September 26, 2016 | Morning Headlines
Over Ten Killed In Allied Forces Clash With Al-Shabaab
25 September – Source : Goobjoog News – 174 Words
At least ten combatants from both sides have been killed in fighting between Southwest state forces and Al-Shabaab fighters at Idale village, a few kilometres from Baidoa town, in the southern Somalia.The fighting flared up after Southwest forces attacked the village manned by Al-Shabaab fighters.
A police officer in Baidoa who asked for anonymity said that the joint forces were in full control of the area at the moment and Al-Shabaab fighters fled the area.“The fighting inflicted heavy casualties on Al-Shabaab fighters, seven of them were killed in the battlefield and they left unspecified number of injuries but two soldiers of the Somali army were killed and another one was injured in the fighting” he said.
Al-Shabaab which wants to topple internationally recognised Somali government has carried out several deadly attacks in Somalia’s main towns.Al-Shabaab was driven from the capital city in 2011 by Somali and AU troops.Despite the well organised offensives by Somali forces backed AU troops, the group still controls some parts of rural areas in south and central Somalia.
Key Headlines
- Over Ten Killed In Allied Forces Clash With Al-Shabaab (Goobjoog News)
- Our Development Agenda Is Premised On SDGs-Somali FM (Goobjoog News)
- Somali Government Calls For The Release Of Citizens Detained For Piracy (Radio Dalsan)
- Somalia’s Parliamentary Election Postponed Again: Lawmaker (SABC News)
- Somalia: Hundreds In Puntland Protest Against Indian Court Ruling (Garowe Online)
- Joint Military Efforts Weaken Shabaab’s Control In Somalia (Daily Nation)
- Somali Elections: Much At Stake For Gender Representation (Mail & Guardian Africa)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Our Development Agenda Is Premised On SDGs-Somali FM
25September – Source : Goobjoog News – 333 Words
Somalia has developed an inclusive, people-oriented and implementable national development plan which will serve as a blueprint for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the time frame, Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdusalam Hadliyeh has said. Earlier this year, Somali government launched 2030 Development Agenda-SDGs giving priority to the goals such as; poverty elimination and goal seven of clean energy.
Speaking at the general debate of the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Hadliyeh underscored that no one nation, no matter how big or powerful, can address global climate change, terrorism, poverty or mass population displacement on its own. He said Somalia is committed to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “In this age of globalization, interconnectivity and interdependence, there is a duty on us all to work even more closely together to protect and advance the common interests of all mankind,” said Minister.
The Minister highlighted that, with the support of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the nation has made significant inroads against Al-Shabaab, and over the past four years, key towns and cities have been regained. Now, the terrorist group controls less than 10 per cent of territory in the country.
He noted that his country recognized the importance of peacebuilding to address and respond to the international refugee crisis that it appreciated the contributions that migrant workers make to their new and old homes through remittances and cultural exchanges that are vital to promote tolerance. Somali government is fighting with armed groups including Al-shabaab which wants to topple the western backed Somali government.
The group has been carrying out deadly attacks on the government institutions, military bases and hotels which frequented by the government and UN officials for the past five years. Al-Shabaab vowed to disrupt Somalia’s upcoming elections which will be participated by 14,025 Somali delegates. The group’s spokesperson,Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage said in an audio warned Somalia’s traditional elders against taking part in upcoming elections.
Somali Government Calls For The Release Of Citizens Detained For Piracy
25 September – Source : Radio Dalsan – 189 Words
Federal Government of Somalia has called upon the release of hundreds of its nationals detained across the globe for piracy related crimes. Press statement from the ministry of information has said that Mogadishu is sorry about lack of justice facing Somali citizens detained across the globe for various crimes.
“The government is calling upon the ministry of foreign affairs and its diplomatic missions to closely follow up detained citizens and the challenges facing them,” said part of the press statement released to the media on Tuesday. Somali government has called upon all countries where Somali citizens are detained for various crimes to protect their human rights and facilitate access to fair justice.
“Federal government of Somalia is calling upon Kenya, India, Seychelles and all other states holding Somali citizens for piracy case to allow them serve prison sentence inside their country,” The statement comes following the prosecution of more than 50 Somali citizens to death by Indian court for piracy crimes. Hundreds of young Somalis are detained across the globe following the collapse of the central government for various crimes mainly illegal entry and piracy in the international waters.
Hundreds In Puntland Protest Against Indian Court Ruling
25 September – Source : Garowe Online – 210 Words
Hundreds of people gathered in the streets of Gaalkayo city, regional capital of Mudug region in Somalia, on Sunday, in protest against court ruling of 119 alleged Somali pirates in India. Earlier the 119 Somali pirates, who were captured in several operations carried out by Indian coast guards and Navy off Lakshadweep between 2011 and 2012, have pleaded guilty to offenses filed against them.
About 50 pirates could face death sentence while the rest could face life imprisonment. Angry people took to the streets in protest against the death sentences, and denounced the court procedures, saying its “injustice”. “The procedures in which they were apprehended and taken for trial were unlawful and unfair,” said angry protesters. They are fishermen and who were captured illegally under false pretenses, we demand India to extradite them (prisoners) to Somalia so that they can get fair trials in their home country, added angry protesters.The protest comes amid court verdict against 50 Somali suspects to face death sentence in connection to piracy activities in the Indian Ocean. The rise of Somali piracy in the last decade has been major threat to the international shipping industry as pirates seized hundreds of vessels in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia’s Parliamentary Election Postponed Again: Lawmaker
25 September – Source: SABC News – 194 Words
Elections in Somalia to choose a new parliament have been postponed for the second time in two months due to a dispute over how to select future members, a lawmaker said on Sunday.Voting for the 275-seat parliament was scheduled to start this weekend and end on October 10, with new lawmakers set to appoint a president onOctober 30.Facing an ongoing threat from the al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militant group al-Shabaab, Somalia abandoned plans for a one person one vote election. Instead about 14 000 people representing federal states across the nation will choose members of the legislative assembly. Although the number is a fraction of Somalia’s 11 million people, it is more than the 135 elders who picked the outgoing parliament in 2012.”No election is going on,” a lawmaker who asked not to be named told Reuters.”There is inter-clan dispute over selection of clan elders (voters) and parliamentary candidates,” added the lawmaker.
Joint Military Efforts Weaken Shabaab’s Control In Somalia
25 September – Source: Daily Nation – 471 Words
A Somali diplomat has said the combined military efforts launched in the war-torn country have led to the weakening of terrorist group Al-Shabaab by condensing the areas it controls.Foreign Minister Abdisalam Hadliyeh Omer told the United Nations on Saturday that Somalia’s security services and allied forces, including those of Kenya, have “militarily defeated the evil that is Al-Shabaab”. He added: “Today, Al-Shabaab controls less than 10 per cent of territory in the country. In recent months many of their key leaders have been killed, others have defected and their violent ideology is truly shunned by the Somali people.”
Mr Omer thanked the countries contributing troops to the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), which, he said, have helped stabilise the country.He cited the “brotherly states” of Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Burundi, Djibouti and Nigeria, saying “their valour and distinguished service will never be forgotten”.
He said the war-torn nation aims to have a fully effective military in operation prior to the planned draw-down in 2018 of Amisom’s 22,000-member force.Five years ago, Al-Shabaab was engaged in “open warfare” with Amisom and Somali forces, Mr Omer recounted.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Coupled with the need for viable institutions and a persistent failure to reach agreement on the rules of the game, it is easy to see how many factors work against the 30% gender quota. Regardless of these challenges, Somali women remain optimistic and resilient”
Somali Elections: Much At Stake For Gender Representation
25 September – Source : Mail & Guardian Africa – 1056 Words
In May this year, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud issued a decree legalizing the presidential elections set to take place on 30 October, after the elections for the lower and upper houses of Parliament, which take place on 24 and 25 September. The electoral process is based on the provisional constitution, which was adopted in 2012, and aims to ensure that the terms of the current president and Parliament are not extended. Although the current presidential term expired on 10 September, it seems an extension has been agreed upon up to the time of elections.
Universal suffrage – based on one vote for every voting-eligible man and woman – will not be used in the upcoming election. Rather, the so-called 4.5 clan-based formula will be used to determine the delegates who will vote for the lower House, while the regional states will select the members to the upper House. The collegiate system, which combines the traditional clan-based system and geographical voting, means that the process can be more accurately described as a selection, rather than an election process.
The constitution currently stipulates that women need to make up at least 30% of the seats in Parliament. There are no policies or laws in place to protect this quota, however, and the upcoming elections therefore place women’s representation at risk. A number of National Leadership Forums (NLF) of Somali national and regional leaders took place earlier this year to determine modalities for the elections. The latest one was held in August in Mogadishu. Some of the issues discussed included the need to finalize the constitutional review process, and to establish political parties as a future alternative to the clan-based formula.
Integrating women in elections and public affairs was also part of the agenda, with traditional leaders and electoral colleges being urged to ensure that women comprise 30% of the delegates to elect the lower and upper houses. Each of the four main clans – the Hawiye, Darood, Dir and Rahanwein – were urged to ensure that they each had 18 female representatives, while the fifth clan – made up of a coalition of minority clans – should have nine. It was also proposed that clans’ nominations to the Upper House comprise 50% women. In addition, a 50% reduction of candidates’ fees for women was also recommended as an affirmative action initiative meant to break barriers for women and to encourage female candidates. If these propositions were to be implemented, Somalia would have a commendable gender representation of about 81 women in Parliament. However, these are mere proposals, and their validity and authority remain doubtful given that real power continues to be held by traditional clan and religious leaders.