December 23, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Somali pop idol offers escape to youth

23 Dec- Source: BBC-1019 Words

After more than two decades of conflict, some semblance of normality is returning to the Somalia capital, Mogadishu. A UN-backed government is consolidating its control of the city, and services such as rubbish collection and traffic lights have been restored. Now, a TV reality show has been launched, as the BBC’s Kate Forbes reports.

A small and rather terrified girl shuffles up to the stage and stands there, mute, as the host rather hurriedly rushes up to introduce her. The audience claps along to the rhythm of the music as an electronic drum roll marks the entrance of contestant number one.

A standard start to any TV talent competition. But this one is filmed in a small studio in an anonymous neighbourhood, inside a compound with armed guards on the outside. The contestants here have grown up knowing nothing but war, at times unable to leave their homes because of gunfights in the streets. But right now, that is as nothing compared to facing Somalia’s answer to Simon Cowell. This is Somali Pop Idol, or in direct translation: Show Your Talent.

Key Headlines

Defense minister tours Lower Shabelle region to resolve clan-based violence (Radio Dalsan/Radio Kulmiye)
Three Somali districts identified for returning refugees (RBC)
Somalia foreign affairs docket spent over 1 million dollars in 2013 (Radio Dalsan)
Abudwak residents show support for new prime minister (Radio Bar-kulan)
Puntland Presidential Candidate attacked in Garowe (Radio Dalsan)
Protest against the killing of Syrian doctors held in Mogadishu (Radio Mogadishu)
Somalis in Zambia seek better leadership (Zambia Daily Mail)
Somali pop idol offers escape to Somali youth (BBC)
IFRC launches appeal to assist cyclone survivors in Somalia (Scoop)

PRESS RELEASE

AMISOM apologises for fatal road accident

23 Dec- Source: AMISOM-179 Words

The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif has offered his heartfelt apologies to the family of the two men killed in a tragic road accident today.

The accident occurred on 20th of December at 5.45pm in the capital Mogadishu, a few meters from the Somali Central Bank when anarmoured AMISOM vehicle accidentally hit two civilians on a motorbike. One passenger died at the scene and the second victim died as he was rushed to the hospital.
A joint investigation has been launched and witness statements are being taken. Appropriate action will be taken after the investigation has been completed. The driver of the vehicle is shocked and saddened by the incident.

“We regret this tragic accident. Our thoughts are with the families who have suffered such a great loss,” said Ambassador Annadif reiterating that AMISOM takes driver training and the maintenance of its vehicles very seriously and will work closely with the traffic department of the Somali Police Force to ensure such accidents are avoided in the future.

New Somali prime minister receives cable of congratulation from his Turkish counterpart

23 Dec- Source: Office of the Prime Minister-121 Words

The Turkish Prime Minister His Excellency Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan sent congratulation cable to His Excellency Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed on his appointment as the Prime Minister of the federal republic of Somalia.

In a letter to Dr. Abdiweli Sh. Ahmed, the Prime Minster extended his warm congratulation and hoped the two countries will further strengthen the bonds of friendship and brotherhood. The Turkish premier H.E. ErdoÄŸan wished his counterpart success in forming a government that is committed to work in solidarity with international community to provide peace and stability for Somalia.

His Excellency Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan reaffirmed that Turkey will continue to support the reconstruction efforts of Somalia and work with the state and the government of Somalia in the period ahead.

SOMALI MEDIA

Defense minister tours Lower Shabelle region to resolve clan-based violence

23 Dec- Source: Radio Dalsan/Radio Kulmiye/Markacadey/Hiiraan Online-166 words

Somalia’s defense minister Abdihakem Haji Fiqi has reached Lower Shabelle region where clan-based militias fought for weeks. The minister who spearheaded a delegation comprising members of the country’s federal parliament and elders started a peace finding mission to region to resolve the clan-based violence that sparked across the region in the recent weeks.

The minister’s delegation visited KM-50 location where the worst fighting took place two weeks earlier. He has met with elders despite most of the residing community fleeing from their homes in fear of the clan-based retaliation.

Speaking to the local media, minister Fiqi said that they have to put into practice a recently signed peace deal between the elders of the two warring sides which seeks the removal of clan militias from the area and to start a full reconciliation for the two clans. The move came as a fresh clan-based fighting broke out in Afgoye town, some 30kms south of Mogadishu.

Somalia foreign affairs docket spent over 1 million dollars in 2013

22 Dec – Source: Dalsan Radio – 323 words

A close source to the central bank of Somalia has revealed to the Radio Dalsan that the foreign affairs minister Hon. Fowzia Hajji Adan and high ranking government officials in her office have spent close to one million US dollars on international travels and accommodations alone.

Mrs. Haji Yussuf is reported to have attended more than 50 high level international meetings this year alone in which she has brought home tangible developments including the new deal in Belgium, recognition of Somali government by US, Somali conference in Turkey and among others.

Abdisalam Abdulle, an economist in Mogadishu believes that despite the diplomatic success by Mrs. Hajji Yusuf office to the country some of the huge expenditures were spent when the citizens of the country needed most.

“Some of this money was used when there was the flooding and hunger in the large parts of the country particularly in central Shabelle region, so the question is was it wise to hire luxurious jets to attend a conference abroad while taxpayers were suffering, certainly not,” he added, “It is not wise to use such huge expenditure bearing in mind the little taxpayer money in the country.” he added.

It is believed that out of 50 international travels there were some which could have been avoided due to the high taxpayers cost and insignificance to the national interest however most of the travels were of great importance to both political and economy development of the larger Somalia.

Fowzia Hajji Yusuf is the first female foreign affairs cabinet secretary in the history of Somalia government and lots of people believe that her appointment to the docket was historic and led to a great contribution particularly by spear heading the improvement of the Somalia’s international image.

Abudwak residents show support for new prime minister

23 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 139 words

A demonstration to show support to the parliamentary approval of the new Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed has been held in Abudwak town in Galgadud region. Abudwak district commissioner Ahmed Jama Dhirif who spoke to the demonstrators congratulated Somali legislators for endorsing the new prime minister. He called on the new prime minister to appoint competent and effective cabinet ministers.

Meanwhile, Galgadud Governor, Hussein Ali Wehliye Irfo who also spoke at the scene stated that the local administration of Galgadud region is fully behind the recently appointed prime minister. He said that he was optimistic that the new premier will address the plight of many people in the country and in particular, Galgadud region. Local administration officials and hundreds of ordinary people took part in the demonstration on Sunday which was organized by civil society associations in the town.

Puntland Presidential Candidate attacked in Garowe

23 Dec – Source: Dalsan Radio – 312 words

Abdi Dahir Yusuf, one of the contesting presidential candidates in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland has said that he has escaped assassination attempt by the current president’s special guards in Garowe.

Members of President Abdurahman Faroole’s special guards disguised as police attacked a convoy transporting Abdi Dahir Yusuf who is an active opposition candidate in the centre of the town of Garowe, the state’s capital on Sunday. The candidate’s convoy was attacked shortly after he left a meeting with the other rival candidates in Garowe.

“As I left the meeting, I heard two bullets coming from a car of the presidential guards whom I know very well. The two bullets were directly targeted to my car, One bullet came through the car and crashed the window mirror and my driver was slightly wounded.” Abdi Dahir Yusuf said in an interview with local radio.

Abdi Dahir said that he escaped unhurt while he recognized the commander of the attackers who was identified as Omar Abdullahi Farole, the nephew of President Faroole. Mr Omar is the officer in charge for the security of Garowe’s Presidential House.

Mr Abdi Dahir Yusuf said that the attack was deliberateaction against his candidacysince he has publicly criticized president Faroole’s poor performance in the public offices. Later on Sunday, Omar Abdullahi Faroole admitted that his men shot vehicles transporting Mr Abdi Dahir Yusuf, but he said that they meant only to stop the speedy convoy passing near the UN compound in Garowe.

Three Somali districts identified for returning refugees

23 Dec- Source: Radio Dalsan/RBC- 242 words

Humanitarian partners are preparing for uptick of voluntary returns of Somali refugees in the neighboring country of Kenya, UNHCR said.
Somali refugees in Kenya who wish to return to Somalia will be able to receive support from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and partners from January 2014.

A six-month pilot phase during which Somali refugees can receive support to return and reintegrate is the tangible outcome of the Tripartite Agreement signed on 10 November by the governments of Kenya, Somalia, and UNHCR. Three districts have been selected for assisting spontaneous returns: Luuq (Gedo), Baidoa (Bay) and Kismayo (Lower Juba). About 10,000 Somali refugees will be supported based on the criteria that voluntary returns must be to the area of origin in Somalia.

Registration for support has started in Dadaab. Lessons learnt during the pilot phase from January to June will inform future assistance for voluntary returns of Somali refugees in Kenya. Kenya hosts around half a million Somali refugees, mainly in the Dadaab refugee camps, which were established in 1991 when civil war broke out in Somalia. The Tripartite Agreement establishes a legal framework to govern the voluntary return of Somali refugees in Kenya who wish to return to their homeland.

Protest against killing of Syrian doctors held in Mogadishu

23 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mogadishu-176 words

A large demonstration against the heinous attack which killed three Syrian doctors and their Somali colleague in the outskirts of Mogadishu has on Sunday been held in Daljirka Dahsan Park in Mogadishu. Hundreds of students and ordinary people have taken to the streets of Mogadishu to express their anger towards the killing of doctors and the innocent people in the Somali capital.

The demonstration was organized by officials from universities in Banadir region and hundreds of people have reportedly taken part. The protestors called on the federal government to bring the perpetrators behind the callous attack to justice. Some of the officials who addressed the demonstrators stated that this is not the first time that doctors and important figures in the society are killed in the war-stricken country.

They urged the federal government and security apparatus to tackle such incidents in the future. Three Syrian doctors, a Somali colleague and two bodyguards were on Wednesday killed by unidentified gunmen in the outskirts of Mogadishu. Two others including a Syrian doctor were also injured in the attack.

Somaliland: Togdheer Police Commander dismissed

22 Dec- Source: Somaliland Informer-100 Words

Police Commissioner in Togdheer has been dismissed and relieved from all his national duty without prior notice according to reports coming from the Buroa on Sunday. Colenel Ahmed Hassan Ilkacase has been Togdheer police commissioner for several years. According to further reports said that he was replaced by his counterpart in Saylac.

The dismissal of the long serving commander and once the news of his sacking was heard by pubic angered them and took to the streets to show their anger with the fired commander.It is not yet known the reasons why the police commander was sacked with urgency.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Somalis in Zambia seek better leadership

22 Dec- Source: Zambia Daily Mail-649 Words

AS THE 21-year civil war rages on in Somalia, some of its nationals living in Zambia have shifted their bitter tiffs from their country and are up against their community leaders, blaming them for the ravaging poverty tormenting the refugees.Zambia is host to between 3,000 and 4,000 Somalis holed up mainly in Lusaka and Ndola since the late 1960s when some of them migrated as workers for a transport company that was contracted to ferry fuel from Tanzania during an operation dubbed ‘Hell Run’.

Others have been sneaking in from 1992 when that country went up in flames after then President Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted and they shudder at the idea of returning home for fear of the bloody anarchy that has engulfed Somalia, giving it an infamous tag of a ‘failed state’ mostly blamed on Islamic fundamentalism and widespread ignorance.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali pop idol offers escape to youth

23 Dec- Source: BBC-1019 Words

IFRC launches appeal to assist cyclone survivors in Somalia

23 Dec- Source; Scoop -442 words

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an emergency appeal of 2.4 million Swiss Francs to assist 23,100 people affected by a tropical cyclone that hit Puntland State in Somalia on 10 November 2013.

Heavy rainfall and flash floods followed the tropical cyclone, and caused loss of human lives and the massive destruction of assets including livestock and fishing boats. Settlements and infrastructure including service centres, roads, schools, as well as communication and electrical installations were not spared from damage.

The most affected areas include Dangorayo, Bandar Beyla, Garowe and Eyl districts. Other areas affected include the coastal villages in Bari Region including Hafun, Iskushuban, Bargal, Quandala and Alula districts.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“I’m very hopeful that Somalia will rebound again with integrity and respect in the eyes of the world.”

Somalia: Solutions at the End of the Tunnel

22 Dec- Source: Raxanreeb-1237 Words

Somalia has fallen into a hole of uncertainty after the collapse of the military government in 1991. The conflagration civil war has taken many colors and forms with devastation to the nation,, but surprisingly, in 1991, nobody could predict that Somalia’s chronic political stalemate, bloodshed and strife was going to be endless with everlasting nuances.

In reality, in Somalia, for the the layman and the ordinary person in the street, the prolonged civil war has never been and will never be beneficial for them but instead, it is a cause of death to every pillar and national characteristic holding the country together. Indeed, the longer the duration of the civil war, the longer it erodes the basic and paramount structure of the society.

The Somali warfare claimed countless numbers of lives and inflicted a material loss of huge proportions. However, nobody can bring back the past to offset the loss of lives and material wreckage but the future is worth thinking about in order to find an answer for what went wrong in Somalia in the first place that until today sow the seeds of destruction in Somalia. Having said that, it is not a good thing to be preoccupied continuously with the past because the only time Somalia can find itself in is the present moment geared up towards the future: in order to solve the problem, you don’t have to think about the problem: instead of asking “what is the problem?”, it is worth asking “what is the solution?”.

“The implications of piracy for the Somali economy are alarming, but unfortunately this aspect has often been neglected by the international community. Despite the widespread acknowledgment of the need to invest in alternative economic livelihood projects, the implementation of these goals faces significant challenges due to security issues.”

The Threat of Piracy on Somalia’s Economy

21 Dec- Source: Somalilandpress/Sonna-1067 Words

The threat of Somali piracy has attracted international concern and has led to global, regional and local responses in counter-piracy operations offshore and military land-based anti-piracy operations. The UN Security Council has issued ten resolutions dealing specifically with piracy in SomaliaiSecurity Council Resolution 1816 acknowledged the limited capacity of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia to interdict pirates or to patrol and secure either the international sea lanes off the coast of Somalia or Somalia’s territorial waters, and encouraged states interested in the security of maritime activities to participate in the fight against piracy on the high seas off the coast of Somalia.

The counter-piracy measures consisted of deploying naval vessels and military aircraft through national naval forces and three international naval coalitions; the European Union Naval Force Somalia (EUNAVFOR-Atalanta), the Standing Naval Group of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) through Operation Ocean Shield, and Combined Task Force 151, to patrol the high seas, the Gulf of Aden and Somali sovereign waters.

“Somalia’s informal banking system is one of the only coherent institutions in the country—so why is U.S. policy undermining it?”

Banking on Somalia

19 Dec- Source: The American Interest-3887

A hidden room piled with U.S. currency, protected by only a single security guard and a pair of rusty green sheets of heavy aluminum hanging over the entryway, is one of the safer places in Mogadishu. This branch of the Dahabshiil money transfer company, near Makka al-Mokharama road in the formerly war-torn and still incredibly dangerous Somali capital, differs from every other building of importance in the city, including my hotel, which has a 4 p.m. curfew.

It stands out because it is not set behind blast walls, sandbag barriers and guard turrets. In Mogadishu, it feels novel and even a bit daring just to be in a structure that opens directly onto the street. The office is windowless, and the clerks don’t sit behind bulletproof glass, or any glass at all. Yet they hand over tiny stacks of $100 bills without the slightest display of nervousness.

“You go to Nairobi, and you see how the entrance to a bank is blocked”, said Ahmed, a local businessman who was showing an Oxfam researcher and me around the city for the day. (Disclosure: Oxfam covered some of my travel expenses in Somalia.) “You don’t see that in Mogadishu. The door is here, and the cashier is here.”

Top tweets

@TheVillaSomalia Making #Somalia safer. Launching the new e-passport with latest technology for securityhttp://mad.ly/380854 pic.twitter.com/bhLiKZ2kej

@MattBryden Mogadishu administration threatens 6 month jail terms for land claimants using counterfeit title deeds #Somalia http://goo.gl/CPMMcz

@unfoundation From @undispatch: Samantha Power Lands in Central African Republic. Echoes of Rwanda and Somalia in Tow -> http://trib.al/bPSt2p1

@UNSomalia #UN Envoy (@somalia111) to #Somaliacongratulates new Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed on his appointment: http://bit.ly/194ottj

‏@harunmaruf Officials: Agreement includes deployment of#AMISOM troops from Uganda and #Somali military at K-50 as a buffer between warring clans.

Follow the conversation →