16 Dec 2011 – Morning headlines
Key Headlines:
- Cabinet Ministers’ meeting (Source: office of the prime minister)
- Former Somali parliament speaker rejects his ouster(Source: Mareeg Online/VOA News)
- UN-sponsored consultative meeting on Somalia postponed (Source: Shabelle Net)
- Somali rebels block ICRC food aid convoys(Source: Reuters)
- Civic society groups in Banadir welcome Djiboutian troops in Somalia (Source: Radio Bar-kulan)
- Clan agrees to help al shabaab fight Ethiopia(Source: Somalia Report)
- Turkish charity launches aid projects for Somali families (Source: Al Shahid)
PRESS STATEMENT
Cabinet Ministers’ meeting
15 Dec- Source: office of the prime minister- 285 words
The cabinet ministers of the TFG have today convened in their routine meeting under the auspices of the Somali PM Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas in which they discussed key issues among them strengthening of the security particularly the capital Mogadishu, the developments of the government, the financial year, the consultative meeting which is to be held in Garowe and help of humanitarian relief for the IDPs. The cabinet ministers listened to a report on the security situation of Mogadishu. The security agencies stated that the security of the capital is improving for the better and that they have so far thwarted terrorism acts that targeted civilian areas. They also pointed out that they have foiled attempts to bomb government institutions and civilians. Moreover, the security personnel stated that they have apprehended individuals who were robbing people of their mobile phones and other properties in security operations carried out by the TFG forces. The ministry of finance also presented its budget plan for the year 2012 in which it put more emphasis on how the government would operate without foreign help and rely on internal revenue from taxes. The cabinet ministers talked about the accomplishments of various ministries and each ministry presented its accomplished task for the last four months. The PM told the ministers that each ministry will be evaluated according to its achievements and that performing ministries will be rewarded. On the other hand, the cabinet ministers also talked about the consultative meeting which is to be held in Garowe, the capital of Puntland administration. The PM said the preparation for the meeting is so far on the right track and expressed hope that it will take place.
SOMALI MEDIA
Former Somali parliament speaker rejects his ouster
15 Dec- Source: Mareeg Online, Hiiraan Online, Radio Kulmiye – 181 words
Sharif Hassan Sh. Adam, former parliament speaker of Somalia’s transitional federal government rejected lawmakers’ decision to fire him from post of chairing parliament, reports said. Sharif Hassan who spoke for the first time after his dismissal from office said that no one can take post from him and added that lawmakers did not take the right path to oust him. http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.
UN-sponsored consultative meeting on Somalia postponed
15 Dec – Source: Shabelle Net – 178 words
The long expected and waited Somali consultative meeting on Somalia to open in Garowe town, the capital city of the country’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland has officially been delayed on Thursday,days after Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden was replaced.
In 15th December, was scheduled to open in Garowe town,the second phase of the Consultative Meeting on Ending the Transition, with the presence of delegates due to participate was announced to have been postponed and the date to reopen has not been set.
http://www.shabelle.net/
Civic society groups in Banadir welcome Djiboutian troops in Somalia
15 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 139 words
Civic society groups in Banadir region on Thursday hailed Djibouti’s decision to send its troops into the neighbouring Somalia as part of AU peacekeeping force in Mogadishu. In an interview with Bar-kulan, the groups’ chairman, Muhyadin Hassan Afrah, said they welcome the proposed Djiboutian troops and any other country that will send its troops to Somalia for a peacekeeping mission.
Somalia: Ahlu Sunna threatens to al Shabaab militants
15 Dec – Source: Shabelle – 161 words
The decision-making committee for the Somalia’s moderate Islamist group of Ahlu Sunna Waljama (ASWJ) on Thursday vowed that they are committed to clear al Shabaab militants from the central Somali regions. Sheik Ahmed A/llahi Mohamed, the deputy leader for Ahlu Sunna administration in central Somalia, threatened to root out al Shabaab fighters from the entire central Somali regions before the start of the upcoming New Year,2012.
http://www.shabelle.net/
Clan agrees to help al shabaab fight Ethiopia
15 Dec- Source: Somalia Report- 182 words
In a formal agreement, the Duduble sub-clan of Hawiye clan on Thursday agreed to assist the Islamic militant group, al Shabaab, in their fight against Ethiopian forces which have entered Somalia. The agreement was signed in El-bur District of Galgadud region by al Shabaab’s Galgadud region chairman, Sheikh awale Mohamed Ali. Sheikh Awale Mohamed Ali welcomed the agreement and praised the clan’s support of al Shabaab in their fight against Somalia’s (TFG) and its allies, including African Union peacekeeping forces (AMISOM), Kenya and Ethiopia.
Al Shabaab defectors deny explosions in Somali capital
15 Dec – Source: Radio Shabelle – 263 words
Former al Shabaab Commanders who defected to the Transitional Federal government of Somalia recently, have on Thursday denied to be responsible for the increasing roadside bombs and explosions in the lawless capital, Mogadishu that left dozens of innocent people dead. At a press conference jointly held in Mogadishu by a number of senior defected commanders from al Shabaab militants, denied reports , which say, the defectors are responsible for the daily explosions and the suicide bombings in Mogadishu against civilians and soldiers loyal to the Somali government and also AMISOM.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Turkish charity launches aid projects for Somali families
15 Dec- Source: Al Shahid, Worldbulletin – 179 words
A Turkish charity launched a project to assist Somali people. Yardim Eli Aid Organization launched a project called “brothers family” to meet needs of Somali families who have been passing through tough days. Mehmet Citil, the aid organization’s coordinator in Somalia, told AA correspondent that the project was earlier implemented in Palestine, Pakistan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Syria and Lebanon.
http://english.alshahid.net/
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali rebels block ICRC food aid convoys
15 Dec- Source: Reuters- 219 words
Islamist militants in Somalia have blocked two International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) convoys carrying emergency food aid for drought victims this month, contractors and a senior rebel said. Residents of Baidoa, a stronghold of the al Shabaab rebel group, told Reuters they had seen the militants loading food aid from dozens of trucks into their warehouses there on Thursday.
http://af.reuters.com/article/
Somali parliament speaker rejects ouster effort
15 Dec – Source: VOA News – 203 words
The speaker of Somalia’s parliament has rejected an effort to oust him from power, in the war-torn country’s latest political crisis.
Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan spoke to VOA’s Somali Service a day after fistfights broke out in parliament between his opponents and supporters. Adan said Thursday that the vote had no legitimacy because he is out of the country, in Italy. He also said the number of votes against him was much lower than reported.
http://www.voanews.com/
Shortchanging Somalia
16 Dec – Source: LA News – 556 words
Cutting off funding sources for Islamic militants at war with the U.S. is an important priority, but there must be a way of doing it that doesn’t end all remittances to and from innocent Somalis. It’s hard to imagine what could make the situation in Somalia, a desperately poor failed state that hasn’t had a functioning government since 1991 and is in the midst of a deadly drought, even worse. But a Minnesota bank may have found something.
http://www.latimes.com/news/