April 5, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Obama renews sanctions against Somalia despite new government
05 Apr – Source: The Hill News – 162 words
US President Obama informed Congress on Thursday of his intention to renew sanctions against Somalia despite the country forming a central government for the first time in 22 years.
The Obama administration recognized the government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Jan. 17. The move paves the way for a resumption of civilian and military aid and full diplomatic relations with a country that had operated without a government since warlords toppled the central government in 1991.
“Although the U.S. recognition underscores a strong commitment to Somalia’s stabilization, it does not remove the importance of U.S. sanctions, especially against persons undermining the stability of Somalia,” Obama wrote to congressional leaders. “For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to Somalia and to maintain in force the sanctions to respond to this threat.” The decision renews for a year sanctions such as restrictions on charcoal exports that have funded the Islamist militant group al Shabaab.
Key Headlines
- Government accepts material donation to improve security forces from Djibouti (Prime Minister’s Media Office)
- Somali Federal Government launches Public Financial Management Reform (PFMR) (Ministry of Finance)
- Obama renews sanctions against Somalia despite new government (The Hill News)
- Villages fearful as river Shabelle waters rise (Radio Ergo)
- Elder who helped selection of MPs assassinated in Marka town (Raxanreeb/Shabelle/al Shahid/Marka Cadey Online)
- Sudan to participate in international conference on Somalia (Sudanese Media Center)
- NATO warships bring medical help to Hobyo (Radio Ergo)
- Jubaland to become autonomous (Star News)
- Turkey sends 5000 metric tons of food aid to Somaliland (Somaliland Informer)
- Three killed by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Kenya (China News/ Xinhua)
PRESS STATEMENT
Government accepts material donation to improve security forces from Djibouti
04 Apr – Source: Prime Minister’s Media Office – 303 words
Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon on a state visit in Djibouti Thursday received material support for security forces after holding talks with the government led by the Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed. Djibouti government grants a material donation to the operational capacity of enforcer security forces. The compositions of this material support are lightweight counter protest vehicles and transport trucks.
Agreement was signed by the two defence ministers Abdihakin Mahamed Haji Fiqi and Hassan Dharar Hufane. The signing ceremony was held in Sheikh Osman military Camp. The agreement was reached few days before 206 Somali special police unit are due to finish a 3 months training in Djibouti on April 16. The police training is part of the European Union effort to rebuild the Somali police force.
Somali Defence Minister stated the need to improve the security force to enforce law and order and defeat terrorists in Somalia. He pointed out the importance of the Djibouti grant and appealed to the international community to follow suit in support of rebuilding the security forces especially the Somali police force.
“This material support is a good beginning and we will use it to grantee the sanctuary of our people,” Prime Minister said. “I want to repeat that the Somali government will use these materials in a responsible way,” Prime Minister said during a media briefing at Camp Sheikh Osman.
The delegation is on a regional trip titled “Strengthening Relationship Tour” to Djibouti, Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi and possibly Kenya. The focus of discussions is on regional security, trade, improving human rights and greater partnership on regional development. On his second day in Djibouti the Prime Minister and his delegation are in high spirits with the outcome of their trip and are expected in Addis Ababa Ethiopia on Friday.
Somali Federal Government launches Public Financial Management Reform (PFMR)
04 Apr – Source: Ministry of Finance – 493 words
The Federal Government of Somalia launched a well anticipated Public Financial Management Reform (PFMR) in a meeting convened by the Minister of Finance and Planning Mohamud Hassan Suleiman. A final report on a self-assessment carried out by the Ministry on the current public financial management system was presented to the donor partners in Mogadishu, to showcase the shortcomings and the government’s strategic plan on addressing the key challenges as well as instituting credible and transparent financial management system in Somalia.
The meeting underlined the significance of the Public Financial Management Reform to both the Somali Government and International partners as lively and encouraging discussions took place over the three-hour period. The Finance Minister reiterated the prioritization of Public Financial Management Reform per the government’s six-pillar policy.
“We have repeatedly emphasized the importance of a well managed financial system. PFM reform is a good thing in and of itself, because it will improve our ability to deliver on our other key priorities by making the most efficient and effective use of public funds. Transparency and accountability will also gain us other benefits, such as progress with our international partners on arrears clearance and International Financial Institutions reengagement”. He said.
The Finance Minister also highlighted quick wins in the areas of revenue generation, availability of the first institutional comprehensive budget reports & Financial statements for public release in few days.
The PFM self-Assessment report and action plan envisages an impressive line-up of reform activities in all sectors involving public financial management (PFM) roles. Over the next four years we intend to:
1. Improve the transparency and openness of the national budget process,
2. Heighten fiscal discipline through internal and external controls,
3. Focus public expenditure on priority areas of Government programs,
4. Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public expenditures and Strengthen overall financial management and accountability.
The Minister underscored that “Our level of political commitment provides a solid platform for taking through the reforms that are set out in our proposed strategy. We will sustain and nurture this commitment over the implementation period. I understand that sustaining support for reform of this nature needs also to be translated more firmly into tangible political realities. For example the result of these actions should be:
• Securing both a growing and a more predictable revenue base which in turn should guarantee a more predictable flow of resources to line ministries
• Strengthening financial institutions, systems and processes, thereby restoring confidence in Government systems which will in turn increase the use of these systems by external parties.
The Minister while discussing the managing and harnessing of development partners support stated that “This requires a concerted effort on the part of the international community to provide the resources needed for the implementation of this PFM reform and action plans. We are grateful for both the financial and political commitments expressed by our friends in the International community for the implementation of the PFM action plan and strategy”.
SOMALI MEDIA
Villages fearful as river Shabelle waters rise
05 Apr – Source: Radio Ergo – 237 words
Villagers along the Shabelle River, in Jowhar district, are living in fear of floods following the dramatic rising of the river level in the last few days and the weak river embankments the area is known for. The river burst its banks at Tuwaarey on 2 April, destroying 1500 hectares of recently planted crops, according to the district commissioner, Ali Mohamed Haji. He said the whole village had been forced to move to higher ground on the side of Jowhar.
The Regional Commissioner of Middle Shabelle, Abdi Jiinow, told Radio Ergo there were at least nine high risk spots where the embankments were very weak and vulnerable to collapsing as the river rises and could therefore lead to flooding. He said there were no aid agencies currently working in Jowhar because of security issues in the region.
Concerns have also been raised by Daahir Muuse Jiisow, an MP in the national Parliament, who visited his home areas in Jowhar a week ago. He emphasized the risks posed by the state of the river embankment and called on local people, authorities and agencies to work together on preventive measures before it was too late to avert disaster.
The SWALIM project, run by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, has forecast continuing rising water levels in both Juba and Shabelle Rivers, following two weeks of heavy rainfall in the Ethiopian high lands, bringing the possibility of floods in the region.
Elder who helped selection of MPs assassinated in Marka town
05 Apr – Source: Raxanreeb/Shabelle/al Shahid/Marka Cadey Online – 115 words
A Somali traditional elder who took part in the adoption of Somalia’s new federal constitution and selection of the federal parliament last year was assassinated in Marka town on Thursday evening, RBC Radio reports.
Mohamud Mohamed Hussein [better known as Sablaale] was clan elder for one of the the Somali sub-clan living in Lower Shabelle region where he has got his common nickname as “Sablaale”.
According to eyewitnesses, Unidentified gunmen armed with pistols have shot the elder on the head shortly after the evening prayer near his home at the the coastal town of Marka where he has been living with his family. The elder has later died in the hospital from serious bullet wounds.
NATO warships bring medical help to Hobyo
05 Apr – Source: Radio Ergo – 248 words
A team of doctors from NATO warships on piracy patrol off the Somali coast provided a 4-day medical camp for local people in Hobyo at the end of March. Italian doctors came ashore by arrangement with the Hobyo Mayor, Mahamoud Awaale, and treated 147 men, women and children for various ailments. “When we saw the health problems prevailing in Hobyo we contacted the NATO forces and asked for their assistance, and they have answered our plea,” the mayor said. “The people of Hobyo have endured ill-health and poor education for so long.”
Ali Baashe Ma’alin Abitidoon was one of the beneficiaries of the medical help. He said: “I was treated for a kidney ailment after a series of tests using computers, and after the diagnosis I was given medicines.” Dr. Makahil Ahmed Mohamed, a local doctor who helped the NATO team in the exercise, said patients came from all over Galgadud region, from as far as Haradeere, to the camp. Hobyo itself has a population of around 12,000.
Maryam Ahmed said she her two-year-old child, who had been sick for a year and had visited numerous local health centres without success, was helped by the NATO doctors.
Hobyo is an ancient harbour, 510 km north of Mogadishu, that has long provided shelter and fresh water for seafarers. It is said the name comes from the phrase “hoo biyo” – meaning “here is water.” But more recently, Hobyo has been hitting the world headlines for matters related to sea piracy.
Five injured in banditry attack in Galgadud
05 Apr – Source: Bar-kulan – 122 words
At least five people were injured on Friday when gunmen attacked a passenger truck at an area between Marer-gur and Gudinlabe, Galgadud region. The gunmen who were manning a roadblock in the area reportedly attacked the victims including a child earlier on Friday after the gunmen opened fire on the Mogadishu bound truck.
The victims were rushed to health facilities in Dusamareb for treatments. The gunmen reportedly took away valuable property including unspecified amount of money from the passengers, according Dusamareb district commissioner Abdirahman Ali Mohamed.
Mohamud said government troops have been dispatched to pursue the gang and promised to strengthen security in the district. Meanwhile, Mohamud appealed to the government to rehabilitate water wells in the district to avoid water shortage.
Turkey sends 5000 metric tons of food aid to Somaliland
04 Apr- Source: Somaliland Informer -173 words
A cargo ship carrying humanitarian relief supplies of food provided by the government of Turkey is about to dock Somaliland port of Berbera. The freighter carrying 1000 metric tons food aid allotted to Somalia and Somaliland poor families.
The Cargo ship already docked at Mogadishu Port and was unloaded 5000 tons. The food is expected to be distributed among underprivileged families who are struggling to get the daily day living. The shipment sent to Somalia and Somaliland will significantly play crucial role to those families that live under the breadline.
New Office For Somaliland’s Fisheries Ministry
04 Apr – Source: Qaran News – 104 words
The Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud “Silanyo” has officially opened a new head office for the Somaliland ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. The new offices will house all the departments of the ministry along with other related agencies had been completed with the help of international donors and government contributions.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, President Silanyo stated the the ministry along with those of agriculture, education, health and natural resources are the backbones of Somaliland’s economic development.
The President stated that Somaliland is blessed with a long coastline and abundant marine which needs to be sustained, harvested and protected from illegal fishing.
Political parties boycott upcoming local elections in Puntland
04 Apr – Source: Raxanreeb/Halgan Online/Horn Cable TV – 364 words
Two influential political parties in the Somalia’s semi autonomous region of Puntland have announced on Thursday that they have boycotted the upcoming local governments elections in the region, RBC Radio reports.
The two parties UDAD and Midnimo have criticized the authorities of the Puntland state were hindering the current democratization process by forcibly amending some articles in the region’s constitution to open the door for a new dictatorship in the region.
“We have seen that the people of Puntland are nor satisfied how the current process is going on and we can not sit behind our people.” the leader of UDAD political party Said Abdi Farah said in a press conference in Garowe.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Jubaland to become autonomous
05 Apr- Source: Star News – 92 words
Somalia elders in Juba and Gedo have resolved to establish an autonomous regional federal authority to administer areas liberated from al Shabaab.
The regional authority, Jubaland, will stretch from Kismayo to Dhobley and neighboring areas currently under AMISOM and Raskamboni troops. Despite opposition from the central government in March, the elders resolved to establish the authority.
Elders from Raskamboni, Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa, Harti and Azania have been meeting at Kismayo University with Somali government officials to discuss how Jubaland will be administered. The elders said Jubaland authority will recognize the central government.
Sudan to participate in international conference on Somalia
04 Apri – Source: Sudanese Media Centre – 119 words
Sudan has received an invitation to participate in the second international conference on Somalia which will be hosted by Britain on 7-8 May 2013. This came after the undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Rahmatullah Muhammad Uthman, met the British ambassador to Sudan, Peter Tibber.
The conference is organized by the British government in partnership with the Somali government with participation of regional countries and the states concerned with Somalia, as well as international and regional organizations.
The meeting also discussed Sudan British bilateral relations whereas the British ambassador renewed his country’s participation in donors’ conference in Doha on the reconstruction of Darfur, which will be held in the Qatari capital, Doha, on 7 and 8 April.
Student killed, 3 injured in Garissa attack
05 Apr – Source: Standard Media – 127 words
A form two student was on Thursday night shot dead in yet another attack by gunmen in Garissa Town. The student at County High School was approaching a kiosk in Iftin Market in the town when gunmen who had been on a shooting rampage hit him.
Three other people including a woman sustained serious wounds in the 9pm incident and are admitted to the local hospital. Witnesses said the gang had targeted a kiosk dealer and shot him in the chest first before they started to shoot bystanders.
“The kiosk dealer is among those who survived and we believe the gang is part of those who have been targeting and attacking people here,” said North Eastern police boss Charlton Mureithi. He added police have intensified patrols in the town in efforts to curb such attacks that have now been rampant.
The incident comes two days after a gang shot dead two police officers in the town and injured two others in similar attacks. The injured officers have since been flown to Nairobi for further treatment.
Troops for Somalia
04 Apr – Source: GBS TV – 2:39 min
Sierra Leonean troops will join the ranks of the African Union Mission in Somalia, to form AMISOM’s fifth national contingent, after Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda. This is in a bid to help implement the African Union mandate in Somalia, after AMISOM troops in support of the federal government of Somalia pushed al Qaeda affiliated al Shabaab terrorists, from much of south-central Somalia. Sierra Leonean troops are now partakers of global peace enhancement, since the international peacekeeping troops helped end Sierra Leone’s civil conflict that lasted from 1991-2002.
Shirdon begins regional tour in Djibouti
04 Apr – Source: Sabahi Online – 201 words
Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon on Wednesday (April 3rd) began his regional tour by meeting with Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh in Djibouti.
Shirdon briefed Guelleh on security and humanitarian conditions in Somalia, and thanked him for Djibouti’s contributions to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the Djiboutian Information Agency reported. The “Strengthening Relationships Tour” is Shirdon’s first trip abroad since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud appointed him prime minister in October 2012.
He is accompanied by Minister of Defence Abdihakim Haji Mohamud Fiqi, Minister of Interior National Security Abdikarim Hussein Guled, Deputy Commerce Minister Mohamed Ali Hagga and Ambassador to Djibouti Abdurrahman Abdi Hussein. Shirdon will visit Ethiopia, Uganda and Burundi, and possibly Kenya, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Three killed by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Kenya
05 Apr – Source: China News/ Xinhua – 234 words
Suspected Somali militants on Thursday evening killed three Kenyans in the restive northern town of Garissa in the latest attack amid growing insecurity in the region.
Garissa County Commissioner Maalim Mohammed confirmed the incident which took place at around 8 p.m. (1700GMT) at Iftin location, about 4km from Garissa town.
“The deceased were having supper at an eatery joint at around 8PM when a hand grenade was hurled at them,” Mohamed told Xinhua by telephone. He said the three whose identities have not been established died on the spot, adding that no arrest has been made in connection to the incident.
Obama renews sanctions against Somalia despite new government
05 Apr – Source: The Hill News – 162 words
US President Obama informed Congress on Thursday of his intention to renew sanctions against Somalia despite the country forming a central government for the first time in 22 years.
The Obama administration recognized the government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Jan. 17. The move paves the way for a resumption of civilian and military aid and full diplomatic relations with a country that had operated without a government since warlords toppled the central government in 1991.
“Although the U.S. recognition underscores a strong commitment to Somalia’s stabilization, it does not remove the importance of U.S. sanctions, especially against persons undermining the stability of Somalia,” Obama wrote to congressional leaders. “For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to Somalia and to maintain in force the sanctions to respond to this threat.” The decision renews for a year sanctions such as restrictions on charcoal exports that have funded the Islamist militant group al Shabaab.
28 Somali pirates identified
05 Apr – Source: Times of India – 160 words
A naval officer, who is a witness in one of the cases involving Somali pirates, has identified all the 28 accused. He was part of the rescue mission on Prantalaya 11, and also interrogated the pirates.
In February and March 2011, the navy caught the pirates after the coast guard alerted it about the hijacked vessels. The navy rounded up 120 pirates in several raids and rescued 70 hostages from Thailand, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Iran, Turkey, Myanmar and Pakistan.
The pirates hijacked ships like ‘Vega 5’ and ‘Al-Murtuza’ and held the crew hostage. The trials in all the cases are currently underway in court. The pirates have been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in addition to attempt to murder, unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and for carrying weapons under the Indian Penal Code. They have been booked for waging a war against the Indian government and under the various sections under the Arms Act.
Japan government to let ships carry armed guards
05 Apr – Source: Japan Times – 396 words
The government is set to submit a bill to the Diet that would permit armed guards on Japanese ships after their presence on other vessels in waters off Somalia led to a sharp fall in piracy.
Some 18,000 ships annually sail through the Gulf of Aden, which connects Europe and Asia, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Japan Coast Guard. The total includes about 1,700 ships registered in Japan or operated by Japanese shipping companies.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“With its meager financial and human resources, the Federal Republic of Somalia (FRS) has been doing better than a satisfactory job. However, in recent months, it has been profoundly frustrated by various challenges. Chief among them is what I would refer to as the first side-effect of a $60 million “panacea” known as the provisional constitution — the “Jubbaland” controversy.”
Somalia, Side-effect of an Overpriced ‘Panacea’
04 Apr – Source: Foreign Policy Blog – 1293 Words
Who has the legitimate right to establish a new federal state by that name? Are the proponents taking an inclusive approach and are employing the right process? And who has the authority of oversight?
Jubbaland has all the dangerous elements necessary to kick the stabilization plan like a sand castle. It has the armed militias, clan-lords and foreign intrusions of competing interests. And it is, by far, the most polarizing issue facing the nation today.
Those who advocate for the establishment of Jubbaland claim that they have, as the constitution permits, two regions (Lower Jubba and Gedo) from pre-civil war regional structure to form a new federal state. They insist that the process that created the apparent front runners was legal and inclusive, and that it they had a clear mandate from IGAD (read Kenya/Ethiopia) to establish a local administration.
The FRS, on the other hand, argues that Somalia is a sovereign nation, that this issue is an internal one and as such does not fall into the domain of authority of any international or a regional institution. The two “willing states” are being brought together through a thinly disguised clan-based gerrymandering that skips an entire region that is geographically located between these two (the Middle Jubba). Lastly, the planned arrangement creates a layer of complexity that could set the stage for renewed clan-based injustices and bloodshed, hence the government’s legal obligation to scrutinize the initiative and process.
“Had the humanitarian system been better insulated from political agendas in 2011, famine in Somalia could have been avoided. Politics was the driving force that led to both the development of the famine and the response failure.”
Famine in Somalia and the Failure of Data-Driven Humanitarianism
04 Apr – Source: PLOS Blogs – 801 Words
In May 2012, the UN Secretary General published a report on ‘Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations.’ The report identified the need to ‘…build systems to support data-driven humanitarian decision making,’ noting that ‘…the current humanitarian system often struggles to furnish timely and consistently reliable information and analysis in order to provide an appropriate response.’
Perhaps there was a certain irony that the UN report was published just 3 months after the end of the famine in Southern Somalia. One year on from its officially declared end, we reflect on what has been learnt from the various evaluations of the response to the famine, and what that says about the limits to data-driven humanitarian decision making.
The 2011 famine in Somalia was the most recent to afflict humankind and one of the best documented. It affected extensive parts of Southern Somalia and is thought to have cost the lives of tens of thousands of people, while hundreds of thousands more fled across the border into Kenya and Ethiopia.
Did, in fact, the famine occur because data from this conflict-affected country were just not available and the famine was impossible to predict? Would more data have driven a better decision making process that could have averted disaster? Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case. There had, in fact, been eleven months of escalating warnings emanating from the famine early warning systems that monitor Somalia.
Somalia was, at the time, one of the most frequently surveyed countries in the world, with detailed data available on malnutrition prevalence, mortality rates, and many other indicators. The evolution of the famine was reported in almost real time, yet there was no adequate scaling up of humanitarian intervention until too late. So, if a lack of data and forecasting was not the problem, what did allow this health catastrophe to happen?
“Hammami isn’t looking for an escape hatch. He’s broken with al Shabaab, not jihad. “I believe in attacking u.s. Interests everywhere,” he tells me, through Twitter’s direct message function, the only means through which he consented to a week-long running interview. “No 2nd thoughts and no turning back.” Sentiments like that make it likely that Hammami will be the next American killed in a U.S. drone strike.”
‘There’s No Turning Back’: My Interview With a Hunted American Jihadist
04 Apr – Source: Wired Danger Room Blog – 804 Words
Omar Hammami, the most prominent American jihadi left alive, probably should be running. When Hammami came to Somalia for jihad in 2006, he never anticipated that al Qaeda’s local affiliate would pledge to kill its former propaganda asset. And last month, the U.S. government put a $5 million bounty on the head of the 28-year-old Alabama native. These could be the last moments of Hammami’s life.
But Hammami tells Danger Room in an extremely rare and exclusive interview that he’s staying put. From an undisclosed location in Somalia, he grows vegetables, helps his wives around the house, and trolls his one-time colleagues in al Shabaab on Twitter, his newfound passion.
As @abumamerican, he’s tweeting his ongoing jihad in 140-character installments, and is happy to debate it with U.S. national security professionals. Uniquely among jihadis, Hammami shoots the breeze with the people whose job it is to study and even hunt people like him.
That’s caused a cognitive and emotional dissonance within U.S. counterterrorism circles. Several openly say they like the charismatic Hammami, who’s quick with a joke and a touch of irony. Their Twitter interactions with him have led to a worry about his well-being, and a dim hope that maybe, just maybe, they can convince Hammami to give up a path that seems to promise a violent and imminent end. “It’s just a process of talking about what it is he believes and trying to understand it,” says J.M. Berger, Hammami’s main interlocutor, “and seeing if there’s an escape hatch for him from this life.”
Rewards For Fugitives: Al Shabaab
04 Apr – Source: VOA Editorial – 1:21 Mins
In a further sign of the United States’ determination to help the nations of Africa combat terrorism, millions of dollars in rewards are being offered for information on seven top leaders of the al Qaeda-linked, Somalia-based terrorist organization, Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahidin, or al Shabaab.
Top tweets
@OCHASom SRSG Bangura said sexual violence is not only a crime against an individual, it’s a crime against a family, community & society #Somalia.
@MattBryden Faultlines deepen over federalism in #Somalia. #Puntland delegation arrives in #Kismayo for #Jubaland talks. http://goo.gl/thWdt.
@smugera #Somali MP Mohamed Omaar pays tribute to fellow Somalis for their capacity to survive as a people. No neighbouring country can match that.
@MahamudBille fascinating &Nostalgic memories of #Burundianofficers trained by #Somali #Airforce We never new what had till we lost http://guledmohamed.blogspot.
@OCHASom New @UN Chief Coordinator for #Somalia privileged to present credentials to President today @TheVillaSomalia http://twitpic.com/cgwsua.
Image of the day
Somalia’s delegation led by Prime Minister takes a tour of 50 vehicles it’s receiving from Djiboutian government at Camp Sheikh Osman, Djibouti on 04 April, 2013. Photo: @SomaliaNewsroom.