May 15, 2017 | Morning Headlines
Government Holds Constitutional Review Meeting In Mogadishu
14 May – Source: Garowe Online – 230 Words
The Ministry of Constitutional Affairs of the Federal government of Somalia has launched a forum meeting to review the country’s provisional constitution in Mogadishu on Sunday. Minister of Interior and Federal Affairs, Abdi Farah Saed (Juha), Speaker of Somalia’s Federal Parliament, Mohamed Sheikh Osman (Jawaari,) ministries of the constitutional affairs from regional states are attending the 3-day Forum in Mogadishu. According to the Minister of Constitution Abdirahman Hosh Jibril, the meeting aims to gather positions of the regional states in regard to the constitutional review process. In his opening speech, Minister Jibril said; “The constitution shall be the eyes of the public and guards the welfare of the society, so we should work together on it.”
Minister Juha said he will collaborate with Minister Jibril to successfully complete the review process of Somalia’s provisional constitution. “I welcome an open discussion to review our constitution. My Ministry will openly create partnership with the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs,” said Juha. During the meetings, the Federal government and the regional administrations will focus on different agendas including constitutional amendment procedures, public consultation before implementing public referendum.
This is the first forum of its kind launched to review the provisional constitution of Somalia since the end of Transitional Federal government’s mandate in September 2012. The new President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo has promised that his government will launch the constitutional process during his term.
Key Headlines
- Government Holds Constitutional Review Meeting in Mogadishu (Garowe Online)
- Tension Runs High in Eastern Galgaduud (Shabelle News)
- Somalia’s Prime Minister Attends Doha Forum (Garowe Online)
- President Mohamed Reaches Out To Global Financial Agencies (Daily Nation)
- Somali President Welcomes Al-Sisi’s Invitation To Visit Egypt (Daily News Egypt)
- Is Federalism a New Phenomenon in Somalia? (Jowhar.com)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Tension Runs High In Eastern Galgaduud
14 May – Source: Shabelle News – 109 words
Tension has been reported in eastern Galgaduud region on Sunday following a deadly inter-clan fighting on Saturday that left six people dead. Residents in Labi-Ano reported that both clan militiamen are mobilising around the village, in preparation for another battle. Local villagers began to flee their houses due to the conflict.
The armed clan militia fighters clashed over land ownership in pasture area. The elders of both warring sides are making efforts to bring an end to the escalating tension. At least 10 people were wounded and witnesses said that many houses were torched while hundreds of people fled the area, which is under the control of Somali government.
Somalia’s Prime Minister Attends Doha Forum
14 May – Source: Garowe Online- 251 Words
A Somali delegation led by the Prime Minister of Somali Federal Government, Hasan Ali Khaire is attending the 17th edition of Doha Forum that kicked off today, hosted by Qatari government. Yesterday, Prime Minister Khaire along with members from the Cabinet and Federal Parliament have reached Doha city, after receiving an official invitation from the Qatari government to attend the Doha Forum. The two-day Forum, under the banner “Development, Stability and Refugee crisis” is held under the patronage of Emir of Qatar. Leaders from African nations and representatives from international organizations are reported attending the meeting in Doha. The conference will highlight on the political transformation at the international level, challenges of economic development, investment, the political and economic role in refugee crisis. On the sideline of the Doha Forum, Prime Minister Khaire is scheduled to meet top Qatari officials to discuss bilateral relations, economy, security, rebuilding the Somali army and drought relief programs.
At the end of the conference, it is expected that nations will pledge support to the Somali Federal Government to back its agenda to overcome challenges. This comes following the conclusion of London conference in UK, that saw representatives from 40 nations and international organizations pledging support and signed security pact to help the Somali Federal government to enforce security, rebuild a national army to root out the al-Shabaab militants. Qatar are among other Gulf states implementing humanitarian and development programs in Somalia, and its Embassy in the capital Mogadishu is overseeing projects donated by Qatari government.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
President Mohamed Reaches Out To Global Financial Agencies
14 May – Source: Daily Nation – 315 Words
Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has appealed to foreign banks to ease restrictions on the country’s financial institutions to help it rebuild its economy. He said financial institutions in the country are struggling to access their external counterparts due to barriers set by the international community, despite the strides the country has made in ensuring stability. President Abdullahi, while giving the opening speech during the London Somalia Conference 2017 on Thursday, said his administration will take measurable steps to unlock the nation’s potential, which will be done by removing barriers that discourage investment, and promoting small and middle enterprises.”When it comes to economic development, the greatest asset we have is the entrepreneurial spirit of my people.”The money transfer businesses, which send a combined amount of about $2 billion (Sh412bn) a year to Somalia, are struggling to access banks here in the United Kingdom and in the United States of America due to the severe restrictions placed on them,” he explained.
Additionally, he commended the resilience of his people for persevering with tough times such as drought and war, among others, and money transfer agencies such as Dahabshiil – which operates in Europe, America and in the Middle East – that makes it possible for diaspora citizens to send money to their families back home.Thus, he asked the global community to help rebuild the economy of the country by facilitating access to financial institutions. “Time has come to facilitate access for our financial institutions to work with your banks. “A continuation of the current policy will undoubtedly deprive crucial access for our banks, and, as a consequence, will limit employment opportunities in the financial sector,” he said at the forum attended by British Prime Minister Theresa May, UN Secretary General António Guterres, AU chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat and other leaders.
Somali President Welcomes Al-Sisi’s Invitation To Visit Egypt
14 May- Source: Daily News, Egypt- 384 Words
Prime Minister Sherif Ismail met with Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and invited him to visit Egypt, as directed by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries. The meeting came following the conclusion of the conference in London about Somalia, which lasted for two days in collaboration with the Somali government and the United Nations. Ismail attended the conference, representing the Egyptian state.The prime minister expressed his hope that the results of the conference will contribute to supporting Somalia and providing it with an appropriate environment for its development and prosperity.
He also affirmed Egypt’s full readiness to provide all aspects of support to the Somali government across all fields.The Somali president welcomed Al-Sisi’s invitation, referring to the historical relations between the two countries and the long-standing role played by Egypt to support Somalia.Two days ago, the Egyptian armed forces sent medical aid and food to Somalia in a C-130 military transport plane after orders by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. Somalis have suffered from years of drought, which has left them in dire need of medical aid and food.
The Somali president also expressed appreciation for aid sent by Egypt, and he noted that he is looking forward to cooperating with Egypt and benefitting from its expertise in various fields.He also added that Somalia appreciates Egypt’s efforts in training and advancing capacities in a variety of fields. Ismail also stressed the importance of the role of the Egyptian private sector in carrying out projects to enhance the economic cooperation with Somalia, pointing out that a delegation of Egyptian businesspeople will visit Mogadishu soon to discuss several areas of joint cooperation.
OPINION/ANALYSIS/CULTURE
“Somalia is now said to be a federal nation with a central federal government and five federal regional states: Puntland, Jubbaland, Southwest State, Galmudug, HirShabelle.”
Is Federalism a New Phenomenon in Somalia?
14 May – Source: Jowhar.com -1147 Words
The word “federalism” or the phrase “federal government system” is, for many Somalis, something that perhaps fell into their ears just some five years back while to some others, it is something that they have always dreamed of before and after the Somali independence in 1960. By definition, federalism is the distribution of power in an organization (such as a government) between a central authority and the constituent units. It is a system of governance whereby there is a central leadership and semi-autonomous local governments which exercise some levels of power but share the key resources and assets with a central government.
For the first time, the federal system was decidedly introduced in Somalia in 2012 during the formation of the Federal Government of Somalia led by Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud. It came about when the federal system had been considered the best political option for resolving the quarter-a-century conflict in Somalia, which split the Somali communities along tribal and clan lines and got them bogged down with bloody hostilities. The move has led further to the creation of federal regional states in Somalia divided, as of now, amongst five local administrations despite they are far from being fully fledged given the setbacks and disputes related to the communal and territorial representation and boundaries amongst the Somali clans and communities.
However, the international community of which the main entities were the UN, EU and some regional bodies pushed hard and brokered the realization of the system in Somalia notwithstanding challenges. Somalia is now said to be a federal nation with a central federal government and five federal regional states: Puntland, Jubbaland, Southwest State, Galmudug, HirShabelle. FEDERALISM: New or Old Phenomena? This may be a question which many Somali people or perhaps foreigners ponder. However, to shed light on the query, it can be said that the adoption of the federal system is practically new in Somalia but the notion of introducing it in the country has been theoretically held long-time by some Somali political parties and leaders since late 1940s and independence era. Somalia was colonized by Italy and Britain; thus divided into Italian Somaliland in the south and centre and British Somaliland in the north. Both colonies gained their independence in 1960. Prior to the independence, the Somali nationalist political independence parties had been fighting to free the homeland from the colonizers, which they finally succeeded in their liberation efforts.