December 6, 2018 | Morning Headlines
Somali Foreign Minister Welcomes New Turkish Ambassador
05 December – Source: Halbeeg News – 181 Words
On Wednesday, Somali foreign minister welcomed the newly appointed Turkish Ambassador to Mogadishu. Ambassador Mehmet Yilmaz, presented his credentials to the Foreign Minister Ahmed Isse Awad in the capital city, Mogadishu. Mr. Awad congratulated Ambassador Yilmaz on his new diplomatic assignment in the country, while praising the growing diplomatic relations between Ankara and Mogadishu.
He added that Somalia is looking forward to strengthen the diplomatic ties between the two brotherly nations.Ambassador Mehmet Yilmaz pledged to focus more on strengthening the bilateral relations by working towards the mutual interests of the two states. The new envoy will replace former Ambassador Oglan Bekar, whose diplomatic services ended last month.
Somalia and Turkey enjoys strong diplomatic, economic and defense relations since the high profile visit of President Rajab Tayyip Erdogan on august 2011. Since then, Ankara supported in infrastructural development as well as rebuilding Somalia’s armed forces. Turkey has opened the biggest military academy in Mogadishu a year ago, to train and equip Somali national army. Its international cooperation agency TIKA is also involved in rebuilding the country infrastructure and supporting humanitarian activities.
Key Headlines
- Somali Foreign Minister Welcomes New Turkish Ambassador (Halbeeg News)
- New Somali Ambassador To Kenya Hopes To improve Relations With Kenya (Kismaayo.com)
- Somalia Upper House Approves A Bill To Establish Anti-corruption Agency (Halbeeg News)
- Somali Officials Report Deadly US-backed Raid On Al-Shabab (ABC News)
- Wounded Somali Veteran Journalist Stable (KMAUpdate)
- How George H.W. Bush’s Failed Somalia Intervention Shaped US-Africa Ties (Deutsche Welle)
NATIONAL MEDIA
New Somali Ambassador To Kenya Hopes To improve Relations With Kenya
05 December – Source: Kismaayo.com – 171 Words
Somalia’s new Ambassador to Kenya says, he will focus on enhancing relations between the two countries during his time in Nairobi. In his first message to media hours after presenting letters of credence to President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ambassador Mohamud Ahmed Nur (Tarsan), said his plan is to achieve President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed’s ‘zero tension policy’ towards neighbouring countries including Kenya, and to further cement the ties between the two countries.
He thanked President Uhuru Kenyatta and his government for expressing their willingness to further improve the relations between the two countries. “He paid his first visit to the embassy and thanked the Acting Ambassador Ali Bagadi and the embassy staff for their support.
Mr. Nur sent a message to the Somali business community in Nairobi, calling on them to work with him, and to take part in rebuilding the former Somali embassy in Westlands area. “Both the President and Prime Minister firmly encouraged me to rebuild the Somali embassy. Therefore, I call on the business community to help us realise this goal.”
Somalia Upper House Approves A Bill To Establish Anti-corruption Agency
05 December – Source: Halbeeg News – 165 Words
On Wednesday, the Upper House of Parliament, passed a bill to establish an anti-corruption agency in the country. All 31 house representatives voted in favor of the bill which will help fight against graft in the country. The Justice Committee chair Ms. Zamzam Ibrahim Ali, briefed the session about the inputs of the bill before the voting took place.
The Justice Minister Mr. Hassan Hussein Haji was also present at this significant session today. The focus is now on the implementation of the bill so that the federal government can start the establishing the independent anti-corruption agency.
The agency will be significant in terms of fighting against the rampant corruption in country. According to a report by the United Nations on February this year, Somalia was ranked one of the corrupt countries in the world. The UN envoy to Somalia in his end of year assessment report noted that, despite recent progress pervasive corruption mainly in politics continue to hinder state to rebuild the country.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Officials Report Deadly US-backed Raid On Al-Shabab
05 December – Source: ABC News – 304 Words
Somali commandos backed by U.S. forces raided two al-Shabab checkpoints at which the extremists extort money from commercial vehicles, killing several fighters, Somali intelligence officials said Wednesday. The officials also said two U.S. airstrikes in the area during the overnight raid destroyed an explosives-laden minibus that was prepared for a complex attack on an unspecified location. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The U.S. Africa Command had no immediate comment. Residents of Awdhegle, a farming village in Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia, told The Associated Press they had heard gunfire and explosions. “Something big happened here last night. We only know that al-Shabab was under attack, said one elder, who gave his name only as Yusuf for fear of reprisal from the al-Qaida-linked extremists.
“Then we woke up to find fighters sealed off the whole area in the morning,” he said. The U.S. military has stepped up the fight against al-Shabab since President Donald Trump took office, carrying out more airstrikes in 2017 than over the previous decade. The U.S. has carried out at least 37 airstrikes this year. Al-Shabab uses widespread extortion of businessmen and travelers to fund its high-profile attacks in major cities such as Mogadishu, collecting millions of dollars a year. The U.S. military in coordination with Somali forces, as well as an African Union force, have targeted al-Shabab’s finance operations in recent weeks.
Last month, Somali intelligence officials said at least four missiles hit a base for over 30 extremists assigned to collect livestock taxes from nomadic communities in the central Mudug region. In October, the AU force said the head of tax collection in Lower Shabelle region was killed after an ambush on a meeting of al-Shabab fighters in southern Somalia.
Wounded Somali Veteran Journalist Stable
05 December – Source: KMAUpdate – 304 Words
Somali Media Association has said that wounded veteran Journalist and media activist Ismail Shiekh Khalifa is in stable condition after he survived a bomb blast that was concealed in his car on Tuesday afternoon in the capital Mogadishu.
Khalifa is also the current Chairman of the Human Rights for Journalist (HRJ) in Somalia. He has undergone a successful surgical process that his family, friends and fellow Journalists hailed as a miracle from God and were very happy about his recovery. “It was great pleasure to see our colleague Ismail who was conscious and telling us that he is good despite painful injuries“said Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu General Secretary of National Union of Somali Journalist (NUSOJ)
He added: “Doctors confirmed to us that Ismail’s condition is improving and hoping that he will recover from the injuries sustained on the back and will be treated in hospital until he fully recovers” Recalling the unfortunate incidence, fellow Journalist Aydaruus Mohamed Abdi who works with Media for Peace and was riding in the same after they had produced a TV program on local media Kalsan TV lamented:
“Ismail’s car was parked outside the TV station and as usual Ismail started to drive the car after we got into the car but in few minutes we were hit by a heavy blast. An explosive device donated in the back of Ismail’s seat went off, all windows of the car opened. I was so terrified and can’t tell you how I jumped out from the car .I found out that Ismail is injured and bleeding heavily that is why I requested for help from nearby neighbors and TV staff “ Ranked as the world’s deadliest countries for both Journalist and its citizens, Somalia has between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2018 slain over 25 Journalisms with their assassins going free.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Under Clinton, the US administration focused more on supporting the continent in dealing with health matters rather than conflict resolution, especially in Africa’s hotspots. The Somalia disaster was something that the Americans never wanted to experience again.”
How George H.W. Bush’s Failed Somalia Intervention Shaped US-Africa Ties
05 December – Source: Deutsche Welle – 724 Words
While many have eulogized the former US president for shaping world politics during turbulent times, on the African continent the death of George H.W. Bush received little attention apart from a couple of heads of state who took to Twitter to send their condolence messages. It was only the Kenyan and Ugandan presidents who immediately expressed their sadness at the passing of Bush Senior and how he will be greatly missed. There has also been little reporting in Africa generally about his funeral, perhaps because of his failed foreign policy on the continent.
One day later, Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed chose not to dwell on the past. In a brief statement released early on Sunday, he expressed “heartfelt condolences.” The Somali leader described Bush as a true statesman who was committed to world peace and safeguarding democracy.
However, Bush’s demise has refuelled a debate among some Somalis about the US presence in the 1990s. For some, it was an opportunity to remember family members and friends who were killed in crossfire with warlords, while for others, it brought back memories of thousands of starving people who were saved. Let me take you back to the early 1990s when a civil war broke out in Somalia following the overthrow of dictator Siad Barre. The battle between rival clan militias for control of the country raged fiercely. The combination of civil war, a famine after a poor harvest and a prolonged drought meant that thousands of Somalis faced starvation.
But it was not until December 1992 that President George H.W. Bush authorized the deployment of US troops to Somalia to assist with famine relief, working together with the United Nations. Under Operation Restore Hope, US troops dropped food aid to starving Somalis. To many Americans, the Somalia mission was seen as an act of charity, a bid to feed Somalis who were on the brink of starvation. The mission was also perceived to be a mechanism to protect ordinary Somalis from marauding militias who looted anything they set their eyes on and killed at will. The UN estimated that 300,000 Somalis were killed.