November 15, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Somali region appeals for aid after cyclone

15 Nov- Source: Al Jazeera English-369 Words

Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland has declared a state of emergency and is appealing for international aid after floods triggered by a cyclone killed at least 300 people and left hundreds missing. The United Nations said some 30,000 people were in need of food, water, shelter and medical supplies, according to government estimates. Puntland’s government has described the situation as a “disaster”.
Puntland forms the tip of the Horn of Africa and has its own government, but unlike neighbouring Somaliland, it has not declared independence from Somalia, which has been unstable since 1991 when President Siad Barre was overthrown.

Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Adow, reporting from Puntland, said the situation was “grim” and that entire villages had been washed away by “raging floods”. He said the death toll was likely to rise as most of the affected villages were still cut off by the water. “Aid is not reaching affected villages because of the damage done to infrastructure. [There are] long queues of stranded vehicles” on both sides of the road between the capital Garowe and the key port city of Bossaso.

Key Headlines

Defense Minister assesses military training facility in Mogadishu (Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan)
Somaliland President Silanyo to meet senior British naval officers aboard British warship at Berbera port (Somaliland Informer/ QurbeJoog Online)
Puntland communities count the cost of storms (Radio Ergo)
Somali Parliament Speaker urges public to remain calm after constitution row (Radio Mogadishu/Mustaqbal/Garowe Online)
Somali region appeals for aid after cyclone (Al Jazeera English)
AU welcomes decision by UN to strengthen Somalia peacekeeping mission (BERNAMA-NNN-ENA)
World neglects Somali storm victims (eNCA)
Last of Somali pirates sentenced in murders of Americans (Reuters)

PRESS RELEASE

AU Special Representative closely monitoring situation in Puntland after heavy floods

15 Nov- Source: AMISOM-159 Words

The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif is closely monitoring the situation in Puntland in which at least 300 people are feared to have lost their lives, hundreds others unaccounted for, and countless livestock lost after days of heavy storm and floods.

Ambassador Annadif said the African Union and AMISOM in particular are with the people of Somalia and the Federal government during this period of emergency situation. He commended the efforts so far made by the Puntland authorities to help those affected by the floods and calls on other stakeholders to swiftly come to the rescue of flood victims.

He said; “I’m very touched by reports of death, injury and displacement of people in Puntland following days of flooding. It is my humble appeal to both local and international partners to provide the much needed assistance to help alleviate the suffering of those who have been affected.”

SOMALI MEDIA

Defense Minister assesses military training facility in Mogadishu

15 Nov- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan- 143 words

Somalia Defense Minister, Abdihakim Mohamud Haji Fiqi has on Thursday assessed military training facility which is being constructed in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The minister was accompanied by officials from the Defense Ministry and said the construction of the facility is a partnership between the federal government of Somalia and unspecified friend of Somalia.

He added the new facility will hugely contribute to the upgrading process of the Somali national forces and is aimed at producing highly trained, home grown Somali officers. Meanwhile, the minister welcomed the UN Security Council’s resolution calling for further support to the Somali forces and the approval of extra African troops to the AMISOM mission in Somalia. He urged African governments to speed up the deployment process of the extra forces to the mission in order to maintain the tangible gains made by Somali forces and their African allies.

Somaliland President Silanyo to meet senior British naval officers aboard British warship at Berbera port

15 Nov- Source: Somaliland Informer/ QurbeJoog Online- 204 words

Somaliland president Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Silanyo accompanied by few of his cabinet ministers is due to embark on trip to the port city of Berbera within coming hours (Friday) and is expected to meet with senior British naval officers aboard a British warship at Berbera port. The president will also be accompanied by heads of country’s security apparatus; police commissioner, army chief, head of Coast Guards. The president along with accompanied delegation will board a plane that will land to the British warship in Berbera.

The two sides are expected to discuss regional security and stability in the region. They are expected to reach an agreement to cooperate in the combating of maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia and other security operations. This warship conducting anti-piracy operations in the region is the second British naval ship to dock at Berbera in 60 years.

Delegations from the UK, US and Scandinavian countries are currently visiting Somaliland whose main mission is build Somaliland’s robust coast guards that are better equipped to withstand the pirates in the territorial waters of Somaliland. There are prisoners in Somaliland jails where they were arrested while committing piracy acts with in the waters of Somaliland.

Puntland communities count the cost of storms

14 Nov- Source: Radio Ergo-287 Words

Puntland’s Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Agency (HADMA) has confirmed 142 deaths from the tropical cyclone that hit the region. The agency’s chairman, Abdullahi Abdirahman Ahmed, said most of the deaths occurred in the coastal areas between Eyl and Lasqoray districts in Nugal and Sanag regions. He said there were deaths in Dangorayo, Eyl, Alula and Barayda and several other districts due to extremely cold weather and floods.
“So far we can confirm the death of more than 142 people through the communication we have had in several areas,” Ahmed told Radio Ergo’s local reporter.

He added that the death toll may rise as they are yet to communicate with several areas hit by the storm. Roads have been cut and the phone communications damaged by the storm, he noted. He said the Puntland Marine Force had delivered some urgent aid to the victims in rural areas near the coastal town of Eyl. He said the bodies of foreigners, believed to be Yemeni fishermen, were among those found washed up onto the shore.
The storms and floods have also killed thousands of domestic animals in Eyl. Ali Huruse Hanaf, a local pastoralist, told Radio Ergo’s local reporter that more than 5,000 pastoralist families have lost their livestock, mainly goats. More than 175 pastoralist families have fled to Hawo village in Eyl district with no livestock.

“Ninety per cent of livestock in the area was washed away by the floods. Some of the families who had 200 livestock now have only 8 or less,” Hanaf said. Another pastoralist, Abshir Yusuf Aden, a father of nine children in Garmal village in Nugal, said he lost more than 700 goats. He estimated that around 6,000 families had lost their livestock.

Somali Parliament Speaker urges public to remain calm after constitution row

14 Nov- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Mustaqbal/Garowe Online-292 Words

Federal Government of Somalia’s Parliament Speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari Thursday called on the public to remain calm as row over the Provisional Federal Constitution (PFC) escalates between the President and the Prime Minister, Garowe Online reports.

Addressing the media at his office in Mogadishu, Jawari warned the Members of Parliament against siding with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon who disagreed over a cabinet reshuffle last week and asked the national assembly members to refrain from the statements that could heat up political divisions.

He said “Legislators should shoulder more responsibility and serve as court judges,” noting that campaigns within the parliament may jeopardize broader political dialogue. “I am also urging the Somali people to remain calm as the ultimate decision lies with the parliament,” added Jawari.

Somaliland delegation of Justice and Welfare meets with senior officials of Turkish ruling party

14 Nov- Source: Somalialand Informer- 224 words

The Justice and Welfare Chairman Mr. Faisal Ali Warabe accompanied by Mr. Said Omar Ahmed, member of Ucid’s executive committee who were on working visit to Istanbul, Turkey met with senior officials of the Turkish ruling AK party. The meeting took place at the party’s headquarters in Ankara.

Mr. Mustafa Kabakci, the party’s second leader held talks with the chairman of Somaliland’s opposition party leader and discussed ways that they can work together. It is agreed that the AK party will extend helping hand to Justice and Welfare party on seminars enhancing the participation level of Somaliland youth and women in political arena.

The Justice and Welfare delegation also met with the chairman of AK party in charge of the youth Mr. Zafer Cubukcu and informed them that the number of youth registered for the party estimated to be around 3 million. Somaliland delegation from Ucid also met with the foreign committee relations for the AK party.

The head of foreign relations committee Mr. Tuba Nur Sonmer held discussion with the chairman and talked about ways to increase the numbers of scholarships that the Turkish government pledges to Somaliland. Mr. Sermet Cemin, the president of Asia Africa Sky Express which is among business companies in Turkey has been invited to embark on visit to Somaliland in order to explore investment opportunities in the country.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Somali region appeals for aid after cyclone

15 Nov- Source: Al Jazeera English-369 Words

Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland has declared a state of emergency and is appealing for international aid after floods triggered by a cyclone killed at least 300 people and left hundreds missing. The United Nations said some 30,000 people were in need of food, water, shelter and medical supplies, according to government estimates. Puntland’s government has described the situation as a “disaster”. Puntland forms the tip of the Horn of Africa and has its own government, but unlike neighbouring Somaliland, it has not declared independence from Somalia, which has been unstable since 1991 when President Siad Barre was overthrown.

Father loses his five children and their mother to Somali cyclone

14 Nov- Source: Daily Nation-550 Words

Reports from Puntland, a semiautonomous region in North-eastern Somalia, indicate that the disaster caused by cyclone 03A that hit the region this week is more devastating than originally thought. On Thursday, a father, Ahmed Hassan, told the BBC Somali Service that he lost five children and their mother. “I had six kids in my house, but floods on Monday took them all plus their mother,” said Hassan. Other media outlets reported that all the five kids that perished were Hassan’s own children together with their mother. “A niece survived and I later found the body of one of my sons,” said Hassan. He added, “I believe that the forceful floods took my family members away.”

The anguished man said that his family was based at a low-lying area and that he was away at the time the cyclone hit his area. Hassan stated that his own father lost many animals including camels. Reports trickling from the worst hit areas that include Eyl, Bander Bayla, Gara’ad and Hafun, depict that the zones are still inaccessible. Even the communication is poor as most antennas were shattered by the strong winds that bettered the area over 4 days.

Stranded and Nearing Desperation, Middle Shabelle Flood Victims Plea for Help

13 Nov- Source: Sabahi Online/AllAfrica-864 Words

Nearly two months after the Shabelle River overflowed its banks in Somalia’s Middle Shabelle region, thousands of families remain stranded or displaced in areas affected by floods, with little humanitarian assistance coming in. Various scenes of flood-stricken areas around Middle Shabelle town of Jowhar. Speaking in the video is Brigadier General Dick Olum, the Uganda Contingent Commander operating under AMISOM in the area. [AU/UN 1st] .

“We are now stuck in the middle of nowhere since there is no place to run to as the whole region has been impacted by the flooding river,” said Middle Shabelle regional administration spokesman Daud Haji Irro. “The roads are closed and even if we say ‘let us help the people’, it will not be possible to do so by land because vehicles cannot get through. There is a grave disaster in the region.”

At least 50 people died and about 3,500 families were displaced since the Shabelle River overflowed its banks in September, causing severe damage and a humanitarian crisis in the districts of Jowhar, Mahaday and Balad, Irro told Sabahi.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

AU welcomes decision by UN to strengthen Somalia peacekeeping mission

15 Nov- Source: BERNAMA-NNN-ENA-309 Words

African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has welcomed the decision by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to strengthen AMISOM, the peacekeeping mission in Somalia operated by the AU with the approval of the UN.

A press statement from the AU headuarters here Thursday said she expressed satisfaction at the decision which authorises an increase in the strength of AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) from 17,731 to 22,126 uniformed personnel, and support to the Somali National Army (SNA), through an appropriate UN Trust Fund.

The strengthening of AMISOM and support to the SNA will make it possible to resume and intensify the military campaign against the Al-Shabaab terrorist group operating in Somalia, the statement added.

The decision will also help to expand the authority of the Federal Government of Somalia and facilitate the political process, which will culminate in the finalisation and adoption of a federal Constitution and the holding of elections.

World neglects Somali storm victims

14 Nov- Source: eNCA-156 Words

Days of devastating storms and heavy flooding in Somalia’s northeastern Puntland region have left thousands homeless and more than 300 people dead. Some people were washed away, while others died after their homes collapsed on them. Hundreds are still missing and a state of emergency has been declared. Thousands of people need food, water, shelter and medical supplies. The semi-autonomous region is pleading for help.

“The country should not be divided by flood waters. It needs a quick response, the people must be helped, and we will do our best to help,” Puntland President Abirahman Farole said. In contrast to the response to the devastating cyclone that hit the Philippines at almost the same time, the international community has not been quick to act. With roads and airstrips washed away, aid agencies are battling to get to remote areas where food and emergency assistance are needed most. More rain is expected over the next two days.

Last of Somali pirates sentenced in murders of Americans

14 Nov- Source: Reuters-293 Words

The last of the Somali pirates convicted of killing four Americans aboard a yacht sailing off the Horn of Africa in 2011 have been sentenced in federal court to multiple life sentences, authorities said on Thursday.

Prosecutors originally sought the death penalty, but the jury that found the men guilty in July of piracy, hijacking and murder recommended life sentences instead. The victims were retiree Scott Adam, 70, of Marina del Rey, California, with his wife Jean Adam, and two friends, Phyllis Macay and Robert Riggle of Seattle. They were sailing around the world distributing Bibles.

Pirates boarded the yacht on February 18, 2011. Prosecutors said the hijackers intended to take their hostages to Somalia and hold them for ransom. After getting a distress signal from the craft, the U.S. Navy dispatched vessels to the Americans’ aid.

U.S. military faces Africa cuts, sees Somalia, Mali successes

14 Nov- Source: Reuters-647 Words

U.S. military forces in Africa may lose well over a tenth – or some $40 million – from their 2014 budget, the U.S. Africa Command said on Thursday, although it saw success against militants in Somalia and Mali. The bulk of such cuts will fall on headquarters and training programmes, AFRICOM commander General David Rodriguez said, most likely forcing smaller exercises. The size of AFRICOM headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, is to be reduced by some 20 percent.

The planned cuts are part of broader across-the-board U.S. spending restrictions dubbed “sequestration” and imposed after Congress failed to agree deficit reduction measures. AFRICOM – set up in 2007 to coordinate U.S. military activity on the continent – retains some 5,000 troops in Africa at any time, primarily in Djibouti. Much of their focus is on building local military capability and training forces for missions such as the African Union mission AMISOM in Somalia and its U.N. counterpart in Mali.

“The budget is going to be reduced … although I would expect that the number of places where we have exercises will remain approximately the same,” Rodriguez told a press briefing in London. “We’ve had to reduce the size of some of these exercises and change the nature of some … to involve fewer troops.”

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“A more robust armed joint force, armed with the necessary logistical support would mean that the battle between the forces of peace and security and those who thrive best in anarchy would be won by the former.”

Boosting of AMISOM numbers right move

15 Nov- Source: The Standard Media-327 Words

The United Nations Security Council decision to boost the African Mission force in Somalia, from 17,700 to 22,100 troops is welcome. AMISOM backs Somalia government troops to battle the militants bent on establishing an Islamist state in the horn of African country that would be hostile to its immediate neighbours — Kenya and Ethiopia.

Despite forcing Al-Shabaab fighters from the capital, Mogadishu, and the coastal town of Kismayu, the islamists have demonstrated their lethal ability to spread terror inside and outside Somalia. The strengthened Amisom troops are expected to take the battle to the jihadists particularly along Somalia’s extensive coastline and rural areas.

The boost in troop numbers comes on the heels of Ethiopia’s warning last Thursday that Al-Shabaab is planning high profile attacks that would have the capacity to kill more people than the number that died at the Westgate Shopping Mall attack. Ethiopia’s recognition of the danger Al-Shabaab poses to national and regional security might explain Addis Ababas’ recent announcement tat it was considering putting its own separate army in Somalia under Amisom command.

“It is difficult to conclude that AMISOM has made a large contribution to peace and security in Mogadishu during its 30 months. While its personnel did engage in some humanitarian activities and protection of key infrastructure, these have to be balanced against the popular outrage against instances of indiscriminate force, the loss of over 20 peacekeepers, and the obvious limitations in a hot-conflict of an underequipped deployment of some 4,000 troops.”

AMISOM’s Five Challenges

14 Nov- Source: CSIS-1987 Words

In January 2007, the African Union launched its fourth peacekeeping operation, the AU mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Now approximately two and a half years old, AMISOM’s short life has not been a happy one. It was deployed to Mogadishu essentially in support of the Ethiopian government’s preferred faction in Somalia’s ongoing civil war. Not surprisingly, and like the three UN-authorized peace operations deployed to Somalia during the early 1990s, AMISOM faced serious challenges which severely restricted its ability to operate.

In January 2009 the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces, the election of Somalia’s new transitional government led by Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, and the arrival of Barrack Obama’s administration in the United States renewed the debate over how AMISOM should relate to the new Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and how the mission might be brought to an end.

This article reflects upon AMISOM’s five main challenges: the legacy of the “Black Hawk Down” episode of October 1993; the shadow of Ethiopia’s military campaign; the African Union’s capacity problems; the conflict environment in Mogadishu; and finding an appropriate exit strategy. It concludes that AMISOM was an ill-conceived mission which attracted few serious political champions. The predictable results were a dangerously under-resourced operation that placed several thousand peacekeepers in harm’s way for morally and politically dubious reasons.

“At a formal level, more recently, the election of a new government in Somalia put forward a unique opportunity to establish a formal independent judiciary system to address the justice needs of the Somali population.”

The Role of Justice in the Peace Building Process in Somalia

14 Nov- Source: Eurasia Review-949 Words

Justice and reconciliation issues in Somalia still remain a crucial milestone in order to reach sustainable peace in the country. Indeed, as international experience demonstrated in Rwanda, Yugoslavia, Cambodia and Sierra Leone, justice plays a fundamental role in peace building processes in post-conflict countries.

By putting an end to impunity, transitional justice paves the way for pacification of the country in the long term. From this perspective, the re-establishment of the rule of law and the necessity of justice for restorative and retributive goals in a divided society is one of the most challenging issues in post-transition Somalia as the effort requires the reconstruction of human and physical infrastructure.

Due to the collapse of formal structures and institutions designed to administer justice in Somalia, the Somali people have relied on other mechanisms to deliver justice and legal services; this is evident in both the informal and formal justice initiatives the country has experienced during the past years.

Top tweets

@dhdfisher Bananas for sale in town recently taken from Al Shabab. #Somalia green and lush at this time of year —http://goo.gl/sMR5jn

@amisomsomalia SNA display #Somali flag from the former control tower of Kismayo Airport as they celebrate it’s capture Oct 02, 2012 pic.twitter.com/VNgJ0uvJrA

@smugera Wonder how many African countries sent aid to#Puntland “@BBCAfrica: In pictures: Somali cyclone floods in Puntland http://bbc.in/1bHIswI ”

@SomaliPM Volleyball returns to #Somalia– Somali Volleyball Federation announces first major league in 22yrs. First game23 Nov http://bit.ly/187QcJq

@WaaberiProject Morning:- Live debate on #Somalia Draft Media Law @ starFM 105.9 FM #Nairobi call in.pic.twitter.com/THDVVMuvyZ http://fb.me/2FiO1bVVz

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Image of the day

Image of the day Sheik Hussein Mahad Noor, Sheik Hassan Abdi Abdullahi and Sheik Abdikadir Jailam, stand outside the Jamia Mosque in Garissa – a regional hub and important centre for the Kenyan Somali community. Garissa town is a centre of culture and religion for the Kenyan Somali people in Kenya. Photo: Al Jazeera English