April 20, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
Somali National Army Conduct Operations Against Al-Shabaab In Mudug Region
19 April – Source: Radio Muqdisho – 156 Words
The national army has started operations against Al-Shabaab in Ammaara, Ba’adweyn and other districts in Mudug region in a bid to kick out the militants from those areas. Commander of the 21st division of the Somali National Army, General Abdullahi Adan Hussien said the operations are currently underway in Ammara, Ba’ad weyn and other districts in the region. “It is a routine operation. The operations are currently taking place in the Ammara, Ba’adweyn and the surrounding districts smoothly, ” Mr Hussien said.
He said Al-Shabaab militia who are currently in the region are bandits extorting money, kidnapping villagers’ children and stealing their livestock, so we must unite to get rid of them.” “These gangs refused peace, extort money and kidnap children, as well as stealing livestock, therefore, we must defend the public from these gangs,” said General Adan Hussein. Many who fled the region and who lost their livestock to Al-Shabaab fled to Dhusamareb and Adado.
Key Headlines
- Somali National Army Conduct Operations Against Al-Shabaab In Mudug Region (Radio Muqdisho)
- Somali Military Chief Takes Part In A Meeting Between African And US Military Commanders In Abuja (Hiiraan Online)
- Somalia To Launch Multi-stakeholder Dialogue Forum For Safety Of Journalists (Jowhar.com)
- SNA Soldier Sentenced To Four Years In Jail For Deserting Duty (Halbeeg News)
- Russia To Pitch First Camp In Africa With Military Base In Somaliland (Face2Face)
- Meet SAMS Somalia’s First Marketplace For Farm Goods (Disrupt Africa)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Military Chief Takes Part In A Meeting Between African And US Military Commanders In Abuja
20 April – Source: Hiiraan Online – 143 Words
A three-day meeting between African military chiefs and the US government has been concluded in Abuja, Nigeria. Somalia was represented in the meeting by a delegation led by Chief of Defense Forces General Abdiweli Jama Gorod. The meeting mainly discussed strengthening of cooperation between the military chiefs and exchanging military training and information.
During his stay in Abuja, Somalia’s Chief of Defense Forces, General Abdiweli Jama Gorod held sideline meetings with high US officials including Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, Ambassador Stephanie S. Sullivan and senior commanders from the AFRICOM. They discussed issues including the increase of US support to Somali military, intensification of US operations against Al-Shabaab and improvement of the military cooperation between Somalia and the US. The event comes as the US military has in recent past increased its military operations against Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia.
Somalia To Launch Multi-stakeholder Dialogue Forum For Safety Of Journalists
20 April – Source: Jowhar – 375 Words
Somalia will become the first country in Eastern Africa to launch a multi-stakeholder dialogue forum for safety of journalists when stakeholders from the media, government, human rights organisations and civil society convene this Saturday 21 April 2018 in Mogadishu, Somalia for a two-day dialogue towards the establishment of a national mechanism for the safety of journalists. The meeting, which is organized by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, is supported by UNESCO and other international media actors under their coordination platform known as the Somalia Media Support Group (SMSG). It will take place at the AMISOM VIP Conference facility, in Mogadishu International Airport, and will seek to prescribe a response mechanism to unpunished crimes against journalists in Somalia.
Because of cycles of conflict and fragility that have spanned decades, Somalia has over the years recorded one of the highest numbers of crimes against journalists in the world that go unpunished. In a period of 10 years between 2006-2016 for example, UNESCO recorded a list of 56 journalists killed. While in 2017 the Federal Government of Somalia responded to UNESCO’s Director General on judicial investigations and reporting as per UN Resolution 29 on the condemnation of violence against journalists, full investigation of all the past and current cases has not been complete. The two-day meeting will, therefore, mobilize the comparative competences of both state and non-state media stakeholders into a dialogue process towards a Multi-stakeholder dialogue forum for safety of journalists that is expected to provide the necessary support to the Government in dealing with the issue of impunity for crimes against journalists.
The meeting will among others, discuss how existing state and non-state initiatives for protection of journalists can be strengthened, coordinated, and harmonized, and how such initiatives can support the implementation of the Federal Government of Somalia Media Strategy in which improving media security is one of the key strategic priorities. At the end of the meeting, over 50 delegates from the Federal, Jubaland, Puntland, South-West, Galmudug, Hirshabelle and Benadir regional administration, are expected to launch the Somalia Multi stakeholder Dialogue Forum for Safety of Journalists as a coordination platform for comprehensively addressing the safety of journalists concerns in Somalia, and for building partnerships among all stakeholders in media freedom.
SNA Soldier Sentenced To Four Years In Jail For Deserting Duty
19 April – Source: Halbeeg News – 181 Words
Somali National Army (SNA) serviceman have been sentenced to four years in jail for deserting their military duty. Abukar Ibrahim Yussuf who was found guilty of the charges leveled against him will serve his sentence in one of the jails in Hiran region. SNA’s first Degree court in Beledweyne town has found Yussuf for deserting the army and carrying out armed robbery using military weapon. Mohamed Abdulle Adan, the deputy judge of the military court in Hiran region who announced the verdict said the officer was found guilty of robbery and extortion of money from from passengers. Yussuf was arrested after he was overpowered by passengers during premature robbery on a vehicle heading for Beledweyne town.
The court also jailed two other individuals who were identified as Yussuf Hussein Ibrahim and Adan Abdullahi Hassan. Two men were found guilty of the charges filed against them. They had been robbing vehicles and passengers heading to Beledweyne town till they were arrested. The court slapped the two with three years in jail. The military court said the convicts can appeal against the conviction.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Russia To Pitch First Camp In Africa With Military Base In Somaliland
20 April – Source: Face2Face – 304 Words
Russia is in talks with breakaway Somali region, Somaliland, to set up a naval base of at least 1500 men outside Zeila, a city near the border with Djibouti to offer support to warships and submarines patrolling the strategic stretch of coastline. Reported by Somaliland and other international news outlets, the base is expected to be home to two destroyer sized ships, four frigate class ships, two large submarine pens, two airstrips that can host up to six heavy aircraft and fifteen fighter jets, and other facilities.
However, local media Qaran News said on April 2 that in return, Russia will assist Somaliland in gaining international recognition as a sovereign state through a resolution. It also reported that Russia will ensure security in the breakaway country by training the Somaliland military. If this happens, then Russia will join the list of powerful countries with bases in the Horn of Africa region which is strategic for so many reasons including proximity to the Middle East and influence over the Gulf of Aden.
The United States, France, Japan and China have military facilities in neighbouring Djibouti while Turkey recently established a facility in Somalia which has strained relations with Somaliland. Russia has bases in only nine countries including Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Syria, Tajikistan and Vietnam. Somaliland’s president Muse Bihi Abdi said in March that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will train Somaliland security forces as part of a deal to establish a military base in the Somaliland port city of Berbera. Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia on May 18, 1991. The territory had been under pressure to hold talks with Somalia which have so far been futile. 27 years of diplomatic isolation has made it difficult for Somaliland to have access to loans from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“SAMS currently only operates in Somaliland, but Mohamed said its ambitions are greater. “We plan to expand into Somalia, as there are many farmers there. We also plan to launch a mobile-based service that sends weather and market prices to farmers via SMS,” he said.”
Meet SAMS, Somalia’s First Marketplace For Farm Goods
20 April – Source: Disrupt Africa – 432 Words
Somalian agri-tech startup SAMS is the first platform in the country that connects farmers with buyers directly, increasing market reach for farmers and reducing transaction costs. Launched last year, SAMS provides farmers with customised and localised crop advisory and market prices, while also connecting farmers directly with buyers to ensure they get the best prices for their products. It also offers on-ground intervention to tackle diseases and apply modern farming techniques, which is done by its agricultural team. “SAMS is holding the hand of farmers from the early stages up to the marketing stage, enhancing the productivity and financial security of farmers in Somaliland,” the startup’s founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Faisal Mohamed told Disrupt Africa.
Mohamed founded SAMS after discovering farmer productivity in Somalia was was low due to slow responses to weather and disease, and the lack of application of modern farming techniques. There were more problems than that, however. “Middlemen tend to overcharge farmers, imposing high commission rates for every transaction that left farmers discouraged,” he said. “There is also information asymmetry – farmers didn’t know the real prices of their products.”
SAMS is taking on those middlemen, who Mohamed said would exploit farmers’ vulnerabilities by offering them fuel and selling produce for very high commissions. “We take less commission, we offer free consultation services to the farmers given by our agricultural team, and even if we fail to sell their products we take 10 percent of the loss encountered by the farmer,” he said.
The startup was initially self-funded, but last year took part in the Innovate Ventures accelerator in Somalia, at the end of which it secured its first investment. SAMS currently only operates in Somaliland, but Mohamed said its ambitions are greater. “We plan to expand into Somalia, as there are many farmers there. We also plan to launch a mobile-based service that sends weather and market prices to farmers via SMS,” he said.
It has been a case of so far, so good for the young company, however. SAMS uses two modules in order to generate revenues, the first one a subscription fee paid by farmers, and the second the commission it takes on any sales made through its platform. “In 2017 we have generated revenues up to US$10,000 with only 110 farmers subscribed to our service, and the average transaction per farmer being $200,” said Mohamed. “In 2018 we expect that the farmers subscribed to our service will reach 1,000 and the average transaction will grow to US$300, so we expect to generate revenues up to US$30,000.”
TOP TWEETS
@stefanomanservi: Big achievements #Somalia in setting up budget,managing pub finance,fighting corruption.Path for arrears clearence open.All partners ready to make it possible.#EU in the forefront to support politically & with substantial funds.Time for action @europeaid @WorldBank @IMFNews
@Mo_Mukhtar10: Fight for influence in East Africa turns ugly as foreign powers demand more of a return on investment#Somalia https://limacharlienews.com/?
@SomGentle: Foreigner aid is not the only solution for post-conflict recovery situation in Somalia, there has to be localised approach to recover and finance the need. Forget#Qatar#Emirates and Others
@AbdulBillowAli: #Somalia plans to rebuild military bases ahead of the planned AMISOM withdrawal in 2020. https://www.youtube.com/
@HarunMaruf: The Somali cabinet on Thursday approved a bill banning cutting down trees to produce charcoal; measure also bans charcoal exports, in a major move aimed at preventing deforestation and stop a source of income to Al-Shabab. Bill will go to the parliament for deliberation and vote.
@HarunMaruf 7h7: The U.N. Security Council has banned Somalia charcoal exports years ago but some countries have failed to stop importing it, monitoring groups mainly blamed UAE where largest purchasers are reportedly based. Al-Shabab earns millions from charcoal exports according to U.N. experts
IMAGE OF THE DAY
AMISOM Officials conducted Humanitarian facilitation training for civilian partners in Jowhar town, HirShabelle state in order to foster partnership between civilians and AMISOM.
Photo: AMISOM