May 21, 2015 | Morning Headlines
Jubaland Accuses Federal Parliament Speaker Of Backing Motion
20 May – Source: Garowe Online -164 Words
Jubaland administration in southern Somalia has accused Federal Parliament Speaker, Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari of spearheading smear campaign against the formation of regional assembly, Garowe Online reports. Jubaland spokesman Abdinasir Seeraar Mah said on Mogadishu-based station that speaker Jawari embroiled himself in the anti-Jubaland parliament motion a day after Somalia lawmakers concluded a two-day debate on the composition of regional assembly. “We don’t see parliament speaker as neutral figure, he is part of the motion in favor of specific groups,” noted Mah “Parliament speaker has never come to Kismaayo, ask him but it’s not up to us.”
On April 15, Jubaland officially unveiled 75-member MPs line up, drawing mixed reactions from some subclans. In the following days, lawmakers in Mogadishu-based Federal Parliament criticized selection process mainly entrusted to local clan elders, alleging lack of inclusivity. On May 7, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud attended inauguration ceremony held for Jubaland parliament in the southern port city of Kismaayo.
Key Headlines
- Jubaland Accuses Federal Parliament Speaker Of Backing Motion (Garowe Online)
- Interim Jubba Administration Leader Makes Reshuffle (Goobjoog News)
- El-Bur Residents Face Water Shortage and Lack of Health Facilities(Goobjoog News)
- Kenya Jets Bombs Al-Shabaab Base In Gedo (Radio Dalsan)
- Puntland Opens Civil Registration Office In Qardo (Wacaal Media)
- Five Al-Shabaab Suspects Arrested In Mogadishu (Radio Bar-Kulan)
- Somalia’s Al-Shabaab Condemns ‘Savage Buddhists’ Urges Help For Rohingya( AFP/ Daily Star)
- World Must Not ‘Squander’ Opportunity In Somalia UN Envoy Tells Security Council(UN News Centre)
- Does Kerry’s Surprise Visit To Somalia Prelude A Renewed US-Somali Relationship? (Global Risk Insights)
- Climate Of Fear In Dadaab Refugee Camp Leads Many To Consider Repatriation (The Guardian)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Interim Jubba Administration Leader Makes Reshuffle
20 May – Source: Goobjoog News – 105 Words
President of interim Jubba Administration, Ahmed Mohamed Islam has made the first reshuffle within the regional cabinet of Interim Juba Administration on Wednesday since he came to the office. President replaced minister designates- Abdinoor Adan, who was minister for water and mineral resource and moved to minister for information while Mohamed Aw-Yussuf filled the vacancy of ministry for water and mineral sources as he has been moved from the finance ministry. Ibrahim Bajuun, former information was taken to ministry for finance. Interim Jubba Administration has formed its parliament months ago but it faces stiff opposition from some federal MPs who presented motion against the newly formed regional legislature.
El-Bur Residents Face Water Shortage and Lack Of Health Facilities
20 May – Source: Goobjoog News – 131 Words
The administration of El-Buur locality in Mudug region stated that the acute water shortage in the area has caused many families and pastoral people to flee their houses. El-Buur deputy district officer for social affairs, Abdirahman Mohamed Ali who gave inclusive interview to Goobjoog News said that the residents are facing desperate situation due to lack of health facilities and water shortage. “People travel long distance to seek medical check-up, this area has no health centre which made life unbearable” he said. He affirmed that the social services in the area have been poor since the start of the prolonged droughts in the region. “The administration is drilling well though it will take time amid looming crises of water shortages in the region which claims many lives, particularly in El-Bur” Ali noted.
Kenya Jets Bomb Al-Shabaab Base In Gedo
20 May – Source: Radio Dalsan – 116 Words
Kenyan air force fighter jets is reported to have hit Al-Shabaab base in Gadoon-Dhawe in Gedo region inside Somalia. It is not immediately clear the damages caused by the strike. Kenyan jets have often carried out attacks against Al-Shabaab in which sometimes innocent civilians were killed. Al-Shabaab has vowed to intensify attacks inside Kenya’s soil until it pulls out its troops from Somalia. More than 150 students were killed during the group attack Garissa University college in North Eastern Kenya on April. Kenyan troops who are stationed in South Somalia are part of African Union Peacekeeping troops. They were sent in October 2011 on the grounds of what Kenyan government described as threat to national security.
Puntland Opens Civil Registration Office In Qardo
20 May – Source: Wacaal Media – 102 Words
Services have been brought closer to the people in the Puntland town of Qardo after the government opened a civil registration office in the area. The office was officially opened by the state’s minister for Transport Mr. Abdirashid Mohamed Hersi accompanied by several high ranking officials from different departments. Hersi said that apart from civil registration services, the office will also issue driving licenses and asked the public to seek the services and take identification cards. It is the first time such an office is opened in Qardo.
Five Al-Shabaab Suspects Arrested In Mogadishu
20 May – Source: Radio Bar Kulan – 81 Words
Security forces in Mogadishu on Wednesday arrested five people on suspicion of being members of the outlawed Al-Shabaab militant group.The suspects were arrested in a security operation conducted in Yaqshid and Heliwa district in Mogadishu. Spokesperson for interior ministry Mohamed Yussuf Mohamud told local media that several other people arrested in the operation were later released after they were proved to be innocent. Somali security forces and AMISOM have been recently carrying out such operations to strengthen security of the capital.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia’s Al-Shabaab Condemns ‘Savage Buddhists’, Urges Help For Rohingya
20 May – Source : Agence France Presse / Daily Star – 183 Words
Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab militants Wednesday condemned Myanmar’s “savage Buddhists” and urged Southeast Asia’s Muslims to come to the aid of Rohingya Muslim people.In a rare statement on an issue outside the Horn of Africa region, the Al-Shabaab told Muslims in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand to “take the pivotal role in alleviating the suffering of the Muslims in Myanmar.” “At the hands of the savage Buddhists, thousands of Muslims, including many women and children, have fled their homes and are desperately trying to reach the shores of safety, their only crime being their adherence to Islam,” the Islamist group said.
“Take matters into your own hands, help your Muslim brothers and know that this is a religious obligation upon you for which you will be held fully accountable in front of Allah on the day of judgement,” it added. “Welcome them, open your hearts to them before you open your homes and give shelter to the fleeing Muslims. Mobilize men, money and resources to defend the honor of the persecuted Muslims and repel the savage attacks of the polytheists,” Al-Shabaab said.
World Must Not ‘Squander’ Opportunity In Somalia, UN Envoy Tells Security Council
19 May – Source: UN News Centre – 1013 Words
While it is too soon to celebrate definitive success in Somalia, and while the situation remains challenging, progress is being made and the international community would be missing a strategic opportunity if it failed to realize how much is being achieved, the top United Nations chief in the country told the Security Council today.
“When I spoke to you in February, I was both excited and worried about the year ahead. The last few months have highlighted the progress and the challenges,” said Nicholas Kay, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) as briefed Council members this morning.
“The world should not squander this opportunity. We need to reinforce success with increased engagement and resources in the coming months.” Mr. Kay said momentum had been regained on efforts to achieve political progress, pointing to work by federal, regional and local leaders, parliamentarians, and people from all walks of life to build a State through dialogue and reconciliation, and top-level commitment to deliver Somalia’s Vision 2016 plan, as well as commitment to several other important targets the Government set.
“The prevailing environment of mistrust accumulated over 25 years makes the task difficult and painstaking,” he said. “But it must continue, and deserves our sustained support.” He expressed concerns about a lack of progress on the constitutional review process and about the timetable for elections in Somaliland, which were due next month, while the National Independent Electoral Commission would work in a compressed timeline to discharge its duties, albeit with the support and advice of the UN.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“With al-Shabaab growing from a domestic threat to an international one, a US rapprochement with Somalia is more necessary than ever, especially as the weak Somali government struggles to consolidate its power beyond Mogadishu (and relying entirely on the international community’s financial and military support).For now, the US message seems not to have intimidated al-Shabaab, as the terrorist group has killed a Somali government official a day after Kerry’s visit. It is worth noting that the US has already taken steps towards closer ties with Somalia, even before Kerry visited on May 5. The United States formally recognized the new Somali government on January 17, 2013.”
Does Kerry’s Surprise Visit To Somalia Prelude A Renewed US-Somali Relationship?
20 May – Source: Global Risk Insights – 901 Words
John Kerry arrived in Mogadishu on May 5, where he met Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and provincial leaders, making him the first US Secretary of State to visit the war-torn country. Though the three hour visit was unannounced until the day before, and was confined to the fortified airport complex for security reasons, it is not completely unexpected.Indeed, the US has been reinforcing its ties with Somalia over the past months in order to support counter-terrorism efforts.
Kerry has justified his visit by the pointing to the country’s progress in its mission “to turn things around.” It is true that Somalia has made numerous efforts to rebuild itself and bring peace; in 2012, the national constituent assembly adopted a provisional constitution, and a new federal parliament and president were elected.
Moreover, Somali and African Union forces, supported by US drones, have driven the al-Shabaab militant group out of former strongholds and strategically important population centers all across the country. Yet, more than a simple recognition of the country’s progress towards stability, the visit reaffirmed US involvement in Somalia and sent a message to a resurgent al-Shabaab. Despite military defeats, the al-Shabaab group remains operational in Somalia and neighboring countries, such as Kenya. Recent losses have forced the group to change tactics and privilege a cheaper, asymmetrical war, in line with its regional expansion strategy.
Before leaving Dadaab, Hussein will have to take a fitness test. He will be given $80 (£50) for each member of his family, and will be offered some practical advice. He will also be told that he can change his mind about boarding the UN bus out of the camp up until the last minute. “Above all, I want to be free,” he says. More than 2,000 people have made use of the repatriation scheme so far, and a 2014 survey found that less than 3% of Dadaab’s refugees intended to return toSomalia within the next two years. Meanwhile, more than 3,000 new refugees have arrived in the camp since December.
Climate Of Fear In Dadaab Refugee Camp Leads Many To Consider Repatriation
20 May – Source: The Guardian -792 Words
For Ibrahim Hussein, it was the final blow. When the Kenyan government ordered the closure of the Dadaab refugee camp following the al-Shabaab terrorist attack in Garissa in April, Hussein gathered his courage and went to the UN refugee repatriation office to ask to be resettled back home in Somalia. After years of living in the largest refugee complex in the world, Dadaab had become an open-air prison to him, with little more to offer than a daily dose of anxiety.“I came here because of the famine in 2011. I am a farmer. There is nothing for me here, I cannot work. We are not getting much food either,” says Hussein, seated in the office of the UN refugee agency, the UNHCR. “And now they accuse us of being responsible for the attack. It’s not bearable.” Located halfway between the Somali border and the Kenyan town of Garissa, and home to an estimated 334,600 Somali refugees, Dadaab has once again become the focus of the Kenyan government’s response to terrorism after the massacre of 147 students at the University of Garissa last month.