May 2, 2018 | Morning Headlines

Main Story

Government Is Enacting Laws To Protect Workers’ Welfare-President Farmaajo

01 May – Source: Goobjoog News – 103 Words

The government is determined to protect the rights of workers and ensure their welfare, President Mohamed Farmaajo has said. Speaking during Labour Day celebrations, the President said the government was finalising legislation aimed at protecting the rights and welfare of its employees as well define the relationship between employers and employees.

“The government is determined to promote rights of Somali workers. The Federal Government is in the process of completing the Labour Bill as well as the Civil Service Bill,” the President said. “These laws are crucial in protecting the rights of Somali workers. The public sector in Somalia employs over 5,000 workers.

Key Headlines

Government Is Enacting Laws To Protect Workers’ Welfare-President Farmaajo (Goobjoog News)
Three Killed As Heavy Rains Lash Hargeisa (Halbeeg News)
UN Lauds Mursal’s Election Urges Fast-tracking Of Legislative Process (Goobjoog News)
Almost 500000 Affected As Devastating Floods Inundate Central Somalia – UN mission (UN News)
Female Somali Aid Worker Shot Dead In Capital Police Say (The Washington Post)
How An Unrecognised State’s Port Deal Could Shift Dynamics Across The Horn (African Arguments)

NATIONAL MEDIA

Three Killed As Heavy Rains Lash Hargeisa

01 April – Source: Halbeeg News – 207 Words

At least three people died in Hargeisa town following heavy rains that have been pounding the breakaway Somaliland region in the last twenty-four hours. This brings the total number of lives lost to the downpour in Somalia to eight. The victims reportedly died as floods washed away their homes leaving a trail of destruction in the town.

Speaking to the media, Somaliland Police chief, Abdullahi Fadal Iman said among the victims was a forty day-old infant, who died after their house was submerged by heavy rains. “The house of the victims was submerged by heavy rains, leading the death of a woman and her two children including an infant. We are really sorry about the incident,” Iman said. The incident is reminiscent of Monday’s tragic incident where five people, including two children, were killed by floods after River Shabelle broke its banks in Beledweyne town.

Confirming the incident Hiran Governor, Abdullahi Ahmed Moalim, said the victims died after floods swept their homes following heavy floods that inundated the region. Moalim pointed out that some of the victims drowned after the floods washed away their homes. “Five people including two children were killed in the floods after River Shabelle broke its banks in Beledweyne town,” said Moalim.

UN Lauds Mursal’s Election, Urges Fast-tracking Of Legislative Process

01 May – Source – Goobjoog News – 254 Words

United Nation’s chief in Somalia Michael Keating has hailed the election of Lower House Speaker Mohamed Mursal and called for collaborative efforts between the executive and parliament in enacting the many pending bills in Parliament. In a statement, Keating said both arms of government must now move in unity and speed to fast track the constitutional review process and build requisite structures for good governance: “With the election of the Speaker now completed, the United Nations urges the country’s legislative and executive branches to work together constructively to enact the many pending draft bills in Parliament,” the statement read in part.

Mr Keating singled out the need to clarify federal arrangements, reform of the security sector, preparations for the 2020 elections, fighting corruption and improving accountability, and enabling the State to increase revenue collection and disbursement. Keating also called for respect of rule of law in order to build public confidence in state institutions: “The supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law should be respected in the conduct of all parliamentary and government business,” said Mr. Keating. “The people of Somalia will benefit if political actors take steps to strengthen the capacity and bolster the integrity of key State institutions.”

Mursal was elected Monday after garnering 147 votes trouncing ten other competitors. He now takes the reins from former Speaker Mohamed Jawari who resigned after a political stand-off. Keating praised Jawari for ‘for his extraordinary commitment to state-building in Somalia, including his achievements as a leader of the ninth and tenth parliaments’.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Almost 500,000 Affected As Devastating Floods Inundate Central Somalia – UN mission

01 May – Source: UN News – 330 Words

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the current floods are some of the worst the region has ever seen, and the current water level exceeds a 50-year return period in most locations. “Internally displaced people remain the most vulnerable to the impact of the flooding with many camps located in low-lying areas,” Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said, briefing reporters in New York on Monday. “Humanitarian partners on the ground have prioritized water, sanitation, hygiene, [health,] shelter and food response in their interventions,” he added.

The heavy rains and flash floods come only months after a devastating drought left over six million people in need of humanitarian assistance last year. Floods worse than anticipated; The magnitude of rainfall has been much worse than anticipated, said Yngvil Foss, the deputy head at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Somalia. “Initially, all humanitarian actors started responding with the means and assets they had available,” she said, noting that UN relief agencies have been able to raise funding over the past week to scale up critical interventions.

The UN World Health Organization (WHO), for instance, delivered 4.5 million metric tons of medicines and other medical supplies to Belet Weyne, the capital of the hard hit HirShabelle province, on 29 April. Peacekeeping troops from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) also evacuated more than 10,000 residents of Belet Weyne from inundated parts of the city as well as providing tarpaulins and water to those affected.
More funding urgently needed

Female Somali Aid Worker Shot Dead In Capital, Police Say

01 May – Source: The Washington Post – 185 Words

Gunmen shot dead a female aid worker in Somalia’s capital on Tuesday, police said, in the latest of several targeted attacks against humanitarians in the long-chaotic Horn of Africa nation. Maryan Abdullahi, a Somali employee with the World Health Organization, was killed in Mogadishu’s Bakara market when two men with pistols approached and fired at close range, police Capt. Mohamed Hussein said.

The attackers fled the crowded, open-air market that has seen similar ambushes by suspected extremists in recent years, Hussein said. WHO officials did not immediately comment. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the killing, which has sent shockwaves through Somalia’s aid community. Somalia is one of the world’s most dangerous places for aid workers.

Many have died in bombings by al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremists, who continue to control large parts of rural Somalia and often attack the capital. At least 30 aid workers were killed in 2016 and 2017, the United Nations has reported. Violent incidents against aid workers went up sharply last year, including the abductions of more than 30 humanitarian staffers, in part because of scaled-up relief operations during a severe drought.

OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE

“Not everyone in region is happy though. There are allegations that ruling officials accepted bribes to authorise the project. The opposition has complained of a lack of transparency around the deal. Meanwhile, others warn that rivalry over land ownership in the Berbera area could lead to disputes and grievances.”

How An Unrecognised State’s Port Deal Could Shift Dynamics Across The Horn

01 May – Source: African Arguments – 973 Words

Despite officially being banned from operating in Somalia this March, DP World is set to begin a project later this year that could have far-reaching implications for the region, both economically and politically. In 2016, the United Arab Emirates state-owned ports operator closed a landmark deal worth $442 million to develop and manage the strategically-located Berbera Port. The company entered into this agreement with Somaliland, an autonomous but unrecognised breakaway region in the north of Somalia.

The federal government in Mogadishu pushed back against the deal, seeing it as an infringement of its authority. In March, its national parliament voted to unanimously ban DP World. However, without the ability to actually enforce the ruling, the project is still set to go ahead. When it does, the development of this small port in in the Gulf of Aden could significantly shift dynamics not just in Somaliland or Somalia, but Ethiopia, Djibouti and the Horn of Africa region more broadly.

What the deal means for Somaliland; The importance of the Berbera Port deal for Somaliland is clear. Given the republic’s lack of international recognition, it is cut off from international aid and relies heavily on remittances. The region has developed a relatively democratic and stable political system, but continues to suffer from several economic challenges such as high unemployment.

With relatively few alternatives therefore, the Somaliland government hopes that the plan to modernise Berbera Port and create an economic free zone will bring many much-needed jobs. The port is already a crucial source of revenue and employment, but capacity would be hugely expanded with a new 400m quay and 250,000 m2 yard extension. This could turn the port into a key regional maritime trading hub and substantially boost government income through customs duties and its 30% stake in the project. It could be economically transformative.

The political ramifications, however, are perhaps just as significant. This groundbreaking deal is going ahead despite desperate efforts from Somalia, which has invalidated the deal and lodged official complaints with the Arab League and African Union. Somalia’s foreign minister again urged DP World to “reconsider” last week. The fact that these attempts to sabotage the project have had little effect highlights Somalia’s lack of authority over its breakaway northern region.

ADDITIONAL SOMALIA NEWS WILL APPEAR IN THE AFTERNOON REPORT

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