October 27, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Speaker Jawari says the country has the capacity to resolve the rift between the President and PM

26 Oct – Source: Radio RBC /Radio Muqdisho- 183 Words

Somalia’s Parliament Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari has expressed his concern on the new political in-fight between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed.

Speaking to the reporters inside Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport, Speaker Jawari said the country’s laws are enough to resolve the new constitutional crisis that emerged between the offices of the President and the Prime Minister. “I hope at this stage that there will no need to transport our differences to foreign capitals.” the Speaker told local reporters before he departed to Baidoa.

He reiterated that he shared the worries of the public that the new in-fighting risks taking the country back into turmoil and hinder the expected elections in 2016. His comments came hours after President Mohamud rejected a minor cabinet reshuffle made by the Prime Minister Ahmed in which he replaced several ministers of President’s aides from their positions early on Saturday.

In a decree signed by the President later on Saturday, Mr Mohamud termed the reshuffle as “unconstitutional” and that the Prime Minister did the move without any consultations with the president.

Key Headlines

The country is ready for foreign direct investment says government minister (Radio RBC)
Statement from the House of the People of the Federal Republic of Somalia (Radio Goobjoog)
Somali Parliament approves fishing law (Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Muqdisho)
Finland and Somalia Discuss Cooperation (Radio Dalsan/Radio Muqdisho)
Speaker Jawari says the country has the capacity to resolve the rift between the President and PM (Radio RBC /Radio Muqdisho)
Puntland administration ready to work out the rift between the top leaders (Radio Goob Joog /Horseed media)
UN Ban Ki-moon announces $8 Billion in new funding to Horn of Africa (Radio Goobjoog/Mareeg media)
Lack of support for Cardiff users claim after khat ban (BBC.com)
Refugees may become citizens under new law (The star)
Mandera floods divide town kill three residents (The star )
U.S. State Dept. Updates Somalia Travel Warning Oct 24 2014 .
Somalia: cutting through the sinews of war (Al Jazeera)
UN chief to visit Horn of Africa (AFP)

SOMALI MEDIA

The country is ready for foreign direct investment says government minister

27 Oct – Source: Radio RBC – 248 Words

Somalia is now open for foreign direct investment following the end of the successful conference of the country’s oil and gas in London last week which highlighted the potential deposit of the untapped natural resources of the horn of African nation.

The Somalia Investment Conference in London a two day conference took place on 20th October 2014 was intended to “convince companies and the international community to invest in the development of Somalia natural wealth in areas such as oil & gas.” Mr Dhuhulow said. There were two separate conferences; one for African countries and how to invest the continent in terms of Oil & Gas and the other conference was focused particularly on Somalia.

The aim of the latter conference was to highlight the potential of Somalia’s natural resources and to demonstrate that Somalia is ready for investment. The Minister of Water and Energy led the Somali delegation while the former President of Nigeria chaired the African conference.

The William Hague, the Leader of the House of Commons, stated that there is an opportunity to invest in Somalia that requires investing companies to prioritize their activities so that the people of Somalia benefit from the revival of the country’s economy.

Robert Sheppard, CEO of Soma Oil & Gas, who organized the Somalia conference, stated that they have been working with the Federal Government of Somalia over the last year in order to develop Somalia’s natural resources, in particular Oil & Gas.”

Statement from the House of the People of the Federal Republic of Somalia

27 Oct – Source: Radio Goobjoog/Mareeg media/Jowhar.com – 181 Words

The House of the People of the Federal Republic of Somalia, reassures the people of Somalia and its international partner’s that it is firmly determined to deliver the common legislative agenda agreed between the Parliament and the Council of Ministers.

In addition, The House of the People shall implement its action plan for the fifth session as scheduled, including the enactment of priority legislations such as the National Electoral Independent Commission (NEIC), Boundaries and Federalism Commission (BFC), political party laws, and the establishment of key institutions that will lead the country to a free and democratic election in 2016 through continued collaboration with the Council of Ministers.

The past year has clearly demonstrated difficulty involving security and political challenges; nonetheless we’ve been steadfast in our determination and have made significant progress with the help and contribution of our international partners. Thus, the HoP is confident that any dispute or differences of opinion can be resolved within the federal government institutions and in accordance to the provision of the governing laws of the country without any setbacks to the day-to-day affairs of the state.

Somali Parliament approves fishing law

25 Oct – Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Muqdisho – 90 Words

Members of Somali national assembly have today unanimously passed fishing law that was drafted and tabled in the house by the ministry fisheries and national resources.
According to the first deputy speaker of the Somali national assembly Jeylani Nur Ikar, 140 members voted for the bill, 2 voted against and 2 other members abstained thus law was adopted.

If the implemented, the new law is expected to reduce the illegal fishing by foreign fishing boats along Somali territorial waters that has taken place since the breakout of the civil war two decades ago.

Finland and Somalia Discuss Cooperation

25 Oct – Source: Radio Dalsan/Radio Muqdisho – 144 Words

The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mahdi Mohamed Salaad is in Finland where he met with the Finish Foreign Affairs Minister in the capital city of that country Helsinki, a member of Finnish parliament and the Finnish Envoy to Somalia.

Mahdi Mohamed Salaad detailed for them the current situation of Somalia and the developments the federal government is doing in terms of security, good governance and the fight against terror. Hon. Mahdi also delivered a speech at a Finnish parliamentary meeting where he discussed the political strategy of the federal government of Somalia and the Vision 2016. In Finland, Hon. Mahdi also met with Finish development agencies and he requested them to implement development projects in Somalia.

Hon. Mahdi also met with the Somali Community in Finland and he requested them to take part in the development of the country by investing in it.

Speaker Jawari says the country has the capacity to resolve the rift between the President and PM

26 Oct – Source: Radio RBC /Radio Muqdisho- 183 Words

Somalia’s Parliament Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari has expressed his concern on the new political in-fight between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed.

In a decree signed by the President later on Saturday, Mr Mohamud termed the reshuffle as “unconstitutional” and that the Prime Minister did the move without any consultations with the president.

Puntland administration ready to work out the rift between the top leaders

27 Oct – Source: Radio Goob Joog /Horseed media – 186 Words

The cabinet ministers of semi autonomous regional state of Puntland held a meeting in Garowe last night. The meeting chaired by the vice president of Puntland vice president Abdihakim camey focused on the simplest way of solving the rift between Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime minister of federal government of Somalia that has started after the reshuffle of the cabinet.

After intense debate that has taken hours on the issue Puntland cabinet issued statement comprising which urged the government in Mogadishu to solve the rift between the top leaders of Somalia in line with the provincial constitution of the country. The cabinet also urged the leaders to show compromise for the general interest of Somali people and end the difference through dialogue. they aslo called the international community to play their part actively to immediately end the rift between the top leaders.

The administration of Puntland also expressed their willingness to take part the efforts of resolving the disparity between the leaders. The ministers also called the public to protect the stability of the country and refrain from anything that harm the security and unity of the people.

Minister Faarah: the wrong people should not be allowed to work on judicial matters

27 Oct – Source: Radio Dalsan – 175 Words

The Minister for Judicial and Constitutional Affairs who was a couple of days ago nominated by the PM to be the Minister for Livestock and Wildlife in a reshuffle that turned out to to be controversial closed a training ceremony in which 25 civil servants from the Justice Ministry participated.

The training whose closing ceremony was held yesterday in the premises of the Justice Ministry in Mogadishu. The minister discussed a lot about the efforts being done to restructure the judicial matters. He also mentioned that some development was done in the plan of constitutional review. He also said that the wrong people should not be allowed to work on judicial matters.

He encouraged the participants to make use of what they have learnt from the training and to be better servants for the nation. He handed in the certificate of participation to the trainees. Minister Faarah has ignored the reshuffle the PM did a couple of days ago and continues with his work in the Justice Ministry as usual.

UN Ban Ki-moon Announces $8 Billion in new funding to Horn of Africa

27 Oct – Source: Radio Goobjoog/Mareeg media – 335 Words

Starting a tour of the Horn of Africa, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday in Ethiopia announced $8 billion in funding for Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda.

“The countries of the Horn of Africa are making important yet unheralded progress in economic growth and political stability. Now is a crucial moment to support those efforts, end the cycles of conflict and poverty, and move from fragility to sustainability. The UN is joining with other global and regional leaders to ensure a coherent and coordinated approach towards peace, security and development in the Horn of Africa,” Ban Ki-Moon said.

Among those accompanying UN Secretary General in his tour is World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, as well as the President of the Islamic Development Bank Group and high level representatives of the African Union Commission, the European Union, the African Development Bank, and Intergovernmental Agency for Development (IGAD).
On the first day of the joint trip on Monday, the World Bank pledged $1.8 billion for cross-border activities in a Horn of Africa Initiative intended to boost economic growth and opportunity, reduce poverty, and spur business activity.

The African Development Bank announced a pledge of $1.8 billion over the next three years for countries of the Horn of Africa region, while the Islamic Development Bank committed to deploy up to $1 billion in new financing in its four member countries in the Horn of Africa: Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.
“Our efforts to create peace and stability must be reinforced by investments in the peoples and countries of the Horn,” African Union Commission Deputy Chairperson, Erastus Mwencha said.

The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in Northeast Africa, home to roughly 100 million people. It is one of the most food-insecure regions in the world, according to UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Five out of the region’s eight countries – South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, Ethipoia and Eritrea – are currently in the state of internal or external conflict.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Refugees may become citizens under new law

27 Oct – Source: The star – 320 Words

Refugees in Kenya can apply and be granted citizenship, if a proposed law is passed and adopted. The law being drafted by the Department of Refugee Affairs will replace the Refugee Act of 2006, which the government said has failed to address refugee issues adequately. The bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament before the end of the year.
The DRA commissioner Harun Komen said the bill considers granting citizenship to refugees who have stayed in the country for at least five years upon applying.

A refugee who marries a Kenyan citizen will also be considered for citizenship, according to the draft bill that is currently under review by stakeholders. Some refugees have lived in Kenya for more than two decades. Komen also said that Kenya is also putting in place a proper national asylum policy which will provide input to the proposed refugee law. “We found that the Refugee Act 2006 had loopholes and we hope the law will address some of those,” he said.

The new law includes a provision to allow refugees to live in urban areas. “This is subject to special reasons such as attending school or for health reasons,” Komen said yesterday.

Mandera floods divide town, kill three residents

27 Oct – Source: The star – 264 Words

Three people have drowned in Mandera as they tried to cross a river that passes through the middle of the town. The seasonal river is a tributary of River Daua. It burst its banks after a heavy downpour on Thursday. “I saw residents retrieve two bodies but the government is doing nothing to assist,” resident Abdnasir Abdi said. Transport in the town and its outskirts has been paralysed since Thursday afternoon. Governor Ali Roba cannot access his office because of the floods. Many residents said this “will make him understand their problems”.

“This stream has been here since 1963 but no politician has taken the initiative to built a bridge,” said taxi driver Rashid Mohamed. Area meteorological services director Japheth Otieno urged residents to be cautious. He said the floods, caused by heavy rains in the Somalia and Ethiopian highlands, are likely to continue.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Lack of support for Cardiff users claim after khat ban

27 Oct – Source: BBC.com – 510 Words

Not enough support is being provided to users of a banned substance called khat, members of Cardiff’s Somali community have said. The plant, popular in Somali and Yemeni communities, has a stimulant effect when chewed, but it can lead to mental health issues. It was criminalised as a class C drug by the UK government in June. Cardiff and Vale health board said it was still in the process of rolling out support for users.

The UK government classified it as a drug to prevent Britain becoming a hub for khat smuggling to countries where it is banned. Before the ban, around 2,560 tonnes of khat was imported to the UK every year, with a benefit to the Treasury of £2.5m in taxes. The ban had been supported by many Somali and Yemeni women who said the habit was detrimental to family life and relationships. There was also concern about the impact on the mental health of users as the effects of the leaf included psychosis and hallucinations. Some users had been admitted to hospital as a result.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“After such a destructive civil war, the only thing that Somalis from North to South and from East to West fully agree is that there is no space for another unitary centralized system of government for their homeland. They are also unanimous that a decentralized administration could be a good option for Somalia.”

Somalia’s Federal Governance: progress and challenges

24 Oct – Source: RBC.com – 2024 Words

Somalia, the horn of Africa, country with the longest shoreline, the beautiful land of pastoralists and farmers with an enjoyable year-long warm weather, became a failed state after thirty years of independence. The stateless status persisted for almost a quarter of a century, with incalculable loss of lives and capital. Civil war, internal and external displacement of entire communities, devastating recurrent famine seasons and ruthless terrorist activities rendered Somalia a unique place whose initial collapse was a shock and its final successful back to the international arena as a member state was a sigh of relief.

After such a destructive civil war, the only thing that Somalis from North to South and from East to West fully agree is that there is no space for another unitary centralized system of government for their homeland. They are also unanimous that a decentralized administration could be a good option for Somalia.

The Federal name was chosen because federalism was more familiar to the people of Somalia for a long time, having been the dream of Hisbiya Dastuur Mustaqil – one of the pre-independence political parties of the country more than sixty years before. It is also possible that the newly established Ethiopian federation had inspired the Somali politicians of the civil war era to follow their example.

Twin Cities band Taleex raises voices for Somali pride

26 Oct – Source: Star Tribune – 660 Words

Something beyond the typical Halloween festivities will occur Friday night at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. There will be costumes of a sort — flowing robes on the women, uniform shirts and ties on the men.

But when the Taleex Band raises its voices for some Somali music that blends tradition and modernity, the result will be the opposite of scary. “The message and the melody are both very important in our music,” said Farhan Hussein, one of many singers in the lineup. “It is about love and caring and how you treat others. Our most popular songs are about the equality of love.”

One of only a few Somali music ensembles in the United States, the Taleex Band usually comprises nine or 10 vocalists, divided almost equally along gender lines, backed by a three-piece band. But Friday’s gig — which is free and open to the public — is an especially ambitious affair.

Top tweets

@WakeUpPHCity Somalia: UN Security Council Moves to Enforce Somalia Arms, Charcoal Embargoeshttp://dlvr.it/7KmJpP #Africa via @wakeupphcity

@Rooble2009 UN authorises ship inspections near Somalianews24.com/Africa/News/UN-a #Maritime #Somalia

@somaligov #Somalia: Parliament Speaker H.E. Prof. Mohamed Sheikh Osman said clearly that the Parliament resolved another conflict like this before.

@Somalia111 Oct 25Another cruel bombing in #Mogadishutoday. Sad & senseless attack on men, women & children.#Somalia deserves better than this.

‏@lasoco Refugees in Kenya may become citizens under new law http://j.mp/1DjaV8R #Somalia

@AllanOdhiambo Lenders pledge $8bn to #Kenya, #Somalia,#Ethiopia, #Eritrea, #Djibouti, #Uganda, Sudan & South Sudan to boost growth.

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Image of the day

Members of Puntland’s Parliament attend the opening ceremony of the 34th Session of Parliament

Photo credit: UNSOM