NATIONAL MEDIA
27 August – Source: Goobjoog – 301 Words
On Sunday, 25th August 2019, EISA visited Villa Somalia to pay a courtesy visit to the Minister of Constitutional Affairs of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Honourable Minister Salah Ahmed Jama. Led by Country Director, Mr Mukenyi BADIBANGA, the EISA delegation was welcomed by the Director-General of the Ministry, Mr Mohamed Abukar Zubeyr, before engaging with Minister Salah. After a brief description of the support by EISA towards the Constitutional Review Process (CRP) in Somalia, EISA shared details some of the deliverables achieved under EISA’s four-year programme which ran from 2014 to 2018 with generous funding from the Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi. “EISA values the collaboration with Somali partners in general and remains dedicated to supporting the CRP in Somalia under its new programme titled “Support Towards a Democratic, Unified and Peaceful Somalia – STAND UP SOMALIA”, said Mr Mukenyi in his introduction to Minister Salah.
After a warm welcome that included invaluable advice on EISA’s future support, the Honourable Minister acknowledged the work of EISA on the continent in general and, in particular, in Somalia and encouraged the collaboration between the two institutions for substantial actions towards supporting the work plan of the Ministry. “We appreciate the commitment of EISA towards the CRP and look forward to engaging further on significant milestones as laid by the Ministry”, Minister Salah said. The two institutions discussed various aspects of the collaboration and agreed to pursue the conversation in the days to come in order to accelerate the implementation of CRP activities. STAND UP Somalia aims to support state actors, the 2020/2021 electoral process, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and enhance the participation of women, youth and the citizenry at large in the political processes. The Swedish Embassy in Nairobi is continuing it’s much-appreciated the support to EISA for STAND UP SOMALIA.
27 August – Source: Goobjoog – 427 Words
The US Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act, have presented the Fiscal Transparency report of 2019. This annual report describes the minimum requirements of fiscal transparency developed, updated, and strengthened by the department in consultation with other relevant federal agencies. It also assesses those governments that did not meet the minimum fiscal transparency requirements and indicates whether those governments made significant progress toward meeting the requirements during the review period of January 1 – December 31, 2018.
In the report, Somalia was listed among the governments that have made significant progress by publishing its end-of-year report within a reasonable period of time. During the review period, the federal government of Somalia has published its enacted budget and end-of-year report online within a reasonable period of time. The reports show that Somalia has not published its executive budget proposal online until after the start of the fiscal year but information on external debt obligations from 2013 to 2016 was published on the Ministry of Finance’s website so far the budget documents were not substantially complete.
Some ministries of the federal government of Somalia have maintained off-budget accounts not subject to audit or oversight. Actual revenues and expenditures deviated from projections, but the federal government issued a revised supplemental budget estimate passed by parliament and periodic budget execution reports, increasing the credibility of information in budget documents. Somalia’s supreme audit institution was also blamed for not producing a publicly available review of the government’s accounts but has conducted reviews of government ministries and submitted those reports to the federal parliament…….
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
26 August – Source: EU in Somalia – 553 Words
Human smuggling and trafficking are serious crimes that can lead to tragic consequences including loss of lives. These types of grave crimes, often international by nature, have become alarmingly common and Somaliland authorities have responded to the problem by drafting the Countering Trafficking in Person and Smuggling of Migrants Act. To support this work, EUCAP’s Field Office facilitated a two-day workshop in Hargeisa, organised by the Attorney General’s Office.
Twenty participants, three of them women, discussed the Act and obstacles they encounter when fighting human trafficking and smuggling related crimes. They also heard a presentation on UNHCR’s mandate and efforts to prevent and respond to human trafficking. The participants including judges, prosecutors and representatives from the Somaliland Coast Guard and Somaliland Immigration, are all on the front line and part of the chain of Rule of Law, which is pivotal to combat these crimes.
“You are all from the core institutions, responsible for taking actions against human smuggling and trafficking. During this workshop, we will discuss and study the new draft Act on Countering Trafficking in Person and Smuggling of Migrants. Additionally, this is an opportunity to enhance cooperation between the different Rule of Law institutions, and clarify your own role in this chain,” said Somaliland Attorney General Hassan M Aden while opening the workshop on 18 August.
The participants analysed the draft Act in a working group and presented their findings and suggested a few corrections. They also discussed the obstacles that hinder their daily work against human trafficking and smuggling. They also stressed that proper implementation of the Rule of Law is the key for tackling these type of crimes. Yahye Aw-Aadan, Prosecutor in Wajaale (a border town between Somaliland and Ethiopia, where smugglers and traffickers are very active) gave an example: “We are dealing with businessmen, smuggler and trafficker tycoons. We can bring this kind of businessman to court and prosecute him with full evidence but after a few days, we hear that he has been released after paying a fine and continues his criminal business. What we need is to re-enforce and implement strictly the Rule of Law. That would enable us to prevent crimes or at least to decrease the number of crimes,” stated Prosecutor Aw-Aadan……
26 August – Source: Anadolu Agency – 244 Words
Turkey is becoming a favourite destination for many Somali youths to pursue higher education in order to realize their dreams. Muhammed Ahmed, who graduated in medicine from Antalya University located in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, had fancied studying in Turkey since childhood. Speaking to Anadolu Agency, a young Somali doctor said his dreams became a reality when he qualified to seek admission at Antalya University in 2013. Ahmed, who graduated in 2017, is now practising at a private hospital. He says Turkey had enticed him with its advancements in education, health and economy. Looking forward to studying further, Ahmed wants to become a cardiovascular surgeon specialist. “Turkey is a shining Muslim country. Normally, when we talk about Muslim countries, the first thing that comes to mind is under development and a weak economy. But Turkey is a contrast,” he said. He said Turkey also had a well developed pharmaceutical industry.
Further, he said the hospitality of Turks was unmatched and they made Turkey a beautiful country for foreigners. Highlighting historic ties between Turkey and Somalia, the young doctor said his country was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. He said people still remember the empire with love. “In my neighbourhood in Somalia, people still drink water from a well dug by Ottoman rulers, hundreds of years ago. The water in this well is coming from the nearby mountains. This is a marvellous engineering skill,” he said. After the Ottoman Empire, Somalia became a British colony.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“The Book Fairs, including the recent one in Mogadishu this week, are the start of something positive. However, we need to build on this with innovative policies that are designed by the Ministry of Education and implemented at the community level and nationally to increase literacy and to turn schools and book fairs into the engines of sustainable development they can be.”
26 August – Source: Hiiraan Online – 820 Words
The Somali Book Fair scene is booming and there is no greater happiness than people, especially young people, rushing to attend such educational events. It is even more inspiring that young Somali authors are writing on a large scale about their own experiences to educate, entertain and raise awareness of key social issues. Somalis have a proud, strong and infectious oral tradition but it is a welcome sign that the next generation is moving towards writing these down. Books can stay on shelves for centuries while memorized words can easily be forgotten or misinterpreted.
The organizers of the Somali Book Fairs across the country are pioneers and should be thanked most sincerely. In amongst the many worries about insecurity, politics, economic development across Somalia, the organizers and authors have created a space for thought, reflection and enjoyment that brings people together. There’s nothing like a great book or idea to unify and energize groups with often very different priorities. Culture, of which books are a fundamental pillar, has the power to bring out the beauty of mankind in such a magnificent way as to overpower all other emotions. Reading books bring to the fore all human emotions and creates a deep connection between those in societies who may never have even met. However, for the delights of reading to be enjoyed on a mass scale, literacy must improve in Somalia. Literacy and numeracy are a global gold standard for education everywhere. For book fairs, the main focus would be literacy rates because the more people can read in Somali, English, Arabic and other languages, the more books that could be written, sold and discussed in public. Ideas can be written in any language but understanding and appreciating it needs a mastery of one of these, including Somali. Despite a large number of graduates and the steadily increasing number of Somali students in compulsory education, literacy rates in Somalia are still dangerously low. The number which can write Somali, let alone another foreign language, is limited. This is because of a weak education curriculum, poor teaching standards and teaching as well as lack of effective oversight of the education sector.
Another key challenge is the academic teaching of the Somali language has disappeared and many who write today write with their local accent because of there a few people still alive who remember the mechanics of the formal Somali language which was adopted by the past Siad Barre regime in October 1972. Somali students who are lucky enough to be able to afford quality education today may be able to ponder on these ideas but many more are not this lucky. Sadly, most Somalis have not had the opportunity to benefit from education since the collapse of the Somali state in 1991. The disastrous two-decade civil war created an entire lost generation which is today is illiterate and competing with a new generation for limited opportunities. Reading for those who have not had the opportunity of an education is a distant dream but it does not mean that they do not and would not enjoy it. However, for this to happen we need to transform reading from an elite pursuit to a common agenda for community building and national solidarity. How? This is not hard as education is one of the few policy areas globally where there are many agreed good practices to learn from and transfer easily to the Somali context……. |
