June 6, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.
New polio case reported in Somalia
06 Jun- Source: Xinhua- 166 words
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the first case of polio in Somalia this year was confirmed Wednesday in the country’s Mudug region, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Thursday.
“A polio response team from Nairobi is expected to arrive to assess the situation,” Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.
“The confirmation comes as a setback to humanitarian partners,” he said. “The polio vaccination campaign of 2013, which targeted 4 million people, contained last year’s polio outbreak and was hailed as an example of providing health services in otherwise inaccessible areas.
Key Headlines
- AMISOM hands over four wells to Banadir Administration Mogadishu (AMISOM)
- Kenya opposition leader addresses hundreds of Somalis in Eastleigh (Radio Bar-kulan)
- Somali Foreign affairs minister meets his Chinese counterpart (Radio Mogadishu/Radio Goobjoog/Radio Bar-kulan)
- Somaliland Civil Society Protests ‘Ambiguous’ Counter-Terrorism Bill (Golis News/Wararkasomalia Online/Sahahi Online)
- Security Forces open torture chambers in Mogadishu (Radio Dalsan)
- Al Shabaab hits Liboi AP camp (Star-Kenya)
- Development in Somalia worst in the world: UN (SABC News)
- New polio case reported in Somalia (Xinhua)
PRESS STATEMENT
AMISOM hands over four wells to Banadir Administration, Mogadishu
06 Jun – Source: AMISOM – 270 words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), through its Humanitarian Liaison Unit, today handed over four water wells to the Banadir Administration in Mogadishu. The four wells located in Hamarweyne, Dharkenly, Wadajir and Hamaarjajab, will benefit over 260,000 households.
The construction and rehabilitation of the wells was funded by the Swedish Government and supported by AMISOM and implemented by Hadaf Humanitarian Relief Organization (HADAF), a local Non-Government Organization.
Speaking during the handover ceremony on behalf of the African Union Special Representative for Somalia Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif, AMISOM Political Officer James Gadin said the donation would uplift the living standards of the people by providing basic social services in the areas that have been recovered.
“The wells will provide affordable and reliable clean water to the residents of the Mogadishu districts” he said adding that the Civilian Component of AMISOM is complementing military and Police efforts on the ground by trying to improve the lives of the Somali people.
On his part Senior Humanitarian Liaison officer, Abdul Diagabate said that the project will greatly help improve individual as well as public health, and enable parents to spend more time working to provide for their families’ needs.
Acting Mogadishu Mayor Ismail Maalim Abdi thanked AMISOM and the Swedish Government for the continued support to the Somali people and its Government saying that the water wells will provide basic humanitarian assistance to the people of Somalia and alleviate suffering of the people.
The handover exercise was attended by Representatives from AMISOM, Acting Mayor of Mogadishu Ismail Maalim Abdi, District Commissioners from the four Districts and the representative from the local community.
President welcomes visit of the Turkish navy vessel TCG Gediz.
05 Jun- Source: Office of the President- 320 words
The President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamed, today welcomed the Turkish navy ship TCG Gediz to Somalia. He paid tribute to the significant contribution the Turkish government and people have made to aid and development initiatives in Somalia. The President acknowledged the long history of friendship between Somalia and Turkey, a relationship that began in the 16th century with ties between the Ottoman Empire and the Adel Sultanate.
“More recently, Turkey has shown remarkable support to Somalia during a time where the world seemed to have forgotten about us. The friendship and support Turkey has shown is something that will be forever cherished,” The President said.
Turkey, in partnership with the Federal Government of Somalia, has launched various development and infrastructure projects in Somalia, ranging from health and sanitation projects, including the construction of numerous hospitals, to the construction of roads and buildings, and the rehabilitation of Aden Adde International Airport. Through Turkish development assistance, more than 220,000 people have access to clean drinking water. Places of worship have also been restored, and many Somalis are currently being educated in Turkey.
The President thanked the Turkish Government for the recent donation of four coast guard boats to the Somali Armed Forces. Somalia has the longest coastline in Africa, with more than 3,000 kilometres of shore. Protecting the coastline protects Somalia’s security and economic interests and further cements the efforts Turkey has made in helping the Federal Government of Somalia to rebuild the Somali Armed Forces.
In concluding his address, The President stated, “We must promote peace in order to live in peace. In the words of the Mustafa Kamal Ataturk ,’Peace at home is peace in the country. Peace in the country, is peace in the world.’ Let us look forward together. The future is bright for us and for our children. For their sake, let us create peace together, first in our homes, and then in our nations.”
SOMALI MEDIA
Kenya opposition leader addresses hundreds of Somalis in Eastleigh
06 Jun – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 143 words
Former Kenyan Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition coalition, Raila Odinga has on Thursdayaddressed hundreds of Somalis in Eastleigh neighborhood, Nairobi.
Raila Odinga expressed concerns over Kenyan government’s treatments of the Somali communities in the country saying the Jubilee led government has detained thousands of Somalis including women, children and elderly people at Kasarani Stadium.
He said he has decided to visit Eastleigh only four days after his return to the country. Raila has recently returned from the US where he stayed in the last four months.
Eastleigh Business Community chairman, Hussein Mohamed Aar as well as some of the neighborhood’s residents welcomed the visit of the former Kenyan premier to the area.
They said that his visit will have a positive impact in their quest to bring an end to the mistreatment of the Somali communities in the country.
Somali Foreign affairs minister meets his Chinese counterpart
06 Jun- Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Goobjoog/Radio Bar-kulan-198 words
Somalia’s Foreign affairs and investment Minister Abdirahman Duale Beyle who is attending China-Arab mutual aid forum met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing on Tuesday to brief on the latest developments in the country in the fields of security, reconstruction and as well as key other programs, and requested China the implementation of a number of development projects it previously pledged for Somalia.
The minister told the media that Chinese government is ready to extend their support to Somalia by creating jobs for thousands of unemployed young professionals in the country. He said the job creation program would play a great role in the hunt for a lasting peace and solution for the long-running violence in the country.
On the other hand, the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi praised the federal government’s efforts to establish law and order in the country adding that China and Somalia have very close relations, which existed for ages. He said China is planning to increase its assistance to Somalia.
China recognized Somalia’s sovereignty on 14th of December 1960 and in return for that Somalia became a key ally that campaigned for China’s inclusion into the five super power countries of the United Nations.
Security Forces open torture chambers in Mogadishu
06 Jun- Source: Radio Dalsan- 157 words
The security forces nowadays have torture chambers in Mogadishu. These days, the number of such houses where security forces take their victims are on the rise.
Abdirizak Gurey is a Somali young man who returned from the Diaspora. Recently, he was captured in Mogadishu by the security forces and then they took him to one of those places. And in the process of interrogating him they also tortured him very badly. “They stopped my car. Then I told them that I am a businessman. One of them said they suspected me. Then they took me to a house where they tortured me,” Gurey said.
A lady who resides in the next house came out and asked them who the victim was that night and then they replied “we are torturing one stubborn man from the Diaspora. Abdirizak is currently undergoing medication in one of the hospitals in the city.
Somaliland Civil Society Protests ‘Ambiguous’ Counter-Terrorism Bill
06 Jun- Source: Golis News/Wararkasomalia Online/Sahahi Online- 154 words
Civil Society leaders in the Somaliland region have called on lawmakers to reject the draft bill on Combating and Preventing Terrorism, which they say violates human rights.
“The new law would prohibit fair trial and the right to defence, freedom of movement and freedom of association. Therefore, it violates both Somaliland’s constitution and international law,” said Mowlid Farah Muse, executive director of the Somaliland Human Rights Centre.
The cabinet approved the bill for review by the House of Representatives and House of Elders last week. In its current draft form, it grants security services sweeping powers to track phone and internet activity, empowers police to make arrests without warrants, and allows secret court hearings that exclude defendants and their representatives from attending.
“The bill is vague and ambiguous as it can be used to prosecute anyone as a terrorist,” Hargeisa lawyer Mohamed Abukar said, urging lawmakers to amend the bill before it is passed.
One dead, five wounded in Elasha Biyaha after road accident
05 Jun- Source: Radio Goobjoog-72 Words
One person died and five others sustained injuries when a bus they were travelling with collided with a lorry at Elasha Biyaha locality in the outskirts of Mogadishu, the capital. The wounded passengers were rushed to Madina hospital for treatment. Witness told Goobjoog FM that the driver of the bus was over speeding while he crashed with overloaded lorry. Somali traffic police command have not immediately given comment about the accident.
World Environment Day celebrated in Puntland, Govt calls for tree plantation
05 Jun – Source: Garowe Online – 119 words
Puntland Government in Northern Somalia has marked World Environment Day with pledges of mass plantation in the semi-arid region on Thursday, Garowe Online reports.
Speaking at a well organized event in the state capital of Garowe, Puntland’s Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism Guled Salah Barre called on residents to work for afforestation and announced that his ministry would carry out the plantation of 25,000 trees in one year.
“We are this morning celebrating World Environment Day on June 5. Also we have launched a new initiative that will lead to the plantation and greening of seven towns including Bossaso, Dhahar, Baran, Qardo, Garowe, Buhodle and Galkayo,” said Barre. “25,000 trees will be planted in each town”.
Somaliland: Security tightened at Borders with Djibouti
05 Jun – Source: Somaliland Sun – 119 words
The border point between Somaliland and Djibouti are not closed and business is as usual. This is according to the Selel regional governor Abdirizaq Waaberi Roble while media briefing in his offices in Sayla where he revealed tightened security through the introduction of stringent vehicle searches in and out of the Country.
Reporting for Dawan Newspaper reporter Saeed M Askar said the Governor also vehemently denied closure of the border point at Lowy’ado as reported by some media houses following a recent terrorist attack at a hotel in the capital of the neighbouring country.
“Apart from stringent security checks for commercial and personal cars things are running as usual at the border and movement is normal” Said Governor Waaberi.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Al Shabaab hits Liboi AP camp
06 Jun- Source: Star- Kenya- 234 words
Suspected al Shabaab militants attacked an Administration Police border post at Abdi Sugow in Liboi divisionon Wednesday. Dadaab district commissioner Alber Kimathi said fierce fire exchanges between the militants and AP officers were reported during the attack.
He said tension remains high in Abdi Sugow area. Kimathi said the militants struck at dusk and shot in the air to scare residents and security officers. “Their aim was to have the officers come out of the camps and retaliate. Our officers were clever enough and shot back at the militias from inside the camp,” he said.
Somali, Chinese Foreign Ministers meet in Beijing
05 Jun – Source: Al Shahid – 107 words
Somalia’s Foreign Minister, Abdirahman Du’ale Beyle and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi met in the Chinese capital, Beijing on Wednesday and discussed various issues concerning the two nations’ relationship.
The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing and the two officials discussed strengthening relations and cooperation between the two countries which had long time political relation.
Somali Foreign Minister stated that the government of China has pledged to support the federal government in its efforts towards peace and development in the country.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi once again reiterated his government’s commitment to the federal government of Somalia.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
New polio case reported in Somalia
06 Jun- Source: Xinhua- 166 words
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the first case of polio in Somalia this year was confirmed Wednesday in the country’s Mudug region, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Thursday.
“A polio response team from Nairobi is expected to arrive to assess the situation,” Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.
“The confirmation comes as a setback to humanitarian partners,” he said. “The polio vaccination campaign of 2013, which targeted 4 million people, contained last year’s polio outbreak and was hailed as an example of providing health services in otherwise inaccessible areas.”
Development in Somalia worst in the world: UN
06 Jun- Source: SABC News-456 Words
As the UN Support Mission in Somalia marks its one year anniversary, the organisation’s humanitarian chief has warned that security and political gains have not improved the humanitarian situation in the country.
Addressing the Security Council, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, noted that development indicators for the country remained the worst in the world while almost one million people required urgent or life-saving assistance. With the world’s attention shifted to crises elsewhere in the region, gains in Somalia have given a sense that needs on the ground have eased.
Not so, according to Amos, “Since the establishment of the Federal Government of Somalia in 2012, optimism over the expected progress in state and peace building and political and security improvements have not translated into an improvement of the humanitarian situation. And Security Council resolution 2024 in support of the joint AMISOM and Somali National Army military offensive which, resulted in military gains, has not led to a substantial improvement in the daily lives of the people of Somalia.”
Turkish warships arrive in Mogadishu
05 Jun- Source: Anatolia News Agency-287 words
Four Turkish warships on Thursday docked at the Port of Mogadishu on one-day visit to Somalia as part of its current African tour on the Indian Ocean coastline.
Welcoming the crew of the Turkish Maritime Task Group Barbaros (TMTG), Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud paid tribute to the Turkish aid and development contributions in his country.
“Turkey has shown remarkable support to Somalia during a time where the world seemed to have forgotten about us,” Mohamoud told a press conference on board of TCG Gediz frigate.
“The friendship and support Turkey has shown is something that will be forever cherished.”
Turkish Ambassador to Somalia Kani Torun, for his part, said Turkey would continue to offer aid to Somalia through Turkish agencies.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Is the new U.S. policy driven by a moral challenge to tackle poverty and conflict and to help Somalis reconstitute its statehood as articulated by Sherman? Or is it both a moral challenge and commercial interest for the Obama administration? It appears that the new U.S. Policy in Somalia quite veers from its old dual track policy, which I believe had recognized the need to work with both the central government and established and emerging regional administrations such as Puntland, Somaliland under the framework of federalism.”
The New U.S. Foreign Policy in Somalia
05 Jun- Source: Hiiraan Online-932 Words
A shift in paradigm thinking is happening in Washington. Somalia needs a more integrated policy approach that incorporates the diverse needs and aspirations of all Somalis. This is the only path to genuine and lasting peace in Somalia. An alliance with interregional powers and a few Somali intra-regional networks or agencies to coordinate humanitarian and counterterrorism efforts have proved woefully inadequate. The new U.S. policy might be a radical departure from old structures and old practices; at least given the reactions of the large Somali communities living in Somalia and the United States, the new policy was hailed by many with great enthusiasm and hope for a peaceful and prosperous Somalia.
On June 3, Wendy Sherman, the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, presented her country’s shift of foreign policy in Somalia away from the mere binary of terrorism-counterterrorism strategy. Wendy Sherman reiterated that seven out of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa. Somalia was, therefore, increasingly disadvantaged in the current global and African economy. While a seismic shift, I believe the new U.S. policy is pivoted on both regional stability and recent commercial development trends in the region.
“The first US ambassador to Somalia in decades will start off based in neighboring Kenya. Dedicating a US official to Somalia is expected to give the US more say in regional security issues.”
Better times in Somalia? US prepares to send an ambassador
05 Jun- Source: CSMonitor-508 Words
President Barack Obama will propose the first US ambassador to Somalia in 23 years in what is described as a “clear shift” in policy towards the still-struggling African nation. Somalia has long been seen as one of the world’s least stable and most violent places, made infamous in the popular movie Black Hawk Down about a 1993 US special forces mission where 18 Army Rangers were killed in one day in clan fighting in Mogadishu.
With no ambassador, the US approach to Somalia since then has been one of containment, says Abdi Aynte, head of the Heritage Institute, a Somali think tank.With the appointment of an ambassador – “soon,” according to Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman – the US seems ready to shift to engagement, Mr. Aynte says. The decision is seen as a sign of confidence that Somalia is finally stabilizing after more than two decades of internal conflict. It is “a reflection both of our deepening relationship with the country and of our faith that better times are ahead,” Ms. Sherman said at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington.
“West African terrorism has attracted renewed focus and calls for international help, and rightly so. But it’s clear that despite massive international efforts sustained over a period of years, terrorism remains alive and well on the other side of the continent as well.”
With World Focused on Boko Haram, al Shabaab Steps Up Offensive
05 Jun- Source: World Politics Review-766 Words
In late May, the Somali terrorist group al Shabaab staged two major attacks on the same Saturday, striking Mogadishu’s parliament building as well as pulling off the first-ever suicide attack in neighboring Djibouti. In one day, the group demonstrated not only its continuing ability to strike the heavily defended heart of the Somali capital, but also to reach new targets.
The attacks, which killed at least 10 people in Somalia and at least three in Djibouti, occurred after weeks of sustained global focus on Nigeria’s Boko Haram, which kidnapped some 276 schoolgirls in mid-April. They raised the question of whether, amid international preoccupation with West Africa’s terrorism problem, al Shabaab has been able to make gains in East Africa.
Since 2010, a combination of Somali government troops and regional forces under the auspices of the African Union Assistance Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) have inflicted heavy casualties on the al Shabaab. International and government forces have also managed to retake strategic ground from al Shabaab’s control, including the capital Mogadishu and the port city of Kismayo, where the group had an important base and fundraising operation.
Top tweets
@AwaleHowle #Turkey has shown remarkable support to#Somalia during a time where th world seemed to have forgotten about us” Pr.H pic.twitter.com/WXMrmVRE1M
@Telmar_en Soma completes offshore Somalia survey: Soma Oil & Gas Exploration Limited, the Somalia focu…http://bit.ly/TkWAZO #TELMAR #offshore
@OCHASom It’s #FollowFriday: For key statistics and information on health, emergencies and response in #Somaliafollow @WHOsom
@OxfamInSOM Picture of the day: Young woman relaxing in#Mogadishu. #Oxfam #Somalia #change Read more:http://on.fb.me/1jYMumL pic.twitter.com/vrd4zEPiTl
@amisomsomalia PHOTOS: #AMISOM donates four wells that will benefit over 260,000 households #Somaliahttp://bit.ly/1hBlVtI pic.twitter.com/Wazbw1IyCH
Image of the day
A Mogadishu official tastes the water at a new well donated by the African Union Mission in Somalia in front of local journalists in the country’s capital on June 6. Photo: AMISOM/ Tobin Jones