September 21, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
Galmudug State Opposes Federal Government’s Position On The Gulf Crisis
20 September – Source: Somali Update – 295 Words
In a growing pressure, the Federal Government of Somalia following its neutral position toward the diplomatic rift between the Arab Gulf nations, a third Somalia regional state has opposed the the Federal government. Galmudug State, a Somali federal member state on Wednesday called the federal government to review the position it took on June 6, terming that it was made without consultation with the regional government. “We already stated in the last leadership forum held in Mogadishu that the Somali Government cannot take a neutral position because of our historical relationship as well as the strategic partnership we have with UAE and Saudi Arabia.” stated by the Galmudug government statement signed by Minister of Information Mohamud Aden Osman.
The two-region state in the central Somalia further vowed to back Saudi and United Arab Emirates allies. “The pressure and the uncompromising of Federal Government position on this crisis, and protecting the public interest, Galmudug State of Somalia has no choice but to stand with UAE and Saudi Arabia.” the statement added. This comes two days after the leader of South West State Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden opposed the Federal Government’s position towards the current Gulf crisis.
In June 6th, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Federal Government officially released Somalia’s position toward the Gulf rift, by choosing a neutrality following after the four Arab countries (Saudi allies) severed ties with Qatar. Saudi allies also continued further by pressuring other Arab and Muslim countries to boycott Qatar. Despite unsuccessful attempts to woo Somalia’s top leaders, Saudis seem to have taken an alternative route by influencing local states in Somalia against the Mogadishu-based government. Last month, Puntland State also publicly supported Saudi allies and boycotted Qatar while calling the Federal Government of Somalia to cut ties with Doha.
Key Headlines
- Galmudug State Opposes Federal Government’s Position On The Gulf Crisis (Somali Update)
- Somali Security Forces Learn Strategies To Fight Recruitment Of Child Soldiers In Conflict (SONNA)
- MPs Warned Against Making Unjustified Foreign Trips (Jowhar Media)
- Danes Charge 2 Men With Joining Radical Islamic Groups (Associated Press)
- UAE Ambassador AU Representative To Somalia Discuss Cooperation Relations (Emirates News Agency)
- Somalia’s Neutral Stance In Gulf Crisis At Stake As 4 Out of 6 Regions Side With Saudi Arabia (Goobjoog News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Security Forces Learn Strategies To Fight Recruitment Of Child Soldiers In Conflict
20 September – Source: Somali National News Agency – 470 Words
The AU Mission in Somalia has trained sixty officers from the Somali security forces on the prevention of recruiting and using child soldiers in conflict. The two-week training supported by the British government, and the Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, through the Dalhousie University of Canada, drew participants from the Somali military, police and intelligence services. Representatives of non-governmental organizations, federal and regional level member states, also participated in the training that ended today.
“We should spare these children from being recruited into radicalism, from being recruited into committing acts of violence against their own people, against their own country and against their own neighbors,” Ambassador Francisco Caetano Madeira, the Special Representative of the AU Commission Chairperson (SRCC) for Somalia, said in his remarks during the training. Noting that the use of child soldiers in conflict was widespread in Somalia, the AU Special Representative expressed the need to establish the exact numbers of children fighting wars in the country. “It’s difficult to know exactly how many underage children are involved in this battle. We have to say its widespread, particularly within the Al-Shabaab ranks,” Ambassador Madeira stated.
The training focused on the identification of child soldiers, the prevention of their recruitment, their rehabilitation and reintegration. Ambassador Madeira said the training was co-facilitated by Somalis previously trained in other trainings undertaken by AMISOM. “This blueprint is part of AMISOM’s exit strategy, and is aimed at helping Somalis to take responsibility of training their own counterparts,” he explained. Mr. David Concar, the British Ambassador to Somalia attributed the widespread recruitment of child soldiers in Somalia to violent extremism propagated by the Al-Shabaab militant group. “It does a huge harm to communities and it’s holding back the cause of peace in this part of Africa,” Mr. Concar noted. “So we take this problem very seriously. We want to do something about it. That’s why we are working with the African Union through AMISOM, and with the Federal Government of Somalia to fund special targeted training,” he added.
Mr. Simon Mulongo, the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, said the training would equip Somali national security forces with skills and knowledge, to effectively contain the problem. “As Somalis, you have to determine and manage the destiny of this country. Whereas AMISOM and other international partners are going soon, it’s your duty and obligation to understand governance, to be able to run the affairs of the country efficiently,” Mr. Mulongo remarked. The training was coordinated by Mr. Musa Gbow, AMISOM’s Child Protection Advisor. “The purpose of the training was to pre-select potential trainers who in turn will be trained sometime in October during a Training of Trainers session, so that they can continue to propagate the message and train their counterparts across the country,” Mr. Gbow explained.
MPs Warned Against Making Unjustified Foreign Trips
21 September – Source: Jowhar Media – 158 Words
Speaker of the Federal Parliament Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari has cautioned Members of the Parliament against making unjustified trips abroad when the parliament is in work. He called upon 100 MPs who are currently outside the country for unknown trips to immediately return back to the country and attend parliamentary sittings in Mogadishu.”No legislator can travel without taking permission from the parliament leadership. They are required to explain the reasons for their trips. We now don’t know the reasons why about 100 members of the parliament are outside the country,” he noted.
Jawari said that absenteeism of lawmakers is having a serious effect on the House as it continues to struggle to carry out its activities due to lack of quorum. He said the House was forced to adjourn several key sessions and postpone the debates several times. Most of the Somali MPs hardly stay in Mogadishu although they present themselves when important motions are being discussed.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Danes Charge 2 Men With Joining Radical Islamic Groups
21 September – Source: Associated Press – 128 Words
Danish prosecutors say two men, including a Finnish national, have been charged with violating Denmark’s terrorist laws by traveling to Syria and Somalia to receive weapons training and join extremist groups.
Prosecutor Jan Reckendorff says one of the men joined the Islamic State group in Syria and the other joined the Al-Shabaab group in Somalia. The men, both aged 24, received weapon training during their trips. Reckendorff said Wednesday the men, who were not identified, joined the groups in 2013 to 2015. It was not immediately clear whether there is a link between the men, who were both arrested in January and live in western Denmark. The men face at least four years in jail and the Finn faces deportation. No date for a trial was immediately announced.
UAE Ambassador, AU Representative To Somalia Discuss Cooperation Relations
20 September- Source: Emirates News Agency – 148 Words
Mohammed Ahmed Othman Al Hammadi, UAE Ambassador to Somalia, has discussed with the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, SRCC, for Somalia, Francisco Caetano Madeira, cooperation relations between the UAE and the African Union, in addition to the mechanism of supporting security and stability in Somalia.
During the meeting, which was held at the UAE embassy in Mogadishu, the Special Representative expressed his thanks and appreciation to the UAE for its prominent role in supporting security and stability in Somalia through the reconstruction of the Somali armed forces, in addition to the development and humanitarian projects carried out in various regions. Ambassador Al Hammadi appreciated the Special Representative’s keenness in consolidating cooperation relations between the UAE Embassy and the mission in Somalia, as well as the cooperation of the African Union and the UAE in general in supporting security and stability efforts in Somalia.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Article 54 of the Provisional Constitutional vests sole power and responsibility on the Federal Government on Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Citizenship and Immigration and Monetary Policy. However regional administrations cannot be discounted in the Gulf Crisis given the support the nascent state governments receive from the Gulf and the influence state presidents have been known to have especially in past administrations over Federal Government decisions,”
Somalia’s Neutral Stance In Gulf Crisis At Stake As 4 Out of 6 Regions Side With Saudi Arabia
21 September – Source: Goobjoog News – 456 Words
Two regional administrations-Jubbaland and HirShabelle remain with their cards on the chest as to which direction they will take in the ongoing Gulf feud and a declaration in support of the Saudi faction could effectively alienate the Federal Government which despite being the sole authority on foreign affairs could find it increasingly difficult to stand in the fence as the 3 month crisis holds. Galmudug last evening fired its salvo siding with South West state in criticizing the Federal Government for what it termed as uncompromising position and with it added to the list of four-itself, South West, Puntland and Somaliland which have vacated the Federal Government’s position. Almost reading line by line with South West state, citing religious, commercial and cultural relationship with Saudi Arabia and UAE and accusing President Farmaajo led administration of indecisiveness on the matter, a statement said, “Galmudug state of Somalia has no choice but to stand with UAE and Saudi Arabia for their noble pursuit to fight against extremism in any form and their firm stance in relation to this issue.”
South West state last week said it could no longer wait for President Farmaajo to declare his position on the matter following a request for time in a July meeting by the President and regional state leaders. The move by Galmudug adds pressure to the Federal Government which in early June declared it would maintain a neutral stand on the Gulf Crisis which is now heading to the forth month. Only two regions out of six are yet to declare their stand and the rate at which the developments are unfolding, the southerly state of Jubbaland could in the coming days file in its statement. HirShabelle state elected a new leader last week thus any major decision like this might have to await a full formation of the cabinet. However, the immediate former HirShabelle president Abdullahi Ali Osoble issued a statement in support of Saudi Arabia two days after he was ousted by the state assembly as he held a defiant stance over his ouster.
TOP TWEETS
.@SRSGKeating: In NYC w Somalia’s Permanent Rep 2 UN Abukar Osman & Abdi Aynte. Good discussion abt securing int’l support
.@Goobjoognews: SOMALIA’S NEUTRAL stance in Gulf Crisis at stake as 4 out of 6 regions side with Saudi Arabia.
.@SomaliPM: At #UNGA had a constructive meeting with President @RT_Erdogan where we discussed strenghtening the solid relation amid both countries.
.@Aynte: Ran into #Ethiopia Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu on the sidelines of #UNGA @mfaethiopia @ASalwe#Somalia
.@HarunMaruf: Galmudug statement argues the federal govt failed to consult with regions when it announced neutral stance towards Gulf crisis in June.
.@engyarisow: Congratulations to over thousand students that today graduated from JobKey University in #Mogadishu,#Somalia.
@Vatescorp: #Somalia: AMISOM KDF troops withdraw from Baardheere, pressure from #Alshabaab mountshttp://ow.ly/n76B30fjGlk
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheyre with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during sidelines meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Photo: @SomaliPM