December 8, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
President Farmaajo in Egypt For Africa Business Forum
07 December – Source: Garowe Online – 239 Words
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has arrived in beach Red Sea resort city of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt on Thursday for a 2 day business forum on Africa. President Farmajo was accompanied by several Ministers left Mogadishu for Egypt by the invitation of his Egyptian counterpart President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to attend the Africa Business Forum 2017 from Dec 7-9th.
The second Africa Business Forum in Sharm El Sheikh was organized by the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation of Egypt and the COMESA Regional Investment Agency (RIA), bringing together Heads of State and delegates from across Africa. This Business and Investment Forum, whose theme is “Driving investment for inclusive growth’, has been convened to increase intra-African investments and cross-border collaboration.
President Farmajo is expected to hold bilateral talks with President Al Sisi on the sidelines of the meeting, and will discuss on issues about the relations between the two countries and the six-month running Gulf crises. This is the second visit to Egypt by Somali President since the GCC diplomatic rift began on June 5. Cairo is among the Saudi-led Arab coalition which cut off relations with Qatar, and imposed Sea, Land, and Air blockade on the Arabian Peninsula country. Reliable sources told Garowe Online that Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi has tried in several attempts to bring Somalia and UAE leaders closer, after Somalia decided to remain neutral in regards to the Gulf Crisis.
Key Headlines
- President Farmaajo in Egypt For Africa Business Forum (Garowe Online)
- Hirshabelle President Talks About Development And Political Situation Of His State (Hiiraan Online)
- Somalia Security Minister Attends Interpol Global Conference On Human Trafficking In Qatar (Hiiraan Online)
- WHO Carries Out Cholera Vaccination In High-risk Districts In Somalia (Xinhuanet)
- Somalia’s Debt of $5 Billion: Lack of Political Honesty & International Coordination? A Barrier to Progress (Bartamaha)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Hirshabelle President Talks About Development And Political Situation Of His State
08 December – Source: Hiiraan Online – 201 Words
In an interview with Hiiraan Online, Hirshabelle President Mohamed Abdi Waare discussed the political and development situation of his state, saying that they are planning to launch various developmental projects in the state in the near future. Waare expressed hope that the state will hugely benefit from the upcoming $200 worth Qatari developmental projects to be launched in the country soon.
The Qatari-funded developmental projects will see the construction of the key road that connects Mogadishu to Jowhar, the regional capital of HirShabelle. The road that links Jowhar and Beledweyne will also be constructed, he stated. He noted that his administration aims to improve the agriculture sector since the two regions of Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle are known for their richness in farming and agriculture. Two presidential houses will also be built in Jowhar and Beledweyne respectively, he said.
On politics, he said he is hopeful that his newly appointed cabinet lineup would be approved by regional assembly despite opposition from some of the regional MPs and local politicians. He said that there are plans to flush out the militant group Al-Shabaab from the regions of Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle during the upcoming major military assault aimed at defeating the group.
Somalia Security Minister Attends Interpol Global Conference On Human Trafficking In Qatar
08 December – Source: Hiiraan Online – 122 Words
Somali security minister Mohamed Abukar Islow Du’ale attended Interpol’s fifth global conference on human trafficking held in Qatar. The event, which was attended by Interpol member states, international experts and a number of international organizations highlighted the challenges and global development in combating human trafficking.
Minister Du’ale met with top Qatari government officials including Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Dr. Abdullah Saleh al-Khulaifi on the sidelines of the conference, discussing ways to create employment opportunities for Somali youth in a bid to fight migration and human trafficking in Somalia. Somalia is among one of the most affected countries by human trafficking and migration. The conference came on the heels of the recent emergence of stories of the slave trade of migrants in Libya.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
WHO Carries Out Cholera Vaccination In High-risk Districts In Somalia
08 December – Source: Xinhuanet – 288 Words
The World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday it has successfully concluded the second oral cholera vaccination campaign in high-risk district in Banadir region of south Somalia. The WHO said the campaign was implemented using the house-to-house vaccination strategy and mobilizing a total of 29 supervisors, over 20 monitors, and 196 social mobilizers from the UN health agency and the Somali health ministry.
“As an integrated part of the current outbreak response strategy, WHO mobilized more than 2 million doses of oral cholera vaccines to be administered to vulnerable population in 11 districts in Somalia determined to be at high risk for further spread of the disease,” the UN agency said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.
The Horn of Africa nation has been experiencing cholera outbreaks since a decade ago. The WHO said as of November, cumulative suspected cases of acute watery diarrhea (AWD)/cholera stood at 78,596, including 1,159 deaths, compared to 15,621 cases, including 531 deaths, for the same period of 2016, in 55 districts in 19 regions of Somalia. The WHO said a strong social mobilization and community engagement were powerful tools that enabled the implementation of the vaccination campaign in the 11 targeted districts of the region.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“While Somalia’s government should be applauded for its ambition and recognition of the importance of normalising relations with international financial institutions and the broader financial community through the debt relief process, such task is monumental commitment that is a barrier to progress, misplaced commitment as well as prioritisation from the international community.”
Somalia’s Debt of $5 Billion: Lack of Political Honesty & International Coordination? A Barrier to Progress
07 December – Source: Bartamaha – 934 Words
The international attention and support for Somalia’s recovery has been instrumental, strategically necessary and critical since the first Somali London Conference 2012. The recent Mogadishu International Conference on Somalia this week is a testament to this relentless political and economic capital support for Somalia’s recovery. The fact that such international conference for Somalia was convened in Somalia’s capital city speaks volumes of the combined progress that is being made on many fronts.
Within a space of a week the international community pledged further $500 million support package for Somalia’s ongoing development and recovery. The Somali populations and its leaders are, I am sure, grateful for the unwavering commitment and desire to see Somalia within the fold of functioning and forward looking global community of nations.While there has been much necessary progress on the ground spearheaded by the international community and Somalia’s leaders, there is one critical area of focus that needs further evaluation and international action.
This month, the Somali Prime Minister HE Hassan Ali Khaire alluded to Somalia’s international debts of $5 Billion as an impediment for continued progress if Somalia does not fulfil its international obligation to its historical creditors. Although the Prime Minister is right and responsible in his commitment to find solutions for Somalia’s debts, I question the coordination, transparency, effectiveness of the international community and Somalia’s leaders to find a durable solution to Somalia’s debt, which were historical in nature, complex and misplaced by
Somalia’s previous Socialist dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s through white elephant projects. I recognise the international community has made inroads and at the recent UK Government sponsored London Somali Conference May 2017 where an agreement was reached to help Somalia clear its debts to international institutions within the context of the Heavily Indebted Poor Country Debt Relief Initiative, a multiyear processes intended for debt repayment. During the conference where I was present Somalia’s President HE Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo stressed the requirement for arrears clearance and normalisation of relations with international institutions.
While I respect and recognise the diplomatic dance around Somalia’s debts, it is my view Somalia’s debts and the response of the international community and financial institutions lack political honesty and a credible framework for finding a durable and urgent solutions to this subject matter. Somalia is not paying towards these debts, so there is no cost to their budget in debt payments. But there is a significant opportunity cost in that the debts on Somalia’s books means Somalia is missing out on significant resources that could be saving lives.
The way the debt is being treated by international donors means it is potentially a barrier to accessing new grants and loans from the World Bank, African Development Bank and new loans from various institutions, including the IMF and Arab Monetary Fund. Somalia, among the poorest countries in the world, is one of three remaining countries that are eligible for comprehensive debt relief under the HIPC Initiative (the other two are Sudan and Eritrea).
Somalia is estimated to have over $5 billion in external debt, with Paris Club creditors representing the largest single bloc (roughly $2.5 billion), followed by non-Paris Club bilateral creditors (roughly $1.5 billion) and multilateral creditors (roughly $1.5 billion). Under the HIPC Initiative and the complementary Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, virtually all of Somalia’s multilateral debt and the vast majority of its bilateral debt would be eliminated.
TOP TWEETS
@TheVillaSomalia: President Farmajo lands in Sharm El Sheikh to attend Africa Business Forum Meeting. Business and investment key to achieving national prosperity.
@SomaliaToday1: First batch of Ugandan troops withdrawing from Somalia return home, http://www.somaliatoday.so/
@ForceAnalysis: New report by Force Analysis: Conflict in#Somalia faces transition as @amisomsomalia initiates withdrawal. Data shows @VillaSomali is making great initial successes in securing #Mogadishu http://bit.ly/2ABQtqJ
@engyarisow: #Somalia 2017 Cash for food purchases today, seeds for food production tomorrow
@DalsanFM: 6 Alshabaab Fighters Surrender To Somali Govt –http://radiodalsan.com/en/6-
@HarunMaruf: Six Al-Shabaab fighters surrender to #Somaligovt forces in Dinsor town (Bay region) along with their weapons and a technical vehicle, regional officials say. As far as I can remember it will be the first time militants handover an improvised fighting vehicle, if confirmed.
@AaminAmbulance: GOOD NEWS!!! Two amazing individuals Abdi Addow (@AbdiAddow1) & Nadifa Mohamed (@thesailorsgirl) started raising funds for @AaminAmbulancetwo months ago. Today we have received their raised funds of $32,966.42. Thank you for the support & the donations. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
IMAGE OF THE DAY
President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo arrives in Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt to attend African Business Forum.
Photo: @TheVillaSomalia