December 3, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia H.E Hassan .Sh. Mohamud Thanks the outgoing Prime Minister and praises the Parliament for upholding the constitution

02 Dec- Source: Office of the President- 129 words

The President said “the vote in parliament was testament to the strength of the country’s democratic institutions.
“I welcome parliament’s role as a strong signal of Somali democracy at work,” the President said. “It is important to emphasise that the constitution has been our clear guidance throughout this situation. All roads led to parliament, and the vote by legislators, and I congratulate the MPs for their hard work and commitment that shows the spirit and practice of democracy are alive and well in Somalia.”
“ I recognize the effort and the dedication of the outgoing Prime Minister and his cabinet in the first one year in office.
“I also congratulate the Speaker and his deputies i their leadership of the parliament’s deliberation in this critical time of the parliaments history.”

Key Headlines

UN Special Representative for Somalia on the departure of Somalia’s Prime Minister ( UNSOM)
Somali Prime Minister loses parliament confidence (Radio Mogadishu)
Two clans agree to ceasefire in Galgadud region (Radio Bar-kulan)
HIV awareness campaign opens in Galgadud (Radio Ergo)
Jubba officials call for further assistance to disadvantaged families (Radio Bar-kulan)
unknown disease kills livestock in Somaliland (Daily Nation)
Somali prime minister voted out by lawmakers (Reuter)
Two clans agree to ceasefire in Galgadud region (Radio Bar-kulan)
Somalia Region Hit by Cyclone Urgently Needs Aid Agencies Say (commondreams)

PRESS STATEMENT

UN Special Representative for Somalia on the departure of Somalia’s Prime Minister

02 Dec- Source: UNSOM- 256 words

UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia Nicholas Kay paid tribute today to Somalia’s outgoing Prime Minister, Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid, and noted the responsible role played by the Federal Parliament and the Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari in handling the “no confidence” motion.

“It was important this unprecedented piece of parliamentary business was managed in accordance with the provisional constitution and the rules of procedure of the Parliament,” he said.

“Somalia’s institutions are coming of age. The UN is here to support their development, and looks forward to working constructively with the new administration. Outgoing Prime Minister Shirdon had worked hard to promote growth and progress and played an important part in creating the New Deal Compact between international partners and Somalia.”

SRSG Kay further noted the urgency of nominating and appointing a new Prime Minister as quickly as possible to maintain political and state-building progress in Somalia. “I hope the President will consult widely before choosing. It is in all our interests that the next PM and government is broadly inclusive, able to unite the country and capable of delivering what Somalia needs – peace, rule of law, economic growth and good public services.”

He also urged the Federal Parliament to make a supreme effort in the public interest to make progress on the many law-making and other constitutional tasks that the country urgently needs.

“Over the coming years, it is important that Parliament, Government and the Presidency continue to work constructively together in full respect for the Provisional Federal Constitution,” SRSG Kay noted.

The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia H.E Hassan .Sh. Mohamud Thanks the outgoing Prime Minister and praises the Parliament for upholding the constitution

02 Dec- Source: Office of the President- 129 words

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali Prime Minister loses parliament confidence

02 Dec- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan/Hiiraan Online/SNTV/Universaltv- 154 words

Somalia members of parliament voted to endorse a no-confidence motion against the government of Prime minister Abdi Farah Shirdon after he had a row with the President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud who has been calling for his resignation. 184 Mps out of 249 present at the house voted to impeach the Prime minister who insisted to address parliament to defend his government from accusations of incompetence and corruption. Announcing the outcome of the vote, Somali Parliament Speaker Prof. Mohamed Osman Jawari said that 249 legislators cast their vote, 184 voted in favor of the no-confidence motion while the other 65 voted against it. On Sunday parliamentarians turned down Shirdon’s bid to address the house after he proposed to face them. “I will accept whatever parliament decides” Prime Minister Shirdon said in a press conference Monday.

Two clans agree to ceasefire in Galgadud region

02 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 152 words

Two clans from Abudwaq and Adado districts have agreed to end hostilities in Lamaweyne village near Abudwaq in Galgadudu region.The clans agreed to the cease after federal government and Himan and Heeb administration officials in the area brokered a deal to bring both clans to the negotiation table.
Khalif Abdisamad Ali, the head of social services in Abudwaq told Bar-kulan that the clans have been fighting in recent times over blood feud. Abudwaq Commissioner, Ahmed Jama Dhirif and Himan and Heeb Vice President, Abdi Mohamed Ahmed Nor convened the meeting and convinced both sides to compensate their losses. Community elders from both sides stated to have accepted the deal saying that they will raise awareness programs for the youth to prevent further infighting. The meeting is part of government and Himan and Heeb administration efforts to bring an end to the decades’ old disputes between Somali clans in Galgadud region in central Somalia.

HIV awareness campaign opens in Galgadud

02 Dec- Source: Radio Ergo- 268 words

A mass HIV/AIDS awareness campaign has started in Somalia’s central region of Galgadud, where some cases of HIV infection were reported during this year. The campaign aims to raise public awareness around World AIDS Day marked on 1 December. The head of the Red Cross office in Himan and Heb, Dahir Osman Wehliye, said the campaign was initiated in Adadotown, trying to overcome the stigma surrounding the virus. “HIV/AIDS is a common problem in the world, particularly in Africa and even in Somalia. We therefore want to remind our people that HIV is here in our community and people are getting infected,” Osman told Radio Ergo’s local reporter. The campaign will run for a week, in which doctors and community leaders are encouraging people to take advantage of the free HIV testing and counselling service. Osman said they are also encouraging unmarried people to go for testing together before marriage. In September, local doctors expressed concern over what they termed as a rapidly increasing number of people living with HIV in the region. In Adado town, seven men and women were tested positive for the virus during one testing session. Dr Tahlil Ahmed Mohamud, working in Adado’s TB ward, said this was the highest number ever recorded in the district. However, the director of Adado’s district health department Dr Dahir Ali Abtidon told Radio Ergo there was a likelihood of high numbers of people infected with the virus, due to the generally low levels of awareness and strong stigmatization against coming forward for voluntary testing. There are no providers of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) in the district.

Jubba officials call for further assistance to disadvantaged families

02 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 118 words
The Interim Jubba Administration officials have criticized the local non-governmental organizations for not doing enough to assist disadvantaged families in the city. Head of social services in Kismayo, Abdinasir Serar Mah said in a press conference that local NGOs have not done enough to tackle the humanitarian needs of the people in Kismayo. He added that internally displaced and disadvantaged families in the city face dire living conditions which require quick response. Mah urged the local NGOs to play their role in providing assistance to the families as he promised his administration will fully cooperate with both local and international organizations in order to provide assistance to the families.

unknown disease kills livestock in Somaliland

02 Dec- Source: Somaliland Informer- 92 words

According to news reports coming from Garbadadar near Lughaya said that the livestock in that region contracted unknown illness where many were said to have died due to the disease outbreak. Reports said that little is known about the disease that is killing the livestock in the region. Residents in the region have reported the outbreak of the disease on the ground. Somaliland ministry of livestock has come under fire following its failure to respond to the situation in order to contain the spread of the disease and dealt with the outbreak.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Somali lawmakers vote to oust Prime Minister

02 Dec- Source: Africa Review/Daily Nation/Standard- 189 words
Reports from Somalia indicate that a total of 184 out of 249 lawmakers have voted to oust Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon. The vote was the culmination of three days of heated debate and was conducted by a show of hands. Safe for the Speaker, Prof Mohamed Osman Jawari, all the other members of the House participated in the vote. “The vote against the government is valid,” declared Prof Jawari.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali prime minister voted out by lawmakers

02 Dec- Source: Reuters- 576 words

Somalia’s parliament on Monday sacked Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon, citing his government’s poor performance over the past year. The prime minister, a political newcomer appointed in October last year, fell out with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud over the composition of a new cabinet, prompting Monday’s no-confidence vote. Analysts and diplomats said a replacement must be appointed soon to end political paralysis after two decades of war and chaos in which the Horn of Africa state was carved up into clan fiefdoms and then ruled by al Shabaab militants.

Somalia Region Hit by Cyclone Urgently Needs Aid, Agencies Say

02 Dec- Source: commondreams-435 words

Over 100,000 people devastated by the recent cyclone in Somalia are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, aid agencies report. The tropical cyclone that hit the Puntland region of Somalia earlier this month resulted in the death of at least 80 people, mostly children and the elderly, and is estimated to have killed more than 100,000 livestock. Pastoralist communities appear the hardest hit. Information from affected communities was initially limited due to the remoteness of the worst affected areas. Communication was halted from the lack of electricity to charge mobile phones, which was the only method of communication. Initial assessments indicate there is an urgent need to provide food, clean drinking water, shelter and medical supplies. Families have lost their homes and possessions as floods damaged entire villages, roads and fishing boats. Fears are also emerging of an outbreak of diarrhea and other waterborne diseases as many water sources were destroyed, while others are at risk of contamination from dead livestock.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“For peaceful, developed and prosperous Somalia to be achieved the politicians should forget about the power of tribalism and think about the supremacy of unity for the sake of national reconciliation regardless of ethnic background.”

Tribal Based Politics a Great Challenge to Somalia’s Road to Recovery

02 Dec- Source: Radio Dalsan-583 Words

A political crisis that might damage the volatile security development is silently looming in Somalia a country that is gradually recovering from more than two decades of civil war. One year old government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud which has spearheaded the country out from the transition period is now battling silent political war with in. The president is facing a state of dilemma while his being pressurized to sack his own appointed prime minister by the same members of parliament that approved his appointment citing the prime minister’s incompetence for last one year in office. President Sheikh Mohamud is currently finding himself in a situation where by he is innocently pressed between two hard rocks. On one side quite number of Somali parliament members particularly those from the same tribe (Darood) as of the PM are pushing the president to show the door the Prime Minister Mr. Abdi Farah Shirdon and replace him with one of their own with the immediate effect.