April 9, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
Somalia Parliament Speaker Quits Ahead Of Motion Against Him: Lawmaker
09 April – Source: Reuters – 160 Words
The speaker of Somalia’s parliament, Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari, has resigned ahead of a confidence motion against him, a lawmaker said, ending weeks of political tension. “We were in the parliament house this morning ready for the motion against the speaker. Then the deputy speaker came in and read a resignation letter from the speaker,” lawmaker Dahir Amin Jesow told Reuters. “We applauded and his resignation was accepted as per the constitution. That is the end of the political crisis.” Jawari had held his position since 2013 and has clashed with other lawmakers, including over a decision to withdraw an impeachment motion against the then president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in 2015.
Somalia has been in a state of lawlessness since the early 1990s, when dictator Mohammed Siad Barre was toppled by warlords. It has also had to contend with al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab which carries out frequent attacks in Mogadishu and other regions, in a campaign to topple the government.
Key Headlines
- Somalia Parliament Speaker Quits Ahead Of Motion Against Him: Lawmaker (Reuters)
- Puntland And Somaliland Hold Talks In Kenya (Horseed Media)
- Parliamentary Review Committee To Extend The Members Of Body (Halbeeg News)
- Somalia Seizes Nearly $10M From UAE Plane In Mogadishu (Voice of America)
- Work On Kenya-Somalia Border Wall Suspended (Al-Jazeera)
- In Somalia Women Defy Strict Rules To Play Soccer (Japan News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Puntland And Somaliland Hold Talks In Kenya
09 April – Source: Horseed Media – 180 Words
Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas has made an undisclosed trip to Kenya’s capital Nairobi on Saturday. The Puntland Presidency has not released any press statement regarding President Gaas’ trip to Kenya. However, reliable news received by Horseed Media say that United Nations special envoy to Somalia, Michael Keating was also in Nairobi where he was set to meet with President Gaas over the issue. Unconfirmed reports say the main agenda of the talks is to prevent new conflict between Somaliland and Puntland forces. Both administrations have increased their military buildup around Tukaraq town in Sool which was recently occupied by Somaliland troops.
Horseed Media cannot verify the names of the delegates representing Somaliland in the talks. Reports add that Somaliland might have finally accepted a proposal to withdraw its troops from Tukaraq which they had captured on January 8 this year. This is seen by many as an opportunity that can de-escalate the tension. During his undisclosed trip to Nairobi, President Gaas is also expected to meet with international ambassadors and donors in regards to developmental projects in Puntland.
Parliamentary Review Committee To Extend The Members Of Body
08 April – Source: Halbeeg News – 270 Words
Somali Parliamentary Constitutional Review Committee has extended the members of the body to six regional states tasked to appoint one member each, to represent them in the process of reviewing the Provisional Constitution. The Chairperson of the Committee, Mr. Abdi Hassan Awale said, that six new members from the regional states will be added to the members of the commission. “After long consultations with experts, leaders and members of the parliament, we decided to make the review of the constitution inclusive and add six more members from the regional states,” Awale said. He said that the initial 10 members, were selected from the lower and upper house of the federal parliament. “Before, the members were from parliament. Each houses contributed five members,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Upper House Oversight Committee, will summon the Minister for Constitutional Affairs, Abdirahman Hosh Jibril, over the review process amid rift between, the minister and Constitutional Review Committee. Early last month, parliamentary committee declared it had lost confidence in the minister saying, he was unfit to steer the review process.
The committee accused of usurping powers and reaching the decisions unilaterally, a move dismissed by the minister. The dispute between the sides has been existing since early last year, when the body wrote to the president, parliament and the International Community seeking their intervention. The government stepped in to resolve the crisis leading to discussions, held for the sides which saw a memorandum of understanding signed by the sides to revive the review and implementation process. But the MoU collapsed when the committee announced that it has no-confidence in having any relations with the minister.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia Seizes Nearly $10M From UAE Plane In Mogadishu
08 April – Source: Voice of America – 409 Words
Somali security officials said they have seized a large cache of money that arrived Sunday at Mogadishu airport from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Two senior security officials told VOA Somali three suitcases containing $9.6 million have been put In storage in the central bank of Somalia pending an investigation. Another security official said Ambassador Mohammed Ahmed Othman Al Hammadi, UAE envoy to Mogadishu, was at the airport to receive the money.
The official said Al Hammadi’s entourage tried to take the money out of the airport but were instructed by security forces to have the bags scanned. “The ambassador refused, walked back to the plane with three bags, and counterterrorism units confiscated the three bags,” said the officer who requested anonymity.
The Royal Jet plane has since been released. Al Hammadi told VOA Somali the money was not intended for the UAE embassy. “The money is for the ministry of defense. It’s for the salary of the Somali soldiers,” he told VOA. He said the government knew in advance that the money was coming for the troops. The UAE has been training Somali soldiers in Mogadishu, as well as about 1,000 maritime police in the Puntland region.
Work On Kenya-Somalia Border Wall Suspended
08 April – Source: Al-Jazeera – Video: 2:39 Minutes
Construction of the partially-built 700-kilometre border wall, locals say has helped prevent al-Shabab fighters from crossing into Kenya, has been suspended. Kenya has suspended construction of a 700-kilometre border wall after confrontations between security officers and people from a nearby Somali town.
Locals say the partially-built wall has helped prevent Al-Shabaab fighters from crossing into Kenya. Hundreds of people have died in attacks by the armed group, but other areas remain unsafe.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“There are so many challenges, from security to lack of resources … but that will not deter our ambition to establish female football clubs in this country,” he said. “We believe it is the right time and we should have the courage to think differently.”
In Somalia, Women Defy Strict Rules To Play Soccer
09 April – Source: Japan News – 606 Words
Shortly after sunrise, a group of young women arrives at a soccer pitch in Mogadishu, where they shrug off their hijabs some changing underneath the billowing veil to reveal their team kit. Young Somali men stand nearby, some disapproving but all watching closely, as the women jog up and down, dribble a worn-out ball between colorful cones and do sit-ups, less than 200 meters from a heavily guarded security checkpoint.
The sight of young women playing soccer is highly unusual in Somalia, due to societal pressures as well as fear of Al-Shabaab. The Al-Qaida-linked Islamist group launches regular attacks in Mogadishu and considers forms of entertainment, such as soccer, to be evil, worse still if women are involved. “It is obvious that we are scared despite the fact that we put on heavy clothes over our shorts and T-shirts (until) we get to the pitch. It is very difficult to walk normally with sports clothes we never wear sports clothing in society,” said Hibaq Abdukadir, 20, one of the soccer players.
She is among 60 girls, who have signed up to train at the Golden Girls Centre in Mogadishu, Somalia’s first female soccer club. ‘Think differently’ Mohamed Abukar Ali, the 28-year-old cofounder of the center, said he was inspired to create the club after he realized that Somalia had no female soccer players. “We are … trying to make these girls the first Somali female football professionals,” he said. However this is not an easy task. “When the girls have to attend training sessions, we have to organize to pick them up and bring them here and back home after the session because they are girls and we think about their security,” said Ali.
“There are so many challenges, from security to lack of resources … but that will not deter our ambition to establish female football clubs in this country,” he said. “We believe it is the right time and we should have the courage to think differently.” ‘They look naked’ Many of the girls who have joined the club said they had always wanted to try playing soccer but never had the opportunity.
“I have been playing football for seven months, but my family has only known about it for two months,” said Sohad Mohamed, 19. “I used to dodge my mother about where I was going because she would not allow me to play football, but at least my mum is okay with it now, even though the rest of my family is not happy.” In Somalia, it is taboo for women to appear in public dressed in shorts, trousers or T-shirts, with Islamic scholars saying sports clothing is not appropriate Islamic dress for women.
TOP TWEETS
@HarunMaruf: Somalia: Acting information Minister Abdi Idan Yonis tells @SONNALIVE that parliament is scheduled to meet today with the main agenda being to vote on the no-confidence motion against Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawarihttp://sonna.so/archives/
Rashid Abdi @RAbdiCG: Jawari’s resignation calms Mogadishu after weeks of tensions. I suspect another “mooshin” inevitable . We are not out of the woods yet. The factionalism is too deep.
@MOALIMUU: #Breaking News: Speaker Jawari has submitted his resignation letter to Deputy Speaker Mudey after hours of long discussion with President Farmaajo. Jawaari will talk to legislators in the coming hours and explain reason of his resignation .
@mary_harper:Thank you @RAbdiCG of the @CrisisGroup & Alex de Waal of the @WorldPeaceFdtn @FletcherSchool for your contributions to my @BBCNews @BBCAfrica report on how the #Gulf crisis could tear apart the Horn of #Africa
@DalsanFM: Somalia government issues statement on the Sunday seizure of US$9.6 million from a #UAE . Ministry of Internal Security says investigation ongoing to determine source and recipient.
@HarunMaruf: BREAKING: Somali Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Osman Jawari resigns after power struggle w the executive branch, he’ll address the House on Wednesday to say “good-byes”, according to an aide. Jawari was first elected as Speaker in August 2012, and was re-elected in January 2017.
@AbdulBillowAli: Airport security in #Mogadishu have seized a plane from UAE carrying bags stashed with unknown amount of $. UAE claims z $ is for paying security forces in Mog &#Puntland. UAE has long been accused of destabilizing#Somalia with the latest $ coming as MPs plan to oust Jawari.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Mogadishu Mayor, Abdirahman Omar Osman and his delegation meet with officials from Ankara Municipality on his working visit to Turkey.
Photo: @engyarisow