April 30, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somalia hospitals see fewer war victims

29 Apr- Source:VOA- 362 words

As security improves in Mogadishu and much of south central Somalia, hospitals are seeing fewer victims of violence than before. Doctors say more and more patients come in for elective surgeries and to seek treatment for “normal” illnesses. For over 20 years, the Medina Hospital in Mogadishu has treated the victims of Somalia’s war. With the biggest emergency care facility in the city, Medina serves as a referral hospital for trauma and surgery cases from all over south central Somalia and can admit up to 300 patients at one time.

Key Headlines

Somali government concerned by worsening situation of somali refugees in Yemen (Radio Mogadishu)
President Hassan reaches agreement with Puntland President (Garowe Online)
Government soldiers accused of extorting money at roadblocks (Radio Ergo)
Ashton confident about Somalia’s progress (UPI)
UK Foreign Office Minister meets Somaliland diaspora in Cardiff (Somaliland informer)
Government forces conduct security operations in parts of Mogadishu ( Raxanreeb)
Search for oil expands in Somaliland (National)
Kenyan MP wants Kenya-Somalia border opened (Star (Kenya)
260000 died in 2011 Somali famine (Times Live/ AP)

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali government concerned by worsening situation of Somali refugees in Yemen

29 Apr- Source: Radio Risaala/Radio Mogadishu/Kulmiye/ RBC- 136 words

The Somali Council of Ministers expressed concern over the worsening situation faced by Somali refugees in Yemen. The council appointed a new ministerial level task force to investigate the conditions of the refugees and make recommendations, including, if necessary, the possible immediate repatriation to Somalia. “The council of ministers has received a report from the Somali delegation that visited Yemen this week and is deeply saddened to hear of the worsening situation faced by Somali refugees in the country,’” Deputy Minister of Information, Telecommunication and Postal Services Abdishakur Ali Mire said at a press conference after the council meeting.

Government forces conduct security operations in parts of Mogadishu

29 Apr- Source: Raxanreeb- 93 words

Government forces on Monday launched security operations in some districts of the capital Mogadishu. Units of Somali and AMISOM Police forces took part in this security operation. The operations, which centred around the district of Yaqshiid, led to the detention of hundreds of youth that were taken from their houses during the operation.

Government soldiers accused of extorting money at roadblocks

29 Apr- Source: Radio Ergo- 140 words

Drivers of buses and trucks plying the roads connecting Mogadishu with Baidoa, Merka and Jowhar are up in arms about the abuse by government soldiers of the roadblocks along these main routes. “Government soldiers have placed roadblocks at numerous points along the road. At times they beat us, or even torture us, and terrorize our passengers. We have complained to the authorities but nothing has been done about it,” said a driver on the Mogadishu-Baidoa route. “We have to pay out at least 80,000 Somali shillings in bribes between Mogadishu and Afgoye.”

President Hassan reaches agreement with Puntland President

29 Apr- Source: Garowe Online- 445 words

Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole and Somali Federal Government President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held a press conference on an agreement reached during President Hassan’s visit to Puntland. During President Hassan’s two day stay in Garowe – administrative capital of Puntland State – he met with President Farole to discuss many issues including federalism, security, economy and cooperation.

UK Foreign Office Minister meets Somaliland diaspora in Cardiff

29 Apr- Source: Somaliland informer -198 words

British Foreign Office Minister Mark Simmonds met members of the Somaliland diaspora in Cardiff to discuss a range of issues around UK foreign policy. More than 20 local leaders, community workers and political activists, including women representatives, attended the event at the National Assembly for Wales on Monday. In his remarks, the Minister paid tribute to the long-standing friendship between the UK and Somaliland.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenyan MP wants Kenya-Somalia border opened

29 Apr- Source: Star (Kenya)- 321 words

Daadab MP Mohamed Dualle at the weekend said the closure of the Kenya-Somali border has increased insecurity in Garissa town. Speaking in Garissa Dualle urged the government to consider re-opening the border. “Currently, it’s said that the border is closed there is still a lot of movements going on via illegal crossings along the border,” he said. The Kenyan government decided in early 2012 to close the Kenya-Somali border following a series of incidents and attacks blamed on the al Qaeda linked al Shabaab militants who were crossing over into the country from their bases in Somalia.

Search for oil expands in Somaliland

29 Apr- Source: National- 442 words

Somaliland hopes that exploration by international oil companies will unearth reserves similar to those in nearby Yemen, and is in talks to increase the number of companies taking on acreage in the quasi-autonomous region. The region, which considers itself independent from Somalia but is not recognised by the international community, last week signed its second deal with an established international player – Norway’s DNO International, a company that merged with the UAE’s RAK Petroleum.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somalia Hospitals See Fewer War Victims

29 Apr- Source:VOA- 362 words

Ashton confident about Somalia’s progress

29 Apr- Source: UPI- 168 words

The assassination of the Somali deputy chief prosecutor shouldn’t stand in the way of national progress, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said. Somali prosecutor Ahmed Malim Sheik Nur was killed last week by Islamic militants. Al Shabaab, a militant group with ties to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for bombing courthouse in Mogadishu this month. Somalia last year established a central government for the first time since the 1990s. Ashton expressed her condolences for the most recent attack.

260,000 died in 2011 Somali famine

29 Apr- Source: Times Live/ AP- 606 words

The 2011 Somali famine killed an estimated 260,000 people, half of them age 5 and under, according to a new report to be published this week that more than doubles previous death toll estimates, officials told The Associated Press.

The aid community believes that tens of thousands of people died needlessly because the international community was slow to respond to early signs of approaching hunger in East Africa in late 2010 and early 2011.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“As the number of internally displaced people in the world reaches record levels, Somalia’s situation highlights why creative solutions are needed to assist returnees.”

When it comes to Somalia’s displaced, don’t mistake ambition for achievement

29 Apr- Source: The Guardian-803 Words

Somaia’s new government is beginning to build confidence in its ability to progress the country’s recovery. The UK opened its new embassy – a collection of shipping containers painted white – in Mogadishu last week, and other European countries are following suit. Somalia’s progress raises an immediate question: is it now time for hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced people living in the region to return?

Though there are many reasons to be optimistic about Somalia’s future, it is important not to mistake ambition for achievement, particularly when it comes to thinking about large-scale repatriation.