August 27, 2018 | Morning Headlines
Hundreds Protest Against Jubbaland President
26 August – Source: Caasimada Online – 247 Words
Hundreds of protesters have descended on Bardhere town in a huge show of opposition to Somalia’s Jubaland State President Ahmed Mohamed Islam. Islam’s administration based in the coastal town of Kismayo, some 500 km south of Somali capital Mogadishu, has been rocked by allegations for the past months. The protestors took to the streets of the town to make their feelings about Jubaland administration public.
President Islam was accused of incompetence, according to Faisa Hussein, who was among hundreds of people who took to the streets of Bardhere town. Hussein has also blamed the president for not contributing to the political stability of Gedo region. “We decided to hold a peaceful demonstration against Islam’s administration, we call on the president to step down”, she said. She says hundreds of people, including students, elderly men and women poured into main streets of Bardhere town to protest against Jubaland administration.
Bardhere is an important agricultural town in Gedo region of Somalia. It is also the second most populous town in the Juba Valley. Last week, hundreds took to the streets to protest against the arrival of a ministerial delegation led by Jubaland’s Minister of Planning, Aden Ibrahim Aw Hersi. The delegation was attacked with stones thrown by angry demonstrators while the security guards fired bullets to disperse the mob. The rally comes amid strained relations between Somali government and Jubaland leaders over newly appointed army commanders to head SNA in Juba and Gedo regions to join in fighting against Al-Shabaab.
Key Headlines
- Hundreds Protest Against Jubbaland President (Caasimada Online)
- Jubaland State Cabinet Holds Emergency Meeting In Kismayo (Shabelle Media)
- We Are Clean Turkish Port Operator Albayrak Claims Amid Graft Allegations (Radio Dalsan)
- Somalia’s First Female Brigadier General (The East African)
- Ex-GSU Officer Denies Trying To Enter Somalia (Daily Nation)
- UK Somali Teenagers Taken ‘On Holiday’ And Forced Into Marriage (The Guardian)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Jubaland State Cabinet Holds Emergency Meeting In Kismayo
26 August – Source: Shabelle Media – 117 Words
The leader of Jubbaland state of Somalia, Ahmed Madobe has convened an emergency cabinet meeting in Kismayo port city to discuss the current situation in the region. The meeting comes as protests against Jubbaland administration were held in several towns in Gedo region of southern Somalia, where residents are calling for reform and regime change.
The interim seat of the state, Kismayo has seen a fierce clash between two groups within Jubbaland security last weekend which flared up over the arrest of a senior army officer. Jubbaland, however, is heading to the polls next year as the incumbent is dragging his feet to hold a free and credible election, an attempt that has been warned by critics.
We Are Clean, Turkish Port Operator Albayrak Claims Amid Graft Allegations
26 August – Source: Radio Dalsan – 151 Words
A section of Somali importers have demanded for an investigation into alleged corrupt practices by the Turkish Mogadishu Port operator AlBayrak Group. In an interview with Radio Dalsan, a businessman who is a regular importer accused the Turkish port operator of being part of the “network of corruption”. “They “Albayrak” do not deal with you directly, in most times they use Somali brokers in their corrupt dealings” Mohamed Ahmed an importer claimed.
Somalia government fight against corruption was taken to the country’s largest and most profitable port last week with the arrest of Mogadishu Port Tax Authority boss Ali Ahmed Samow and six other officials. On Saturday Albayrak boss Sami Erol held a press conference at the Port seeking to distance itself from the recent arrests at the Port. Albayrak Group which took over management of Mogadishu Port in August 2014 said it had not been involved in any corrupt dealings.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia’s First Female Brigadier General
26 August – Source: The East African – 164 Words
Colonel Zakia Hussein Ahmed has been promoted to the rank of a brigadier general in the Somali Police Force. She becomes the first woman in the country’s police history to attain the rank.
Speaking during her installation on Sunday at General Kahiye Police Academy in Mogadishu, Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre emphasised the need to recognise the role of women in the country. “If women are at least fifty percent of the population in Somalia, they must get what they deserve.
In fact, every person should get his or her rights, otherwise we will not be able to compete with our neighbours” said PM Khayre. “I want to encourage Somali women to stop aiming low. Instead, I would like you to focus to becoming the next president and premier in this country,” he added. Col Zakia was on August 16 appointed by President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo to become deputy commander of police in a security reshuffle. Other officers were also honoured at the ceremony.
Ex-GSU Officer Denies Trying To Enter Somalia
25 August – Source: Daily Nation – 88 Words
A former General Service Unit officer has denied the charge of attempting to sneak into Somalia through an illegal point while in Mandera Town for an unknown mission. Mr Karutha Githaiga, 33, appeared before Mandera Resident Magistrate Dancun Mtai.
The Anti-Terror Police Unit, through the State counsel Kennedy Amwayi, opposed the release of the suspect on bond. Mr Githaiga said he visited Mandera to eke a living. ATPU will be investigating Mr Githaiga’s visits to Nairobi, Voi, Lamu, Malindi, Garsen, Garissa, Elwak and Mandera, which they termed suspicious.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“The Somalia case is unusual. Traditionally, when you look at these cases you always think of South Asian communities but the Somalian community is a new and emerging community in the UK and the second generation are coming of age.”
UK Somali Teenagers Taken ‘On Holiday’ And Forced Into Marriage
26 August – Source: The Guardian – 1448 Words
British Somali teenagers are being taken back to their parents’ homeland under the pretence of a holiday and then kept in detention centres before being forced into marriages. Under the practice of dhaqan celis, loosely translated as “the rehabilitation community”, Somali children and teenagers are routinely taken to the country, where they are often sent to “rehabilitation” centres.
The centres promote themselves as “re-education” schools to align young people with Somali cultural values and their Somali roots. The Home Office, however, says they tend not to deliver an academic curriculum and are in fact detention centres where young people are routinely subjected to physical, sexual and mental abuse. In some cases, those held against their will are told the only way out is to get married.
David Myers, joint head of the Home Office’s forced marriage unit (FMU) in the UK, said: “What we are seeing in these communities is that young people who have antisocial behaviour issues, are getting involved in gangs and drugs, and are being sent back to Somalia by their parents for re-education and rehabilitation.
“The concept in Somali culture, dhaqan celis, means returning to the culture to help them rehabilitate and they are sent to what they call schools but what we call detention centres. We have had reports of physical abuse, mental abuse, sexual abuse within these centres, where they are kept in really strict conditions. “These teenagers and children are told that the only way they can escape these centres is to get married to another Somalian and that is where the forced marriage element comes into it.”
The latest figures show there has been a 100% year-on-year increase in the number of forced marriage cases handled by Home Office involving Somali children and teenagers. In 2017, the figure rose to 91, more than India. Myers said: “The Somalia case is unusual. Traditionally, when you look at these cases you always think of South Asian communities but the Somalian community is a new and emerging community in the UK and the second generation are coming of age.” The number of cases reported to the FMU in 2017 was more than double the number received the previous year. Almost 75% of the victims, some younger than 15, were already overseas when they contacted the FMU.
There were calls from 65 females and 26 males. Of those, 23 were under the age of 15. London had the highest number of victims at 64. Seven came from north-west England. When the Guardian contacted a number of UK-based Somali community organisations and charities, most said they had not heard of the practice or denied that forced marriage involving British Somali nationals was taking place.