July 4, 2012 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

International talks on Somalia Roadmap held in Rome

03 Jul- Source: Africa Review- 237 words
The International Contact Group on Somalia which brings together a number of Western donor countries held talks with Somali representatives in Rome, Italy, on Monday to discuss the way forward for the war-torn country.
Italian Foreign minister Guilio Terzi opened the conference with a call that Somalia’s new constitution must enshrine principles of religious freedom and stressed that the country’s political transition should be completed by August 20.

Key Headlines

President Sharif meets with his Burundian counterpart in Bujumbura (Radio Mogadishu)
Al Shabaab claim responsibility for Kenyan church attacks (Jowhar Online)
Al Shabaab militias displayed to the media in Yakshid district (SONNA)
36 arrested over Garissa blasts (Capital News)
Pinoy aid worker won’t stop helping refugees (ABS-CBN)

PRESS STATEMENT

Somali Transitional Federal Government Signed an Action Plan to end recruitment and use of children

03 Jul- Source: UNPOS- 532 words

The Minister of Defense/Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, Mr. Hussein Arab Isse, signed an Action Plan today committing to ending the recruitment and use of children by the Somali National Armed Forces. The Action Plan was signed at the International Contact Group meeting on Somalia in Rome. The Special Representative of Secretary-General for Somalia and Head of the UN Political Mission in Somalia Dr. Augustine Mahiga, signed on behalf of the United Nations. The Action Plan outlines concrete steps to be taken by the Government of Somalia to ensure a child-free national army. Full compliance with the Action Plan will result in the Government of Somalia being removed from the UN Secretary-General’s list of parties who recruit and use children.

In the Action Plan, the Government of Somalia committed to:

1) Ending and preventing the recruitment and use of children in Somalia’s National Armed Forces;
2) With the support of the United Nations, reintegrating all children released from Armed Forces;
3) Criminalizing the recruitment and use of children through national legislation;
4) Providing the UN with unimpeded access to military installations to verify the presence of children.

Since 2007, the Transitional Federal Government has been listed on the United Nations Secretary-General’s list of parties to conflict who recruit and use children. 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.
“The children of Somalia have witnessed so many horrors in this decades-old conflict and have grown up in war. The Government firmly believes that today’s children and future generations must spend their childhood in schools not in barracks. The Government firmly commits to the implementation of the Action Plan signed today,” said the Somali Minister of Defense/Deputy Prime Minister Hussein Arab Isse.

SRSG Mahiga stated that: “The signature of the Action Plan will be critical for the professionalisation of the security forces, and will contribute positively to the ongoing stabilisation of Somalia.”

The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, speaking from New York, commended the Government of Somalia for signing the Action Plan, saying it demonstrated strong political support to the protection of children.

“I am encouraged to hear that the Government has committed to sign a similar agreement to end the killing and maiming of children,” she said. “Somalia must now sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols,” SRSG Coomaraswamy added.

Dr. Mahiga stated: “The United Nations is committed to supporting the rehabilitation and reintegration of children associated with armed forces and groups, including through education and livelihood support. Tangible change in the lives of these children will require sustained support for their reintegration. I strongly urge the Governments present here at the ICG to come forward and provide the necessary funding for the release and reintegration of these children”.

In addition, the Minister of Defense/Deputy Prime Minister committed to subsequently signing an Action Plan to protect children from being killed and maimed. The second Action Plan will be signed this month in Mogadishu, Somalia.

SOMALI MEDIA

President Sharif meets with his Burundian counterpart in Bujumbura

03 Jul- Source: Radio Mogadishu/SONNA- 123 words

TFG president H. E. Sharif Sh. Ahmed had talks with Burundian president, Pierre Nkurunziza in the Burundian capital Bujumbura yesterday. The Somali president Sharif Sh. Ahmed and his partner Burundian president, Pierre discussed strengthening ties between the two countries and Burundi’s vital role in Somalia as Burundi is the second African nation that contributed troops to the AU mission supporting the Somali government against al Shabaab.

Al Shabaab claim responsibility for Kenyan church attacks

03 Jul- Source: Jowhar Online/Somali Modnimo Online/RBC- 177 words

Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for attacks which occurred a day ago in Garissa town [northeastern Kenya] in which more than 15 people were killed and 50 more were injured. Hasan Takar who is one of the al Shabaab leaders in charge of propagation and a recent attendee of scholars’ Islamic meeting in Baydhabo, said that the churches were used to worship entities beside God.” The Kenyan government has threatened it will strengthen its fight against al Shabaab.

Al Shabaab militias displayed to the media in Yakshid district

03 Jul- Source:Radio Mogadishu/SONNA/ Radio Shabelle/Jowhar Online/Radio Bar-Kulan- 124 words

Three al Shabaab members, two of them wearing female dresses, were shown to media in Yakshid district in Mogadishu by Somali government officials yesterday.

Head of police station in Yakshid district, Mohamed Mohamud Yalahow, together with the district commissioner, Muhudin Hassan Jurus held a joint press conference in Yakshid district displayed these men to reporters.

Puntland investigates killing of its deputy police boss

03 Jul- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 151 words

The Puntland administration has said it is investigating the last night incident where its deputy police boss Gen. Abdullahi Salah Mohamed was killed by armed gangs in Garowe.
Speaking at press briefing in Garowe, the regional vice president Abdisamed Ali Shire said his administration is saddened by the incident and will use all means available to nab the assailants.
He said security organs are now investigating the incident, adding that no suspects have so far been arrested for the killing.

REGIONAL MEDIA

International talks on Somalia Roadmap held in Rome

36 arrested over Garissa blasts

03 Jul- Source: Capital News- 317 words

Police have arrested 36 suspects in ongoing investigations over the weekend grenade attacks inside two churches in Garissa where 17 people were killed.

The suspects were arrested in a crackdown conducted since Monday in the border town which has witnessed cases of insecurity since last week.

“We have been carrying out a crackdown and we have arrested several suspects who are being interrogated,” Philip Ndolo, deputy police chief for North Eastern said.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Pinoy aid worker won’t stop helping refugees

03 Jul- Source: ABS-CBN News- 360 words

A Filipino aid worker, who was rescued from Somali kidnappers, is now recuperating in Nairobi, Kenya after he was shot in the leg.
Glen Costes was kidnapped in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp along with 3 of his companions but was later freed following a gunfight between joint troops of Somalia and Kenya and the kidnappers.
Costes was hit by a bullet in his left leg as his group escaped from the armed captors.

Somali statute must defend religious freedom

03 Jul- Source: Gulfnews/AFP- 316 words

Roman International donors have said Somalia’s new constitution must enshrine principles of religious freedom and stressed that the country’s political transition should be completed by August 20.

Somali leaders at the talks in Rome meanwhile emphasised the importance of bringing aid to areas of the country reconquered from Islamist rebels in recent weeks.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“Notwithstanding these six factors, the process of selecting MPs – and by extension the speaker and the president – is inherently unfair. The process gives the incumbents a potentially insurmountable edge. They are among six politicians crowned by the international community as the ‘Signatories of the Roadmap’ – a UN-devised blueprint to end the transition for Somalia. The signatories were given the undue advantage of manipulating the process of selecting clan elders who are responsible for selecting MPs. As a result, it is widely accepted that the elders will select MPs with deep ties to the incumbents.”

Somali Presidential Elections: six ways to win power

03 July- Source: African Arguments-1021 Words

After 12 years of feeble transitional governments, Somalia is slated to have a permanent administration that theoretically will be able to borrow money from the World Bank, sign binding bilateral treaties and buy weapons from the world markets – some of the many things transitional governments were unable to do.