December 1, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
Somali President Leaves For Addis Ababa
30 November – Source: Jowhar.com – 138 Words
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has left for a one-day visit to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. The president’s visit to Ethiopia comes at a critical time when ongoing electoral process in the country are coming to an end soon. During his visit, President Hassan is expected to meet with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, with his visit coming just a week after Addis Ababa hosted several Somali presidential hopefuls including incumbent premier Omar Abdirashid, South West President Sharif Hassan Aden and Abdirahman Abdishakur.Ethiopia is allegedly backing the candidacy of President Hassan Sheikh, opposing the United Arab Emirates plan to build a strong opposition coalition that can challenge the incumbent president in the upcoming presidential elections. It is the second visit by President Hassan Sheikh to Addis Ababa since the commencement of the electoral process in October.
Key Headlines
- Somali President Leaves For Addis Ababa (Jowhar.com)
- Asho Haji Elmi Accuses Galmudug Head Of State Guled (VOA Somali)
- Clan Elder Denies He Was Arrested By NISA (Radio Muqdisho)
- Somali Election Process Drags On (VOA)
- Halimo: Somali Single Mother Refugee And Person Living With HIV (IOM)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Asho Haji Elmi Accuses Galmudug Head Of State Guled
01 December – Source: VOA SOmali – 308 Words
Elections for one of the hotly contested parliamentary seats in Adado city was yesterday held with a key contestant disputing the manner in which it was held. Long serving MP Mrs. Asha Haji Elmi who was to be one of the contestants did not participate citing interference by Galmudug head of State Abdikarim Guled. The seat recently dominated headlines after it was previously allocated for women but later the men contestants came calling for it leading to a tussle that dominated local headlines. Asha accused the Galmudug head of State Abdikarim Guled as well as the State Electoral team Chairman of colluding to lock her out of the race despite local elders allocating the seat for women.“It was clear in President Abdikarim Guled’s response to the US envoy to Somalia that he did not want me take the seat. He cited me being a long serving MP as the reason I should not be given the seat and this is an obstacle placed only my way since most of those elected or to be elected are long serving MPs,” she said.
Asha now says Guleid has trashed the rights and dignity of the local elders whose role he has assumed after usurping their powers. The outgoing MP said her name appeared in the list of contestants despite withdrawing from the race in protest. She also disputed the delegate list saying it had no blessings of their clan elder.
“It is a pity that the delegates were referred to the delegates of so and so. Delegates stand for the parliamentary seat but not individual candidates, those who elected the MP today were allied to one candidate,” Asha Said. She added her clan had four parliamentary seats and as a requirement was supposed to set aside one for women as per the requirements of the National Leadership Forum resolutions.
Clan Elder Denies He Was Arrested By NISA
30 November – Source: Radio Muqdisho – 116 Words
The arrest of Sultan Mohamed Farah was in the news this week and the National Security Intelligence Agency ( NISA) was blamed over the said arrest. In press conference held in Mogadishu, the elder from the northern regions termed the reports concerning over his imprisonment as false. “NISA didn’t arrest me or even block my responsibility over selection of candidates. I’m free and exercising my duty normally,” Sultan Farah said. NISA also denied the accusations. Deputy chief of NISA Ismail Dahir Osman has briefed the media denying the allegations that the security agency is engaged in interferences with the ongoing electoral process. “Our responsibility is to keep the security but not to arrest elders or electoral delegates.”
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Election Process Drags On
01 December – Source: VOA – 464 Words
Somalia’s presidential elections were scheduled for November 30, but the head of Somalia’s electoral body announced Monday they will be postponed. In the country’s complicated election system, clan and regional delegates have elected roughly 50 percent of the members of the lower and upper houses of parliament. The presidential election cannot take place until the remaining parliament members are selected. So it will take some more time before lawmakers determine Somalia’s next president, as specified in the Provisional Federal Constitution.
Nairobi-based Somalia affairs commentator Abdiwahab Sheikh Abdisamad says he understands the ongoing “selection process” must be rescheduled, but argues that it should happen soon. “If the current selection process failed to conclude for the next 15 days, then legitimacy of the head of state, legitimacy of the members of parliament, legitimacy of the members of the senate will be in question,” said Abdisamad.The head of Somalia’s electoral body said Monday the new president will be elected before the end of the year. But allegations of bribery, intimidation and improper changes in delegations have plagued the electoral process. Some people, like Abdi Samatar, a Somali-born economic geographer at the University of Minnesota, say such problems will definitely tarnish the results.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Through counselling and antiretroviral treatment offered for free at IOM’s Eastleigh Wellness Centre, Halimo has been able to live a happy life. Once a month, she takes part in the Centre’s support group, where people living with HIV/AIDS come together to share experiences and encourage each other to lead a healthy life,”
Halimo: Somali Single Mother, Refugee And Person Living With HIV
01 December – Source:IOM/Hiiraan Online – 548 Words
First aid is quickly given to an unconscious woman lying on the floor. The room is dark. Even though she cannot see clearly, the nurse can tell that all is not well by the state of the room. The woman on the floor is Halimo*, a 24-year-old Somali refugee and mother.A three-month-old baby had been crying for some time while her semi-conscious mother could not do much to help. The baby’s long, loud cries had alerted neighbours that something was not right. When they found Halimo, the neighbours called Rukia Ahmed, a community health worker serving the Eastleigh suburb of Nairobi. Unable to carry Halimo and alarmed by her condition, Rukia quickly rang for an ambulance to take the patient to the nearest health facility, IOM’s Eastleigh Wellness Community Health Centre. Eastleigh has a large Somali community.“Don’t call the police! I do not want to talk to the police.
They will return me to the refugee camp. I want to stay in Nairobi for my children to have a better future,” Halimo cried, as she regained full consciousness. Although injured, she did not want to report the gender-based violence that had been inflicted on her.Three years ago following the birth of her fourth child, Halimo came to Eastleigh from Dadaab Refugee Camp in northern Kenya. With only 2,000 Kenyan Shillings (USD 20) in her pocket and the hope of finding her husband, who had left Dadaab nearly a year before, Halimo went in search of future economic stability and a better future for her and her children. After searching for her husband in vain, the single mother of four children opened a small shop in order to provide for herself and her children.
TOP TWEETS
@Asahaaf:Somalis are working towards a better #Somalia and our nation will once again book its place in today’s world.#Peace #Love @tika_english1
@HassanIstiila: #BREAKING #AlShabaab militants have shut down the telecommunication services in Hobyo and Haradheere towns in central of #Somalia
@HarunMaruf:Jowhar elections for remaining 11 parliamentary seats suspended after the electoral body complained about ‘interference’ from regional Pres.
@ILOSomalia:ILO in collaboration with @UNHCRSom promotes#durablesolutions for IDPs through skills training in Galkayo#Somalia http://bit.ly/2gIFaWp
@HassanIstiila:#Somalia: @UNAIDS estimated the number of people living with HIV in Somalia to be 35,000. #WorldAIDSDay
IMAGE OF THE DAY
A police officer searches people going into an elections venue.
Photo: AMISOM.