June 26, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report.
President Muse Bihi Says “Somaliland Is Ready For Peace”
26 June – Source: Goobjoog News – 221 Words
Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi has said Somaliland is not ready for war in Sool and that they want peace for the people in the contested region. At the same time President Bixi sent out a congratulatory message to residents of the northern regions of Somaliland on the occasion of the 58th anniversary of the independence from the British colonial government:. “I send this message to all the Somaliland people wherever they are. It is now 58 years since we got our independence from the British government, following a long struggle of 80 years that eventually set the freedom and the independence of Somaliland 26 June. This is a unique day for the independence of Somaliland,”said Bihi.
Meanwhile, Muse Bihi has spoken the war in Sool region saying it was unnecessary and that Somaliland was ready for peace and dialogue. “I want to tell all the people who speak the Somali language, that Somaliland wants peace. We have been suffering death and lack of education for 27 years now and so we do not need further conflict. We do not need war, we can solve our differences through dialogue and not war.” The President of Puntland State Abdiweli Gas told the media in Garowe today that the Puntland government was still ready to fight to take over the Sool region.
Key Headlines
- President Muse Bixi Says “Somaliland Is Ready For Peace” (Goobjoog News)
- The Independence We Enjoy Today Is A Product Of Our Bloodshed Says President Farmaajo (Radio Muqdisho)
- Some Roads In Mogadishu Closed Due To Independence Day Celebrations (Radio Dalsan)
- Somalia’s South West State Assembly Benchmarks Against County Parliaments In Kenya (AMISOM)
- 2 Soldiers Killed In Southern Somalia (Xinhua)
- Mogadishu’s First Tech Hub (The World Bank)
NATIONAL MEDIA
The Independence We Enjoy Today Is A Product Of Our Bloodshed, Says President Farmaajo
26 June – Source: Radio Muqdisho – 200 Words
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ‘Farmaajo’ has sent a congratulatory message to fellow compatriots on the 58th anniversary of the independence of the northern regions in the country from the British colonial masters. On this day, 26 June 1960, the Somali flag was hoisted in Hargeisa, which was then a British protectorate. Speaking during a colourful function held at the Mogadishu local government building where hundreds of locals and government officials converged to mark the day, President Farmaajo said every citizen was responsible for ensuring the unity and self-determination of the country.
“The freedom we exercise today is as a result of our bloodshed and wealth that we spent. And today we are therefore relishing the independence achieved in 1960 when the southern and northern regions were joined as one”. He lauded the people of the northern regions (Somaliland) for their unforgettable role in the independence struggle and later unification of the southern and northern regions.
He stated that his government was ready to review and consider the grievances of the people of the northern regions in a bid to restore their confidence and heal their feelings. He urged all the Somali people to work together and rebuild the country to achieve a prosperous future.
Some Roads In Mogadishu Closed Due To Independence Day Celebrations
26 June – Source: Radio Dalsan – 156 Words
Some of Mogadishu’s major roads are today closed by the forces of the Federal Government of Somalia as the week of the Independence Day started last night June 26th. Residents in Mogadishu woke up on Tuesdaymorning to find the main roads in the city closed. Well-armed security forces were seen guarding the city centre especially Maka Al-Mukarama road, and surrounding junctions.
All public and private vehicles were not allowed access to those areas and security officers were seen stopping and asking questions to anyone they suspected of breaching peace. Many people were forced to foot for long distances to reach their destinations including working stations. The roads were closed to allow for the ongoing celebration of Somalia’s independence, which will stretch on to 1 July. Government officials called on the people of Mogadishu to show patience during the celebrations as owners of commercial businesses were ordered to hang the national flag on their premises.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia’s South West State Assembly Benchmarks Against County Parliaments In Kenya
26 June – Source: AMISOM -479 Words
At least forty-two members of legislative and oversight committees of parliament from Somalia’s South West State Legislative Assembly, are attending an intensive six-day capacity building workshop, to enable them effectively discharge their legislative roles and enhance the quality of debate in parliament.
The capacity building workshop, the fourth of its kind organized by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) for the state assemblies, was opened by the AU Deputy Special Representative for Somalia, Mr. Simon Mulongo, in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on Monday. Other state assemblies that have benefitted from the training are Galmudug, Jubbaland and HirShabelle state assemblies. “You are the foundation upon which the government of the South West is built,” Mulongo noted in his address to the MPs.
The training is part of AMISOM’s efforts to help Somalia establish strong federal and state parliaments, which is critical in not only making laws, but also checking on the excesses of the executive. “Parliament is the most important because you are the ‘people of the people’; and remember that the two (that is) the executive and the judiciary cannot function, unless the people through you, have spoken,” Mulongo said.
Dr. Opiyo Ododa, AMISOM’s Head of Stabilization and Early Recovery Programme, the convenor of the workshop, noted that the workshop was crucial to Somalia’s recovery, peace and democratization efforts. “We believe that the MPs we have here, have representation at the local level in terms of clans, as they have clan members and have their constituents, and talking to the MPs will enable us to reach out to their constituents at the local level,” Dr. Ododa stated stated, adding that the overall objective of the workshop is to enhance the capacity of Somalia’s state assemblies’ legislative and oversight capabilities.
2 Soldiers Killed In Southern Somalia
26 June – Source: Xinhua – 163 Words
Two soldiers died after the vehicle carrying them ran over an improvised explosive device (IED) on the outskirt of Balcad town, about 30 kilometers north of Mogadishu, police said Monday. Police officer who requested anonymity told Xinhua the attack occurred as the forces were traveling through Il-baq village, outside of Balcad town in Middle Shabelle region in southern Somalia. “The blast hit the military vehicle and killed two of the soldiers. This is the work of the terrorist group, they are always targeting our security forces,” the officer said.
Residents in Bal’ad said they heard huge blast followed by gunfire. “The blast was huge and then we learnt it had targeted Somali security forces in the area,” Aways Mohamed, a resident told Xinhua. The Al-Qaida linked group Al-Shabaab, responsible for previous attacks in Bal’ad town, claimed responsibility for the latest attack. On June 5, the group killed at least five people including regional MPs and government soldiers near Balcad town in southern Somalia.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“Although more and more residents are gaining access to high-speed internet, there are limited opportunities to acquire the skills that are needed to succeed in the digital economy. Moreover, as the Somali government mobilizes more revenue from its traditional sectors, it has become important for the country to diversify its economy through digital innovations.”
Mogadishu’s First Tech Hub
25 June – Source: The World Bank -537 Words
Somalia’s capital city of Mogadishu is defined by a complex mix of challenges and opportunities. Despite political and economic struggles, Somalis are innovating to break the chronic cycle of vulnerability. Supported in many cases by the international Somali diaspora, people in Mogadishu are using technology to solve problems and tap into new markets.
One initiative poised to accelerate this is the iRise Tech Hub, Mogadishu’s first innovation hub, co-founded by Awil Osman. iRise connects entrepreneurs, innovators, and startups to share ideas and collaborate on a variety of issues ranging from developing an online food delivery startup, to creating an open space for Somalis to incubate ideas. The Somali concept of Ilawadaag—roughly translated as ‘share with me’—is put into practice at iRise to help entrepreneurs get feedback and network with other innovators.
iRise co-facilitated an innovation camp with UNDP last September, and will be launching its first incubation program for local entrepreneurs this week, challenging the idea that technology and incubation hubs are limited to high-income countries. With the right support, there is huge potential for home-grown digital solutions. Existing examples include the high prevalence and use mobile money, which allows rural and inaccessible communities to receive remittances and humanitarian support. The Aamin Ambulance service, which is a 24-hour ambulance service in Mogadishu, is the only first responder agency. Abaaraha crisis mapping platform provides relief responders with timely geospatial information.
These cases demonstrate the breadth of innovation, which is not isolated from the contextual challenges in Mogadishu. During the devastating bombing in October 2017, iRise was busy coordinating efforts and established an ad hoc national emergency call center and information support team, collaborating with mobile operators, the government, and civil society.
These initiatives could not have been possible without the internet. The internet brings local skills to an international market, and solutions to challenges in Somalia readily find applications elsewhere. However, one area that has lagged in Somalia is the availability of reliable and relevant data to support the implementation of businesses and social projects. Open tools like Openstreetmap have the potential to help innovators overcome this hurdle by creating new solutions for accessing and producing extremely useful data. While this has not yet taken off in the private sector in Africa, projects like Missing Maps and the Humanitarian Openstreetmap Team have shown the potential for humanitarian and development work.
TOP TWEETS
@AbdilatifMaalim: In #Somalia, we need to get serious about organizing presidential functions. Today’s 26th June celebrations could have been coordinated better, I was astonished to see the MC grab the microphone from a speaker as the cameras rolled on live TV in front of @M_Farmaajo
@HarunMaruf: BREAKING: Migration workers in Somalia’s Puntland region say hundreds of Ethiopian migrants have reached the region since last night. An estimated 7,000 Ethiopian migrants have arrived in Puntland since May according to an official with an independent migrant organisation.
@sorgee_obideyi: Working with great minds and notable icon like @AmbFMadeira makes one feel on top of the world. Together we can make #Somalia regain her perfect nationhood so that #africa becomes great again through her exploits at the Horn of Africa. #Somalia shall be great again!
@smukhtar_: June 26, 1960 brought our people together. As we celebrate Somalia’s independence, we must appreciate how we got here, the obstacles, challenges & hurdles. We must remember the opportunities within unity, it’s promises & shared prosperity. Let’s work better, 2 do better for unity
@AmbFMadeira: In a frank and fruitful discussion, President Madobe was kind enough to share with us his vision on how, together, we can continue to work and meaningfully enhance the effectiveness of our peace efforts on the ground.
@alihwarsame: #Somalia can’t afford to repeat the elections of 02/2017 for many reasons & in order to proceed, we need wide public consultation on the best possible scenarios, even if we fell short of one-man one-vote in 2020/21. #NIEC is required to plan ahead to explore all options. #OnTime
@HarunMaruf: The world is like a shadow – one time it’s over your head, the next it moves on to another direction,” Somali proverb. Ethiopia’s former military-political attaché in Somalia Colonel Gebre is now on the continent’s biggest newspapers, for the wrong reasons.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo arrives at Banadir regional headquarters last night to lead the nation in commemoration of Independence Day for the northern regions of Somalia.
Photo: Jowhar.com