September 26, 2017 | Morning Headlines

Main Story

PRESS STATEMENT

SRSG Keating Welcomes Parliamentary Review of 2016 Media Law

25 September – Source: UNSOM – 221 Words

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) in Somalia Michael Keating has noted the recent introduction of legislation in Somalia’s Federal Parliament that would amend the country’s 2016 media law. President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo’s cabinet approved a package of amendments to the media law in July that fulfilled a commitment he made to Somalia’s leading media associations within weeks of taking office. The amendments drew criticism from those media associations and some international human rights organizations for their limited scope and the introduction of new restrictions on existing press freedoms.

The proposed changes to the media law will be addressed by the Federal Parliament in the coming weeks. The UN urges lawmakers to give due consideration to the concerns raised by prominent members of Somalia’s news media about the existing law and the proposed amendments approved by the federal government’s cabinet. “A free and independent news media is essential for accountability and democracy,” said SRSG Keating. “Some provisions of the current media law do not appear to comply with international standards of media legislation and regulation. A careful and comprehensive review of the law and the proposed amendments will allow all key stakeholders to present their views. I hope the outcome of such a legislative process will promote a better environment for Somali journalists to practice their profession without fear.”

Key Headlines

SRSG Keating Welcome Parliamentary Review of 2016 Media (UNSOM)
South West President Sharif Hassan Sheikh Blocks Members of Parliament To Avoid Impeachment (Radio Dalsan)
A Revolutionary New Site Connecting Jobseekers And Employers In Somalia (Jowhar News)
Residents In Fear After Police Issue Them Threats (Daily Nation)
Somalia: Mogadishu Airport Resumes Night -Time Flights In 27 Years (All Africa News)
Media Representatives Lawmakers Open Forum on Media Law Reform (Somali Update)

NATIONAL MEDIA

South West President Sharif Hassan Sheikh Blocks Members of Parliament To Avoid Impeachment

25 September – Source: Radio Dalsan – 186 Words

Members of Parliament in the regional state of South West have been blocked from flying to Baidoa as one of the measures taken by the region’s President to avoid impeachment. President Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan was on a tour in the United Arab Emirates, to declare support for the Saudi led coalition against Qatar. He arrived in Nairobi from Abu Dhabi on Sunday night enroute to Baidoa to tackle rising dissenting voices among the Members of Parliament.

A source told Radio Dalsan that President Sharif was aware of plans by Members of Parliament to impeach him while he was out of the country. On Saturday South West authority jailed 3 politicians linked to plans to have the President impeached. The source told Radio Dalsan on condition of anonymity, that President Sharif used his influence to order airlines not to fly Members of Parliament to the region’s headquarter in Baidoa. Most of the Members Parliament are based in Mogadishu at the moment. Sharif has been in talks with UAE over the expansion and modernisation of Barawe port. Somalia has taken a neutral stand on the Gulf crisis.

A Revolutionary New Site Connecting Jobseekers And Employers In Somalia

25 September – Source: Jowhar News – 239 Words

Somali companies have always had a difficult time attracting, identifying and recruiting the best talent for their businesses. Every time a company puts out an ad for a vacant position, it gets hundreds of CV’s which the company must sift through to identify the right person for the job in a fair way based on merit. It is a difficult task that has often resulted in companies giving up and hiring employees based on connections. This is also detrimental to job seekers, especially new graduates who often lack extensive professional networks.

Somali businesses large and small need a platform that gives them a tool to streamline and simplify the often long, difficult hiring process. To help both employers and jobseekers, Deeq, a young Somali entrepreneur has built Buundo.com, an innovative, easy to use, first of its kind platform that leverages technology and bridges the gap between employers and jobseekers. Buundo gives companies the ability to post unlimited jobs, the tools to attract and search new talents. The site also provides job seekers a platform that turns profiles into professional CVs. Having a profile on Buundo means a better chance of getting hired. Furthermore, all companies on Buundo will be able to view all CVs, and contact jobseekers directly. Buundo will launched soon, at the iRise Hub in Mogadishu, be the first to visit and register to help you find that perfect employer or the position of your dreams.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Residents In Fear After Police Issue Them Threats

25 September – Source: Daily Nation – 522 Words

Some residents of Lamu have complained to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) over threats from security personnel on suspicion of harbouring Al-Shabaab. Koreni residents in Lamu West said they were worried after security personnel involved in Operation Linda Boni threatened to ‘finish’ the entire village in case of any Al-Shabaab attack at Milihoi. On August 2, Kenya Defence Forces together with National Police Service raided the village, dragged people and conducted forceful searches for Al-Shabaab militants and weapons in their homes.

Milihoi, a renowned hotspot for Al-Shabaab attacks and ambushes is located on the Lamu-Mpeketoni route and is about eight kilometres from Koreni. On July 13, Milihoi hit the headlines after Al-Shabaab militants waylaid and took hostage Principal Secretary Mariam El Maawy and five other people including her bodyguards and nephew. Only the PS survived the incident as the other abductees were killed. Addressing journalists at Koreni on Monday, the angry villagers accused IPOA of failing to act despite reporting the threats to them. Former chief Muhumed Kalmey who is also a Nyumba Kumi official said they have been living in fear for the past one month due to the threats issued by the security agencies.

Residents said it was unfair for the security agencies to target them when they had no control of Al-Shabaab attacks. The villagers said they have never felt free and safe since the security agencies made the direct threat to them. Mr Kalmey also demanded an answer from the Lamu security department over his arrest, detention and interrogations before he was released on August 2. “We are no longer free in our village. The security agencies invaded the village and harassed us. They arrested me and held me at the Mpeketoni Police Station for several hours. I was interrogated as if I was a terrorist before I was released. What we are facing at the hands of the police is very unfair,” said Mr Kalmey.

Mrs. Mariam Hussein said police dragged them out of their houses and conducted searches by force. “They said they were looking for Al-Shabaab or weapons. According to them, we are suspects. But above all they told us we would face the music if any Al-Shabaab attack took place at Milihoi ever again. For God’s sake, how are we responsible if Al-Shabaab attacks Milihoi or any other place for that matter?” “All we ask is that they don’t victimise us even as they fight the militants who are equally our enemies. We are peace lovers but they treat us as though we are the enemy,” she said. The villagers however feel it is unfair for the police to target them in the war on Al-Shabaab instead of focusing their efforts on the real issues causing insecurity and terrorism in the county. Mr Musa Gula said the villagers are more scared of the police and military than they are of the Al-Shabaab. “They should fight Al-Shabaab in Boni forest and not in our village. They should stop targeting us and harassing us anytime they feel like. We are even scared of giving crucial information to police for fear of victimisation,” said Mr Gula.

Somali: Mogadishu Airport Resumes Night-Time Flights In 27 Years

25 September – Source: All Africa – 104 Words

A cargo plane carrying 200 Somali pilgrims from Saudi Arabia has landed at night-time at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport on Sunday evening, September 23. Senior government officials were present at the Airport during the arrival of the plane, marking the first flight in 27 years since the collapse of former military regime in 1991.

The ministry of aviation for the Federal government has installed improved lights on the runway of the airport, allowing the airport to operate during the night. Somalia government recently announced that the airport is open for business during the night for the first time for more than twenty years.

OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE

“The meeting was supported and facilitated by the Somali Media Support Group (SMSG) which brings together Somalia media development partners, among them the United Nations Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “The meeting is definitely timely and we the media fraternity have raised our concerns and the provisions in the media law which we are convinced if not amended will inhibit an enabling environment for the media to operate in Somalia.”

Media Representatives, Lawmakers Open Forum on Media Law Reform

25 September – Source: Somali Update – 629 Words

Members of the Federal Parliament and media stakeholders have started a forum on media law reform consultations in Mogadishu Saturday amid growing concern of the current media law which was sent for parliamentary review last week. The forum aimed at providing comprehensive inputs for amendment to the Somali Media Bill approved by the Cabinet on July 2017, is an attempt to make the process more inclusive, according to the Ministry of Information and the national journalists associations. In recent months, the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism opened up the Somalia Media Law for wider consultations and has been encouraging the media stakeholders to engage with the lawmakers, with a view to ensuring the amended media law is aligned to the accepted standards and best practices. “Today, as the draft was submitted to Parliament, representatives of the Somali media associations, Somalia Media Support Group (SMSG) and media law experts reviewed the draft media bill with members of the Parliamentary Media and Telecommunication Committee”, said a statement from the forum which representatives from the independent media attended.

The forum examined all the contentious clauses raised by the media and human rights groups, and agreed on clauses that requires amendment, failure to which the media law would inhibit an enabling environment for the media operations in Somalia. The media associations present were assured that their recommendations by the Somali media practitioners and guided by the international best practices shared by the members of the SMSG, will enable the parliamentarians to understand the clauses that the media fraternity is requesting for amendment, before the bill goes through the second and third reading.

Present in this meeting were representatives of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), Somali Media Association (SOMA), Somali Independent Media House Association (SIMHA), Somali Women Journalists (SWJ), Media Association of Puntland (MAP) and senior representatives of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. The meeting was supported and facilitated by the Somali Media Support Group (SMSG) which brings together Somalia media development partners, among them the United Nations Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “The meeting is definitely timely and we the media fraternity have raised our concerns and the provisions in the media law which we are convinced if not amended will inhibit an enabling environment for the media to operate in Somalia” said Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu, elected Secretary General of NUSOJ.

Lawmaker Mr. Jibril Abdirashid Haji of the Parliamentary Committee of Media and Telecommunications expressed appreciation to Somalia Media Support Group and the Media associations for organising the multi-stakeholder consultative forum of Somali stakeholders and for providing international expertise. “This inclusive platform is important as it has provided a unique opportunity for the parliamentarians to understand the media concerns. ” He said while promising to brief the rest parliamentarians on the outcome of the meeting and provide feedback to the media stakeholders before it is approved by the parliament.

Member of Parliament Mr. Abdi Saabir Nur who is also a member of the Media and Telecom parliamentary committee said their committee has already succeeded in approving the Somali Communication Bill which was officially approved by the parliament for the first time since 1990, so getting advantage of that experience they do hope they will pass the law while considering with the concerns of media community. Senator Muna Omar Hassan, a former state media journalist requested that the Media Law should also provide a framework for addressing the working environment for the media personnel to ensure that it attracts and sustains the well trained journalists. She also raised concern on the low level of female journalists and urged the media law to provide provisions that encourage more female journalists to management levels in the media sector.