June 7, 2016 | Morning Headlines
Federal Government Says 20 Militants Killed In Raid
06 June – Source: Garowe Online – 136 Words
Somali commandos have conducted a surprise raid in Berhani, 60km south-west of the southern port city of Kismayo, officials have confirmed on Monday.Top intelligence figures who asked not to be named have confirmed that the raid by Special Forces led to direct confrontation that subsequently overpowered militants.A terrorist hotbed was dismantled and 20 militants have been killed in the operation, federal government officials said.
Militants are said to have for long used the hideout as a training camp and possibly as a springboard for terror assaults. Al-Shabaab has not given details on the raid as Somali commando troopers have returned to their earlier position after a 24-hour stay in Berhani.Somali government forces aided by African Union peacekeepers have intensified anti-militant pushes aimed for fewer bastions controlled by Al-Shabaab in central and southern Somalia.
Key Headlines
- Federal Government Says 20 Militants Killed In Raid (Garowe Online)
- Somali Parliament Passes Political Parties Law (Goobjoog News)
- At least 10 Killed Several Hurt In Somalia Fighting (Shabelle News)
- Federal MP Sharif Mohammed Abdulla: Mogadishu Shall Have Its Share Of Upper House (Goobjoog News)
- Somali President Visits World’s Largest Refugee Camp (VOA News)
- Kenya’s Rights Group In Court Bid To Stop Closure Of Dadaab Camp (Xinhua)
- Can Somaliland Afford To Shun Its SMEs? ( AllAfrica.com)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Parliament Passes Political Parties Law
06 June – Source: Goobjoog News – 105 Words
Somali Federal parliament on Monday passed the political parties bill. 145 MPs voted for the bill, 3 opposed and one MP abstained to vote.The long awaited bill was passed by the house, after political parties and International community pressured Federal Parliament to vote for the bill.Somali political parties welcomed the passage of the bill. The secretary general of Daljir Party, Ahmed Mo’alim Fiqi said his party is delighted but said it came too late. “This is good step by the parliament although it came late” Said Fiqi.
At least 10 Killed, Several Hurt In Somalia Fighting
06 June – Source: Shabelle News – 121 Words
At least ten people were killed, and several were injured in a deadly gun-battle that erupted at a remote location on the outskirts of Jowhar, the headquarters of middle Shabelle region on Monday.The fighting broke out at Gaabaneey, 10 kilometers east of Jowhar town when two groups of soldiers in the Somali national army (SNA) fought each other over clan related issue.Reports said the two warring sides are battling over a farming land in the area, which has been the focal point of the latest tribal clashes that left dozens dead, and others injured.Local Authorities in the area declined to comment on the ongoing infighting in Gaabaneey, a small rural town in middle Shabelle region of southern Somalia.
Federal MP, Sharif Mohammed Abdulla: Mogadishu Shall Have Its Share Of Upper House
06 June – Source:Goobjoog News – 120 Words
Somali Federal MP Sharif Mohammed Abdulla says Mogadishu deserves to have its share of upper house in this year’s scheduled elections. The MP said Somali constitution encourages inclusive politics which no region is excluded.The MP sounded optimistic that Mogadishu will get its share of the upper house, as Somali leaders deliberate the share of Mogadishu in this year’s elections“Somali Political leaders are closing the gap about the status of Mogadishu and we hope that solution will be reached” said the MP
The MP said the rift about Mogadishu’s share and status between Somali leaders as power struggle.Somali upper house which will be consist of fifty four members raised intense political debate within Somali politicians and the public.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali President Visits World’s Largest Refugee Camp
06 June – Source: VOA News- 467 Words
Somalia’s president says he wants plans in place to accommodate more than 300,000 Somalis expected to come home if Kenya closes the Dadaab refugee camp.President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud spoke Monday, as he became the first-ever sitting Somali leader to visit the sprawling complex in eastern Kenya, the biggest refugee camp in the world.
Kenyan Interior Secretary Joseph Nkaissery, one of several Kenyan officials who welcomed Mohamud to Dadaab, affirmed his government’s decision to shut down the 25-year-old complex, despite pleas from U.N. refugee agency UNHCR and others to keep it open.“Kenya is committed to close the camp,” Nkaissery said. “It is a decision we have already reached and we will jointly collaborate with the Somali government and the UNHCR on your safe return.”
Mohamud said if the refugees must come home, he wants Somalia to be ready to accommodate them.“Let me assure you that we (Kenya, Somalia and the UNHCR) have never discussed and agreed on your quick return to an uncertain future,” he told an audience that included camp leaders. “We do not want you to go back forcibly without services such as shelters, education, health services in place. We want you to get at least services similar to what you get here,” Mohamud said.
Kenya’s Rights Group In Court Bid To Stop Closure Of Dadaab Camp
06 June- Source: Xinhua – 247 Words
Kenya’s state-funded human rights commission went to court on Monday, seeking to stop the planned closure of Dadaab, the world’s largest refugee camp hosting more than 300,000 Somali refugees.The Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC) said in its court papers the closure of Dadaab was illegal.”The closure is illegal and has far reaching negative effects on the rights and fundamental freedoms of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers within the republic as it denies them access to vital resources offered by the department,” the commission said.
KNHCR argued forcible return of refugees without a proper assessment of their security concern will put their lives at risk.”All this will have been done in breach of various national, regional and international legal instruments protecting refugees as it fails to take into account individual needs and safety measures,” it said in the court papers.The East African nation has announced it will repatriate all refugees in Dadaab by November and urged the international community to help in the process.Despite international pressure on Kenya to reconsider the decision, the government has remained adamant, citing a “very heavy economic, security and environmental burden”.It says Somalia’s Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, which has staged deadly attacks in Kenya in rennet years, has hideouts in the refugee camp.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“The non-existence of professional bodies with an international standing such as certified public accountants, commercial lawyers and business tax experts further isolates the SMEs sector in Somaliland as no man’s land. Adding to this is the lack of SMEs associations, lobby bodies, and special parliamentary committees,”
Can Somaliland Afford To Shun Its SMEs?
06 June – Source: AllAfrica.com – 666 Words
In Somaliland, the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector is the biggest income and employment generator. It hosts thousands of people and is the largest business sector.
SMEs that trade in clothes, food, agricultural products, consumables, gold, beverages and fruits are visible on the streets of every city and town of Somaliland. And these traders support families who may find it difficult to get alternative sources of income.
In addition, as a result of the 1990s civil war, many families lost their breadwinner (father), which in turn forced the mother to strive for sustaining the household income. Since education for girls and women is minimal in Somaliland, mothers often turn into small business operators.
Those who have inherited some assets or have received some support from their relatives in the Diaspora entered into gold retailing and small scale trading, which can be seen on the Dubia-Wajale-Somaliland route. Ultimately, they support their families and close family members through income earned in this sector that resides on the fringes of formality and informality.
Hence, it is very clear that SMEs are the backbone of Somaliland’s economy. No doubt, then, that it deserves appropriate technical, financial, legal, and political support from the top.Although the private sector in general, and the SME sector specifically, take the lion’s share in the development of Somaliland’s economy and contribute significantly to household income, it is increasingly facing many obstacles. The challenges vary in both nature and magnitude.Enterpreneurs working in the sector are often uneducated. The unavailability of entrepreneurship courses and one-stop business set up information centres is a huge problem.