NATIONAL MEDIA
18 July – Source: Halbeeg – 201 Words
The Federal Government of Somalia has started efforts to kickoff reconciliation conference to bring together various political groups in Galmudug state ahead of planned regional elections. The office of the Prime Minister through the Interior Ministry has named twelve-member technical committee on Wednesday to spearhead the process. They include ten men and two women.
Statement from the Ministry of Interior, federal affairs and reconciliation said the government has decided to put in place a technical committee considering various challenges facing the state. “Following consultation with the members of both the Upper and the Lower House(s) of Parliament from the Galmudug state, traditional elders while considering the upcoming elections and the security challenges, the ministry has decided to establish a committee to work towards reconciliation meeting.” The statement said.
The statement from the Ministry of Interior further said an official from the ministry will closely work with the organizing committee on achieving the groundbreaking reconciliation conference scheduled in Dhusamareb, the administrative capital of the state. The main task of the committee will be bringing together various delegates from communities residing in the state while working towards the realization of a long-lasting solution on contentious issues surrounding political-cultural differences in the area.
18 July – Source: Radio Shabelle – 91 Words
Unknown gunmen have shot and killed a tribal elder in central Somalia on Wednesday night, police and witnesses said. The elder, Abdullahi Abdirahman, was gunned down by assailants armed with pistols in the southern Galkayo town, the regional capital of Mudug. The killers managed to escape the scene before the arrival of the local security forces. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the apparent assassination. The town which straddles the border between Galmudug and Puntland has been the scene of rising killings and frequent rape in the past few months.
17 July – Source: SONNA – 435 Words
First meeting of National Employment Forum which was attended by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Ministries of Labour of Federal Member States and Benadir Regional Administration was held in Garowe, the capital of Puntland State of Somalia, from 14th to 17th July 2019. The forum was attended the Federal Minister, Ministers from Federal Member States, Directors-General of Ministries, Division Directors of Ministries and Deputy Governor of Benadir Region. During the meeting, number of imperative subjects were considered with the particular focus on reinforcing continuing efforts, guiding the youth to national development agenda and job creation.
The forum decided the following decisions: 1) That job creation is the first national priority; 2) The forum genuinely appraised Youth Employment Somalia (YES) programme, which is now being completed. It was agreed to cooperatively resolve existing challenges and to applaud achievements of YES programme; 3) To broaden job creation projects by extending to all different parts of Somalia; 4) To address the needs of skills gap by rebuilding technical and vocational training school which was formerly managed by the government and launching of new schools; 5) To strengthen ways to holistically administer job creation actions and to unite diverse job creation plans; 6) To encourage macro and micro enterprises and creativity of youth; 7) To genuinely invest in agriculture sector to create job opportunities; 8) That Federal Government, Federal Member States and Benadir Regional Administration will collaboratively cooperate on job creation projects; 9) The Forum thanks to Puntland State of Somalia, especially the Ministry of Labour, Youth and Sports of Puntland, for warm hospitality it has accorded to dignitaries and participants as well as its noteworthy efforts for the successful hosting of the forum, 10) Forum expresses appreciations to UN agencies who are part of Youth Employment Somalia (YES); 11) Finally, the forum candidly thanks donors for their immense role and big-hearted financial support to Youth Employment Somalia (YES)…..
17 July – Source: Somaliaffairs – 88 Words
The Governor of Puntland state’s Mudug region issued a statement asking non-governmental organisation (NGOs) operating in the region to present their operational activities. The statement from the Governor Ahmed Muse Nur’s office called on the NGOs to notify local authorities of their activities to allow them to conduct their meetings, seminars and trips within the region. The statement also urged the Mudug regional officials in Puntland state to facilitate and closely work with the international organisations so that they can smoothly carry out their activities in the region.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
18 July – Source: Softpower News – 533 Words
A total of 1,828 officers and men of UPDF comprising of UGABAG XXVIII and UNGU VI have been flagged o to Somalia by Lt Gen Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, the Deputy Chief Defence Forces, at Singo Peace Support Operation Centre in Nakaseke District. Lt Gen Mbadi while addressing the forces, he expressed gratitude to the partners that have supported the UPDF in its pre-deployment training and praised the team now under a new name of Global Peace Operation Initiative (GPOI) for a job well done.
On the same note, he thanked the UPDF instructors for equally keeping the standard of both the centre and the training to international standards. While counseling the troops, the Gen Mbadi applauded them for perseverance and the hard work they have exhibited throughout their stay at the center. However, he was quick to remind them not to sleep while on mission but work harder than ever before to consolidate their predecessors’ achievements in Somalia. He implored them to save their mission allowances with the UPDF SACCO, and use it well to prepare for their future retirement journey. “You have left Uganda to go and add a productive stone in the stability of Somalia which will in the long run add to the total stability of the African continent. Strive harder so that those who judged us by our heights will remember the depth from where we started the mission,” he emphasized. At the same ceremony, the Deputy Commander Land Force Maj Gen Sam Kavuma urged the soldiers to put Patriotism, discipline, and good fighting at the fore front as they execute their duties in Somalia since they are pillars that make UPDF stand tall as a Force on the continent…..
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“I am concerned about the humanitarian situation in light of the current food security crisis, which affects about a quarter of Hirshabelle’s population,” Mr. Swan remarked after meeting President Ware. His remarks follow a recent report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) that, due to poor rains experienced between April and June in Somalia, a worsening food security situation in Somalia threatens more than two million people.”
17 July – Source: UNSOM – 513 Words
On his first visit to the state of Hirshabelle, the newly-appointed United Nations envoy to Somalia touched upon the country’s state-building process, local humanitarian needs and the world body’s assistance. “We had encouraging and fruitful talks with President [Mohamed Abdi] Ware and his cabinet on a wide range of issues, including the need to strengthen the state-building process in Somalia,” the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan, told local media after meeting with the state’s leadership in Jowhar, the capital.
“We particularly agreed that good relations between the Federal government and the federal member states are crucial to continued progress for the people of Somalia,” he added in the joint media encounter with President Ware. “HirShabelle is on good terms with the federal government, and we have emphasised the need to strengthen this relationship. We also hope the UN family in Hirshabelle under the leadership of Mr. Swan, will continue undertaking development programmes to support the people,” President Ware said.
Humanitarian concern
The UN Special Representative also expressed concern about the current food security situation in Hirshabelle and its potential humanitarian impact. “I am concerned about the humanitarian situation in light of the current food security crisis, which affects about a quarter of Hirshabelle’s population,” Mr. Swan remarked after meeting President Ware. His remarks follow a recent report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) that, due to poor rains experienced between April and June in Somalia, a worsening food security situation in Somalia threatens more than two million people. “Out of 5.4 million expected to be acutely food insecure by July, 2.2 million will be in severe acute food insecurity conditions… a 40 per cent increase from January this year,” OCHA stated in its report. As part of a response, the Federal Government of Somalia and the aid community are implementing a $686 million plan, targeting 4.5 million people up to December 2019.
Greater cooperation
In his remarks, the UN official – who also heads the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) – flagged that the UN system in Somalia was looking forward to increasing its cooperation with the people and government of Hirshabelle to implement UNSOM’s mandate and also to ensure that the activities of UN agencies, funds and programmes has a positive effect in Hirshabelle. “I appreciated having some solid advice from the president as to how we can do what better,” Mr. Swan said.
The UN is involved in a wide variety of activities in Hirshabelle ranging from the development of institutional capacity to the provision of humanitarian assistance, as well as the facilitation of political mediation, security sector reform and infrastructure development. The trip was Mr. Swan’s third visit to a federal member state since his arrival in Somalia on 25 June, following trips to Puntland and Jubaland. The UN Special Representative was accompanied on the trip by the senior officials from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Takeshi Moriyama and Edmore Tondhlana, respectively. |
