August 14, 2015 | Morning Headlines

Main Story

Impeachment Motion Is A Hindrance To The Country – President

13 August – Source: Horseed Media – 166 Words

Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said that the impeachment motion to remove him from power will be a major setback to the country’s progress and government plans. In a press conference on Thursday afternoon, President Mohamud said that it was not the right time for the move by the members of the Federal Parliament. His comments came after more than 100 MPs tabled an impeachment motion on Wednesday, accusing the president of exceeding his constitutional powers. President Mohamud added that the motion was pushed by individuals whom he accused of having ‘special interests’.

Somali lawmaker Abdi Hosh said that the motion had been under process for the last six months, accusing the President of rampant corruption, political nepotism and incompetence since he came to power in 2012. Last year, Somali MPs called for the President to step down after failing to address growing insecurity. It is understood that the President managed to divide the lawmakers who had moved to table a no-confidence motion against him.

Key Headlines

Impeachment Motion Is A Hindrance To The Country – President (Horseed Media)
Doolow District Commissioner Jails Traditional Elders For Raising Their Voices Against Jubbaland Policies (Wacaal Media)
Puntland State TV Director Fired After Journalists Ditch Jobs (Garowe Online)
The Refurbishment Of A Landmark Hotel In Mogadishu To Cost USD 60 Million (Somali Current)
Soldiers Refuse Bardhere District Commissioner To Take His Office (Shabelle News)
Ugandan Officer Shoots Dead Girlfriend Then Kills Himself in Somalia (Mareeg Media)
Somali Minister Hints At Move To Ban FGM (The Guardian)
Silatech Launches Job Centre For Somali Youth (Gulf Times)
Somalia: Helping People In Previously Inaccessible Regions (ICRC)
Somalia Can Have No ‘Political Legitimacy’ Without Genuine Reconciliation (Middle East Monitor)
Mixed Feelings About The Motion Of No Confidence Against Somali President (Hiiraan Online)

NATIONAL MEDIA

Doolow District Commissioner Jails Traditional Elders For Raising Their Voices Against Jubbaland Policies

13 August – Source: Wacaal Media – 115 Words

Prominent traditional elders in Doolow were put behind bars in the last few days by the Interim Jubbaland Administration security forces for allegedly opposing President Ahmed Mohamed Islan administration. The order to arrest the four elders was reportedly issued by the local District Commissioner Mr. Hassan Buule Afgaduud after the elders raised their voice against the recently constituted district and provincial administration in Doolow and Gedo region respectively. The elders reportedly called for public participation in the appointment of the local administration instead of imposing on them what was not their choice. Locals expressed their displeasure at the move calling on the head of State Mr. Ahmed Mohamed to stop meddling with the district.

Puntland State TV Director Fired After Journalists Ditch Jobs

13 August – Source: Garowe Online – 136 Words

The President of Puntland Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has fired State Television Director Abdifatah Nur Qodah (Ashkir) following mass desertions on Thursday. President Ali has named his deputy Hussein Haji Yusuf as Interim Director with immediate effect. The firing comes after seven journalists including editors, senior news anchors and technicians ditched their jobs on the grounds of rife embezzlement and fraudulent abuses.

In late September, state broadcaster staff members protested long overdue salaries, however strike breaking measures carried on by the presidency quelled the lag in the coverage. Italy-funded Puntland State TV was officially launched by President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali’s predecessor in 2013. Puntland State TV went off air for unpaid bills last summer. On 10th of August, Garowe Online launched online petition, asking Ali to intervene between striking staffers and the sacked Director.

The Refurbishment Of A Landmark Hotel In Mogadishu To Cost USD 60 million

13 August – Source: Somali Current – 180 Words

The reconstruction of a landmark hotel building in Mogadishu is set to cost the Federal Government of Somalia a huge amount of money, the Ministry of Information has stated. Hotel Urubo (Curubo), a landmark building that remained in ruins for more than 25 years is billed to cost the government at least $60 million dollars.The hotel, which is located next to the former Treasury building, was a tourist destination before the fall of the central government. The Minister of Information, Mohamed Abdi Hayir said him and the Prime Minister of the Federal Government, Omar Sharmarke are planning to reconstruct and partly refurbish the hotel.The Ministry of Planning said it would look for investors that are ready to invest in the reconstruction of the hotel. “We pledge that we will see to the reconstruction of the hotel and all other government building and facilities that remained in ruins for the last 25 years,” the Minister of Planning assured. The minister added that he was talking to the Somali business community and other investors in the realization of the plan.

Soldiers Refuse Bardhere District Commissioner To Take His Office

13 August – Source: Shabelle News – 158 Words

The soldiers of the Federal Government of Somalia, along with Ahlu Sunna Wal jama’a militias have refused newly appointed Bardhere District Commissioner , Adow Ahmed Nuur to work in his office in Bardhere town in Gedo region. A Somali military officer, Guhaad Mohamud Moalim Nuur told Shabelle Media that its troops backed by Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a militias had stopped the newly appointed district commissioner from entering the town. Mohamud Moalim added that they would not allow anyone who does not have legally licensed letters to occupy the office for Bardhere town. Interim Jubaland Administration (IJA) head of state Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Ahmed Madoobe) appointed Adow Ahmed Nuur as the new District Commissioner of Bardhere.The incident comes days after Ethiopian troops serving African Union mission for Somalia (AMISOM) arrested several politicians including Mohamed Abdi Killil, a former governor of Gedo region. Bardhere is now under the control of the Somalia National Army along with African Union peacekeeping troops after Al Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab withdrew its militants from the town.

Ugandan Officer Shoots Dead Girlfriend Then Kills Himself in Somalia

13 August – Source: Mareeg Media – 174 Words

Senior official of Ugandan Military serving under the banner of African Union Mission in Somalia AMISOM has has killed his girlfriend before shooting himself dead on the spot. According to Kampala based Daily Monitor Newspaper, Col. Aaron Kitakure shot and killed his love who was also Uganda Peoples Defense Forces UPDF contingent serving in the capital Mogadishu. It is not clear what resulted the killing which is reported to have occurred last Sunday in one of the AMISOM bases in Somali capital, Mogadishu. UPDF Spokesman Col. Paddy Ankunda has confirmed the case and said investigations have been launched to establish the cause. Col. Ankunda told the media that the investigations are ongoing and he cannot provide preliminary reports before the end of the investigations. There are over 8,000 UPDF troops in Somalia serving under AMISOM peacekeeping troops fighting armed group Al-Shabaab.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali Minister Hints At Move To Ban FGM

13 August – Source: The Guardian – 515 Words

Somalia, the country with the highest prevalence of female genital mutilation in the world, has given its strongest signal yet that it will outlaw the brutal practice. At a recent conference in Mogadishu, Sahra Mohammed Ali Samatar, the Minister for Women’s Affairs, indicated that the country was moving towards an FGM ban. “Time has come for us to eradicate this bad practice and protect the rights of girls and women in our country,’’ she said. A spokeswoman for the ministry confirmed that work was under way to introduce a bill banning the practice, currently carried out on 98% of girls in the country. But the spokeswoman said time was running out to ensure it could be passed before potential elections next year. There are many barriers to overcome, and it is understood that the bill has not yet been drafted.

“The process of change can be very long in Somalia and there is a lot of resistance, but we are committed to making this happen,” said Ifrah Ahmed, of the ministry. “These comments from the minister are a strong sign that Somalia will ban FGM. There are real steps being made but we have to act with urgency.” According to a recent Unicef report, more than 130 million girls and women have been subjected to FGM in 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East. The practice, which is carried out mainly on children, involves removing part or all of a girl’s outer sexual organs and can result in lifelong pain, infections, infertility and difficulties in childbirth. In Somalia a policy on FGM is still at consultation stage, and any law would have to be passed by the cabinet, religious leaders and members of parliament.

Silatech Launches Job Centre For Somali Youth

13 August – Source: Gulf Times – 384 Words

Silatech and the local partner in Somalia, Shaqodoon, have launched a “One Stop Shop”(OSS) centre for youth employment and business support services in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.This is the third in a series of One Stop Shops bridging the gap between job seekers and the local business community. Located in the main city centres of Hargeisa, Bosaso, and Mogadishu, and easily accessible to both youth and employers, these One Stop Shops serve as knowledge, advice and career guidance hubs for young job seekers and entrepreneurs, as well as for business owners looking for skilled youth to employ. OSS services for job seekers include work readiness training,career guidance,work placement and financial literacy training.

The OSS centres make use of Shaqodoon’s existing SMS-based platform to connect young people directly with jobs, internships and training opportunities. As direct linkage with employers is an essential part of the OSS strategy, over 300 private sector employers will be registered and trained in the three cities to participate in Shaqodoon’s own employment platform. Aspiring young entrepreneurs are now able to access entrepreneurship training and business development services. Those who successfully complete training are linked with the two leading microfinance partner institutions in Somalia/Somaliland, MicroDahab and Kaah Islamic Microfinance Services.

According to the UN, over 70 % of Somalia’s population is under the age of 30. The country has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world — at 67 % and 6 out of every 10 Somalis intend to leave the country to pursue better economic opportunities elsewhere. Amaal Abukar, project officer for Somalia at Silatech, said: “The lives of young Somalis have been shaped by a quarter of a century of violent turmoil and lost opportunities for self-actualisation. One effective method for combating youth unemployment lies in establishing youth centres and providing access to finance for aspiring entrepreneurs. This will help to encourage the establishment of new enterprises and foster a culture of entrepreneurship and economic prosperity throughout Somalia.”

Somalia: Helping People In Previously Inaccessible Regions

13 August – Source: ICRC – Video – 2:29 Minutes

The ICRC has extended its reach in Somalia to regions that were previously inaccessible, mainly rural areas, after regaining the confidence of the communities and authorities. Eric Marclay, former head of operations for East Africa, explains how increased acceptance of the ICRC’s role has enabled the organization to step up its operations and help thousands more people in Somalia.

OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE

“Contrary to the conventional wisdom of Somalia’s political elite and power brokers, reconciliation is not the express powwows, artificial communiques and photo opportunities orchestrated by regional actors or the international community in banqueting halls. It is a deliberate and systematic process driven by a comprehensive strategic plan implemented by Somalis who are not blinded by the musical chairs of being appointed for symbolic governmental posts or in the dirty, clan-based political fights,”

Somalia Can Have No ‘Political Legitimacy’ Without Genuine Reconciliation

13 August – Source: Middle East Monitor – 1,536 Words

The Somali state did not disintegrate because of elections or lack thereof. It disintegrated because of institutional injustice and chronic foreign meddling. That is why the state imploded, over a million people died and clan-based balkanisation or “federalism” became the rapidly spreading cancer that is destroying an already ailing country and keeping it in a state of perpetual dependency and subjugation.

Make no mistake, the most serious existential threat facing the Somali nation is the status quo. In other words, any time that the peripheries resort to the cultivation of international relationships that are wholly independent of the centre, sign agreements of serious consequences haphazardly with foreign countries, and build clan militaries, they make the latter wholly irrelevant and the recovery of the state an impossible task. In broken nations where the political system and all essential elements that keep societies functioning in unison go haywire, all political issues of contention must be renegotiated and, indeed, reconciled before a nation is pieced back together and the healing process is set in motion. Through such a process, trust is cultivated and sustainable peace is achieved. Naturally, the process must be both genuine and indigenous.

Failing to recognise these fundamentals, or, as usual, rushing haphazardly into a power-sharing arrangement, would only exacerbate matters. Somalia has a quarter of a century-long experiment to prove that. Placing the Somali political dilemma within the fallacious framework that an election is a panacea undermines the direly needed debate on justice, reconciliation and how to break the shackles of foreign dependency.Under the current system where foreign political actors, mainly the Ethiopia/Kenya tag-team, dominate the process, genuine reconciliation is simply a pipedream. As such, total transformation of the current system that perpetuates the status quo is an imperative prerequisite. After all, it is not only the Somali state that failed; the steam engine of waste, or the international community model, has also failed.

“Somalia is getting better slowly but it is not the government which is making this happen but the people and community leaders,” said Mohamed Warsame, a business man. The statement by MP’s has many claims and I think all of them are true. There is too much corruption, security is a little better but not by much and the President likes to interfere in everything, added another man who did not want to be named. It is so funny really that the President who wanted to reshuffle the cabinet is now fighting for his own seat.”

Mixed Feelings About The Motion Of No Confidence Against Somali President

13 August – Source: Hiiraan Online – 1,019 Words

The buzz in public offices, Café’s, restaurants and hotel lobbies all across Mogadishu was intense for the last few days. It started with discussions of a potential Cabinet reshuffle but quickly progressed to whether or not the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, can survive the latest Motion of No Confidence lodged at the Parliamentary Speaker’s Office against him by national lawmakers. In a surprise turn of events, over 90 Somali Parliamentarians lodged a Vote of No Confidence against the nations President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud yesterday. In a carefully constructed statement, the lawmakers accused the President and “his cronies” of violating the constitution and individual human rights of citizens as well as corruption and worsening the security situation among other things. The Motion to impeach the President has been lodged with the office of the parliamentary speaker and requires a Supreme Court ruling on its legality before it can be discussed in Parliament.

While the news only became public yesterday, the rumours were circulating days beforehand. The Statement released by the Parliamentarians states clearly that lawmakers were debating this action for 6 months among themselves and with other relevant stakeholders before making it public. Despite surviving Motions of No confidence in the past, members of the President’s office quietly admit that this action against the President came as a surprise and is very different from those of the past. “MP’s are always moaning and are seen as corrupt as any other institution by the Somali people but this time the motivation driving them are more diverse,” said a senior civil servant who did not want to be identified. “The statement makes clear that lawmakers had consulted and prepared for this confrontation with the President but we can’t say what outcome they want.” In a crowded restaurant in Mogadishu city centre most people are enjoying their breakfast with a side discussion on the motion. Most agree that rebuilding a country like Somalia which was totally destroyed by civil war is not easy but they also believe that the President has not shown the leadership needed to change Somalia for good.