April 30, 2015 | Morning Headlines.
Deputy Premier Returns Home
29 April – Source: Radio Mogadishu – 83 Words
Deputy Premier Somalia’s Federal Government Mohamed Omar Arte has returned home after recovering from injuries he sustained during a terrorist attack at Central Hotel on February, the 20th earlier this year. Arte received warm welcome upon his return to Mogadishu. Arte thanked government officials who welcomed him after his arrival, saying he is ready to serve his nation again. The Deputy Prime Minister, Mohamed Omar Arte has been abroad for two months where he had been receiving medical care.
Key Headlines
- Deputy Premier Returns Home (Radio Mogadishu)
- Large-scale Security Sweep Detains Dozens Outside Capital (Hiiraan online)
- Ex-Somalia PMs Want Mogadishu Federated (Garowe Online)
- Rights Group Demands Somaliland Authorities Free Detained Human Rights Activist (Mareeg Media)
- South-West President Reaches Garowe (RBC Radio)
- Shock As Former US Senator Brands Somalis in US ‘Terrorist’ (Somali Current)
- Uganda Opposition Worried By Museveni Military Service Proposal (RFI English)
- Somali Hotel Chain Owner Strives To Make A Difference (VOA English)
- Guidelines For A Somali Maritime Administration Being Drawn Up (Allafrica.com)
- Vision 2016: Beyond Ownership And How to Make it Happen! (Hiiraan Online)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Large-scale Security Sweep Detains Dozens Outside Capital
29 April – Source: Hiiraan online – 336 Words
Somalia’s security forces launched a large-scale security sweep targeting suspected militants who were reportedly planning attacks outside Mogadishu, officials said on Wednesday. Hundreds of Somali and AU soldiers raided Elasha Biyaha, a former large refugees’ settlement, making house-to-house searching operation in which more than 207 people were arrested. Residents in Elasha Biyaha told Hiiraan Online that soldiers paraded suspected militants arrested during the operation in an open ground in the area, releasing some of them after interrogations.
Security has been deteriorating in the Somali capital for the past few months with militants carrying out a series of deadly attacks across the seaside capital. Most of the attacks targeted popular hotels, forcing some of the city residents to avoid their favorite hangouts for safety reasons. Somalia’s security agencies which are struggling to stop deadly attacks deployed hundreds of soldiers across the city, inspecting cars to prevent further attacks. The Al-Qaeda-linked group, Al-Shabaab which carried out the attacks vowed more attacks in the city. Security experts warned of insider attacks as the army which has restored relative stability tp the once dangerous city have experienced sleeper cells carrying out attacks inside key government institutions.
Irregular payments for soldiers have often attributed to the corruption within the security apparatus. The impoverished government which relies on donor funding has often been late in paying members of the army. African Union forces are bolstering the government which is locked in a deadly war against Al-Shabaab which stepped up guerilla attacks in Somalia and beyond, making the group one of the most deadly armed groups in the world today. However, security officials believe regular security operations combined with continual offensive against Al-Shabaab fighters may reduce the group’s capability to strike at will.
Ex-Somalia PMs Want Mogadishu Federated
29 April – Source: Garowe Online – 160 Words
Former Somali Prime Ministers Ali Mohamed Geddi and Nur Hassan Hussein (Nur Ade) are spearheading efforts to federate Mogadishu under the central government, Garowe Online reports. Gedi and Ali who served as Prime Ministers under the former Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed on Tuesday expressed interest in the formation of Banadir State in Mogadishu. The two also called for the speeding up of a semi-autonomous state consisting of Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle regions of southern Somalia. United Nations envoy to Somalia Ambassador Nicholas Kay received Gedi and Ali at his office in Mogadishu, voicing support for the latter while stressing the need for inclusive consensus when it comes to Mogadishu federation. The new endeavor comes as delegates representing South Mudug and Galgadud are gathering for state formation convention in the town of Adado.
Rights Group Demands Somaliland Authorities Free Detained Human Rights Activist
29 April – Source: Mareeg Media – 416 Words
East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project have called upon the self-declared state of Somaliland to immediately release detained lawyer and human rights defender Guleid Ahmed Jamawho who is being detained “on wholly baseless charges”, said the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, in a statement released today. Guleid Ahmed Jama who is a respected lawyer and the Chairperson for Somaliland’s Human Rights Centre was arrested on 18th April 2015 at Hargeisa Regional Court whilst representing a client.
According to human rights defenders, his arrest reportedly follows an interview he gave to BBC on 16th April 2015 in which he criticised recent executions by Somaliland authorities and called for the need for judicial reforms in the de facto autonomous state. Following his arrest, Guleid was detained at the Criminal Investigation Division for 24 hours. The following day, on 19th April 2015, he was moved to Hargeisa’s Central Police Station, where he was initially informed he was being held for ‘condemnation of the judiciary’. His bail hearing took place later on the same day, which was presided by the same judge who ordered his arrest.
The bail application was reportedly granted, but police officers at the station refused to release Guleid. Purportedly, this decision was made on the basis that an appeal had been filed by the Attorney General’s Office against the court’s decision to grant bail. On 20th April, Guleid was transferred to Hargeisa Central Prison, where it is anticipated that he will be detained for several more days before having access to a court. According to information provided to EHAHRDP by his lawyer, Guleid is facing charges under Somalia’s Penal Code of 1962.
“The charges reportedly brought against Guleid Ahmed Jama are not only baseless and absurd; they also have absolutely no basis under regional or international law”, said Hassan Shire, EHAHRDP’s Executive Director. “His detention makes a mockery of the notion of ‘rule of law’ in Somaliland, and this is a shameless and transparent attempt to target Guleid simply for exercising his right to freedom of expression”. EHAHRDP has called on Somaliland authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Guleid Ahmed Jama, and drop all charges against him.
South-West President Reaches Garowe
29 April – Source: RBC Radio – 179 Words
South West President Sharif Hassan Shiekh Adan along with a large delegation have reached Garowe, Puntland to attend a consultation forum between the Federal Government leaders and the current Federal states which is expected to kick off in the Somali’s North Eastern autonomous’ administrative capital of Garowe. The main streets of Garowe are decorated with Somalia and regional administrations flags including Puntland, Jubbaland and South West. President Sharif Hassan Shiekh Adan had been warmly welcomed to Garowe on his arrival at the airport. A jet carrying the delegation of Sharif Hassan Shiekh Adan, the President of the Interim South West administration landed in Garowe airport shortly after the arrival of Jubbaland president Ahmed Madobe, where senior officials of Puntland government were ready to welcome President Sharif’s delegation. Since yesterday, Somalia leaders had been pouring into Garowe to take part in the convention which is set to focus on the ‘New Deal” and the planned general elections in 2016.
Shock As Former US Senator Brands Somalis In US ‘Terrorist’
29 April – Source: Somali Current – 89 Words
Former US Senator Norm Coleman labelled Somalis living in Minneapolis as ‘Land of Terrorist’. He is facing sharp criticism for his remarks. Council Member Abdi Warsame termed the remarks of the former Senator as ‘’shocking and unbelievable’’ and called on the senator to apologize to all Somali citizens in Minneapolis. On his editorial piece in the Daily Tribune newspaper, the former Congressman labelled Minnesota as the “Land of 10,000 Terrorist” referring Somalis, a remark that has triggered uproar among the Somali community in the state of Minnesota.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Uganda Opposition Worried By Museveni Military Service Proposal
April 29 – Source: RFI English – 571 Words
President Yoweri Museveni is calling for a “universal” military service to confront the Al-Shebab rebel threat at home, raising fears in opposition circles that he wants to militarise Ugandan society with combat readiness and intelligence-gathering classes. The government is set to reintroduce a three-month “universal security and military training” for high school graduates before they attend university. An initial group of about 1,200 students, both male and female, is expected to report this week for a training package that includes basic combat readiness, intelligence-gathering skills and a course on the “political and strategic interests of Uganda”.
Former MP Beatrice Byenkya welcomed news that the service would start in May. “The students themselves have been requesting it,” she said in a phone interview. “It’s not completely military. It’s also about life skills. Patriotism should be the key word.” Under this non-compulsory service the security forces also hope to identify and mentor promising students, according to government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo. “Part of the problem in Africa and in Uganda in particular is that we have had rogues joining the military and intelligence services,” he said. “If a student has gone through our screening [eventually] when they join the military and the intelligence services, you are sure of their character.”
The training scheme is necessary in light of attacks launched by Somalia’s Al-Shabaab on Ugandan “soft targets”, Museveni wrote in a New Vision newspaper column published earlier this week. The Ugandan president, who first came to power as the leader of the rebel National Resistance Movement in 1985, explained that he had “already given confidential instructions to the [security forces] to re-activate” what he described as the povo armado (people in arms) “strategy”, which he attributed to Frelimo, the former Marxist-Leninist rebels now in power in Mozambique. There are reportedly no plans to arm the population, however, according to the Ugandan People’s Defense Force.
Somali Hotel Chain Owner Strives to Make a Difference
29 April – VOA English – Video – 2:46 Minutes
Many in the Somali diaspora are returning home to make a new life despite the continuing risks. Since 2011 when a military campaign against Al-Shabab militants began making progress, members of the diaspora community have come back to open hospitals, schools, hotels, restaurants and other businesses. Abdulaziz Billow in Mogadishu profiles the owner of a chain of hotels and restaurants who is helping to bring change to the once-deadly Somali capital.
Guidelines For A Somali Maritime Administration Being Drawn Up
29 April – Source: Allafrica.com – 212 Words
A three-day Stakeholders Forum is being held this week (27-29 April) in Mombasa, Kenya to review draft guidelines for the establishment of a Somalia Maritime Administration. The coordinated and funded by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), is being hosted by the Kenya Maritime Authority. The aim of the workshop is to develop a framework for establishing a Somalia Maritime Administration to provide governance and oversight to allow for the development of a sustainable Somali maritime sector.
This will allow Somalia to demonstrate its commitments and obligations under international law, and to ensure the country is in compliance with international laws and regulations. The IMO said the recent decline of piracy off the Somali coast provided a good opportunity to implement sustainable shore-based interventions to support reform of the Somali maritime sector and build a safe and secure maritime environment. This would open up the maritime economy in the country and contribute to preventing any resurgence of piracy. The meeting is being attended b y two Somali Federal Government ministers as well as senior officials from Somalia, the Puntland administration and Galmudug as well as observers from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the European regional capacity building mission EU-CAP NESTOR and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia.
OPINION/ANALYSIS/CULTURE
“What people need to understand, and fathom is the fact that all Somalis have been fixated on the potential of change taking place in 2016, and if this does not happen, it will be a major and potentially destructive blow to the morale of the nation.”
Vision 2016: Beyond Ownership and How to Make it Happen!
28 April – Source: Hiiraan Online – 1, 506 Words
September 2012: Somalia stands at the forefront of a new era. With renewed hope, Somalis all over the world closely monitored the elections taking place in capital Mogadishu. For the first in over two decades, history was on Somalia’s side as the country evolved from the transitional era into Federal Government. The democratically nominated parliament elected a new President through what was largely considered a fair process supported by the International Community. It symbolized a major turnover for Somalis in Somalia as well as abroad and the rest of the world: the country was ready for promising governance and solid leadership.
A part of the government’s mandate was to ensure a democratic transition and leading the country towards the end of its term to 2016, a year which became synonymous for the rebirth of country, in which fair and free elections where to happen for the first time in Somalia’s history. Vision 2016 was born. Before the country was ready for ‘free and fair’ elections, certain steps had to happen: finalizing the provisional constitution, establishing and finalizing the federal member states, overseeing preparations for a constitutional referendum, and organizing general elections. In order to ensure this, the country had to be secure enough and people had to understand what it means to move from clan-based governance, towards democratic processes. In other words, securing the country enough to host elections and create federal states, and starting a robust civic education campaign to create awareness on what it means to move from what it is that Somalis have inherently known for centuries.
Fast forward to early 2015, with less than a year and a half to go to realize Vision 2016, the government and international stakeholders are coming to grasp that the vision set for Somalia to achieve in 2016 will be close to impossible. I emphasize, “Vision set for Somalia to achieve”, because Vision 2016, in all its uncertainties, belongs to Somalia. Peace and state building in Somalia is a process that must be wanted and owned by the Somalis themselves. If one does not have a priority to achieve something, then others cannot achieve it for them. Nevertheless, significant progress has been made, looking at the point we started, but now it is time to go back to the basics for Somali Federal Government and re-establish an understanding of how important this is to the nation, and how crucial it is for something to take place in 2016, and by all means avoiding an extension.
“There as a period in Somalia, things were not good and its image as not conducive for FIFA courses.”
FIFA Trains Somali Referees
29 April – Source: AMISOM – Video – 2:57 Minutes
Instructors from FIFA, the world soccer governing body are in Somalia for a high-level training and fitness test for up to 30 local and international Somali referees.