August 4, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report
Somali Government Forces Capture More Territories In Hiiraan Region
04 August – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 111 Words
Somali National Army backed by the African Union troops on Monday seized control of several settlements in Hiiraan region, reports say. Reports say the allied troops secured El-der and El-Ali villages, located in the western part of the region after engaging in fierce fighting with Al-Shabaab fighters in those areas. Hiiraan Deputy Commissioner Mohamed Ibrahim Abdullahi said the two villages were now under the full control of the allied forces. He promised that they will continue with the operation until the whole region is secured and liberated from the Al-Shabaab. The fighting to liberate the two villages has reportedly caused unspecified number of casualties.
Key Headlines
- Somali Government Forces Capture More Territories In Hiiraan Region (Radio Bar-Kulan)
- Somali Elders Call On AMISOM Troops To Vacate Marka Town (Shabelle News)
- OHIO TMT Wins Toronto Somali Week’s Football Tournament (Hiiraan Online)
- Jubaland Parliament Declines Requests To Extend Presidential Elections Date (Wacaal Media)
- Fireworks In Parliaments As MPs Debate Money Laundering Bill (Goobjoog News)
- Somaliland Says Poor Harvest Sparks Emergency Food Crisis (Hiiraan Online)
- U.N. Monitors Accuse British Oil Firm Of “Payoffs” To Somali Officials (Reuters)
- Somalia’s New Permanent Representative To UN Office Presents Her Credentials (Diplomat News)
- Sh200m For Garissa University Security (The Star Kenya)
- Somalia’s Debt Is 93% Of Its GDP And 15 Other Things You Didn’t Know About Its Cash Situation (Mail & Guardian Africa)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Elders Call On AMISOM Troops To Vacate Marka Town
04 August – Source: Shabelle News – 147 Words
Traditional elders in the town of Marko have met with African Union (AMISOM) officials in to address alleged human rights abuses by AMISOM soldiers in port town of Marka. In the meeting, AMISOM officials and local elders discussed the latest deadly incident at a wedding where African Union peacekeepers reportedly killed at least 10 people including a father and his five sons. The local elders urged African Union officials to withdraw from Marka town since the troops were accused of being behind the killings against unarmed civilians in the town. No further details about the meeting have been to the press. The coastal town of Marka lies 120km south-west of Mogadishu. Last monthg, he Somali Federal Parliament and human rights organization condemned AMISOM after soldiers allegedly shot dead more than 10 civilians in Marka.
Ohio Team Wins Toronto Somali Week’s Football Tournament
04 August – Source: Hiiraan Online – 243 Words
In an impressively absorbing match, the Columbus-based OHIO TMT team has won the trophy at the Somali Week tournament final match against Toronto’s Benadir team by 3-2, capping off a week of title race by 12 teams. This year’s tournament was dedicated to the late Somali teacher Abshir Hassan who was killed June 8, 2014 in Toronto. The final match was held amid rain shower disruptions, as players had to take intervals until the final whistle was blown. Launched in the summer of 1990 in Toronto, the popular Somali Week tournament usually brings together Somali football stars around the world and attracts staggering number of fans who pack stadiums to cheer on their favorite Diaspora teams.
Somalia’s Parliament speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari has presented the trophy to the OHIO TMT players who lifted their trophy in triumph and jumped in the air. Somalia’s former prime minister Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has also attended the final match. In addition, the champion team’s striker Omar Mohamed Omraani has won the MVP of the tournament award. “The team was founded five years ago and won its second title today.” said triumphant OHIO TMT coach Abdifatah Atlanta. Among football legends invited to this 25 year anniversary of Somali Week are Mohamed Ismail of Horseed and Bashir Jenyo who both came from UK and Sweden.
Jubaland Parliament Declines Requests To Extend Presidential Elections Date
04 August – Source: Wacaal Media – 112 Words
The Parliament of the Interim Juba Administration has this morning declined a request for an extension of the election date. The speaker of the Jubaland regional assembly has revealed that the MPs have refused a request for the extension of the election date. The announced date for elections is set for the 15 August. There is no visible campaign mood in the region and up to now no one has announced his/her candidacy for the presidency except the incumbent leader, Ahmed Madoobe. The city of Kismaayo has this week received large number of people from the Diaspora, and it is expected that some of the new arrivals will compete with Ahmed Madoobe.
Fireworks In Parliaments As MPs Debate Money Laundering Bill
03 August – Source: Goobjoog News – 361 Words
The finance state minister Abdullahi Mohamed Noor had a hard day in parliament on Monday when MPs questioned his rationale for tabling a bill that they deem to be a burden on remittances companies which are a lifeline for millions of Somalis. The minister was asked which university he attended or whether he has fake degrees when he urged MPs to pass the Anti Money Laundry Bill into law. Mr. Abdullahi explained that Somalia is facing serious problems from financial crimes and mafia who wire millions of dollars to Somalia each year “you know we have terrorists here who wreak havoc in the country, this needs financing, and this is coming from outside, we have remittance firms who wire $130 million US dollars each month, we need to regulate this and know exactly who are the final recipients” said the minister.
One MP, Abdullahi Jamac said that the bill is not a priority for Somalia and that he suspects foreign governments might be pushing him.“We have pandemic corruption in the government, we know public land is been sold, the government has signed 12 deals with foreign companies without the proper procurement process or tender, you need to clean your house before we can speak of remittances and their danger” he said.
Another MP asked the minister where his salary has gone and when he is going to be paid, making note that security forces and civil servants were not paid for 5 months.“The minister [Mohamed Aden Fargeti- Finance minister] was here the other day, he admitted that $22 million US dollars are unaccounted for, $3 million dollars were used for travel allowances, where are we going” asked.” MPs argued that the remittances are a lifeline to millions of people in Somalia and that now some foreign nations are trying to cut or limit it. The MPs urged the government not to follow suit “You are responsible to protect the interest of the people, not to be the obstacle” said one MP. The minister said it’s up to the parliament to decide on the bill and said it was drafted by 3 ministries, namely, finance, security, interior and justice, together with the central bank.
Somaliland Says Poor Harvest Sparks Emergency Food Crisis
03 August – Source: Hiiraan Online – 227 Words
The breakaway northern Somali region of Somaliland has warned that at least 20,000 people are facing a major food crisis as the result of a sharp decline in the annual crop productions in the region. Abdirahman Abdullahi Ismail (Saylici), the vice president of Somaliland told reporters on Monday that the combination of droughts and reduced harvest have the made the situation an emergency, appealing for an immediate aid for the vulnerable households. “This is a very serious urgent situation which requires an immediate action,” he told reporters in the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa.
He appealed for a concerted effort and aid by the people from the region and international aid organizations to save the lives of many in towns affected by the crisis. Meanwhile, the national droughts commission warned that the drought have especially created hardship in the rural areas as farmers failed to produce enough food due to extremely low rainfall while failed harvests resulted in dramatic rise in food prices. Since declaring its independence from Somalia in 1991, Somaliland has enjoyed relative stability with a central government that has seen several peaceful democratic elections and power handover to successive governments. However, the region is not recognized internationally as a country. The region also lacks basic infrastructure to deal with emergency crisis, forcing it to rely on international aid organizations.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
U.N. Monitors Accuse British Oil Firm Of “Payoffs” To Somali Officials
04 August – Source: Reuters – 933 Words
U.N. sanctions experts have accused British company Soma Oil and Gas of making large payments to Somalia’s oil ministry that created a “serious conflict of interest,” some of which appeared to have been used to pay off senior officials. In a report to a U.N. Security Council committee, the experts said Soma paid nearly $600,000 as part of efforts to protect and expand an energy exploration contract it signed with the ministry in 2013. According to a confidential report compiled by the experts on the U.N. Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group, which was reviewed by Reuters, Soma also paid $495,000 to a lawyer who was advising the Somali government when it was negotiating a contract with the company. The eight-member panel of investigators that compiled the 28-page report monitors compliance with U.N. sanctions.
The allegations outlined in the report, which has been submitted to the U.N. Security Council’s Somalia/Eritrea sanctions committee, triggered an investigation into Soma by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO), according to people familiar with the situation. The SFO has confirmed that it opened the inquiry but it has not outlined the allegations against Soma Oil and Gas. The company’s London headquarters were searched last week. The U.N. Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group said the evidence it collected demonstrated that the Soma payments “created a serious conflict of interest, in a number of cases appearing to fund systematic payoffs to senior ministerial officials”. In its response to Reuters, Soma denied any wrongdoing, saying the contract to the company was awarded by Somalia’s cabinet and not members of the petroleum ministry and as such there was no conflict of interest. Somalia’s Petroleum Minister Mohamed Mukhtar Ibrahim declined to comment.
Somalia’s petroleum ministry declined to comment as the ministry staff has not yet seen the report, according to Ibrahim Hussein, the ministry’s head of external relations. According to the report, Soma Chief Executive Robert Sheppard told the Monitoring Group that the payments were part of a “Capacity Building Agreement” requested by the Somali government. This aimed to help the ministry hire local and foreign experts to build up geology and other oil industry expertise, something the country lacks after decades of conflict destroyed its state institutions. The U.N. monitors described the capacity building programme as “likely part of a quid pro quo arrangement”, whereby the ministry would protect the Soma contract from any negative consequences when a panel chaired by the Somali finance ministry began conducting a review of all its contracts. The monitors allege these “quid pro quo” arrangements “undermine Somali public institutions through corruption”. Soma told Reuters in an emailed statement that the U.N monitors “fundamentally misunderstood the nature, purpose and destination of the payments made under the terms of the Capacity Building Agreement”, and said the company has been transparent about the programme.
Somalia’s New Permanent Representative To UN Office Presents Her Credentials
04 August – Source: Diplomat News – 259 Words
Faduma Abdullahi Mohamud (Insania), the new Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented her credentials to Michael Møller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. Prior to her Geneva posting, Ms. Abdullahi Mohamud worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Investment Promotion of Somalia since 2013, contributing to the high-level discussion on policy and planning of the Ministry, acting as the Charge d’Affaires of the Somali Embassy in Tanzania, and engaging in the re-establishment and opening of the Somali Embassy in Washington DC. From 2009 to 2012, Ms. Abdullahi Mohamud was a Member of Parliament. During that time, she was the Chairperson of the Somali Women Parliamentary Caucus and a member of the Parliamentary Committee for Planning International Relations.
Between 2004 and 2008, Ms. Abdullahi Mohamud worked as a consultant on projects of the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Office for Project Services. From 2003 to 2004, she was a delegate at the Somali National Reconciliation Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. Between 1981 and 2002, she held various humanitarian positions, as well as working for the private sector. Ms. Abdullahi Mohamud served as a diplomat at the Permanent Mission of Somalia to the United Nations in New York from 1975 to 1980. Ms. Abdullahi Mohamud received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Commerce at the National University of Somalia, and her Master of Arts in Political Science at the New School University for Social Research in New York.
Sh200m For Garissa University Security
04 June – Source: The Star, Kenya – 263 Words
The Garissa government will spend Sh200 million to beef up security at the Garissa University College to speed up its reopening. Governor Nathif Jama said his administration will champion the reopening of the university, which he said is the “pride of Northeastern”. He spoke while closing a four-day intercultural peace conference at the university where 147 people were killed by al Shabaab militants on April 2. Jama said the money will put up state-of-the-art security systems at the university and increase its ability to secure its staff and students. He called on the national government and the Education ministry to reconsider reopening the university to restore investors’ confidence in the region.
Garissa women’s representative Halima Ware said the government should reopen the college. She said fighting corruption and securing parts of southern Somalia will ensure security in Northeastern and the country in general. The conference, which ended on Sunday, was organised to honour the victims of the attack and brought together peace activists from all the 47 counties. They shared the role of culture in promoting peace among Kenyan communities and equal access to education for pupils and students in Northeastern. Jama hosted 200 peace ambassadors for a dinner. He said he will partner with them to pass the message that Garissa county is peaceful and open for business across all the 47 counties. Jama said he is looking forward to being the patron of a peace caravan in order to welcome the world to stand with Garissa county as it seeks to recover from the terror attack.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Having already seen major brain drain due to the conflict, high turnover in the economic team helping right the ship has also been a challenge: In just under two years there have been three ministers of finance, and three governors of the central bank. Attraction of highly qualified diaspora staff remains difficult, and the focus has been on training within, from scratch.”
Somalia’s Debt Is 93% Of Its GDP, And 15 Other Things You Didn’t Know About Its Cash Situation
02 August – Source: Mail & Guardian Africa – 1, 007 Words
“The IMF’s first look at the country’s economy in over 25 years brought up some surprising numbers, and showed big progress.’ The last International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission to Somalia was sighted in November 1989, when it tackled a contraction in growth rate of -1.5%. This time round the report card has been quite encouraging, with 3.7% growth returned last year, with a slight dip to 2.7% projected for this year. It is a story of huge progress, and could be even better: if the security situation improves (the assessment could only be done from neighbouring Kenya) and the country aso avoids drought, the IMF thinks this growth could rise to 5% before the decade is out. Mail & Guardian Africa looked at the IMF’s detailed report released this past week for more pointers to the direction of Somalia’s economy:
1: While Somalia was welcomed back into the IMF fold on April 12, 2013, it remains ineligible for financial assistance, because it owes too much. It has an external debt of $5.3 billion, or 93% of its GDP, the bulk being arrears to the Paris Club creditors ($2.3 billion), non-Paris Club creditors ($1.5 billion), and multilateral institutions ($1.5 billion). The IMF says this debt simply has to be cleared first, however long it takes.
2: With internal tax revenue hurt by the government’s inability to collect on insecurity and non-compliance concerns, making a budget has been a tough ask. The 2015 budget is headed for a shortfall, building on the pattern in the first two post-conflict budgets. Salaries and wages account for 45% of expenditure—the highest in Africa, while the biggest sources of revenue remain foreign grants and trade taxes. Donors fund all capital spending.
3: Highlighting how dependent it is on remittances, the country has nine licensed money transfer firms, more than banks, with the formal financial sector composed of the central bank and six banks with provisional licences. Another 13 money transfer firms have applied for licences. The large informal sector remains out of sight.
TOP TWEETS
@HLooyaan Somali women made huge contributions to peace-building in the long civil war http://oxf.am/ZPXs #SomaliSolutions..#Somalia via @Oxfam_AU
@SomaliaNewsroom Would be disappointed if UK investigation didn’t find Soma Oil & Gas complicit in #corruptionin #Somalia after this http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-
@UNGeneva New Permanent Representative of #Somalia to UN Geneva presents her credentials to @UNOG_DG –http://ow.ly/QpX3y
@horseed #Somalia to introduce law prohibiting Female Genital Mutilation http://horseedmedia.net/2015/
@SalahOsman0 Just the other nigh @ late time I visited some supermarkets in #Mogadishu shows how my city is changing.#Somalia
@HLooyaan Somali women made huge contributions to peace-building in the long civil war http://oxf.am/ZPXs #SomaliSolutions..#Somalia via @Oxfam_AU
IMAGE OF THE DAY
AMISOM personnel stationed in Baidoa engage and consult with locals on medical and health matters.
Phone: AMISOM