April 3, 2017 | Morning Headlines

Main Story

Finance Minister Vows To Fight Corruption

02 April – Source : Goobjoog News – 131 Words

Somalia’s finance minister, Abdirahaman Bayle said his ministry would adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, the minister pledged at the handing over ceremony in Mogadishu. The new finance minister pledged to fight corruption in his ministry and promote effective service delivery. “I will not tolerate acts of corruption and dishonesty,” said Bayle.

Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheire who attended the handover ceremony held at the Finance ministry, promised that his government would tackle corruption. “I and the president will never accept public property embezzlement, and we will crusade against those involving corruption,” he said. “Where there is a corruption, there will never be an achievement.” For nearly two decades, Somalia has been among the world’s most corrupt countries and on the top of the list of the corruption watchdog Transparency International.

Key Headlines

Finance Minister Vows To Fight Corruption (Goobjoog News)
Benadir Governor Praised As Development Conscious Leader (Shabelle News)
Turkish Deputy PM In Mogadishu To Assess Drought Situation (Goobjoog News)
Former Minister Of Ports Dies In Mogadishu After Illness (Garowe Online)
Countering Violent Extremism Conference Concludes In Dar Es Salaam (Hiiraan Online)
Abducted Somali Journalist Freed After Torture (Associated Press)
Somaliland Suspends Development Programs In Face Of Famine (VOA)
Diaspora Now Investing In Mogadishu As Security Improves (The East African)

NATIONAL MEDIA

Benadir Governor Praised As Development Conscious Leader

02 April -Source : Shabelle News- 113 Words

The Governor of Benadir regional administration and Mayor of Mogadishu Yusuf Hussein Jimale was praised as a hardworking and competent by the public after making a tangible development.Benadir Governor, Yusuf Hussein Jimale has made a significant developments in the social affairs, security, humanity and rebuilding Mogadishu since he took office in October, 2015.

Speaking to Radio Shabelle, Ahmed Dirie Ali, one of the renowned Somali elders has praised Jimale for the reconstruction of Mogadishu’s main streets, and other key government institutions.The elder has urged Somali government leaders to be cautious about the dismissal of the mayor from his position since he is the right person for the job, and admired by the public.

Turkish Deputy PM In Mogadishu To Assess Drought Situation

02 April -Source:Goobjoog News- 109 Words

A delegation led by Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister, Sayn Bekir Bozda, arrived in Mogadishu Sunday in what sources say is a brief assessment of the drought situation in the country.The Turkish deputy prime minister was welcomed at Aden Adde International Airport by his Somali counterpart deputy Prime Minister,Mahdi Mohamed Guled, Foreign Minister,Yusuf Garad and other officials. The deputy PM is also expected to hold talks with authorities in the country over bilateral issues which include Turkey’s development projects among them the construction of the military academy in Mogadishu.Turkey’s vast humanitarian aid effort at the height of the 2011 famine bolstered bilateral relations between the two countries

Former Minister Of Ports Dies In Mogadishu After Illness

02 April -Source:Garowe Online – 145 Words

Former Somalia’s Minister of Ports and Marine Transport, Nur Farah Hersi has died in Mogadishu on Sunday morning after battling with illness, Garowe Online reports. Late Hirsi served with the past Federal government led by former Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke as the Minister of Ports. He had been receiving treatment at the hospital in the last one month.Last week, Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre, lawmakers and other officials have paid visit to late Hirsi at the hospital last week before his death today. The new government of Somalia has sent heartfelt condolences to the grieving family and public for the loss of the long-serving Minister of Ports.The body of the late Minister is expected to be buried in Mogadishu in a state funeral in the coming hours, with the attendance of top official of Somalia’s Federal government, including the Premier.

Countering Violent Extremism Conference Concludes In Dar Es Salaam

02 April – Source : Hiiraan Online – 156 Words

The Somali National CVE (Countering Violent Extremism) office and the African Union have completed a three day counter radicalization conference in Dar Es Salaam yesterday. Key stakeholders from a broad spectrum of backgrounds including religious leaders, women’s organizations,researchers and international partners participated in the conference. The main focus of the summit was to discuss Gender Based Interventions on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) as the federal government aims to create a blueprint for counter-radicalization strategies.

Madam Christine Alalo, the Deputy Police Commissioner of AMISOM said that Somali women are key in the effort to fight Islamic radicalization. “Women can use their vital position in their homes and their communities to fight extremism and propaganda to educate their children about the religion of peace, denounce weapon caches, and enrol in the police or the military intelligence collection apparatus and thus play an important part in soft and hard efforts to counter- terrorism” said Ms. Alalo.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Abducted Somali Journalist Freed After Torture

02 April – Source: Associated Press – 152 Words

A Somali journalist who was kidnapped on Saturday was found tied up and alive in the agricultural town of Afgoye, 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Mogadishu, the capital, after he was tortured and released by his captors. A farmer found Hanad Ali Guled lying in a field with hands and legs tied behind his back, said Ahmedwali Hussein, an editor at Goobjoog radio and television station. Guled had difficulties speaking because of the torture that had been inflicted on him, said Hussein.No group has claimed responsibility for the journalist’s abduction by six armed men who stopped him on his way to work outside Mogadishu on Saturday.The abduction is reminder of the dangers that reporters face in this Horn of Africa country which has frequent attacks by the Islamic extremist group Al-Shabaab, which is allied to al-Qaida. Somalia is often listed as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists.

Somaliland Suspends Development Programs In Face Of Famine

02 April- Source: VOA News- 275 Words

Somaliland authorities say famine looms in the breakaway republic as the government suspends development programs due to a crippling drought that has killed dozens of people and most of the livestock in eastern regions. Speaking to VOA in Hargeisa, Somaliland Vice President Abdirahman Abdullahi Seylici says drought conditions look set to deteriorate further with an increasing risk of famine.Seylici says Somaliland has few resources to cope with the drought, which has severely affected the economy.

He says officials decided to suspend the development programs in order to control their budget and be ready if the drought crisis worsens.Seylici said, “We are close to famine, the assessment we made and the assessment from aid agencies show the famine is close to be declared in the eastern regions of Somaliland, because the current rainy season [from late March though May] has not started yet, there is water scarcity and people are losing livestock”“When there is fear that a lot of people might die due to the worsening drought, we decided to suspend building developmental projects. Our budget is affected by the drought, as well as Saudi Arabia’s ban on our livestock export,” the Somaliland vice president said“So we decided to divert money to emergency, live-saving and drought-response efforts,” he added.

In Somaliland, nomadic communities across the region say they have never experienced this kind of drought. Seylici told VOA he can only confirm that more than 10 people died of starvation across Somaliland, a lower number than previously stated by other Somaliland officials.The United Nations Children’s Fund said Friday more children are alarmingly at risk as Somalia faces severe drought and starvation.

OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE

“We have achieved a lot in improving security. Even though Al Shabaab still remains a challenge, Mogadishu is far better than it was five years ago. We have been trying to create jobs and attract investments by building roads. For instance, we have completed tarmacking 17 kilometres of roads in the city and are currently working on two more,”

Diaspora Now Investing In Mogadishu As Security Improves

01 April – Source : The East African – 478 Words

Authorities in Mogadishu say that the city is now ready for full scale foreign investment since security and infrastructure have significantly improved, despite some lingering challenges. The Mayor of Mogadishu, Yussuf Hussein Jimale, told The EastAfrican that the city is no longer considered high risk for foreign investors because of the efforts his administration has put in to improve security, roads and electricity infrastructure.

Mr Jimale, who is also the Governor of Banadir Regional Administration in which Mogadishu falls said since he assumed office in November 2015, his administration has been offering incentives to foreign investors such as tax breaks and fast-tracking of company registrations. “We have achieved a lot in improving security. Even though Al Shabaab still remains a challenge, Mogadishu is far better than it was five years ago. We have been trying to create jobs and attract investments by building roads. For instance, we have completed tarmacking 17 kilometres of roads in the city and are currently working on two more,” said Mr Jimale.

With Mogadishu expanding following the expulsion of Al Shabaab from the city in 2011, among the sectors that are still wide open for foreign investments are manufacturing, hospitality, telecommunication, education and insurance. Mr Jimale said that the continued return of Somalis from the diaspora who have both capital and skills has led to investment in hotels, supermarkets, private universities and hospitals, and boosting the confidence in the city among investors.