January 13, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

600 university students graduate in Mogadishu

13 Jan – Source: Al Shahid/Radio Bar-Kulan – 105 Words

More than 600 Simad University students graduated in Mogadishu on Monday. The students graduated from the faculties of computer science, business studies, economics, mathematics and community development. Students graduating with distinctions were awarded in the eyes of their parents and official guests. The Chairman of the Simad University, Abdirahman Mohamed Hussein, urged the graduates to make use of their knowledge to rebuild the nation. Simad University is one of the most well-known universities in Somalia, and was once chaired by the current president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Key Headlines

Newly appointed minister for agriculture denies rumors that he resigned (Radio Goobjoog/Mareeg Media)
600 university students graduate in Mogadishu (Al Shahid/Radio Bar-Kulan)
Puntland and Ethiopia lay foundation for a new customs centre on the border (Radio Goobjoog)
Mogadishu and Garowe residents welcome new government (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Former Somali lawmaker: We are astonished by the prime minister’s approach to appointing the cabinet(Radio Goobjoog)
Somalis respond to Paris attacks denounce violence (Sabahi Online)
Somalia gradually but surely is coming out of chaos instability (Walta Info)
ION announces 2D regional seismic survey offshore Puntland (World Oil News Agency)
Minnesota Somali Leaders Attending Terrorism Summit (CBC)

SOMALI MEDIA

Newly appointed minister for agriculture denies rumors that he resigned

13 Jan – Source: Radio Goobjoog/Mareeg Media – 127 Words

The newly appointed Minister for Agriculture, Hussein Sheikh Mohamud, has denied rumours that he resigned immediately after the announcement of cabinet ministers on Monday. The minister stated that the claims are baseless, and said that he is delighted to have been reappointed as agriculture minister.The minister promised that he will make tangible changes in the ministry if the Federal Parliament approves the newly announced cabinet. Hussein also served as agricultural minister, and deputy prime minister, in the Transitional Federal Government.

600 university students graduate in Mogadishu

13 Jan – Source: Al Shahid/Radio Bar-Kulan – 105 Words

Puntland and Ethiopia lay foundation for a new customs centre on the border

13 Jan – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 186 Words

The semi autonomous regional state of Puntland in North Eastern Somalia signed a security and trade relations deal with Ethiopia. Officials from both sides laid the first stone of what will be a new customs centers on the border between Puntland and Ethiopia. The deal outlines regulatory guidelines for business activities, and free movement of people and goods along the border.

The event was presided over by four Puntland ministers, officials from the Somali region of Ethiopia, and businessmen. Briefing the media after the ceremony, Jama’a Salad Dhagdheer, a Puntland Chamber of Commerce and Industry official, described the deal as historic and said that it will be important to both sides. “Puntland and Ethiopia share strong business relations, I hope the agreement signed will strengthen the ties, and develop the business activities in the region,” Mr. Dhagdheer said. In Puntland and Ethiopia’s security deal, Ethiopia has agreed to share intelligence with Puntland in order to enhance security and fight Al-Shabaab.

Mogadishu and Garowe residents welcome new government

12 Jan – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 101 Words

Some residents of Mogadishu and Garowe have welcomed the new government of Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke — some of the residents who spoke to Bar-Kulan have showed their support for the new government saying they are confident that it will deliver on their expectations of peace, economic growth and free and fair democratic elections in 2016. Others have urged the new government to avoid any hiccups that can lead to political instability in the country.

Former Somali lawmaker: We are astonished by the prime minister’s approach to appointing the cabinet

13 Jan – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 207 Words

Since Prime Minister of Somalia Omar Abdirashid announced his cabinet on Monday, the number politicians criticizing his new government have been on the rise. A former member of Transitional Federal Parliament, and the first Vice President of the Interim South West Administration, Mohamud Sayid Adan condemned the manner in which the Somali premier selected his cabinet. “We were amazed by the approach employed by Somali prime minister to appoint his new cabinet,” Mr. Adan said. He confirmed that a host of politicians met to discuss their opposition to the newly announced government, adding that they plan to issue a full statement later today.

Mr. Adan said that his clan is not well represented in the new government — one of the key reasons he has no confidence in the announced cabinet. Over eighty parliamentarians who met in Mogadishu on Mondayconfirmed that they will not give their vote of confidence to the newly announced cabinet, accusing the new premier of violating the power-sharing deal they reached with him during the submission of appeal. “The power sharing agreement we reached with Prime Minister Sharma’arke has been violated, and our requests and advice fell on a deaf ears,” one of the parliamentarians said.

Kenya blames Al Shabaab for death of church official

12 Jan – Source: Shabelle Media /Raad Goob – 168 Words

Kenyan authorities have blamed Al-Shabaab for the murder of a church official in Majengo, Mombasa on Monday. Mombasa Police Chief Henry Ondiek told journalists that the deceased, George Mureki– a secretary with the Maximum Revival Ministry– was gunned down by Al Shabaab gunmen armed with AK47s. Ondiek said that the perpetrators escaped from the crime scene shortly after they carried out the coordinated attack, adding that police are pursuing the criminals, and pledging that the attackers will be brought to justice.

“Maximum Revival Ministry secretary George Mureki was on his way to church after returning from his home, but he was hit several times and he died on the spot instantly,” a witness said. Kenyan authorities have also blamed Al-Shabaab for a wave of deadly attacks across the nation. Kenya has seen a surge in lethal attacks by Al-Shabaab since it sent its troops to Somalia in 2011.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Somalis respond to Paris attacks, denounce violence

12 Jan – Source: Sabahi Online – 771 Words

News coverage around the world of the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris last week has ignited debate about the limits of freedom of expression and the right to offend, with Somalia’s al-Shabaab militants adding their voices to the cacophony.The immediate aftermath of the attack, in which two gunmen stormed the offices of the satirical French weekly leaving 12 dead, including a Muslim policeman, saw countless posts on social media in which Twitter and Facebook users voiced solidarity with the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie, or “I am Charlie.”
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While Somalis denounced the magazine’s content, they also condemned using violence as a way to combat blasphemy. “I really do not support what was published in the paper that was attacked as it had insulted the prophet, but that is not an excuse to kill civilians,” said Sheikh Omer Sheikh Abdirahman, the Imam of Masjid Rahma in Mogadishu’s Wadajir district, and the head of the Wadajir district’s Council of Imams. “It is not surprising for Al-Shabaab to support such attacks because Al-Shabaab are terrorists,” he told Sabahi. “They are in this world to cause destruction, cause problems between Muslims and non-Muslims and fighting so they can take advantage of it and carry out their terrorist acts. There is no basis in Islam for killing civilians or causing them problems. Our religion is a peaceful religion. It is a religion of co-existence that was revealed to bring mercy to the world.” Abdirahman called on Somalis and Muslims around the world to stand for peace and denounce the actions committed by terrorist organisations such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), al-Qaeda and al-Shabaab that portray Islam negatively.

Somalia gradually but surely is coming out of chaos, instability

13 Jan – Source: Walta Info – 426 Words

Current chairman of the IGAD Council of Ministers, Dr. Tedros Adhanom, reiterated on Saturday that “Somalia gradually but surely is coming out of chaos, instability and violence.” Speaking at the 53rd Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers held in Mogadishu, Dr. Tedros Adhanom described the meeting as historic meeting accompanied with significant gains made including the capture of strategic towns and areas by the collaborative move of AMISOM and Somali National Army. Dr. Tedros congratulated Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke on his appointment as the new Prime Minister of Somalia, underlining that IGAD’s readiness to work closely with the Government of Somalia to advance peace and stability.

He also said that the meeting would review and assess the political gains made so far and the challenges faced by the Federal Government of Somalia in restoring peace and stability, economic and social development, formation of regional administrations. He added that the ministers would also look into achievements made implementing Vision 2016 as well as chart the way forward for the realization of the objective of creation of a peaceful, prosperous, and unified Somalia. Dr. Tedros pointed out the positive results attained in the area of the formation of regional administrations, citing the Jubaland Interim Administration and the Interim Administration of South West Somalia as success stories in the advancement of the goal of strengthening the formation of regional administrations.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

ION announces 2D regional seismic survey offshore Puntland

12 Jan – Source: World Oil News Agency – 366 Words

ION Geophysical has signed an agreement with the Puntland Petroleum and Minerals Agency (PPMA) to complete a multi-client 2D regional seismic survey offshore Puntland, Somalia. The PuntlandSPAN survey is the first of its kind within Puntland’s jurisdiction, and will assist the PPMA in demarcating a block boundary scheme for future licensing activity. When completed, PuntlandSPAN will deliver more than 7,600 km of prestack depth-migrated data to help explorationists gain a better understanding of both the architecture of the sedimentary basins and the hydrocarbon potential of this margin. Puntland is considered highly prospective; regionally, it is a geologic analogue of Yemen and Oman, where oil reserves have been discovered in Cretaceous and Jurassic formations. Both areas once formed a single landmass before the Gulf of Aden rifted and separated the Horn of Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.

Puntland’s eastern offshore region is also a conjugate margin to India, where recent discoveries have been made; in the Indian Ocean, the program will test the continuation of Mesozoic failed rift basins, as well as the presence of a Karooaged rift system perpendicular to the coast. Dr. Osman Salad Hersi, associate professor at the University of Regina and technical advisor to the Puntland Authority, attests that the Indian Ocean shelf of Somalia extends further southward along the continental margin of Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique. “This region has been a site of significant hydrocarbon discoveries within the past two years and has attracted the interest of many exploration companies,” he noted.

Hersi also expressed that the PuntlandSPAN is “a well-needed survey that will bolster the interest of the exploration companies and confer significant leverage for the State’s endeavour to license blocks to the oil industry.” Issa Farah, Director of PPMA, commented, “This survey will prove a highly valuable tool as Puntland begins to promote future licensing rounds for deepwater oil and gas exploration. Although this offshore domain is largely unexplored, the international oil and gas community has recently expressed keen interest in understanding the region’s viability.” The PuntlandSPAN survey is currently in planning stages, scheduled to commence in the secondquarter of 2015 pending the issue of environmental and reconnaissance permits.

Minnesota Somali Leaders Attending Terrorism Summit

12 Jan – Source: CBC- 349 Words

Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the country. And it’s because of that distinction that leaders from Minneapolis-St. Paul were one of three cities asked be part of a White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism.The White House said the effort to prevent violent extremists from organizing in the United States is more important now because of last week’s violence in Paris.The Twin Cities became part of a pilot program in the fall designed to engage at-risk communities and to stop extremists from recruiting for terror organizations overseas. In August, Douglas McCain, a Robbinsdale-Cooper High School graduate, died in Syria fighting for ISIS. While the number like McCain may be small, it is not insignificant.

In November 2014, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said while in Minnesota, “We have to offer people an alternative narrative an alternative message and develop that.” The Twin Cities will join representatives from Boston and Los Angeles at the Summit on Countering Violent Extremism on Feb. 18 to build a model for the rest of the country. U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger is spearheading the local efforts, in coordination with local law enforcement and community representatives. “Since I began working with the Somali Minnesotan community last spring to design a plan that will address the root causes of terrorist recruiting, I have come to learn that we share a deep commitment to see our community prosper in peace and security,” Luger said.

Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau and Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek will attend. Stanek said the need for this summit was heightened after the recent violent terror attacks in Paris. “Folks started thinking about it, thinking it can happen here. We have an obligation to work with those parents, those faith community members, local business people, to understand what this is and what we can better do, and what happens in Minnesota happens elsewhere,” Stanek said. About 15 law enforcement representatives and Somali community leaders will attend. While the summit will highlight best practices here, the White House said it will also include partners around the world who are implementing programs to prevent extremism and recruitment.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“The waiting homes also fill a critical gap in the country’s health system, which lacks enough hospitals to accommodate the needs of all women.”

A safe haven for pregnant women in Somalia

13 Jan – Source: Hiiraan Online/UNFPA – 690 Words

In the Banadir Hospital in Mogadishu, 29-year-old Sharifa Abdullahi held her newborn with a growing sense of awe – and triumph. She had just survived a gruelling 18-hour labour that could have taken her life and the life of her daughter. Ms. Abdullahi lives in the Hodan displacement camp, a dusty settlement in Mogadishu where thousands of families crowd into makeshift shelters. As in much of Somalia, health services in the camp are limited. Two years before, lacking proper care, Ms. Abdullahi had lost her first pregnancy to complications. She feared her second pregnancy might end the same way. But this time, she was able to seek care from a “maternity waiting home” that was established in the Hodan settlement in early 2013. It is one of 34 such facilities in Somalia, which provide a range of health services to expectant mothers. And in their last month of their pregnancy, women are invited to stay in the waiting homes under the care and observation of skilled birth attendants.

Ms. Abdullahi chose to lodge in the Hodan waiting home at the end of her pregnancy. When she went into labour, the health workers recognized something was amiss. They transferred her to the nearest hospital, where her daughter was safely delivered by Caesarean section.“I was lucky that I had gone into the maternity waiting home before labour even started,” said Ms. Abdullahi. “The health specialists were able to monitor my pregnancy as I approached labour. They quickly made a decision to transfer me to a hospital after noticing complications.” Motherhood can be a dangerous enterprise in Somalia, where almost three decades of conflict have left the health system in tatters. There are about 1.1 million displaced people in Somalia, many of them living in camps. Over a Somali woman’s lifetime, she will face a one in 18 chance of dying from causes related to pregnancy or childbirth – the second highest lifetime maternal death risk in the world. The situation is grim for children, as well: Somalia has the world’s fourth highest child mortality rate.

“Major challenges include addressing aid diversion and gatekeepers as well as coping with shifting internally displaced person (IDP) populations given trends in evictions, relocation and returns.”

Internal Displacement in Somalia

12 Jan – Source: The Brookings Institution – 508 Words

Somalia has the seventh-largest internally displaced population in the world at 1.1 million people. It is the scene of one of the world’s longest continuous humanitarian assistance operations, dating back to the late-1980s. Many defining characteristics of the international humanitarian response in Somalia – extremely dangerous conditions, deliberate targeting of aid workers, terrorist threats, protracted population displacement mixed with new rounds of population upheavals, fragmentation of government authority, failed or problematic peacekeeping operations, remote programming – have unfortunately become more common in humanitarian operations around the world by 2014.

In an environment like Somalia that is detrimental to effective humanitarian action, it is relatively easy to document disappointing results, but rather more difficult to decipher what should be done better and more effectively in the face of overwhelming odds. The UN hierarchy is more aware and engaged on population displacement issues in Somalia than was the case ten years ago although the fact that UN agencies are split between Mogadishu and Nairobi is a thorn in the side for many. While the cluster system is functioning, there is a sense that humanitarian agencies have fallen into a dangerous habit of focusing on Somalia’s protracted assistance needs while responding slowly to emergency needs that are more dire and require a rapid priority response.

Top tweets

@Abdiweligooni: #SOMALIA #PUNTLAND #NUSOJ NUSOJ Releases Annual Report on State of Press Freedom in Somaliahttp://eepurl.com/bbjni5

@engyarisow Education is important and brings prosperity which is exactly what our beloved country #Somalia needs it right now.

@collaboratewiki “@IOM_Lanterns @IOM_Somalia distributed 4,500+ solar lanterns to IDP settlements in #Somalia #LightTheirWay #sdgSO

@Dahirkulane: @BBCAfrica #Somalia #Africa:”It is #women who make some men succeed where others fail” Somali proverb sent by Hussein Mohamud, Nashville, US

@AbdiqaniDirie #IGAD Council of Min in #Mogadishu #somalia& the #somalidiaspora mtng in #Rwanda both r clear indications for the #somali hope restoration

@BeilehMofa “If anything has kept Somalia and its people going during the period of turmoil it was its Diaspora,”@diaspora4321 hiiraan.com/news4/2015/Jan

@refunite: Long lost cousins overjoyed as they reconnect on@refunite after fleeing war-torn #Somalia http://goo.gl/5NfjSe

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Image of the day

The Chief of Defence Forces of Burundi Major Gen. Prime Niyongabo visited Somalia to meet with AMISOM commanders and Burundi forces. Photo: AMISOM