March 13, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
MPs File Motion Against Parliament Speaker
13 March – Source: Garowe Online – 299 Words
The lawmakers of the Lower house Chamber of Somalia’s Federal Parliament were reported to have filed a motion against the House speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari. Reliable sources tell Garowe Online that 140 parliamentarians have until now signed the motion which is aimed at ousting the speaker and is expected to be submitted to the leadership of the house of the people in the coming days.
The MPs, most of them from Southwest State accused Jawari of obstructing motions brought at the Parliament for approval, allowing National leadership Forum to assume the tasks of the parliamentary committees, including the constitution, resources, and the 2020 elections. They also blamed the house speaker for hampering the constitutional review process which was hijacked by the Federal Minister of Constitution, Abdi Hosh Jibril and working with the government on ways to prevent the Senate from being part of the rebuilding of Somalia. Once the motion is submitted and the lawmakers will begin to debate it, the speaker will not chair the seatings.
The President of the Southwest Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, who served as speaker of Somali parliament prior to this post is said to be lobbying for the current anti-speaker motion, according to a member of the house, who spoke to Garowe Online by phone from Mogadishu on condition of anonymity. “For his part, Jawari is preparing another motion that he aims to file against the Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, in a bid to confront the current one signed by the 140 legislators,” said the MP. The anti-Jawari MPs are said to be worried about the speaker’s plan to get 40 lawmakers to sign his motion against PM Khaire. The move comes as the third session of the Federal Parliament was officially opened last Saturday by Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo.
Key Headlines
- MPs File Motion Against Parliament Speaker (Garowe Online)
- Galmudug State Warns Against Illegal Roadblocks In Its Territory (Radio Shabelle)
- Berbera Port Debate Moves To The Senate (Goobjoog News)
- President Farmaajo Moves His Daily Work To The Ministry Of Defense (Jowhar.com)
- Somalia Bans Dubai Ports Operator DP World Says Contract With Somaliland Null (Reuters)
- Go Beyond Berbera And Shed Light On Other Contracts In The Country (Goobjoog News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Galmudug State Warns Against Illegal Roadblocks In Its Territory
13 March – Source: Radio Shabelle – 102 Words
Somalia’s Federal Member State of Galmudug has warned freelance militias against setting up illegal roadblocks in its territory. Mr. Omar Moalim Ali, the Deputy Commissioner of Adado city Police force, told Radio Shabelle that they have zero tolerance for the illegal roadblocks aimed to rob and harm civilians.
Mr. Ali added that the state forces will act quickly and leave no stone unturned to remove all roadblock erected on the streets of Galgaduud and Mudug regions in central Somalia. The commander’s remarks came a day after Galmudug regional troops eliminated several illegal roadblocks set up by local militiamen during an operation.
Berbera Port Debate Moves To The Senate
13 March – Source: Goobjoog News – 164 Words
The Upper House is today is debating the controversial Berbera Port deal a day after their counterparts in the Lower House declared it illegal, and endorsed a resolution to kick out the Emirati ports operator DP World from the country. The 54 members of chamber is expected to pass a vote on the matter, concluding a key parliamentary process and throwing the ball to the executive, in order to implement the resolution of the Lower House by Monday, so that the Prime Minister Hassan Khaire should convey it to the UAE government.
In yesterday’s sitting, 105 MPs gave the House a wide berth leaving 170 others to decide the fate of the motion, while 11 MPs sought to delay the motion, noting the cabinet should first deliberate on the matter. One MP voted against the motion, another abstained as the majority 168 filed support to declare the port deal unconstitutional. They further ruled UAE government was involved in acts of aggression against the country.
President Farmaajo Moves His Daily Work To The Ministry Of Defense
13 March – Sources: Jowhar.com – 146 Words
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has moved temporarily his daily work to the Ministry of Defense, according to the National New Agency SONNA. The President has been working few days per week at the Ministry of Defense to monitor the activities of the Ministry, and the ongoing reforms of armed forces. According to sources, the President spends an entire day at the Ministry for some time although, he doesn’t stay overnight.
The president regularly meets with the military officials to discuss with them about the status of the army. During his stay in the Ministry, the President heard complaints about salaries after meeting with military officers. The president vowed during his presidential campaign to equip and build the capacity of the SNA, although at this time the army faces difficulties which include lack of salaries, as well as suspension of the US support for the military.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia Bans Dubai Ports Operator DP World, Says Contract With Somaliland Null
13 March – Source: Reuters – 416 Words
Somalia has banned Dubai ports operator DP World from operating in Somalia, saying that a contract that the company signed last year with the breakaway Somaliland region to develop an economic zone is null and void.
It is unclear how Somalia’s federal government could enforce the ban given Somaliland’s semi-autonomous status. But parliament’s unanimous passing of the resolution banning DP World from working in the country underscored growing rivalries in the strategic Horn of Africa region over the Dubai state-owned port operator’s investments.
“Any agreement signed with DP World is null and void since it opposes the constitution, the rule of foreign investment in Somalia, and other rules of the country,” read the resolution, which was approved late on Mondayand published by Somalia’s state new agency. “DP World openly violated the independence and unity of Somalia and so DP World is banned from Somalia,” it said.
A spokesman for DP World did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. Somaliland’s small port of Berbera exports camels to the Middle East and imports food and other items. It also provides some transport links for neighbouring Ethiopia, a landlocked country that has friendly relations with the breakaway region.
Last month neighbouring Djibouti ended its contract with DP World to run its Doraleh Container Terminal, citing failure to resolve a dispute that began in 2012. Two days after the government cancelled the contract, Djibouti’s ports and free zone’s authority accused DP World in a statement of using“aggressive tactics such as the deliberate slowing” of the development of Doraleh port“in favour of their main asset at Jebel Ali”, a major commercial port in Dubai owned by the company. The company, one of the world’s biggest port operators, called Djibouti’s move an illegal seizure and said it had begun new arbitration proceedings before the London Court of International Arbitration.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“To gain public confidence and support, the government and parliament must be willing to go the extra mile and put the record straight on these contracts failure to which the whole exercise could turn out to be a half spirited fight.”
Go Beyond Berbera And Shed Light On Other Contracts In The Country
13 March – Source: Goobjoog News – 344 Words
The Lower House on Monday declared DP World and UAE government a threat to the country’s sovereignty, and banned the ports operator from the country immediately. The move by the Lower House to consider the issue of the port issue number one item after returning from recess is a welcome move. The currency and gravity of the matter cannot be gainsaid. In the last forth night alone, the rift between Mogadishu and Hargeisa has widened and fault lines fast developing.
It is incumbent upon the legislative body to seek answers to the myriad of questions regarding Somalia over the port deal which also involves the neighboring Ethiopia. But even as this public discourse ensues, questions remains, as to whether this debate will extend to other deals signed at by other regions of the country.
Parliament should go beyond the Berbera port question, and find answers on similar other deals. DP World’s also inked a $336 million deal with Puntland last April to run the port for the next 30 years. To date, there is no public information on the shareholding agreement between DP world and Puntland government and yet, both Parliament and Government have significantly gone mute about it.
In South West state, a multimillion dollar free zone investment project is to be developed by the Dubai based First Hectare Capital came into effect last year. Mr. Erik Prince of the infamous Black-Water private military firm, had his Frontier Services Group appointed to be the project management organisation. It is perhaps one of the deals most shrouded in secrecy, should a pegging be established.
In Mogadishu, two Turkish companies operate both the seaport and the airport, with reports of Barawe and Kismayu ports being up for grabs by foreign investors. The contracts extend beyond ports, to include mining, oil and fishing deals. To gain public confidence and support, the government and parliament must be willing to go the extra mile and put the record straight on these contracts, failure to do such the whole exercise could turn out to be a half spirited fight.
TOP TWEETS
@cabdirashed: #Somaliland parliament unanimously endorsed the Berbera Dp World agreement between UAE’S @DP_World, Somaliland Government & Ethiopia. This is the 2nd time that the parliament approved the deal. @addisstandard@TheNationalUAE @HarunMaruf @AlJazeera_World
@AbdirahmanCumar: The #Berbera Port saga todays heads to the Upper House as it debates a day after their counterparts in the Lower House declared it illegal and endorsed a resolution to kick out the Emirati ports operator @DP_World from the country.#Somalia
@MOALIMUU: Engineers , agricultural experts from Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency TİKA are visiting in Jowhar to discuss with Hirshabelle leaders reconstructing Sabun Water Dam. If the project is implemented it shall be one of the most useful on agricultural sector @TC_Mogadishu
@Halbeeg_News: Tension at Somalia-Kenya Border High as Beled-Hawo Residents Burn Bags of Khat http://en.halbeeg.com/2018/03/
@MediaWatchF: Somali Parliament accuses UAE of aggression –http://bit.ly/2Im7WqN #Somalia #AbuDhabi #Sovereignity#DPWorld #Somaliland
@ICRC_Africa: They are making ends meet and growing their small businesses. These are the women in Kalkal camp,#Somalia that we are assisting. https://www.icrc.org/en/
@cabdirashed: #Somaliland parliament unanimously endorsed the Berbera Dp World agreement between UAE’S @DP_World, Somaliland Government & Ethiopia. This is the 2nd time that the parliament approved the deal. @addisstandard@TheNationalUAE @HarunMaruf @AlJazeera_World
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Somalia Deputy Prime Minister, Mahdi Mohamed Gulaid met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to discuss about strengthening diplomatic relations and cooperation.
Photo: @DeputySomaliPM