NATIONAL MEDIA
18 July – Source: Somaliland Standard – 136 Words
European Union Envoy to Somalia, Nicolás Berlanga Martínez, met Somaliland president Musa Bihi in Hargeisa, an official statement said on Thursday. According to the statement issued by Somaliland presidential palace, the Somaliland Head of State touched based with Nicolas on the current situation and the genuine progress that Somaliland achieved over the years. During the high level talks, the President and EU envoy discussed a wide range of issues ranging from the upcoming parliament and local polls, to accelerate and consolidate the EU funded projects which are underway in Somaliland. The president of Somaliland H.E Musa Bihi has also touched base with the EU envoy to Somalia, Nicolas, on the stance that Somaliland took on having talks with Somalia’s Federal Gov. Both sides reiterated on consolidating the strong ties between Somaliland and the European Union.
18 July – Source: Radio Ergo – 245 Words
Hussein Mudey has hit on a successful way to earn a living, as well as enhancing the environment, by selling small trees and pot plants in Mogadishu. The father of three from Afgoye, in Lower Shabelle region, can be seen pushing his wheelbarrow loaded with young trees and pot plants in bags around the streets of Mogadishu, selling to hotels, offices, and home-owners.
He began trying to sell trees and plants in Afgoye but did not do very well. “I moved my business from Afgoye because there was no market there. The family daily food needs and the school fees were hard to meet, so it was discouraging there,” said Hussein. However, he received an order to supply trees to a customer in Mogadishu three months ago. One tree sells for two to three dollars in Mogadishu, compared to half a dollar in Afgoye. “Demand is high in Mogadishu. After my first delivery in Mogadishu, several other people asked for more plants. That is when I realised there was a good market here,”Hussein told Radio Ergo.
He has a small nursery near where he lives, so after making sales in the morning he goes home to plant and tend his trees in the afternoon.He has been making $10-30 a day. With this income, his children started going to school and Koranic classes. After paying the $30 school fees, he buys food for family and manages to put some money aside monthly as savings.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
19 July – Source: IOM – 533 Words
Migrant returnees in Somaliland now stand a better chance of accessing critical services, thanks to the creation of a database application for the registration of returning migrants and the issuance of registration certificates. In the Horn of Africa, Somalis account for the largest migrant population after Ethiopians. They move both intra-regionally and out of the region, particularly towards the Arabian Peninsula and Europe. Many also opt to return, often approaching IOM when they get stranded in places like war-torn Libya.
However, like elsewhere, returning migrants often lack valid documents, having had them lost or confiscated during their migratory journey. Without such enabling documents, which may include national registration certificates, basic support services provided by the government can be out of reach. The new database, jointly developed between IOM and the Somaliland’s National Displacement and Refugee Agency (NDRA), intends to enhance the capacity for response in this area. Following a capacity assessment that took place in February 2019, IOM internally developed the application which was launched in June.
Last week (11 July) IOM donated three high-resolution webcams to NDRA that will be used to take photos of the returning migrants upon registration. Presiding over the ceremony was NDRA chairman Abdulkariim Ahmed Mohamed and IOM’s Head of the Hargeisa Sub-Office Sikhulile Dhlamini, who both welcomed the collaboration between the two agencies. According to Mohamed: “NDRA now has a registration system that will collect pertinent information from returnees, which is a result of the technical expertise provided by IOM following a request made by NDRA in February 2019.” He added: “We also appreciate that IOM spent time building the capacity of NDRA staff to enable them to use the database software effectively.”…..
18 July – Source: UNSOM – 538 Words
On his first visit to South West State since taking office, the new United Nations envoy to Somalia emphasized the importance of “good relations” between Federal Member States and the Federal Government. “I don’t want to leave this occasion without underscoring a message that I have delivered in every one of my visits, and that is the message on the need for good relations between federal member states like South West State and the federal government,” the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan, said in a joint media encounter in the state’s capital, Baidoa. “This kind of relationship between the center and the FMSs [Federal Member States] is absolutely vital for delivering services and good government to the Somali people and it’s a message I have conveyed in Mogadishu and in all the FMSs that I have visited,” he added.
The UN official’s remarks followed meetings with South West State’s President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed ‘Laftagareen’ and members of his cabinet. Addressing journalists in the same media encounter, President Laftagareen said their discussions focused on security, humanitarian assistance and the political situation in the region. “We had constructive discussions with the Special Representative James Swan,” President Laftagareen said. “He pledged the continued support of the UN to the region and upscaling of the humanitarian and development programs for the benefit of the people of South West State.”
Supporting South West State
In his remarks, the UN Special Representative reiterated the world body’s commitment to supporting South West State. “Part of the reason I’m here is to help strengthen our collaboration regarding political, capacity building and humanitarian activities in addition to economic development and state building efforts,” Mr. Swan said. Baidoa hosts the second largest number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Somalia after Mogadishu. IDP figures reached 329,000 in January this year, putting a heavy strain on the town’s capacity to host and provide critical services. “We also want to tell and assure the people of South West State that the UN family is striving to respond to the needs of South West people so that we can have a real positive impact in addressing the multiple challenges the state faces,” Mr. Swan noted……
17 July – Source: Fair Observer – 457 Words
In this edition of The Interview, Fair Observer talks to Ranieri Sabatucci, the EU ambassador to the African Union.
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Ziabari: The Fragile States Index ranks Somalia as the second most volatile country in the world, with an ongoing civil war and a strong presence of both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. What has the European Union done to tackle the crisis?
Sabatucci: The crisis and civil war in Somalia has been a longstanding issue of concern for the EU and its member states. The EU has been a reliable partner of Somalia during these difficult times, trying to help it overcome its difficulties. It has been one of the only donors to consistently support Somalia through a comprehensive range of instruments consisting of active diplomacy and support to the political process, stabilization and security support, development assistance and humanitarian aid focused on re-establishing peace and stability. It’s impossible to enumerate all the support the EU has given. But it is estimated that the EU and its member states have allocated an overall amount of €3.4 billion for the period 2015 to 2020, making it the largest donor to Somalia. Additionally, we are one of the few partners that have a delegation in Mogadishu, showcasing our support and solidarity to the people of Somalia. Specifically on the security front, I would like to highlight the significant investments the EU has made for the benefit of the Somali people.
On the one hand, we have the AU mission, AMISOM, which the EU has supported heavily since its inception. More than €1.7 billion of support has been given to AMISOM in order to help the Somali people live in a more secure environment. However, we should not forget the heavy price paid by the troops of the AMISOM contingents. Additionally, the EU has also contributed directly through three security and defense missions: the Military Training Mission, which supports Somali security forces; the EU Naval Force, which fights piracy, and EUCAP, which aims to improve regional maritime security…..
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“We have benefited and got advice from the broadcasts for the period we have been listening to Radio Ergo programmes. We were given rescue and evacuation skills and informed to seek refuge on high ground areas,” he explained.”
19 July – Source: Radio Ergo – 327 Words
Ahmed Osman, who lives in Holhol village in Jidiinka-dodhada valley in northern Somalia’s Sool region, tuned in to Radio Ergo on 27th May and heard a weather forecast that made him take immediate action. The Wahar-iyarashe stream near his home was filling up as the heavy ‘Gu rains pounded the area. The broadcast carried a warning of impending floods as the water was rising above the banks of rivers and streams.
Ahmed and over 100 other families evacuated their houses after hearing the weather warning, as he explained later to our local reporter: “That day, I was listening to Radio Ergo as usual when I heard something that attracted my attention. It was the weather forecast warning the locals in the area to keep away from the streams as torrential rains could cause the streams to flood,” said Ahmed, who has been an avid listener of Radio Ergo for the last seven years.
A few days after Ahmed’s family and his neighbours shifted from the valley, Wahara-iyarshe stream did indeed breaks its banks, flooding a wide area. “We have benefited and got advice from the broadcasts for the period we have been listening to Radio Ergo programmes. We were given rescue and evacuation skills and informed to seek refuge on high ground areas,” he explained.
Some families ignored or did not hear the warning and were cut off by the floods. “I am aware of one family that was cut off in the area for about a week after the stream flooded. After that week, they were rescued by over 100 people who joined hands to wade through the floods,” Ahmed said. “I thank Radio Ergo for equipping me with information and helping my family because if I had not listened to the programme, my family would have suffered.” Ahmed recalled heavy floods in the valley in 2004 that killed 50 animals and destroyed property, at a time when there was no information or warning system available. |
