October 30, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report
Somali President Meets With Indian PM In New Delhi
30 October – Source: Shabelle News – 134 Words
President of the Federal Government of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on the sideline of Indian-African forum in New Delhi.During their meeting, both leaders of India and Somalia discussed a wide range of issues on the bilateral relations between the two nations towards deeper cooperation, said the office of Indian PM. The Premier, Narendra Modi, has promised to help Somalia improve the educational field, rebuild its military as well as fight against the Al Qaeda-linked militants of Al-Shabaab. President Hassan Sheikh was part of more than 50 African leaders who attended the two-day India-Africa Forum Summit, unprecedented in scale, in the Indian capital.The Indian Prime has announced $600m in assistance for development projects in Africa at a major summit in Delhi.
Key Headlines
- Somali President Meets With India PM In New Delhi (Shabelle News)
- Pomp And Colour As Residents Of Mogadishu And Officials Bid Farewell To Muun-gaab (Wacaal Media)
- Somalia Appoints New Ambassador To Russia (Hiiraan Online)
- Turkish Embassy In Somalia Marks 92nd Anniversary Of Turkish Republic Day (Goobjoog News)
- Massive Search For Al-Shabaab Air-Crash Hostages (News24)
- Federal Government Publishes Facilitation Guide On Electoral Process In 2016 Agreed Upon
- At The First National Consultative Forum (AMISOM)
- Funeral For Somali Boy Killed In Sword Attack (The Local)
- Somalia: Is Somaliland Still A Good News Story? (Mareeg Online)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Pomp And Colour As Residents Of Mogadishu And Officials Bid Farewell To Muun-gaab
30 October – Source: Wacaal Media – 120 Words
Outgoing Banaadir regional administrator and Mayor of Mogadishu City, Hassan Mohamed Hussein (Muun-gaab), has welcomed the changes that saw him replaced after years of service hailed by many as successful. Speaking at colorful send-off ceremony in Mogadishu on Thursday, Muun-gaab urged area residents to work with the incoming administration led by Yussuf Hussein Jimale in order to ensure the progress realized so far is maintained and more achieved. The outspoken leader thanked leaders, officials and the entire staff of his administration for selfless service, which they rendered to residents of the city and the cooperation they accorded him during his tenure. Muun-gaab reiterated that he will continue serving the Country and its citizens and assured the incoming administration of his support.
Somalia Appoints New Ambassador To Russia
30 October – Source: Hiiraan Online – 298 Words
Somali Government has appointed a new ambassador to Russia, the first diplomat the Horn of Africa nation has dispatched to the former Soviet Union after more than two decades of war, sources said on Thursday. Abdullahi Mohamud Warsame, aka Adde Duqow, the former Dean of Technical and Commercial Teachers’ College, takes the position that has remained vacant since 1991, when warlords overthrew Somalia’s central government. Then it was a client state of the USSR in the early years of the Cold War.
Warsame, who studied in Russia, has also served as the UNDP national director for Somalia and is seen as a cunning diplomat with a formidable experience. He is expected to contribute towards the relations and shared interests of the two former allies.The new ambassador succeeds Mohamed Mohamoud Handule who served as Somali virtual representative to Russia since 2007. Somalia, which is recovering from decades of war, has been trying to make a diplomatic come back across the world for the past two years as it restored normal diplomatic relations with numerous countries.During the civil unrest in Somalia, Russia provided scholarships to hundreds of Somali students who were smuggled into Asian and European countries.Russia also played a key role in building and equipping Somali army during 1970s, as many Somali military officers were trained in Russia.Many countries including the US severed diplomatic relations with Somalia after a civil war broke out in 1991 that saw warlords fighting for the control of the country.The new diplomatic exercise comes following the ouster of Islamist insurgents from the capital and surrounding regions, a development which allowed partner countries to start a diplomatic presence in the seaside capital, Mogadishu.
Turkish Embassy In Somalia Marks 92nd Anniversary Of Turkish Republic Day
29 October – Source: Goobjoog News – 161 Words
The Turkish embassy in Mogadishu today marked the Turkish Republic Day hosted by ambassador Kani Torun and graced by senior government officials.The celebrations are marked annually in Turkey to mark the country’s independence in 1923 under its founder leader, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.Speaking during the ceremony, Torun said Somalia and Turkey enjoyed cordial diplomatic relations noting that his country was focused on helping in the reconstruction of Somalia.
He added that Turkey will in January open one of the biggest embassies in the world in Somalia, which is currently under construction. This will be among the landmark development projects Turkey has established in Somalia, including the reconstruction and modernisation of Aden Abdulle Airport. Others include the street lighting and road construction in Mogadishu in addition to the state of the art Digfer Training and Referral Hospital in Mogadishu.Prime Minister, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmake, Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari and UN special envoy Nicholas Kay attended the function.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Massive Search For Al-Shabaab Air-Crash Hostages
29 October – Source: News24 – 280 Words
A search operation was under way in Somalia on Thursday for a cargo plane that crash-landed south of Mogadishu and whose crew were taken hostage by the Islamist group al-Shabaab, officials said.Coming from Nairobi, the plane was carrying cargo for African Union troops in Somalia when it hit the ground in heavy rainon Wednesday.The plane had been on its way to Ballidogle airport about 100km north-west of Mogadishu.The massive search operation involved AU military commanders and “Western military experts,” said Mohamed Hussein Shine, a spokesperson for the Lower Shebelle administration.
He did not give details on the Western experts. US experts are believed to be present in Somalia to help the government fight al-Shabaab.It was difficult for the rescuers to locate the plane, because al-Shabaab had covered it with tree branches to confuse search helicopters, Shine said.Al-Shabaab was believed to have taken the hostages away from the crash site, according to the official.Officials earlier said the plane carried 12 military personnel. Their nationalities were not clear.
Federal Government Publishes Facilitation Guide On Electoral Process In 2016 Agreed Upon At The First National Consultative Forum
30 October – Source: AMISOM – 244 Words
The Facilitation Guide on the electoral process in 2016, which was agreed upon by all the participants in the first plenary of the National Consultative Forum held in Mogadishu on the 19th and the 20th of October, has just been published by the Federal Government of Somalia. The Federal Government of Somalia is employing the Facilitation Guide to guide consultations on the 2016 electoral process at the state and regional levels.
This Facilitation Guide is intended to pave the way to an electoral process in 2016 aiming to achieve “enhanced legitimacy” through a broader, more inclusive process. The Guide stipulates the processes and procedures to be followed to ensure a legitimate process that incorporates views from all sections of Somali society. The Guide presents four different options for the creation of an electoral college, which in turn will elect the Federal Parliament: formation of a nation-wide electoral college to elect all 275 members of parliament (MPs); establishing electoral colleges in each of the existing and emerging federal states to elect the MPs; formation of district-level electoral colleges based on the 1991 administrative divisions of the country; and using a clan-based electoral college as was used in 2012, but with wider representation.These options will be presented to the general public through an elaborate three-month consultative process, which began with the first National Consultative Forum in Mogadishu. It will now be extended to existing and emerging federal states including Puntland, Jubbaland, SWA, Galmudug, and Mogadishu.
Funeral For Somali Boy Killed In Sword Attack
30 October – Source: The Local – 363 Words
A ceremony is being held to remember Ahmed Hassan, the 15-year-old Swedish Somali boy killed in the school attack in Trollhättan, days after a huge funeral took place for the teaching assistant who also died.Hassan’s family asked for a quiet low-key memorial for the pupil, but large numbers were expected to attend the event at Håjums cemetery in the town on Friday.The teenager moved to Sweden with his parents three years ago after escaping violence in Somalia, his home country: “I have fled the violence and believed I saw and experienced the worst. But this…it’s hard to take in,” his father father Mohamed Hassan told regional newspaper TTELA ahead of the funeral.
“Until last Thursday, we have never been afraid here,” he added. The boy’s uncle argued that everyone linked to the attack should be considered a victim, including the killer: “We condemn the perpetrator’s actions. But he was a human. And even though we are people with different skin colours, we have red blood in all of us,” he told the newspaper.
Hassan was set to be given the grave next to murdered teaching assistant Lavin Eskandar who was buried on Wednesday, surrounded by 1500 fellow pupils, teachers, friends and relatives: “The terrorists killed Lavin, he was a kind person, he was nice to everyone. Go son, I’m proud of you,” said Eskandar’s mother, Intesar Fares in an emotional tribute during that service. Both Eskandar and Hassan were killed after a sword-wielding masked man turned up at the Kronan school in the southwestern industrial town of Trollhättan last week.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“For now at least, recognition for Somaliland is simply not on the international agenda. The African Union (AU) is firmly behind the Somali Federal Government in Mogadishu – and weary of encouraging other secessionist movements across the continent.”
Somalia: Is Somaliland Still A Good News Story?
28 October – Source: Mareeg Online – 928 Words
In Somaliland, most politicians are known by their nicknames. So President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud is ‘Silanyo,’ which translates to ‘skinny lizard’ – a throwback to his youth when he was tall and slim. President Silanyo is not skinny anymore, however, and nor should he be president – his term in office was supposed to expire on 26 June 2015. But after the scheduled elections were repeatedly postponed, Silanyo is still in charge, and no one is particularly surprised.
Although Somaliland is famed for its regular, peaceful elections – an oasis of peace and democracy in a region usually associated with authoritarianism and conflict – almost every election in its history has been subject to lengthy delays. Somaliland’s last parliamentary elections, for example, were conducted in 2005, meaning that the current crop of representatives have served for five years longer than intended. The last presidential election (won by Silanyo), was originally scheduled for March 2008, but only took place more than two years after.True to form, then, Somaliland’s upper house of parliament – the Guurti, or House of Elders – unilaterally extended the term of Silanyo’s internationally unrecognised government by 22 months, over the protests of opposition parties. This habit of delaying elections illustrates the fragility of Somaliland’s progress. For more than 20 years, Somaliland has been the quintessential good news story in the Horn of Africa, proof that stability, development and relatively good governance is possible in the region. Its successes contrast sharply with the repeated failures of governments in Somalia, of which Somaliland is technically a part.
TOP TWEETS
@UKinSomalia:UK Government remains committed to supporting #remittances to #Somalia. Read the latest on our ongoing work: http://bit.ly/1ipp7Jx
@Gobanimodoon:#Somalia is a matchless beauty spot blessed with natural resources, livestock, agricul. & Africa’s longest coastline
@UN_DPA:Huge amount of hope and optimism in the air:@UN Special Rep @Somalia111 on #Somalia. Watch interview: http://bit.ly/1M3L0dp
@SomaliPM:Send my congratulations to President elect of#Tanzania @MagufuliJP and VP @SuluhuSamia wish them success.
@ACAPSproject:#ElNino #floods started in south-central#Somalia. More flooding expected in coming months. For more, check out: http://geo.acaps.org
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Somali women police officers during a recent training on Sexual, Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and Child Protection. Photo: AMISOM.