December 2, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

PM Abdi-wali to face ‘no confidence’ vote

1 Dec – Source: Somali Current – 156 words

A debate on whether to sack Somalia Prime Minister or to remain in office is scheduled for Tuesday December 2 in Mogadishu. The Speaker of the Somali Parliament, Mohamed Sheikh Osman said the motion will be tabled on Tuesday after two upsetting parliament sessions were held in the capital in November. A press statement from the speaker’s office warned against any violation in the upcoming session. “I want to bear out that our institutions are mature to solve current political turmoil with in the parliament and the Somali government heads. Our lawmakers are ready to defend the people’s eminence and the session “the speaker said. Somalia premier Abdi-wali Shekh Ahmed has termed the motion against him as an obstacle to government’s vision in 2016. The embattled Somali leaders fell out over cabinet reshuffle made by the PM, which raided a close ally to President Hassan.

Key Headlines

Hundreds of disables blame federal government of failing to give rightful care (Radio Goobjoog/Radio Mustaqbal)
PM Abdi-wali to face ‘no confidence’ vote (Somali Current)
Government and EU re-open renovated school in Mogadishu (Radio Goobjoog/Radio Muqdisho/Radio Mustaqbal)
Somaliland police disperse angry protesters (Radio Bar-kulan)
A delegation from Arab League visits Mogadishu (Radio Mustaqbal)
Sharif Hassan welcomed in Baidoa (Radio Bar-kulan)
Somalia leader against KDF withdrawal (Star)
Police investigating claims of child who hurled grenade injuring a man in Garissa (Standard Media)
MP opposes KDF pullout (Star)
Pirate gangs still holding 30 captives in Gulf of Aden (Xinhua/Globalpost.com)
The man changing the world of remittances (BBC.com)

SOMALI MEDIA

Hundreds of disables blame federal government of failing to give rightful care

1 Dec – Source: Radio Goobjoog/Radio Mustaqbal – 139 words

Hundreds of disables took to the streets of Mogadishu earlier today to protest against lack of care and welfare from the federal government. They gathered in front of interior and federalism office in Mogadishu. Some of the protesters who spoke to Goobjoog FM stated that the government has ignored to give them proper care adding that they in desperate need not access to basic services. “The federal government normally promises to take care of the disabled in the country particularly Mogadishu but nothing is forthcoming” one of the protestors said. “ We are tired of empty promises, so we urge the government to fulfill its obligation upon us” he added. The disables say the relief food delivered by humanitarian aid agencies don’t reach them often so they asked the federal government to give proper explanation to why it happens.

PM Abdi-wali to face ‘no confidence’ vote

1 Dec – Source: Somali Current – 156 words

A debate on whether to sack Somalia Prime Minister or to remain in office is scheduled for December 2 in Mogadishu. The Speaker of the Somali Parliament, Mohamed Sheikh Osman said the motion will be tabled on Tuesday after two upsetting parliament sessions were held in the capital in November. A press statement from the speaker’s office warned against any violation in the upcoming session. “I want to bear out that our institutions are mature to solve current political turmoil with in the parliament and the Somali government heads. Our lawmakers are ready to defend the people’s eminence and the session “the speaker said. Somalia premier Abdi-wali Shekh Ahmed has termed the motion against him as an obstacle to government’s vision in 2016. The embattled Somali leaders fell out over cabinet reshuffle made by the PM, which raided a close ally to President Hassan.

Government and EU re-open renovated school in Mogadishu

1 Dec – Source: Radio Goobjoog/Radio Muqdisho/Radio Mustaqbal – 201 words

Education Minister of federal government of Somalia Issa Mohamed Ahmed Guraase and EU envoy to Somalia Michele Cervone d’Urso have on Monday jointly opened a renovated School in Abdiaziz district. The Renovation of the school was implemented by European Union and its re-opening is part of the federal government’s plans to revive the former education system and institutions in the country that were devastated by the civil war.

Education Minister Mr. Guraase encouraged the students to work hard and take advantage of the opportunities in hand, he added that the federal government is making tireless efforts to improve the level of education. Immediately after opening of the school,the normal lessons started, the federal government of Somalia launched “Go 2 School Initiative” that will run from 2013 to 2016, with the initial goal of enrolling one million students in the first year. To improve the numbers of students and the level of education in the country the government with the help of its partners renovated and re-opened many public schools in the capital, it started offering free education to thousands of students who hail from poverty stricken families.

Somaliland police disperse angry protesters

1 Dec – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 109 words

Somaliland police have dispersed protesters when shots were fired in the air. The protesters were demonstrating against the arrest of former Borama local government chairman Abdirahman Shide Bile. The police who declined to comment on the reason behind the arrest of Mr. Abdirahman on Sunday have also detained two journalists covering the demonstration and confiscated their equipments. No casualties were reported as the result of the police action on the angry demonstrators. The family of Mr. Abdirahman has told Bar-Kulan that they were not informed about the main reason behind his arrest and their looking forward to his release. Abdirahman Shide Bile was the chairman of Borama local government from 2005 to 2012.

A delegation from Arab League visit Mogadishu

1 Dec – Source: Radio Mustaqbal – 99 words

An Arab league delegation led by the Kuwaiti assistant minister for foreign affairs today arrived in Mogadishu, the capital to pave the way for a high level delegation from the Arab league that will soon visit the country. According to sources, they will meet federal government officials where they are expected to discuss wide range of issues among them ways in which the Arab league can support Somalia especially strengthening the country’s developing economy and improving security. Somalia’s foreign affairs minister Abdirahman Duale Beyle among other officials welcomed the delegates at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde airport.

Sharif Hassan welcomed in Baidoa

1 Dec – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 108 words

The recently elected president of South Western regional state f Somalia, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan has received hero welcome in Baidoa today. Sharif Hassan who was in the Somali capital Mogadishu for work was accompanied by the governors of lower Shabelle and Bakol which make up the larger south western regional state. Sharif Hassan who spoke to the media in Baidoa has thanked the residents of Baidoa and those who organized his hero welcome saying he will embark the formation of his government as soon as possible. Former Somali speaker and member of Somali parliament was elected mid last month in Baidoa by delegates on an interim basis.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Somalia leader against KDF withdrawal

1 Dec – Source: Star – 330 words

SOMALIA’S opposition party has opposed calls for the withdrawal of Kenya troops from Somalia. Abdullahi Baadiyow, leader of Somalia’s National Unity Party, says the al Shabaab terror group poses a grave danger not only in Somalia but the entire region. Speaking in Mombasa after meeting the Somali community on Saturday, Baadiyow said withdrawing is a sign of defeat and will provide a safe haven for al Shabaab to recruit and strengthen its activities. “Al Shabaab its still strong and not weakened as others claim,” Baadiyow said.

He said al Shabaab is getting marginally weaker through losing territory it directly administers due to the ongoing Amisom operation. Baadiyow said al Shabaab has been tactically withdrawing from towns to preserve its number of militants. “The militants have not been captured and their armoury remains intact. The fighters only melted into towns and the outskirts and they continue to carry out attacks outside liberated towns,” he said. Baadiyow said the al Shabaab still control the outskirts of Kismayu, where they have imposed double taxation on goods imported and exported through the seaport.

Police investigating claims of child who hurled grenade injuring a man in Garissa

1 Dec – Source: Standard Media – 341 words

Police are investigating claims a child hurled a hand grenade that injured a man in Garissa Town Sundaynight. The man was injured in the hand when the child who is suspected to be a follower of Al-Shabaab militant group threw a grenade at a group of residents in Bula Punda area, Garissa Town. Police and witnesses say the grenade was thrown by a child who was angered by the man’s behaviour of talking on mobile phone loudly. According to North Eastern regional CID boss Musa Yego, the attacker was a child. He said the victim told them the attacker was angered by his mode of talking. “We want to know if it is true the attacker was a child and how he got the explosive. He threw it as some of the residents tried to inquire what he was hiding under his clothes,” said Yego.

MP opposes KDF pullout

1 Dec – Source: Star – 156 words

AN MP has opposed calls for withdrawal of the Kenya Defence Forces from Somalia. Yatta MP Francis Mwangangi said withdrawing the KDF from Somalia will not solve insecurity in the country. “The war against the al Shabaab militia in Somalia should not be taken as an excuse for the deteriorating security in our country,” he said. Mwangangi was speaking on Saturday at the burial of Flomena Mbeke in Kilango, Matuu location. He said the government has responsibility of ensuring the security of its citizens. “The fact that our forces are in Somalia should not be used by the government as an excuse not to provide security to Kenyans,” Mwangangi said. He said withdrawing KDF from Somalia will be tantamount to running away from the crisis. Mwangangi said securing Somalia is a key priority in fighting terrorism. “We must first ensure Somalia is safe and stable and if we are to be safe in Kenya,” he said.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Pirate gangs still holding 30 captives in Gulf of Aden

1 Dec – Source: Xinhua/Globalpost.com – 187 words

Pirate gangs in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia are still holding 30 hostages in illegal captivity, the New Zealand navy officer who has just ended command of a multinational anti-piracy task force said Monday. Commodore Tony Millar, who had commanded the Combined Maritime Task Force’s Counter-Piracy Task Force 151 (CTF151) since August, said the number of hostages had fallen from more than 700 “a few years ago.”

The man changing the world of remittances

1 Dec – Source: BBC.com.- 1099 words

In the years following the attacks of 11 September 2001, it is not surprising that Western security forces and authorities clamped down hard on the money transfer industry. Fearful that some remittances being sent to countries in eastern Africa, the Middle East and South Asia could be being used to fund terrorist activities, a number of smaller money transfer companies were shut down. While completely understandable from a security point of view, the knock-on effect was that many innocent people in places such as Somalia suddenly found that it was much more difficult to receive vital funds from expat relatives living in the West.

This was money they needed to put food on the table, or clothe their children, or keep a roof above their heads. One man who was increasingly aware of the problem was Ismail Ahmed. He was born and raised in Somaliland, the autonomous northern part of Somalia, before being educated in the UK after winning a World Bank scholarship. In his early 30s at the time, Mr Ahmed was an expert in remittances and the money transfer industry, having focused on the subjects while doing a PhD in development economics at Imperial College in London.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“The overwhelming majority of Parliament has forwarded a motion to a vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister and his government. However, a vocal minority supporting the Prime Minister has continued to interrupt proceedings. “

Somali Parliament: where the minority rules

30 Nov – Source:Jowhar.com – 156 words

There is currently a power conflict brewing between Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. This dynamic is not a particularly unique one between these two individuals. In fact, over the past 10 years, there have been four presidents and 11 prime ministers in the Somali federal government. Within each of these administrations there have existed problems regarding governmental power dynamics.

These issues can be traced back to one particular source: the Somali Constitution. The Constitution exists in ambiguity, as it does not clearly outline the power distinctions between the Offices of the President and the Prime Minister. Therefore the historical contention between the two offices stems from an uncertainty about the parameters of each office’s reach. In this ambiguity, there exists the possibility of conflict. This is why the current Somali political problem extends beyond Prime Minister Ahmed and President Mohamud: it is ingrained in the Constitution.