April 30, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somali President: “I thank our Emirati brothers for their generous donation to the people of Somalia

29 Apr – Source: Office of the Somali President – 333 words

His Excellency President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud today visited the sites of two development projects in Mogadishu, funded by the United Arab Emirates. HE the President visited the sites with the UAE’s Ambassador to Somalia, Mohamed Al Osmani along with senior members of the Somali National Army (SNA) and the construction project management.

The Project Manager for both builds, Emirati Abdul Hamid Suleiman, explained to HE the President that the sites, an SNA training facility in Hodan district and a hospital in Cabdulcasis district, have been built at a cost of $9 million and will both be completely operational within 4 months.

The military training facility is capable of training up to 1200 troops at a time and has accommodation, classrooms, a canteen, a medical facility and a mosque as well as a sports field and a shooting range. The Head of the SNA, General Dahir Dan Ilmi, expressed his pleasure at the design of the centre, particularly the dedicated facilities for the training of female soldiers. He commented, “I look forward to the day when all Somali security personnel are trained in Somalia.”

The hospital is located by the Old Sea Port and is a state of the art general hospital that will be capable of treating up to 500 citizens per day. HE the President paused on his tour of the sites to speak to the projects’ workforce, all of whom were recruited from the local community. “I thank our Emirati brothers for their generous donation to the people of Somalia, one that will help us to deliver both security and medical treatment”

Key Headlines

Somali president terms arrest of a Somali diplomat by Kenya ‘unacceptable’ (Hiiraan Online)
British delegation arrives in Kismayu (Bar-kulan/Goobjoog)
UN Special Envoy says Somalia is making progress (AP)
Somali Ambassador to Kenya due to address Parliament (Hiiraan Online)
Gov’t blames security conditions for not proving aid to needy families (Radio Shabelle)
Ethiopia to host high level security meeting (Africa Review)
Al Shabaab suspects captured in Puntland Security Sweep (Garowe Online)

PRESS STATEMENT

Somali President: “I thank our Emirati brothers for their generous donation to the people of Somalia

29 Apr – Source: Office of the Somali President – 333 words

HE the President concluded, “I commend the United Arab Emirates for the approach they have taken in employing the Somali people as the workforce for these projects, bringing much needed jobs to the local people. We need many more projects like this to offer the young men of Somalia a way to earn an honest living instead of working for the enemies of security and stability such as al-Shabaab.”

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali president terms arrest of a Somali diplomat by Kenya ‘unacceptable’

29 Apr – Source: Hiiraan Online – 110 words

The president of the federal republic of Somalia Hassan Sheik Mahmoud has denounced the recent detention of Somali consular by Kenyan forces describing it ‘unacceptable’. This was the first speech given by the president over the brutal detention since the diplomat Siyad Mahmoud Shire was detained in Nairobi nearly five days ago. “We are very sorry for the arrest of our diplomat and it was an unfortunate move which is damaging the diplomatic relations between the two countries—we have recalled our ambassador to Kenya and he will explain to us about what happened and as well as the general situation of Somalis in Kenya” President Hassan Sheik Mahmoud said Tuesday.

British delegation arrives in Kismayu

29 Apr – Source: Bar-kulan/Goobjoog – 75 words

A delegation led by British Envoy to Somalia Neil Wigan has Tuesday arrived in the port city of Kismayu, the administrative seat of Lower Jubba region. The delegation had earlier met with Interim Jubba Administration officials and the community elders and discussed on various issues including British-funded development projects in Kismayu. Interim Jubba Administration leader Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe) thanked the British government for implementing developmental projects such the renovation of the Kismayu football stadium.

Somali Ambassador to Kenya due to address Parliament

29 Apr – Source: Hiiraan Online – 146 words

Somalia’s Ambassador to Kenya, Mohamed Ali Nur , who returned home on Sunday after the government recalled him, is expected to address the parliament sometime this week.Parliament Speaker, Mohamed Sheikh Osmaan Jawaari, told the parliament that the diplomat is expected to come to the parliament to inform the MPs about the incident involving the Counsellor and the general situation of the Somali community in Kenya. The Ambassador, Mohamed Ali Nur will also speak about the circumstances that led to the arrest of the Counsellor at the Somali Embassy in Kenya, on Friday. “It is important for the Somali Lawmakers to hear first hand information on the detention of the Somali Counsellor, Siyad Mohamud Shire, as well as general information concerning the situation of the Somali community in Kenya, directly from our Ambassador to Kenya, who is at present in Mogadishu”, said Speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari.

Gov’t blames security conditions for not proving aid to needy families

29 Apr – Source: Radio Shabelle – 91 words

The Minister of Interior for the Somali Federal Government, Abdullahi Godax Barre, explained that due to security reasons they were unable to provide humanitarian aid to families in some reasons of Somalia. The Minister claimed that the food packages are not enough for many families living in regions of south and central Somalia. “Although we haven’t provided food to people living in towns that has been liberated from Al Shabaab, we are determined to do so.” A string of towns has been seized from the terrorists by the SNA and AMISOM.

Al Shabaab suspects captured in Puntland Security Sweep

29 Apr – Source: Garowe Online – 114 words

Puntland Police Forces have captured 12 alleged Al Shabaab members including three women in a security sweep in the gulf of adan port city of Bossaso in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Garowe Online reports. Bari region police commander Abdirahman Ali Hussein (Muslim) told reporters that botched blast led to the massive security operation: “We on Monday evening heard explosion, police presence was immediately maintained in the area where the explosion took place and we seized the perpetrator”. “A mobile phone was mounted on a bomb but it went off during the bomb-making exercise. The assailant was caught red-handed after he traversed a short distance from the scene of the explosion,” said Muslim.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Ethiopia to host high level security meeting

29 Apr – Source: Africa Review – 161 words

Defence ministers from different Africa countries and the US and the United Nations officials are set to hold a peacekeeping and stability summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from June 25-26. The Peacekeeping and Stability Links Africa 2014 meeting, aims to address the ever-growing concern for long-term security across Africa, according to a press statement of the conference organisers, ConfLinks. The forum will also bring together global business operators for ideas sharing and bilateral discussions focused on public-private partnerships (PPPs), the organisers stated. Discussion topics will include counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, logistics solutions, border control, counter- narcotics, construction / refurbishment, defence sector training, maritime security, equipment procurement, aerial surveillance and election monitoring. Representatives from UN peacekeeping missions in the DR Congo (MONUSCO), the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS), Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), the Central African Republic (MISCA), Darfur (UNAMID) the African-led Support International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA), the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) and the Trans-Sahara Counter-terrorism Partnership (TSCTP) are also expected to attend.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

UN Special Envoy says Somalia is making progress

29 Apr – Source: AP – 220 words

The United Nations Special Envoy to Somalia Nicholas Kay has stated that the federal government of Somalia faces tough challenges in its quest to rebuild functional state institutions and hold first proper national elections since late 60s. In an interview with the United Nations Radio, the envoy said the UN office in Somalia assists the federal government in several key fronts including forming federal states, completing the review process of the constitution which will go to referendum and holding first proper national elections. Asked the chances of holding national elections in 2016, the envoy said that there is significant work ahead for both the federal government and the international community but is hopeful that the necessary mechanisms for national elections will be in place come 2016. Meanwhile, the special envoy applauded the tangible military gains made by Somali National Army and African Union forces in Somalia in recent weeks. “In the last six weeks 11 towns have been recovered from Al Shabaab and are now under government control in a vast area that is at least in three military sectors, and I believe there are more military operations to come.” He said. Kay called on international community to keep up its attention to Somalia in order to encourage the good progress made by the government and the people of Somalia.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Khatumo has prevailed over the obstacles and invasions from its two predatory neighbours. It’s Conference at Taleex at the end of April heralds a new phase in which neither Somaliland nor Puntland can any longer sabotage its political, social and economic development.”

No more impunity for Somaliland’s aggressions against Khatumo

26 Apr – Source: Wardheer News – 436 words

The core people adhering to the secessionist enclave going by the name of “Somaliland” have committed treacherous crimes against the Somali nation twice in our history. First, they sold their allegiance to the British in their fight to defeat the Darwish nationalists in the first part of the 20th Century. Secondly, and in the lifetime of most Somalis, they played a leading role in the demise of the Somali State when their clan-based insurgents, the Somali National Movements (a misnomer if there was ever one) rose against the Somali State in collusion with Somalia’s arch enemy. The collapse of the Somali State, which was their objective, left them free to declare their unilateral secession from Somalia in May 1991 and to proclaim the revival of the defunct former British Somaliland. As such, the clan’s “Somaliland” was born out of terrorism and through the barrel of the gun. All the other four clans in northern Somalia (former British Somaliland) have either been forced to join the secessionist enclave under their hegemony or are still resisting them to the present day. Given their illegal basis and their one-clan nature, no country has so far recognised them to this present day or is likely to do so in the future. Even newly independent Southern Sudan, targeted as one susceptible to persuasion, has been painstakingly courted but shunned their persistent unwanted advances.