March 10, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
Over 200 Somalis Deported From The US
10 March – Source: Goobjoog News – 169 Words
244 Somali nationals on Friday arrived at Aden Adde International Airport after being deported from the United States. The deportees are believed to have been affected by the crackdown on illegal immigrants. Late January this year, more than 90 Somali nationals and two Kenyans were deported from the United States. US President Donald Trump is implementing his pledge to crack down on illegal immigrants during his campaign for White House last year.
Many illegals were hoping that he would tone down after winning the election but it is now clear that Trump will not backtrack on his hardline immigration policy. There are around 11 million illegal immigrants in the USA who Trump threatened to deport while he was on the campaign trail. The deportation came barely three days after a revised travel ban by President Trump was imposed on Somalia alongside five other Muslim majority countries. The order will block visas being issued to anyone from Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Key Headlines
- Over 200 Somalis Deported From The US (Goobjoog News)
- Second Policeman Shot Dead In The Capital Mogadishu (Garowe Online)
- First Khat Flight Lands At Jowhar Airport (Jowhar.com)
- World Accused Of Repeating Mistakes Over Somalia Famine Threat (Financial Times)
- Al-Shabaab: Should The Somali President Open Talks With The Terror Group? (Huffington Post)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Second Policeman Shot Dead In The Capital Mogadishu
10 March – Source: Garowe Online – 215 Words
A witness says suspected Al-Shabaab assassins armed with pistols have shot and killed a Somali policeman in Mogadishu on Thursday evening. Sources said that the Police officer was accosted by two attackers who drew their pistols, shot him at close range near his house in Mogadishu’s Dharkenley district. The slain police officer was identified as Bashir Mohamed Mohamud, added the source.
The gunmen fled the crime scene before the arrival of the security forces who later cordoned off the area, and carried out probe into the incident, the latest in series of targeted killings in Mogadishu. Early in the day, a soldier serving with Somali Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) was shot dead in Hodan district, Police says he was shot at Bakaro market. Last night, gunmen thought to be Al-Shabaab members have shot dead a local a district official and an elder in Mogadishu in Elasha Biyaha area, however, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the latest assassinations.
Mogadishu is witnessing an increase of targeted killings on elders and security forces in the past weeks. The group vowed to step up its attacks against the new Somali administration led by new President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo who was elected last month.
First Khat Flight Lands At Jowhar Airport
10 March – Source: Jowhar.com – 144 Words
The first ever flight ferrying Khat has landed at Jowhar airport, the regional capital of HirShabelle State. Khat traders expressed joy over the start of the direct Khat cargo flights from Kenya to Jowhar. The HirShabelle regional capital previously received the narcotic leaves from Mogadishu. As a result of the new flight, price of the stimulant drug has gone down compared to the one previously delivered from Mogadishu.
Khat traders promised to make sure that the flights arrive on daily bases. Hirshabelle administration which is seeking to generate tax revenue from the narcotic plant business, has reportedly facilitated for the traders to commence the khat flights. Recently, HirShabelle president and his deputy made a visit to the small seaport town of El-ma’an in Middle Shabelle and toured the airstrip and small port in the area as they plan to reopen both facilities which are located in areas under the jurisdiction of HirShabelle.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
World Accused Of Repeating Mistakes Over Somalia Famine Threat
09 March – Source: Financial Times – 506 Words
The international community’s response to the threat of famine in Somalia is repeating some of the mistakes of the last such crisis six years ago, the aid agency Save the Children has warned. Kevin Watkins, chief executive of Save the Children UK, said on Thursday after visiting Somalia’s Puntland region for three days that the response needed to be better co-ordinated and funded more rapidly to prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths.
“I just haven’t seen the level of detailed planning that I would expect to see in a crisis of this order of magnitude especially in light of what happened six years ago,” he told the Financial Times. “There have been pledges of $450m but no one has any idea where this money is coming from, where it’s going to be delivered, when it’s going to be delivered and how.”
In 2011-12, 260,00 people died in Somalia after the international community ignored more than a dozen famine warnings. As of Thursday evening, the UN said its Somalia appeal had received only $100.6m of the $865.3m requested three weeks ago. Mr Watkins said the death toll was already in the hundreds, with many of the fatalities being young children who had suffered from acute watery diarrhoea or cholera.
The UN has warned that 6.2m people are at risk of famine in Somalia, with several million more facing the same fate in South Sudan, Yemen and parts of north-eastern Nigeria. Last month it declared a famine in parts of South Sudan after the country’s three-year-old civil war prevented aid agencies reaching those in need.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“A host of commentators – including scholars, analysts, policy makers, journalists, politicians and ordinary citizens – agree that dialogue or talks could be a viable strategy to end the menace of Al-Shabaab in Somalia.”
Al-Shabaab: Should The Somali President Open Talks With The Terror Group?
09 March – Source: Huffington Post – 1,005 Words
A political settlement between the Federal Government of Somalia and terror group Al-Shabaab has eluded both parties for years. Now newly elected Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo has indicated that he would be open to talks with the militants. But he also made it clear that if Al-Shabaab refused to engage he would take the war to their doorstep. Although Al-Shabaab has lost control of most towns and cities, it still dominates in many rural areas including locales in Juba, Bay, Shabelle and Bakool. It’s also reported that Al-Shabaab has become increasingly present in Somalia’s northern regions, especially along the Golis mountains and in the urban areas of Puntland.
Farmajo’s election has been widely celebrated. For many his rise to the presidency signals the beginning of an era of unity in Somalia. He has a reputation for being an effective and no-nonsense administrator. This was particularly true during his term as Prime Minister of Somalia between 2010 and 2011. He has made it clear that he’s committed to reforms, good governance and uniting the Somali community in the semi-autonomous regions of Somalia and the diaspora. Can he bring peace? But the credibility of his government will depend on its ability to deliver security. Proposing dialogue with Al-Shabaab could facilitate a political settlement, which will be crucial for the security, political and economic prosperity of Somalia during his term.
A host of commentators – including scholars, analysts, policy makers, journalists, politicians and ordinary citizens – agree that dialogue or talks could be a viable strategy to end the menace of Al-Shabaab in Somalia. The question is whether Al-Shabaab would be willing to enter into dialogue given that its modus operandi is to engage in guerrilla warfare. Previous attempts to engage it in talks have failed.
TOP TWEETS
@UKinSomalia : @DFID_UK is supporting more than 1.1 million people in #Somalia with emergency health services including women and children.
@USAIDSomalia : Speaker Jawari congratulates NIEC on completing strategic plan, issues challenge 2020 one-person-one-vote http://ow.ly/UKLl309LMNa #somalia
@InOnAfrica : @WorldBank plans to raise $1.6 billion to combat famine in #Nigeria, #SouthSudan, #Somalia & #Yemen –
@allafrica :Al-Shabaab – Should the Somali President Open Talks With the Terror Group?:
@nbitrafficbot : 2 TANZANIANS arrested in Elwak, Mandera enroute to #Somalia; police say they suspect they were going to join Al Shabaab.
@orfonline : Africa Monitor: #Somalia declares ‘national disaster’ over drought:
@USAIDSomalia : Opportunities for women in #Somalia mean social economic & cultural revival @GEEL_Somalia supports women in business @USAID
@dr_zakarie : #Somalia the government told 260 people died for #cholera and the number is becoming more and more in the last week
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Elman Ali Ahmed, peace activist, man who spread the motto “put the gun down pick up the pen” in Somalia was assassinated 21 yrs ago today.
PHOTO: @HarunMaruf