March 21, 2018 | Morning Headlines
Hundreds Arrested In Mogadishu Security Swoop
20 March – Source: Garowe Online- 286 Words
Mogadishu’s stabilization Security Unit forces have on Tuesday launched an operation targeting the northern parts of the capital, in response to the increasing attacks and killings, Garowe Online reports. Hundreds of people, mostly young men were detained in Mogadishu’s Yaqshid district in connection with the murder of a soldier on duty at a checkpoint near Towfiq Hotel junction and a civilian on Monday evening.
Most of the people had been freed later, while several suspected to have links with Al-Shabaab were taken into custody for further questioning, according to a villager who spoke to GO over the phone. Suspected Al-Shabaab assassins armed with pistols were reported to have carried out the shooting who managed to immediately escape from the crime scene before the arrival of the Somali security forces. The special troops tasked with the city’s security stepped up their routine operations after the Al Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab intensified its attacks and targeted killings in the seaside capital. The Police officials say the ongoing security sweeps are aimed at stemming the militant attacks in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.
In the past few months, there has been an upsurge of targeted killings and attacks in the city of almost three million which government officials blame on Islamic insurgents. Last month, twin car bombings and a gun attack near the Presidential Palace in Mogadishu killed 45 people, while scores were wounded. The attack took place a week after Somali cabinet endorsed new chiefs for the Police force and Intelligence Agency. Since the formation of the Mogadishu Stabilization Security Unit in 2017, the security of the city has been improving gradually as the forces set up checkpoints outside the capital, searching vehicles and people coming in.
Key Headlines
- Hundreds Arrested In Mogadishu Security Sweep (Garowe Online)
- Pro-Jawari MPs Demand Speaker Motion Venue Moved To UN-AMISOM Base Alleging Interference & Threats (Radio Dalsan)
- The Governments Of Somalia And China To Collaborate In Rebuilding Technical Schools In Somalia (Halbeeg News)
- Al-Shabaab Fears Lead Somali Teen To Reject Government Job (BBC.com)
- Somaliland Leader Slams “Senseless Hostility” Of Opposition To DP World Deal (The National – UAE)
- Speaker Versus PM: It Will Be One Or The Other! (Umadda Media)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Pro-Jawari MPs Demand Speaker Motion Venue Moved To UN-AMISOM Base Alleging Interference & Threats
20 March – Source: Radio Dalsan- 475 Words
MPs affiliated to embattled Speaker of the Lower House Mohamed Osman Jawari now demand that the venue of the planned vote of no confidence be moved to the United Nations and AMISOM base at Halane in the capital Mogadishu. The MPs who some allege to have received death threats for their stand in the ongoing political crisis say a neutral venue would assure credibility to the voting process pointing out that Parliament buildings are still under military police that were recently deployed reportedly under the orders of the executive. “As you know the Parliament buildings are still under the control of the military police. The Speaker had demanded the withdrawal of the extra military police citing interference of Parliament procedures. This has not happened and the forces remain in control “ Muhamud Abukate told Radio Dalsan in an exclusive interview. Radio Dalsan has learnt that Speaker Jawari has sent an official letter to request the international community to pressure the executive to have the military police deployed at the Parliament buildings withdrawn or have the voting conducted in Halane.
MPs from both sides are pointing fingers at each other for alleged plans to derail the motion. An MP from the Khaire camp Mohamed Hassan Idris issued a statement claiming that he had received death threats from an MP from the Jawari camp over his stand. “An MP phoned me and demanded that I change my stand or else my life will be on the line. It is unfortunate that in this era an MP still believes in the use of PKM and AK47” Idris who said he will release an audio of the telephone conversation with the Pro Jawari MP posted on his Facebook A number of MPs on the Jawari camp have share similar sentiments that they fear for their security out of their stand in the ongoing crisis. “The presence of the military police and unusual military activity at the Parliament buildings leaves many questions unanswered. Will the voting process be credible in a tense environment?” Omar Adam a security analyst told Radio Dalsan.
Somalia has been treated to this latest political crisis that followed a failed vote of no confidence against Jawari allegedly masterminded by the Prime Minister throwing the country in tension. The International community has added its voice saying the Jawari-Khaire crisis tarnishes the name of Somalia and that it “risks derailing hard-earned political economic, economic and security achievements” “Activities that increase tensions leading to possible violence should be avoided at all costs” a statement by the international community said. The voting is set for Saturday. For Parliament to impeach Jawari a two-thirds threshold of 184 votes has to be attained. A counter vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister is in the pipeline. The 2017 Presidential elections were held within the UN-Amisom base after similar concerns were raised.
The Governments Of Somalia And China To Collaborate In Rebuilding Technical Schools In Somalia
20 March – Source: Halbeeg News- 251 Words
Somali government on Monday urged the government of China to support reviving the country’s defunct technical Schools. Minister of Education, Abdirahman Dahir Osman held discussions with the Ambassador of China to Somalia, Mr. Wei Hongtian on ways to improve Somalia’s education sector. The two officials agreed to spearhead efforts to re-establish Public Technical Schools in the country for the first time in decades. “We discussed on several issues about Somalia’s educational field including China’s scholarships to Somali students. We emphasized the need to re-start the country’s technical schools and how the government of China could help Somalia rebuild those schools,” Mr. Osman said.
The minister, who is expected to visit China in the forthcoming days, informed the ambassador that the country needs specific faculties as the nation tries to rebuild its collapsed infrastructure.“We talked with the ambassador over the skills which the country need, so that, the government of China could focus on the scholarship of those faculties,” he noted. The government of China is among the few countries is supporting Somalia on education sector.
In the past three years, China had provided scholarships to over 100 Somali students. Last year, forty Somali students across the country benefited from China’s Scholarships, according to Somali federal Government. Despite the collapse of the education sector of the country in 1990s, hundreds of thousands of young Somalis successfully made their way to schools during the dark days of the nation thanked privately owned educational umbrellas that established thousands of schools across the country.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Al-Shabaab Fears Lead Somali Teen To Reject Government Job
20 March – Source: BBC – 166 Words
Faysal Abdullahi Omar was to take up the role in Jowhar, the headquarters of the south-eastern state of Hirshabelle. The high school student told the BBC that he feared the role would make him a target of Islamist militant group al-Shabab. The militant group operates in the region. Omar says he was not consulted about the appointment, which are made by Somali clan leaders, and he wants to instead focus on his studies. “Now I am studying in my high school and I am going to finish in few months, I want to go to university and build my future”, Omar told the BBC’s Somali Service. He said he has avoided school for days after receiving the offer letter. Omar’s parents also had reservations about the appointment. But others in the community told him that it would be an opportunity to be a “role model to the youngsters”, he said. “I met a lot of people who are pushing me to take this job,” he said.
Somaliland Leader Slams “Senseless Hostility” Of Opposition To DP World Deal
20 March – Source: The National (UAE) – 316 Words
The president of the semi-autonomous region of Somaliland issued a fresh condemnation of Somalia’s government’s “senseless hostility” to its tripartite agreement with Ethiopia and Dubai-based port operator DP World on the development of Berbera Port. Writing exclusively for The National, Muse Bihi Abdi said that Somalia has “overstepped the line” in its criticism of an agreement earlier this month by Somaliland and DP World to grant a 19 per cent stake in the port development project to Ethiopia.
Somalia’s Ministry of Ports and Marine Transport dismissed the agreement as “defective”, saying it contravened the country’s provisional constitution. “Despite the obvious benefits that the trilateral investment would bring to the Horn of Africa, the Somali Parliament on Monday spitefully declared this project void and has sought to ban DP World from investing in Somaliland,” Mr Abdi said. “Although this decision has no legal merit and will not in any way impact the deal with DP World and Ethiopia, it demonstrates to the international community Somalia’s senseless hostility towards Somaliland.”
Somalia’s lower house of parliament last week rejected the deal by a large majority. “The international community should be asking why Somalia – a country that has received billions of dollars in aid over the past three decades, but which still remains a failed state – is using the little bandwidth available in its political spectrum to undermine a project that would deliver greater prosperity for the region,” said Mr Abdi.
His remarks coincided with the opening of a new Somaliland trade office in Dubai on Monday, in conjunction with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry. “The UAE is our main trading partner in the region and this is an important landmark in our relationship,” Mr Abdi. “The new trade office will promote the already growing trade ties between our two countries and we look forward to working together to enabling the growth of our people and economies.”
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Even if the President is able to achieve temporary ceasefire through quiet diplomacy, the Prime Minister and Speaker will never have the trust to work together in good faith ever again. Whenever the time is, Somalia will need either a new Prime Minister or Speaker,”
Speaker Versus PM: It Will Be One Or The Other!
17 March – Source: Ummadda Media – 462 Words
The motion and counter motion flying between Villa Somalia and the Parliament has confused the Somali people and the watching world. This is the first time the Executive has directly targeted the Speaker of Parliament with a Motion of No Confidence with which Parliamentarians loyal to the Speaker have responded with a Motion against the Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire.
The Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawaari is arguing that the motion against him failed after the some 16 MPs withdrew their support for it. His Deputy, Muday, claims that the original number which presented the motion to him still stands and the Motion of No Confidence must go ahead. The Speaker welcomed this last night so long as it takes place outside Parliament and in a neutral space. The Prime Minister is actively asking all his Ministers to rally all clan and friendly MPs support to his government to defend against a Parliamentary Motion of No Confidence against him. The President, the main arbiter, is so far silent fuelling speculation that he is either unable to control the Prime Minister and his actions or that he is actively supporting him. Either way, the President’s silence is further escalating the situation.
The reasons for the Motions are very unclear and both sides have a story of their own to tell. These stories are the usual tale of suspicion and mistrust underpinned by the immature and destructive African Big Man syndrome prevalent in Somali politics. If this is the case after the final analysis, the real losers will be the Somali people who once again will be betrayed by petty politics, foreign meddling and their greedy MPs. Somalia’s recent story is one of political instability despite an internationally recognized and backed government. The former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud left office without achieving a single one of his 6 Pillar Plans but having replaced 2 Prime Ministers and appointing a third that just undermined his administration from the beginning.
This Government led by President Farmaajo has gone a whole year without disturbances but now the claim of political stability will no longer be credible until this pointless mess is resolved. All small truths in both sides explanations so far point to one eventual outcome, there will only be one survivor. Somali politics does not accommodate compromises well and the position of Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament has many MPs and political beasts eyeing it up.