July 5, 2016 | Morning Headlines
Uganda Reconsiders Troops’ Pullout From Somalia, Museveni Says
04 July – Source: Bloomberg – 139 Words
Uganda is reconsidering plans to withdraw its troops from Somalia, where an African Union force fighting the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab reportedly hasn’t received allowances from the European Union, President Yoweri Museveni said.
“We shall not pull out if we move in the right direction, especially the army,” Museveni told reporters Monday in Entebbe after a regional security meeting attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Museveni didn’t give further details.
The 22,000-strong African Union force in Somalia, or Amisom, is funded by the EU, which hasn’t disbursed allowances to troops for six months, the BBC reported last month, citing an unidentified EU official. Uganda joined Amisom in 2007 and is the force’s biggest contributor, with more than 6,000 troops. Burundi, Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia also have soldiers in the country.
Key Headlines
- Uganda Reconsiders Troops’ Pullout From Somalia Museveni Says (Bloomberg)
- Mogadishu Residents Prepare For The Idd Festivity (Hiiraan Online)
- Funding Crisis Could Delay Repatriation Of Somalia Refugees (Shabelle News)
- A Difficult Eid Ahead (Hiiraan Online)
- Gaas Dissolves Galkayo Council Over Security Lapse (Shabelle News)
- State blamed For Bus Attack In Mandera (The Star)
- Security Tight In Lamu After 20 Soldiers Escape Al-Shabaab Attack (Citizen Digital)
- From Mogadishu To Ottawa (FCO Blog)
- Who Would Kill A Man Of Peace? (Huffington Post)
- Safe From Terrorist Violence A New Mainer Builds A Very American Life (Portland Press Herald)
- Italy With Somalia And WFP: One Million Euros To Fight Drought From El Niño (Italy UN)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Mogadishu Residents Prepare For The Idd Festivity
04 July – Source: Hiiraan Online- 178 Words
There is a buzz of activity as Mogadishu residents prepare for the Idd celebrations expected on Tuesday orWednesday this week. Shoppers thronged Mogadishu markets such as Bakaraha, Hamar-weyne and Suuq Ba’aad to buy new clothes and foods such as halwa and biscuits. Both the young and the old are ready to usher in the festive season in new attire. “I have come to buy new clothes for my children. Indeed, a lot of clothes are stocked in the market and I am confused about which ones to buy. Besides, the market is overcrowded especially the textile shops. “ Anisa Omar, a mother of four said.
Several other mothers concurred with her saying that clothes this year have become very expensive. “Girls’ clothes cost more than boys’ this year,” Anab Farah, a mother of six complained.
The busiest places are however the areas where foods such as cookies and halwa are sold together with barbershops and beauty salons. Business owners extend operating hours during this season so that they can serve more clients, who seem to increase every year.
Funding Crisis Could Delay Repatriation of Somalia refugees
04 July – Source: Shabelle News- 183 Words
Following a meeting held in Nairobi last week between Kenya and Somalia ministries of foreign affairs, it is now evident that the global refugee agency might have given a new lifeline regarding the Dadaab refugee camp. Availability of funds to effect the entire repatriation process, providing incentives have emerged as the biggest hurdles that could delay the process further. Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Secretary announced that from the Sh20 billion shillings required for the repatriation, the country would only foot Sh1 billion.
This emerging funding crisis indicates that Kenya’s refugee situation is rather complex with no easy and immediate solutions. For several humanitarian reasons, it is very difficult for any state to block distressed women, men and children fleeing from continued conflicts or famines. With many interested partners in the process, any visible hint of refugee mistreatment by Kenyan government may attract international furore that can lead to any donor agencies to recoil and reconsider their support. Owing to Kenya’s reputation as an island of peace and relative economic stability, the country has always been the natural choice for individuals fleeing conflict and famine.
A Difficult Eid Ahead
04 July – Source: Hiiraan Online- 916 Words
Eid is a time of festivity and happiness that follows the holy month of Ramadan. It is a time for family and presents but this year will prove to be a very difficult Eid for most Somalis. While Eid in itself is a time for celebration, many Somalis feel that the economic conditions have got so bad that it is proving impossible to celebrate in the traditional way.
“I am a public servant and have not been paid for more than 4 months. Last year I lost 3 months of my salary and I cannot really afford to eat sometimes let alone buy presents for my 4 children and wife,” said a Mogadishu policeman who did not want to be named. “Instead of happiness, I have family problems this Eid because of my situation.” Many more public servants interviewed in Mogadishu including police and traffic officers as well as other government employees expressed the same frustration.
“It is harder than ever because we have no payment from government for so long and we cannot share the happiness of Eid by buying anything for our families,” said a traffic warden who did not want his identity to be disclosed. “Sometimes without asking, the people in the cars offer me a dollar or two because I think they can see the hunger and poverty on my face.” Many internally displaced people benefit from the generosity of Islamic NGO’s in the Holy month of Ramadan. Many of them now fear that as Ramadan ends this predictable source of support will come to an end.
“I am a mother of 6 and my husband died. I used to get support from different Islamic charities for iftar and now this will end I am not sure what I will do,” said Maimuna Mohamed, an IDP living in Mogadishu. “Sometimes I feel I am just been pushed to the edge of existence.”
Maimuna is suddenly overcome with emotions and tears roll down her face midway through her interview. Her friends attempt to comfort her and then they also reveal that their situation is not any better.
“I sell Khaat for a lady and I earn about $90 a month and I have 3 children and my husband left me,” said Fartuun Haji. “I am also struggling this Eid with my family who want everything too.”
Gaas Dissolves Galkayo Council Over Security Lapse
04 July – Source: Shabelle News- 100 Words
President of Somalia’s northeastern semi-autonomous state of Puntland Abdiwali Mohamed Alii Gaas has on Monday dissolved the local council of Galkayo city. The dissolving of the local council came after the city has been hit by series of attacks and assassinations targeted on senior officials and army in the past.
A reliable source confirmed to Radio Shabelle that the President Abdiwali Gaas has officially suspended the local council of northern Galkayo city in central Somalia. Unconfirmed reports say Puntland president is planning to dissolve the regional administration of Mudug, a move aimed at boosting up the security of the region.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Italy With Somalia And WFP: One Million Euros To Fight Drought From El Niño
04 July – Source: Italy UN- 283 Words
Following an appeal from the World Food Programme (WFP) for the drought caused by El Niño in Somalia, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs pledged and emergency contribution of one million Euros to support the Un organization in its food security activities in the country. The Italian contribution will allow the WFP to buy food for 160,000 people who live in the most affected areas and to offer additional aid to about 228,000 undernourished children and pregnant or nursing women.
The new commitment adds on the 10 million Euros pledged last march by the Italian Cooperation to help countries in Africa to tackle El Niño. To cope with this emergency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has prepared a plan for the five most affected countries in Africa: Ethiopia, Mozambique, Malawi, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. The projects will be focused on food security and the resumption of agro-pastoral and will be completed in 12 months. Six million Euros are earmarked for Italian NGOs on the ground, while the remaining four million are destined to UN entities, in addition to the one million allocated in January to the World Food Programme.
El Niño’s impact is considered be the most violent in the last century and will threaten 60 million people, 40 million of whom only in Africa. The consequences are disastrous and include reduction of crops, fluctuations in market price, migration, malnutrition and pandemics. An estimated 28 million people risk their lives in Southern Africa and the Horn of Africa. The phenomenon is also among the main causes of migration: at least one third of migrants are fleeing because of the weather.
Kenya Gov’t Blamed For Bus Attack In Mandera
04 July – Source: The Star- 192 Words
A senior security official in Mandera on Saturday blamed the government for failing to implement some recommendations agreed last year by President Uhuru Kenyatta and local leaders.
The official said acting on the recommendations could have ended frequent terror and criminal attacks. Last Friday, six people were killed when gunmen ambushed two Mandera-bound buses.
The yet-to-be-enforced recommendations include recruiting 300 police reservists to be posted along the Kenya-Somalia border. The official, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, told the Star no officer has been recruited.
“Vetting of the would-be reservists was done last year and the names sent to the IG, who was to approve the recruitment. We haven’t received any communication,” he said.
He added: “We thought this move would be cost-effective and sustainable and would have tamed the militias marauding the region. The reservists are locals who understand the terrain very well.”
Also recommended were customised vehicles with swivel seats that allow officers to face different directions. The source said more vehicles are needed to escort buses. He added “somebody somewhere is trying to sabotage the process.”
Who Would Kill A Man Of Peace?
04 July – Source: Huffington Post- 848 Words
The Somali community was deeply saddened by the tragic news from Somalia from the last Saturday’s Al-Shabaab attack at a hotel in Mogadishu which resulted to the death and destruction of a large number of people including the Minister of the State for the Environment Mr. Burci Mohammed Hamza. A highly educated man who immigrated to Canada didn’t abandon his country of origin to sit at the comfort of his home in Toronto. He didn’t say to himself that there is nothing he could do to rebuild the war-torn country which has been inflicted with civil wars since the collapse of the former regime of Siad Barre in 1991.
He knew well the risks involved in taking that decision. But nevertheless he felt it was worth the sacrifice to take part of the rebuilding of a country he loved so dearly. Giving up on Somalia was not the choice he was willing to take. He left a legacy for all Somalis and immigrants living in the diaspora. If they don’t commit themselves to rebuild their countries then who else will. They should never forsake their countries of birth and should always keep it in their conscious and take a role to bringing it to life. Otherwise it will fall at the hands of thugs and thieves.
He didn’t allow to be intimidated by anyone and had shown courage, dedication and sacrifice in trying to make a change there. Those who have claimed responsibility for the attacks have done so without showing any regard to the sacred month of Ramadhan. They disregarded the sanctity of the human life and the principles of the religion they claim to follow.
Security Tight In Lamu After 20 Soldiers Escape Al-Shabaab Attack
04 July – Source: Citizen Digital- 167 Words
Security has been beefed up in Lamu County following attempts by suspected Al Shabaab militants to bomb a military vehicle. KDF soldiers are leading an operation to flash out terrorists, after close to 20 soldiers escaped death by a whisker last evening in the attempt. The officers are said to have been on their way to Hindi from Baure Military Camp when they foiled the botched assault.
According to area police commander Abdullahi Adan, the land grenade that was set up at Milimani went off moments before the police vehicle arrived. This comes barely four days after police gunned down four terror suspects in the nearby Mangai area. On Sunday, security forces in Tana Delta Sub-County, Tana River County conducted an operation following reports that some suspected terror elements were spotted in the area.According to Tana Delta Deputy County Commissioner Mike Kimoko, the operation involved various security agencies and departments, including the Kenya Defence Forces.
Safe From Terrorist Violence, A New Mainer Builds A Very American Life
04 July – Source: Portland Press Herald- 2,228 Words
Abdi Nor Iftin has been driven by the promise of America for as long as he can remember. Growing up on the violent, impoverished streets of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, he was nicknamed Mr. America by his peers, or sometimes Abdi the American, for alliterative effect. Although it was common for Somali children and young adults to dream, as war waged all around them, of moving west to the land of opportunity, Abdi took that to another level.
He spent hours watching American movies – “Die Hard,” “The Terminator,” “Rambo” – just to learn English. But he was always cautious to whom he spoke English because not everyone held America, or Americans, in the same regard he did. In Somalia, men often had to choose between joining a terrorist group or joining those fighting the terrorists. Abdi wanted neither, and that put him at risk. He once received a death threat because of his Western nickname. Bombs and bullets were part of the daily routine.
It took him almost 30 years, but Abdi finally arrived in his land of opportunity in late 2014. He has a car and a job and a place to live in Maine, where he doesn’t have to worry about his life being cut short.
As people across the country celebrate the nation’s birthday Monday with parades and cookouts and barbecues, and perhaps pause to reflect on the freedom inherent in America’s promise, Abdi is a reminder that the fight to live free wasn’t over 240 years ago. For some, like Abdi, the fight is still going.
Abdi’s arrival in the U.S. comes at a time of growing uncertainty and fear among some Americans about outsiders. He said the recent rise in anti-immigrant and Islamophobic rhetoric that has been stoked by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and others is hard to ignore. He knew being black in one of the country’s whitest states and being Muslim in the time of the Islamic State would be challenging, but he worries that things are getting worse.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
Taking up my posting in Ottawa I thought would be a complete contrast – walking to Parliament in Ottawa beats being cramped in the back of an armoured personal carrier any day. And the style of work is different. Being a UK diplomat in Canada is about trying to find ways two close allies can work even closer together on the challenges facing us in the 21st century. In Somalia, I was trying to help build the very foundations of the state after decades of civil war. Two separate worlds surely?
From Mogadishu To Ottawa
04 July – Source: FCO Blog- 555 Words
A diplomatic life is often one of contrasts. One year you can be working on climate change, another you’re promoting human rights in North Africa. That’s what makes this career so varied and challenging. Sometimes this contrast can be so great it’s hard to see the thread that connects all of the work we do. My recent career has typified this existential angst. From Mogadishu to Ottawa. From body armour to Beaver Tails and poutine.
Having spent 14 months based at the UK’s Embassy in Somalia – the only European country with a permanent presence – I had seen both the pain of the past, while getting glimpses of a better future. I had seen girls return to school for the first time in 20 years and witnessed the suffering of those caught up in continuing violence. Somalia is making real progress, but it is fragile and often painful. Taking up my posting in Ottawa I thought would be a complete contrast – walking to Parliament in Ottawa beats being cramped in the back of an armoured personal carrier any day. And the style of work is different. Being a UK diplomat in Canada is about trying to find ways two close allies can work even closer together on the challenges facing us in the 21st century. In Somalia, I was trying to help build the very foundations of the state after decades of civil war. Two separate worlds surely?
But in a globalised age, issues do not respect borders. A stable future for Somalia has local, regional and international repercussions. And it matters personally to the Somali diaspora around the world. A diaspora who have found a home and a future in Canada. Finding myself in a Toronto restaurant breaking the Ramadan fast with members of Canada’s vibrant Somali community, my former life collided with the new. We spoke about our hopes for the Somali elections and discussed the best beaches in downtown Mogadishu. We talked about Toronto politics and their pride at the election of the first Canadian of Somali descent to Parliament. Growing up in stable countries can make you complacent about democracy. For Canadian-Somalis, the right to vote for leaders in peaceful elections was still a source of great pride. An opportunity that they hoped all Somalis would one day experience.
We also spoke about what it meant to be a modern Canadian. A nationality which is defined by values rather than ethnicity. The Canadian-Somalis I met felt accepted as part of the nation, while given space to celebrate their unique culture. And I sense this is the experience of so many here – a culture where many have a different heritage, but blend together to create something new (poutine is apparently great for breaking the Ramadan fast). And it is through this celebration of diversity that this amazing country gets its strength.
As a UK diplomat I want to get to know the modern face of Canada, to understand where we can work together to tackle shared challenges. This means taking the time to get outside the Ottawa ‘bubble’ and explore different provinces, cities and cultural identities within Canada. Regardless of where a diplomat is based, be it Mogadishu or Ottawa, this approach will always be the thread that joins together the different lives of diplomats posted far from home.