August 15, 2016 | Morning Headlines
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Assents To Human Rights Bill
14 August – Source: Goobjoog News – 267 Words
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sunday signed into law the Human Rights Commission bill, which effectively opens the avenue for the creation of the Human Rights Commission in Somalia.
While signing the bill at Villa Somalia, Mogadishu, President Mohamud said the move was an indication of the importance of the bill and the need to uphold the rights of any person living in Somalia: “The commission will be the highest organ in the Federal Government of Somalia, which protects the rights of citizens. Everyone will be accountable to the law in accordance with the constitution of Somalia,” said the President in a press release.
The President pledged his support to ensure the commission effectively executes its functions. The new law is expected to rein in on violators of human rights in the country, who largely go unprosecuted. Human rights groups among them Human Rights Watch, have severally pointed to gross violations of human rights perpetrated separately by the state, clan militias and armed groups in Somalia.
African Union troops in Somalia have also come under criticism for human rights violations. And journalists have been major victims of human rights violations with some having to pay the ultimate price, with their lives. The Committee to Protect Journalists and the National Union of Somali Journalists indicate that over 35 journalists have been killed since 2012 in Somalia.
In most cases, those behind the killings have walked scot-free. In a report in May this year, Human Rights Watch reported that Government authorities had failed to adequately investigate and prosecute those responsible for the abuses, leaving journalists to work and live in fear.
Key Headlines
- Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Assents To Human Rights Bill (Goobjoog News)
- Opposition Wants President To Leave Office After Term Ends (Garowe Online)
- Puntland Military Court Executes Officer Over Killing (Shabelle News)
- Somali Caught With 38g Of Cannabis Remanded In Custody (Goobjoog/Malta News)
- U.S Special Forces Kill 30 Al-Shabaab Militants In Southern Somalia (Xinhua News)
- Rio 2016: Somali Sprinter Hailed As ‘Inspiration’ Despite Finishing Slower Than Most High School Girls(The Independent)
- Ethiopian Government Donates Food Aid To Hiiraan Residents (AMISOM)
- Isiolo Terror Suspects Had Been To Somalia In 2012 For Radicalisation Police Say (The Standard)
- How UPDF Somalia Mission Was Planned (Daily Monitor)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Opposition Wants President To Leave Office After Term Ends
14 August – Source: Garowe Online – 269 Words
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is under pressure to resign after his term ends on 10th of September later this year. A coalition of opposition parties issued a joint statement in Mogadishu calling on the President to save the country from a constitutional crisis by leaving office once his constitutionally-mandated term ends.
The statement comes, four days after presidential contenders-Abdirahman Mohamed Farole and Ali Haji Warsame—voiced concern over possible abuse of executive authority. The main parties in the opposition bloc strongly protested against any term extension for the government, and urged the President to come to his senses.
“[National Leadership Forum] communiqué runs counter to the constitution and could lead to constitutional crisis,” read the statement. The opposition parties further called for the need to summon national respect for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution 2275/2016 on March 24. The council at the time underlined that there would be no extension of electoral process timelines for executive and legislative branch.
National poll contenders continue to slam the manipulation of timetable for political opportunism. Reacting to the recent communiqué on August 10, Farole and Warsame lamented constitutional inconsistency: “It is obviously clear in this communique that this timetable gives an absolute and unequivocal election leverage to the current executive at the expense of the other presidential hopefuls. While illegitimately occupying these offices, they will use the national resources, security apparatus and political influence for their own campaign.” On August 8, Federal Electoral Implementation Team (FEIT) announced a new election timetable that sets October 30th as the date for Presidential Election.
Puntland Military Court Executes Officer Over Killing
14 August – Source: Shabelle News – 90 Words
A military court in Somalia’s northeastern semi-autonomous region of Puntland State executed an army officer through a firing squad in Garowe city on Sunday. Hassan Fardhiye, the chief of Puntland military court, confirmed the execution of Aydarus Dahir who was convicted of killing Abdiwali Farah Ismail, another army officer in May. Death penalty is legal in Somalia, a practise that has heavily been criticised by human rights organizations globally.
Somali Caught With 38g Of Cannabis, Remanded In Custody
14 August – Source: Goobjoog/Malta News – 210 Words
A 26-year-old who was caught with 38.5 grammes of cannabis resin hidden in cigarette packets told a court that the drug was intended for his personal use, and not trafficking.
The remark was made this afternoon during the arraignment of Mohammed Hussein Abdi, a Somali man resident at the Marsa Open Centre, who stood accused of being in possession of cannabis, of intending to traffic the drug, and of committing an offence less than 100 metres of a place frequented by youths.
The accused admitted to being in possession of the drug but denied that it was intended for trafficking, pleading, instead that the drugs were for his own personal use. The defence, represented by legal aid lawyer Martin Fenech, also objected to the charge that the offence was committed less than 100 metres of a place frequented by youths, arguing that if the police were doing their job, there would not be any youths in Paceville.
The defence also requested bail, but the prosecution requested that bail be refused because the drugs were not for the accused’s personal use. The court presided by Duty Magistrate Francesco Depasquele, rejected bail and remanded the man in custody over fears that he could abscond. Police Inspector Gabriel Micallef prosecuted.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
U.S Special Forces Kill 30 Al-Shabaab Militants In Southern Somalia
14 August – Source: Xinhua News – 156 Words
The United States Special Forces have killed more than 30 Al-Shabab militants including senior commanders during two separate security operations in southern Somalia in the past four days. Sources close to the government army told Xinhua on Sunday that the operations which took place on August 10 and 13 targeted insurgents in Sakow town in Middle Jubba region.
“The U.S. backed by Somali commandos hit Al-Shabaab targets in Sakow town, killing 30 militants in separate security operations that took place on August 10 and 13. Senior members of the terror group were killed,” the source who declined to be identified told Xinhua by telephone.
He said Al-Shabaab leader, Abu Ubeida is suspected to be either killed or captured during the operation. Three of his deputies including the spokesman of the group, Abu Mus’ab and another identified as Abu Omar were among those killed.
Rio 2016: Somali Sprinter Hailed As ‘Inspiration’ Despite Finishing Slower Than Most High School Girls
14 August – Source: The Independent – 300 Words
World class athletes are not supposed to get props just for their effort. But Somalia’s Maryan Nuh Muse should be that exception. On Saturday morning, she could not keep up with her heat in the first round of the Women’s 400 meters. So behind the rest of her peers, she didn’t stay within the frame of the NBC wide-angled cameras. Her time — 1:10:14 seconds — would not have even qualified for the Maryland high school girls’ 2A state finals.
She finished 57th out of 57 and yet, she was still called an “inspiration.” Because she is. Muse, the 19-year-old who ran her race covered from head to toe in a sky blue head wrap and black leggings, continued a recent tradition of Somali athletes, particularly female, who defy the odds of their country’s conditions to appear in the Olympics.
She trains inside a stadium in Mogadishu once used for executions by a terrorist group, and runs on a gravel track where faint white lines are barely visible as lanes. In contrast, many American track and field athletes practice on synthetic track surfaces from their peewee AAU days.
Instead, she came of age during the height of the Al-Shabaab, an extremist group linked with al-Qaeda: “Of the era of Al-Shabaab, it was the worst,” Somali handball player Leila Samo told Geeska Afrika Online. “A girl could not run, could not even walk without wearing heavy robes.” So yeah, it’s a pretty big deal Muse ran in Rio de Janeiro at all. On Twitter, she was celebrated as an “inspiration.”
Ethiopian Government Donates Food Aid To Hiiraan Residents
14 August – Source: AMISOM – 351 Words
The Ethiopian government has donated food aid to residents of Hiiraan who were displaced by floods early this year. The consignment that also included non-food items was donated to the Mayor of Beletweyne, Omar Adan Dekow, by the Deputy Ambassador of Ethiopia to Somalia, Jamaldiin Mustafa Omar, at a function held in Beletweyne.
The donation is a response to appeals made by Hiiraan administration officials to development partners to help assist more than 7,000 families who were affected by the raging floods after River Shabelle, which originates from Ethiopian highlands, broke its banks in mid-October last year. Many people living in Beletweyne, Bulo Burde and Jalalaqsi lost their homes, crops and livestock after floodwaters spread to the nearby towns.
Mr Dekow thanked the Ethiopian government for its generosity, saying the consignment will be used to ease the suffering of internally displaced persons: “I would like to thank the Ethiopian government for their noble gesture, donating food aid to help the residents of Beletweyne who suffered from flooding in the months of May and June,” said the Mayor.
The effects of the floods are still evident at the E’eel Jaale refugee camp, located 5km east of Beletweyne town, where many of the residents who were marooned by floods are residing. The internally displaced persons (IDPs) also thanked the people of Ethiopia for the kind gesture, urging other partners to come to their aid. The IDPs are currently in dire need of food and non-food items.
The residents also commended the Ethiopian troops serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) for their role in improving security in Hiraan, saying their presence has helped secure the region from Al-Shabaab militants.
Isiolo Terror Suspects Had Been To Somalia In 2012 For Radicalisation, Police Say
14 August – Source: The Standard – 499 Words
Two terror suspects arrested in Isiolo County earlier this month had been to Somalia where they were radicalised. Police say Remmy Victor Odera alias Musa Busia and Abdi Muhamud Hillow alias Twalib were in Somalia in 2012.
They were arrested on August 1, 2016 as they travelled to a contact in Isiolo township. They had been trailed from western Kenya where an Al Shabaab terror group radicalisation and recruitment cell has been discovered. A police report seen by Standard says Musa Busia first travelled to Somalia in 2012 from where he underwent military training and secretly returned to the country. “
Since his return, he has been radicalising and recruiting youth mostly in Busia, Isiolo and Marsabit using the cover that he is a herbalist,” says the report. At the time of their arrest in Isiolo, police recovered from their hideout an assortment radicalisation materials which included CDs and VCDs that preach Islamic extremism, books, several items for assembling IEDs.
Isiolo County Criminal Investigations Officer David Cheruiyot and County Commissioner George Natembeya said the suspects, who are below 35 years old, are believed to have recruited two others to join Al-Shabaab and that the recruits were already in Somalia. Isiolo has been hit by rising radicalisation, with dozens of young people believed to have crossed to Somalia to join Al-Shabaab.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Today, the African Union Mission in Somalia is celebrated for largely liberating Somalia, ridding the country’s capital of the terrorist Al-Shabaab notoriety. The journey to relative peace has been a long and difficult one, dating back more than 10 years when Uganda’s army answered an international call to help this broken country, plunging itself into a very bitter and confusing conflict”.
How UPDF Somalia Mission Was Planned
14 August – Source: Daily Monitor – 2,789 Words
The plan to deploy Uganda’s army in Somalia began to take shape in 2005 after President Yoweri Museveni quietly sent Gen Kale Kayihura; Brig Dick Olum (current 3rd Division commanding officer); and Brig Peter Elwelu (2nd Division commander) to Baidoa to study the security and political situation. These officers then held lesser ranks but have since scaled greater heights in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
All reports coming out of Somalia at the time spoke of a hellish, desolate place ravaged by famine, disease and very bloody clan warfare. Most of what was left of the government had fled into exile in Nairobi, Kenya. In the prevailing chaos, Somalia was becoming a haven for al Qaeda-linked terrorists, pirates, drug traffickers and assorted criminals.
Something had to be done to restore order as pirates, launching off the Mogadishu coastline had also made the seaway down from the Gulf of Aden very hostile waters for international shipping. Fourteen years earlier, Uganda’s commander-in-chief had visited Mogadishu. The civil war had just started then. He met warlord Mohammed Farrah Aideed.
Details of what was discussed in that meeting have never been made public. What is known, though, is that some sort of thinking was developed which probably informed President Museveni’s decision to bring the Somalia situation to the attention of his generals.
“Yes, he called us and briefed us on what to do. We spent two weeks there,” Brig Elwelu told Sunday Monitor. Brig Elwelu enjoys the distinction of having been the commanding officer of the first mission troop, Battle Group One (UGABAG1), which landed under a hail of fire in Mogadishu on March 6, 2007.
Olum, Kayihura and Elwelu sat down to talk with senior security and political officials in what was known then as the Somalia Transitional Federal Government based in Baidoa, in the far west of the country. As earlier noted, the transitional government had been kicked out of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, by an Islamic extremist band going by the fancy name, Islamic Courts Union (ICU). The current terrorist group, Al-Shabaab, is an offshoot of the ICU.