December 4, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo Opens Security Meeting In Mogadishu
04 December – Source: Garowe Online – 185 Words
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has officially opened a high-level meeting on security in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Monday. Leaders of the Federal Member States, the AU, UN, EU, and other International Partners, are attending the high-level meeting which is a follow-up to the London Conference on Somalia, held in May this year. The Special Representative Chairperson of the AU Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira is co-chairing the meeting with President Farmajo, according to the sources.
The implementation of the National Security Architecture plan, and the handover of the security responsibility from AMISOM to Somalia’s National Army [SNA] forces, starting next year will be high on the agenda talks. Ambassador Madeira said, the financing of the Somali security sector will also dominate the conference opened in Mogadishu that is vital in reviewing progress made so far, in the security and political fronts, in Somalia. The security of the capital, especially the main streets around Halane, the HQ of AU peacekeeping mission, adjacent to Aden Adde International Airport has been tightened by the government forces to avert Al-Shabaab attack during the meeting.
Key Headlines
- President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo Opens Security Meeting In Mogadishu (Garowe Online)
- Somalia Formally Registers First Political Parties In 50 Years (Goobjoog News)
- 50 Al-Shabaab Militants Surrender To Government Authorities (Hiiraan Online)
- Allied Forces Repulse Al-Shabaab Attack In Qoryoley (Goobjoog News)
- Somalia Mulls Swift Actions To Prevent Use Of Children In Armed Conflicts (Xinhuanet)
- US-Somalia Joint Raid: US Denies Wrongdoing In Deadly Military Operation Back In August (CTGN)
- Giving Hope To Refugees Returning To Somalia (EU Delegation in Somalia)
NATIONAL
Somalia Formally Registers First Political Parties In 50 Years
04 December – Source: Goobjoog News – 319 Words
Somalia has inched closer to embracing multi-party politics thanks to the interim registration of the first seven political parties. The National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) issued certificates of temporary registration to seven political parties in a move, that could also see the country depart from the clan based political power sharing arrangement commonly referred to as the 4.5. The registration of the political parties is also historic as it comes at least 50 years after the country fell into military dictatorship in the late 1960s. Somalia is preparing to hold one person one vote elections in 2020. Formation of political parties is one of the steps towards the 2020 elections as set out during the 2016 agreements between the country’s top leadership.
Speaking during the award of certificates of registration, NIEC chairperson Halima Ibrahim said the registration of parties marked a milestone in transition from the clan based system into a political party option. “We have to create political parties that will compete in the elections that will take place in the country in order to move away from the system of 4.5 to one person one vote. We succeeded in this process and today we temporarily registered 7 political parties” said Halima.
Lower House speaker Mohamed Jawaari hailed the registration as critical in building the country’s democracy. “Political parties, whether ruling or opposition are the pillars of our politics and democratic culture of our country. Justice party chairperson Zakariye Haji said the parties will be judged by their manifestos and not clan inclination. “Political parties will be elected based on their manifestos and programs and not on clan inclination neither through the gun” said Haji. Among the parties registered and respective chairpersons include: Justice Party – Zakariye Haaji, United Democratic Party- Fauzia Haji, Somali People’s Party-Salad Jeele, National Democratic Party- Abdirashid Ali, United Somali Republican Party- Ali Tima-jilic, Development Party- Suleiman and Somali Society Unity Party- Yasin Maalin.
50 Al-Shabaab Militants Surrender To Government Authorities
04 December – Source: Hiiraan Online – 106 Words
Minister for Security Mohamed Abukar Islow said that 54 Al-Shabaab militants surrendered to security forces since October 14 when the deadly Mogadishu bombing happened. During the same period, Minister Islow said that 63 others were apprehended in various security operations carried out by the security forces.
One of the nabbed suspects is a man who disguised himself as a woman by wearing a hijab. He called on other militant fighters to renounce violence and surrender to the group, saying that Al-Shabaab is being on the brink of collapse. The minister urged the public to work with government forces to improve security and stability of the nation.
Allied Forces Repulse Al-Shabaab Attack In Qoryoley
04 December – Source: Goobjoog News – 132 Words
Somali and AMISOM forces Sunday night repulsed attacks from the militant group Al-Shabaab in Qoryoley in Lower Shabelle region with reports indicating three people were killed. Sources said Al-Shabaab fighters attacked a military position in Mashalaay location leading to a clash which ensued into the night.
At least three people died in the attack, multiple sources said. Military officials said they inflicted harm on the militants. Separately, local administration of Lower Shabelle said it captured one person suspected to be a member of Al-Shabaab. The commissioner of the region Mr. Ahmed Mayre Makaran said the suspect was arrested Sunday during an operation in the area. “He was captured by our security staff who were on security operation. They said he was a member of Al-Shabaab after interrogating him thoroughly” said Mr. Makaran.
INTERNATIONAL
Somalia Mulls Swift Actions To Prevent Use Of Children In Armed Conflicts
04 December – Source: Xinhuanet – 376 Words
Somalia is seeking urgent actions to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers in armed conflicts in the Horn of Africa. According to a joint statement issued in Mogadishu on Sunday after a five-day meeting of key representatives from the government and federal member states, recruitment and use of children is a key security concern and has the potential to undermine efforts aimed at bringing lasting peace to Somalia.
African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)’s Child Protection Adviser Musa Gbow stressed the importance of coming up with a roadmap that will be translated into a policy document and implemented at both the federal and regional levels. “Our aim is to have a smooth transitional exit strategy, but we cannot just leave vacuum. We have to ensure that the federal government and federal member states continue to work together especially with regards to dealing with the prevention of the recruitment and use of children as soldiers in the conflict in Somalia,” Gbow said.
Various international instruments across the globe criminalize the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. Available statistics also show that 70 percent of the children in armed conflict in Somalia are recruited by Al-Shabaab terror group. During the forum, organized by AMISOM, participants discussed how to prevent the recruitment of and use of children in armed conflicts. The forum provided an avenue for various government departments including the security sector to interface alongside AMISOM military, in coming up with tangible solutions to the problem.
US-Somalia Joint Raid: US Denies Wrongdoing In Deadly Military Operation Back In August
04 December – Source: CTGN – 434 Words
US investigators have denied any wrongdoing on America’s part during a joint raid in August near the Somalian capital, which killed 10 Somali civilians. A US statement has referred to the victims as enemy combatants. The Somali government has yet to release a statement — seen as much needed to gain the public’s trust. Our correspondent Abdulaziz Billow reports. Following months of investigations: US investigators have concluded no wrongdoing on its part during August raid on a rural village outside Mogadishu that killed 10 Somali civilians.
Instead, the brief statement by US Africa Command referred to the victims as enemy combatants. Mogadishu is yet to offer any public statement despite promising a public investigation, Experts say – the latest US denial will likely hamper the ongoing fight against terrorist groups. Abdisalam Yusuf Guled, Counter terrorism expert said “This will derail the American, the trust the people have for the Americans and other allies with the Somali government because the government stands in the support of society – if it lacks that then the international partners will not help that much.”
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“My hope was to quickly cultivate my land and generate an income. However, after 25 years of neglect, my farm required equipment to make it ripe for cultivation. Hiring tractors was quite expensive and I could not afford it,”
Giving Hope To Refugees Returning To Somalia
04 December – Source: EU Delegation In Somalia – 739 Words
In August 2016, Marshale Mohamed Aden faced a tough decision: to remain in the only home he had known for the last 25 years, or choose an uncertain future in a country he had fled decades earlier. With his family to think of, and his young children at school, a lot was at stake. Marshale was uprooted from his native country at the age of 18 when a brutal civil war broke out in Somalia in the early 90s. More than two decades later, he still recalls the horrendous journey he made to escape the fighting. He finally found safety at Ifo-1 camp, one of the settlements inside the sprawling Dadaab refugee camp in Northern Kenya.
Over the years, Dadaab offered relative peace and allowed Marshale’s family to meet their basic needs. His children received a decent education, offered freely to refugees living in the camp. But Marshale always remembered Somalia with nostalgia. When he got word that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) was assisting Somali refugees who wished to return back home, he knew he had a choice to make. “It was also particularly difficult for my six children, who were born and raised in the refugee camp and have never known Somalia,” Marshale explains.
After a lot of soul-searching, the family decided to separate; Marshale, his wife and two of their children would return to Somalia, while the others would remain in Kenya and continue with their University and High School education. Something that weighed heavily on Marshale when he returned to his home region of Baidoa was how he would provide for his household. Although his family had received a cash grant from UNHCR to allow them to re-settle in dignity, he was aware that the money could not sustain him in the long term. “My hope was to quickly cultivate my land and generate an income. However, after 25 years of neglect, my farm required equipment to make it ripe for cultivation. Hiring tractors was quite expensive and I could not afford it,” says Marshale.
But, with support from the European Union (EU), his dreams were soon realized. Marshale is among thousands benefiting from one of many EU projects in Somalia under the programme entitled “RE-INTEG: Enhancing Somalia’s responsiveness to the management and reintegration of mixed migration flows”. The funds were channelled through UNHCR and sought to assist Somali refugees returning home after years of exile in neighbouring Kenya. To support the most vulnerable and promote peaceful co-existence among beneficiaries, Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and members of the host communities are also being targeted.
TOP TWEETS@SomaliPM: We are grateful to our partners for their contribution in enhancing our security #MogadishuConference @DalsanFM: Farmaajo Chairs National Security Meeting –http://radiodalsan.com/en/ @HarunMaruf: BREAKING: Somalia hits a landmark w/ official launch of registration of political parties for the first time in nearly 50 yrs. The political party system will replace current clan-based power sharing system. 7 parties received accreditation from Independent Electoral Commission. Ambassador Madeira @AmbFMadeira: This conference, which will also discuss the financing of the Somali security sector and the next steps on #AMISOM’s transition, will be critical in reviewing progress made so far on the security and political fronts in #Somalia. Watch my full remarks:http://vimeo.com/245610086 @90_somo: The unity of Somali leaders are needed to bring lasting peace and stability in Somalia. #Mogadishuconference @radiogarowe: UPDATE: A bomb fitted into a vehicle belonging to senior Military official went off in the army camp, near #Zoobejunction in #Mogadishu. Casualties yet unknown. #Somalia. @Goobjoognews: Security Conference kicks off in #Mogadishu. The conference is a follow-up to the London conference in May. Donors are expected to commit financial support to the implementation of the National Security Architecture, a component of the Security Pact agreed to in May @warganenews: #Somalia: #Somalia mulls swift actions to prevent use of children in #armed conflictshttps://wargane.com/?p=50088 @RadioErgo: #Somalia: Family in remote northern Somali village sell last camel in lost bid to save daughter sick with measles… http://fb.me/7Ur4RqlI7 |
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Photo: @TheVillaSomalia |
H.E President, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed officially opened Somalia Security Conference in Mogadishu today.