May 14, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
Regional Leaders Meet In Baidoa As Row With Federal Government Holds
14 May – Source: Goobjoog News – 266 Words
As President Mohamed Farmaajo jetted off to Doha, Qatar, on Sunday, regional states that have differed with him on the Gulf Crisis stance headed to Baidoa, the capital of South West state, for a meeting. According to sources privy to the meeting, the leaders are expected to further their discussions on political developments in the country, security and sharing of resources. Sources have also intimated to Goobjoog News that the leaders — Puntland’s Ali Gaas, Jubbaland’s Ahmed Madobe, Galmudug’s Ahmed Haaf, HirShabelle’s Mohamed Ware and their host, Sharif Aden — will be taking a joint position on the Gulf row.
Regional presidents, Aden, Haaf and Gaas had last year declared their support for the UAE while Madobe held back. However HirShabelle was embroiled in a political row, which led to the exit of the then President, Ali Osoble. But last week upon arrival from Abu Dhabi, Madobe expressed support with the Emirati regime accusing President Farmaajo of double standards. While urging neutrality, Madobe said Farmaajo was allied to Qatar. “My idea is that we do not isolate Qatar. But are we doing this in a systematic manner?” Madobe queried. “The government has decided to align itself with Qatar.”
The meeting comes against the backdrop of another round of fall-out between the Federal Government and Puntland over the ending of UAE military support. Gaas has strongly fought against the move insisting the UAE forces in Puntland ‘are here to stay.’ Gaas also argued the presence of UAE forces in Puntland and support of the state forces was instrumental in protecting the Gulf of Aden strip from terrorists and other criminal networks. All the regional leaders have separately made trips to UAE in the recent months.
Key Headlines
- Regional Leaders Meet In Baidoa As Row With Federal Government Holds (Goobjoog News)
- PM Khaire Takes Security Tour Of Mogadishu Ahead Of Ramadan (Hiiraan Online)
- Puntland And Somaliland Forces Clash In Sool Region (Radio Dalsan)
- German Authorities Charge Suspected Al-Shabaab Member (The Washington Post)
- Hundreds Gather In Mogadishu For Somalia’s Review Of Its Federal Constitution (UNSOM)
- UAE Somalia Need To Reconcile (The Star)
NATIONAL MEDIA
PM Khaire Takes Security Tour Of Mogadishu Ahead Of Ramadan
14 May – Source: Hiiraan Online – 123 Words
Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, the Minister of Security and military officials inspected parts of Mogadishu on Sunday night ahead of the holy month of Radaman. The PM and security officials inspected checkpoints and military bases to ensure Mogadishu and Banadir residents are secure during the fasting period. The Minister for Internal Security, Abukar Islow Duale, who briefly spoke to the media, said they were on a routine inspection of security operations in the capital.
In the past, Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab have warned they would intensify their attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, which is scheduled to start this week. Police in Kenya have similarly issued a warning to the general public to remain vigilant over possible terrorist attacks during Ramadan.
Puntland And Somaliland Forces Clash In Sool Region.
14 May – Source: Radio Dalsan.com – 104 Words
Reports from Sool region indicate that a brief clash occurred between Somaliland and Puntland forces this morning. The fighting erupted in the outskirt of Tukaraq town, where the two forces normally conduct operations. This current clash resulted in one Puntland soldier being wounded.
Journalists at the scene reported that the situation had returned to normalcy and the fighting forces had returned to their bases. The crisis in Sool region has increased in the last few days, attracting the attention of the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), Michael Keating, who arrived in Garowe and Hargeisa in a bid to resolve the conflict.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
German Authorities Charge Suspected Al-Shabaab Member
14 May – Source: The Washington Post – 139 Words
German authorities have charged a Somali man who allegedly was a member of the foreign extremist group Al-Shabaab and is accused of attempted murder and assistance to murder. Federal prosecutors said Monday that 20-year-old, identified only as Abduqaadir A., joined the group in 2012 in Mogadishu, and was trained to use pistols and hand grenades. During his training, he accompanied other al-Shabab members to a mosque where they assassinated a person with three shots to the head.
He was later assigned to kill a Somali government employee with the help of another group member at a restaurant. There, he shot several times at the man, wounding but not killing him. He was therefore arrested by Al-Shabaab until he managed to flee in October 2012. Prosecutors say the accused came to Germany in June 2014, and was arrested in February.
Hundreds Gather In Mogadishu For Somalia’s Review Of Its Federal Constitution
14 May – Source: UNSOM – 444 Words
Hundreds of representatives from Somali society are gathered today in the capital, Mogadishu, for the second day of a national constitutional convention, with the event marking the start of a review of Somalia’s federal constitution that will produce a new political charter for the Horn of Africa country by 2019. Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire opened the three-day convention on Sunday. It has drawn more than 350 delegates, among them members of the federal Parliament, and representatives of Somalia’s Federal Member States, religious leaders, civil society representatives and international partners.
In his remarks, the Prime Minister said the government and the two houses of Parliament should finalize the review process and bequeath Somalia with a new constitution that reflects the aspirations of the entire nation. “I hereby confirm that my government has pledged $3 million for the constitution process to be finalized. This pledge should produce a Somalia-owned document, Somali thinking, and a new Somali unity that rebuilds the Somali nation we lost,” he said.
Somalia is currently governed by a Provisional Constitution that was adopted in August 2012. The promulgation of a new and permanent constitution is expected before the country holds a ‘one-person, one-vote election’ in 2020. The review process will have to address a number of unresolved constitutional issues such as the future status of Mogadishu and the sharing of powers and resources between the federal government and the Federal Member States.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“For it to reclaim, its place as a trusted partner, the UAE needs to abandon its divide-and-rule approach and engage the Farmaajo administration while aiding the federal member states. This way it will be able to reverse the game and fight for space with its competitors positively without scuttling the fragile peace process in Somalia.”
UAE, Somalia Need To Reconcile
14 May – Source: The Star – 679 Words
There is no doubt that the United Arab Emirates has been a key ally of Somalia ever since the country descended into chaos. Since 2014, the UAE has trained and equipped thousands of forces in Somalia to help the country take control of its own security and decrease dependency on African Union peacekeepers. But the relationship between the two countries, both members of the Arab League, has deteriorated.
The bone of contention is the controversial Berbera Port deal. The bulk of the disagreement however is the Gulf diplomatic crisis in which Somalia is paying the price for declaring its neutral stance in the rift between the rich countries fighting over her. While the UAE has it is own agenda in intervening in Somalia, respect for the country’s territorial integrity is paramount. The UAE should not be seen to be propping a campaign to divide Somalia.
Even though Somalia is a federal state and the UAE, like any other country, has the option of engaging the federal member states, it should not do so at the expense of the Federal Government of Somalia. That would be a big diplomatic blunder. The two countries need to revisit their bilateral relations since the dispute is having a devastating effect that will be very hard to reverse. Since the fall of Somalia’s central government, the UAE has provided a sanctuary to Somalis fleeing the civil war.
As a result of the escalating dispute, the UAE this month halted it support for Somalia’s security forces and humanitarian support, closing down a hospital that used to treat 300 patients daily. According to security analysts, this will hamper the transfer of Somalia’s security to the country’s armed forces. The Institute of Security Studies think tank argues that the gap left by the training that was provided by the UAE will be very hard for Amisom to fill.
Its role was huge, despite accusations that some UAE-trained soldiers disobeyed Somalia’s army command structure. In a recent press briefing in Dubai, with the blessing of his UAE hosts, the President of Somalia’s Federal Member State of Puntland, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali (Gaas), made remarks that could be seen as very damaging to Somalia’s sovereignty. One could take the phrase, ‘Somalia is not Mogadishu, and Mogadishu is not Somalia’ as a clear warning shot to the federal government led by President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo.
TOP TWEETS
@HarunMaruf: Heavy clashes continued for the 3rd day between Al-Shabab fighters and government-backed local militias known as Ma’awisley in areas between Bulobarde and Moqokori in Hiran region; at least 17 militants and 10 Ma’awisley militias were reportedly killed during 3 days of fighting.
@AnalystSomalia: Abdirahman Lunge representing disable#Somalis called attendees of the convention to strive needs & aspirations of the disable people is reflected in the #Constitution; he asked Somali women to champion for the cause of the disable community whom he said is estimated to be 20%
@RadioDanan: #Update: A Somali soldier who intentionally shot dead this morning a Tri-cycle bike driver is said under investigation. Witnesses say he was trying to disperse the public vehicles while an army car was passing there. The murder occurred at #Zoobe area in #Mogadishu_Somalia.
@AbdirahmanCumar: From H.E @AbdilatifMaalim who is of the idea that its time for reconciliation and putting first the interest of the greater good ahead of personal opinion. UAE, Somalia need to reconcile http://www.the-star.co.ke/
@kadiroow: One thing I like about the @SomaliPM is #supervision. Without supervision nothing will be accomplished. Our bureaucrats in service delivery agencies and law enforcement agencies wont move forward without #motivationand supervision. #Somalia
@NaziifAbdullahi: #BREAKING: A gun battle between#Somaliland and #Puntland security forces erupts in #Soolregion northern #Somalia in the early hours of Monday morning. So far one soldier from Puntland forces reported injured.@DalsanFM
@AmbFMadeira: The launch of the nationwide Constitutional Review comes at a time when #Somalis of all walks are demonstrating unwavering interest in better understanding the complex political and governance issues that will define their country for generations to come. #DoodQarameed #SNCC
@DalsanFM: Regional Leaders Meet in Baidoa Amid Widening Rift With Mogadishu https://www.radiodalsan.com/
IMAGE OF THE DAY
President, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo is welcomed by Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
Photo: @TheVillaSomalia