December 15, 2016 | Morning Headlines
Somalia’s Dispute Resolution Committee Nullifies Outcome Of The Elections Of 11 Seats Across Somalia
14 December – Source: Goobjoog News – 215 Words
Somalia’s dispute resolution body has nullified outcome of elections of eleven parliamentary seats across Somalia amid Somalia’s election is approaching to its final stages. In a letter to UN and EU seen by Goobjoog news, Independent Electoral Dispute Resolution Committee discarded eleven seats in Jubbaland, Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Puntland and South West states citing irregularities. The committee said it received 67 cases and after long probe results of eleven seats of the 67 have been cancelled. Among the seats cancelled are the two last seats elected in Hirshabelle won by Somalia’s former Youth minister, Mohamed Abdullahi Noah and Abdiaziz Salah Arman. The minister’s election was criticized by Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team and International community over irregularities.
FIEIT recently disqualified Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan, the outgoing federal Minister of Youth and Sports, and another contender for the seat, Ahmed Sheikh Nur, for their role in the violence that occurred inside and outside the polling center in Jowhar last month in which a number of people, including electoral college delegates, were injured. In Jubbaland, among the seats cancelled is the parliamentary seat allocated for Gal-Je’el which earlier the electoral body rejected Somalia’s minister for petroleum to contest for. In Galmudug, the parliamentary seat won by Ahmed Mohamed Abtidoon which is said to have been allocated for women only.
Key Headlines
- Somalia’s Dispute Resolution Committee Nullifies Outcome Of The Elections Of 11 Seats Across Somalia (Goobjoog News)
- Warring Clans Reach Peace Deal In Belet Weyn (Goobjoog News)
- Top Alshabaab Commander Killed By 2 Civilians In HirShabelle After Fighting Broke Out Over Extortion (Radio Dalsan)
- 13 People Killed As Cholera Outbreak Hits Jowhar District (Goobjoog News)
- SFO Abandons Somali Corruption Probe Of Soma Oil & Gas (The Telegraph UK)
- Somalinimo In Hargeisa (Qantra.de)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Warring Clans Reach Peace Deal In Belet Weyn
14 December – Source: Goobjoog News – 183 Words
Two clans agreed to an unconditional ceasefire and signed a peace agreement in Belet Weyn town of Somalia’s central region, Hiiraan. The administration, working with key stakeholders, brought together the Councils of Elders from the two clans, to a peace meeting in the town. The meeting was part of a long and successful peace initiative carried out in the region. The ceremony was attended by the administration of Hiiraan, traditional elders, politicians and members of civil society in the town to observe and witness the treaty.
Tensions have been rising in the town and its environs over the past five months due to persistent raids and attacks over livestock and natural resources which have led to communal conflicts. During this process the two “warring” clans declared their readiness and willingness to discuss the root causes of the dispute with boundary issues and scarce natural resources key among them. Reaching the ceasefire also required the religious leaders to lead communities in settling the contentious issue of clashes. The long-running clan fighting between the clans renewed in Eynaba, leaving at least 10 dead last year.
Top Al-Shabaab Commander Killed By 2 Civilians In HirShabelle, After Fighting Broke Out Over Extortion
14 December – Source: Radio Dalsan – 167 Words
Two Charcoal dealers on Tuesday surrendered to Hirshabelle authorities after killing a top Al-Shabaab commander in Eldhere some 50km from Jowhar. The commander has been identified as Abdirahman Raahale and is said to be one of the top commanders of the militant group in central Somalia. According to Hirshabelle authorities a gunfight ensued between the commander and the two traders when the former tried to extort the charcoal dealers. The two charcoal dealers were displayed to the media. They claim they were forced to assassinate the commander after many complaints by locals of Eldhere Barsame, 50 KM west Jowhar. Al-Shabaab still controls a number of rural villages and towns. Extorting of traders has been one of their main sources of finance according to reports. Al-Shabaab still control pockets of resistance in parts of Middle Shabelle and Galgadud. Residents of Eldher like many of the Al-Shabaab controlled areas have been fighting a losing battle in the last 2 years with no military assistance from the Somalia National Army.
13 People Killed As Cholera Outbreak Hits Jowhar District
14 december – Source: Goobjoog News – 219 Words
The cholera outbreak in Dinlaawe village of Jowhar district have lead to the death of 13 more people raising the number killed by the disease to over 20 since the outbreak was reported in Middle Shabelle region. More patients are currently admitted in a special ward at Jowhar Hospital suffering from the disease. Non-Governmental Organizations operating in Middle Shabelle region has also set up camps in the district to help mitigate the fast spreading epidemic. Dr. Shueyb Omar Mohamed who works at the hospital said lack of clean water for consumption has increased the spread of the killer disease. “The outbreak has been attributed to unhygienic conditions in some sections of the district,” said Mohamed.
He said the disease was first reported weeks ago from someone who traveled to Jowhar and now almost every village in Jowhar is affected. “We have 63 patients in isolation ward which is more than the capacity but we are putting up a temporary cholera treatment centre,” he said. Cholera is transmitted through contaminated drinking water and causes acute diarrhoea, and the outbreak has been exacerbated by weeks of heavy rains in the region. After a short incubation period of two to five days, the disease causes severe diarrhoea, draining the body of its water. The sudden and dramatic loss of fluid is often fatal.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
SFO Abandons Somali Corruption Probe Of Soma Oil & Gas
14 December – Source: The Telegraph, UK – 402 Words
The Serious Fraud Office has abandoned its bribery investigation into the Somali oil explorer Soma Oil & Gas after failing to find enough evidence to prosecute.The director of the agency, David Green QC, ended the probe after 17 months. The company went on the attack against the “partisan” UN body that made the allegations against it. An SFO spokesman said: “The SFO has concluded, based on the information and material we have obtained, that there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction. “Whilst there were reasonable grounds to suspect the commission of offences involving corruption, a detailed review of the available evidence led us to the conclusion that the alleged conduct, even if proven and taken at its highest, would not meet the evidential test required to mount a prosecution for an offence.” The investigation was triggered by allegations made by a UN body called the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group (SEMG). It claimed that payments by Soma to the Somali government were used to bribe officials.Soma denied the allegations. It said the payments were made under a normal Capacity Building Agreement, in which the company paid the Somali government to create the administrative and technical expertise required to host an oil industry. Such agreements are common in the sector.
OPINION , CULTURE & ANALYSIS
“The American news magazine Huffington Post recently referred to 79-year-old Adan as the ″Muslim Mother Teresa″. One thing’s for sure: she is an example for all Somalilanders. No matter where she makes an appearance, people flock around her,”
Somalinimo In Hargeisa
14 December – Source: Qantra.de – 1013 Words
Eight thirty in the morning in Hargeisa and a crowd has formed outside the function hall of the Guled Hotel. Visitors are queuing at the security check and waiting to get in. It’s book fair time in the capital of Somaliland. Inside the hall, things are already busy too. Some three hundred chairs have been set up, with burgundy upholstery and golden fittings. They give the otherwise sober room an almost celebratory atmosphere. The first visitors are strolling along the tables, browsing the books or deep in conversation. Others are indulging in a pre-event coffee or a Somali tea, also called chaa. Two currencies can be used: US dollars or Somaliland shillings. The hotel proprietor is working the floor, welcoming every guest with a handshake. A book fair is not the first thing one might expect here. Yet over the past ten years, it has become a flagship event for Somaliland. The state on the Horn of Africa declared itself independent from Somalia 25 years ago but has yet to be recognized by any other country. Very few people are aware of how well the state works. The Somalilanders, as they call themselves, are proud of what they′ve achieved, virtually without international help and the book fair is one of those achievements. It is the cultural highlight of the year: Somalinimo for all – readings, discussions, concerts – and visitors from around the globe.
The first event of the day is a discussion about language and identity. The panel consists of guests from five different countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somaliland and England. Zaynab Sharci is a London-based publisher. One focus in her catalogue is books for Somali children to learn the language in the diaspora: CDs with traditional children’s songs, picture books and simple grammar textbooks. The title of her bestseller comes from her son, she says. The book is called ″Daadah″, meaning ″follow me″ in Somali. Next to her on the panel, the British linguist Martin Orwin explains why language acquisition is so important. He teaches Somali and Amharic at London′s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS): ″Many of my students don’t speak their native language fluently and are ashamed of the fact. Some are even teased by their fellow students. But to some extent, the language opens a door to their identity.″