October 26, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Plane Airlifts 22 People Injured In Sool Clashes To Mogadishu
26 October – Source: Hiiraan Online – 178 Words
A Fokker-50 Aircraft has airlifted 22 people of those injured in the recent deadly clashes in Sool’s Dhumay village, from Garowe and Galkayo airports to the capital of Mogadishu. The injured were airlifted to Mogadishu for specialized treatment. They are among nearly 100 people injured in the deadly inter-clan fighting in Dhumay.
The plane was dispatched by the Federal Government to transport those who had sustained serious injuries for specialized treatment in Mogadishu health facilities. During the airlifting process, the press was denied opportunity to take photos or carry out interviews. Senior Federal Government officials and Members of the Federal Parliament who had travelled by plane were forced to spend the night in Galkayo after failing to get seats on the plane back to Mogadishu.
They accordingly declined to speak to the media. Up to 50 people injured in the Dhumay conflict were transported to hospitals in Galkayo and Garowe in Puntland. A two-day conflict in the Dhumay village, 45 km south of Las Anod claimed the lives of 80 people, and nearly 100 others were injured.
Key Headlines
- Plane Airlifts 22 People Injured In Sool Clashes To Mogadishu (Hiiraan Online)
- Government To Fast-track Formation Of Judiciary Commissions (Jowhar News)
- Somali Foreign Minister Meets Qatari Ambassador In Mogadishu (Halbeeg News)
- Somalia’s High Tech Summit (Deutsche Welle)
- Somaliland Seeks Ties With Kenya In Education Agricultural Sectors (Daily Nation)
- Between A Rock And A Hard Place In The Somali Region (Hiiraan Online)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Government To Fast-track Formation Of Judiciary Commissions
26 October – Source: Jowhar News – 226 Words
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ‘Farmaajo’ on Thursday toured offices of the High Court, Appeals Court and Banadir Regional Court, and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to put extra effort into fast-tracking creation of the country’s judicial institutions. President Farmaajo noted his government will further concentrate on guaranteeing the rights of the country’s judicial workers so that they can diligently serve the Somali public and ensure a fair and transparent justice service.
He further said the government was working on a plan to establish the Judicial Service Commission, whose bill will be presented to the government’s top branches for validation. “We are still lacking the Judicial Service Commission and The Constitutional Court, that are pillars for the government’s balance. We are working on the bill of the Judicial Service Commission, which will soon be presented to Parliament for approval,” noted President Farmaajo.
During a special meeting with the courts’ judges, he urged them to provide fair judicial services to people in disputes and to safeguard the heavy responsibility they bear for the country. “You are supposed to avoid corruption, people seeking justice are expected to run to you and not to run away from you. You should be the manufacturers of the country’s governance and not be among those who contribute to its downfall. You are also expected to serve the people fairly and without favour.”
Somali Foreign Minister Meets Qatari Ambassador In Mogadishu
26 October – Source: Halbeeg News – 141 Words
Somali Foreign Affairs Minister, Ahmed Issa Awad has met with Qatari ambassador to Somalia, Hassan Bin Hamza Asad at his office in Mogadishu. The meeting between the Ambassador and the minister focused on bilateral relations between the two countries. Mr. Awad commended the role of Qatar government in the process of rebuilding Somalia, which is recovering from a two-decade civil war.
On his part, the ambassador pledged the continued support of the Qatar government in ’the peace rebuilding process and implementation of development projects in Somalia. Qatar is one of Somalia’s political and an economic ally. The Gulf country has provided millions of USD in aid and investments in recent years.
Following last year’s agreement between Somalia and the Qatar government, the Gulf nation will soon implement a $200 million deal that will go towards the reconstruction of roads and government institutions.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia’s High Tech Summit
26 October – Source: Deutsche Welle – Video: 1:36 Minutes
After years of conflict, Somalia is trying to reinvent itself as a start-up hotspot. The first tech summit in Mogadishu is supposed to change the country’s image for the better.
Somaliland Seeks Ties With Kenya In Education, Agricultural Sectors
25 October – Source: Daily Nation – 449 Words
Kenya and Somaliland are exploring ways of working together in the education and agricultural sectors to grow their economies. The Horn of Africa nation is also keen to learn from Kenya’s democratic system of governance. Somaliland Foreign Affairs Minister Saad Shire is in the country for a series of meetings with Kenyan leaders as he pushes for stronger diplomatic ties between the two counties.
On Thursday morning, Dr Shire met National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale. The two leaders discussed how the Kenyan and Somaliland parliaments can work together. “We have so much to learn from Kenya especially on governance and constitutional democracy,” Dr Shire said. Dr Shire called for a meeting between the Kenyan National Assembly Speaker and his Somaliland counterpart.
Mr Duale said that Kenya has been working closely with the Somaliland with a view to finding a lasting solution to the conflicts facing the Horn of Africa region. “We are happy with the success stories coming from Somaliland and we hope other regions can learn from you,” Mr Duale told Dr Shire.
On Wednesday, Dr Shire met Kenyan Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma. During the meeting, the two discussed ways of strengthening diplomatic ties between the two countries. Dr Juma said Kenya would open up a liaison office in Somaliland capital Hargeisa. The two met on Wednesday in Nairobi at a function by United Nations to fete world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge who was named the UN Personality of the Year 2018.
During the meeting, Dr Shire invited Kenyan investors to explore the opportunities available in Somaliland. “We have so many openings for Kenyan investors. We also need to look into how we can work with Kenya in the area of education. We already have Kenyans teaching in our primary and secondary schools and in our universities,” said Dr Shire.
He added: “We are happy to have an operational embassy in Nairobi with an envoy who is keen on strengthening ties between the two countries. We are inviting Kenya to set up an embassy in Somaliland.” Dr Juma said Kenya remains a friend to Somaliland and will always keenly watch the country’s progress.
There have been plans to have direct flights from Nairobi to Hargeisa. The national carrier Kenya Airways has already sent a delegation to do a feasibility study on the Egal International Airport in the Somaliland capital. Over 15,000 Kenyans are living and working in Somaliland in the hospitality and education sectors.
Somaliland envoy to Kenya Mr Bashe Omar said improved relations between the two nations would boost their economies. “There is so much Kenya can export to Somaliland especially agricultural products, while they can also import livestock products,” Omar said.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“May 2018, communities in the Lower Shabelle region pointed out that withdrawing troops would leave them vulnerable to Al-Shabaab which operates in areas as close as five kilometres away. Indeed, withdrawing troops from Somalia without adequate Somali security infrastructure risks destabilising and undermining the whole process, giving Al-Shabaab the upper hand.”
Between A Rock And A Hard Place In The Somali Region
25 October – Source: Hiiraan Online – 1006 Words
With the recent US airstrike on Al-Shabaab, what has been the progress one year on from the Mogadishu bombing? It has been a year since Mogadishu’s most devastating terror attack, which claimed more than 512 lives and injured many more. While never formally claimed by the terror group, the attack on 14 October 2017 is attributed to Al-Shabaab, reiterating that the group remains the principal security threat to peace and stability in the region. At the first anniversary of the attack, it is time to question the inroads that have been made toward address
Estimates suggest that between 7,000 and 9,000insurgents operate around the southern and central regions of Somalia and around the northern tip near Bosasso and the Galagala Mountains. While no longer holding the large swathes of territory controlled earlier, Al-Shabaab holds these regions tightly. Perhaps most alarming are reports that Al-Shabaab has demonstrated its growing capabilities in the face of the ongoing military force.
Earlier last year, US President Donald Trump stepped up drone attacks on the insurgents while simultaneously loosening the frameworks around the use of the devices. Yet, Al-Shabaab have still managed to retain much of their territory and avoided “significant” casualties. Recent Al-Shabaab operations have focused on the use of improvised explosive device to support guerrilla tactics in a long-running attempt to destabilise the Somali Federal Government. The devastating attack in October 2017 also underscored the capacity of the group to draw on networks, with suggestions that the explosives utilised were far beyond previous capacity.
Against this backdrop, what progress is being made to counter Al-Shabaab? Evidently some strategies take the forms of military offensives, but others are symbolic advances that play out in the political and media arena.
The forces opposing Al-Shabaab’s advances swamp the insurgents in sheer numbers. They include key players such as African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the still-fledgling Somali National Army (SNA). The AMISOM forces comprise of troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda, estimated to number more than 22,000, which support the SNA’s approximately 26,000 soldiers, although the validity of these figures remains questionable.
TOP TWEETS
@engyarisow: On 27 October 2018 #Mogadishu will host OIC Ministerial Meeting. 14 Ministers from Islamic Countries that are friends of #Somalia will attend #OICinMogadishu.
@HarunMaruf: Somalia to host the Organisation of Islamic Conference Ministerial Contact Group in Mogadishu on Saturday. Group includes – Egypt, Djibouti, Iran, Kuwait, Gabon, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkey, UAE, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Brunei and Yemen
https://www.oic-oci.org/topic/
@Halbeeg_News: Somali foreign minister meets Qatari ambassador in Mogadishu https://en.halbeeg.com/2018/
@DalsanFM: AMISOM oo sheegtay in ay dishay Sarkaal sare oo Al Shabaab ah – https://www.radiodalsan.com/
@PuntlandPirates: Latest CIC communiqué is almost a Declaration of Independence by the regions, announcing plans to create a regional security force that will eventually form the backbone of a new Somali National Army. #somalia.
@samirasawlani: Mogadishu you have been a dream- absolutely mesmerised by the beauty of this city & the magic that is Somali hospitality- I have never experienced anything like it.
Till next time.. thank you #somalia #mogadishu #mugadishu#xamar #somalia #sumalia.
@RAbdiCG: Thanks to @BBCAfrica for highlighting the plight of@AaminAmbulance – a frontline medical charity for Mogadishu’s blast victims. Without urgent help it risks folding up. A call to donors to assist. @EU_in_Somalia @UKinSomalia@TC_Mogadishu @DanishMFA
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Delegations from Islamic countries have arrived in the Somali capital Mogadishu, to participate in the OIC Contact Group meeting.
Photo: @MofaSomalia