NATIONAL MEDIA
7 November – Source: Garowe Online – 229 Words
Five men convicted of being members of Al-Shabaab and Islamic State groups were publicly executed by firing squad in northeastern Somalia’s Puntland State on Thursday, Garowe Online reports. The militants were blindfolded, with hands tied to poles behind their backs, before they have been shot dead at point-blank range by soldiers in Bosaso port city, the commercial hub of Puntland, Somali federal member state. A local military court has handed down the death sentences against the men identified as Ibrahim Guudow, 23, Farah Said Farah, 19, Abdulkadir Sheikh, 22, Shafici Hussein Moalim, 19, and Hassan Lamow Aden, 39. Al-Shabaab and ISIS faction assassinated dozens of Puntland officials and security force members in the past as the two groups continue to face increased military pressure and U.S. airstrikes in the mountainous area in Bari region. The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab has become active in Puntland after being pushed out of strongholds further south by an African Union [AU] peacekeeping force [AMISOM] and the Somali army. In June 2017, its fighters overran a military base in Af Urur, a town about 100 km (60 miles) south of Bosasso, killing dozens of people, most of them Puntland defence force soldiers, the deadliest single attack in history. Separately, four Al-Shabaab suspects appeared before the Somali military Court charged with membership of the terror group, the murder of Government soldiers and civilians and attempted assassinations.
7 November – Source: Horn Diplomat – 1860 Words
Communique for the Inauguration ceremony of the new opposition political alliance in Mogadishu. Six political parties have united under the umbrella of the forum for national parties (FNP). This is a step in the right direction that will contribute to the process of political democratization of Somalia with the goal of safeguarding the sovereignty, unity and independence of the Republic of Somalia. As stipulated by Article 3 (4) of the provisional federal constitution, the forum for national parties (FNP) is committed for the promotion of human rights, the rule of law, general standards of international law, justice, participatory consultative and inclusive government, and the separation of powers between the legislature, executive and an independent judiciary, in order to ensure accountability, efficiency and responsiveness to the interests of the people Moreover, as enshrined in article 11(1) of the provisional federal constitution, the forum for national parties (FNP) believes in that; All citizens, regardless of sex, social or economic status, political opinion, clan, disability, occupation, or dialect shall have equal rights and duties before the law.
In retrospect of the current political trends, in which the president and the executive branch of the government have blatantly violated basic principles of the constitution and other laws of the country; the forum for national parties is concerned on the continuous gross violations of the constitution and the contempt of the supremacy of the law by the current administration, which impede the transition to inclusive governance. In essence, the forum for national parties strongly expresses that adherence to the constitution is paramount in the transition to stable and democratic Somalia, and that the FGS leaders must respect the rule of law and the supremacy of the provisional federal constitution – the forum for national parties (FNP) is committed in giving its priority on the protection and promotion of these basic rights that are fundamental for stable and democratic Somalia.
1. The Unity of the nation and its people: The sovereignty and unity of the country is supreme and shall not be compromised. The FNP strives and stands for the protection and promotion of the unity of Somalia and urges the FGS to genuinely reengage talks with the Somaliland leadership in accordance with the federal constitution.
2. The supremacy of the constitution and completion of the review process: Cognizant, that the provisional federal constitution is the supreme law of the land and agreed upon by all Somalis- and that all government institutions perform their functions in accordance with the provisional federal constitution. Hence, the executive branch is entrusted to adhere to, protect and complete the constitutional review process. FNP is concerned about the blatant violations of the constitution by the executive branch. The failure of the executive branch of the government to adhere to the provisions in the constitution reflects the view of the executive branch that doesn’t believe in the supremacy of the constitution. The FNP is committed to playing an integral role in ensuring the constitution review process is completed and that it is agreed upon by all political stakeholder before it is ratified through a public referendum. The finalized constitution must be one that holds together the Somali people forever and ends the transition period……
7 November – Source: Radio Ergo – 547 Words
As part of our IDP Camps series, Radio Ergo spoke to impoverished pastoralist parents in a remote camp in the northern Sool region about their fears for the future of their children. The camp has no school and the children are falling into risky activities, according to the parents, because they have no education and no future. Mohamed Yahye, a father of nine, is worried about the future of his children, who have been growing up in a displacement camp in the northern Somali region of Sool, since the family’s livestock all died in the drought three years ago. The camp in Darya-geesawayn village, in Hudun district, has neither school nor health centre. Parents say there is nothing for their children to do and their future looks bleak. Yahye, who has eight daughters and one son aged between six and 16, said the children used to be busy looking after the animals, but now they roamed around the village engaging in risky activities. “To my knowledge, last month alone, two children fell into a well in the area but luckily they were rescued though they suffered injuries. Some of the children turned to drugs with some using hashish and others starting chewing khat,” he told Radio Ergo.
Darya-geesa-wayn lies 20 km from the frontline of recent clashes between Puntland and Somaliland forces, who are contesting control of the area. The nearest school is in Hudun town, 40 km away. Parents fear their children risk being recruited into the armed forces because they are idle and lack education, and the military might seem exciting. The camp elders say 220 families live in the camp, with a total of around 300 school-age children without access to education. Some parents in the camp told Radio Ergo that about 20 children had gone off to join the armed forces…..
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
8 November – Source: Italian Government & UNPF – 311 Words
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic, via the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation – Mogadishu Office, is making a contribution of 3 million Euros to support the collaboration between UNFPA and Ministry of Health and Human Services of the Federal Government of Somalia. The contribution aims to strengthen interventions in the areas of maternal and reproductive health at De Martino, Banadir and Jowhar hospitals. The Minister of Health and Human Services, Her Excellency Dr. Fawziya Abikar Nur expressed her gratitude to all who are contributing to improving maternal and child health in Somalia. She particularly commended the Government of Italy and UNFPA for continuing to be reliable partners towards improving the health and wellbeing of the Somali people, especially women and girls. “On behalf of Somali people, I would like to thank the Government of Italy for the contribution of three million Euros. Your financial support and commitment helps us to continue our mission of reducing maternal mortality in Somalia,” said Dr. Abikar Nur……
8 November – Source: Times Live ZA – 234 Words
Gift of the Givers has come to the aid of Somalia flood victims. Flooding in the Horn of Africa nation has seen 300,000 people displaced. According to a statement released by the organisation, there have been heavy rains in Somalia over the past few weeks, which resulted in flooding. “The city of Beledweyne, Hiraan region, in central Somalia, is submerged, displacing 300,000 people, half of whom are women and children,” said Gift of the Givers’ founder Imtiaz Sooliman. “Gift of the Givers teams from our offices in Mogadishu and Jowhar have intervened, assisting in boat rescue, evacuation, logistical support, provision of shelter, food, water and medical care,” Sooliman said. He said the organisation’s “greatest” concern was the high risk of cholera and malaria outbreaks — “which can wreak havoc among the elderly and the overwhelmingly large population of malnourished children”……
7 November – Source: OCHA – 504 Words
FLOODS AND RAINS UPDATE
The Deyr rains continued into the second month of the season with many stations recording light to moderate rains in the southern parts of the country. Parts of central and Puntland areas recorded heavy rains on 2nd and 3rd of November. No rains were reported in Somaliland during the week in review. The good rains received so far have continued to replenish water sources further improving pasture growth and reducing water stress. There has been an improvement in livestock body conditions and milk production as well. Shabelle River: In Belet Weyne and surrounding areas, river levels reached its maximum carrying capacity on 24 October 2019 and has remained so up to date leading to overflow which left most of the town underwater. The floodwaters in the town have however started receding back to the river which is causing an increase of river in the downstream stations. Levels at Bulo Burti are currently very high and only 4cm away from the bank full level. Satellite image analysis further indicates inundation of more than 10,000 Hectares of agricultural land in Belet Weyne district.
An unknown amount of cropland has also been inundated in Bulo Burti and Jalalaqsi districts. In Middle Shabelle, floods have damaged more than 65,000 Hectares of cropland at Jowhar and Mahaday Weyne following high river levels and open river breakages. The river levels are expected to remain high along the entire channel of Shabelle as more waters from the Ethiopian highlands are still streaming in. High risk of flooding remains along the Shabelle in the coming week. Juba River: Along Juba River the levels dropped gradually over the last week. The levels are expected to fluctuate in the coming week with a Moderate risk of flooding towards the end of the week. In Bay and Bakool regions: There was a reduction of rainfall activities in these regions over the last week which improved the situation in terms of flooding…….
7 November – Source: VOA – 309 Words
Hussein Abdi lost his younger brother and several close friends last week when floodwaters swept away their house in Somalia. Abdi is overwhelmed with sadness. He said the biggest tragedy was losing his brother, who was a father of 10 children. “The youngest child was just born on November 4,” he said, adding that “this was really the saddest moment in my entire life.” The flooding, caused by heavy seasonal rain, has killed at least 21 people in central Somalia and has displaced over 270,000 people. Food is scarce in some areas, and relief shipments are having trouble reaching their destinations. Many have sought refuge in camps like this one near the submerged town of Beledweyne. Abdi Abdullahi, head of the Somali Red Crescent Society, said an estimated 53,000 families had been displaced by flooding. He said the Red Crescent Society had evacuated 117 people from the water and had found seven dead bodies……
7 November – Source: EUCAP – 218 Words
Altogether 23 Somali police officers (2 of them women) from the Maritime Police Units of Bosaso, Puntland, and Mogadishu have successfully completed the CUTLASS Express 19.2 (CE19.2) exercise in Djibouti where they trained alongside maritime law enforcement officers from Djibouti, Egypt, France, Georgia, Greece, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, and the USA. The Somali team was the biggest group participating in the exercise and the only team with female officers. The exercise conducted on 28/10-4/11 tested participating nations’ ability to respond to illicit trafficking, piracy, and illegal fishing. This was the first time the officers from Bosaso participated CUTLASS Express, for the Mogadishu MPU this was already the third CUTLASS competed. The exercise was preceded by a one-week Force Integration Training in Mogadishu, funded by EUCAP and supported by UNODC. During the preparatory training the two units levelled off their skills in VBSS (Visit, Boarding, Search and Seizure) operations using the Major Mohamed Botaan training facility recently delivered by EUCAP. Cutlass Express is a yearly maritime law enforcement exercise organised by US Africa Command and executed by US Naval forces, Africa. The overall purpose of CE19.2 is to assess and improve combined maritime law enforcement capacity, promote national and regional security in East Africa and increase interoperability between the US., African nations, and international partners.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Collaboration and coordination among the actors involved in such initiatives should be promoted to avoid duplication of efforts in harmonising data systems, to promote peer learning, and to ensure that the initiatives contribute to a sustainable solution led by the government in the long-term.”
7 November – Source: Cash Learning – 709 Words:
Cash and voucher assistance (CVA) is gaining traction as a transformative tool for addressing humanitarian needs in Somalia, with people living in crisis reporting that transfers of this kind helped to build resilience and diversify livelihoods. Delivery, however, is plagued by data challenges around the identification and registration of recipients, identity authentication, prevention of duplication and protection of personal data, In a recent study commissioned by the Department for International Development, we conducted interviews with humanitarian agencies in emergency situations in Somalia to explore how they collect, analyse and share recipients’ identification and registration data in CVA. We also assessed existing standards, systems and guidelines, and presented the key opportunities and implications for harmonising data systems.
Our work highlighted not only the benefits of harmonising data systems – improving the efficiency, sustainability, transparency and cost of CVA – but also the risks that should be addressed from the outset: data privacy and protection breaches and data manipulation. The interviews collected also throw into sharp relief the technical and political challenges along the way. Realising the potential of CVA in Somalia will mean harmonising data systems, and our study suggests that there are three key steps towards achieving this in practice.
1.Create an enabling environment
A robust identification system that allows matching and linking datasets across databases is essential for interoperability and data sharing. However, developing a foundational identification system for Somalia is facing significant financial, political and technical challenges [1]. In the short-term, therefore, a stop-gap measure is to develop an identification solution to detect potential duplication. In the medium and long-terms, a robust identification system that incorporates biometric technology should be established. It will be important for the government to work collaboratively with its partners – particularly Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority – to speed up the completion and rollout of the ongoing digital identification project. The government should also work with development partners including UN agencies to develop policy and legal frameworks to guide the protection, sharing and use of personal data, including biometrics…….. |
