August 4, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
Turkey Set To Open Largest Military Camp In Somalia
03 August – Source: Anadolu Agency – 198 Words
A Turkish military training camp is set to open in the Somali capital Mogadishu next month, the Somali defense minister said Thursday. Abdirashid Abdullahi Mohamed said in a statement that the camp which had been under construction for the last two years will open this September. “We will begin deploying soldiers at the facility. Our army and other forces will receive training at the camp,” he said. He added that the camp will help strengthen the Somali Army.
The facility which is Turkey’s largest overseas military camp is spread over 4 square kilometers (1.54 square miles) and has the capacity to train more than 1,500 troops at a time. It also holds three military residential complexes and schools. More than 200 Turkish military personnel will come to the facility to train the Somali Armed Forces and provide security to the compound, according to the Turkish mission in Somalia. Turkey opened its largest embassy in Mogadishu last year, to help the east African country fight drought. More than 6 million people — half of the country’s population — is facing severe drought and a cholera outbreak, which claimed at least 1,000 lives this year, according to the UN.
Key Headlines
- Turkey Set To Open Largest Military Camp In Somalia (Anadolu Agency)
- Puntland’s Bari Governor Warns Foreign Exchange And Business Owners Over Rejecting Shilling (RBC Radio)
- Goverment And AMISOM Troops Retake Ali Fooldheere Near Mahadday From Al-Shabaab (Jowhar.com)
- Kenyan Police Question British Woman Over Terror Links (Xinhuanet)
- AfDB Approves Aid Package For Somalia And South Sudan (Public Finance International)
- World Bank: Somalia’s Steady Rise Fuelled By Remittances (Standard Digital)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Puntland’s Bari Governor Warns Foreign Exchange And Business Owners Over Rejecting Shilling
03 August – Source: RBC Radio – 188 Words
Bari Governor of Somalia’s Puntland State on Thursday warned local traders and foreign exchange operators over devaluing the Somali shilling and rejecting the new currency. Mr. Yusuf Mohamed Wa’ays Dhado also issued a directive to curb the increasing inflation of the U.S dollars when traded into local currency which led to the high price of the staple food. “From today, all taxes departments will accept the new Somali shilling currency as the official. Old currency will not be accepted.” he said.
“The price of the $1 USD in exchange for local currency must not exceed 28,000 Somali shilling.” the governor added during a press conference in Bosasso. His press statement came as angry demonstrators on Thursdaymarched into the streets of the Puntland’s commercial hub forcing business premises to close. The people were protesting against the high prices of the food as local traders rejected to trade with the shilling due to heavy influx of counterfeit current printed in Bosasso. Bosasso Mayor Yasin Mire called the residents to remain calm as authorities tried to seek solution for the growing inflation that affected the ordinary people’s lives.
Government And AMISOM Troops Retake Ali Fooldheere Near Mahadday From Al-Shabaab
04 August – Source: Jowhar.com – 149 Words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops and the Somali National Army (SNA) have liberated and taken control of Ali Fooldheere settlement near Mahadday from Al-Shabaab militants. The allied troops have reached Ali Fooldheere on Thursday evening two months after they have withdrawn from the area. Confirming the capture of Fooldheere, Somalia’s army commander General Abdullahi Ali Anod said that they will continue such operations in Middle Shabelle to dislodge the militants from the region.
He said AMISOM and SNA will establish a permanent base in Ali Fooldheere which he said was key for transport across the region. Reports say that Al-Shabaab militants withdrew from the village before the arrival of the allied forces, destroying a water well in the area before their pullout. Most of the area residents fled to surrounding villages. It is not known how long SNA and AMISOM will stay in the village.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Kenyan Police Question British Woman Over Terror Links
03 August – Source: Xinhuanet – 238 Words
Kenya’s anti-terrorism police officers are on Thursday interrogating a British national who was arrested at Moi international airport with two magazine and 42 bullets. The police said Surone Abdiwahid Faiza, 27, was arrested at the departure section of the airport during screening of her luggage.
Coast regional police commander Larry Kieng said the woman of Somalia origin was handed over to anti terrorism sleuths for further interrogation and profiling. Kieng said the woman who hold British passport was to travel to Nairobi and board another Kenya Airways plane to London. “The 9mm ammunitions were concealed in her suitcase when they were discovered by the police. We are yet to establish if she is a licensed gun holder and her intention to smuggle the bullets to the plane,” Kieng said.
“The two magazines; one had 10 bullets of 9mm calibre and the other had 32 bullets of the same calibre. These type of ammunitions are commonly used in small arms like pistols. The officer said she will be arraigned in court on Thursday to enable police to seek more days to complete their investigation. The officers said Kenya government has already contacted the British Embassy in Nairobi to assist in the investigation. Kenya security agents are also on higher alert of possible attacks waged by Somalia-based Al-Shabaab militant group. The group has intensified attacks in along the border town of Lamu and Mandera targeting both civilians and security agents.
AfDB Approves Aid Package For Somalia And South Sudan
04 August – Source: Public Finance International – 211 Words
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has granted $78m to Somalia and South Sudan for drought resilience and the alleviation of chronic hunger and malnutrition. Somalia will receive $34.8m and South Sudan $43.8m to benefit some 1.1 million people in all, in particular pastoralists, women, children, elderly and disabled people. In addition to droughts, Somalia is affected by fighting between its government and the Islamist rebels Al-Shabaab and also has breakaway regions in its north.
A civil war is in progress in South Sudan between both factions of its government and various rebel groups. The grants were made under the bank’s ‘Say No To Famine’ programme, through which it intends invest about $1.1bn in countries afflicted by prolonged droughts and unstable food production. Emergency food assistance and medical aid to the most vulnerable people are the AfDB’s main priorities, but the project also includes putting in place stronger links between the production, distribution and consumption hubs of food systems. Gabriel Negatu, AfDB director general, eastern Africa regional development and business delivery office, said: “We will provide immediate action to increase food security, boost household incomes, promote regional trade in food products and kick start community recovery, ultimately contributing to inclusive growth and resilience in Somalia and South Sudan.”
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“The government is doing its best to meet the needs of the population,” he said. The minister added: “We want to create an environment that is conducive for private sector to thrive and one of that will ensure there is security in the country” “If the economy grows, the private sector will thrive and Somalis in diaspora will come back home and invest here,” he said.”
World Bank: Somalia’s Steady Rise Fuelled By Remittances
04 August – Source: Standard Digital – 630 Words
The World Bank has identified remittances as one of the biggest contributors fueling the economic growth of Somalia. At a forum on Thursday to update the Somali government, private sector and other stakeholders, John Randa, an official of the World Bank said the Somali economy has been on a steady rise but there is still so much to be done for the citizenry to see improvements in their daily lives. “Somalia is consuming more than it can produce, which is not very good at this point,” Randa noted.”But that should not mean that there is nothing positive to say of the country’s economy.
There has been tremendous growth over the last five years and our projection of the next five years looks very good,” added Randa as he stated that the country’s GDP stood at USD 6.2 billion and a five percent nominal growth. Randa acknowledged the contribution, among them job creation, played by the Private Sector including Dahabshiil in the Somali economy. He however noted that there is room for them to contribute further to increase revenue. Singling out the role of remittances Randa noted “Remittances remain a lifeline to the economy. The diaspora has played a pivotal role through their remittances, which have in turn helped Somalis”. Remittances were especially vital during the extended drought that had so many negative effects across the Somali regions
Hugh Riddle, Country Representative for the World Bank also echoed these sentiments recognising the different roles played by the stakeholders including the private sector in growing the country’s economy. Present and former government ministers, the private sector and other stakeholders attended the forum held at the Stanley Hotel, Nairobi. It was pointed out that service delivery in Somalia remains poor because of insufficient money in the economy. A substantial budget is allocated to security and administration services. On the other hand not enough goes to provision of services like healthcare and building of roads and tapping of water resources.
Abdirashid Duale, CEO of Dahabshiil, one of Africa’s largest money transfer companies, who was present at the invitation of the World Bank lauded the commitment of the World Bank and other international finance institutions for contributing to the growth of Somali’s economy. “We are encouraged with what the World Bank is doing to promote investment, said Duale whose company has played a pivotal role in remittances and other financial services of the economy. Duale said he appreciates every effort the government and the World Bank is doing to build the country’s economy and create employment and investment opportunities for the youth.
TOP TWEETS
@engyarisow: Somalia’s first female pilot returns home and pledges support to the country’s women and youth…
@engyarisow: Ali Jabal, a senior al-Shabaab terrorist, who was killed on 30 July 2016 was responsible for leading al-Shabaab…http://fb.me/9gMPdXjqV
@USAfricaCommand: U.S. confirms strike against al-Shabaab’s Ali Jabal –http://go.usa.gov/xREFy
@SagalBihi: A Dangerous Gulf in the Horn: How the Inter-Arab Crisis is Fuelling Regional Tensionshttps://www.
@HarunMaruf: The state of current Somalia’s economy: new report by @WorldBankAfrica
@HassanIstiila: #UPDATE: #Alshabaab have yet again attacked a town in #Mandera, the militant burned two vehicles and captured another with its driver.
@MinisterMOFA: Thank you #Somali students in #Hyderabadfor a great reception.
@alihwarsame: #Puntland & #Somaliland have done tremendous efforts to overcome culture of expanding power sharing beyond segment of society but failed.
@OgadenWar: Greater Somalia, Retweeted Hikam dahir Tarsan is a huge patriot and a nationalist. Those criticizing him have literally done nothing for Somalia & have no shame.
@daudedosman: Poverty, insecurity & other third world governance challenges are structural in nature that require adaptive solutions. #Somalia
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre inspect a guard of Honor with Internal security Minister Mohamed Abukar Islow and senior security officials in an event held in Mogadishu on Thursday
Photo: @SomaliPM