November 8, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
Lower House Voting Kicks Off In Jubbaland And Southwest States
08 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 286 Words
Polls opened today in Jubbaland and South West states with a total of 112 members of the Lower House expected to be elected at the end of exercise which could run for about three days. South West state whose sub clans combined command the highest number of MPs (69) will today start with the election of 23 MPs and at least four women expected to be elected. Thirteen women will be contesting in the first round.
In Jubbaland, all clans combined have been allocated 43 seats with at least seven MPs expected to be elected today. The Federal electoral body FIEIT announced Wednesday that elections for the two regions will start today. It further said Galmudug state was yet to meet the requirements set out by the polls body on the composition of the lists.
Goobjoog News correspondent who is in the capital of Jubbaland said “There is one big polling centre, a government facility called Daawad centre which houses six polling stations. There are only Somali security forces and the intelligence agency NISA officers in the area.” The correspondent says there are no Amisom soldiers in the area.
From Baidoa the capital of South West State our correspondent says both Somali and Amisom forces are securing the election site, which is being conducted at the presidential palace. Puntland started the Lower House elections last week and is yet to conclude the process. The fate of the breakaway region of Somaliland remains unknown as they have not even started the elections for the Upper House. Upon completion of the exercise, both Houses of Parliament will converge November 30 to elect a new president.
Key Headlines
- Lower House Voting Kicks Off In Jubbaland And Southwest States (Goobjoog News)
- Intense Battle Flares Up Again In Galkacyo (Shabelle News)
- UN Expresses Concern Over Galkayo Peace Deal Collapse (Goobjoog News)
- Elasha Biyaha District Commissioner Survives Assassination Attempt (Shabelle News)
- Civilians Must Be Spared From Fighting (ICRC)
- IFJ Mourns Death Of Radio Journalist In Central Somalia (IFJ)
- Raysut Cement Somaliland Plant Plan ‘Progressing Well’ (Trade Arabia)
- The Need For Somaliland Drought Mitigation Policy (Wardheer News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Intense Battle Flares Up Again In Galkacyo
08 November – Source: Shabelle News – 95 Words
An intense fighting between Galmudug and Puntland regional forces has erupted again in the town of Galkayo after a previous ceasefire agreement collapsed. The battle is reportedly ongoing in the western outskirts of the city, where the rival forces are engaging heavily. On Monday, Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas is said to have had a phone conversation with his Galmudug counterpart Abdikarim Hussein Guled over the Galkayo conflict. Both federal member states have previously failed to implement several peace agreements brokered by the Federal Government and foreign diplomats.
UN Expresses Concern Over Galkayo Peace Deal Collapse
08 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 236 Words
United Nation has expressed concern over the recent breakdown of the ceasefire between the regional states in northern and central Somalia. Over 20 people were killed and 80 others were reported injured after a fierce fighting erupted between the forces of Puntland and Galmudug states less than a week after the sides inked peace deal in Abu Dubai.
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, Michael Keating who travelled to Bossaso on Monday said in a press statement that failure to implement the ceasefire and find a peaceful solution to the crisis will not only cause further suffering for the population of Galkayo, but will also escalate tensions that extremists could exploit.
“I remain confident that a lasting solution to this long running conflict can be found if all parties act in good faith.” said Keating. The sentiment comes a day after 25 soldiers were killed in a fight between the two regional forces.
The divided city of Galkayo, about 700 kilometres northeast of the capital Mogadishu, has seen repeated clashes in recent weeks but Sunday’s fighting has been the deadliest so far. In September the US was drawn into the rivalry when Galmudug authorities accused Puntland of duping US forces into carrying out an airstrike on its soldiers, killing 13.
Elasha Biyaha District Commissioner Survives Assassination Attempt
08 November – Source: Shabelle News – 113 Words
The district commissioner of Elasha Biyaha area, near Mogadishu has survived an assassination attempt after assailants hurled a grenade on her car on Tuesday. Ayan Hassan Hajji, Elasha Biyaha District Commissioner has escaped unharmed from the bomb blast that tore through a the car she was traveling in outside the capital. A security guard was confirmed wounded in the attack, according to a witness.
In the aftermath of the attack, Somali security forces have swiftly cordoned off the scene near the bomb site, and launched an operation for the suspects. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but authorities blamed Al-Shabaab militants for the attempt on the administrator life.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Civilians Must Be Spared From Fighting
08 November – Source: ICRC – 125 Words
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) calls on all parties to the conflict in Galkayo to take all precautionary measures to protect civilians, health care staff and medical facilities. “It’s vital that the civilians caught in conflict – families, mothers, and children – be allowed to move out of the conflict zone safely. Civilians, as well as medical professionals, are not part of the conflict and must not be targeted,” said Jordi Raich Curco, the ICRC Head of Delegation for Somalia.
Last week the ICRC provided 60,000 displaced people with emergency relief including food for one month and water. Last Monday the ICRC donated medical supplies to hospitals that received 140 people wounded in the recent fighting.
IFJ Mourns Death Of Radio Journalist In Central Somalia
08 November – Source: International Federation of Journalists – 293 Words
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), have today strongly condemned the killing of journalist Mahad Ali Mohamed in Central Somalia.
According to NUSOJ, Mahad Ali Mohamed who was working for Radio Codka Mudug (Voice of Mudug Radio) was seriously wounded in the head on Sunday morning after a stray bullet hit him as he was leaving his house for work and he was rushed to Galkayo Hospital where he succumbed to the wound he sustained and was pronounced dead. There is a renewed armed conflict between forces loyal to Puntland and Galmudug states which are part of Somalia federal states. Both regional administrations claim the control of Galkayo town.
In presenting NUSOJ’s condolences to Mahad’s family and friends, NUSOJ Secretary General said, “We urge all journalists working in Mudug region, particularly in Galkayo, to exercise maximum caution while performing their professional duties. The escalation of violence that has now hit Galkayo is getting unbearable. Puntland and Galmudug authorities must stop the war and give dialogue a chance so that the bloodshed stops”.
Raysut Cement Somaliland Plant Plan ‘Progressing Well’
08 November – Source: Trade Arabia – 130 Words
Oman’s Raysut Cement, a leading cement producer, is steadily progressing in its establishment of a new cement plant in Berbera, Somaliland, said a report. The new facility is one of several investments being made by the company in growing its business in Oman and the wider region, added the Oman Daily Observer report.
Soil investigation studies linked to Barwaaqo Cement Company’s plant in Somaliland have been completed, Ahmed bin Yousuf bin Alawi Al Ibrahim, chairman of the board of directors, said in a report of the group’s financial performance for the nine months ended September 30.
Al Ibrahim said that the engineering-procurement-
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“The former Somali President, Mohamed Siad Barre, reflected on the impact of the drought on nomadic and rural communities in the north. Barre used Burao District of Togdheer Region as an example of a locality dependent on livestock economy whose fortunes were reversed by droughts. He said the loss of revenues from livestock-based economy led to the loss of livelihoods, thus putting enormous pressure on the government that fed more than 240,000 people who were placed in camps.”
The Need For Somaliland Drought Mitigation Policy
08 November – Source: Wardheer News – 599 Words
Recurrent droughts in Somaliland expose the vanity of the Somali political class when it comes to drought preparedness and drought mitigation. In the grip of the incipient impact of global warming, Somaliland nomads and rural populations are accustomed to expecting less assistance from the government and political parties who are ungrateful to the nomads whose livestock “contributes 60% of the GDP and about 85% of foreign export earnings.”
The frequency and severity of droughts in Somaliland have increased in recent years. In the first quarter of 2016, a severe drought affected the western parts of Somaliland, forcing nomads, whose livestock perished, to seek assistance in districts and cities. Aid from Gulf states was supplemented by Diaspora assistance in the form of generous water funds for nomadic and farming communities.
In the last quarter of this year, the current drought has decimated livestock in the Eastern regions, where the measly assistance earmarked for drought victims has not been effective at all. Sheikh Adan Siiro has urged the government to curb corruption at all government levels. “A politician, a Sheikh or an intellectual has misused humanitarian aid intended for people affected by the drought in Eastern Somaliland,” Sheikh Siiro said.
On the other hand, UCID Party Chairman, Faisal Ali Warabe says: the drought in Eastern regions has similarities with the Dabadheer drought, The responsibility for addressing food security and responding to droughts in Somaliland lies with the Somaliland government. The 1974-1975 drought known as Dabadheer “The Lingering Drought” is cited as an example of an effective government response to a serious drought emergency. The former Somali President, Mohamed Siad Barre, reflected on the impact of the drought on nomadic and rural communities in the north.
TOP TWEETS
@DalsanFM : BREAKING #Somalia speaker Pro Jawaari elected MP from #South west state #Doorashada2016
@UNSomalia : INTERVIEW: @SRSGKeating says 2016 electoral process in #Somalia is more robust than electoral process of 2012
@shiinetown : #Somalia ex member of parliament Fowzia Sheikh become the first female to be elected in #Baidoa for the lower house.
@Mohamedkeynan : Current speaker of the house of the people contesting his seat #Baydhabo today #Somalia.
@Hornexpert115 : BREAKING: Election of Lower house members of #parliament starts today in #Baidoa. Center for Southwest State. #Somalia.
@HornDiplomat2 : 25 soldiers dead in #Somalia regional fighting http://www.horndiplomat.com/
@ferigom69 : 2 Somali pirates receive life sentences for attacking USS Ashland; third gets 33 years @scoopithttp://sco.lt/67d9hB #Somalia #piracy
@amisomsomalia : Securing #Somalia‘s electoral process – Sector 4. Retweet to share this message. #Doorashada2016
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Lower House elections started in the Interim Administration of Southwest today.
Photo: @hornexpert115