December 26, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Sharmarke takes office as third PM
26 Dec – Source: Garowe Online – 355 Words
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, the former Somali Ambassador to the United States, has taken office for the second time as the third Prime Minister under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s incumbency in two years on Thursday, Garowe Online reports. Sharmarke received the oath from his predecessor Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed, with President Mohamud and acting cabinet ministers present. Mohamed wished successor Sharmarke well, unveiling that the new Prime Minister would take advantage of the past experiences in governance.
The outgoing prime minister briefed the crowd at the ceremony on the achievements of his government, and the challenges that have been facing the war-torn country. Meanwhile, Somalia’s incoming prime minister hailed the work being done by Mohamed as remarkable and pledged that he will be forming a new cabinet in the coming days. Speaking at the event, President Mohamud commended Mohamed for a tremendous job during his tenure. On December 17, following a month-long political infighting and the subsequent ouster of Abdiweli in parliamentary no confidence vote, Somalia President named the career diplomat to the premiership.
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke is a Somali-Canadian diplomat, from a privileged background, and is the son of former president and prime minister, Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke who was assassinated by his bodyguard in Sool regional capital of Lasanod on October 15, 1969 during a visit to drought-stricken regions in northern Somalia. Before taking on a diplomatic post as Somali ambassador to the United States in 2009, interim President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed cherry-picked Sharmarke for premiership.
He is the son of Ruqia, the daughter of renowned Islamic scholar Dahir Ali Boss. Sharmarke graduated with BA in Economics from Somali National University (SNU), and subsequently studied at Carleton University in Ottawa, earning BA in Political science and MA in Political Economics. On September 21, 2010, the Somali envoy to the US left his top political job after bitter between him and President Ahmed. In July 2014, President Mohamud named him Somalia’s first ambassador to the United States in 20 years. In contrast to his predecessors, he will not be a novice in Somali politics.
Key Headlines
- Sharmarke takes office as third PM (Garowe Online)
- More than 600 students graduate from Plasma University (Radio Goobjoog)
- Somali mosque attacked in Sweden (Dalsan Radio)
- The speaker: in every kilometer of Somalia there is an orphan (Radio Goobjoog)
- Al-Shabaab forcefully takes livestock under ruse of zakat (Sabahi Online)
- Somali rebels say they killed 14 in attack on AU base (Reuters)
- Former employees accuse Hertz of harassment and discrimination in Minnesota lawsuit (Star Tribune)
SOMALI MEDIA
More than 600 students graduate from Plasma University
26 Dec – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 284 Words
A vibrant graduation ceremony held at Plasma University in Mogadishu was attended by the outgoing youth and sports minister Khalid Omar Ali, the outgoing higher education minister Duale Aden Mohamed , hundreds of students and representatives from all parties of the society. There were more than 670 undergraduates who came for their Bachelor degrees after completing four years of university studies.
Hassan Kafi, the rector of Plasma University, congratulated the students who reached their targets, adding that Plasma University is ready to educate youth in order to catch up with their similar generations in other parts of the world, and also fill the gap of the lost generation during the civil war. Director of the national broadcaster, Abdirahman Sheikh Yusuf, also one of the graduates speaking on behalf of graduating students urged all the students to learn as the current situation in the country cannot be solved by unlearned youth.
The outgoing minister for youth and sports, Dr. Khalid Omar Ali, addressing the ceremony pointed out the need for additional learning institutions and universities. The outgoing minister for higher education, Mr Duale Aden Mohamed, who concluded the ceremony, congratulated the graduating students and added that it is a pleasure to see a large number of students graduating from universities within the city. This comes at a time when more universities are opening up in the country due to the stability, and more youth are going to the educational centers, but quality of education still remains a challenge.
Sharmarke takes office as third PM
26 Dec – Source: Garowe Online – 355 Words
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, the former Somali Ambassador to the United States, has taken office for the second time as the third Prime Minister under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s incumbency in two yearson Thursday, Garowe Online reports. Sharmarke received the oath from his predecessor Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed, with President Mohamud and acting cabinet ministers present. Mohamed wished successor Sharmarke well, unveiling that the new Prime Minister would take advantage of the past experiences in governance.
The outgoing prime minister briefed the crowd at the ceremony on the achievements of his government, and the challenges that have been facing the war-torn country. Meanwhile, Somalia’s incoming prime minister hailed the work being done by Mohamed as remarkable and pledged that he will be forming a new cabinet in the coming days. Speaking at the event, President Mohamud commended Mohamed for a tremendous job during his tenure. On December 17, following a month-long political infighting and the subsequent ouster of Abdiweli in parliamentary no confidence vote, Somalia President named the career diplomat to the premiership.
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke is a Somali-Canadian diplomat, from a privileged background, and is the son of former president and prime minister, Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke who was assassinated by his bodyguard in Sool regional capital of Lasanod on October 15, 1969 during a visit to drought-stricken regions in northern Somalia. Before taking on a diplomatic post as Somali ambassador to the United States in 2009, interim President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed cherry-picked Sharmarke for premiership.
He is the son of Ruqia, the daughter of renowned Islamic scholar Dahir Ali Boss. Sharmarke graduated with BA in Economics from Somali National University (SNU), and subsequently studied at Carleton University in Ottawa, earning BA in Political science and MA in Political Economics. On September 21, 2010, the Somali envoy to the US left his top political job after bitter between him and President Ahmed. In July 2014, President Mohamud named him Somalia’s first ambassador to the United States in 20 years. In contrast to his predecessors, he will not be a novice in Somali politics.
Somali mosque attacked in Sweden
26 Dec – Source: Dalsan Radio – 127 Words
Police said between 15 and 20 people were in the mosque in the Swedish town of Eskilstuna, when a fire broke out at around noon on Thursday. Five people were injured in the fire; two were treated for smoke inhalation, and two suffered lacerations. Police said they were treating the fire as an arson attack. Several nearby apartments were forced to evacuate for safety. A witness said he saw someone throw an object through the window of the building, which serves as a mosque, after which a violent fire began, Swedish police spokesman Lars Franzell said. The mosque is used primarily by Somali Muslims in the town, according to the KNA news agency. Eskilstuna is located about 90 kilometers (56 miles) west of the capital city, Stockholm.
The speaker: In every kilometer of Somalia there is an orphan
25 Dec – Sources: Radio Goobjoog – 221 Words
The Speaker of the Federal Parliament of Somalia, Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawaari, attended a drama festival presented by orphans funded by the Qatari Charity on 25 December. The speaker said that the statistics presented by the organizers noted that there are 630,000 orphans living in Somalia which indicates that in every kilometer of the country, there is an orphan. Somalia has an area of 637000 km2.
Jawaari said that the government is responsible for the welfare of orphans in the country, article 28 and 29 of the constitution stipulate the responsibility of the government towards orphans and he promised to strengthen those points. “Our Prophet PBUH said, ‘whoever brings up orphans, his/her paradise is ready and would neighbor with me in the paradise,” said Mr. Jawaari.
Mr. Jawaari said that the Koran mentions orphans about 23 times, therefore he called on people with means to help orphans. Mr. Jawaari told the children that most of the leaders in the history of the world were orphans, especially in the history of the Somali Air Force– leaders who were brought up in anorphanage called Ofantoore Miskiine. “An orphan is the one who an illiterate, but person who is educated is not an orphan, only that his father has died,” said Mr. Jawaari.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Al-Shabaab forcefully takes livestock under ruse of zakat
25 Dec – Source: Sabahi Online – 704 Words
Al-Shabaab says it collected $9 million worth of livestock as annual alms from residents in 2014, but religious leaders and residents say the animals were looted and the group’s methods are contrary to Islam. In a video released online last week, the militant group said it collected 6,500 camels, 100,000 goats and 2,500 cattle as annual alms to distribute to people who are suffering from drought in southern and central Somalia, but residents in those areas say they received no such donations. Sheikh Omar Abdulkadir, chairman of Ahlu Sunna wal Jamaa’s ruling council, said the wayal-Shabaab collected livestock from the public disguised as zakat was wrong and contrary to Islamic law. “They looted people’s property by force,” Abdulkadir told Sabahi.
“It is not legal within Islamic law and it is not zakat, but property that was forcefully taken.” “It is similar to when they kill Muslims and then say, ‘God is great’ and ‘Thank God’. This is one of those things that can make one leave Islam,” he said. Abdulkadir urged the Somali people not to be misled by al-Shabaab’s recent video by thinking the livestock shown was collected lawfully. Sheikh Ahmed Sheikh Dahir, who teaches a Qur’anic school in Mogadishu’s Hamarweyne district, told Sabahi that al-Shabaab continues to encourage the looting of people’s property, which is clearly against the teachings of Islam. “Distorting Islamic teaching is one of those things the public has come to expect from the al-Shabaab extremist group,” he said. “But as scholars who have a deep understanding of the religion of Islam, we want to make it clear to al-Shabaab and anyone else who thinks like them that all of the livestock al-Shabaab has forcefully taken from the public cannot be called zakat.”
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali rebels say they killed 14 in attack on AU base
26 Dec – Source: Reuters – 222 Words
Somali Islamist militants al Shabaab attacked the main African Union peacekeeping base in the capital Mogadishu on Thursday, killing 14 people, a spokesman for the group said. There were conflicting reports about how many have died in the attack which has now lasted for several hours. In the past, al Shabaab has exaggerated numbers while officials have played down losses. “Our fighters have entered AU’s Halane base by force through the gate and now fighting is going on inside the base,” the spokesman said, adding 14 of the AU contingent had been killed.
AU spokesman Colonel Ali Houmed said it would provide an update later in the day on possible casualties and fatalities among AU troops but added that three al Shabaab gunmen have been killed and AU troops were seeking to overpower another three. “They are hiding and we know where they are. We are surrounding them,” said Houmed, who said the attack is expected to end swiftly. Aleem Siddique, spokesman for theUnited Nations in Somalia, said all U.N. staff were safe and accounted for.
Former employees accuse Hertz of harassment and discrimination in Minnesota lawsuit
26 Dec – Source: Star Tribune – 755 Words
Six former employees of the Hertz Corp. at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport have sued the rental car company, saying that managers routinely demeaned their religion and fired them after imposing arbitrary prayer rules for Muslims. In addition, the suit alleges, managers walked in on their prayer services to take attendance and repeatedly held them to a higher standard of conduct and more stringent discipline than their nonpracticing Muslim co-workers of East African heritage.
Five of the plaintiffs are Somali-American, and one is of Ethiopian heritage.“Before 2007, everything was OK, we got respect and we didn’t have any problems,” said Nadif Ketibe, 32, one of the fired workers. “New managers started coming in and everything started changing, and we were upset because they were harassing and abusing us.” He and the other fired workers now drive taxicabs. Their allegations are bolstered by a memorandum issued in May by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) asserting that the workers were “harassed and terminated” because they were black and/or Muslim and were fired in retaliation for opposing discrimination. After a failed conciliation meeting held by the EEOC in September, it notified the fired employees that they had the right to sue.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The political turbulence has frustrated the international community. Ahead of a conference on Somalia in the Danish capital Copenhagen in November, U.N. Envoy Nicholas Kay said political instability is threatening Somalia’s future. ‘The key state-building laws, commissions and processes need to be established,” he said. “This is make or break. There is no time to lose’.”
For Somalis, 2014 marked by political instability within government
25 Dec – Source: VOA, English – 642 Words
While Somalia has long been torn apart by warfare and violence, this year one of the country’s biggest challenges has come from within the government, as political infighting curtails the country’s progress, threatens security gains and disappoints the international community. A political standoff in Somalia ended in a vote of no-confidence this month.
By a vote of 153 to 80, Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed was removed from office, following a feud with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud over a cabinet reshuffle. Ahmed was the second prime minister voted out within a year. Somali political analyst Abdiwahab Sheikh Abdisamad says the political dispute between the two leaders, who come from different clans, is mostly personal. “It is not issue-based, it’s personality-based. ‘Either my way, or the highway’ — that’s what’s going on.” The process was marred by charges of favoritism, clan politics and accusations that lawmakers were promised cash in exchange for no-confidence votes.
“The beauty of Somali food is that something is bound to seem familiar, regardless of how adventurous of an eater you are.”
Behind the menu | Trip to Somalia set table for Hoyo’s kitchen
24 Dec – Source: The Columbus Dispatch – 576 Words
Before graduating from Ohio State University in the spring, Abdilahi Hassan promised himself that he would visit Somalia and, upon his return, start his own business. The 26-year-old made good on both vows. During the summer, he took his first trip to Somalia, where he spent a little more than a month traveling with his grandparents, who emigrated from the African nation.
And in November, he opened Hoyo’s Kitchen, a casual restaurant off E. Dublin-Granville Road with food inspired by his mother’s cooking. (The name itself is a reminder of that: Hoyo is the Somali word formom.) The recipes are a combination of those from Hassan’s mother, Hayat Dalmar, and Halimo Alibair, the longtime chef of Solay Bistro, the previous tenant of the strip-mall space.
Hassan wants his restaurant to be a gateway into the cuisine with which he grew up. He is hoping that Hoyo seems authentic for Somali regulars and welcoming for newcomers. The beauty of Somali food is that something is bound to seem familiar, regardless of how adventurous of an eater you are. Sambusa (one for $1.25 or 10 for $10) — a flaky, triangle-shaped pastry filled with a choice of ground beef or lamb with onions and garlic, or potatoes and peas — are reminiscent of Indian samosas. Bajiya (five for $3) are akin to falafel.
Top tweets
@Jubaland: Sending our sincerest condolences to the families of the three soldiers killed in the heinous attack on #AMISOMbase in Halane. #Somalia
@Mr_Omarsson: Thank u for ur support! #AU Official: Al-Shabab Attacks Will Not Deter #Somalia Missionhttp://www.voanews.com/
@mohamedbashle: At least three African Union soldiers,killed in #AlShabab attack #Somalia http://www.aljazeera.com/news/
@Daudoo: On this day 2004, devastating #Tsunami hit Indian Ocean coastlines incl #Somalia. 230,000+ people died.#Tsunami2004
@SomaliaInsider: Somali-
Image of the day
The AMISOM headquarters is located within the high-security compound of Mogadishu airport. The heavily fortified compound is also home to the British and Italian embassies and the United Nations
Photo: AFP