May 31, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
Kenyan, Somali Leaders Hold Talks On Security
31 May – Source: Xinhua News – 129 Words
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta held talks on Wednesday with visiting Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo focusing on security issues, the presidency said. Kenyatta’s office said the two leaders discussed bilateral issues and security matters including the continued support for African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in which Kenyan forces play a big role.
“The two leaders updated each other on shared security concerns as well as progress in regional efforts to bring peace and stability back to Somalia with the help of Kenya and other nations,” it said. President Mohamed arrived in the country early Wednesday accompanied by a high-level delegation of ministers and senior government officials. State House said Kenyatta and Farmajo also discussed multilateral issues including Kenya’s push for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Key Headlines
- Kenyan Somali Leaders Hold Talks On Security (Xinhua)
- Jubbaland President Urges Constitution Review Committee To Verify “Stolen Constitution” (Halbeeg News)
- Mogadishu Mayor Kicks Off The Country’s Local Governments Affairs Meeting (Jowhar.com)
- UN Migration Agency Helps Somali Migrants Return Home From Libya (IOM.org)
- Italy Commits $1.2 Million To The Somalia Infrastructure Fund (African Business Communities)
- New Somali Business Fund Creates Jobs (World Bank)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Jubbaland President Urges Constitution Review Committee To Verify Stolen Constitution
31 May – Source: Halbeeg News – 240 Words
The President of Jubbaland state, Ahmed Mohamed Islam, on Wednesday hosted members of the national independent constitutional and constitutional review oversight commission to Iftar dinner in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. President Madoobe asked the commission to verify the alleged stolen constitution and accelerate completion of the constitution that will lead to permanent constitution of Somalia replacing the provisional one adopted in 2012.
Mid April, the First Deputy Speaker, who was the acting Speaker of the Parliament at the time, Abdiweli Ibrahim Mudey, said the original copy of the Somali Constitution which was voted for by the Somali delegates was stolen. Mr. Mudey stated that the original draft, which was approved by the delegates, had gone missing
The latest remarks by Jubbaland leader, Madobe, come less than two weeks after the Federal government of Somalia launched three days constitutional review process in Mogadishu. The convention, which was attended by over 350 delegates and representatives from federal states, civil society from all walks, Federal government and Diaspora community, was officially opened by Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheyre.
Jubbaland state has not attended the conference claiming they were not made aware of the event.. Speaking to reporters, Aden Hersi, Jubbaland’s Constitutional Affairs Minister, said the state will not be attending the conference because. “we have not been given any information about it”. The new constitution is expected to be operational by 2019 before the country holds a ‘one-person, one-vote election’ in 2020.
Mogadishu Mayor Kicks Off The Country’s Local Governments Affairs Meeting
31 May – Source: Jowhar.com – 167 Words
Mogadishu Mayor, who is also the Governor of Banadir Region, Abdirahman Omar Osman today officially opened a meeting of local government officials in Mogadishu at the local government`s headquarters. The meeting was attended by the Internal Affairs Ministry officials, and the country`s regional governments, including Banadir region.
Mayor Osman welcomed delegates from the regional Governments to the capital city, reiterating the importance of power decentralization to local levels to ensure citizens elect their most preferred leaders. While emphasizing his administration`s priority towards local councils establishment, Osman said that a plan meant for establishing such councils was put in place to prepare the citizens to participate in the forthcoming 2020 elections.
Speaking on behalf of other regional governments, the Internal Affairs Minister of Galmudug Regional Administration, Mr. Mohamed Hayir Nur, thanked Banadir Regional Administration for convening the meeting and asked those in attendance to collectively and firmly stand together in order to realize the implementation of establishing these councils, which remains essential to democracy.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UN Migration Agency Helps Somali Migrants Return Home From Libya
31 May – Source: IOM.org – 468 Words
OM, the International Organization for Migration, in collaboration with the Libyan and Somali Governments and with support from the European Union, facilitated the voluntary return to Mogadishu of 150 Somali migrants stranded in Libya. The majority of them had been held in Government-run detention centres. Migrants in Libya are exposed to numerous risks, including smuggling, trafficking, kidnapping, abuse, detention and torture. Through the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), IOM has tracked over 660,000 migrants in Libya. However, the true number could be closer to one million people.
“I lost everything in Libya; time, health and money,” said twenty-three year old Mohamed, who left Somalia for a better future. “But I will return to Somalia and start from scratch, build a better future away from the daydreams of illegal migration”, he added.
IOM is grateful to the Somali Government for the expediency in providing the returning migrants with the appropriate documentation and to the Libyan Governments for organizing exit visas. “The support to these Somali nationals wishing to go back to Somalia is the positive result of close collaboration with the Somali Government and UNHCR,” said Othman Belbeisi, IOM Libya Chief of Mission.
“This was a massive undertaking between the Somali government and IOM and I am very glad that we are finally able to assist this number of migrants in desperate need of humanitarian return assistance. In the name of the Somali government, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to IOM for their unwavering support to our migrants stranded in Libya,” stated Ambassador Ali Said Faqi, Special Envoy of the President of Somalia for Somali Migrants Stranded in Libya.
Upon return, representatives from the Federal Government of Somalia and IOM welcomed the returnees at the way-station in Mogadishu. IOM will be fully screening all returnees and providing group psychosocial sessions in the immediate days after arrival. Following these screenings, ongoing reintegration assistance will be provided through general support and complementary assistance, according to the project’s selection criteria.
This is the fourth and largest voluntary humanitarian return of migrants from Libya to Somalia. The reintegration assistance in Somalia is part of the larger EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration, which facilitates orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration management through the development of rights-based and development-focused policies and processes on protection and sustainable reintegration. The EU-IOM Joint Initiative, backed by the EU Trust Fund, covers and has been set up in close cooperation with a total of 26 African countries.
“The EU recognizes the importance of supporting stranded migrants who wish to return to Somalia and reintegrate with their host communities and I believe that, through this initiative, returning migrants will be able to lead meaningful lives and contribute to a rising Somalia”, said Pencho Garrido Ruiz, Chargé d’Affaires at the EU Delegation to Somalia.
Italy Commits $1.2 Million To The Somalia Infrastructure Fund
31 May – Source: African Business Communities – 342 Words
The African Development Bank has participated in a signing ceremony that occasioned Italy’s contribution of €1 million to the Somalia Infrastructure Fund (SIF). The ceremony was witnessed by Albert Mafusire, the African Development Bank’s Principal Country Economist for Somalia, who represented the Bank’s Deputy Director General for East Africa and Country Manager for Somalia, Nnenna Nwabufo; the Italian Ambassador to Somalia, Carlo Campanile; and the Federal Government of Somalia’s newly appointed Minister of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing, Abdifatah Mohamed Ibrahim.
The Somalia Infrastructure Fund is a Multi-Partner Fund with the overall goal of supporting Somalia to rebuild institutions, rehabilitate key infrastructure, and reinforce economic governance. The SIF, which is administered by the African Development Bank, aims to contribute to the efforts of Somalia and its development partners to consolidate peace, establish the basic institutions of a functioning state, and to accelerate inclusive and sustainable economic recovery and development.
As a special fund, the SIF operates within the framework of the Bank’s Strategy for Addressing Fragility and Building Resilience in Africa: 2014-2019. Ambassador Campanile acknowledged the Bank’s efforts in investing in infrastructure in Somalia, noting that the importance of the infrastructure needs assessment studies carried out by the Bank in highlighting the needs of Somalia in key sectors, including transport, energy, and water and sanitation.
Speaking on behalf of the Federal Government of Somalia, Abdifatah Mohamed Ibrahim pledged continuity of the work started by his predecessor and promised to facilitate all efforts by the Bank and its partners in the reconstruction process. Speaking on behalf of the Bank’s East Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office, Albert Mafusire expressed gratitude to Italy for its support and partnership in rebuilding the country’s infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of infrastructure as an enabler of economic transformation.
Italy’s current intervention raises its total contribution to the SIF at about US $3.2 million and becomes the second-largest contributor to the fund after the African Development Bank. It also takes the total paid in contributions to US $29.7 million, representing about 44% of total pledged contributions.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“It is also intended to stimulate the business and technical services industry to build sector expertise in agriculture, livestock and energy, among others. So far, the SBCF has selected 101SMEs across the Somali peninsula – South Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland — to receive financial and technical support.”
New Somali Business Fund Creates Jobs
30 May – Source: World Bank – 738 Words
Sahal, a dairy farmer, is CEO of Bovine Industry, an urban dairy farm in central Mogadishu. The company cross-breeds Somali cattle with Jersey cattle to produce higher-quality milk. “Mogadishu is the only capital in the world where you can’t buy fresh milk,” Sahal said. “How can a country that exports the most livestock in the world not have fresh milk?” Despite the clear need for fresh milk, it has been difficult for Sahal and other small and medium enterprises (SMEs) like his to access capital to grow their businesses. That was before the November launch of the Somali Business Catalytic Fund (SBCF), which aims to spur economic growth in country by supporting SMEs and entrepreneurs.
With support from the SBCF, Sahal was able to fit his backyard business with grazing grass and fences. The demand for fresh milk is soaring, with an average waiting list of three months for a single liter. Soon, Sahal will be able to increase his herd of 15 cows, producing more milk and allowing him to employ more people. He believes that development should be based on grassroots needs, and simple supply/demand analyses.
“Farmers have the knowledge to pasteurize milk, produce yogurt and expand the Somali dairy sector,” he said. “We just need the machinery and capital to make it happen.” SBCF, the Bank’s flagship job creation initiative in Somalia, targets businesses that focus on innovative processes, products and markets new to the region. It is also intended to stimulate the business and technical services industry to build sector expertise in agriculture, livestock and energy, among others. So far, the SBCF has selected 101SMEs across the Somali peninsula – South Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland — to receive financial and technical support. The selected firms are expected to generate more than 2,000 jobs.
“Poverty reduction in Somalia must be private sector-led. We have relied on traditional aid since the early 1990s, and handouts have not been a sustainable method to reduce poverty,” said Sahal. “I believe that access to capital is crucial for both job creation and dignified poverty reduction.” Asli Health Care Company, based in Hargeisa, has also benefited from the SBCF. The company’s manager, Nemo Yusuf, founded the company after she and her partners studied imports to Somaliland. Through a market study, she and her partners studies the viability of producing beauty products and creating jobs in the process.
“We observed an excess of imports of personal healthcare and beauty products from China and the Middle East, most of which could be produced domestically,” she said. “Our study confirmed that we could produce and sell shampoo, soaps and detergents competitively,” she said. “A reality that is too familiar with Somalis is that we import most products, when we should be producing them.”
Through the SBCF, Yusef was able to purchase high-speed manufacturing equipment, allowing her to produce shampoo bottles that limit waste from importing more plastic. Her company is also supported through the SME Facility (SMEF). SMEF provides technical assistance and business development services to assist Somali entrepreneurs to launch, manage, and grow successful businesses.
Asli and her partners were trained in budget planning, finance, and human resources training, which is helping their business become more effective. SBCF and SMEF fall under the Somali Core Economic Institutions and Opportunities (SCORE) Program, which is funded by the World Bank’s Multi-Partner Fund (MPF). Armed with this knowledge, Yusuf and her partners have expanded their business. They created a sachet-packet shampoo line as a new product.
“There is a demand for one-time use 10 milliliter sachets, especially among young people and those who cannot afford full bottles,” Yusuf said. “We are in the process of manufacturing our own bottles to drive prices even lower.” Challenges in Hargeisa are similar to those in Mogadishu, where Yusuf said “accessing capital is probably the main constraint to private sector growth.”
There are also challenges such as the availability of skilled labor, supply-chain issues related to infrastructure, affordable energy and economic policies that support private sector competitiveness are also prominent. Yusuf can see the results in Hargeisa, where the large market could be used to create jobs for young people as well as keep currency in the market and limit inflation. “Our company is managed entirely by fellow citizens,” she said. “We have employed an additional 17 people to support the expansion of our company, of which most are young people. A third of our employees are women.”
TOP TWEETS
@HarunMaruf: Talks b/w Kenya, Somali leaders underway in the 2nd day of @M_Farmaajo’s visit to Kenya. Main items on the agenda – border security, AMISOM, charcoal and trade. 2 sides reportedly agreed to form a joint team to look into concerns by Somalia on construction of Kenya border fence.
@TheVillaSomalia: H.E @M_Farmaajo held talks with H.E@UKenyatta on cooperation on security, joint efforts in combating terror, trade and movement of people and goods with ease.
@taakulosom: IDP camps in Somalia schools tend to be underneath a tree, which does not provide any protection for the children from the blaring sun. Thanks to funding from@shf_somalia the children in the IDP camps of Ali Awed and Jameecadka Caynaanshe can study in a suitable school.
@MoPIED_Somalia: The 4th steering committee meeting of the bilateral stabilization ‘BLIS’ between @MoPIED_Somalia,@NisfoundationS, @NorwayMFA & FGS line Ministries took place today in Mogadishu. its part of the cooperation between Somalia and Norway that covers wide range of activities.@AmbGamal
@IOM_Somalia: Thanks to the #EuropeanUnion, a@UNmigration charter flight carrying 150 #migrants returning from #Libya arrived in #Mogadishu this morning. The travel assistance was provided by @UNmigration in collaboration with the Libyan and Somali Governments. #AfricaTrustFund
@DeputySomaliPM: Constructive discussion with the Embassy of Switzerland on the multi year Swiss Regional Cooperation Strategy for the Horn of Africa (2018-2021) where Somalia is the main focus of the Cooperation Strategy. Switzerland is a strategic partner in Somalia.
@DalsanFM: #Djibouti President @IsmailOguelleh hosts a delegation from Somalia led by the Foreign Affairs Minister@MinisterMOFA. @Bihiman @Dr_AdenHassan. Guelleh’s office says they discussed “friendship and co-operation”
@SYPD_SOMALIA: SYPD is at forefront with helping the flood affected in Beletwein by providing NFI to the affected communities. Thanks to @diakoniekh @matijakovac,@shf_somalia and @JustinTBrady
IMAGE OF THE DAY
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya during the Nairobi meeting yesterday.
Photo: @TheVillaSomalia