March 7, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

President Mohamud hails easing of the arms embargo on Somalia as victory

07 Mar – Source: Radio Mogadishu/Bar-kulan/Hiiraan Online – 192 words

The federal government of Somalia has welcomed the Wednesday decision by the United Nations Security Council to ease the two decades old arms embargo on Somalia, with president Mohamud calling it a victory for his government. The UN Security Council Wednesday unanimously voted to partially lift its ban on selling arms on Somalia for a year.

The embargo is the world’s oldest, having been imposed in 1992, and will be partially eased for a year in order to help the country’s new government. The decision means the government will be able to buy light arms to help in its fight against Islamist militants. But many items will still be banned from Somalia, including surface-to-air missiles, large-calibre guns, howitzers and cannons.

President Mohamud said in a statement that it “correctly reflects a new and constant improvement of the political situation in Somalia.” “There are responsibilities that come with the decision to ease the arms embargo. The UN decision is clearly in line with the political changes in the country,” said president Mohamud. He said thousands of soldiers trained in friendly countries are bare handed with no enough arms to defend the country.

Key Headlines

President Mohamud hails easing of the arms embargo on Somalia as victory (Radio Mogadishu/Bar-kulan/Hiiraan Online)
AMISOM Police welcomes more individual police officers to Somalia (AMISOM)
PM boosts local government as first stage of national Listening Tour closes in Galgadud (Prime Minister’s Media Office)
Susan Rice says UNSC supported Somali government (Bar-kulan/Shabelle)
Human Rights Advocates Call Somaliland’s Mogadishu Travel Ban Unlawful (Hiiraan Online)
UN eases oldest arms embargo to help Somalia (Capital FM/Daily Monitor)
Yemeni PM Somali ambassador discuss developments on Somalia (SABA News)
Deportations to Somalia resume (Grand Forks Herald)

PRESS STATEMENT

AMISOM Police welcomes more individual police officers to Somalia

07 Mar – Source: AMISOM – 256 words

The Acting AMISOM Police Commissioner, Mr. Benson Oyo-Nyeko opened a one week induction course for 14 AMISOM Individual Police Officer’s (IPO’s) who arrived in Mogadishu on Sunday, 3rd March 2013. The group which includes 11 male and 3 female officers from Ghana added to the 87 IPOs already in the country and working alongside 5 Senior Leadership Officers (SLT) and 2 Formed Police Unit teams consisting of 280 personnel.

The content of the induction course includes but not limited to; Somali people and culture, Somali legal systems, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), AMISOM mission background, Code of Conduct, Human Rights, the Principles of Peacekeeping Operations, Mine Awareness, Media Relations as well as Personal Security.

Advising the officers, the Acting Police Commissioner said, “Let’s take very seriously this induction training, especially when it comes to understanding the Somali people and their culture. I have confidence in the selection of officers and believe without any doubt, you will all perform excellently as mentors, advisers and trainers to the Somali Police Force”.

Since the arrival of the AMISOM Police Component in 2009, over a thousand Somali Police officers have been trained in all areas of policing including; Community Policing, Motor Traffic Management and the on-going Public Order Management training course currently taking place in Djibouti, with the attendance of 200 Somali Police officers.

In December, 2012 the AMISOM Formed Police Units (FPUs) began night patrols alongside the Somali Police Forces (SPF) to maintain law and order. These patrols have led to significant reduction of criminal activities in Mogadishu.

PM boosts local government as first stage of national Listening Tour closes in Galgadud

06 Mar – Source: Prime Minister’s Media Office – 297 words

Good government in Somalia will come from a strong partnership between local communities and the federal government, Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said after signing a landmark agreement with Ahlu Sunna wal Jamaa to cooperate on security and set up a local administration in Galgadud. Both sides had their obligations to fulfill in such a partnership, the premier said.

“The government has a responsibility to deliver public services to the regions and we are expecting you in the regions to honour your side of the bargain, stand up acceptable local administrations and speed up the process of reconciliation,” the Prime Minister said. “We will stand shoulder to shoulder with you every step of the way.”

The Prime Minister led the visit with another series of public and private meetings as the first stage of his Listening Tour in Galgadud came to a close in Abudwak and then Adado. He negotiated a deal with the local community to establish a district administration and signed an agreement with Ahlu Sunna Waljamaa to work together on security.

The Prime Minister’s latest tour, in which he was accompanied by Minister of Interior, Abdikarim Hussein Guled, the Minister of Defence, Abdihakim Mohamud Haji Fiqi, and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jaylani Nur Ikar, took in Guri’el, Dusamareb, Abudwak and Adado. The Prime Minister said his visits to the regions would continue.

“The Somali government is not confined only to Mogadishu. Now we are in the process of directly witnessing how the people in the regions are living and how they are managing. We want to listen to them, establish their priorities and work hard to meet them in cooperation with local administrations. And we are committed to continue travelling to the different regions of Somalia. There’s no turning back.”

SOMALI MEDIA

President Mohamud hails easing of the arms embargo on Somalia as victory

07 Mar – Source: Radio Mogadishu/Bar-kulan/Hiiraan Online – 192 words

Human Rights Advocates Call Somaliland’s Mogadishu Travel Ban Unlawful

07 Mar – Source: Hiiraan Online – 117 words

The Somaliland administration’s restrictions on people travelling to Mogadishu, which have resulted in some high profile arrests, infringe on the rights of citizens, human rights advocates say. The February 12th arrest of well-known clan elder Rabi Yusuf Abdullahi is one of the latest in a series of cases involving prominent local citizens accused of violating the administration’s Mogadishu travel ban.

Abdullahi went to Mogadishu in August to participate in forming the Somali Federal Government. He has remained in jail for more than three weeks as prosecutors build a case against him.

Somaliland declared itself a sovereign state in 1991, however, its secession from Somalia has not been recognised by the Somali Federal Government or the international community.

Susan Rice says UNSC supported Somali government

07 Mar – Source: Bar-kulan/Shabelle – 150 words

The U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Susan Rice Wednesday said the UN Security Council sent a clear signal of support to the new Somali Government by easing the more than two decades old arms embargo.

Rice said in a statement that Resolution 2093 answers President Hassan Sheikh Mohamed’s call for “one door to knock on,” by unifying UN development and humanitarian work under the UN Special Representative’s direction.

She stated that it also aligns UN support to assist the Somali Government in delivering services to its citizens. “Importantly, in recognition of the Somali government’s progress, the Security Council has agreed to suspend the arms embargo on the government of Somalia while providing safeguards to ensure responsible development of the security sector and leaving the ban on al Shabaab and other terrorist and extremist groups in place,” said the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Susan Rice.

Somaliland: Government Voices Disapproval of the Lifted Somalia Arms Embargo

07 Mar – Source: Somaliland Sun/BBC Somali Service – 993 Words

“The proliferation of weapons in Somalia is not conducive for security in the Horn” This was stated by the Deputy Information Minister Abdilahi Mohamed Dahir ‘Ukuse’ in reference to the UN lifting of Somalia government arms embargo for one year during which period the Mogadishu authorities are legally allowed to procure only light weapons.

Speaking at a BBC Somali Service program the deputy information minister who also touched on reported disturbances in some areas of Selel region in the west of the country wondered on the safe handling of the weapons to be procured following the lifting of the embargo, considering the very many entities claiming authority in Somalia.

Ukuse informed that there prevail in Somalia a number of diverse entities like clan militias, Terrorist groups, Anti central authority groups etc. that are constantly challenging the central government in Mogadishu for control of the country claiming authority in one place or another, thus fears for the ultimate destination of new military ordnance.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Yemeni PM, Somali ambassador discuss developments on Somalia

07 Mar – Source: SABA News – 90 words

Yemeni Premier Mohammed Salem Basindwa discussed here on Wednesday with Somali ambassador to Yemen Ismail Qasem Naji the latest developments on Somalia. Basindwa and Naji reviewed the actions made by the Somali government to bring security and stability back into Somalia.

The Prime Minister reiterated Yemen’s support to the Somali people and all sincere efforts aiming to achieve the reconciliation and peace among the Somali factions.

The Somali diplomat expressed appreciation of Yemen’s support to his country, saying that the situation in Somalia is improving in various areas, topped by security.

UN eases oldest arms embargo to help Somalia

07 Mar – Source: Capital FM/Daily Monitor – 162 words

The UN Security Council on Wednesday suspended the arms embargo against Somalia for one year, easing the oldest international weapons blockade to help the government battle Islamist militants. The 15-member council unanimously passed a resolution allowing light arms to be sold to the Somali armed forces as they seek to rebuild and spread government authority into territory taken from the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab.

The embargo was imposed in 1992, a year after the fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre as rival warlords battled for control of the East African nation. A transitional government, backed by an African force, is just starting to establish itself after major victories against al Shabaab.

With US support, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who took office in September, has been pressing for an end to the embargo. Britain, France and other countries on the council had been more reluctant to fully lift the blockade because of the risk of heightening insecurity in a country already awash with arms, diplomats said.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Deportations to Somalia resume

07 Mar – Source: Grand Forks Herald – 191 words

As Somalia begins to emerge from years of turmoil, the war-torn nation’s newfound stability creates a downside for a small number of Somalis who have run afoul of the U.S. immigration system. For years, Somali immigrants whom federal immigration authorities ordered deported had nowhere to go as there was no functioning government in Somalia to accept them. But in January, when the United States recognized the government in Somalia for the first time in more than 20 years, federal authorities quietly resumed deportations to Somalia.

The two countries have not restored full diplomatic relations. But Immigration and Customs Enforcement did receive enough cooperation last year to begin returning some detainees who have been convicted of serious crimes while in the United States. Immigration officials have so far deported 24 Somali nationals from Minnesota and other states.

There was no big announcement of the policy change, said Marc Prokosch, an immigration attorney in Bloomington, Minn. Instead, detainees learned they would be deported when they were taken into custody after showing up for their regular check-in with immigration, said Prokosch, chair of the Minnesota/Dakota chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Security Council Loosens Somalia Arms Embargo

06 Mar – Source: New York Times – 494 words

The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to temporarily rescind part of a 21-year-old arms embargo on Somalia, the East African country once considered synonymous with warlordism, piracy and anarchy, portraying the easing as part of an effort to strengthen the fragile Somalian government’s authority by permitting it to purchase light weapons.

A resolution adopted by the council also reauthorized, for one year, the African Union Mission to Somalia, a force of nearly 18,000 peacekeepers deployed in the country. Those troops are considered largely responsible for helping bring a measure of calm and stability to Somalia over the past 18 months by retaking territory formerly held by the Shabab, a fearsome Islamist militant group affiliated with Al Qaeda.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamed, who took office six months ago and has been strongly supported by the United States and Britain, had been pressing for an end to the United Nations arms embargo, arguing that it was outdated and impeded his ability to further empower Somali forces by ensuring that Shabab militants and their affiliates remain in retreat.

But a number of Security Council members worried that terminating the embargo would once again allow all manner of weapons to flow into the country, and not necessarily into the government’s hands. There was also concern among some diplomats that the Somali military remains little more than an amalgam of former militia members who are not so disciplined as to warrant unfettered access to weapons.

The resulting language in the Security Council resolution, which was drafted by Britain, reflected a compromise. “The council has struck the right balance,” Sir Mark Lyall Grant, Britain’s ambassador, told reporters at the United Nations after the resolution had been adopted. “It sends a positive political signal to President Hassan Sheikh, but it continues to give the council oversight of weapons flows into Somalia.”

Somali gov’t agrees to integrate militia into army

06 Mar – Source: NZWeek/Xinhua – 267 Words

The Somali government has reached an agreement with a faction of militia in the central part of the Horn of Africa country on their integration into the army. Citing the government, the state radio said the agreement involved the Sufi group of Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama in central provinces.

Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon is currently visiting the central province of Galgadud, where the Sufi group of Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama (ASWJ) has maintained control for the past couple of years after al Qaida linked al Shabaab fighters were ousted.

“After hours long meeting between Somali government delegation led by Prime Minister Shirdon who is on a tour to the region and leaders of Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama in central Somalia have resulted in an agreement that the forces of Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama be fully integrated into the armed forces,” the radio said. The ASWJ, which is allied with the Somali government, has been fighting al Shabaab fighters in Galgadud for three years and has managed to retake a number of key towns in the region.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“This conference will also mark the beginning of a new partnership between Somalia and the international community. I would encourage Somalis and their friends across the world to join in the discussions now and let your vision for the future be heard.”

Somali Foreign Minister looks ahead to the Somalia Conference

06 Mar – Source: FCO Somalia Conference Blog – 372 Words

Writing on Foreign Secretary William Hague’s Facebook page, the Foreign Minister said the conference “will mark the beginning of a new partnership between Somalia and the international community”.
She wrote:

“Last month the President of Somalia made his first visit to the UK in his official capacity, marking another important step in our country’s journey to a safer and more secure future for Somali people everywhere. “This visit was important because so much has changed in Somalia over the last 12 months, and because, working in partnership with the British Government and the rest of the international community, we now have a real chance to move on from the problems of the past.

“In a speech during his visit, the President described Somalia as having been in a coma for 20 years. He likened it to a patient who has responded to medication but remains in intensive care.“The analogy is a good one – in part because it suggests how devastating the years of conflict and famine have been for the Somali people – but also because it underlines the continuing fragility.

Welsh Somali discover their roots at Cardiff festival

06 Mar – Source: BBC – 3:00 mins

Somalis in Wales have recently been celebrating their cultural heritage at a festival in Cardiff. Since the civil war began in Somalia more than 20 years ago, Somalis can be found in many different parts of the world. But in the UK some Somalis settled on the south coast of Wales way back in the 19th Century.

Many of their descendants live in Butetown – a neighbourhood of Cardiff where a joint project between the National Theatre Wales and members of the Somali community came to fruition after years of preparation.

Somalia Now

06 Mar – Source: Reuters Blog

A look inside the African nation in images taken over the past three months. 30 PHOTOS.

Top tweets

@UN Security Council authorizes African Union peacekeepers in #Somalia for another year http://ow.ly/isXmx.

@AU_PSD Under #Resolution2093 #AMISOM is authorized to maintain a presence in the 4 sectors of #Somalia it is currently deployed in until Feb 2014.

@UNPOSomalia Read the official text of the new #UNSC Resolution on #Somalia: http://bit.ly/dYf67h @UN @UN_DPA.

@Hamza_Africa #Somaliland‘s Assistant Minister of Information says his country is concerned about the lifting of #Somalia‘s arms embargo.

@FreelanceJRNLST #Britain‘s UN ambassador “It is balance between those who wanted an unrestricted lifting of the arms embargo and those who not” #Somalia.

@USAforSOMALIA UNSC Resolution 2093 – #UN unifies development and humanitarian work for #Somalia under the UN Special Representative.

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Image of the day

Image of the day Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon shaking hands with school children after touring Abudwak, the provincial capital of Galgadud @SomaliPM.