December 31, 2012 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somali parliament endorses 2013 budget bill

30 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mustaqbal/Jowhar Online- 97 words
Somali parliament has unanimously endorsed the government budget for the year 2013.
On their Sunday session, the parliament voted for the draftbudgett. Out of the 177 present members, 176 voted in favour of the draft, while one lawmaker abstained from voting.
Second deputy speaker Mahad Abdalle Awad announced the bill as endorsed.
The minister of finance and national planning, Mohamud Hassan Saleban said the draft was amended after it was reject early this week.
The parliament on Wednesday rejected the draft budget citing mistakes in the expenditure allocated for the top leaders’ offices.

Key Headlines

Remaining Cabinet approved as former PM Gaas resigns from parliament (Garowe Online/SONNA)
Somali Defense minister: Security is our priority ( Radio Bar-kulan)
AMISOM’s role in Somalia not yet over (The East African- 411 words )
Government says security and order of Mogadishu Airport should be maintained (Radio Risaala)
Somali PM Shirdon on 1000 new troops Somaliland dialogue and Jubaland process (Garowe Online)
Minister for Internal Affairs “ The Juba administration will be from the residents” (Radio Mogadishu/SONNA/SNTV)
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia receives Somalia’s Minister of State (Saudi Press Agency)
Alarm over government directive to relocate all refugees living in urban areas to camps in Kenya (Hiiraan Online)
Longest Somali pirate ordeal ends for Iceberg-1 crew (Telegraph)
KDF breathe new life into Kismayo (Daily Nation)
Somalia grants al Shabaab amnesty ( Press TV)

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali parliament endorses 2013 budget bill

Somali Defense minister: Security is our priority

30 Dec- Source: Radio Mustaqbal- 107 words
Somali minister for defense Abdihakim hajj Mohamud Fiki, in an interview with mustaqbal radio said they have prepared a strategy to fight al Shabaab militants and pirates that wreck havoc along Somalia’s coastline. He also stated that the government will establish navy that will guard the coast and protect the merchant ships that use the route to different countries.
The minister further stated that the government has enhanced the security between Mogadishu and Afgoye..

Somali PM Shirdon on 1,000 new troops, Somaliland dialogue and Jubaland process

30 Dec- Source: Garowe Online- 500 words
Somalia’s Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon has said the government has prepared 1,000 new troops to secure Mogadishu, while highlighting that the Somali government would pursue dialogue with Somaliland’s separatist administration, Garowe Online reports.
“The 1,000 new troops will prevent the return of illegal roadblocks in Mogadishu,” Prime Minister Shirdon told Somali federal parliament during a Dec. 29 session. He added that the new government has “successfully removed illegal roadblocks which are obstacles to freedom of movement, security, and trade.”

Government delegation jets back to capital after Kismayo visit

29 Dec- Source: Radio Mogadishu/SONNA/SNTV/Somali Channel- 189 words
A ministerial delegation which was on official visit in southern Somali port city of Kismayo, on Saturday returned back to the capital Mogadishu..

The delegation headed by minister of National Security and Home Affairs, Abdikarim Hussein Guled accompanied by minister of information, Abdulahi Elmoge Hirsi, minister of defense, Abdulhakim Haji Mohamud, minister of religious affairs, Abdulahi Abyan Nor, National Army chief commander, Abdulkadir Sh. Ali Diini and other officials were in Kismayo for talks with interim administration there about the future of the port city.

The delegation had meeting with the interim administration of Kismayo city led by its chairman Ahmed Mohamed Islam “Madobe”, local elders and other officials.

Minister for Internal Affairs “ The Juba administration will be from the residents”

29 Dec- Source: Radio Risaala- 118 words
A section of the Somali cabinet led by the minister for internal affairs said the new juba administration that will be set up will be from the residents
Abdikariin Husein Gulled the minster for internal affairs and security said he has sat down with the current interim administration and the elders and discussed with them the formation of the new administration.
Similarly he said the administration of the other parts of Juba area will be from amongst themselves and not outsiders imposed on them.
The minister also said the government of Somalia is no longer an interim so the administration that will be setup will be a fully functional and not a transition.

Remaining Cabinet approved as former PM Gaas resigns from parliament

29 Dec- Source: Garowe Online/SONNA- 351 words
Somalia’s federal parliament has approved the remaining members of Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon’s new Cabinet, as former Prime Minister Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas resigned from his post as member of the Somali federal parliament, Garowe Online reports.
Prime Minister Shirdon’s 10-minister cabinet was approved by MPs on Nov. 13. On Saturday, Somali MPs approved the remaining 25 members of the cabinet, consisting of 20 deputy ministers and 5 state ministers.

The parliament session in Mogadishu was chaired by Parliament Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari. Somali MPs debated the issue of two deputy ministers per ministry, among other issues. Speaker Jawari announced the vote, declaring that 138 MPs voted in favor of Prime Minister Shirdon’s Cabinet and 12 MPs voted no to the new Cabinet.

Security Alert in Galgadud Region

30 Dec- Source: Radio Mustqbal- 132 words
The leader of Ahlu Sunna wa jamaa who is based in central Somali region of Galgadud on Saturday revealed the group’s forces arrested three people suspected to be al Shabaab fighters in Dhusamareb town

“Until we clearly get more knowledge about who are they and where are they heading too they will remain under investigation,” he told the media.

The area police chief who spoke with mustaqbal radio noted that the security in the area is very tight. He also added that the investigation is on and there is believe that this people are closely working with Alshabab but still needed more information about them.

Alarm over government directive to relocate all refugees living in urban areas to camps in Kenya

29 Dec- Source: Hiiraan Online- 193 words
Médecins Sans Frontières(MSF), a non governmental organization which runs a hospital in Dadaab said that the deteriorating condition is worsening and that the impact of the government’s order is disastrous.
Addressing the press, the MSF’s Head in Kenya, Dr Elena Velilla noted that the large number of of refugees has lead to straining for the available resource, for instance medical attention.

Elder shot dead in Galkayo

29 Dec- Source: Garowe Online- 183 words
A traditional elder was shot dead in Galkayo – the capital of Mudug region – on Saturday night as he exited a mosque, Garowe Online reports.
Gunmen shot Gabobe Adan Dalab – a well known elder in Galkayo – outside a mosque in Galkayo’s Israa neighborhood on Saturday night.
The traditional elder was rushed to a nearby hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Government says security and order of Mogadishu Airport should be maintained

28 Dec- Source: Radio Risaala- 126 words
After meeting management of the Adan Ade Airport, the minister for development said the security of the airport should assured always.
Minister for nation rebuilding Muhudin Mahamed Kaalmoy said the airport is the first impression that catches the eye of those coming into the country thus making it necessary to secure it.
Also the minister said there is confusion and mismanagement at the airport and he requested the airport management board to correct that.
He said from now on corruption in the airport is not allowed and his government will not tolerate any form of corruption.

Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a conclude meeting in Dhusamareb

30 Dec- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 82 words
A four days meeting by Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a top officials was on Sunday concluded in Dhusamareb, the headquarters of Galgudud region.
The meeting was mainly discussed about security related issues.
In a communiqué read to the media by Ahlu Sunna chairman of committees Sheikh Ibrahim Sheikh Hassan Gureye, the group decided to ready their forces, work closely with the federal government and mediate between warring clans in the region.
Ahlu Sunna recently announced to have formally merged with the federal government in Mogadishu.

Al Shabaab attacks Qansax-Dhere district

29 Dec- Source: Kulmiye Radio – 122 words

A news reports coming from district of Qansa-Dhere covered that there had been a severe fighting in the district between the federal government forces and the al Shabaab insurgents.
This fighting is said to have started after al Shabaab attacked defence positions of the government forces in the front locations of the town.
This attack was reported to have been a very powerful and was running for hours. The casualties between two groups were not yet confirmed.
Officials from the government who is positioned in Qansax-Dhere Mahad Abdirahman whom we have contacted has not given more information of the casualties of last night’s attack. He said his administration will provide a report about the last night’s fighting between al Shabab and the government soldiers.

REGIONAL MEDIA

AMISOM’s role in Somalia not yet over

30 Dec- Source:The East African- 411 words
African peace-keepers in Somalia face tough times ahead in their bid to liberate the entire country.
Al Shabaab still controls large parts of Central Somalia like Bay and Bakool and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) will have to put in more effort in order to liberate the entire country, security analysts said.
This comes even as AMISOM’s mandate is set to expire in early March 2013. Recently, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki, which saw the two recommend the extension of AMISOM’s mandate to the UN Security Council.

KDF breathe new life into Kismayo

29 Dec- Source: Daily Nation- 674 words
Incredibly, this small port city, a study in ruin in a country that is a parable of ruin, boasts two airports.
There is the new airport, as it is known, laughably to all who touch down there, which lies 10 miles inland and consists of a couple of mostly tarmacked runways and the carcass of a terminal. Kismayo International Airport, in blue block letters, is just barely visible above the building’s sun-bleached cornice.
Stencil-painted on the wall below that, and more legible, is the flag of the Islamist insurgent movement that until recently controlled Kismayo, Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, or al Shabaab – a black rectangle over white classical Somali script that reads “There Is No God But God.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, receives Somalia’s Minister of State

30 Dec- Source: Saudi Press Agency- 54 words
Prince Saud Al Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs, received here today Somalia’s Minister of State Fareh Abdulqader Mohammed who handed over to Prince Saud Al Faisal a message from the Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations.

26 Somali and Eritrean migrants die in Libyan Desert

30 Dec- Source: Africa Review- 315 words

Reports from Libya confirmed Friday that 23 Somalis and three Eritreans being smuggled through the north African country died when a vehicle they were in overturned.

The dead included youths and women heading to Tripoli with the ultimate goal of reaching Europe by means of usually treacherous sea voyages.

According to the Somali Ambassador to Libya, Abdigani Mohamed Wa’ays, a trailer carrying about 120 Somalis who were being sneaked into the Libyan capital had an accident.

“The truck reportedly left the road and then overturned,” the ambassador told the media on being contacted, citing preliminary police reports.

Waiting to strike the KDF?

30 Dec- Source: Daily Nation- 620 words
Mogadishu is famous for its destroyed infrastructure. By contrast, Kismayo, home to about 180,000 people, is striking for its lack of infrastructure. Residents will tell you this is because Kismayo, a medieval fishing settlement that evolved into a spur of the Swahili-coast livestock trade during the colonial era, has changed hands so often.
In the 1890s, the Sultan of Muscat ceded Kismayo to Britain, which in turn gave it to Italy.
After Somalia won its independence in 1960, Kismayo’s business elite turned its port into a regional trade hub, but when the civil war began in 1991, the city was flung between warlords. US Marines occupied it, with little effect.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somalia grants al Shabaab amnesty

30 dec- Source: Presstv- 336 words
The Somali government has given the local al Shabaab fighter group a 100 days ultimatum to end fighting and lay down its arms.
The country’s Interior and National Security Minister issued the ultimatum and called on the people to join hands in fighting extremism and militancy in Somalia.
The group has been waging an insurgency war against the UN backed administrations in Somalia since 2007. However the group has lately been on the back foot in the past year after being forced to abandon its bases in the capital Mogadishu owing to intense pressure from AMISOM and Somali forces.

Longest Somali pirate ordeal ends for Iceberg-1 crew

29 Dec- Source: Telegraph- 943 words

By the time the 22 surviving crew of the MV Iceberg-1 were finally rescued last week, most had long given up hope of ever returning home.

The ageing cargo ship was hijacked by Somali pirates nearly three years ago as it set off on a voyage to Britain with a cargo of electrical goods. And when the ship’s owners refused to pay the $10 million ransom they demanded, the longest pirate hijacking in modern maritime history had started.

Ireland may aid Somali pirate fight

30 Dec- Source:independent- 83 words
Ireland may consider aiding an EU naval mission to stop pirates off Somalia, but not until August 2013, Justice and Defence Minister Alan Shatter has said.
The Sunday Independent first revealed in March this year that Ireland had been asked by the EU naval mission off Somalia to join the struggle against the pirates. But Mr Shatter said five countries had offered detachments to the EU and no vacancies existed until August 2013. He said consideration may be given closer to that time.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“One might ask why there is a basic lack of decorum in Somali discussions. Some would simply say that Somalis are rather prickly and not used to criticism – they will slap you back to yesterday for an affront, real or imagined. I disagree for two reasons – I am on record as a strong critic of stereotypes so try to avoid broad generalities in favour of local particularities.”

Towards a balanced and civil discourse on matters Somali

28 Dec- Source: Wardheernews-1549 Words
I have been thinking about this particular article for a while and must admit that I’ve struggled with it not because it is difficult to write but because of the difficulty and the sensitivity of the subject matter. There is a good maxim in journalism; the cub reporter is advised to “start from the beginning” – so let me just do that, start from the beginning.

“Dialogue is what Somalia needs more than anything else right now but Somalia must be discussing the right issues with the right players at the right time and venue. There is no point giving few separatists the opportunity to hijack our leaders’ good gesture and initiatives.”

Somali leaders should stop entertaining the nostalgia ‘two state talks’

30 Dec- Source: Hiiraan Online-1664 Words

In the last two decades, there were much chaos, suffering and little room for substantial and constructive dialogue in Somalia. However, Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon’s recent bold move to call for a national dialogue no doubt deserves a national support. We might all agree that before rushing into dialogue, there should be a broad agreement and voices of concern should be taken into consideration. Unless the government listens, it remains an entity merely following the footsteps of its TFG predecessor without clear guidelines, preliminary conditions and framework for national unity. Can our government put her best foot forward and stop entertaining the imaginary ‘two state talks’?