June 19, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
Suspect Sentenced To Death Over The Late Minister Abass Siraj’s Murder
19 June – Source : Goobjoog News – 157 Words
The High Court of the Somali Armed Forces passed a verdict of death sentence this morning to one of the suspects for the murder of Abass Siraj, a former Federal Minister of Public Works and Reconstruction of Somalia.The first Prosecutor of the High Court Major Hassan Ali Noor Shuute announced the sentence regarding the two suspects held for the murder of the late Minister Abass.
The verdict stated that Ahmed Abdullahi Aidid of the Somali Armed Forces is sentenced to death while his co-accuser Sergeant Osman Salad Bare has been acquitted of the charges.This case has been going on since 3rd May 2017 when the murder of the Federal Minister of Public Works and Reconstruction Abass Siraj took place near the Presidential area. He was killed by a friendly fire from the security guards of the National Auditor General Noor Jimale Farah who was dismissed from his position as a result of the fatal attack.
Key Headlines
- Suspect Sentenced To Death Over The Late Minister Abass Siraj’s Murder (Goobjoog News)
- Gunmen Kill Famous Businessman In Beledweyn(Jowhar.com)
- Intellectuals From Khatumo State Oppose Hargeisa Accord (Goobjoog News)
- Norway Now Recognizes Somali Diplomatic Passports (Jowhar.com)
- Somali Street Kids Lured Into Al-Shabaab(ENCA)
- United Kingdom Announces New Humanitarian Assistance For Somalia(UNSOM)
- Photos Of Somalia: The Drought The People The Captured Porcupine(NPR)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Gunmen Kill Famous Businessman In Beledweyn
19 June – Source : Jowhar.com – 123 Words
Armed gunmen have killed a famous businessman in Beledweyn with perpetrators fleeing the scene immediately after carrying out the assassination. The deceased was named Ibrahim Osman Mumin popularly known as Ibrahim Fanax. At the time of his death the late businessman was working with a construction firm called Goobaale which has been involved in the business of constructing the key social amenities in the town.Forces from the government who reached the scene were not able to bring the culprits to book as their intervention came late after the killers fled the scene. It is not the first time such an incident targeting a businessman has happened in Beledweyne as there have been a series of assassination on elders and religious clerics before.
Intellectuals From Khatumo State Oppose Hargeisa Accord
19 June – Source : Goobjoog News – Words
A peace accord signed two days ago in Hargeisa, Somaliland has been opposed by some intellectuals from Khatumo State. Sultan Jama Ali who is one of the intellectuals said it’s totally unacceptable to them to unite with Somaliland and the emissaries sent to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland were only meant for peacemaking and not for unification issue. “The members we sent to Hargeysa were not meant to transfer us to Somaliland but only to negotiate for harmony. The purpose we created Khatumo State was to be independent entity. We inform the public that we are did not give our consent to that issue” said Sultan Jama.
Additionally Sultan Jama appealed to the intellectuals of the regions of Sool and Sanaag to converge for prompt meeting to deliberate matters relating to that agreement in Hargeysa. The s breakaway region of Somaliland and the unrecognized Khatumo State signed an agreement on the 17 June 2017 comprising of five articles in Hargeisa, Somaliland which an article among the five articles is believed to be the unification of both sides.
Norway Now Recognizes Somali Diplomatic Passports
18 June – Source : Jowhar.com – 103 Words
The government of Norway says it now recognizes the Somali passport especially the diplomatic passports and will allow the entry of individuals with such passports. The move was welcomed by the Head of the Somali immigration agency.In a move to also recognize the service passports used by government employees and the ordinary passport, Norway will send a team of experts who will examine the issuance of the said passports.The announcement was made after the Head of National Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Mohamed Adan Koofi made a tour to several European countries requesting them to relax their restriction on Somali passport holders.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Street Kids Lured Into Al-Shabaab
19 June- Source:ENCA -255 Words
Vulnerable Somali street children are falling prey to terrorist groups forcibly recruiting them, or enticing them into their ranks using money.The Islamic militant al-Shabaab has emerged as the worst violator of international agreements regarding child soldiers.Muktar Ali Issak, chairman of a disabled persons organisation in the southern Bay region, said 32 children had recently been recruited around markets where they mostly beg.“These street children you see will be recruited easily. They will be enticed with money,” he said at an event to mark the Day of the African Child.
The event attended by minors was held in Baidoa over the weekend.Speaking during the event, South West Minister of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration Hassan Hussein Elay said his administration would take every step possible to stop violence against children, including their recruitment as child soldiers.“As a ministry, we are ready to prevent any violence against children like child soldiers. It is part of government policy not to recruit a child below 20 years of age.”
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (Unsom) Child Protection Unit raised concern about children held in al-Shabaab detention centres. Such centres are among places that cannot be accessed by government nor non-governmental organisations.Al-Shabaab, which has also carried out attacks in neighbouring Kenya, is among insecurity challenges Somalia has battled for more than two decades.
United Kingdom Announces New Humanitarian Assistance For Somalia
18 June- Source: UNSOM -493 Words
The United Kingdom has announced an additional aid package of 60 million British pounds (about $77 million) to Somalia to help tackle the current humanitarian crisis caused by the prolonged drought.The announcement was made yesterday by the United Kingdom Secretary of State for International Development, Priti Patel, who visited Somalia to assess the drought situation that has forced hundreds of thousands of residents to abandon their homes in search of food and shelter.“I have today announced that we’ll give another 60 million pounds to Somalia for the collective efforts here in terms of the humanitarian support Somalia needs,” Ms. Patel said.
The Secretary of State noted the latest assistance was in addition to the 100 million pounds of aid disbursed by Britain to Somalia since her last visit earlier this year.“A lot has happened over the last six months. I went back to London and announced 100 million pounds of UK aid that have come to Somalia for famine prevention, for the drought issue,” observed Ms. Patel, adding that the UK had also used its leadership to persuade other governments in the world to step up efforts on behalf of drought victims.
Speaking at the United Nations Drought Operations Coordination Centre in Mogadishu, the Permanent Secretary of the federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Mohamed Moalim, expressed the country’s gratitude to the UK and other donors for their continuous support.“It is now well known that this drought actually has very similar characteristics to the one in 2011, and the difference now is the timely responses and the interventions made by everybody. We’re very grateful to our international partners, to the UN and of course to our donors like yourselves,” said Mr. Moalim.The Permanent Secretary noted the Somali government has adopted new policies that give priority to humanitarian and emergency assistance even as the country pursues its development agenda.The UK Secretary of State later handed over relief food for malnourished Somali children to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) officials at an airport hangar in Mogadishu.“These are supplies that will be going out today to those children across Somalia in the drought-affected areas who are suffering from terrible malnutrition because of the drought,” Ms. Patel noted.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“I love working in Somalia. I think Somali people are some of the funniest people I’ve ever met. They have a good sense of humor and they’re incredible storytellers. Poetry and storytelling is a key part of their culture,”
Photos Of Somalia: The Drought, The People, The Captured Porcupine
17 June- Source:NPR – 1118 Words
Over the last 2 years photographer Nichole Sobecki and journalist Laura Heaton have documented the devastating impact of climate change on one of the most unstable places in the world, Somalia.Their reporting appears in Foreign Policy magazine in an article titled “Somalia’s Land is Dying. The People Will Be Next.”What they found is summed up by Somali-American environmental activist Fatima Jibrell. Jibrell tells them that the changing weather patterns are making Somalia unlivable. “Maybe the land, a piece of desert called Somalia, will exist on the map of the world,” Jibrell says of the future of her country, “but Somalis cannot survive.”
Sobecki and Heaton repeatedly traveled to Somalia and the sprawling Dadaab refugee camp in Northeast Kenya to report on how the lives of Somalis are being affected.
Goats and Soda’s Jason Beaubien talked with Sobecki about this reporting project and the current state of Somalia.Because of the security situation, there’s not much reporting that comes out of Somalia. Just to start, what are conditions like in Somalia right now?We are seeing a massive humanitarian crisis this year. About half the country is facing food shortages, famine has been declared in parts of country. There was a drought in parts of the country last year, and what we’re seeing this year is far, far worse.How is climate change transforming the landscape or changing people’s lives?Somalia is a place where people’s livelihoods are intimately tied to the land. It’s a hot and dry place. Somalis have traditionally been incredibly resilient at coping in a harsh environment where there’s maybe only a few inches of rainfall each year. But what we’ve seen happening is that as the rainfall becomes more erratic, people are not just facing a drought once every 10 years they’re facing the drought every year or every other year.We met Somalis all over the country who were impacted, where this is transforming people’s lives right now.
TOP TWEETS
@UNSomalia: United Kingdom announces new humanitarian assistance for Somalia. http://bit.ly/2sJ3z4k
@AbdulBillowAli: Increased security measures in #Mogadishu days after Al-Shabaab attacked #PizzaHouse restaurant. The attack claimed 31 lives. #Somalia.
@UNSomalia: .@UNSomalia marks Int’l Day 4 Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, impunity 4 these crimes must end
http://bit.ly/2tiEquq
@AbdirahmanCumar: Breaking: Soldier linked to the death of Minister, Abass Siraj sentenced to death, announcement was made by the Chair of the armed forces court #Somalia
@UKinSomalia:.@DFID_UK Minister meets @SomaliPM to discuss Somalia Conference implementation and increased UK drought response in #Somalia.
@OCHASom:@DFID_UK Minister meets aid workers at the Mogadishu #DOCC coordinating the drought response in #Somalia w/@UNdeClercq
@questMO:We must give the youth of #Somalia a bright future. The new leadership should maximize its efforts to restore hope in Somalia’s young people
IMAGE OF THE DAY
PM, Hassan Ali Kheyre meets UK Secretary for International Development, Priti Patel in Mogadishu.
Photo:@UKinSomalia