July 19, 2012 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Traditional Elders review the constitution

18 Jul – Source: Radio Mogadishu – 182 words

Somali Traditional Elders have reviewed the Draft Constitution and made their recommendations that will be presented for debate to the National Constituent Assembly. This milestone was reached after days of open discussions and deliberations. In the spirit of reconciliation, the group of 135 representative elders paved the way for the continuation of the Roadmap process and the end of the transition.

Minister for Constitution and Reconciliation, Abdirahman Hosh Jibril, welcomed the key move.

Key Headlines

UN Monitoring Group is against peace in Somalia says President Sharif (Garowe Online)
Fighting rages in southwest Somalia (Radio Kulmiye)
Internally displaced Somalis take to the streets in protest (Radio Risaala)
Somaliland: Pardoned prominent elder to be released (Hadhwanaag Times)
3 al Shabaab suspects arrested over Liboi attack (Daily Nation)

PRESS RELEASE

UK Minister for Africa condemns murder of former Somali Trade Minister

18 Jul – Source: United Kingdom Ministry of Foreign Affairs – 159 words

Condemning the terrorist attack in the Somali capital of Mogadishu yesterday, which killed Somalia’s former Trade Minister Mohamed Abdinur Garweyne and wounded a number of others, and for which the terrorist group Al Shabaab is reported to have claimed responsibility, FCO Minister for Africa Henry Bellingham said:

“I would like to pass on my deepest sympathy to the family of Mr Garweyne, to those injured in the attack and to the people of Somalia. This is yet another sad reminder that Somalia desperately needs peace and stability if it is to trade, develop and prosper.

For this reason, it is vital that Somalia’s leaders abide by the commitments they have made to agree a new Somali constitution and to select a new Parliament by the 20 August deadline.

The UK, as part of the international community, will stand shoulder to shoulder with those in Somalia that support this process, against all those whose cowardly acts of violence perpetuate instability.”

SOMALI MEDIA

UN Monitoring Group is against peace in Somalia, says President Sharif

18 Jul – Source: Garowe Online – 104 words

TFG president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has accused the U.N. Monitoring Group and its coordinator Mr. Matt Bryden of being “against peace in Somalia,” Garowe Online reports. President Sharif attended a well-organized ceremony Wednesday in Mogadishu, which was organized by supporters of the TFG President’s bid for re-election to win the Somali presidential seat next month. Supporters described the televised event as the launch of President Sharif’s re-election campaign.

Traditional Elders review the constitution

18 Jul – Source: Radio Mogadishu – 182 words

Minister for Constitution and Reconciliation, Abdirahman Hosh Jibril, welcomed the key move.

Fighting rages in southwest Somalia

18 Jul – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 142 words
Fighting continues in south west Somalia as rebels and government troops. Officials say the fighting has been raging from Tuesday until early Wednesday around Bardhare town in southwestern Gedo province, one of the few remaining al Shabaab strongholds. Several soldiers were reportedly killed or wounded during the attack.

Internally displaced Somalis take to the streets in protest

18 Jul – Source: Radio Risaala – 147 words

Internally displaced Somalis now living in Hamar Jajab County in Banadir province took to the streets yesterday to protest against widespread corruption and misuse of funds by the administration and some humanitarian NGOs in the region. The protesters accused the county administration and the NGOs working in the region of mismanaging the help meant for the Internally Displaced Persons. Talking to the media the IDPs expressed their dire and urgent need for humanitarian assistance.

Somaliland: Pardoned prominent elder to be released

18 Jul – Source: Hadhwanaag Times – 79 words

Boqor Osman Bur Madow, who has been jailed in Hargeisa, is to be released on Wednesday after receiving pardon from the president of the Somaliland republic. The elder has been in a Hargeisa jail after being sentenced to one year of imprisonment for insulting the government.

Amnesty International recently urged the government of Somaliland republic to release the elder soon.

REGIONAL MEDIA

3 al Shabaab suspects arrested over Liboi attack

18 Jul – Source: Daily Nation – 257 words

Three suspected al Shabaab militants who attacked Administration Police officers in Liboi were arrested on Tuesday. Police also recovered a rifle, 50 rounds of ammunitions, methylated spirit, three pangas and a white Toyota saloon car. Abdullah Salat Ali 23, Isaack Husein Burle 23, and a refugee Hassan Mohammed Ali 28 were arrested at Matakabei-Kulan junction while offloading the items from the car.

African MPs condemn killing of Somali lawmaker

18 Jul – the New Times – 188 words

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is urging greater protection for Somali Members of Parliament (MP) after another parliamentarian was killed in a car bomb attack. Mohamud Ibrahim Garweyne, MP and former Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, was killed and up to six others injured in the attack claimed by al Shabaab on Monday 16 July in Mogadishu. Somali parliamentarians and government officials are regularly targeted through bomb attacks.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Iranian Foreign Minister calls for restoration of peace to Somalia

18 Jul – Source: Islamic Republic News Agency – 126 words

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Wednesday that Iran hopes for restoration of peace, stability and tranquility to Somalia. Salehi made the remarks in a meeting with new Somalian Ambassador to Tehran Khalifa Kadiyah Moussa in Tehran on Wednesday. In the meeting, the new Somali ambassador submitted a copy of his credentials to Salehi.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“So the doors at the aptly named First Somali Bank (FSB) opened in May. More than 100 customers have opened accounts. Some did so by bringing in sacks of Somali shillings, worth 22,000 to the dollar, while others opted for accounts in American greenbacks.”

Somalia’s banks: Open up!

18 Jul – Source: The Economist – 298 Words

Before opening a bank in his native city, Liban Egal considered some of the risks involved, including having his premises destroyed by artillery fire. To reassure himself he took a drive around the outskirts of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, to look at the defences of the African Union’s peacekeeping forces against the return of al Shabaab, the extreme Islamist militant group that has been squeezed out of most parts of the city in the past few months.