NATIONAL NEWS
22 August – Source: Garowe Online – 147 Words
The newly-elected lawmakers of Jubaland voted on Thursday to elect a new president in a much-awaited election in the southern port city of Kismayo, Garowe Online reports. Four presidential candidates, including incumbent Ahmed Madobe and one female candidate, have contested for the state presidency during the vote by the region’s 74-seat parliament. Madobe has won Jubaand’s election by a landslide, granting him a third term in office and extending his 6-year rule over the country’s southern strategic Federal state. He was announced to be the winner in the first round of the ballot after garnering 56 votes, defeating his closest candidate, Anab Mohamed, the female candidate, who won 17 votes, according to the election result. The 56-year-old Madobe ruled over Jubaland since its inception in 2013, a year after his troops backed by Kenyan defence forces [KDF] liberated Kismayo from Al-Shabaab, about 500 Km south of Mogadishu.
22 August – Source: Halbeeg – 282 Words
One million Somalis will receive life saving food and clean water to help reduce food scarcity and malnutrition, the UK government announced on Wednesday. This new £30 million package of UK aid builds on the £38 million in humanitarian and resilience support which the UK is already providing in the country. During a visit to the country this week, Minister for Africa Andrew Stephenson announced that as well as providing food and water, UK aid will also help build longer-term resilience to climate change and drought.
“Somalia is being crippled by drought and millions of people are in desperate need of life-saving food, clean water and treatment for malnutrition.” Stephenson said, adding “The UK has been at the forefront of the humanitarian response, but more needs to be done. Britain, alongside the international community, is committed to providing immediate assistance and building Somalia’s ability to manage the crisis.” An extra £30 million of UK aid support will also provide vaccines for livestock which Somali farmers rely on for their livelihoods. Minister Stephenson led a roundtable with humanitarian partners during his visit, where he discussed how the UK and international community can support Somalia to build their resilience to climate change and end their reliance on emergency aid.
He met Somalia’s Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre and reiterated the UK’s commitment to supporting Somalia reform on security, politics and developing Somalia’s economy. The minister also travelled to Baidoa in Southwest State where he saw first-hand how the British Military is supporting the training of the Somali National Army at a CSSF-funded training facility. While there, he met Southwest State leader Abdiasiis Laftagareen and discussed the UK’s support for stability and security in the area.
21 August – Source: SONNA – 272 Words
The Government of Somalia, through the Ministry of Health, took over the administration of Banaadir hospital 6 months ago in a bid to restore the institution to its former glory. It was faced with a series of challenges and the intended public could not benefit as required. The Ministry of Health has appointed a board that will manage the affairs of the troubled institution led by a director. Through the efforts of the new administration, there has been a sharp rise in the number of patients visiting the hospital. Patients reported changes in service and sufficiency. The Ministry of Health has set milestones to achieve its vision which is affordable health care. The majority of the population in Somalia is poor and can not afford private hospitals and treatment outside the country. The government has pledged improved and affordable healthcare and this is a major step in that direction.
The Ministry announced plans to expand the functionality of the hospital by adding a dialysis department to the hospital which will be free. Kidney patients in the country are currently paying a fortune in private hospitals and those who can not afford are faced with a difficult situation. The ministry announced that it will launch a blood bank in recent days in order to boost government-provided services and to ease access to such vital services. The Ministry urged the public to take part in restoring public services. There is minimum to none number of social amenities operating in the country and the government wants to change that concept. With the help of the business community and the service can reach a new standard
21 August – Source: Radio Shabelle – 540 Words
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) yesterday launched a National Workshop on Advancing Gender-Responsive Journalism in Mogadishu in partnership with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and UN Women. A special acknowledgement and appreciation are accorded to UN Women for rendering major and tireless support in making this workshop a success. Organized under the theme “Promoting Ethics, Achieving Fairness and Empowering Women Journalists in Somalia” the workshop brought together more than 55 journalists from all regions of Somalia given that the media in Somalia plays a central role in gender stereotyping.
NUSOJ representatives highlighted the fact that media production on all levels including news and TV programs has not made a breakthrough in gender mainstreaming and achieving a gender-sensitive and balanced language. Moreover, capacity development and provision of secure environments for female journalists in Somalia have remained a challenge. The national workshop was officiated by the Federal Minister for Women and Human Rights Development, H.E. Deqa Yasin Hagi Yusuf, who applauded the increasing number of women journalists and emphasized the importance of women journalists to hold senior positions in the media together with the need to ensure adherence to ethical standards of the profession. “it is vital to increase the understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment in and through media of all forms, by changing the language used by the journalists to become gender-sensitive. We are devoted to help and protect female journalists”…….
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
21 August – Source: UN News – 534 Words
Mr. Swan noted the effectiveness of the collaboration between the UN and international partners, and the Somali Security Forces working with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which has seen areas near the capital Mogadishu taken back from terror group al-Shabaab and stabilized. However, Mr. Swan noted that terrorism remains a threat to progress, citing the deadly al-Shabaab attack on the offices of the mayor of Mogadishu in July, which killed and injured several Government officials.
Lookahead to 2020 elections
Looking ahead to the crucial 2020 election cycle, Mr. Swan described the upcoming poll as an opportunity to advance democracy in the country, noting that preparations for the one-person-one-vote poll, including a draft electoral law, are underway. He called for the empowerment of women to be a central feature of the political process and encouraged the Federal Government to establish a task force, to ensure election security. A more immediate concern for Mr. Swan is the regional election in Jubaland province on Thursday, where a contested outcome could see an increased level of insecurity, which would not only put progress made in Jubaland in jeopardy, but also potentially undermine national priorities, including preparations for the 2020 elections, the fight against al-Shabab and the country’s development agenda.
Signs of economic progress amid ongoing humanitarian crisis
Turning to the economic situation in Somalia, Mr. Swan said that the Government has made “great strides” towards improving the country’s fiscal performance and strengthening governance, putting Somalia on the path towards economic recovery. This progress is set against a backdrop of an ongoing humanitarian crisis that remains “one of the most protracted in the world”, with 2.2 million Somalis facing acute food insecurity, and 2.6 million internally displaced, fleeing conflict and drought. Mr. Swan urged Member States to urgently resource a Drought Impact Response Plan issued by the UN and Somali Government, which calls for funding of $686 million. To date just over half of that sum has been secured……..
21 August – Source: US Mission in the UN – 485 Words
Thank you Madame President and thank you to all of our briefers today. Congratulations to Special Representative Swan on your new role. Your deep experience will be of great help to the international community in supporting Somalia in the challenging period ahead through its political and security reforms and we stand ready to support you.
Madame President, Somalia continues to face significant challenges on its path toward building a safe, stable, and prosperous state, underscored by Al-Shabaab’s recent attacks on Mogadishu and Kismayo that killed the mayor and more than two dozen people, including two U.S. citizens. Despite these attacks, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS)’s reform efforts, with support from the UN, the African Union, and international partners, offer hope that progress is underway. We encourage both AMISOM and the Somali government to continue to work towards a conditions-based transfer of security responsibilities, and for international partners to closely coordinate in this effort. Likewise, the Somali police need ongoing capacity-building support to help stabilize areas reclaimed from Al-Shabaab. As our UK colleague noted, Somali officials must also cooperate and engage with the UN Sanctions Committee Panel of Experts to address shortcomings highlighted by that Panel that impede Somalia’s progress.
On the political front, Madame President, the federal government’s political and governance reform, including the draft electoral law and constitutional reform, offers the best hope for sustainable stability and economic growth. The United States regrets that these important reforms have not yet been finalized or implemented, and we urge all Somali stakeholders to earnestly commit to advance these reforms. We applaud Prime Minister Khayre’s reconciliation efforts between completing clans and the federal government and his support for the integration of local militias into Somalia’s national security architecture. Somalia’s success depends on continued, productive collaboration between Mogadishu and the member states. The upcoming Jubaland presidential election provides an opportunity to reaffirm mutual respect between the central and state governments. We call on all parties to support a peaceful election and to avoid any interference in the electoral process……..
21 August – Source: Xinhua – 481 Words
A Chinese UN envoy on Wednesday said the world should continue to help Somalia strengthen its governance capacity. Wu Haitao, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said despite recent progress, the overall situation in the Horn of African country remains relatively complicated, and peace and stability are facing challenges. Wu called on the international community to help improve the federal mechanism and the relationships between the federal government and the governments of federal member states.
All federal member states of Somalia should, in the spirit of cooperation, respect and safeguard the authority of the federal government and jointly realize national peace, stability and development, he said. In addition, Wu said the world should continue to help Somalia strengthen its security capacity building. All international partners should strengthen coordination and form synergy to help the Somali government implement the transition plan, so as to transfer the security tasks of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to the Somali security forces, he said. The United Nations and the international community should provide stable, predictable and sustainable financial support to AMISOM to help the troop-contributing countries improve their capacity building to combat terrorism more effectively. Moreover, the Chinese envoy said the world should continue to increase support for humanitarian aid and economic and social development in Somalia………
21 August – Source: Xinhua – 297 Words
Somali forces backed by a local militia group known as Ma’awisley killed 11 al-Shabab extremists and injured 15 others in Jowhar town in Somalia’s southern region of Middle Shabelle on Tuesday, a military official said on Wednesday.
Salah Ya’qub, commander of Somali forces in charge of 27th division told journalists that a fierce intense counter-attack flared up in Shimbirow village in Jowhar town after the militants launched an attack on a base used by government-backed local militia but they were overpowered and repelled. “The allied forces managed to kill 11 militants and injured 15 others. Our forces are now running the base,” the officer said, noting that the forces are now conducting operations in the town pursuing the remnants of the militants who ran outside of the town. Local inhabitants said there was a fierce fight in the town. “Hooded men attacked the army’s base in the area and shortly after we heard the sound of mortar shells,” Jamila Elmi, a resident told Xinhua by phone……..
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“As it stands, the UK is particularly concerned about the insufficient provisions on the representation of minority groups and women – an issue that Ms Arale also touched on in her briefing just now. We stand ready as the UK to provide support for the elections and we urge others to do the same.”
21 August – Source: British Foreign Ministry – 1083 Words
Statement by Stephen Hickey, UK Political Coordinator at the UN, at the Security Council briefing on Somalia
Thank you, Madam President. Let me begin by thanking our four briefers who have really enriched our discussions here today and also by extending the UK’s deepest sympathies to the families of the victims targeted in attacks by Al-Shabaab. We condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms and we pay tribute to the role of the Somali National Army, the Somalia Police Force and AMISOM troops in their efforts to promote peace, security and stability in Somalia.
Madam President, I want to give a particularly warm welcome to SRSG Swan and to pay tribute to him and his team for the work that they have been doing over the last few months. The UN has played and will play a vital role in enabling lasting peace and security for Somalia, and we encourage full engagement and cooperation with the UN. The sanctions regime is, of course, a key part of security sector reform, and we encourage Somalia to engage in dialogue with the Panel of Experts who have been mandated by this Council.
I would also like to thank SRSG Pramila Patten for her very important briefing today and for the excellent work, she has been doing with the Somali government to address conflict-related sexual violence. The government’s commitment to developing a new national action plan to end sexual violence in conflict demonstrates the willingness to tackle this pervasive issue. But we do share concerns about the lack of progress, in particular in passing the Sexual Offences Bill which SRSG Patten mentioned. I do hope that you will be able to come back to the Council in due course to update us on progress on the many issues that you flagged this morning.
I’d also like to thank Ms Arale for your extremely brave and very powerful briefing today about the work that you are doing on the ground and the work that your organisation and other human rights defenders are doing to strengthen human rights in Somalia. I think we all heard loud and clear your message on the need for the Security Council to integrate the issues of human rights and tackling sexual violence into our work on Somalia so thank you for being so clear. And I think your presence and our meeting today is a further reminder to this Council of the importance of women playing a central role in conflict prevention, mediation and state-building. Thank you very much….. |
