September 10, 2018 | Morning Headlines

Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has called for a national security council meeting barely three hours after regional state leaders declared a ‘no cooperation’ stance with the Federal Government. The President sent out invitations to the five regional state presidents to attend the meeting. The move by the President could serve as a major test to the regional presidents’ resolve to momentarily delink their states from the Mogadishu-based central government.

The President, who chairs the council, asked the leaders to attend the two-day event in Mogadishu from September 17. All the regional state presidents sit in the national security council, formed last year as part of the National Security Architecture. Villa Somalia said in a tweet on Saturday evening that the President had convened the meeting “to ‘find a solution to the country’s challenges through a framework of consultation”.

In their declaration contained in a communique on Saturday, the five leaders under the aegis of Council for Inter-Governmental Cooperation (CIC) laid out a litany of accusations against the Federal Government, among them use of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) for political ends. They also cited interference from Mogadishu by using public resources to fuel discord in state parliaments. The leaders also accused the Federal Government of failing to actualize the provisions of the National Security Architecture. And while declaring non-cooperation with the Farmaajo administration, the leaders did not state what form the non-cooperation stance would take.

Key Headlines

• Farmaajo Calls For Security Meeting Hours After Regional Leaders Declare Rebellion Against Government (Goobjoog News)
• RADIO: Puntland Vice President Denounces Kismayo Conference Resolutions (Dalsan Radio)
• RADIO: Political Parties Support Stand By Regional Leaders (Dalsan Radio)
• TV: Southwest State President Arrives Back In Baidoa (Universal TV)
• Federal Government Demands Audit Reports From Regional Administrations (goobjoog.com)
• Somalia’s Federal States Gang Up Against Farmaajo (The East African)
• Man Linked To Shabaab Arrested In Lamu Hospital (Daily Nation)
• Wind Of Change In Horn Of Africa Opens Somalia For Business (Daily Nation)

NATIONAL NEWS

RADIO: Puntland Vice President Denounces Kismayo Conference Resolutions

09 September 06:38:27 – Source : Dalsan Radio – 74 Words

Puntland Vice President Abdihakin Abdullahi Haji (Camey) has opposed some of the resolutions agreed upon by leaders of regional states at the recent inter-state conference held in Kismayo. The VP is particularly critical of the idea of regional states suspending co-operation with the Somali Federal Government. He said the move is not beneficial to the the people of Somalia. The VP further claimed most of the other resolutions were arrived at in a hurry.

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RADIO: Political Parties Support Stand By Regional Leaders

09 September 17:05:01 – Source : Dalsan Radio – 66 Words

At least five Somali political parties have welcomed resolutions arrived at by regional states during the interstates meeting held in Kismayo, Jubbaland. A statement from Wadajir, Kulan, Daljir, Peace and Progressive parties expressed concern over political developments in the country. The parties claimed security agencies and independent offices had been politicised including the offices of Auditor General, the Attorney General, and the judiciary arm of government. .

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TV: Southwest State President Arrives Back In Baidoa

09 September 18:20:04 – Source : Universal TV – 126 Words

Southwest state President Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan returned to Baidoa, the administrative capital of his state, following conclusion of the interstate conference in Kismayo. Upon arrival at the Baidoa Airport, he was received by ministers and a crowd of supporters. Briefing the media, he explained the Kismayo conference was aimed at promoting unity in Somali as well as security of the people of Somalia. Asked whether he will honour the invitation of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo to attend the national security council conference next week, the Southwest leader declined to comment. He instead referred journalists to the chairman of the interstate council. Farmaajo has called for the meeting in an apparent move to counter rebellion by heads of the federal member states against the central government.

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Federal Government Demands Audit Reports From Regional Administrations

08 September – Source : goobjoog.com – 192 Words

The Federal Government is demanding an audit report from federal member states for the financial years 2017 and 2018, Goobjoog News has learnt. This is even as the state leaders maintain they did not receive adequate funding from Mogadishu.

In a letter seen by Goobjoog News dated September 5, Finance Minister Abdirahman Beyleh asked the state governments to release their expenditure reports from 1/1/2018 to 30/6/18 and the financial period 2017. The demand comes in the wake of a meeting of regional leaders in Kismayo, where they raised concerns about funding from the Federal Government. The leaders reiterated earlier accusations of inadequate support from the central government.

In a similar meeting in May held in Baidoa, the regional leaders said they were not getting a share of international aid from the Federal Government. They asked donors to separate funds meant for the Federal Government from those meant for the federal states. According to the national budget estimates however, federal members states are allotted an average total of $17 million. In the 2017 financial period, Banaadir Regional Administration, which encompasses the capital Mogadishu, received the highest budget vote of $6.5 million followed by Puntland with $4.7 million.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Somalia’s Federal States Gang Up Against Farmaajo

08 September – Source : The East African – 250 Words

Somalia’s federal states gang up against Farmajo Five presidents of the federal states of Somalia have come together to put pressure on the president to deliver on his promises. They have formed the Council for the Co-operation of Federal Member States of Somalia, even though the country already has the National Leaders’ Council that also includes them and President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo.

This is the only organ that makes decisions on issues that affect relations between regions and the centre. Adam Isaac Yarow, Somalia’s Deputy Minister for Information told The EastAfrican that the speeches of the regional leaders at the Kismayu meeting were overly critical of the centre on various issues. He said the government believes that its main objective is to gang up against the federal government. “The federal government is willing to resolve any issues with the regional states in an amicable manner and in accordance with the National Constitution,” said Mr Yarow.

The council held a two-day meeting in Kismayu, the capital of Jubbaland State beginning September 4, during which they castigated the government for failing in the fight against Al-Shabaab and the legislation process. They also noted that the government has dithered over the constitutional making process, saying it has done little to ensure that the country holds a one person one vote in elections in 2020. They added that there lacks a mechanism for sharing resources between the regional states and the government.

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Man Linked To Shabaab Arrested In Lamu Hospital

08 September – Source : Daily Nation – 299 Words

Police in Lamu County have arrested a man who is suspected to have links with Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab. Speaking to the Nation on phone, Lamu County Directorate of Criminal Investigation Commander Paul Leting said they had also seized materials suspected to be used for making improvised explosive devices(IEDs). “It’s true. We are holding a man whom we suspect has relations with terrorists. We are interrogating him and we intend to make more arrests after the interrogations. We have also nabbed some paraphernalia which we suspect to be materials used to make IEDs,” said Mr Leting.

A police source who talked to the Nation on condition of anonymity also said they arrested the man in King Fahad County Hospital’s staff quarters. “We are also trying to understand what exactly he was doing in the hospital staff quarters since he is neither a medic nor a patient,” said the officer. Lamu County has been a stage for suspected Al-Shabaab attacks that have resulted in deaths of security officers and civilians. On August 8 this year, six KDF soldiers were killed and five others injured when a vehicle they were travelling in ran over an IED at Kwa Omollo Bride on the Bodhei Bar’oni road.

On August 29, five KDF soldiers were killed and ten others injured after their truck they were travelling in ran over an explosive device on the Kiunga-Sankuri road. The officers were on humanitarian assignment to fetch and distribute water to residents when they were attacked. Currently, a multi-agency security operation is ongoing in Lamu especially in areas bordering the Boni Forest. The operation which was launched in September 2015 aims to flush out Al-Shabaab militants believed to be hiding in the dense forest.

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OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE

“”We are firmly on the path to debt relief. The government’s watchword is accountability, with unrelenting fight against corruption. Somalia is in a position to tap into its resources for the benefit of its people.””

Wind Of Change In Horn Of Africa Opens Somalia For Business

09 September – Source : Daily Nation – 358 Words

Wind of change in Horn of Africa opens Somalia for business The recent amnesty has seen leaders of many terrorist groups defect to the government and help in nation building A few days ago, Eritrea and Djibouti agreed to normalise their ties, opening a new chapter in their previously frosty relations. This followed yet another milestone: a summit in Asmara that brought together the leaders of Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea in an effort to broker peace.

The meeting shows the resolve of Somalia to put regional peace and stability as the cornerstone of our diplomacy. Leaders have agreed to break from a conflict-riddled past. Since President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and I took office, the government has made tremendous progress at home and abroad. Our government, through Foreign Minister Ahmed Isse Awad, is spearheading talks to end a border row between Eritrea and Djibouti. The Asmara talks were meant to solidify the gains made in separate talks between the leaders of the three countries.

Djibouti Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh have saluted Somalia’s efforts. For decades, the two nations have had a dispute over the region of Doumeira. Several initiatives to end the hostilities have been futile. In 2010, Qatar made laudable efforts to broker a peace deal. The latest development is just among the diplomatic engagements Somalia has undertaken.

Two months ago, President Farmajo reached out to Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed. They confounded political allies and naysayers, but have solidified the cordial relations between our nations. The Asmara talks herald a new diplomacy dawn. Somalia is increasingly aiming to reclaim its place in the community of prosperous nations. We endeavour to play a crucial role in global peace and security.

Next year, Somalia will assume the chairmanship of the Arab Foreign Ministers Council, allowing us to host the council session in 2019 in Mogadishu and informing the world that we are ready for business. Our government aims to seize the wind of change blowing across the Horn of Africa to advance its security interests and help find solutions to African problems.

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