4) Restoring humanitarian relief distribution; and repatriation of IDPs and refugees
(5) Providing basic services
The TFG process will be inclusive, democratic and participatory, resulting in genuine reconciliation. The process will be based on the traditional Somali culture of reconciliation and dialogue, and will be tailored to fit the local context in each different area of Somalia. In each area that gets freed of Al-Shabaab tyranny, the TFG will facilitate reconciliation meetings in which the communities will discuss topics including social reconciliation and restitution, interim security arrangements and disarmament, humanitarian issues including the resettlement of IDPs, and conclude with the election of a local administration (or reinstallation of an existing one).
Participants acknowledged that security operations are proceeding at different paces and in different ways across the country; accordingly, the dialogue and reconciliation strategies will need to be flexible enough to take the different situations into account. For example, in some areas, the dialogue will take place at the regional level from a regional capital (such as Beledweyn), whereas in others, it will proceed differently in a region where the regional capital has not yet been liberated (e.g., Kismayo). Whatever the exact format, the overall aim will be to build an inclusive peace.
Participants discussed in detail the lessons learned from the recent National Steering Committee efforts in Hiiraan, and considered how they could be applied in Bay and Bakool, and in the Jubbas. They prepared specific plans of action for each newly liberated area.
Members of the Steering Committee have been in talks for the past few weeks with IGAD, AU, Kenya, Ethiopia and the UN on the need to coordinate stabilization efforts, so all efforts at restoring peace in the newly liberated areas are harmonized with this TFG plan. The National Steering Committee
The Prime Minister has appointed a National Steering Committee on Reconciliation and Stabilization as follows:
H.E. Abdiwahab Ugaas Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce (Chair)
H.E. Abdullahi Haji Hassan, Minister of Foreign Affairs
H.E. Abdullahi Godah Barre, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation
H.E. Abdisamad Mo’allim Mohamud, Minister of Interior and National Security
H.E. Avv. Abdurahman Hoosh Jibril, Minister of Constitution, Federalism and Reconciliation
The National Steering Committee will convene zonal teams to travel to newly liberated areas and play a leading role in convening the community meetings and will ensure that the process of selecting the district commissioners or regional governors is an inclusive and consultative process.
SRSG Mahiga condemns suicide attack in Mogadishu
15 Mar – Source: UNPOS – 197 words
The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Dr. Augustine Mahiga has condemned in the strongest possible terms the cowardly suicide attack at the entrance of Villa Somalia, the seat of the Transitional Federal Government yesterday in Mogadishu.
“My most heartfelt condolences go to the families of the victims and I send my wishes for quick recovery to the wounded”, SRSG Mahiga said. Noting that Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility, the SRSG called on the insurgents to “cease immediately all attacks that continue to cause extraordinary suffering to the civilian population in complete disregard of the value of human life.”
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali cabinet holds an ‘emergency meeting’ following suicide bomb
15 Mar – Source: Shabelle – 155 words
Somali cabinet ministers have held on Thursday an emergency meeting in the war-torn Mogadishu, following the suicide bomb explosion at the presidential palace which killed five people. The meeting which was chaired by Somali PM Abdiweli Mohammed Ali discussed the current security situation of the country.
Ministry of foreign affairs urges Somalis living abroad to return home
15 Mar- Source: Radio Risaala- 140 words
The foreign affairs ministry of Somalia has urged its citizens living in South Africa to return home.
Abdullahi Haaji Hassan minister of foreign affairs for the government of Somalia met with the Somali community living in South Africa; he discussed with them their living conditions and he said it is required of all Somalis living in foreign countries to return to their country especially those living in South Africa.
Mozambican police rounds up Somalis in Pemba
15 Mar – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 94 words
Police in Mozambique have arrested at least 50 Somali nationals at Pemba, some 1650 km from the capital, Maputo, reports say. Yahye Mohamed, himself a Somali in the Mozambique, said these people were arrested five days ago under unknown circumstances.
He said a group of Somalis visited them in police custody, saying that they were in good health.
Roadside blast rocks a central Somalia town
15 Mar – Source: Shabelle, Raxanreeb, Radio Gaalkacyo – 148 words
Reports from central Somalia said a huge landmine blast was targeted on Thursday a police officer in northern Galka’yo town, causing an unconfirmed casualty. Eyewitnesses said that the blast occurred in front of Galka’yo central prison s a car with the chief of Puntland security forces Lt. Colonel Muse Abdirahman Ahmed known as (Muse Hasaasi) was traveling in the area, wounding his body guards.
UNHCR donates 4 vehicles
15 Mar- Source: Garowe Online, Bar-kulan – 142 words
The UN High Council for Refugees has donated four vehicles to the Puntland government.
UNHCR officials and government officials from the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Religious Affairs attended the event.
Prominent Somaliland elder arrested
15 Mar- Source: Hadhwanaag Times, Raxanreeb- 86 words
The security forces of Somaliland republic on Thursday arrested Boqor Osman Mohmud Aw Burmadow, a prominent elder inside the country.
His arrest by the security forces came after landing at Egal International Airport in the center of Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Kenyan MPs blame government for increased insecurity
15 Mar- Source: the Star- 298 words
MPs took time off the normal business of the House to discuss the deteriorating security situation in the country following last Saturday’s grenade attack in downtown Nairobi. Although they condemned the attack, they however roundly accused the government of ineptitude in dealing with the increasing insecurity.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UN envoy strongly condemns attack on Somali government compound
15 Mar – Source: UN News Centre – 342 words
The United Nations envoy for Somalia has strongly condemned the suicide attack that took place yesterday at a government compound in the capital of the Horn of Africa nation.
Media reports differ on the number of casualties resulting from the blast in Mogadishu at the entrance of Villa Somalia, the seat of the TFG. However, several people are believed to have been killed in the attack, which the Islamic militant group al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for.
AMISOM to replace Ethiopian troops in Central Somalia
15 Mar – Source: VOA News – 310 words
Somalia’s joint security committee has agreed to deploy AU troops to areas of central and southern Somalia captured recently from militant group al Shabaab by Ethiopian forces. The announcement came Wednesday at a meeting in Mogadishu.
The decision to replace Ethiopian troops with African Union forces was agreed to by Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, and representatives of the U.N., the African Union, the European Union and regional Somali factions.
http://www.voanews.com/
Thousands displaced by fighting in Gedo region
15 Mar- Source: IRIN News- 535 words
Several thousand people have been displaced by clashes between al Shabaab insurgents and Somali troops assisted by Ethiopian and Kenyan soldiers in Somalia’s southwestern Gedo region, locals told IRIN.
“In the last couple of weeks, we have had some 5,000 people displaced by the conflict; we already had hundreds of families who were displaced,” Mohamed Abdi Kaliil, governor of Gedo, told IRIN from Garbaharey, the regional capital.
Somalia, Kenya, Nigeria bombings deadlier in 2011
15 Mar – Source: AP – 1,100 words
Bomb attacks in Nigeria, Kenya and Somalia rose in 2011 as al-Qaida-affiliated terror groups used more sophisticated devices to kill more people with each explosion, the Pentagon’s anti-IED unit said.
Nigeria saw a nearly fourfold jump in the number of improvised explosive device incidents last year,
while Kenya saw an 86 percent increase, according to the unit.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Let’s us check character and tendency of every leader all time , I believe we have an opportunity and good will of Somalis in general to reclaim our country through selecting Mohamed Abdilaahi whom we already tested his character ,he inherited good quality leadership from struggle and movement in the country during his tenure. I believe Somalis need leaders who understand what we loss due tribalism can’t be built through regionalism based tribal chauvinism a more divisions; we need one who can unite us.”
Why We Need PM Farmajo of Somalia To Run For President In 2012
15 Mar- Source: Kismayo News-1410 Words
Under the terms of the newly established Somali constitution, any Somali citizen over the age of 40 years shall have the right to be elected to the highest public office and to a vote. Due to the creation of these general principles within the constitution, the rights of the Somali individual, granted with fundamental freedoms and with the duties of every citizen permits anyone to stand and run for the highest held position in the land, the Presidency.
Most of us citizens have a number of expectations from presidential candidates which could be considered informal requirements. To be a highly visual Somali presidential candidate, one must possess the characteristics of what we call a true leader. My focal point of this article is “Why Mr. Farmajo needs to run for the Presidency in 2012”
Unlike many of our past Somali PM’s and Presidents, Mr. Farmajo maintains the devotion of many followers which in return, helps him to increase his current political base. During his appointed post as the Prime Minister of Somalia, he was unknown to political elites and circles but new comer raise quickly as political star.
“Can the differing interpretations of Islam have become canyons so deep that it has turned the blood of Muslim children, the suffering of Muslim mothers and the hunger of Muslim fathers into something insignificant when scaled against the weights of ideology? Can the rejection of violence as means to an objective not be stepped away from in exchange for a rejection of foreign meddling and green dollar bills?”
There’s more that unites Somalia
15 Mar – Source: Cii Broadcasting – 670 Words
You know the Ummah has reached a sad state of deprecation when Muslim leaders find comforting solace and bosom friends amongst people whose fundamental belief systems stand opposed to the law of Allah and others cannot reach common ground with fellowmen who profess faith in the Kalimah of Tauheed.
This miserable phenomenon is nowhere more pronounced than in Somalia , where years of internecine and fraternal slaughter has seen one group of Muslims trend towards a puritanical Islamic interpretation for which they are willing to kill or be killed for and another willing to take help even from the devil to dislodge the former.