December 12, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
New Army Chief Arrives In Puntland To Inspect Soldiers Integrated Into SNA
12 December – Source: Hiiraan Online – 182 Words
Somalia’s newly appointed Army Chief, Abdiweli Jama Hussein Gorod and a delegation he is leading arrived in Puntland’s Garowe city on Monday. The purpose of his trip is to inspect the 2400 soldiers from Puntland that were recently integrated into the Somali National Army (SNA) as part of the National Security Architecture.
Gorod and his delegation were warmly received at Garowe airport by Puntland Darawish Army chief General Said Mohamed Hirsi (Said Dheere) and other top military officials from the region. He thanked the Puntland authorities for the warm reception they accorded to him and said the purpose of their visit was to meet and speak to the 2400 soldiers Puntland transferred to the SNA command. During his trip, Gorod said will meet with Puntland leaders in Garowe. He will then travel to Mudug region.
On his side, General Said Dhere thanked the Army Chief for making his first trip outside Mogadishu to Puntland since he assumed office recently. General Said Dhere noted that Puntland enjoys relative peace and stability and was willing to help restore peace and stability in other regions.
Key Headlines
- New Army Chief Arrives In Puntland To Inspect Soldiers Integrated Into SNA (Hiiraan Online)
- We Need $130m To Deliver 2021 Elections National Body Say’s (Goobjoog News)
- Government Strongly Condemns Killing Of TV Journalist Mohamed Ibrahim (Hiiraan Online)
- Suspected US Drone Carries Out An Airstrike On Al Shabaab Base (Shabelle Media)
- WHO Prepositions Over 30 Tons Of Emergency Medicines And Medical Supplies Across Somalia (Relief Web)
- Gulf Crisis: Somalia Should Be A friend To All And Enemy To None (Umadda Media)
NATIONAL MEDIA
We Need $130m To Deliver 2021 Elections National Body Say’s
12 December – Source: Goobjoog News – 331 Words
The electoral body NIEC is asking for close to $130 million between now and 2021 to prepare the country for the general elections expected to be based on universal suffrage. The National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) said in a report presented to stakeholders Monday its budget will peak between 2018 and 2020 adding up to about $ 120 million. “We are only waiting financial support from the government and the international community,” said Ibrahim. “We want the politicians, political parties and the public to prepare themselves to participate in the elections.” Their preparation and contribution is critical to realizing our objectives.”
Most of the budget will go to registration of voters which amounts to $56.7 million with the exercise expected to commence in 2019 ahead of the 2021 polls. The voting exercise which incorporates several aspects including procurement of voting material, security, mobilization of electoral staff among others will cost $38.5 million, the commission’s five year strategic plan indicates.
Administrative costs and capacity building will take up $27.5 million with most of the budget distributed almost evenly across the five year period. Next year will however see a high uptake at $9.4 million. Ibrahim said the strategic plan will guide the working of the commission adding her team will kick off public consultations across the country. Key among the issues calling for public input include the electoral model which is yet to be adopted.
Planning Minister Gamal Hassan said a new census exercise will not be carried but only counting will also be done through voter registration but taking into account the eligible voters. ‘Census is also related to elections but we shall use the voter registration but counting only the eligible voting people and we are ready to work closely with the election committee on all their needs,” said Hassan. Other budget areas include completion of the electoral laws and regulation, management of the political parties systems and media, public sensitization and outreach campaigns and post-election assessment.
Government Strongly Condemns Killing Of TV Journalist Mohamed Ibrahim
12 December – Source: Hiiraan Online – 158 Words
The Somali federal government has strongly condemned the killing of television journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Gabow who was killed in an explosion attached to his car on Monday. Gabow was a news anchor for Kalsan TV, a satellite television channel watched in many parts of Somalia. Minister of Information, Abdirahman Omar Osman Yarisow sent condolences to the family and relatives of the murdered journalist blaming the militant group Al-Shabaab for the murder.
He said the victim was a recent university grad from a university in Uganda with a bright future ahead of him. Yarisow said it is unacceptable to allow impunity in the murder of journalists. He stated the Somali government is committed to wiping out the militants to allow the public to enjoy reliable security and safety. He called for an end to impunity for journalists murders, vowing that the government would take every possible action to safeguard and protect the lives of journalists operating in the country.
Suspected US Drone Carries Out An Airstrike On Al-Shabaab Base
12 December – Source: Shabelle Media – 117 Words
A suspected US drone has carried out an air raid on Al-Shabaab stronghold in Southern Somalia on Mondaynight, the latest in a string of airstrikes in the country. The drone fired a missile on a minibus carrying a vegetable on suspicion of being a car bomb in Mubarak town, according to a resident, who spoke to Radio Shabelle by phone.
There was no immediate report of casualty, but, pro Al-Shabaab media outlets released photos of a wrecked vehicle packed with bananas which it said was hit by a missile. Somali government did not comment on the attack in Mubarak, a small district located in Lower Shabelle region, a hotbed of Al-Shabaab militant which borders Benadir region.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
WHO Prepositions Over 30 Tons Of Emergency Medicines And Medical Supplies Across Somalia
12 December – Source: Relief Web – 379 Words
The World Health Organization (WHO) today supported the Somali Federal Ministry of Health with a shipment of over 32 tons of medicines and medical supplies to be prepositioned in districts of the Banadir region/Mogadishu as well as the districts of Kismayo, Baidoa, Adado, Baladweyne, and Hudur.
The shipment includes interagency emergency health kits, trauma kits, malaria kits, diarrhoea kits, cholera peripheral, community, and hardware kits, and Wagtech water test kits. The kits include a variety of treatment categories such as antibiotics, IV fluids with infusion administration sets, electrolytes, oral rehydration solutions, analgesics, anesthetics, diuretics, antiseptics, anti-asthma drugs. The consignment also contains medical and surgical supplies like surgical instrumental sets, different kinds of plasters, cotton wool, gauze swabs, rubber and elastic bandages, surgical gloves, catheters, and many other supplementary items.
“The shortage of medicines in health facilities is immense and requires the efforts of WHO and health partners to support the Ministry of Health in addressing this critical gap,” said Dr Ghulam Popal, WHO Representative to Somalia. “We will continue coordination with the Ministry of Health to ensure the availability of medical treatment services and accessibility of these services to as much of the population as possible,” Dr Popal added.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“The Middle East also has a major human resource shortage which the growing educated and young Somali citizens can benefit from in the future. More importantly, Somalia can play a greater role in regional security in the future, especially, given its experience of confronting violent extremists and international terrorism.”
Gulf Crisis: Somalia Should Be A friend To All And Enemy To None
10 December – Source: Umadda Media – 487 Words
The brave and historic decision by the Somali Federal Government to remain neutral in the Gulf Crisis despite all the pressure from partner like Saudi Arabia and the UAE is paying dividend. Today, all the Gulf States are increasing their engagement with Somalia and competing to support it through projects. The negative campaigning to draw Somalia into a diplomatic and political mess that does not concern it has a turned into a race to the top to support Somali development.
At the most recent Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Kuwait, it was clear that the tensions between Qatar and the rest of the GCC leaders are not going to be resolved quickly or amicably. For starters, many of the regional leaders, all monarchs, did not attend and the Summit was cut short to a single day without a clear positive outcome or an indication of next steps to follow. In fact, the Saudi dominated GCC’s future is in doubt if the dispute continues for much longer.
The Somali Government has saved itself from an unnecessary and bitter dispute which would have isolated it in both the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the UN and bilaterally. Looking back, with the tragic experience of Sweden and Saudi Arabia, the Somali Federal Government can be proud of its decision which was, and remains, in the best interest of its people.
The Somali Government must not take its offer of mediation of the table in the GCC dispute but it is unlikely to be taken seriously by the members themselves given that Somalia is not a member of the organization. Moreover, the GCC states appear to not really want to work towards a solution which they feel may let Qatar off the hook for what they collectively accuse it of without the severest punishment and humiliation which is never the basis of a negotiation process.
TOP TWEETS
@DalsanFM: Senior Army General Warns Residents Of Lower Shabelle Region Against Collaborating With Al-Shabab –http://radiodalsan.com/en/
@HarunMaruf: Journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Gabow who was killed yesterday in explosion laid to rest. #Mogadishu(photo by@DalsanFM)https://www.voanews.
@HarunMaruf: Kenya denies UN report alleging its military killed 40 civilians in Somalia
@engyarisow: The Independent Election Commission presents their 5 year strategy to ensure a universal elections in #Somalia
@DalsanFM: Release Sheikh Aweys, Mogadishu Islamist Tycoon Abukar Adaan Demands – http://radiodalsan.com/en/
@Goobjoognews: #Somalia: VBIEDs accounted for 49% of the cases while suicide attacks using VBIEDs and Person Borne IEDs (PBIEDs) made up 25% of civilian casualties
@DalsanFM: Air Strikes In The Lower Shabelle Region –http://radiodalsan.com/en/air-
@Goobjoognews: #Sweden is increasing its funding up to $350 million to #Somalia in the next 5 years- Swedish ambassador@AUexkull
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Officials from the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC), international partners and other government officials during the five-year Strategic Plan in Mogadishu on December.
Photo: UN/Ilyas Ahmed