October 30, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Somalia, AU differ over al Shabaab charcoal
30 Oct – Source: Star News – 145 words
The Somalia government has disagreed with the African Union on whether four million bags of charcoal stockpiled in Kismayo should be exported despite a UN Security Council export ban. Last week on Thursday, October 25, AMISOM petitioned the AU on behalf of Kismayo businessmen.
An AU meeting in Addis Ababa was attended by representatives from the troop Contributing Countries and donors resolved that the Somalia government should petition the UN to lift the ban. The AU meeting was attended by the United States, UK, France, Sweden Italy, Norway, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Qatar, UAE, UN and EU.
On October 10 AMISOM, Somalia National Army, Ras Kamboni Brigade and 170 businessmen met in Kismayo to discuss what to do with the charcoal valued $23.5 million. The Kismayo Meeting requested AMISOM to petition UN to lift the ban on charcoal exports for six months to clear out the stock.
Key Headlines
- Somalia AU differ over al Shabaab charcoal (Star News)
- Somali leaders petitioned to respect women quota in government (Bar-kulan)
- Eritrea asked to embrace peace prior to joining IGAD (KBC)
- Somali district commissioner survives assassination attempt blames gov’t forces (Shabelle)
- NUSOJ Condemns the Murder of Another Media Worker in Mogadishu (Radio Mogadishu/SONNA/Radio Kulmiye)
- Mogadishu’s first solar-powered street lamps (BBC)
- Somali government honours slain General Gordon (Radio Mogadishu/SONNA)
SOMALI MEDIA
NUSOJ Condemns the Murder of Another Media Worker in Mogadishu
30 Oct – Source: Radio Mogadishu/SONNA/Radio Kulmiye – 138 words
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) condemns in the strongest terms possible the killing of a media worker in Mogadishu on Monday evening in Waberi district in Mogadishu on 29 October 2012, the latest in a string of violence against the journalists and the media workers in Somalia.
This latest murder brings the number of journalists and media workers killed in Somalia in 2012 alone to 18. Unknown gunmen shot Warsame Shire Awale, in his 60s, playwright and comedian who was working for Kulmiye News Network (KKN), a privately owned radio station in Mogadishu, near his home at Mogadishu’s Waberi district on Monday evening around 6:30pm local time.
The assailants fled the area immediately. His body was taken to Daru-Shifa Hospital in Mogadishu, according to the Director of Kulmiye Radio station, Osman Abdullahi Guure.
Somali leaders petitioned to respect women quota in government
30 Oct – Source: Bar-kulan – 147 words
Somali women have threatened to protest against the new government if the 30 per cent quota allocated for them is not respected. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon were told to honour the women quota enshrined in the constitution and give Somali women their potion in the new government.
Speaking at a forum aimed at discussing women participation of politics in Somalia held in the capital, Mogadishu, women leaders demanded their rights to politics and decision making. The forum organised by IIDA, a women’s development organisation, was attended by women groups, members of the new parliament, ministers and other top government officials.
Duniyo Mohamed Ali of IIDA urged Somali leaders to respect the women role in the country’s politics and uphold the principles requiring 30 per cent quota for women in the new government. During the recent Somalia political process dubbed “Road Map” to end the eight year old transitional period, Somali leaders agreed the inclusion of a 30 per cent quota for women in the new government.
Somali district commissioner survives assassination attempt, blames gov’t forces
30 Oct – Source: Shabelle – 92 Words
A district commissioner of Mogadishu’s Daynile district is accusing government forces of attempts to assassinate him. Dahir Hassan Hussein said a senior Somali army official that was assassinated in the northern Deynile district before he was attacked by government forces.
It was unclear if the attack was aimed at the district officer personally. Constant attacks against officials have been rampant since August 6, 2011, when al Shabaab withdrew from their fixed bases in the capital following Somali and AMISOM offensives.
Puntland destroys fake currency in Galkayo
29 Oct – Source: Bar-kulan – 151 words
Puntland’s Mudug regional authorities on Monday destroyed several bunches of counterfe it money worth millions of Somali Shillings in central Somali city of Galkayo. The counterfeit money composed of Somali Shs 50 million and $130,000 was set ablaze in public by the local officials after it was seized in market by police.
The area regional director of finance Sa’id Ali Yussuf told reporters in Galkayo the money was seized packed in sacks ready to be used in market. He accused unspecified scrupulous businessmen for allegedly trying to steal from the general public by printing fake money and smuggling into the market to deceive unsuspecting public.
Speaking to the press at the disposal site, Mudug governor Mohamed Yussuf Tigey cautioned local traders from using counterfeit money, saying that such money will have negative impact on the local population as it comes with souring inflation if it finds its way into the market.
Somali government honours slain General Gordon
29 Oct – Source: Radio Mogadishu/SONNA – 110 words
Somalia’s federal government conducted a state funeral for late General Mohamed Ibrahim Gordan, who was killed in an ambush attack by the rebel group al Shabab in between Marka and Afgoye in lower Shabelle region on Sunday.
The late General was the commander of Somalia’s Army 5th Brigade. Government officials who attended the funeral of General Gordan at Sufi graves in the capital Mogadishu offered their heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and Somalia as whole. His colleagues at the army praise him for his good character and charming personality.
Police officers start trainings in Mogadishu
29 Oct – Source: Bar-kulan/Radio Mogadishu/SNTV – 119 word
A group of 40 Somali police officers on Sunday commenced an investigative training at Gen. Kahiye police academy in Mogadishu to further their career in the force. It is the second lot of Somali police officers undergoing such training in Mogadishu since early this month.
The officers were selected from different police stations in Mogadishu, according to Gen. Abdullahi Hassan Barise, the head of the criminal investigation department. He urged the trainees to take this opportunity to acquire the necessary crime investigation skills to further the career in the force.
Senior officials from AMISOM also attended the opening ceremony of the training. Officers from the African Union Police Component will be offering the necessary skills to the Somali trainees.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Somalia, AU differ over al Shabaab charcoal
30 Oct – Source: Star News – 145 words
The Somalia government has disagreed with the African Union on whether four million bags of charcoal stockpiled in Kismayo should be exported despite a UN Security Council export ban. Last week on Thursday, October 25, AMISOM petitioned the AU on behalf of Kismayo businessmen.
An AU meeting in Addis Ababa was attended by representatives from the troop Contributing Countries and donors resolved that the Somalia government should petition the UN to lift the ban. The AU meeting was attended by the United States, UK, France, Sweden Italy, Norway, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Qatar, UAE, UN and EU.
On October 10 AMISOM, Somalia National Army, Ras Kamboni Brigade and 170 businessmen met in Kismayo to discuss what to do with the charcoal valued $23.5 million. The Kismayo Meeting requested AMISOM to petition UN to lift the ban on charcoal exports for six months to clear out the stock.
Eritrea asked to embrace peace prior to joining IGAD
29 Oct – Source: KBC – 334 words
Kenya on Monday asked Eritrea to support regional peace initiatives before it re-joins Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). While receiving a special message from Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki that was delivered by the Eritrean Ambassador to Kenya Beyene Russom, President Mwai Kibaki said Kenya was willing to work with all pro-peace neighbouring states in the region. Eritrea has sought Kenya’s support in an effort to re-join IGAD.
“In his response, President Kibaki welcomed Eritrea’s decision to re-join IGAD subject to the Government of Eritrea’s support for regional peace initiatives,” said a PPS statement to the newsroom. In the message, President Afewerki said his country viewed Kenya as bastion of peace in the region.
The Eritrean President, therefore, requested for Kenya’s intervention to have Eritrea re-join IGAD. In his response, President Kibaki welcomed Eritrea’s decision to re-join IGAD subject to the Government of Eritrea’s support for regional peace initiatives.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Turkish firm eyes Somaliland
30 Oct- Source: Hurriyet Daily News – 391 words
Turkey-based, London-listed Genel Energy continues with its aggressive growth with a fuel search license in Somaliland, a self-declared country. Genel Energy, an Ankara-based oil firm with vast investments in northern Iraq, announced yesterday that it has obtained an exploration license for Somaliland, the self-declared East African country not formally recognized by the international community.
“Because of its similarities with the geographical structure of the Arab peninsula, it is strongly predicted that Somaliland, a region Genel Energy prioritizes for its investment program, has important oil and coal assets,” Genel said in a press release on Oct. 29. The company solidified its presence in northern Iraq with the acquisitions of the Bina Bawi and Miran fields this year.
Somali justice: forgiveness, money or execution
29 Oct – Source: Channel 4 – 919 words
In Somalia, if someone is guilty of murder the victim’s family has three options: forgiveness, blood money or execution. Jamal Osman travels to Bossasso to find out what it means to be on death row.
Bossasso is in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland and has the largest prison in the area, where 400 criminals accused of the most serious crimes are locked up.
Puntland has a functioning authority and is more stable than the Somali capital Mogadishu – the pirates who used to hang out in Bossasso have sailed south. Every week Bosasso’s highest court deals with serious criminal cases such as murder, terrorism and piracy.
Murderers are judged according to Somalia’s sharia law and the concept of qisas, which means “equal retaliation”. It states that the murder victim’s family must decide the fate of the murderer.
Bustling livestock trade boosts Somalia’s economy
30 Oct – Source: Deutsche Presse-Agentur/ brecorder – 550 words
Trading sheep, goats and camels is such big business in Somaliland that villagers describe livestock as the “barrels of oil” that drive the economy of the breakaway republic in the Horn of Africa. Thanks to recent security gains in central and southern Somalia, livestock revenues are increasingly seen as a financial boon that could help the rest of the country back on its feet after two decades of conflict.
“These sheep and goats are like petroleum for us,” Ahmed Ali Nuur, governor of Gabiley, in Somaliland, told dpa. “Saudi Arabia sells barrels of oil to the world. We make our money selling livestock to Saudi Arabia.” Somaliland, which is seeking full sovereignty, declared independence after the overthrow of Somali president Siad Barre in 1991. It has been more peaceful than other parts of Somalia, where African Union forces,
Islamist militants and warlords are fighting for control.
In the bustling port of Berbera in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland some three million beasts were in recent days loaded on vessels bound for the Red Sea city of Jeddah and ritual sacrifice during the annual Muslim pilgrimage, the haj. In the main animal market of Hargeisa, capital of Somaliland, goats and sheep sell for 70 dollars. Traders clutch bundles of cash, including the 1,000 Somaliland shilling note that features an image of livestock being loaded aboard vessels.
Mogadishu’s first solar-powered street lamps
29 Oct – Source: BBC – 1:26 min
After two decades of civil war, and being in darkness, one street in the Somali capital Mogadishu – the famous Mecca Mukarama Avenue, has been illuminated. The lighting system donated by the Norwegian government uses power from solar panels on lamp posts.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The control of Kismayo is the most pressing, and potentially the most damaging crisis facing the fledgling administration, and the way it is eventually resolved will have a huge influence on its future stability.”
Somalia’s toughest job put to test
30 Oct – Source: Aljazeera English – 940 Words
One of the toughest jobs in global politics just got tougher. Somalia’s president Hassan Sheikh has to build a government in what was, until his election, routinely described as “the world’s most failed state”; he has to confront the rebel force al-Shabab, which has already tried to kill him and promised to wage a guerrilla campaign to unseat his administration.
He has to feed a country in which more than two million people are dependent on aid. And now he has to deal with port city of Kismayo. Of all the problems Sheikh has to resolve, none is more complicated or more urgent than the management of the port. The mix of clans in Kismayo is the most complicated and the most volatile in all Somalia.
“Looking ahead as the dust begins to settle slowly, successful transition is not in the offing. Some fundamental facts remain unchanged; government institutions are woefully dysfunctional, insecurity has reached unacceptable levels, Somali forces are heavily dependent on AMISOM ‘s assistance every step of the way, the government is bankrupt. And despite al Shabaab being severely degraded, they still remain a very potent force that controls a sizable swath of territory in the central part of Somalia.”
The Road Forward for Somalia
29 Oct -Source: NAI Forum – 1391 Words
Somalia has ended 20 year-long era of transitional and interim administrations that spawned statelessness, protracted conflicts, political vacuum and warlordism. The aim for post-transitional government is mainly to let Somalia stand on its own – politically and militarily – with a four-year mandate to structure and lay the groundwork for prosperity.
Somali leaders are to blame for inviting external actors to settle internal disputes. Neighboring countries must agree on a coherent and constructive strategy for stabilizing Somalia, one that respects its sovereignty and forswears interventions.
The greater international donor community should support Somalia’s plan for stability, governance and development. Its interest is a stable Somalia at peace with itself and the world. This means departing from the securitization approach to more long term economic development.
“Communications is the most important aspect of any business, and having that basic infrastructure could make it easier for companies to settle in down in Somalia…. And Analysts believe that this thriving sector will hold the key to revival of economic activities in the country.”
Technology tipped to catalyze Somalia’s rising economy
29 Oct – Source: HumanIpo – 369 Words
Even before the dust settles on the restoration of Somalia by African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) soldiers, analysts are predicting that the rise of Somalia will be heavily pegged on technology.
A report by BBC recently indicated that Somalia was the last country in Africa to get online, attributed to the perpetual civil strife and terrorism.
Yet now telecommunications could be set to prosper in the stricken country. Somali Report indicates that the industry is among the sectors that have been thriving in Somalia, with revolutionary digital technology providing more opportunities for investment.
Top tweets
@PghHumanRights After two decades of #civilwar, and being in darkness, one street in #Mogadishu has been illuminated.http://ow.ly/eQUHh #Somalia.
@mattfreear Are we helping those intent on destruction, intimidation and war when we propagate their often empty threats? #Somalia http://bit.ly/RtahzK.
@MarkC_Anderson #Ethiopia #Somalia: According to data from @DHSgov, 196 Ethiopians & 181 Somalis were naturalized in the US in 2011.
@BBCAfrica Murdered #Somali poet Warsame Shire Awale tried to counter #AlShabaab ideology in a comic way, BBC’s Mohamed Mohamed tells #BBCNewsday.
@melissachemam The #AU Mission in Somalia #AMISOM comes to an end on Wednesday. The #UN Security Council is expected to approve an extension for a year.
Image of the day
Pallbearers lay to rest the body of Mohamed Mohamud Turyare, a Somali journalist with Radio Shabelle who was shot by unknown gunmen last week and died from his wounds in Mogadishu, October 29, 2012. Photo: Somaliweyn.