November 27, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
President Farmaajo Calls For Ending Illegal Fishing In African Waters
27 November – Source: Radio Shabelle – 173 Words
Somali President Abdullahi Farmaajo has called upon fellow African leaders to take a lead role in ending illegal fishing in African waters. The President shared challenges faced by his country in overcoming constant violations of Somali territorial waters by foreign vessels. He was speaking at the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference, co-hosted by Kenya, Canada, and Japan in Nairobi.
“The main challenge we face in our environment includes illegal fishing, dumping of dangerous waste and charcoal burning,” said the President. Mr. Farmaajo explained the significance, strategic and economic importance of the Somali coastline as well as his government’s plans to take advantage of the resources in the waters: “My government has acknowledged that the unexplored resources in my country can help end poverty, lack of electricity and shortage of water, if utilized well.”
The Somali leader is among several African heads of states attending the three day Blue Economy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Conference. The leaders at the meeting are expected to make commitment and pledges to the blue economy concept.
Key Headlines
- President Farmaajo Calls For Ending Illegal Fishing In African Waters (Radio Shabelle)
- Somali Military Court Sentences Al-Shabaab Operative To 15 Years In Prison (Halbeeg News)
- Burtinle Residents Welcome Clean Piped Water In The Dry Northern Somali Town (Radio Ergo)
- UN Mission Head Condemns Deadly Terrorist Attacks In Mogadishu Galkayo (UN News)
- Somalia’s Thorny Problems On The Of Africa (Worldview Stratfor)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Military Court Sentences Al-Shabaab Operative To 15 Years In Prison
27 November – Source: Halbeeg News – 194 Words
Somali military court has sentenced an Al-Shabaab operative to 15 years in jail for impersonation and being a member of an outlawed group. In a statement on Tuesday, the court said Ali Mohamed Abdullahi was apprehended by security forces back in May in Mogadishu.
The court said during the arrest, Mr. Ali, who was in military fatigue, had weapons including one AK47 rifle, two hand grenades and a magazine gun holder with six magazines. The prosecutors accused Ali of masquerading as a government soldier to carry out assassination.
Mr. Ali, who joined the group in 2013, reportedly received six months training with Al-Shabaab on assassination and battlefield tactics. According to the court statement, he was trained at an Al-Shabaab base identified as Uteyba and was taught how to assemble and disassemble rifles including AK47, PK machine gun and launch rocket propelled grenades (RPGs).
The statement said the court sentenced Mr. Ali to 15 years in prison after he was found guilty — through personal confession — of being a member of Al-Shabaab. Three other suspects were acquitted after not being found guilty. The suspects acquitted are Abdiaziz Idris Sheikh, Abdullahi Subeyr Osman and Abass Idris Sheikh.
Burtinle Residents Welcome Clean Piped Water In The Dry Northern Somali Town
27 November – Source: Radio Ergo – 332 Words
After many years of relying on scarce rainwater, residents of Burtinle town in northern Somalia’s Nugal region are happy to have access to clean piped water. Water from three wells drilled at a cost of $2 million started reaching 7,000 households in Burtinle in October.
Burtinle has suffered water shortages for years and disease related to contaminated water is commonplace. Omar Husein Farah, who has a family of 12, said they now had access to water that is safe as well as being far cheaper than other sources. “We are very happy! There is no longer a water shortage in this district now. I used to spend $100 to get water from water tankers,” he told Radio Ergo.
Omar’s family used to spend $13 to $30 buying water from commercial tankers during the dry season. The tankers fill up from wells in Beled-weyn and Rabable villages, 80 km from the town. The piped water project was realized by Puntland authorities, in partnership with the UN children’s fund UNICEF, and local firm Mahigan Water Company.
According to Ahmed Abdullahi Abdulle, the manager of Mahigan Water Company, the three wells were drilled by the business community, UNICEF and Puntland State Authority for Water, Energy and Natural Source (PSAWEN). “Water has always been scarce in Burtinle. The town used to get water from hand-dug shallow wells which are often contaminated and can lead to deadly waterborne diseases,” Ahmed said.
The partners rehabilitated the town’s water tank and laid pipelines, as part of the overhaul to the deteriorating water system. “The project aimed at ensuring that the people of Burtinle benefit from water sourced from these wells. We started the connection and many families are now receiving piped water. We deliver the service at affordable prices,” Ahmed added. Abdi Nur Yusuf, a doctor at Burtinle General Hospital, said waterborne disease outbreaks in the town would become less prevalent with access to clean water. He estimated that the piped water project could lead to a substantial health improvement.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UN Mission Head Condemns Deadly Terrorist Attacks In Mogadishu, Galkayo
27 November – Source: UN News – 182 Words
Nicholas Haysom, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia and the head of the UN mission there (UNSOM), said no legitimate political agenda can be advanced through the indiscriminate killing of innocent children, women and men.
“Today’s attacks on civilians in Mogadishu and Galkayo demonstrate the disregard of violent extremists for the sanctity of human life”, he said, adding that the UN “stands with the people and government of Somalia in their rejection of terrorism.”
The Al-Shabaab terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the early morning assault on a compound belonging to Sufi Muslim cleric Abdiweli Ali Elmi, in the southern portion of Galkayo, according to UNSOM. In early afternoon, a car bomb was detonated at a busy market in Wadajir district of Mogadishu. A suspect has been arrested by Somali security forces.
According to media reports, Mr. Ali Elmi had received death threats from the jihadist group in the past. Though Al-Shabaab has been largely forced-out of Mogadishu and other towns and cities, it continues to remain a potent threat, launching frequent and deadly attacks in the capital and elsewhere.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Indeed, in October, the various states even threatened to form their own separate army and intelligence network to compete with Mogadishu’s. If the states make good on their promise, the new initiative will — at a minimum — complicate the country’s already fraught security situation as various sides vie for dominance.”
Somalia’s Thorny Problems On The Horn Of Africa
26 November – Source: Worldview Stratfor – 1121 Words
The Horn of Africa has entered a period of profound change. Renewed ties between Ethiopia and Eritrea in late 2018 have led to a rapprochement between Eritrea and Somalia. Meanwhile, reports suggest that Eritrea will also renew its relations with Sudan and Djibouti in the months ahead. And in an effort to take advantage of the region’s high profile and emerging stability, Ethiopia’s ambitious leader has even floated the idea of reviving the landlocked country’s navy.
With so many elements in flux, Somalia’s leaders and neighbors alike are asking how the country will navigate this new normal as it continues to struggle with complex internal problems. Ethiopia has been pursuing reconciliation both internally and externally since the African giant’s new prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, arrived on the scene in April 2018. While the premier’s push has had mixed results domestically, rapidly improving ties between various East African countries have helped stabilize the region.
Even Eritrea, previously one of the region’s main troublemakers, buried the hatchet with Somalia in July. This was no small feat considering accusations that Eritrea covertly supported Islamic militants in Somalia resulted in U.N. sanctions against Asmara in 2009. And thanks to improving ties among Asmara, Addis Ababa and Mogadishu, Somalia joined other members of the international community in lifting sanctions against Eritrea in a vote at the U.N. Security Council on Nov. 14.
Ethiopia’s prime minister has been the catalyst for much of this reconciliation, compelled as he is by the country’s landlocked geography and the need for sea access. To achieve this, Abiy has acquired stakes in various ports — including Port Sudan, the Port of Djibouti and Berbera in the breakaway republic of Somaliland — and has promised to boost transport links with Somalia through joint investment in roads and ports under Mogadishu’s control (the precise ports remain unclear, however). If the deal materializes, Somalia could improve its trade options through supply routes to and from Ethiopia’s growing market of 100 million people.
Until recently, Djibouti has had a near monopoly on goods coming in and out of Ethiopia, but cultivating alternatives in Somalia will likely not become a priority for Addis Ababa due to Somalia’s instability and corruption, Somaliland’s desperation to ingratiate itself with Ethiopia and the landlocked giant’s greater access to other ports. Still, a more stable Somalia could gain greater connections to supply chains through Ethiopia and wealthy partners (such as China or the United Arab Emirates) willing to invest in infrastructure deals.
Ethiopia could create opportunities for Somalia, but there are plenty of hurdles to overcome before relations between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa acquire more normalcy. At the most basic geopolitical level, Ethiopia has long meddled in Somalia to assert its dominance. While modern Somalia has been collapsing or near collapse since the early 1990s, Mogadishu once posed a major threat to Addis Ababa. Because of this, it remains an open question as to how far Abiy’s push for reform and reconciliation can extend to Somalia. After a long history of rivalry, Ethiopia will struggle to secure its interests and promote security in Somalia without restoring Mogadishu’s previous position as Addis Ababa’s rival.
TOP TWEETS
@Halbeeg_News: Somali military court sentences Al-Shabaab operative to 15 year in prison https://en.halbeeg.com/2018/
@HarunMaruf: Reports of heavy fighting between Govt forces and Al-Shabaab militants in Hiran region – @DalsanFM. Confrontation occurred after militants ambushed a convoy of Somali Govt forces, casualties not yet known.
@EU_in_Somalia: #EU head of cooperation @PilarPalmero2chairing the technical seminar with Somali Ministries of Finance (including member states) in regards to the recently announced EU budget Support to #Somalia.
@AliHoshow: The titans of Somali diplomacy, that is, the actual top advisers of the Somali foreign policy, their genius make us proud of their valuable political and economic analysis and have ambitions to make Somalia a trade and tourism gateway.
#Somalia #Somali #Mogadishu
@TheVillaSomalia: H.E President @M_Farmaajo met with H.E@UKenyatta on the sidelines of the conference on Blue Economy. Discussed strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation on security, economy and regional integration.
@HarunMaruf: Al-Shabaab assassin, Ali Mohamed Abdullahi, sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was apprehended by security forces back in May in Mogadishu, masquerading as a Govt soldier in order to assassinate a target, per Court documents. Court displayed weapons he was carrying when arrested.
@alykhansatchu: Abdiweli may have also been targeted because his centre hosts mostly youths who play music and dancehttp://bit.ly/2DVyboV @RAbdiCG Al Shabaab said last year the cleric had referred to himself as the Prophet, an accusation denied at the time by Abdiweli http://bit.ly/2MzUZiI.
@HoshAbdi: Day two of the joint conference on human rights within the context of the constitutional review process organised by the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs and the Ministry of Women and Human Rights # Mogadishu…. https://www.facebook.com/
IMAGE OF THE DAY
President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo with President Uhuru Kenyatta in a meeting at the sidelines of the Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi.
Photo: @TheVillaSomalia