April 25, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
Somali President Meets UAE Trained Soldiers
25 April – Source: Halbeeg News – 287 Words
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi has held talks with United Arab Emirates (UAE) trained soldiers barely four days after the government took over General Gordon Academy. Somali Defense Ministry took command of the former UAE-run military training on Sundayfollowing the withdrawal of UAE instructors. President met 270 UAE trained officers last night at the country’s Defense Ministry where he discussed with them on wide range issues.
During the meeting the top commanders of UAE trained unit dubbed Daljir (Country Guards) were questioned over the recent clashes at the centre. Speaking at the meeting, President Farmajo has called upon the officers to execute their duties and respect the army’s code of conduct. He said the government pardoned the soldiers who engaged in clashes with a unit from Somali National Army on Monday. “Forget about what had happened the other day, it is not something new, it occurred severally, We have forgiven you, no one will be prosecuted over that, (incident). We have suffered enough with lots of fallen soldiers, we do not want to see this again,” the president told the officers.
President Farmajo pledged that his government will take responsibility of paying the salaries of soldiers regularly. “I am the top leaders and Commander in Chief of the armed forces, I promise before you, that you will get salaries every month,,” said the President. A day after Somalia took control of the training centre vacated by UAE, two factions of SNA soldiers have clashed following dispute over the military hardware left by Emirati trainers. Two soldiers have reportedly died as eight others sustained injuries during the skirmishes. Somali military officials who confirmed the clashes said a number of soldiers had been detained in connection with the incident.
Key Headlines
- Somali President Meets UAE Trained Soldiers (Halbeeg News)
- 9000 People Displaced By Floods In Beledweyne Town (Hiiraan Online)
- Villa Somalia Behind Cancellation Of Nairobi Rally-Abdishakur (Goobjoog News)
- Security Meeting Between The Federal Ministry Of Security And Its Regional Counterparts To Start In Garowe (Hiiraan Online)
- African Development Bank Launches “Say No To Famine” Project In Somalia (Africa Business Community)
- Whoever The New Speaker Confidence In Somali Politics Has Been Weakened (Ummadda Media Online)
NATIONAL MEDIA
9,000 People Displaced By Floods In Beledweyne Town
25 April – Source: Hiiraan Online – 247 Words
More than 9,000 people have been displaced following floods in Beledweyne town of Hiiraan region after the river burst its banks. Families in Hawo-tako, Koshin and Bundaweyn suburbs have been forced to seek shelter on higher ground in the outskirt of Beledweyne town after their houses were submerged and valuables washed away. Speaking to the media Abdullahi Ahmed Moalim, the governor of Hiiraan region said various riverine villages were washed away after the river flooded following heavy downpour. He said that about 9,000 residents in Beledweyne had moved to El-Jalle village for fear of being carried away by the floodwaters.
The governor warned the residents to seek high ground areas as looming floods flashed from Ethiopian Highland and Hills in the region are imminent. Moalim called on NGO and well-wishers to help the victims as they are spending their nights without shelter and the risk of flood-related diseases. In a report, UN Office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the river level was at 7.75 meters, which is 0.45 meters above high flood risk level leading the displacement of more than 500 people from Hilaac, Kutimbo and Donsubagle who moved to safer areas.
Beledweyne Airport has been inaccessible for extended periods over the course of last week due to inundation by rain waters, which hampers the delivery of supplies. UN also said more than 7,000 people in Jowhar town have also moved to Hanti-Wadag village fearing floods from the river.
Villa Somalia Behind Cancellation Of Nairobi Rally-Abdishakur
25 April – Source: Goobjoog News – 223 Words
Opposition politician Abdirahman Abdishakur has lashed out at Villa Somalia accusing it of being behind the cancellation of a political rally he was due to preside over Wednesday in Nairobi. The Wadajir party leader said in a tweet he was disappointed by the move by Kenyan authorities to cancel the meeting following pressure from Villa Somalia. “I am deeply disappointed by the cancellation of the today’s events as a result of pressure by Villa Somalia,” said Abdishakur.
The embattled politician who had been barred by the courts from travelling outside the country until recently also pointed fingers at the international community for ‘not reacting to signs of suppression’. “This could be avoided if the international community promptly and decisively reacted to the first signs of suppression of freedom of speech by Farmaajo Administration.”
National Assembly speaker majority leader in Kenya Aden Duale defended the move to cancel the meeting noting the country’s laws prohibited foreign politician from holding rallies in Kenya warning against attempts to destabilise the Federal Government. “According to our laws a foreign politician cannot hold a political rally in the country,” Duale who has previously cautioned Somali politicians holding meetings in Nairobi said. “We can’t allow politicians to use Kenya as a base to destabilize the Somali government. We want to dedicate time and resources to build the Somali government.”
Security Meeting Between The Federal Ministry Of Security And Its Regional Counterparts To Start In Garowe
25 April – Source: Hiiraan Online – 114 Words
A conference on security is today expected to open in Garowe between the federal security ministry and its regional counterparts. A delegation led by Deputy Federal Minister of Security, Abdinasir Said Muse, arrived in Garowe on Tuesday to attend the event that will focus on strengthening security cooperation between the federal ministry of security and the security ministries of the regional administrations.
The two sides will also discuss the status of the fight against Al-Shabaab and liberation of areas under the Al-Qaeda-linked group. The meeting was previously held in other regional states capitals and Mogadishu respectively to assess security situation of the country and improve security cooperation between the government and the regional states.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
African Development Bank Launches “Say No To Famine” Project In Somalia
25 April – Source: Africa Business Community – 309 Words
The African Development Bank has launched the Say No to Famine – Short-Term Regional Emergency Response Project, STRERP, for Somalia. As a response to food security, the Bank has supported the people of Somalia, mobilizing approximately $34 million, from both the Transition Support Facility of the African Development Fund and the regional envelope. The STRERP project aims to provide emergency food assistance, fodder for pastoralists and medical supplies to about 800,000 Somalians, who are most vulnerable to the impact of the drought.
It also puts in place the preliminary building blocks to strengthen links between the production, distribution and consumption hubs of the food systems in the affected regions, leading to increased system-wide efficiency and longer-term resilience. STRERP Somalia aims to immediately address the humanitarian needs of those affected by drought and famine.
Deputy Director General for East Africa, Nnenna Nwabufo, represented the institution at the launch of the project. Elmi Omar Aainsane, Acting and Deputy Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, welcomed the invited delegates on behalf of the Federal Government of Somalia. He commended the African Development Bank for its timely action against famine in the region, assuring that the assistance would get to the beneficiaries.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“Can the Prime Minister give all his supporters and those on the other side Cabinet jobs or money? I don’t think so and because of this, we expect more instability, not less,” said a Parliamentarian who did not want to be named. “ Whoever the Speaker becomes, it is hard to go back to stable politics easily in Somalia.”
Whoever The New Speaker, Confidence In Somali Politics Has Been Weakened
20 April – Source: Ummadda Media Online – 536 Words
The campaign to be the next Speaker of the Somali Parliament is well on the way and many hopeful candidates are rallying MPs for support. Although, the Speaker role has generated some interest from MPs from other clans seeking to disrupt the 4.5 structure to pressurise the President and Prime Minister, the Speaker will be from the Digil and Mirifle Clan.
In interviews with Mogadishu residents, Ummadda Media found that most people did not care about the Speaker’s election and just wanted the political process to fix itself so that they can get on with their lives. “This is nothing a fight the ordinary people care about because Somali politics doesn’t affect our lives that much because it doesn’t improve anything for us,” said Mohamed Mahamud Ibrahim, a petrol station worker. “These MPs and government officials come, we fill their tanks and they speed off again with their guards.”
“These elections are elite games played in a bubble by Somali politicians who are out of touch with everything in Somalia,” said a political analyst who did not want to be named. “ Whoever the Speaker is nobody cares because it is one family and all Somalis are hostage for this election.”
When asked what the potential impact of the election of a new Speaker could be in stabilising Somali politics, most interviewees said very little. Many pointed to the politicised process of selection and the race to choose a friendly person by all competing sides. “ Whoever comes will either work for the Executive or the opposition in Parliament. But the problem is there are too many angry MPs who have been betrayed by both sides in the Motion that they will be a real destabilising force unless they are awarded money or big government positions,” said Abdi Farah Hamza, an unemployed school teacher.
TOP TWEETS
@HarunMaruf: Breaking: Heavy fighting reported near Tiyeglow town, Bakool region, between Somali regional forces and Al-Shabab, Wednesday morning, per security sources. Fighting ignited after Al-Shabab ambushed a convoy of Somali troops conducting patrol, there are casualties on both sides.
@shf_somalia: The 2018 Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan is only 18% funded and most clusters don’t have sufficient resources to support on-going operations. Donors can channel their contributions through the @shf_somalia Learn more in the Humanitarian Dashboard:
https://www.
@MoCASomalia: Second phase of TOT on civic education and public outreach on constitutional review attended by Civil Society organizations opens today in #Mogadishu. after ending of this trainings the beneficiaries will conduct CE campaign in Banadir Region. #Somalia
@i_dossier: The Somali Defense Minister Mohamed Mursal and army Chief Gen Abdiweli Jama Gorod have entered a contract with a private company, requiring SNA to escort logistics to Govt forces, AMISOM and other troops but contract doesn’t cover if soldiers are killed, and cargo not ensured.
@DalsanFM: Duale Defends Kenya Decision To Block Somalia Politician Abdishakur´s Nairobi Eventhttps://www.radiodalsan.com/
@HarunMaruf: For months Somali Police in Afgoye has been denying the presence of ISIS assassins in their town – not anymore. Police today displayed Jama Hussein Hassan (left in the photo) who “confesses” carrying out killings in the Afgoye.https://www.voanews.com/a/
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Somalia Deputy Prime Minister, Mahdi Mohamed Gulaid hosted the Ambassador of Qatar to Somalia Mr Hassan Hamza in his Office to discuss strengthening the relationship of the two countries.
Photo: @DeputySomaliPM